The Bounty of a Hundred Cities (A Treasure Hunt from levels 4-8)

Creating your character

We will be playing with level 4 characters, using standard array or point buy for their stats. We will be coming up with connected backstories and narratives during session zero, which you can then expand on before the first play session if you wish. We will be sticking with only official material (or third party content that you own on dndbeyond), but you can absolutely use 2014 or 2024 rules to make your character. Once you sign up, you will be added to a discord server and have the chance to join the dndbeyond campaign where we will make the characters.

Preparing for the session

The only non-negotiables are a way to get onto discord and a working microphone to talk in voice chat, as that's where we'll be playing. We will be rolling dice and making characters on dndbeyond.com, so creating an account there is also going to be necessary (they do have free accounts). If you have never played before and have no experience with the game, please message and let me know so I have the chance to talk you through making a character and some of the main mechanics of the game, but please don't feel the need to read all of the rules before we play. All that would do is make you feel overwhelmed, when the game itself is honestly easy once you get into it. During sessions, I will use a site called owlbear rodeo for digital battle maps, which is browser based and free to use without an account, so no prep is necessary for it. The biggest things are just to show up with a good attitude, ready to play and have some awesome times! :)

What Cameron brings to the table

I have an extensive collection of D&D Books on dndbeyond, where we will be making characters, as well as several third party supplements that I use to make my games all the more engaging and unique. I am a big believer in making my sessions as immersive as possible through things like in-game music to set the tone, as well as custom maps and tokens through my various subscriptions to services such as heroforge, inkarnate, and several tabletop patreon creators. I also have a screenwriting background, so I'm used to creating unique personalities and mannerisms for all of my npcs, even though I would never be so bold as to claim to be a professional voice actor. I absolutely love it when my players are able to make big plays in-game, and will do everything in my power to help them do so. However, I have definitely played in games where the rules were essentially an afterthought with how often they were broken or ignored, which I think actually hurts the enjoyment of the game for everyone involved. If we don't acknowledge the rules, then there is no consistency in the world, which hurts players' ability to make informed choices. With that in mind, I will do everything I can to make sure that dope ideas are rewarded, while still feeling consistent and earned. It's rare that I run a session without at least one combat encounter, but I love mechanics like skill challenges and other things to spice up regular exploration/investigation/role play-heavy sessions.

How Cameron creates a safe table

I am a strict, passionate believer in open communication. The game is only fun when everyone is having fun, which only happens if everyone feels safe and comfortable during play. To ensure privacy and anonymity for those who want it, I will provide a private doc for each player to give me any lines or veils they may have before we meet. In case anything is forgotten before play begins, I will be using X, N, and O cards during play to allow for instant adjustments and quick fixes to avoid any potential discomfort. This will all be explained thoroughly during session zero, where we will all work together as a group to figure out a rapport and tone that is perfect for your particular party in this campaign. I always ensure that my sessions have a break in the middle where people can mention any comments or concerns they have, as well as decompress from intense or immersive moments. If this is not enough and someone needs to step away, I do have an open door policy where they can step away with no explanation if needs be. In terms of post-session care, I have a standard document looking for feedback like stars and wishes that I send to my players, as well as a discussion immediately after the session where people can talk about the feelings they went through and ensure that any inter-character conflicts remain in character to avoid any bleed into irl discussions.