¶ Advanced Character Creation
Welcome to Advanced Character Creation. There are just a few more steps you need to take after logging in with a new character before you enter into the world of HAZE: Saltborne.
For the purposes of this guide, we've created a character we'll be calling "Ragnar Greybeard", a Dwarf Fighter, using the steps covered in the Core Character Creation guide.
Let's jump into it.
¶ Information
This is the first thing you're going to see once you start. Immediately there's some helpful reading material. It's non-mandatory but we would highly encourage you to examine the objects marked to make sure you have a basis of understanding going into the server. We'll go over them in brief here.
¶ Welcome & Introduction
This is a collection of general information and about the server, the systems contained within and a handy link to the forums which I'll add here.
Discord: https://discord.gg/haze-saltborne
¶ Credits
This is a collection of credits and acknowledgements for individuals who dedicated their time and effort to getting the world of HAZE: Saltborne up and running.
¶ Community Standards
This is a collection of rules and social pacts that we, as a community, have made with one another to ensure a safe, enjoyable and fair experience for everyone who joins the HAZE: Saltborne community.
If you only read one thing from the materials provided here, it should be this.
A copy of the community standards can also be found on the Community Standards wiki page.
¶ Perma Death
Here's a short read on how permanent character death works on this server. We recommend reading with this because everyone has to reckon with this inevitability at some point.
¶ Low Magic
Just a quick reminder that HAZE is a low-level & low-magic server.
¶ Player vs Player
Due to the nature of permanent character death on the server there are strict rules of conduct that are necessary to follow if you intend to engage in player vs player behaviors.
Although we say "Player vs Player" what we really mean is "Character vs Character" please be nice to your fellow Saltbornes out of character at all times.
¶ Character test area
A portal to the character test area can be found immediately behind you as you spawn into the character creation area. The area can be used to test builds up until level 5.
Note that once a character enters the character test area, they cannot leave, and logging out will delete the character.
¶ Continuing
Once you feel well informed enough, walk forward and you'll come across a few more things.
The Setting Summary: A brief summary of the setting which can also be found, with more detail, on the Island of Narumer page of the wiki.
Time Ratio: An in-game reminder that time passes at the following rate:
27 Real Life Minutes = 1 In-Game Hour
Character Setup Mirrors: This is where all of the advanced character creation occurs. Let's jump into it!
¶ The Character Setup Mirror
Would you look at that beautiful dwarven mug. Now that we're interacting with the character creation mirror we're going to be face to face with a number of customization options that we'll go over now.
¶ 1. Choose a Subrace
Because Ragnar is a dwarf, when we go into this section we're given the option to select either Shield Dwarf or Gold Dwarf.
There are many subrace options depending on the base race that you've chosen. You can find a full list of the available subraces including mechanical changes and descriptions on the Races & Subraces page of the wiki.
Ragnar Greybeard is a Shield Dwarf!
¶ 2. Change Character Appearance
In case you aren't happy how your character looks when you load into the game, this is your opportunity to fine-tune that to your liking.
In addition to fine tuning your previous customization options you can now access an advanced options that wasn't available to you during Core Character Creation. That would be the option to Change Character Height.
You can play around here until you're satisfied but Rangar Greybeard is already as handsome as dwarvenly possible, so we'll move on.
¶ 3. Choose a Deity
Religion and Religiousity are important aspects in the lives of those from the world of Toril. Since that is where all of the Saltborne will have originated from, before they crashed on the isle of Narumer, it is very likely that they pay homeage to some deity or another. We won't go over them all here, but there are tons of options to choose from.
If you want to read more about the various gods, goddesses and pantheons of The Forgotten Realms, you can do so by following this link to the Forgotten Realms wiki's Deities Portal.
Ragnar Greybeard pays homeage to the dwarven all-father, Moradin.
¶ 4. Choose Bonus Languages
Although just about everyone speaks "Common" (which is effectively English in-game) there are many languages and dialects both region and racial to choose from. When you select a language you'll get a token that allows you conveniently translate anything you type into that language, which can then only be understood by others who speak that language.
While it's obvious that Dwarves speak Dwarvish and Elves speak Elvish (and so on), to help you determine what languages your character might speak, based on where they're from, we've prepared a handy map that illustrates the primary languages according to region which you can find by navigating to our Languages of Faerun wiki page.
Under the "Special Languages" submenu you'll find a number of rare languages that are locked behind our Eminence Reward System.
As a dwarf, Ragnar Greybeard speakas Dwarvish but he also spent some time among the humans of Waterdeep so we're going to pick the Regional Lanaguge - Chondathan.
¶ 5. Choose a Background
There are a number of backgrounds available to new characters that help define who they were and what they were doing before they unfortunately crashed on the shores of Narumer. In addition to providing context for you character's arrival, each background also comes with a bonus that can come in many forms.
We have prepared a very helpful wiki page where you can read all about the Character Backgrounds available to you.
As a patron of Moradin, Ragnar has practiced the dwarven art of Blacksmithing so we'll pick the "Apprentice Blacksmith" background.
¶ 6. Choose a Summoning Discipline
One of the unique features added to HAZE: Saltborne is the option to choose one of seven types of summoning discipline that will affect the creatures summoned by the Summon Creature spells. At time of writing, the summoning options have been balanced up to Summon Creature III. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses so feel free to rest and summon each of the options to help you decide your favorite.
Ragnar Greybeard doesn't use magic, just his trusty axe, so we're going to skip this option ourselves.
¶ 7. Choose a Descriptive Name
Another unique features added to HAZE: Saltborne is the Identity System. As part of this system you'll select a descriptive names to others see when they first encounter you. You can either the premade template or create your own. You can also change this at will using the !defaultname command.
Ragnar Greybeard is an Old Dwarf so that's what we'll pick here.
¶ Entry
Now that we've exhausted the character customization options at the mirror, it's time to take our final steps before entering the world of HAZE: Saltborne.
In this final area you can take your a final free nap, gather your courage, and enter into the world. The sign is here to remind you that any customizations and selections you've made for your character up until this point are FINAL. If you want to change anything, go back and do so now, because you will never be able to come back to this area.
At time of writing there is only one direction from which you can enter the server. That's near the hamlet of Coffinswode. Unfortunately Hoarfrost, while still present, is a dangerous place due to events that have occured in-game and suicide for new players so it's temporarily blocked off until that is no longer the case.
Congratulations, you've survived the advanced character creation process and are finally ready to enter into the world. See you in game!