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A few things to keep in mind while creating your character
- I’d prefer that you create a new character for this campaign. Old characters come with baggage in and out of game. This is a totally new world, and I’d love to have you explore a new character along with the group. However, if you really, really want to reuse a character from another campaign, they’ll have to be modified to fit all requirements below. It’s probably easiest to just say this: if you want to reuse a character, message me so we can discuss.
- You DO NOT need to have your character’s backstory fully fleshed out before our first play session. Over the first 2 or 3 sessions (AKA the Retcon period), you will be able to revisit your choices and refine your character as needed. Just make sure you get enough done now so you can reasonably play (basics, stats, weapons, spells) as the character in our first session or two.
- Your characters for this campaign are intended to be just starting their hero’s journey. As such, your characters should not currently have access to wealth, have a significant reputation, have accomplished great feats, own homes/businesses, be the greatest swordfighter ever, etc.
- Your character must be willing to play as a team and go on adventures. They don’t have to be excited about it, but it shouldn’t be a fight to mesh them with the group. This is a co-op game!
- Your character should have a real, tangible goal that can be achieved, and thus worked into the story. Your character’s only motivation shouldn’t be, “I’m being paid to be here.”
DnD Beyond Home Tab Settings
Sources:
- “Rick” and “Magic” off. All others on.
Optional Class Features:
- On.
Advancement Type:
- Milestone.
Hit Point Type:
- Manual.
Use Prerequisites:
- All on.
Encumbrance Type:
- No encumbrance.
Ignore Coin Weight:
- On.
Character Privacy:
- Public
Any settings not listed above are yours to decide.
The Basics
Starting Level:
- Everyone will start at level 3.
Starting Stats:
- Use Point Buy or Standard Array, your choice.
Available Races:
- You can play any race from officially published 5e books you want (in general, no homebrew). Cosmetic tweaks are fine (Examples: Tiefling colors, dragonborn with fur in place of scales). Anything else needs a discussion.
- If playing a warforged, you are a largely magical construct, not a mechanical one. Think more golem than robot. This world is not technologically advanced.
- If playing a typically rarely-seen, “evil” or “monstrous” race (Yuan-ti or Drow, for example) please message me, just so I know and can adjust or ask questions.
Available Classes:
- All classes from officially published 5e books are allowed (in general, no homebrew). Cosmetic tweaks are fine (Examples: Specific/odd wildshape forms, the way spells look). Anything else needs a discussion.
- Keep in mind this is a much more magical than mechanically advanced world. There are no guns other than some ridiculously large cannons and only very rudimentary clockworks. This may make something like an artificer less satisfying to play.
- Multi-classing is totally fine.
- Optional Class Features may be used.
Alignments:
- Not required. You can include it if you want, just to help with your roleplaying. That said, no evil characters, please.
Faiths/Deities:
- This world worships the pantheon of the Forgotten Realms. Click here to view the gods on DnD Beyond.
Lifestyle:
- Not required. We won’t be using that feature.
Languages:
- The most common languages can be found here. Anything not on that list or granted by your race/class choices will need at least a brief explanation in the “Backstory” section of your character sheet.
Inventory:
- You are free to have all the common goods you’d like, as long as they make sense for your character to have procured and carry.
- Every player will begin the campaign with one uncommon magical item (green text on DnDBeyond). Any item from an officially published 5e book is acceptable without DM approval. Homebrew items found on DnDBeyond may be acceptable but require DM approval – just send me a link to the item and we can discuss.
- While we will not be tracking the number of commonly needed items (arrows or basic spell reagents, for example), please be sure you have an appropriate container for those items in your inventory. You will need to track costlier consumable items required (magic arrows or diamonds of specific value for spells, for example). Starting out, you should have only the most basic items.
- No character should have more than 30 gold at the start of the campaign. Please see the “The Set-Up” section below to determine your starting gold..
Backstory:
- Keep it simple. Give the major beats of your character’s life. It’s an outline, not an essay.
- Include names only for very important, relevant people (e.g. family, friends, foes).
- Intentional gaps or vague info can be useful to build your backstory into the campaign.
- Feel free to give names of personal places from your backstory (e.g. the name of your family farm, the name of your parent’s shop). For towns or cities, just describe them (big/small, rural/urban, by the sea/desert/forest/plains, etc.). That way I can incorporate it into the world.
- You are a level 3 character. You can’t be all that accomplished, now can you?
- You aren’t a/the chosen one. That doesn’t happen around these parts.
The “Other” Section:
Please use the “other” section under “Notes” on DnDBeyond to:
- Include any information or requests you only want the DM to know about.
- Answer the following questions:
- What is your character’s main exterior/public goal or desire?
- What is your character’s main interior/personal goal or desire?
- What is your character’s main exterior/public fear?
- What is your character’s main interior/personal fear?
- What was your character’s favorite childhood food?
- When is your character’s birthday (Earth-equivalent Month/Day)?
The Set-Up
In case it helps with your backstory, here’s the basic set-up where our story begins:
We begin in the fairly remote southern town of Dorrim, a boring town at the crossroads of nowhere and nothing interesting. Your character will be traveling north in a 5-carriage caravan, making the 10-day journey to Corvas, the third biggest city in the country of Soldenia. The road will take you through the Auldwood, a massive, mysterious forest that covers a significant portion of the south. The journey is perilous, and not undertaken lightly.
You are one of two things (your choice):
1.) A fully paid passenger – 3 seats available
The 10-day trip to Corvas typically costs 250 gold, so be sure your character was reasonably able to afford the payment, or has had the cost covered by someone else (Examples: You have a wealthy patron, or you used the last of the money your mother left you when she died, etc.) in a way that makes sense with your backstory. The payment has already been made, and you have a comfortable seat in one of the two nicer coaches in the caravan. You may have up to 30 gold remaining in your coin bag.
2,) A working passenger – As many seats as needed.
For whatever reason, you could not afford the entire fee for the trip. Instead you are a working passenger, having agreed to the reduced rate in exchange for acting as muscle/security during the trip. You still paid 50 gold for the ride. You have a seat in the more utilitarian carriages or can find a place in the 2 cargo wagons that bring up the rear. You have 10 or less gold remaining in your coin bag.
The Fully Paid seats will go to the first 3 players that message me saying their character wants and can afford one.
Thank you for playing!