So you want to build a sno....character! Yes...character...

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One of the most popular European and American Table Top Roleplaying Games (TTRPG), Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) which originated in 1974 has gone through roughly nine transitions from its first release to the current 5th edition which has streamlined the rules process making it far easier to get into now. On the other hand, many fans of the previous 3rd edition (d)evolved into Pathfinder which has recently (as of August 1st of this year) released their Second Edition.

But enough of this digression, for people looking to get into D&D it can appear very tedious and an almost insurmountable obstacle especially if you look at a System Rule Document (SRD) on your own. Others come flocking to it with the popularity of streams and the world renowned critter following that is Critical Role. Regardless if you are a novice or seasoned veteran, there are many skill levels for us all and it's never too late to pick up or teach it to others.
Starting off one of the biggest resources everyone has access to in 5th Edition is the wonderful (most of the time) website known as https://www.dndbeyond.com. This lovely website is a virtual destination where you can create characters, homebrew items, monster encounters, campaigns, and much more.

One of the lesser known capacities is the Forum section of D&D Beyond. Like some of the recommended websites for finding people, the https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums has a Looking For Group (LFG) and a Play-By-Post (PBP) area for players so you don't have to go far. Combined with campaigns being hosted on the website and depending on the DM, you might not have to even buy anything, you can easily jump right into a game quickly.

Another few honorable mentions for those looking to dive right in at this point are:
https://www.reddit.com/r/lfg/ which is primarily aimed at D&D though every few dozen posts you'll find other systems on there as well that aren't related.
https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?40-LFG-Looking-for-Group based off the Fantasy Grounds program, players here almost universally are looking to play in the digital landscape that is Fantasy Grounds.
https://app.roll20.net/lfg/search/ probably one of the most well known next to Fantasy Grounds, I remain neutral on this website...
There's hundreds if not thousands of communities dedicated to RPGs in Discord which either use a combination of the above mentioned or remain entirely within.

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So you've decided on 5th Edition as your medium but that's all well and good. How do you play? As many already know, Critical Role have done a wonderful job with their https://critrole.com/filter/handbooker-helper/ #HandbookerHelper series which covers many of the Players Handbook (PHB) races, mechanics, classes, skills, and conditions. Essentially a mini-series to toss knowledge at everyone who doesn't want to open their own PHB or hasn't gotten one yet.

For those who have yet to watch the videos and are still reading by now, the general synopsis for being the perfect player is through character creation and backstory. While some would argue understanding the rules is a requirement, the story is all that matters and this means the other players and YOU! So let's go ahead and take a look at a starting example.

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The cornerstone of all characters is your Race and Class. In the PHB you will find Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Humans, Dragonborn, Gnomes, Half-Breeds, and Tieflings. Other modules have introduced additional ones but these are the cornerstone races.

Combining them together are the Core classes which have mostly remained the same though that might change with Unearthed Arcana (UA) adding two new ones in the near future...As of now the standing classes are: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard. A grand total of 12 Classes each with several sub-classes (at least three for each are included in the PHB) which can provide even greater diversity.

An oldie but a goldie, this helpful chart is a good reference from the traditional options for what to pick.

A more artistic approach taken from a poll sample on D&D Beyond referencing popularity of choices. Note that some races listed on here are not in the PHB.

Obvious Human dominance! Let the world suffer....I mean, let the world welcome us all with our chivalrous nature...

This is your standard 5e Character Sheet which will look something like this when it's filled out.

On the left hand bar you have six squares representing the six core Attributes that make your character interesting mechanically. Each Attribute has a score of 01-20 (they can exceed 20 in unique circumstances but that's a surprise for you to discover later). If your score is a 00, you're dead Jim. A score of 10 is the borderline average with each increment of +/-2 representing a modifier of +/-1 respectively. For example here you see the Strength listed as 16 and it has a +3 modifier. An easy way to determine your modifier on the fly is subtract 10 and divide by 2, rounding down. Next to this are Saving Throws and Skills. Every Class has at least two Saving Throw proficiencies and your Race and Background will give you Skill proficiencies of varying amounts (plus languages).

Generating your characteristics follows either Point Buy or Standard Array. Both have their merits but I recommend Standard Array which has pre-generated values where you can slot them in where you want for a mixed build. In the dark corners of the realm there is also the chaotic third option....rolling for stats. Personally I strongly dislike rolling for stats due to a very long history of people fudging (making up or lying) about their stats but ask your DM if they allow it.

Strength (Str) - Primary Attribute for Barbarians, Clerics, Fighters, and Paladins. Equally important if you decide to go melee for any other class.

Dexterity (Dex) - Primary Attribute for Druids, Fighters, Monks, Rangers, and Rogues. Equally important if you decide to go ranged for any other class.

Constitution (Con) - Primary Attribute if you enjoy not being dead. Typically seen as a priority for Barbarians, Fighters, and Paladins (sometimes Clerics). DO NOT MAKE THIS A DUMP STAT!

Intelligence (Int) - Primary Attribute for Wizards and Subclass Spellcasters.

Wisdom (Wis) - Primary Attribute for Druids, Monks, and Rangers (technically Rogues)

Charisma (Cha) - Primary Attribute for Bards, Paladins, Sorcerers, Warlocks (technically Rogues)

In the center you have your Armor Class (AC) or better known as the "Please don't hit me" number. Your Initiative which is based on your Dex score. Your Speed which is based primarily on your Race but some classes such as Monk and Rogue can gain bonuses.

Underneath these three beauts is your Current Hit Points (HP). Many people argue on how best to represent this. In my experience, it represents the overall state of ones physicality before being rendered unconscious, which is exactly what happens when you reach zero! Your HP are modified by your Hit Dice and Con modifier every time you level up. This is primarily done by the average of your Hit Die + Con or in this example 6 + 2 per level.

