FLAME OF UDÛN | Lord of the Rings 5e | Play-by-Post PbP

How to prepare

Access to Discord and a D&D Beyond account (any tier) is required, but other than that, I'd love for you to be able to just jump in and play! However, if you've never played D&D, I do recommend at least reading the Free Rules (2024) on D&D Beyond. If you have access to The Lord of the Rings 5E book, you could read the player portion of that, but that will never be required. As for PbP, I will be reaching out with tips and guidance on how to get the most out of a text-based game. The big thing is planning for contingencies -- for example, "If I fail this Stealth check, I'd instead like to roll for Persuasion and try to negotiate my way through." Again, we'll talk through these things during the Session 0!

What I provide

How does Play-by-Post work? You'll get access to a private Discord server with an out-of-character (OOC) lobby. In game, I will post AT LEAST three times per weekday (or five days out of the week). I ask that players try to post at least twice per weekday (or five days out of the week). However, I'll never boot someone for their pace; that's what PbP is for! If you were too busy one week, or if there's any other reason, just let me know and I'll give you a refund, no questions asked; I'd rather just have you stay in the game! I track player turns to make sure no one is left behind. We usually are able to get through 2-4 scenes per week, equivalent to about 3 hours of live-action play. We will use 2024 D&D rules since those are integrated with D&D Beyond, but the LOTR Roleplaying system will take precedence when possible -- this will all be covered during session zero! I provide access to a private Discord server, custom maps/tokens, content on D&D Beyond, and even a master-tier D&D Beyond login if you need it. As a GM, I focus on two things: the story, and you, the player. I make them work seamlessly with each other and encourage emergent storytelling as much as possible to make this a memorable, worthwhile experience for all involved.

Gameplay details

The content will not push any further than the material shown in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films or the Amazon Prime Rings of Power show. Think mid-to-hard PG-13. We will do a Lines & Veils survey, which will be compiled and shared as part of a campaign one-sheet for each player. It incorporates many of the resources listed above. X, N, & O's can be privately messaged to be on Discord, or opened messaged if the player feels comfortable.

Content warnings

Safety tools used

How will character creation work

Characters will be created on D&D Beyond once invited to the campaign so that players will have access to The Lord of the Rings 5E rules on D&D Beyond (unless they already have access and a character ready!). We will briefly walkthrough the character creation process in our first session as it's a bit different from standard 5th edition D&D. All characters will begin at 1st level. I suggest sticking to The Lord of the Rings 5E book, but I'm very flexible; I mostly just want to be fair to all players. I'm introducing a few additional character options, which I provide a document for in the Discord, allowing players to play as the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost. They include backgrounds like Searching For Roots, Wandering Blacksmith, Keeper Of The Anvil Song, Librarian, Eriador Trader, and Provider! Maps are sent through Discord as well. I have a custom version of the LOTR Roleplaying 5e hex map, where players can choose their journeying destinations, and we log travel separately in a Journey channel.

Combat / Tactics

Medium

Roleplay

High

Puzzles

Medium

Experience level

Open to all