PREMIUM TABLE | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist | VERY HIGH ROLEPLAY!!

Creating your character

This is a character-first, ensemble-driven table. Characters here are people, not builds; collaborators, not spotlights; beginnings, not finished legends. If you’ve ever felt like you were carrying the emotional weight of a table alone — or wished you could finally bring your A-game and trust that everyone else would too — you’re in the right place. Character creation happens before Session 00, during a required 1:1 creative session with the GM. We’ll build your character together with intention: who they are, how Waterdeep has shaped them, and how they fit into a group story. Each character begins their journey in an individual Level 1 prologue, with the party formally coming together at Level 2. These prologues exist to ground your character in the city and set clear narrative momentum from the start. Mechanically, characters use Point Buy for ability scores, with one optional boon chosen at creation: • Roll for stats (4d6, reroll 1s, drop lowest) • One Uncommon magic item • One additional Origin feat No ability score may exceed 18 before bonuses. Advancement is milestone-based, tied to narrative beats rather than combat math. Levels matter, but the story matters more. All character sheets live in D&D Beyond, which serves as the rules authority at the table. All available material on D&D Beyond is allowed — including third-party and expanded 5e content — except Legacy material (2014 core rules). Balanced homebrew is welcome if you can show the official template it’s derived from. Homebrew is reviewed before Session 00 and approved collaboratively, with the understanding that nothing should exploit the action economy or elevate one character above the group. This is a shared story. Every character must be rooted in Waterdeep. You should have a trade, craft, or everyday role, and a connection to a guild or local community — or a clear reason you’re not in one yet. Characters are not lone wolves, chosen ones, joke concepts, or experimental builds. They are not born of sexual violence, written solely as trauma objects, or designed to disrupt the table. Characters are not Evil, and if they’re chaotic, they are thoughtful and aware of consequences. Narrative tension is welcome; PvP, theft, adversarial play, and other disruptive playstyles are not. Backstories are starting points, not novellas. You’ll be given a structured form upon requesting to join the campaign, designed to capture what’s actually useful: NPCs, goals, open threads, secrets with purpose, and hopes for how your story might unfold. I’ll use as much as you give me — as long as it’s digestible. Expect small between-session prompts from time to time to help deepen your character and the city around them. If you’re unsure whether your concept fits, that’s a good sign. Bring the idea. We’ll shape it together.

Preparing for the session

This campaign is intentionally paced and deliberately curated. Campaign preparation isn’t busywork — it’s how we make sure that when the game starts, everyone arrives ready to play together. To request a seat, players should have 1-3 character ideas in mind, ready and willing to be shaped by the world and the group. Once you request to join the game on SPG, you’ll receive a character application and an invitation to our Discord. The quality and earnestness of your application matter more than polish; we're vetting for commitment and intent, not to test your spelling and grammar. Onboarding Flow 1. Request a seat on StartPlaying 2. Receive the character application and Discord invite 3. Join Discord and meet with Nym 4. Schedule your 1:1 session (character finalization + voice assistance + prologue play) 5. Acceptance confirmation, followed by your 1:1 session 7. Session 00 once four characters are ready The game may not start immediately. This is a premium, long-form campaign, and the early groundwork is part of the experience. We will begin when we have four characters. Platforms & Tools • Discord is central. It’s where announcements, roll call, downtime roleplay, recaps, and between-session communication live. Players are expected to read recaps, acknowledge announcements (even a quick emoji), and respond to roll call. If you only want to engage during session time, this table will not be a good fit. • Roll20 is the VTT used for play. Players are expected to be comfortable navigating the interface and managing their characters without interrupting session flow. • D&D Beyond is the rules authority and home for all character sheets and materials. Players are expected to keep their sheets accurate and know how their characters work. • ChatGPT access is included as a private tool for each player. It’s encouraged as a way to refine character ideas, strengthen backstories, identify gaps, explore motivations, and handle small rules questions without breaking the rhythm of play. Think of it as a creative amplifier — not a replacement for your own voice. Technical Expectations • A mic/headset is required (no feedback or echo). • Camera (and voices) are strongly encouraged, but not required. • Stable internet and basic technical readiness are assumed. Engagement Between Sessions Out-of-session engagement happens at the pace of real life — regularly or irregularly, as schedules allow — but it does matter. Expect occasional light prompts or exercises to help deepen characters and the city around them. Downtime RP is optional, but encouraged; the story lives there too. This preparation process exists to protect the table, respect everyone’s time, and create the conditions for meaningful ensemble play. If you’re excited by intention, collaboration, and showing up prepared — you’ll feel right at home!

