The Crimson Tide

Creating your character

You'll step into the role of one of six pre-made heroes, each carefully crafted for this story as a member of the legendary Silver-Vow. Every character is level 6, uniquely designed with their own class, race, and backstory—all tied directly into the adventure’s world and themes. Serelith “Silverflame” Drakmora, a silver dragonborn paladin, whose divine connection to Bahamut and unshakable sense of justice guide her every step. Seryn “Flameheart” Talandra, a tiefling sorcerer with fiery magic and an indomitable will, always seeking to balance her inner power with her fierce determination. Barrock “Stonefist” Ironmaw, a mountain dwarf barbarian with a heart of stone and the strength of a landslide, unyielding in his protection of the weak. Vaelith “Twilight Step” Korrash, a goliath bard whose elegant dances and inspiring presence uplift her companions and unravel mysteries. Zephyr Shadowwhisper, a wood elf ranger with a quiet demeanor and sharp eyes, who never misses the signs others overlook. Caelan Solryn, a human celestial warlock, chosen by a radiant patron to bring hope and healing to a world often shrouded in shadow.

Preparing for the session

How to Prepare for the Game To help things run smoothly and make sure everyone feels ready and connected, here are a few simple steps to prepare: 🎲 Create a free account on Roll20.net – this is where we’ll build characters, view maps, and run our sessions. 🎙️ Have a Discord account – we’ll be using my Discord server for voice (and optionally video) chat. Video is encouraged to help with connection and table vibes, but it’s not required. If you’re new to any of these tools or just have questions, no worries—I’m happy to walk you through it!

What John brings to the table

My Dungeon Mastering style is a balanced blend of all elements of D&D, with a strong emphasis on roleplay and story-driven narratives. I prioritize creating a world where characters' choices matter and the unfolding story feels organic, collaborative, and deeply personal. When combat does arise, it’s designed to be high-stakes, high-reward, and edge-of-your-seat thrilling—something my players often highlight as a signature of my games. Battles are not just mechanical encounters, but moments of genuine tension, strategy, and drama. I am highly versed in the core rules of Dungeons & Dragons, but I believe that flexibility is key to the best games. I often adapt and modify rules to better suit the tone, pacing, and needs of each campaign, ensuring a consistent and immersive experience tailored to my players and the story we are telling together. To heighten immersion, I incorporate a variety of tools into my sessions: Voice Mod for quick, dynamic voice changes across numerous NPCs Syrinscape and Fantasy+ for ambient soundscapes, scene transitions, and impactful audio cues Roll20 for detailed battlemap creation, visual storytelling, and managing the flow of online campaigns My goal is always to create an experience where players are fully drawn into the world—emotionally invested, creatively engaged, and excited to see what comes next.

Homebrew rules

Drinking a potion is a bonus action. Critical hits are max damage plus a damage roll. Death Saves are done behind the screen by the DM to intensify the stakes of being down.

How John creates a safe table

For this one-shot I will not be doing a session 0, all information needed will be given to the players prior to session via messages on the Startplaying message system and discord. At the start of session we will go over my introduction, dm style, the pre-gened characters, and have the Luxton discussion.