Building a character from scratch can be a lot for a new player, especially a younger one! Pre-built characters let your Young Heroes skip straight to the fun part: playing.
This guide covers how to make pre-built characters that fit each age group, and how to set them up in D&D Beyond so your players can claim them.
What Makes a Great Pre-Built Character?
Easy to play. Younger players do best with characters that have a few clear things they’re great at.
A personality in one sentence. Give each character a simple hook players can grab onto, like “A brave knight who’s secretly afraid of chickens.”
An age-appropriate backstory. A character’s past should match the content of your game.
A goal. Give every character something they want. It helps players know what to do in the story.
A clean inventory. Check the equipment list for anything that doesn’t fit your age group, like ale or poisons.
How Characters Change With Age
Ages | Complexity | Backstory | Feels like |
9 to 12 | Simple characters; avoid complicated classes that may cause added frustration. Limit the number of spells and abilities a player needs to know. | Cheerful and simple. No tragic pasts, just a fun reason to go adventuring. | Hiccup (How to Train Your Dragon), Moana, Po (Kung Fu Panda), Luz (The Owl House) |
13 to 14 | More complicated characters, including spellcasters with more choices. If a character will be more complicated, it is a good idea to make that known when players are picking their characters. | Can include challenges like rivals, mistakes to make right, or someone to find. | Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender), Miles Morales (Spider-Verse) |
15 to 17 | Any class or subclass should be fine, but be aware of overloading a character sheet with information that could overwhelm a player. | Can include loss, hard choices, or a complicated past, with room for hope. | Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings), Holga and Doric (Honor Among Thieves), Hermione Granger, Eleven (Stranger Things) |
📌 Tip: Ask the guardians of your players about characters your players love from books, movies, or shows. It’s a great way to match them with a pre-built character they’ll enjoy!
Example: One Character, Three Age Groups
Here’s how the same character can be adjusted for each age group.
Pip Underbough, Halfling Rogue
Ages | Backstory |
9 to 12 | Pip finds lost things and returns them to their owners, from missing socks to runaway pets. She dreams of finding the legendary Lost-and-Found, where every lost thing in the world ends up. |
13 to 14 | Pip grew up picking pockets in the city, but she’s trying to turn things around. The trouble is, she still owes a favor to the Thieves’ Guild, and they’ve come to collect. |
15 to 17 | Pip’s family owes money to a dangerous crime boss, and she steals to keep them safe. She’s starting to wonder if what she’s doing is right, and whether there’s another way out. |
How Do I Make Pre-Built Characters in D&D Beyond?
Step 1: Create a Campaign
Go to My Campaigns in D&D Beyond
Click Create a Campaign
Give your campaign a name and fill out the details
Step 2: Create an Unassigned Character
Unassigned characters are characters your players can claim as their own.
Open the Campaign on D&D Beyond
Click Create Unassigned Character
Choose your build method:
Standard: Build step by step with full control. Best for detailed characters.
Quick Build: Choose a species, class, and name, and D&D Beyond does the rest. Great for one-shots!
Premade: Start from a character made by Wizards of the Coast, then adjust it.
📌 Tip: Using a D&D Beyond Premade? Check its backstory and personality to make sure they fit your age group.
Step 3: Customize the Character
Once the character is built:
Add a Personality and Backstory in the character’s description
Review the Equipment list and remove anything that doesn’t fit your age group
Add a Character Portrait. Make sure it follows What Art Can I Use for Young Heroes Games?
⚠️ Never use a Young Hero’s real name, photo, or personal information on a character sheet.
Step 4: Make a Backup Copy
Once a player claims a character, it moves to their account and disappears from yours. If you want to reuse your pre-built characters in future games, make a copy of each one before sharing.
Step 5: Share the Campaign Link
On your Campaign page, copy your campaign’s Join Link
Send the link to your players’ Guardians through StartPlaying Messages
⚠️ All communication with Young Heroes must go through Guardians and StartPlaying Messages. Never send links directly to a Young Hero.
Step 6: Players Claim Their Characters
When a Young Hero opens the join link, they can:
Choose one of the unassigned characters
Click Join With This Character
The character now belongs to them, and if they want to update the character, they can make any changes they like!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pre-built characters should I make?
We recommend making 2-3 more characters than you have players, so everyone has a choice.
Why can’t I create more unassigned characters?
Free D&D Beyond accounts have 6 character slots, and unassigned characters count toward your limit until a player claims them. You may need to delete or archive older characters to make room, or upgrade to a higher subscription tier. If your player is unable to claim a character, it could be that they already have 6 characters on their own account.
Why can’t my player see the characters?
Make sure:
They’re using the correct campaign join link
The characters are still unassigned
They don't already have 6 characters on their account if they are on a free account
Can players change their character after claiming it?
Yes! Once a character is claimed, it belongs to the player, and they will be able to edit it on their end just as if they had made the character to begin with.
What happens to the character after a one-shot?
The player keeps it. If you want the character back for future games, the player can click Unassign while in the campaign.
Can players use content from books I own on D&D Beyond?
If you’re building pre-made characters, the players will have access to the content placed on their sheet, as long as they do not remove it. If your players are building their own characters, Content Sharing would need to be enabled for the campaign on D&D Beyond in order for the players to have access to the books you own.