What Nym's Adventures brings to the table

Why such a high price compared to other tables on SPG? Because we offer more. - 1:1 Character Creation + Prologue Play - Highly Detailed Session Recaps - Ongoing Access Outside Sessions - Smaller Tables Mean More Focus - Application + Vetting Process - Active Spotlight Management - Persistent World Tracking - Downtime As First-Class Play - Custom Tailored Individual and Ensemble Encounters - Custom Character Creation Tools This table is for the people who want the professional experience without gatecrashing Critical Role or Dimension 20. NPC voices are prepped, we use a variety of sources for ambient music, and we set each scene cinematically. We have tactical and meaningful combat, but usually only after the carefully constructed social encounter goes south (damn barbarians!). Nym's Adventure started because I wasn't getting the experience I wanted so I set out to make that experience possible. Over time, we've developed a system that gets as close to that as we can. The only thing that would make it perfect would be players with the same dedication to the story as the rest of the table.

Homebrew rules

This table uses the 2024 ruleset, which supersedes all earlier versions. In addition, a small number of house rules are in place to support pacing, immersion, and meaningful consequences. • Critical Hits & Misses: We use a widely adopted critical hit/miss table (Roll20 Marketplace). • Going Down Has Consequences: If a character is reduced to 0 HP and must make at least one death saving throw (success or failure), they gain one level of Exhaustion when brought back up. If a character is restored before making a death save, no Exhaustion is gained. (Each separate instance of going down can cause Exhaustion; this is not per save.) • Inspiration (Rerolls, Not Advantage): • Heroic Inspiration functions as written in the 2024 rules. • Nym’s Inspiration: At the start of each session, every player receives one Inspiration token that may be spent to reroll any d20 test. This is a reroll, not advantage. Unused tokens do not carry over. • The Lucky feat also functions as a reroll, not advantage or disadvantage. • Flanking: Flanking grants advantage. • Spell Components: Any spell component with a gold cost or that is consumed must be tracked and acquired in the fiction. • Skills & Rolls: Skills are rolled only when called for. Passive skills are used frequently. Players are encouraged to describe intent first, then let the dice inform the outcome. Ability–skill pairings may vary when it makes sense (e.g., Strength [Intimidation]). • Social Play: Roleplay and rolls work together. Good performance doesn’t replace a roll, and a roll doesn’t replace roleplay — they support each other. • Environment & Creativity: Environmental interaction is heavily encouraged and adjudicated in the moment. • Logistics & Bookkeeping: Because this is a city-based campaign, minor logistics (rations, ammunition, making change) are generally abstracted unless they become narratively relevant. These rules exist to reinforce intentional play, narrative weight, and group trust, not to create loopholes. If something isn’t listed here, assume standard 2024 rules apply.

How Nym's Adventures creates a safe table

Player safety and comfort are foundational to this table. Strong stories require trust, and trust requires clear boundaries, communication, and follow-through. Before play begins, each player will receive an RPG Consent List via Discord. This will be completed privately and returned to me via DM. These responses are respected, confidential, and used to shape the campaign so that challenging material is intentional, meaningful, and never a surprise. At the table, we’ll use multiple safety tools to support real-time play. These include clear signals to pause, redirect, or check in during a scene, as well as a visible list of off-limits material that the group can reference at any time. A portion of the campaign’s landing page is dedicated to these boundaries so expectations are clear from the start. Session 00 will include a brief but explicit review of tone, boundaries, and table expectations, along with space for questions or clarifications. Safety tools are never treated as interruptions — they’re part of how we keep the game running smoothly and respectfully. If something comes up during play, players are always welcome to address it in the moment or after the session, whichever feels more comfortable. Check-ins and aftercare are handled conversationally and with discretion, not formally or performatively. The goal is to make sure everyone feels heard, respected, and able to continue engaging with the game in a way that feels good to them. This table values emotional honesty, mutual respect, and a shared responsibility for keeping the space welcoming and safe. You never need to justify a boundary here.