WAYFINDERS RISING!🏳️‍🌈⚡Storm King’s Thunder in Eberron⚡🏳️‍⚧️

Creating your character

After joining the campaign, players will receive access to a D&D Beyond campaign page with shared content enabled. You are welcome to sketch out rough character concepts before your Session-Zero Hour, but your characters will be finalized during that time as we ensure party cohesion and strong ties to the setting. Characters will begin at the same level as the current players using D&D 5e or 5.5e rules. Ability scores will be rolled, using 4d6 and dropping the lowest die, repeated six times for the six ability scores. All rolls must be made transparently and in good faith; dishonesty with dice rolls or character mechanics is grounds for removal from the campaign. Players may use any preferred online or offline character creation tools. All Official WotC content is allowed. Homebrew and third-party content may be used after an approval process. Characters should feel appropriate for a Level 1 starting point, but Eberron treats Level 1 adventurers as already among the exceptional. Your character may have real experience, education, or past action, just not legendary status or world-altering power. Finally Your character should have a reason to join an expedition to Xen’drik and be open to working as part of an team. To help set expectations, here are examples of Level 1 Eberron-appropriate concepts: 1. You are a former soldier who survived the worst days of the Last War and now seeks purpose beyond the battlefield. 2. You are a scholar from Morgrave University trained in giant runic languages whose academic focus has finally pulled you into real danger. 3. You are a kalashtar monk following the Path of Light, drawn by visions tied to Xen’drik’s ancient past.

Preparing for the session

Before your "Session-Zero Hour," players should have access to the following: 1. A Discord account (used for voice, scheduling, and announcements) 2. A microphone for voice communication 3. A webcam (encouraged but optional) 4. Dice (physical or digital) 5. A Character sheet (We will use D&D Beyond to create characters digitally. Players can create a free account and gain access to shared content through the platform's Campaign function) Your "Session-Zero Hour" will cover character creation, expectations, safety tools, and campaign tone to ensure everyone joins on the same page. Before or during your Session-Zero Hour, you must complete the Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist, which will be provided as a PDF and submit the completed checklist to me via Discord or StartPlaying private message. Finally, players should come prepared to play with a positive, collaborative attitude and a willingness to engage with exploration, roleplay, and group storytelling.

What DM Wyatt brings to the table

Our main digital toolsets are D&D Beyond for character creation, maps, stat blocks etc., Discord for online connection, and D&D Beyond Maps as a VTT. I use situational ambient music as long as bandwidth allows for all players. I encourage players to identify and share songs, art, and/or mannerisms/accents that reflect their character, but nothing is required besides dice and suspension of disbelief. I do voices for NPC's but there's no pressure at my table to do anything you're not comfortable with. I encourage my players to approach roleplay scenarios in whatever ways feel most natural to them. As a GM, I specialize in the Dungeons and Dragons 5e 2014/Legacy Rules but I am very friendly to the 5.5e character options. I am homebrew-friendly but I also claim veto power on any rules extensions that I deem to be detrimental to the game. My favorite setting to GM in is Eberron, and in that setting as well as any others where it is appropriate, I allow firearms as a weapon type. I'm very open-minded in rules adjudication, so if you're thinking of something and I can think of a way to make it work, I will let you make any attempt. On the topic of NPC's, I include a small roster of companion NPC's in campaigns that I intend to last longer than 4 weeks. These companions are crafted in the spirit of BioWare games like "Baldur's Gate," "Dragon Age," and "Mass Effect." They have backstories that intersect with player goals and flesh out parts of the setting that aren't directly involved in the narrative while filling combat and utility roles that may not be covered by the PC's. These companion NPC's are optional features and are not DMPC's. They exist to add to the player experience, not to supplant it. As a GM, I do my best to make combat quick, satisfying, and unintrusive. I invite players who like min/maxing to do so with the knowledge that it is the GM's job to design scenarios that challenge everyone at the table. No character is too powerful to to be killed. In light of that, I encourage all of my players to create characters that they feel are both narratively and mechanically satisfying to play. My games are collaborations, not competitions. Finally, I have a few house rules that you can read about in the next section. If you are a fan of vanilla 5e, I understand that these alterations may seem drastic, but my games have never been better than when using them. They bring a lot of fun and dynamism to gameplay that make combat flow smoothly and thoughtful roleplay feel impactful in and out of the dungeon.

