Engine Character Creation

Character Creation

Status: ✅ Complete
Implementation: RealmEngine.Core/Features/CharacterCreation

Overview

Character creation initializes a new character with a class, optional background, starting equipment, starting location, and difficulty setting. All steps are orchestrated by a single CreateCharacterCommand.

Selections

Class

The class defines the character's core identity: base stats, hit die, primary attribute, starting abilities, and equipment proficiencies. A class object is loaded first and passed directly into the command.

var classes = await mediator.Send(new GetCharacterClassesQuery());
var warrior = classes.First(c => c.Slug == "warrior");

Background (Optional)

Backgrounds provide a character's origin story and grant flat attribute bonuses at creation. They are stored in the content database and managed through RealmForge.

Field	Description
Slug	Unique identifier (e.g., "soldier", "scholar")
DisplayName	Name shown to the player
TypeKey	Category tag (e.g., "common", "criminal", "scholar")
RarityWeight	Frequency weight for random selection

Stats applied at creation:

Stat	Description
StartingGold	Gold the character begins with
BonusStrength	Flat STR bonus
BonusDexterity	Flat DEX bonus
BonusIntelligence	Flat INT bonus
BonusConstitution	Flat CON bonus
StartingSkillBonus	Slug of a skill that receives a starting rank bonus
SkillBonusValue	Magnitude of that skill bonus

Traits (boolean classifiers):

Trait	Description
Military	Combat or military service
Noble	Aristocratic upbringing
Criminal	Underworld background
Merchant	Trade or commerce
Scholar	Academic study
Religious	Temple or faith
Regional	Region-specific culture

Difficulty (Optional)

Difficulty is stored on the save game and applies multipliers throughout gameplay. Defaults to "Normal" if not specified.

Preset	Description
"Easy"	Reduced enemy damage, generous economy
"Normal"	Balanced — standard experience
"Hard"	Tougher enemies, stricter economy, higher death penalties
"Very Hard"	Extreme modifiers, steep consequences

Starting Equipment (Optional)

Hints for preferred gear type are accepted and used to select starting items that match the class's proficiencies.

Parameter	Example Values
PreferredArmorType	"cloth", "leather", "mail", "plate"
PreferredWeaponType	"sword", "axe", "bow", "staff"
IncludeShield	true / false

If no preference is given, default starting equipment for the class is used.

Starting Location (Optional)

A StartingLocationId places the character in a specific zone. If omitted, a suitable starting zone is selected automatically. Use GetStartingLocationsQuery to find available options, optionally filtered by background recommendations.

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Commands & Queries

Create a Character

var result = await mediator.Send(new CreateCharacterCommand
{
    CharacterName = "Aldric",
    CharacterClass = warrior,
    BackgroundId = "soldier",          // optional — slug or full ID
    DifficultyLevel = "Normal",        // optional, defaults to "Normal"
    StartingLocationId = "crossroads", // optional
    PreferredArmorType = "plate",      // optional
    PreferredWeaponType = "sword",     // optional
    IncludeShield = false              // optional
});

if (result.Success)
{
    var character = result.Character;
    // character has class stats, background bonuses, starting abilities, and equipment applied
}

Query Available Backgrounds

// All backgrounds
var backgrounds = await mediator.Send(new GetBackgroundsQuery());

// Specific background by slug
var bg = await mediator.Send(new GetBackgroundQuery("soldier"));

Query Starting Locations

// All starting-eligible locations
var locations = await mediator.Send(new GetStartingLocationsQuery());

// Filtered by background recommendations
var recommended = await mediator.Send(new GetStartingLocationsQuery(
    BackgroundId: "soldier",
    FilterByRecommended: true));

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Related Systems

• Character System — Core character model and stats
• Progression System — Skills, abilities, and spells gained after creation
• Difficulty System — Difficulty modifier details
• Inventory System — Starting equipment and item management