Starting Play at Level 5

Every AL character starts at level 1 or level 5. If you already know your class well (or you just want to skip the early levels), starting at level 5 is a perfectly valid option. See 🧙Creating Your First Character for the full character creation walkthrough.

What You Get

From the ALPG v2026.4:

Instead of creating a level 1 character, you may create a level 5 character. Receive standard starting gear for your class and background, 500 GP, 40 Downtime Days (DT), and choose one of these starting magic items.

So a newly-built level 5 character starts with:

Standard starting gear for your class and background
500 GP
40 Downtime Days (DT)
One magic item from the list below

💡

You can sell unused starting equipment for half its purchase price, following the usual Player’s Handbook rules.

The Starting Magic Item List

Choose one of the following magic items:

All-purpose Tool, +1 (TCE)
Amulet of the Devout, +1 (TCE)
Arcane Grimoire, +1 (TCE)
Bag of Holding
Bloodwell Vial, +1 (TCE)
Dragonhide Belt, +1 (FTD)
Moon Sickle, +1 (TCE)
Rhythm-maker’s Drum, +1 (TCE)
Rod of the Pact Keeper, +1
Shield, +1
Wand of the War Mage, +1
Weapon, +1
Wraps of Unarmed Power, +1

Items marked (TCE) come from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and items marked (FTD) come from Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons. Everything else comes from the Dungeon Master’s Guide (DMG). When you pick an item like Weapon, +1 or Shield, +1, you choose its type (for example, a longsword or a buckler).

Catching Up

Between sessions, gaining a level normally costs 10 DT (the “Catching Up” downtime activity):

Catching Up. 10 DT to gain a level. With a newly-built level 5 character, ask your DM when to catch up.

Because a brand-new level 5 character skips levels 1-4 entirely, check with your DM about how and when the character “catches up” to the party’s story. See 📆Downtime Days for more about Downtime Days.

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Spending your 40 Downtime Days to catch up to level 9 is usually OK for drop-in AL play. But don’t do this unless you’re already familiar with your class’s abilities.

Don’t speed-run your way to Tier 3 without properly experiencing the glory of Tier 2.

Ready-Made Options

If you’d rather not build a level 5 character from scratch, there are pre-generated level 1 and level 5 characters available: 🧙‍♂️Pregenerated AL-Legal Characters.