🥀A House Divided💀 || A Gothic Adventure of Family Intrigue

Creating your character

We’ll create characters together after Session Zero, though you’re welcome to discuss concepts with me beforehand. This gives us a chance to tie your characters into the world and each other before the campaign begins. Character Guidelines: 🖤Level: Start at level 5 🖤Stats: Altered 31 Point Buy system 🖤Platform: Characters will be made on D&D Beyond (I own all official content) and then imported into Foundry VTT Allowed Material: 🖤Any official 5e races, classes, and backgrounds 🖤Homebrew and third-party material (examples include Grim Hollow, Valda’s, or Crooked Moon) are welcome, pending approval Tone Fit: Some options may not suit the Gothic horror tone (for example, grungs). If something feels out of place, I’ll let you know and we’ll work together to find an alternative that keeps your vision intact while fitting the story’s mood.

Preparing for the session

We’ll be playing on my personal Discord server, with Foundry VTT as our virtual tabletop. Here’s what you’ll need to join smoothly: 🖤Microphone: Please have a mic that provides clear audio and does not constantly pick up background noise. 🖤Computer Specs: A computer capable of handling Foundry VTT’s hardware requirements. This adventure uses extra animation effects for spells and abilities, so stable performance is important. 🖤Accounts: You do not need a Foundry account. Everything runs on my hosted server, so all you’ll need is Discord and a browser. If you’re unsure about your setup, I’ll happily walk you through a quick test before the first session. It should not be too intensive but I have had players on the very low end side of laptops occasionally have lag and crashes during game.

What Robin brings to the table

When you sit down at my table, you can expect a richly immersive experience where roleplay and character-driven storytelling take center stage. My goal is to make the world feel alive, with your choices at the heart of the narrative. Here’s what I bring to the game: 📚 Content Access: All official material on D&D Beyond, plus most third-party options either on there or brought into Foundry (such as Grim Hollow, Valda’s, and more) for players who want to explore beyond the core books. 🎶 Atmosphere: Tailor-made music for this adventure streamed directly through Foundry, layered with sound effects and ambient tracks via Kenku FM on Discord to heighten dramatic moments. 🖼️ Immersion Tools: Additional art, handouts, and visual aids, along with automation through Midi-QOL and a suite of third-party Foundry enhancements. 🎭 Storytelling Focus: Heavy emphasis on roleplay and character interactions, with complex NPCs and evolving relationships that respond to your actions. ⚔️ Combat: Tactical when it happens, but I am not interested in having combat just for combat's sake. Each battle is tied directly to the story telling, and there may be longer stretches and even more than one session without fights at all. Note this if you're big on combat. 🎉 Rules Philosophy: I lean toward the Rule of Cool as long as it keeps the game balanced and fun. Creative play is always welcome, provided it respects the table and doesn’t overshadow other players.

Homebrew rules

Here’s a summary of the house rules we'll use. I try to minimize house rules, but there are some I have developed over the years that have enhanced the games I've run, and if anyone is uncomfortable with any of these they are open to discussion with the group: 🎯 Critical Hits Critical hits deal maximum base damage, then you roll any bonus dice. This ensures crits are always satisfying and impactful. 🍷 Healing Potions -Healing potions are used as a bonus action by default. -You may use a full action to maximize healing and recover the potion’s full HP. 🌟 Inspiration -Inspiration allows a full reroll, so you don’t have to spend it before taking an action. -You can earn inspiration for keeping an in-character journal for the session. 🎭 Partial Success / Dramatic Outcomes -If you fail a check by three or less, or the outcome could be narratively interesting, I may offer a “success at a cost”. You may achieve your goal, but with unforeseen consequences. Failing again could escalate the situation further. 🎲 Natural 1s & 20s -Roll again whenever you get a natural 1 or 20. Two 20s or 1s in a row increase the effect (better or worse). Three in a row can create a permanent impact on the game world. 📜 Spell Scrolls & Unusual Casting -Any player can use spell scrolls, regardless of class. -Wizards and Pact of the Tome warlocks cannot inscribe spells outside their class list. -Casting a spell above your normal level requires an ability check (DC = 8 + spell level). Non-casters can attempt spells using base Intelligence or Arcana as their spellcasting modifier. -Failure will destroy the scroll and cause backfire. ⚔️ Initiative -Players may lower initiative but not raise it. -Rolling a Nat 20 on initiative grants advantage on your first attack. Rolling a Nat 1 on initiative gives disadvantage on your first attack. 💀 Death Saves -Made in secret from the group to maintain tension. -After each death save, players can describe a flashback from their character’s past to remain engaged while downed. 📐 Flanking & Positioning -Flanking gives +2 to hit instead of advantage, for both players and enemies. -High ground gives a potential +2 to hit if it makes narrative sense.

How Robin creates a safe table

-Session Zero & Lines and Veils: Before we begin, we will go through a Session Zero where we discuss boundaries, content expectations, and use a Lines and Veils document to set clear limits. -X-Card: At any point during play, players can use the X-Card if something makes them uncomfortable. Play will pause immediately, no questions asked, and we can adjust content or skip scenes as needed. -Pausing or Stepping Away: If a player needs to take a break or step away for any reason, it is always allowed without pressure or judgment. -Session Check-Out: At the end of each session, we hold a group check-out where players can highlight what they enjoyed, share feedback, or raise any concerns about content or gameplay.