Play-by-Post: Wild Beyond the Witchlight - Reclaim What Was Lost

Creating your character

Welcome, future adventurers! Creating your character is one of the most exciting parts of this journey, and I want to make sure the process is collaborative and clear. Session Zero: Before our official first session, we will hold a dedicated Session Zero via our Discord server. This will be a chance for all of us to discuss our expectations, go over safety tools (like Lines & Veils), and, most importantly, create our characters together. This session is crucial for establishing backstories that tie directly into the campaign's central theme of "lost things." Starting Level: All characters will begin at Level 1. Stats: We will be using the Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) to determine your ability scores. This method ensures a fair and balanced party, allowing us to jump right into the story without any concerns about imbalanced stats. Character Creation Tools: We will be using D&D Beyond for our character sheets. D&D Beyond is a free and incredibly user-friendly tool that makes managing your character simple. I will create a campaign on D&D Beyond and invite all of you to join, which will give you access to a shared content library. Allowed Content: Please use the official Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks available on D&D Beyond. All races, classes, and subclasses from the Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything are allowed. I highly encourage you to consider the two new races introduced in The Wild Beyond the Witchlight—the Fairy and the Harengon—as they are a perfect fit for this campaign! If you wish to use content from any other books or sources, please let me know, and we can discuss it on a case-by-case basis. I will be on hand during our Session Zero to provide guidance, help with your character concepts, and answer any questions you may have. I look forward to seeing the amazing characters you create!

Preparing for the session

1. Create a D&D Beyond account (free) and build your level 1 character using 2024 rules. I'll send you a campaign invite once you're accepted, which will give you access to all the sourcebooks you need. 2. Join our Discord server: Will be sent to you on sign up 3. Discord bots are already set up in the server: a) Avrae: Used for dice rolls and combat management (connects to your D&D Beyond character) b) Tupperbox: Allows you to post in-character as your actual character rather than your Discord username I'll provide simple guides on how to use these bots and help you get your characters connected properly. 4. No additional downloads required! I'll handle handouts and visual aids through Foundry VTT, which runs in your browser, so you won't need to install anything else. New to Discord or these tools? That's perfectly fine! I'll walk everyone through how to use the bots step-by-step. Since Discord is where we'll craft our entire epic adventure story together, I'll make sure everyone feels comfortable with the platform and ready to dive into collaborative storytelling. Once you're set up, we'll do introductions and a brief Session 0 to establish how our characters know each other before arriving in Phandalin.

What Gabe brings to the table

I'm committed to providing a high-quality, immersive, and fun experience for all my players. Here’s what you can expect when you join this campaign: A World of Wonder: I will use vivid, descriptive language to bring the whimsical world of Prismeer and the Witchlight Carnival to life. My focus will be on creating a world that feels both enchanting and a little dangerous. A Focus on Story and Roleplay: While the Dungeons & Dragons rules are our foundation, my primary goal is to tell a great story together. This adventure is uniquely suited for a roleplay-heavy experience, and I embrace and reward clever, non-combat solutions to challenges. Expect your character’s backstory to be woven into the fabric of the narrative, as the adventure is built around what was lost and how you reclaim it. A Collaborative and Safe Space: I firmly believe in the "Rule of Cool" and will prioritize a player’s creative ideas over a strict adherence to the rules when it makes the game more fun. We will use safety tools like Lines & Veils to ensure a comfortable and respectful environment for everyone. My table is a place for all players to feel safe, heard, and valued. A Full-Fledged Play-by-Post Experience: We will be using Discord as our primary platform for this adventure. The play-by-post format allows us to tell a deep, detailed story at a flexible pace. I will be actively engaged and responsive to the story from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, Mountain Standard Time. While you are free to roleplay and post at any time, that is when you can expect my dedicated attention and responses to keep the narrative moving. I will provide a dedicated campaign server with separate channels for roleplaying, in-character chat, out-of-character discussion, and resource links. Professional Tools: I will use D&D Beyond for character sheets and for sharing official content from The Wild Beyond the Witchlight and other core sourcebooks. This will make managing your character and referencing rules simple and seamless. I'll also provide high-quality maps and tokens to help visualize key scenes and encounters within the Discord server. Ultimately, my goal is to create a memorable, collaborative story that you will remember for years to come.

