Strangest Things: Pinebox, Texas

Creating your character

Since this is a introductory campaign and it is assumed most players are new to the system, you will be selecting an ‘archetype’ character during your first session and at the end of each session, you’ll be granted an ‘advance’ to improve and customize that character to your liking, so as you play you’ll learn about the system and at the same time make your character more uniquely your own, all without having to stress about pre-learning rules. Archetypes you might choose from include: • The Animal Lover • The Budding Scientist • The Cowboy • The Crafter • The Delinquent • The Entrepreneur • The Gamer • The Ghost Hunter • The Girl Scout • The Medium • The Painter • The Tennis Athlete If your character survives the campaign, you’ll have the option to take them as a young adult to the East Texas University Campaign.

Preparing for the session

Please re-read the content warnings as those topics will appear in the campaign at one time or another and if any of them are a red-line for you, this campaign is probably not a good fit. No harassment, abuse, or debasement of other players will be permitted. Players who feel that causing emotional harm to their fellows is part of the fun will not be tolerated and will be ejected from the game. You will need either a PC or Mac-compatible PC with broadband internet access and electricity to play in this game; a mouse with left and right buttons, as well as a third button and mouse wheel is optimal for online use of Foundry VTT. You will need a Discord account to access the game chat. The Foundry VTT runs on a modern web browser, so there is nothing to install if you have a browser on your computer. If you have an older computer, you might consider using the Foundry Lightweight Client, which is a free lightweight web browser that gives you the most bang for your machine's capabilities. You can get it for free here: https://flc.ruleplaying.com/ If you intend to speak in the voice channel on Discord, you should have a headset with a microphone. *You will be required to set up a push-to-talk button*; you are, however, free to communicate to the group using text only in Discord, but you will then need speakers to hear their chat and the game sounds. Special text-only sessions are available for the deaf and hard of hearing. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you'd like to schedule one. Bringing a friend or two would help ensure we don't need to recruit additional players. While text-only is actually my preferred method of play, it does seem difficult to organize those games. Instructions for setting up the push-to-talk button and installing all the needed software are available on my Discord channel (#getting-started), to which you will be supplied a link when you join. You could read the quick start rules to Savage Worlds Adventurers Edition (SWADE) if you like, but, the system is quick and intuitive, so you’ll have the opportunity to learn through playing the game if you like that better than reading books. Players do not need to have any knowledge of the rules or setting, the format of the campaign gives you ample time to learn as you go.

What Cai the GM brings to the table

The ruleset and adventures we’ll be using plus an extensive knowledge of the the game setting. I pay for all the licenses for the software used in the campaign, so you wont have any additional costs besides the session fees. You only need to bring yourself and a willingness to have an awesome time.

Homebrew rules

This game uses the Pinebox, TX rules, the SWADE core rules, and the Horror Companion—None of which players need to own or read to enjoy this campaign.

How Cai the GM creates a safe table

The action follows a group of kids through mysteries that might be strange and spooky, but rarely deadly. We will use a Red, Yellow, Green light safety system, but if you can make it through an episode of Stranger Things, you are unlikely to find anything shocking here, but just in case, please double check the Content Warnings to make sure none of those topics are red lines for you.