The Dragon Isles Campaign Setting

Creating your character

Creating your character along side your fellow players during session zero is my favorite strategy for beginning a campaign. This allows everyone to customize the team as a whole for optimum synergy, as well as give you insight in to each other's play styles. Pick out a picture of your character, one for their journal spell book or scroll, and a photo of their back story item. This item may be any non magical weapon, armor, clothing, or tool that is special to them according to their back story and may be of masterwork quality. I award extra experience points for taking notes in the journal, as well as providing a descriptive backstory of the PC and their special item. If you join a preexisting group, you will begin at their average level.

Preparing for the session

Players must have a webcam and mic, although strictly audio participation is acceptable. Reading the '3.5 Players Handbook' beforehand is a great tool to understanding the game mechanics, however, I am also available to advise and instruct new players, who show that they are interested in learning how to better their experience at the game table. Our new group will create characters together, during our session zero, where I will be able to assist anyone with questions about the campaign setting. Software is required to play including a web browser, Roll20 & StartPlaying Accounts, as well as the Discord app. You may save character sheets and notes offline just in case you lose access to them for any reason. Being prepared saves time and helps everyone get back to rolling dice! :)

What DungeonXMaster brings to the table

As a dungeon master I will be providing core rule books, the campaign setting with in game story line, plot hooks, and conflicts for your PC's to go up against, as well as instruction on game mechanics where needed, tips for improving your experience as a player, and a few wise crackin' jokes to lighten the mood!

Homebrew rules

Bonus Actions: During combat, PC's are allowed standard actions based on attack bonus, a regular movement action, a free action used for speaking and dialogue up to 25 words, and a bonus action to interact with personal items or anything within a 5 ft. reach. (Bonus actions are usually only used in 5th edition.) Skill Challenges: I use various kinds of skill challenge mechanics, introduced during 4th edition, to resolve some cinematic events. Magic & Soul Trade: Magic items cannot be bought with gold. They must be obtained through questing, or trading other magical items totaling their +1 bonus amount. Trading souls, although an evil act, can also be used to barter for such items. Magical Equipment Cap: PC's may only equip a total of +15 when adding up their magical items, relics, artifacts, and vestiges. Milestone Progression: Milestone progression is used in place of experience points during play. Completion of goals, quests, social encounters, explorations, problem solving, and extraordinary use of imaginative ideas all contribute to leveling up at the DM's discretion. Character Death: Death is not the end! If you make a strategic mistake, bite off more than you can chew, or the dice just screw you over, fear not! You can choose to play an alternate character, of the same level, who helps the party save the fallen comrades lost soul from being trapped in Baator. Your party allies may also barter +9 magic/soul trade to buy a resurrection spell from a friendly faction or divine practitioner. Reputation Bonus: Each nation within the Dragon Isles contains factions. As the party completes quests and favors for these groups, the DM will award a +1 reputation bonus that may be applied as a miscellaneous modifier to Diplomacy, Bluff, or Intimidate Skill Checks. Opposing factions will automatically reflect an equal negative amount to this modifier. Downtime Awards: Knowledge Skills, languages, animal companion training, crafting, and professions may receive bonus miscellaneous modifiers as an award for role playing those moments during game, or down time, (on top of regular experience progression.) Encounter Checks: While exploring the Dragon Isles setting, the DM may ask for encounter checks resolved with a d100 contest. One player from the party is chosen by his peers to make this roll. If the player rolls higher than the DM on the first contest roll, nothing happens and the game continues. If the DM rolls higher, he makes a second roll alone. Rolling a 2-50 is considered good, 51-99 is bad. A result of 1 or 100 are considered campaign, quest, or world story line encounters. These moments do not always represent a combat scenario, and can also include moments of flavor to the current state of the game, depending on when the roll is asked for. Encumbrance & Spell Component Rules: Character inventory weights and carry capacity are strictly enforced! However, spell components generally and largely are not.

How DungeonXMaster creates a safe table

As a long time DM, I have modified my play style over the years toward a less extreme version of fantasy survival horror. That being said, an entertaining cinematic feel to the campaign using heroes, villains, and violence can be reached without focusing to hard on the gore, mental anguish, and tragedy of it all. I believe that the 'open door, 'aftercare', and 'debriefing' tools are all pointing to the same subject, meaning that we should all be open, honest, and communicate freely as part of our social contract! Session 0 is a great way to finish character creation, combine backstory elements of the party, and set the direction and tone of the adventure. Just remember moving forward that I'm as cool as it gets, no judgment, and I'm here to entertain, so lets roll some dice!