Descent Into Avernus - Beginner Friendly||LGBTQIA+ Inclusive

Creating your character

Edit: Currently Level 2 For this campaign, you’ll create a level 1 character using a shared campaign link on D&D Beyond. This makes it easy to track your character, manage your sheet, and keep everyone on the same page while the story unfolds. You are free to create any character that fits Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition rules (2014 or 2024 options are both acceptable), with a few guidelines to help your character feel like a part of Baldur’s Gate from the very start. Ability Scores: Roll 4d6 for each ability score, dropping the lowest die. Assign the results as you like. If the total of your six scores, before modifiers, is 70 or less, you may perform a complete re-roll once. If it’s still 70 or less, reach out and we’ll work together to make sure your character is ready for adventure. Equipment: Your character starts with the standard starting equipment from your class and background. Feats: If your chosen background does not already grant a starting feat, you may select one at first level. Alignment: Your character should be somewhere between good and neutral, though they may fall anywhere on the lawful to chaotic spectrum. Think about what drives your character and how they approach the world. They don’t need to be perfect heroes, but their motivations should generally lean toward helping others, following a personal code, or striving to do the right thing in difficult circumstances. Backstory: Your character should have a brief backstory explaining why they are in Baldur’s Gate. You do not need to be from the city, and you do not need to live there permanently, but your character should have been in the city for at least a couple of weeks. This can be as simple as a few sentences outlining who they are, what they care about, and what brought them here. Even a small idea of their motivations and personality is enough to give your character life and context in the story. Character Art: Having a character image is highly encouraged. You can create art using tools like HeroForge or Picrew, or find something online that fits your character. The use of AI-generated art is highly discouraged because it steals from human artists and has a harmful environmental impact. Character art is a fun way to bring your character to life and help everyone visualize the party as the story unfolds. The goal is to create characters who are ready to jump into the story, connect with the city and each other, and have room to grow as the adventure unfolds. Be creative, think about what excites you about your character, and don’t worry about perfection. This campaign is all about drama, high stakes, and meaningful choices, but there will also be plenty of room for humor, friendship, and fun along the way.

Preparing for the session

Players will need accounts on Discord and DnD Beyond. (Both free for basic versions) A reliable internet connection and microphone are also required. The chrome extension Beyond20 is helpful but not required. Webcams are not required but are highly encouraged.

What Mel Q brings to the table

This Descent Into Avernus campaign is all about character-forward storytelling — your backstory, your choices, and your emotional journey matter here. We’ll weave your character's past into the gritty streets of Baldur’s Gate and the infernal landscape of Avernus, crafting a collaborative story full of tension, moral dilemmas, and heart. We play using the integrated DnD Beyond VTT for visuals and dice, and Discord for voice and video (with optional text roleplay between sessions). Whether you’re negotiating with devils, navigating the politics of the city, or confronting personal demons, the focus is always on roleplay, connection, and creativity. Rules exist to support the story, not slow it down — so we embrace the Rule of Cool, reward clever thinking, and lean into both the drama and the occasional dark humor. If you want to strike a bargain with a fiend, charm a reluctant ally, or make a daring escape through the burning plains of Hell, you’re in the right place. Safety and inclusivity are a top priority. We use Lines & Veils, X/N/O cards, and regular check-ins to make sure everyone feels comfortable and respected. This is a table where you can explore complex characters, face harrowing challenges, and be your authentic self, all while having fun in a high-stakes story. Let’s tell a story that’s thrilling, dramatic, and occasionally terrifying, but still leaves room for laughter, camaraderie, and the moments that make adventuring worth it.

Homebrew rules

1: Standing up after being knocked prone takes 10 feet of your movement instead of half 2: Drinking a health potion takes a bonus action instead of an action. Feeding someone else a health potion takes an action. Drinking any other type of potion takes an action as normal. 3: Learning New Proficiencies - Players may commit some of their downtime to learning a new proficiency. In order to learn a new proficiency, you must be taught by a character who already has the proficiency you are trying to learn. If you find a book or manual, you may learn from that instead. The time it takes to learn a new proficiency depends on the proficiency: Tools or Weapons - 10 weeks Languages - 15 weeks Skills - 20 weeks --A player may subtract a number of weeks equal to their Intelligence modifier from the number of weeks it takes them to learn a new proficiency. 4: Inspiration There are two varieties of inspiration. -Normal Inspiration - Every player gets one "session" inspiration at the beginning of each game. Normal Inspiration allows you to reroll any d20 and take the roll of your choosing on any of your rolls. Alternatively, you can force an enemy to reroll and use the worse result. Can be used after you see the result of the first dice throw. -DM Inspiration - This is inspiration awarded by the DM for good RP, unique story choices, interesting character choices. Only one DM inspiration will be handed out per session. Allows you to roll 3d20 and use the best result. This cannot be used with Normal Inspiration and must be declared before the initial roll is made. (Think double advantage) 5. Rock Rules - There is always a rock (fist sized or smaller). You can pick it up, toss it, use it as ammo for a sling. It is a free action to pick up but may be an action or bonus action to use depending on the situation.

How Mel Q creates a safe table

Potential Trigger Warnings – Descent Into Avernus While this campaign focuses on high-stakes adventure and character-driven storytelling, it explores themes that may be intense or upsetting for some players. Here are elements that may come up: Emotional Themes and Identity -Loss, grief, or trauma -Abandonment, betrayal, or broken relationships -Moral dilemmas and the consequences of difficult choices -Struggle with personal codes, faith, or conscience Mental and Emotional Distress -Manipulation, coercion, or temptation, often by devils or other powerful entities -Characters facing impossible choices with high stakes -Emotional bonds or conflicts between characters and NPCs Fantasy Horror and Hellish Themes -Corruption, decay, and infernal landscapes -Fiends, devils, and morally ambiguous creatures -Descriptions of suffering, injury, or grotesque environments Violence and Combat -Frequent combat and life-threatening encounters -Potential character death or serious injury -Themes of war, bloodshed, and the horrors of battle Other Considerations -Themes of corruption, bargains, and moral compromise -Dark magic, curses, and supernatural threats A Lines and Veils document will be provided before session zero, and we will discuss any hard limits you may have. X/N/O cards are available on the virtual tabletop and my door is always open. After-session decompression time and an anonymous feedback form will also be offered.