Circusfolk value wit, surprise, and daring which they display in both their lifestyle and their folktales. While some communities are found in villages and insular neighborhoods, they are most famous for their traveling carnivals. These troupes often began as just a handful of entrepreneuring entertainers but blossomed into big top circuses with caravans complete with support staff, spouses, and new family members. Orphans, runaways, and misfits of all heritages find a new family among circusfolk. 

Sometimes societies are overturned by war and conflict, and there isn’t always a homeland to return to once the war is over. Refugees with nowhere to go often go nowhere together, forming great roaming caravans. They travel along the migratory routes of wild animal herds, or from city to city as travelling merchants, or to cities unafraid of a few hundred or a few thousand travelers suddenly arriving on their doorsteps. 

The twenty-sided die (d20) is at the heart of Level Up’s action resolution mechanic.

Your character begins the game with starting equipment determined by their background and class. Starting equipment includes everything from weapons and armor to general tools and items. Be sure to record your starting equipment on the character sheet. 

There are six key

Your proficiency bonus can be found in the table below. Characters starting out at 1st level begin with a +2 to proficiency and that bonus applies to a number of important character elements: 

Your character’s hit points provide a rough idea of how much damage they can withstand. Your hit points are determined by your Hit Dice which are in turn tied to your class. At 1st level, your character begins with 1 Hit Dice and hit points equal to the maximum number of that Hit Dice. You also gain additional hit points based on your Constitution modifier which will be covered later in the character creation process.

Adventurers come from all walks of life and approach the world in different ways. Class is the term used to broadly describe the set of skills and abilities they use while confronting the challenges of the world.

While your origin describes your character’s past, your class represents what they are doing now. 

Most characters start at 1st level and advance by adventuring and gaining experience points (XP). A good way to picture a character at this level is to see them as a newcomer to some of the more difficult challenges you’ll face.  

Record your level on the character sheet as 1st level and indicate that your starting experience is zero.