Laelith: The Silent Guardians - [Play-by-Posts]

Creating your character

For The Silent Guardians, I provide six pre-generated characters, each tied to one of the campaign’s central motivations (the Forgotten Pact, the Unwilling Heir, the Stolen Mask, the Broken Oracle, the Nameless Call, and the Lost Bond). These pregens are designed to fit seamlessly into the story of Laelith, ensuring that every player has a meaningful connection to the setting and the overarching mystery. If you want to jump right in and focus on roleplay and story, you can simply pick one of these characters and begin your journey. If you prefer to create your own character, you are welcome to do so. We use the 2024 rules for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, with no additional supplements beyond the core rules. Everything you need is explained in the Session 0 document, which will guide you step by step through the process. Here are the creation guidelines: - Level 1 Characters to start the campaign. - Point Buy (27 points) for stats. - Starting Equipment (not gold) as described in the rules. - Multi-classing is tolerated, but must be validated by the GM on a case-by-case basis. - No Evil Characters. - No PvP (Player versus Player). At the beginning of the story, the characters do not know each other yet—the campaign will provide the circumstances that bring them together. This structure ensures that all characters, whether pregens or custom, are balanced, coherent with the story, and ready to dive into the intrigue of Laelith.

Preparing for the session

Preparation is simple, and everything you need is free: - D&D Beyond: Please create a free account. This will allow you to access the shared campaign, pregenerated characters, or build your own character with the 2024 rules. - Discord: You’ll need a free account to join the game’s server. This is where we’ll handle voice chat, scheduling, and between-session discussions. - Owlbear Rodeo: Please make a free account. This will be our Virtual Tabletop (VTT) for maps and tokens during play—it’s lightweight and easy to use. That’s it! No software to buy, no complicated setup. Once you have these three free accounts, you’ll be ready to step into Laelith and uncover the secrets of The Silent Guardians.

What Meneur2Jeu (Remy) brings to the table

I want my players to be immersed not only in the story, but also in the atmosphere of the game. To achieve this, I provide a complete toolkit to make our sessions engaging, smooth, and memorable: RP and OOC Text: We will be using Discord as our main communication platform. It will host both the roleplay (RP) and out-of-character (OOC) discussions, allowing for a clear separation and organization of our game sessions and casual conversations. Tests, Combat, and Dice Rolls: Avrae, a bot specifically designed for Dungeons & Dragons, will handle all our tests, combat scenarios, and dice rolls. This ensures fairness and transparency, allowing us to focus on narrative depth and strategic choices rather than mechanics. Character Sheets: All character sheets will be hosted on D&D Beyond, a comprehensive and user-friendly platform. It makes character creation and management straightforward, so players can focus on roleplay and storytelling. Maps and Battlemaps: Our adventure will be visually represented through Owlbear Rodeo. I will share maps and battlemaps to help immerse you in Laelith’s evocative environments and enhance tactical encounters. Ambient Music: To elevate immersion, I will provide YouTube Music and Spotify playlists tailored to each scene. These curated tracks will set the mood and deepen the emotional resonance of our story. Scene and Character Illustrations: To further enrich the experience, I will create avatars for your characters and illustrations of key scenes, using MidJourney & Leonardo.ai. These visuals will help us picture our epic journey together and bring Laelith to life. With this approach, expect a campaign that balances strong roleplay, fair and transparent rules, and a fully immersive atmosphere where the story of the Silent Guardians can unfold at its best.

Homebrew rules

This Play-by-Post adventure is designed to accommodate everyone’s schedules while keeping the game engaging and immersive. The general expectation is one post per day, allowing players to contribute to the story at their own pace without feeling rushed. To streamline combat, we use a modified initiative system. Instead of the traditional order where players and NPCs act one by one, initiative is grouped into two phases: Player Phase: all Player Characters act in any order. NPC Phase: all NPCs and monsters act together. This means players can post their actions at any time during the Player Phase without waiting for their exact initiative slot. Once all players have acted (or the day ends), I resolve the round by posting a single update with the NPC Phase. Outside of combat, pacing remains flexible. Roleplay, exploration, and decision-making unfold naturally over the course of each day, giving everyone the chance to contribute meaningfully to the story. This approach ensures that everyone can participate fully—no matter their time zone or schedule—while keeping the adventure dynamic and exciting. The result is a smooth, collaborative storytelling experience where Laelith and the Silent Guardians come alive at your pace.

How Meneur2Jeu (Remy) creates a safe table

Player safety and comfort are a top priority in this campaign. Before we begin, we will hold a Session 0 document where expectations are set, characters are introduced, and boundaries are discussed. This session ensures everyone is on the same page, both narratively and socially, before the story begins. To support this, I use the Monte Cook Consent in Gaming checklist, which every player will be able to review and fill out. This tool helps identify Lines (hard limits) and Veils (fade-to-black or off-screen content), ensuring that sensitive topics are handled with care or avoided entirely. Finally, I encourage open communication both in and out of character. After intense or emotional sessions, we will take a moment for aftercare—a chance to decompress, check in with each other, and ensure everyone leaves the game feeling good. With these tools in place, players can dive into the mysteries of Laelith knowing they are safe, respected, and supported throughout the adventure.