Note: At Level 1 you take the max value of your Hit Die + Con. Keep in mind a negative Con value means you LOSE HP. If your Con mod goes up, you retroactively gain those hit points for every level. For example if the example had a 16 instead of a 15 Con, they would receive 1 additional HP at Level 1; if they were say Level 4, they would receive a total of 6 extra hit points when leveling up from 3 to 4 (1 + 1 + 1 + 3) just from their Con mod.

Finally you have Death Saves. A character who has their HP reduced to 0 or lower, but not to a value double their Hit Point Maximum is Unconscious. You are barely hanging onto life and on each turn must roll a d20. If you roll a 10+ you Succeed, on a 9- you Fail. A Nat 20 represents two Successes and a Nat 1 represents two Failures. Once you reach 3 of either, you either breathe back to consciousness on your next turn with 1 HP or you die, joining the cadre of lost souls...(thanks Dave for pushing me down the hole).

The far right column contains helpful information you can generate to give you reminders on how your character should act. Not everyone does this and in my opinion it's not a requirement to play the game for those who are uncomfortable with "boundaries" starting off.

Finally the meat of the page (basically everything else). Your weapon attacks are listed in the center along with a handy Attack Bonus which is a reference on what your modifier when using that weapon is to hit something and the damage which is based on the weapon die + your Attribute modifier. For melee weapons this is Str and ranged weapons this is Dex. Some unique circumstances might be different.

Your Features and Traits is all of your Racial and Class features that you have access to for quick reference (though most people still end up having to double check what they do).

Your equipment and currency is underneath. You will typically list your worn armor and accessories here which can provide bonuses to your AC or skills depending on item.

Coming back down to the far bottom left are your known Languages and Proficiencies. A Proficiency is anything you can add that handy Proficiency Bonus to when making a roll which ranges from equipment you can use, weapons, or skills. Your Languages are also a list of everything your character would be able to Speak, Read, and Write fluently. As a reminder, everyone knows Common...even Billy with an Int of 2 knows Common...

Alternative layout for the D&D Beyond Digital Format. Keep in mind that the Digital variants typically have auto-calc fields which do all the math for you!

The next page one will typically see in a printed copy is the Spell Casting Sheet. While certain classes will never have to use this, for those who use spells as their primary feature it is their lifeline.

Starting off you have your Spellcasting Class which is one of the following: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard. While some would argue right here that I'm not taking into account sub-classes, all sub-classes which give spell-casting reference another caster, typically Wizard.

Each Spellcasting Class has a Spellcasting Ability which like a weapon or skill, is their primary modifier value when they cast spells or calculate their save Difficulty Class (DC).

Cha - Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock
Int - Wizard
Wis - Cleric, Druid, Ranger

Your Spell Save DC is always calculated as: 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Spellcasting Ability Modifier.
Your Spell Attack Modifier is always calculated as: Proficiency Bonus + Spellcasting Ability Modifier

Underneath all this crucial information for reference is the meat of your arsenal: spells. Arranged in order by Slot Level, spells that you know and can prepare are written underneath their appropriate level ranging from Cantrip to 9th Level. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the level, the more powerful the spell is. Next to each Level is the number of Spell Slots you know at that level which represent how many spells you can cast. If you run out of Spell Slots, you can regain some or all of them on a Short or Long Rest depending on Class. If a lower level is depleted but you have a higher level slot, you can cast a lower level spell using that slot but you cannot cast a higher level spell from a lower level. In some cases you will benefit from a term called "Upcasting" which makes a spell more powerful for using a higher level slot.

The total number of Spell Slots and Spells Known is listed underneath the Class Table at the beginning of each Class. Additionally the Spells you can pull from are listed at the back of the PHB. Additional spells can be found in the Sword Coast Adventurers Guide (SCAG), Xanathars Guide to Everything (XGtE), and certain campaign modules. If you are on D&D Beyond, you can browse all the spells by class regardless of module but only ones you have purchase or are temporarily unlocked for a campaign will be visible.

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So you've stayed true thus far and have your character sheet filled out, it's time for an adventure! But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Sure you have the mechanics down but what really shines is HOW you interact with the world. While there's a number attached to your sheet, remember it's a general guideline. Just because you have an 8 Intelligence doesn't make you the village idiot or an Intelligence of 20 doesn't necessarily make you the next Picasso.

The Dice Gods giveth and they take away. Being spontaneous and creative with your flourishes is how you enjoy the game and bring others into it. This is a group effort first and foremost and the team is only as strong as its weakest link. Bolster and support each other and remember: have fun.

To all you critters out there: is it Thursday yet?

Bonus Links:

Point-Buy Calculator
http://1-dot-encounter-planner.appspot.com/point-buy-calculator.html

Music and Atmospheric
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/595zc6/my_curated_spotify_playlists_i_use_for_dd/

Cartography and Maps
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B18FWVUF44sqX054d1ZlYm5GZW8
https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/61fdp6/heres_a_collection_of_over_360_historical_city/
https://cartography-guild.deviantart.com/gallery/24517984/Tactical

Tools and Generators
https://mewo2.com/notes/terrain/
http://bl.ocks.org/Azgaar/b845ce22ea68090d43a4ecfb914f51bd
http://inkwellideas.com/free-tools/random-inn-generator-floorplan/
http://inkwellideas.com/free-tools/random-city-map-generator/

Character Concept Art
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B18FWVUF44sqUVhfdFdOZjk5Mk0

Sage Advice, Official Changes, Q&A Responses (As of July 2019)
https://media.wizards.com/2019/dnd/downloads/SA-Compendium.pdf

Misc Resources
http://farlandworld.com/files/songs.pdf