Airship Adventures! (🌈LGBT-friendly table) Beginners welcome!

Creating your character

Characters will be created after Session 0 by the players in the time leading up to Session 1. I have a large body of sourcebooks on dndbeyond.com that I can share. Characters will be made on dndbeyond. Players will be added to my Discord server, where I will be available answer any questions and offer help. Players can discuss with one another any pre-existing relationships, etc, they may wish to establish between their characters. Players may also DM me if they choose.

Preparing for the session

Players will need at least a microphone and speakers and a Discord account to play. I will use Owlbear Rodeo to display maps of the area or settlement the players are in and around, as well as for combat encounters. No Owlbear Rodeo account is necessary to play, but the ability to look at the map will be. Owlbear rodeo works on mobile browsers as well as desktop browsers, so as long as players have at least an internet-connected mobile phone they should be fine. There are virtual dice on Owlbear Rodeo and also the ability to roll digitally using the Avrae bot in Discord so dice are not needed by players. Cameras can be used by those that have them and want to use them, but are not a requirement.

What Arwen Undomiel (Chibi) brings to the table

After each session I will prepare and post a story-form recap of that session and post it in a channel on my Discord server as well as in a Google document that will be shared with all participants. Players are welcome to keep a copy of this document for themselves as a way to re-read and re-visit the campaign any time, a piece of fiction that they helped create.

How Arwen Undomiel (Chibi) creates a safe table

This will be an RP-heavy experience featuring fast-paced combat and swashbuckling action. Tactics will be crucial, but they won't dominate the gameplay. Entire sessions might go by without any combat, depending on the decisions made by the players. While RAW will be the foundation of the experience, I believe that the "Rule of Cool" is the game's heart. I encourage creative, outside-the-box thinking and cinematic action and drama. We will craft a story in real-time, drawing from character backstories, actions, and interactions with NPCs and fellow players. The experience will also incorporate elements of sandbox and hexcrawl gameplay. The primary gameplay structure will center around the airship and the necessity to maintain its supplies and condition, ensuring that players and the crew can continue their preferred lifestyle of freedom and adventure, bonded and beholden only to each other. The means to achieve this largely rests in the players' hands. To simulate this dynamic, I've prepared a hex map of an expansive world. Traveling between locations will involve map movements, with each movement representing a passage of in-game time and the consumption of ship resources. I will introduce quest hooks and tasks with rewards, a portion of which will be allocated for the ship's maintenance and provisions. The initial sessions might have an anthology or episodic TV series vibe as you roam in search of adventure and profit. However, as we progress and decisions are made, I will infer changes in regions and the broader world, gradually shaping a cohesive narrative. Even if it's just the ship's legend, a story will be written. The party might encounter foes seeking revenge from past jobs they've taken, or allies they've helped in the past requesting assistance. A task or error could have unexpected and unwanted ramifications, prompting the party to address them or evade them entirely. The ideal player will relish developing their character over multiple sessions and making character-driven, narrative-centric decisions as the game world unfolds through our collective play. After each session I will prepare and post a story-form recap of that session and post it in a channel on my Discord server, as well as in a Google document that will be shared with all participants. Players are welcome to keep a copy of this document for themselves as a way to re-read and re-visit or share with others the campaign any time they wish, a piece of fiction that they helped create. I enjoy voicing NPCs. While I'm not a professional voice actor and my accents might occasionally waver, I find it fun and believe it aids in maintaining NPC characterizations. Before Session 1, I'll connect with everyone regarding their backstories and pose questions to enhance the narrative depth. I might suggest tweaks to align your story with the broader world, ensuring consistency. This homebrew world will partly be pre-prepared, with the remainder crafted based on player choices. It will be a collaborative exercise, ensuring all participants begin with equal knowledge, making exploration meaningful for both player and character. I'll distribute a Google document where everyone can note their Lines and Veils. If you're unfamiliar with this concept, we'll cover it in Session 0, which is complimentary. Everyone is expected to abide by these. The narrative might venture into dark territories. While it won't be excessively grim or explicit, fantasy often incorporates horror elements, such as demons, nocturnal creatures, and malevolent entities. I don't intend to be overly graphic in my descriptions, but I aim for these moments to resonate, allowing players to feel the repercussions of their actions, to add gravitas to the world and a sense of danger. However, I'm not inclined to helm an Evil campaign. Playing scoundrels is acceptable, but not outright villains. Expect a general trend towards doing more good than harm, with character arcs leaning into redemption and heroism.