Homebrew rules

I'm committed to providing a high-quality, immersive, and fun experience for all my players. Here’s what you can expect when you join this campaign: A World of Wonder: I will use vivid, descriptive language to bring the whimsical world of Prismeer and the Witchlight Carnival to life. My focus will be on creating a world that feels both enchanting and a little dangerous. Expect unique voices and personalities for a cast of memorable non-player characters, from mischievous fae to the formidable members of the Hourglass Coven. A Focus on Story and Roleplay: While the Dungeons & Dragons rules are our foundation, my primary goal is to tell a great story together. This adventure is uniquely suited for a roleplay-heavy experience, and I embrace and reward clever, non-combat solutions to challenges. Expect your character’s backstory to be woven into the fabric of the narrative, as the adventure is built around what was lost and how you reclaim it. A Collaborative and Safe Space: I firmly believe in the "Rule of Cool" and will prioritize a player’s creative ideas over a strict adherence to the rules when it makes the game more fun. We will use safety tools like Lines & Veils to ensure a comfortable and respectful environment for everyone. My table is a place for all players to feel safe, heard, and valued. A Full-Fledged Play-by-Post Experience: We will be using Discord as our primary platform for this adventure. The play-by-post format allows us to tell a deep, detailed story at a flexible pace. To make roleplaying even more immersive, we will use the Tupperbox bot to let you post as your character. For all rolls and combat management, we'll use the Avrae bot, which connects directly to your D&D Beyond character sheet for seamless gameplay. I will be actively engaged and responsive to the story from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, Mountain Standard Time. While you are free to roleplay and post at any time, that is when you can expect my dedicated attention and responses to keep the narrative moving. I will provide a dedicated campaign server with separate channels for roleplaying, in-character chat, out-of-character discussion, and resource links. Professional Tools: I will use D&D Beyond for character sheets and for sharing official content from The Wild Beyond the Witchlight and other core sourcebooks. This will make managing your character and referencing rules simple and seamless. I'll also provide high-quality maps and tokens to help visualize key scenes and encounters within the Discord server. Ultimately, my goal is to create a memorable, collaborative story that you will remember for years to come.

How Gabe creates a safe table

Your safety and comfort are my top priorities. The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is designed to be a whimsical, fantastical adventure, and while it's generally lighthearted, it still contains moments of emotional intensity, themes of loss, and encounters with creatures that can be unsettling. The hags and their manipulation of emotions can be particularly dark. If any content concerns you or if you have specific triggers, please feel free to message me privately before joining the campaign. I'm happy to discuss any worries, work with you to handle sensitive content, and help you determine if this campaign is the right fit for your comfort level. There's no judgment in wanting to know what you're getting into. Session Zero Safety Protocols: During our mandatory Session 0, we'll establish comprehensive safety tools and communication protocols on our Discord server: Lines and Veils document: I'll share a detailed Lines and Veils form for everyone to complete, establishing hard boundaries (Lines) and content we'll fade-to-black on (Veils). X-N-O Cards: Since we're text-based, these will be implemented through Discord reactions or direct messages. X (stop immediately) N (no, let's redirect) O (overkill, tone it down) Clear escalation procedures for when someone needs to pause or step away from intense content. Ongoing Safety Measures: Regular check-ins to ensure everyone remains comfortable as the story develops. Open communication channels for addressing concerns privately. Flexible pacing that allows players to process any heavier content. Transparent communication about upcoming content that might be more intense than a typical fantasy adventure. Remember: Your safety and enjoyment matter more than any story element. We're here to have a memorable adventure that everyone can engage with comfortably, from lighthearted carnival scenes to the more somber moments of the Feywild.