Spelljammer: Light of Xaryxis 🚀 A Play-by-post Cosmic Adventure

Creating your character

Before we set sail into wildspace, we’ll take some time to build the hero you’ll be playing. Character creation is a key part of shaping our story, and I want you to feel completely satisfied with your adventurer. To help with that, I’m offering one-on-one character creation sessions with each of you. We’ll walk through everything together—choosing race and class, developing your backstory, exploring your goals, and tying your character directly into the Spelljammer universe so you begin with purpose and direction. Bring your own unique concept if you like, or step into the role of one of the setting’s iconic Starborn personalities: ✨ Captain Elaina Sartell — a quick-thinking Rogue (Swashbuckler) and seasoned mercenary spelljammer. Fearless in boarding actions, cunning in negotiations, and always one step ahead when credits are on the line. ✨ Fel Arda — a charismatic Tiefling Hexblade Warlock, a smuggler who forged a pact with a sentient astral weapon. Shadowed by secrets, powered by the strange, and always gliding between the cracks of the law. ✨ Topolah — an eccentric and ingenious Human Wizard, equal parts arcane prodigy and cosmic cartographer. Her star charts have saved entire crews—when they haven't nearly killed them. ✨ Commodore Krux — a grizzled Giff Fighter and decorated officer known for his honor, his discipline, and his ability to solve most problems with overwhelming firepower. This character creation session sets the tone for our Spelljammer play-by-post campaign and ensures your character feels like a natural part of our crew as we embark across the infinite sea of stars.

Preparing for the session

🚀 Join the Discord Server — Our Spelljammer Play-by-Post Home! https://discord.gg/eTxscXnA5V As we prepare to launch into the glittering void of wildspace, here’s everything you need to get ready for our Play-by-Post Spelljammer campaign spanning astral seas, cosmic mysteries, and daring starfaring adventure: 🔹 1. Understand the Setting • High-Adventure Space Fantasy Spelljammer blends swashbuckling action, cosmic exploration, strange worlds, and encounters with creatures born from stars, void, and magic. • Wildspace & The Astral Sea From pirate outposts to crystalline spheres, from astral storms to ancient star ruins — the cosmos is vast, dangerous, and full of wonder. • Cosmic Forces at Play Astral elves, giff marines, mercenary captains, far-realm horrors, dying stars, and factions with motives stretching across galaxies. Your choices ripple across the infinite. 🔹 2. Tools & Setup (PBP-Friendly) Everything happens through: • Discord — IC posts, OOC chat, announcements, and dice rolls • D&D Beyond — Character sheets, leveling, inventory, and rules • Avrae — Dice rolls, ability checks, combat commands, and sheet integration ➡️ Create accounts here if needed: https://www.dndbeyond.com/ https://discord.com/ 🔹 3. Character Creation • Session Zero We’ll build characters together, set expectations, choose classes, and tie your backstory directly into wildspace. • Backstory Considerations Think about: What brought your character aboard a spelljamming ship? What port, planet, or astral culture are they from? What drives them to explore the stars — curiosity, duty, desperation, or destiny? • Spacefaring Heroes Characters should be adventurous, capable, and ready for cosmic danger — explorers, misfits, mercenaries, scholars, smugglers, stowaways, and everything between. 🔹 4. Mental Preparation • Embrace the Unknown Expect wonder, danger, cosmic horror, pirate intrigue, and surprises hidden in nebulae, derelict ships, and astral tides. • Crew Unity Your shipmates are your lifeline. Cooperation keeps you alive when the void grows hungry. 🔹 5. Roleplaying in PBP • Descriptive Roleplay Thoughtful posts help bring the ship, the stars, and the story to life. • Voices Optional Use character voices if you want — never required. 🔹 6. Rules Knowledge (No Experience Required) No prior Spelljammer or D&D experience required. We will learn together: • Attacks • Skill checks • Saving throws • Ship-to-ship combat • Spells • Turn flow This is a guided adventure — you won’t be lost in the void. 🔹 7. Communication • Safety First If anything feels uncomfortable, message me immediately and we’ll adjust. • Feedback Welcome If you want anything to run smoother or differently, just say so. ⭐ Prepare for cosmic adventure, astral danger, wonder, mystery, piracy, magic, and stories written across the stars. If you’re brave enough to leave the safety of your world… wildspace awaits.

