The Dragon's Sandbox: Build your legacy!

Creating your character

Character Creation Guidelines For the Sphinx's Trial, the foundations of your characters should be strong and familiar. All character options—Races, Classes, Backgrounds, and Feats—must strictly adhere to the Player's Handbook (2014). Source Restriction: Use only the PHB. No supplementary books or third-party content. This does exclude the Roll20 "Tactician" class. Ability Scores: The Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) is the default method for assigning ability scores, though we can discuss Point Buy if the party prefers. Starting Level and Equipment: While the standard is Level 1, the party can collectively decide on a slightly higher starting level (up to Level 3) or a variation in starting equipment to better reflect the difficulty of the task. For now, assume Level 1 with standard starting gear. I request of you to make characters that feel grounded and "real" within reason, please refrain from "Boblin the Goblin" and other joke characters. This setting will be the most fun for characters who embody the spirit of fantasy rather than comedy. With that said the focus of the game is obviously to have fun. During the Free session zero, we will farther discuss the details of character creation as well as answer any questions.

Preparing for the session

Your voyage into the Dragon's sandbox requires just a few simple preparations. Before you step onto the soil of the new world, make sure your adventurer is ready to make history. Connectivity & Communication To ensure smooth travel and effective communication across the new world, a stable internet connection and a functional microphone are mandatory for all sessions. While video is optional, a webcam is highly encouraged if you are comfortable, as it enhances roleplaying and group immersion! Forging Your Identity Your first and most crucial task is to finalize your character. Please log in or create a free account on Roll20 and use the platform to build your Level 1 character based on the guidelines provided. This digital character sheet will be our central hub for tracking your legend, spells, and gear throughout the campaign. Note: All rolls will be handled using the virtual dice within the Roll20 platform, so there is no need for physical dice. This step is mandatory for play, so ensure your backstory and stats are locked in! Optional Immersion Upgrade To truly enhance your experience in the mysterious new continent, I highly recommend downloading the Soundtale app on your favorite device. This is an optional, but highly recommended tool that provides a dynamic, immersive sound and music experience for the game—no account or purchase is necessary! I will provide a unique session code at the start of each game, allowing you to instantly sync with the ambient sounds of the mysterious island.

What Castor brings to the table

A Cinematic, Player-Driven Adventure Step into an intensely realized experience where the quality of performance matches the depth of the world. This game listing is defined by two key commitments: a truly cinematic presentation and a world that reacts dynamically to your every choice. Performance & Sound We prioritize a high-fidelity audio experience to maximize immersion: Full-Spirited Voice Acting: Every major NPC is brought to life with distinct voices, utilizing traditional voice acting methods to fully flesh out their personality, motivations, and the urgency of their drama. Immersive Soundscape via Soundtale: We use the Soundtale App to provide a superior, dynamic audio environment. Expect a constantly shifting soundboard of custom music, thematic ambiance, and dramatic sound effects that perfectly underscore every moment of discovery, tension, and combat. Visuals & World Reactivity While we use high-quality custom visuals, the focus is on reactive world exploration: Custom Assets: I create original maps and unique handouts specifically for this adventure, designed to draw you deep into the mystery and lore. Dynamic Exploration: You are completely free to explore the Island as you wish. My cartography is purposefully loose, allowing me to rely heavily on Improvisation to react dynamically to your choices. Your decisions immediately and permanently shape the narrative. Note on Assets: Visual assets, including VTT miniatures, tokens, and environmental objects, are limited to the free assets currently available within the Roll20 Virtual Tabletop.

Homebrew rules

Dramatic Critical Hits To keep the momentum and ensure dramatic moments hit hard, we use a custom rule for Critical Hits: when you score a 20, the first damage die for the attack is automatically counted as its maximum possible value, and you roll any remaining damage dice normally. This hybrid approach guarantees a punishing and satisfying outcome every time you land a crit, making every critical success feel truly powerful! Rules Are Guidelines Beyond the dice, remember that rules are guidelines designed to facilitate fun. I maintain an open and flexible approach to any rule interpretation. If the group feels a rule is inhibiting the fun or the narrative, I am always open to discussing, adjusting, or making a temporary change. Our primary goal is collaborative storytelling, and we'll ensure the rules serve the story, not the other way around.

How Castor creates a safe table

We will have a Free session zero in order to lay down the ground rules and create your characters. In session zero we will talk about what our comfort zones are like and where our boundaries stand. The Campaign will be both grim and high octane, if at any point we need to take a break to calm down just let me know. Speak up if something bothers you and we'll adjust accordingly. I have a no tolerance policy in regards to sexual content or player simulated violence against children. Safety is first in any field. Game Rules and Group Expectations. These guidelines are designed to ensure a fun, respectful, and engaging experience for everyone. Please read them thoroughly before our Session Zero (our first organizational meeting). 1. Respect & Conduct (The Pillars of the Table) These rules cover how we interact as a group, both in-character and out-of-character. Mandatory Prerequisites: Reading, understanding, and adhering to all rules, statements made, expectations, and prerequisites mentioned on the game listing is mandatory before applying or attending any session. Be Collaborative: The essence of a role-playing game is a group cooperative experience. Your character must have a motivation to work with the party. Absolutely no petty sabotage, stealing from party members, or unagreed-upon "PvP" (Player vs. Player) actions. While character paths may cross and conflict can arise in the story (with DM and player approval), deliberate actions to undermine or harm fellow party members are not allowed. Respect the Vibe & Boundaries: The game setting deals with mature, 18+ themes, including extreme violence, strong language, and dark topics. While this is an adult game, we have absolute zero tolerance for the simulation or depiction of the following sensitive subjects: NO sexually explicit material (NSFW). NO elements of sexual assault. NO "on-camera" simulation of violence towards children. (Violence towards children may exist in the lore, setting, or character backgrounds, but will never be actively played out at the table.) Safety Tools: If anything in the game makes you uncomfortable or crosses a boundary, please message the DM privately immediately. We will do our best to discuss our boundaries and expectations prior to the game beginning. The Spotlight: Ensure everyone gets time to shine. Don't dominate every conversations or every round of combat. Encourage other players to participate. Communication: If you are going to be late or miss a session, please notify the DM at least 2 hours in advance on Startplaying.games. Failure to communicate may result in your character being played by the DM or sitting out the session. I would also expect everyone to remain decent in front of the camera. Nudity, Violence, Drug use, or other disrespectful behavior on camera will not be tolerated.