The Saint's Cargo

Creating your character

All characters will begin at 1st level. The creation process will take place before the first session during a scheduled Session Zero. This is a serious, roleplay-driven campaign with grounded themes, so character concepts must fit the tone of the setting and the historical context. Setting: The game takes place in the Island of the Prince campaign world—based on 14th-century Europe during the Hundred Years’ War. Magic is rare and feared, and all characters must be human. There are no elves, dwarves, tieflings, or other fantasy races allowed. Your character should feel like someone who could plausibly exist in a medieval, war-torn Christendom. Allowed Classes: We use a blend of the 2014 and 2024 (One D&D) rules. Most core classes are allowed but must be grounded in realism. No flamboyant bards or chaotic-neutral jokesters. Spellcasters (like clerics or rangers) must be approached with restraint—magic is rare and scrutinized. If you want to play a divine class, expect deep roleplay and theological tension. If you want to play an arcane caster, be prepared for secrecy, danger, and real consequences. Stats: Ability scores will be generated using the Point Buy system to ensure balance. No rolling for stats. Backstories: Characters must have a reason to be aboard The Ashen Bell, either as a sworn Hospitaller, a trusted hireling, a servant of the Church, or someone with ties to the relic’s mission. All backgrounds will be reviewed and lightly tailored to fit the world. Collaborative backstories are encouraged. Tools: Characters will be built using D&D Beyond, with campaign-specific content and limitations set in advance. All players must use Discord for voice and Chronica for session records and lore tracking. Books to Use: Use the Player’s Handbook (2024 only) for class and feat options. No unofficial or third-party content allowed. Historical tone always comes first.

Preparing for the session

Player Preparation Checklist for The Saint’s Cargo To ensure a smooth and immersive experience aboard The Ashen Bell, players must complete the following steps before Session Zero: 1. Create Accounts on the Following Platforms: Discord (Required): All voice communication, roleplay updates, and scheduling will take place here. You’ll receive a private invite to the campaign server upon approval. D&D Beyond (Required): All characters must be created and managed through D&D Beyond. You’ll be added to the campaign so you can access the correct sourcebooks and restrictions. Chronica (Optional but Encouraged): Our living campaign journal, used for session summaries, maps, party inventory, and world lore. You’ll be able to track your character’s progress and campaign events here. 2. Review Campaign Guidelines: This campaign is set in the Island of the Prince setting—a low-magic, historically grounded world set in 1356 Europe during the Hundred Years’ War. All characters must be human. No exceptions. No fantasy races, no high-magic archetypes. Magic is rare, feared, and dangerous. If you choose a spellcasting class, you must be prepared to justify it within the setting’s theology and realism. Your character should have a reason to be on The Ashen Bell—as a knight, mercenary, priest, scout, sailor, or another fitting role tied to the Hospitallers’ mission. Chaotic-neutral and comic relief characters are not permitted. This is a mature, serious campaign focused on immersion, realism, and meaningful consequences. 3. Prepare for Session Zero: Character creation will happen before the first session, during a scheduled Session Zero. You’ll build your character using Point Buy and approved material only. Your backstory will be reviewed by the DM to ensure it fits the tone and world. You may receive questions or suggestions to help integrate your character more deeply into the narrative. Voice chat is mandatory. Please have a working microphone, and come ready to roleplay. 4. Recommended Tools (Optional): A second monitor or tablet to view maps or lore during play Note-taking method (digital or physical) Access to a quiet space for immersive voice sessions This is not a casual or high-fantasy game. The Saint’s Cargo is for players who want rich roleplay, historical realism, and a narrative that rewards careful choices and cooperation. If you enjoy deep stories, tension aboard a storm-beaten ship, and mysteries wrapped in faith and steel—then prepare to set sail.