What Nox Arcana brings to the table

💻 • Visual & Narrative Enhancements (No VTT Needed) Since this is a Play-by-Post adventure, we won’t be using a virtual tabletop. Instead, I’ll provide a rich visual experience to bring the vastness of wildspace to life: 🖼️ Character Art – Portraits, expressions, and mood pieces for NPCs, crew members, and important cosmic moments 🗺️ Custom Maps – High-quality star charts, ship layouts, and encounter maps with clear annotations 🎞️ GIFs & Cinematic Moments – Visuals to capture the grandeur of Spelljammer ships, asteroid fields, and alien worlds 🎶 Curated Music & Ambience – Playlists and soundscapes to immerse you in the hum of spelljamming engines, cosmic storms, and distant alien civilizations These elements will help build atmosphere and compensate beautifully for the lack of live VTT tools. 🐉 • D&D Beyond Content You’ll have full access to my D&D Beyond content, making character creation, leveling, and rules reference effortless throughout the campaign. My GM Style (Optimized for Play-by-Post immersive storytelling in the Spelljammer universe) 📝 Immersive Cosmic Storytelling I focus on evocative writing that captures the wonder, danger, and mystery of wildspace. Every post is designed to pull you deeper into the infinite expanse of the stars and the stories that orbit it. 🎭 Deep Character Roleplay Your characters’ motivations, fears, and relationships shape the narrative. From ship captains to alien diplomats, your choices matter — and the cosmos notices everything. 🎬 Distinctive NPC Presentation While PBP limits live voices, I still bring NPCs to life through: Unique writing styles Distinct speech patterns and alien accents Expressive character art & GIFs Every NPC is memorable, whether a cunning neogi trader, a mysterious giff mercenary, or a celestial being drifting between spheres. 🎶 Atmosphere Through Sound Links to ambient tracks, curated playlists, and scene-specific music will accompany key moments. Expect: The hum of spelljamming engines Cosmic storms and asteroid collisions The eerie silence of the void punctuated by distant alien signals 😎 Rule of Cool If your idea is awesome, dramatic, or cinematic, I will almost always find a way to make it work. PBP thrives on creativity — let’s make unforgettable moments together among the stars. 🤝 Patience, Flexibility & Support I welcome new and veteran players alike. I’m here to help guide rules, clarify mechanics, and ensure the story flows smoothly for everyone. Play-by-Post is about collaboration, not pressure.

Homebrew rules

🔹 Critical Hits: Roll all damage dice twice; creative descriptions may add extra effects. 🔹 Critical Failures: Natural 1s can trigger setbacks or mishaps. 🔹 Flanking & Tactics: Flanking gives advantage; clever positioning or environmental use is rewarded. 🔹 Creativity & Roleplay: Cinematic actions and great roleplay can grant advantage, bonus damage, or inspiration. 🔹 Healing & Potions: Full Action Potion: Heals full roll. Bonus Action Potion: Heals half roll.

How Nox Arcana creates a safe table

📜 • Lines and Veils Document Before we begin, I’ll send our Lines and Veils form. This helps everyone set boundaries around sensitive topics so the story stays immersive and safe for all players. 🤝 • Session Zero Discussion During Session Zero (text-based plus a short voice check-in), we will: 🛡️Review Lines and Veils 🛡️Discuss potential triggers 🛡️Establish the safety tools we’ll be using throughout the campaign This ensures we’re all entering Barovia with clarity, comfort, and shared expectations. 🫂 • Open-Door Policy & Weekly Check-Ins I maintain an open-door policy at all times — you can message me privately or in the proper channel whenever you need support, clarification, or to voice concerns. We will also have one weekly group check-in to make sure everyone feels good, aligned, and supported throughout the Play-by-Post experience.