The Masque(s) We Wear | A D&D 5e Murder Mystery Mini-Campaign

Creating your character

Creating a character for this campaign is a collaborative process. Your character is a member of the Sorvelan Empire's high society, with a direct and personal connection to the enigmatic Anton Krellin. Think about what defines them: their social standing, their secrets, and their true motives for attending this exclusive masquerade. I will meet with each player before our Session Zero to help brainstorm and outline the foundations of your concept and your connection to the other guests! The Essentials: - Character Sheets: We'll build your Character Sheet on D&D Beyond! - Starting Level: We begin at Level 2. You will level up during/after each session, concluding the mystery at level 5-6. All characters receive one additional free feat. This feat represents your specialized training and unique talents within the empire's elite. - Stats: The 24d6 Pool Method. We will roll stats together during our Session Zero. You have a total pool of 24 six-sided dice to allocate to your six abilities in any group combination you choose (e.g., 4d6 for each stat, or 6d6 for one and 3d6 for another). Any ability score below 8 becomes an 8, and any score above 20 becomes a 20. - Ancestry (Species): All official ancestries are welcome without restriction. Your place in high society could be inherited or earned, regardless of your origin. - Classes & Subclasses: All official classes and subclasses are welcome. Homebrew and third-party options are totally fine, but you must run them by me for final approval. I prioritize balance and narrative fit! The Narrative Requirements - A direct connection to Anton Krellin (friend, rival, business partner, etc.). - A compelling secret you are protecting. - A clear motive: a reason to want Anton alive, to manipulate him, or to see him fall. - A network of contacts within the empire that you can write to during the Epistolary Phase. Session Zero (Free): This will be a shorter session where we will finalize characters, roll stats together, establish our social boundaries, and discuss the PvP-lite tone of the game.

Preparing for the session

To ensure we have a smooth start, please take care of the following before our Session Zero: 1. Join the Discord: Make a Discord account if you don't have one and join our campaign server. This will be our hub for communication, scheduling, and links. 2. Tech Check: Ensure you have a solid internet connection and a decent microphone. Please test your audio setup in Discord beforehand. 3. Character Concept Chat: I will reach out to you to schedule a quick one-on-one chat to discuss your character concept before Session Zero. 4. D&D Beyond Sheet: Create your character on D&D Beyond and share your sheet with me!

What Acraa brings to the table

My goal is to create a deeply immersive and collaborative experience. Here’s what I provide to bring this campaign to life: - The Atmosphere: As a composer and musician, I curate a unique soundscape for every session. You can expect layered music, ambient soundscapes, and one-shot sound effects to enhance the drama and immersion of every moment. - The World: The story will be supported with immersive, custom handouts for important clues and journals, as well as high-quality maps for both exploration and combat. - AI Disclaimer: To achieve this visual richness, I might occasionally use generative AI art to create images for specific scenes, items, or NPCs. My GM style is narrative-first, focusing on your characters' stories within this rich world. I embrace the "Rule of Cool" to reward creativity, and while I use the rules as a foundation, the story always comes first.

Homebrew rules

- Healing Potions: Drinking a healing potion is a Bonus Action. If you use an Action to drink one, you regain the maximum number of hit points possible for that potion. - Flanking: Flanking an enemy confers a +2 bonus to attack rolls. - Death Saves: When you are stabilized you retain one death saving throw failure (if you had one). This effect can be removed by any action that would remove exhaustion. - Intrigue Tokens: Following a successful social skill check (Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation) or the discovery of a crucial clue, you earn an Intrigue Token. You may spend these tokens to increase any d20 roll by 1 (per token spent). The base roll is then treated as if it had rolled the new number, meaning you can use Intrigue Tokens to force a Critical Success! - Epistolary Phase: Between sessions, you may write letters to your contacts in the empire. At the start of the next session, you will receive answers to your inquiries, granting you information to use to clear your name or frame another guest. You may ask one question by default, and can spend Intrigue Tokens to ask up to four.

How Acraa creates a safe table

My top priority is ensuring a safe, respectful, and enjoyable experience for everyone! We will use the following tools to maintain a comfortable environment for all players. Before We Play: We will use the Lines and Veils tool during our Session 0. This allows everyone to anonymously note any topics they wish to avoid entirely or prefer to "fade to black" on. I am always available to discuss anything directly! During Session Zero: We will dedicate time to discuss the campaign's tone, themes, and everyone's expectations. This is our chance to align on the kind of story we want to tell together and ensure we're all on the same page. After Each Session: I will reserve time for a brief debrief to check in with the group. This campaign will explore tense themes, and it's important to me that any stress or strong emotions are left with the characters. This practice helps us transition out of the game and ensures we all end the session on a positive note!!