What Terrance brings to the table

What I Provide My Players As your Dungeon Master, I deliver a handcrafted, immersive campaign experience rooted in the harsh realism of 14th-century Europe. My sessions are tightly focused on atmosphere, historical accuracy, and character-driven storytelling. This is not a casual dungeon crawl—it’s a living, breathing world that reacts to your choices and challenges your ideals. Here’s What You Can Expect in Every Session: A Cinematic World: You’ll step into a grim, low-magic setting where faith, steel, and superstition shape every decision. From storm-wracked decks to fog-laced islands, every scene is carefully described to feel real, grounded, and immediate. High-Quality Visuals: I provide photo-realistic scene art, custom character portraits, heraldry, banners, and immersive handouts. You’ll see the world as your character does—with mud on the boots, salt on the lips, and steel at the throat. Narrative Immersion: I use voice work for key NPCs, rich descriptions, and in-world letters, rumors, and Church decrees to deepen your experience. You’re not just playing a game—you’re living a story. Player-Driven Consequences: Your decisions matter. I don't railroad or pull punches. Betray a vow? It haunts you. Spare a man you shouldn't? He may return changed. You shape the outcome of the world around you. Tactical, Gritty Combat: Combat is intense, dangerous, and meaningful. Enemies fight to win, terrain matters, and tactics will keep you alive. I use modified 5e rules to make combat fast, brutal, and engaging. Expect wounds, exhaustion, and moments where one torch means the difference between life and death. My GM Style: Tone First: The tone of the world comes first. Realism and narrative weight are more important than zany builds or rule-bending antics. Rules as Written, with Realism First: I generally stick to RAW, but I will bend rules for historical logic or to preserve the integrity of the story. I don’t reward gimmicks—I reward clever roleplay and thoughtful decision-making. Collaboration with Boundaries: I work with players to build strong, fitting characters—but I maintain clear tone and setting boundaries. This ensures a cohesive, immersive experience for everyone. Additional Player Resources: D&D Beyond campaign access Private Discord server with roleplay channels and updates Chronica campaign tracker with maps, events, and character sheets Session recaps and rumors delivered in character World-specific lore documents, including letters, Deep Dive Podcast, Church orders, and witness accounts If you’re looking for a campaign where character choices shape the story, danger feels real, and immersion is everything—The Saint’s Cargo will deliver. This is not a power fantasy. This is a storm. Prepare accordingly.

Homebrew rules

In The Saint’s Cargo, we use a custom Critical Hit and Critical Miss Table to add danger, drama, and consequence to combat. Critical Hits (Natural 20): When you score a natural 20, you will roll on a Critical Hit Table that includes brutal effects such as maiming blows, bleeding wounds, shattered armor, or forced morale checks on nearby enemies. These are cinematic, impactful, and change the course of battle. Critical Misses (Natural 1): When you roll a natural 1 in combat, you’ll consult the Critical Miss Table, which can result in dropped weapons, self-injury, exposing yourself to opportunity attacks, or even hitting an ally if circumstances allow. Combat in this world is not clean—it’s desperate, brutal, and unforgiving. These tables bring both risk and reward into every fight. Even a low-level skirmish can leave scars—or tell a legendary tale. Other than this, most rules follow RAW (Rules as Written), with adjustments made only for historical realism and tone preservation in this grounded, low-magic setting.

How Terrance creates a safe table

Player Safety & Table Expectations The Saint’s Cargo is a mature, historically grounded campaign that explores the darker aspects of war, religion, fear, and survival. It is not a game for the easily triggered, and it does not cater to personal content vetoes that interfere with the story’s tone or intent. This campaign contains themes of religious tension, death, isolation, moral compromise, and psychological strain. While we avoid anything tasteless, exploitative, or gratuitous, this is a dark setting where suffering, sacrifice, and consequence are part of the world. No one is here to play edge-lords—but we are also not playing a sanitized fantasy. If you need your game to be safe from discomfort, this is not the right table for you. 🧭 What You Can Expect Instead: Session 0: We will cover expectations, tone, campaign themes, and behavioral standards. You’ll know what kind of world you’re walking into—and what is expected of you as a player. Aftercare & Follow-up: After intense sessions, I do a quick post-session check-in via Discord. Players are welcome to reach out if something sticks with them. This game may push you emotionally, but never without purpose or support. What This Game Is Not: This is not a collaborative fiction space where every player co-authors the plot (except through your character's actions). This is not a session-zero-for-every-detail, walk-on-eggshells table. This is not a place for comedy characters, power fantasy, or modern attitudes. This is a story about duty, fear, and moral weight in a cruel world. You don’t set the terms of the world—you endure them, shape them, or fall to them. If that excites you, and you’re ready to engage with maturity and trust, you will find The Saint’s Cargo a deeply rewarding, unforgettable campaign.