WATERDEEP: DRAGON HEIST | Fantasy Crime Drama | 5e'24

Creating your character

1. Read this listing fully 2. Read the private information revealed in StartPlaying after joining the game 3. Follow the character creation guide 4. Contact the gamemaster 5. Prepare a calm gaming environment and check your audio settings

Preparing for the session

1. Read the onboarding materials provided after joining 2. Add the gamemaster as a friend on Discord and join the game server with the information provided in the onboarding materials 3. Create a character or have the gamemaster create one for you 4. Introduce yourself to the community 5. Prepare a calm, quiet space for gameplay 6. Answer the call of adventure

What John, the Big Bad Evil Gamemaster brings to the table

🔵 VIBES • Casual atmopshere, professional performance • Smooth radio voice • Cute dog (cameos by request) 🔵 CONVENIENCE • No purchase of books or tools required • Easy automation (no math!) 🔵 COMMUNITY • Friendly players • Group events • Free play offers for members 🔵 AESTHETICS • Thousands of maps and tokens • Curated soundscapes • Custom worldbuilding

Homebrew rules

HOTBAR (quicker potions, scrolls, etc.) Each character has a hotbar (utility belt, tactical harness, convenient satchel, etc.) with 1 + Dex (min. 1) charges. Use 1 action to spend 1 charge and use an item in the hotbar. Characters may freely decide any item in their inventory is in their hotbar without justification. The gamemaster may decide that any particular item is too bulky or complex, and require that the action consume 2 hotbar charges. Used hotbar charges refresh during a short rest. This house rule addresses a common pitfall in item-based tactics: the rules-as-written require significant portions of a characters action-economy for simple tasks like drinking a health potion. The hotbar allows for a limited selection of items to ignore that restriction.

How John, the Big Bad Evil Gamemaster creates a safe table

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE Please reach out to me for accessibility concerns not covered here. Special accommodations can and will be made where possible. - VTT use not necessary. Special attention can be given to 'theater-of-the-mind' descriptions at request. Also, the gamemaster can click buttons for you at need. Allowing you to enjoy a more movie-like experience. - Specific content tropes can be culled from the narrative to better suit your comfort. CONTENT WARNING Rated R/TV-MA/M for Mature. We use these "lines" and "veils" to moderate certain content: Lines (will not feature): - Out-of-character/real-world prejudice against protected groups - Sexual violence Veils (will "fade to black"): - Explicit sexual content - Very graphic violence, gore, etc. - Graphic violence towards young children FEEDBACK METHODS Feedback is always welcome in any form (Discord messages, voice calls, snail mail, etc.). Criticisms or personal issues will be duly heard and considered; changes to the game structure will be made where possible to better accommodate everyone involved. We use "stars" and "wishes" as a form of feedback. At every session's end, each player may share things they enjoyed, and want to experience more of (stars), and things they hope to experience (wishes). TIME POLICY You are asked to arrive on time, but your time is your own, you will not be penalized for arriving late. The game begins approximately 15 minutes after the listed start time (with that time usually being given to socialization and notes). We play for 3 to 3.5 hours, ending where possible at a good "story moment". We enjoy a 5—10 minute screen-break twice each session, typically at hour intervals. SCHEDULE POLICY We play 3 of every 4 week. The 4th week is a creativity and scheduling break for all involved. Typically, the break week off occurs at regular intervals, but may sometimes be shifted to best suit a majority of players during a weird scheduling period. You are free to skip an upcoming session without penalty up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time. After the 24-hour mark, your placement and payment are locked-in. Refunds in the form of site credit will only be issued for cases conforming to the StartPlaying refund policy: https://intercom.help/startplaying/en/articles/8719194-refund-policy You can skip an upcoming session from the Upcoming Games tab of your StartPlaying player portal. SESSION ZERO Session zero refers to a meeting where we discuss expectations and totally prepare you for the game, including building or at least initially designing a character sheet. If you are joining after the first session, our session zero will be private: a short voice call (or text session, at preference) to review the same details.