Homebrew rules

This campaign uses several intentional house rules designed to increase player agency, tactical depth, and engagement with downtime and exploration. These rules will be explained in detail during each new player's Session-Zero Hour. 1) Level One Feat If using 5e/Legacy character options, players may select one feat for their character at level 1. If using 5.5e character options, ignore this as you already get a Level One feat rules-as-written. 2) Reworked Action Economy I replace the standard Action/Bonus Action system with an action point system inspired by Pathfinder 2e. Each character begins their turn with three (3) actions. Any action normally allowed by your character sheet costs one action. This allows for greater flexibility and creativity within a turn A player can also choose to spend more than one action point on an action to acquire a higher benefit upon a successful outcome. For example, a carefully aimed attack using two (2) action points instead of one may guarantee critical damage. This enables high-risk, high-reward plays while keeping the action economy balanced. 3) Revised Rest & Downtime This campaign places strong emphasis on downtime, travel, and living in the world. To enhance this, I have implement a three-tiered Rest system that slightly adjusts the standard Short/Long Rest rules. Players can take a "Short Rest" (1-4 hours) and use their hit dice according to the rules as written. A "Long Rest" (6-8 hours) now requires the use of one (1) hit die to restore all HP, spell slots, and class resources. Finally, a "Full Rest" required to restore a PC's hit dice pool requires 24 hours times the amount of Hit Dice used since the last Full Rest. This creates an intentional window for engaging in crafting, professions, shopping, social roleplay, base-building/management, training, research, and personal projects. Effective use of downtime activities can lead to long-term narrative benefits or even mechanical rewards such as new magic items, feats, or ability score increases. 4) Dodge & Parry To add a more dynamic defensive option, this campaign includes a dodge/parry mechanic inspired by action RPG's. As a reaction to an enemy attack, a player may attempt a Dodge (Dexterity Saving Throw) or Parry (Strength Saving Throw) using the enemy’s attack roll as the Save DC. On a success, the attack is negated and the player may make an opportunity attack. On a failure, the attack resolves normally (using the character's Armor Class to determine if the strike deals damage or not). Additionally, a player may choose to convert an action point into an extra reaction in order to prepare an extra reaction. This house rule has two simple caveats: first, this mechanic cannot be used against spells or effects that already require saving throws, and second, attacks from Large or larger creatures cannot be parried, only dodged. This system rewards positioning, timing, and tactical awareness without replacing core 5e defenses.

How DM Wyatt creates a safe table

All new players will receive a free and mandatory "Session-Zero Hour" at least one hour before the next session of the campaign. It is where we get to know one another and establish a foundation of trust for the rest of our games. I encourage all prospective players to send me PDF copies of at least one (1) complete copy of the Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist before the Session 0. Resources will be provided for you upon subscribing to the campaign. Every session will include at least one break of at least 15 minutes per every 2 hours of play wherein all players are encouraged to hydrate, stretch, perform child care, and/or address any other mid-session personal needs. Beyond this mandatory break, I have an Open Door policy during play, meaning players are excused to step away from the table for any reason without the need for explanation. The game will go on in your absence but there will never be any sort of negative reprisal on you or your character for needing to stepping away. After every session, we'll perform at least 10 minutes of debriefing and aftercare wherein the events of the session will be recapped and players are encouraged to give their theories and feedback, or otherwise share their emotional needs and experiences with the group. During this time, WE LISTEN AND WE DON'T JUDGE. No amount invalidation will be tolerated. Outside of sessions, all players who subscribe to any of my campaigns will be invited to my discord server as Players, where they are free to message me privately to address any issues they feel are negatively impacting their play experiences. This can also be done on StartPlaying as well. These private conversations will be saved for legal security purposes but otherwise are completely confidential. Accusations of sexual harassment and/or discrimination will be taken with the utmost severity, resulting in the removal of the offender from the party and the immediate death of their character in the narrative upon the start of the next session without exception. Refunds will be issued in accordance with StartPlaying's guidelines.