Shadows over the East - Dark FR Open world

Creating your character

Your character belongs to the East. Not a traveler passing through — someone with roots, history, and skin in the game. The basics: Species: Human, Dwarf, Halfling, Elf, Gnome, Orc, Tiefling, Dragonborn — others by discussion. Classes: All 2024 and 2014 classes plus select alternates available through Roll20. Stats: Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) · Max HP at levels 1–3 Choose a homeland: Damara, Impiltur, Narfell, or the Great Dale. Each has its own culture, its own wounds, and its own reasons to produce someone like your character. Choose a faction tie: Something that roots you in the region and gives the world a reason to care about what you do: A church or temple seeking to reclaim faith and order A thieves' guild surviving and thriving amidst the corruption A mercenary company fighting for coin, honor, or survival A wizards' guild or circle of old mentors A merchant house navigating shifting alliances A noble lineage, fallen or low-born, struggling for relevance A knightly order striving to restore justice in a broken land Come to Session Zero with three things: Who your character is right now — not just their backstory, but where they stand today. What they've lost or what they're protecting. And why they're still standing when so many others aren't. That's the character the East needs. That's the character this table is built for.

Preparing for the session

Before Session Zero, have a character concept ready — your class, species, homeland, and faction tie. You don't need a fully built character sheet, just a clear idea of who this person is and why they're in the East. Install Discord and test your microphone. Create a free Roll20 account if you don't have one. After booking you'll receive an invite to the private Discord server and access to the Roll20 campaign. Session Zero runs about 30-45 minutes and is free. We'll build out your character together, cover lines and veils, and work out how you connect to the existing party. Come with questions. Attendance and communication This is a shared commitment — five people are showing up every week for you. If you know you'll be late or absent, notify the group in Discord as soon as possible. Life happens and we understand that, but silence is not acceptable. Give the table the same respect you'd want in return. Missed sessions If you need to skip a session you are responsible for marking yourself absent on StartPlaying before the session to avoid being billed. When a player is absent their character fades into the background for that session — the story continues and you won't be left behind. Consistent absences: There is no hard number of missed sessions that triggers a conversation, but if attendance becomes a pattern the group will have input on how to handle it. This is a table, not a subscription — everyone's time and investment matters equally. Cancellations and refunds: StartPlaying's standard refund policy applies. If you need to leave the campaign entirely please let the GM know directly rather than simply dropping — it helps the group plan and keeps the door open for a clean exit.

What Jim brings to the table

A private Discord server for voice, session scheduling, and between-session roleplay. A Pro Roll20 account with multiple sourcebooks and compendiums available for character creation and reference during play. Session Zero is included — we'll build your character together, establish your ties to the East, and make sure you're comfortable before your first session. I run a living world. Between sessions the East keeps moving — factions shift, rumors spread, and your downtime choices matter. You'll never show up to a session where nothing has changed. The campaign also has a dedicated website with the full session chronicle, GM background, and campaign details: ruinedtowergames.netlify.app

Homebrew rules

Roleplay as skill challenge: If you describe what your character is doing rather than just calling for a roll, the DC goes down. Good roleplay is rewarded mechanically. Luck Points: A Tales of the Valiant mechanic that gives players a small pool of points to influence outcomes. Takes the edge off brutal moments without removing tension. Downtime leveling: Gaining a level takes in-world time. You can play through it or let it pass in the narrative. Leveling feels earned rather than arbitrary. YoYo healing: Dropping to zero and bouncing back up has a cost — levels of exhaustion accumulate. Going down in a fight has real consequences. Rules as written in combat, rule of cool in roleplay. Combat runs by the book — it keeps things fair and tactical. Outside of combat, if you can sell it with good roleplay, we can make it happen. No flying mounts or magic shops. This is a grounded, low-magic economy. Equipment is earned through play, not purchased. Magic items are rare and meaningful when they appear. Rules are a guide, not a cage. If a rule gets in the way of a great moment, we talk about it. Rulings favor story and fun over strict RAW.

How Jim creates a safe table

Lines and veils are discussed openly in Session Zero so everyone knows the table's boundaries before play begins. Hard limits: No sexual content of any kind. Fade to black: Used whenever a scene reaches a point that doesn't need to be played out in detail. Character death is possible. This is a dangerous world and choices have consequences. Death will be meaningful when it happens, not arbitrary — but it is on the table. Mature and respectful play expected. This campaign explores dark themes — corruption, loss, moral ambiguity. Players are expected to engage with those themes thoughtfully and with consideration for everyone at the table. If something is uncomfortable, say so. We handle it like adults.