Dragon Delves: Anvils of Living Legends

Creating your character

Character creation takes place during our first session. Before we begin, I will meet with each player to introduce myself, go over the adventure, and review safety tools so everyone feels comfortable at the table. We primarily use premade characters available on D&D Beyond to help everyone get started quickly. If you prefer to create your own character, I will guide you step by step using D&D Beyond. Reviewing the free rules ahead of time is helpful, but not required. I am always happy to assist. If characters are created from scratch, ability scores will be generated by rolling 4d6, dropping the lowest die, and rerolling any 1s. We will only use official sources available on D&D Beyond, including the 2024 Player’s Handbook, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Monsters of the Multiverse, Astarion’s Booklet, Forgotten Realms Heroes of Faerûn, and Forge of the Artificer. But I'm open to other sources if you really want to use them. All characters will begin at lvl 1 and will be created on D&D Beyond unless otherwise arranged. This ensures everyone is prepared and ready to jump straight into the adventure.

Preparing for the session

You need to create an account on D&D beyond and Discord, once you have them, make sure to take a quick look on how to create a character in general on D&D Beyond (Don't worry, I will have content sharing enabled during the character creation) and I will send you a link with the campaign so you can join. On discord, just make sure that you have a camera on you and that your microphone is working properly.

What Lewis brings to the table

I run story-focused games with lots of roleplaying and strong character moments. I use character voices and ambient music to bring the world and the story to life. I know the rules extremely well. But I believe rules exist to serve the story, not control it. If a rule gets in the way of a great moment, the story wins every time. Dragon Delves is not just about dragons. It is about your character, your choices, and how you grow through each adventure. The dragons are the crucible. They are what test you, challenge you, and ultimately forge your legacy. Combat is exciting and meaningful, but it always supports the narrative. Everyone gets time in the spotlight, and my goal is for us to tell a great story together and create heroes who feel legendary by the end.

Homebrew rules

Crunchy Crits When a character scores a critical hit, damage feels powerful. You take the maximum value of the damage dice, then roll the damage dice again and add the result, plus all normal modifiers. Critical hits are meant to feel impactful. Enemies also use this rule. Difficult Resurrection Death matters at this table. If a character dies and is brought back to life, the caster must make a spellcasting ability check using the modifier tied to the resurrection spell. This is not an attack roll. The base difficulty is 10, and each time a character dies, the difficulty increases by 2. Emphasis Die When a successful action could lead to equally strong positive or negative consequences, we use an emphasis die. You roll two d20s, and the result farthest from 10 is the one that counts. For example, if you roll a 4 and a 15, the 4 is used because it is farther from 10. This is used in moments like intimidation or risky persuasion, where success does not guarantee safety. In Deathbed Actions While rolling death saving throws, at the start of your turn, you may choose one of the following options. -If you have no failed death saves, you may grant Heroic Inspiration to one creature you can see within 60 feet. -You may also choose to embrace death. Your character dies with no option of resurrection, delivering final words or a last act of resolve. One ally of your choice gains an automatic critical success on their next roll.

How Lewis creates a safe table

Session Zero and Table Expectations During Session Zero, we will take time to make sure everyone is comfortable and on the same page before the adventure begins. We will go over the CATS of the story so expectations are clear from the start. Concept What the adventure is about, the kind of heroes you are playing, and how Dragon Delves fits into the story. Aim What we want to experience together, including strong roleplaying, meaningful choices, and character driven storytelling. Tone The overall feel of the game, such as how heroic, serious, or dark the adventure may be. Subject The themes that may appear during play, so no one is surprised by sensitive or uncomfortable content. We will also review the safety tools we will use, including lines and veils. This applies to both in character roleplay and out of character behavior. Forbidden actions will be clearly discussed, and respect at the table is always expected. This is an open talk and open door table. You are free to step away or leave the session at any time, for any reason, without needing to explain yourself. When possible, we will find a natural moment in the game to do so. Afterward, I will reach out privately to check on your wellbeing, not to pressure you, but to make sure you are okay. Your comfort matters. You are always encouraged to speak up if a theme, scene, or situation makes you uncomfortable. My goal is to create a safe, respectful space where everyone feels welcome and excited to play.