Incursion: The Silver Swords Descend

Creating your character

You will build your character in D&D Beyond and we will link that sheet into Foundry VTT for play. The campaign is already running, so you join at the level the rest of the party has reached rather than at level 1. We build your character together in a short session before you play, and I will tell you beforehand what your character would already know about the party and about the silver they are carrying. What your character needs to be 1. Your character has a reason to travel with people who carry something the githyanki want. 2. Your character is willing to take a dangerous job for somebody they do not fully trust. 3. Your character wants something that only the wider world can give them. Before your first session I will ask you two short questions about your character's history, and I will ask you to agree one connection with another player's character. THE RULES FOR BUILDING Stats: Point buy, with no rolling, so that the table stays even Books: Published books only, with no Unearthed Arcana, no homebrew and no third party material Starting equipment: The standard equipment for your class and your background Sheets: D&D Beyond, linked into Foundry VTT If there is a published option you are unsure about, ask me and I will give you an answer quickly.

Preparing for the session

There are four things to do before your first session. 1. Join the Set Piece Discord server. I will send you the invite once your seat is confirmed, and the zone for this campaign opens for you at the same time. 2. Read the chronicle at https://campaigns.setpiece.one/incursion/ so that you know where the story stands before you build a character. 3. Create a free D&D Beyond account, which is where your character sheet will live. 4. Open Foundry VTT in your browser. There is nothing to install and no account to buy, and we run a short technical check together before your first session. I will also send you a short brief covering what your character already knows, and we will agree privately how your character arrives so that you walk into a scene that has been built for you. WHAT YOU NEED Internet: A stable connection, because we play over voice Computer: Any machine running a current version of Chrome or Firefox Microphone: A headset microphone works best, because it keeps you audible to the table Camera: Optional

What Amon brings to the table

What you’ll get every session Clear goals and strong hooks: You’ll always know what the party is chasing, what’s at stake, and what choices matter. A living world: NPCs remember you, towns react, and consequences stick. Good calls earn allies. Messy calls create problems that come back later. A fair, readable table: I’ll keep turns moving, share spotlight, and make sure everyone gets moments to shine. Recaps and continuity: Quick recap at the start, and I track names, clues, debts, promises, and open threads so the story stays coherent and your individual arcs are meaningful. Player handouts that matter: Job briefs, maps when needed, key names, and “what your character knows” summaries. No lore dumps, only useful info. Tone and pacing This campaign starts grounded: shipwreck survival, frontier towns, tight resources, investigation, and social pressure. As you push deeper, it opens into weirder mysteries and bigger stakes across Seerth and beyond. Expect a steady escalation, not a sudden genre flip. Roleplay and voices I do distinct NPC personalities and clear mannerisms although im no voice actor. I may do light voices/accents, but clarity comes first. I’ll never keep a voice if it makes understanding harder. You can roleplay in first-person, third-person, or a mix. All are welcome. Music and atmosphere I use ambient music and sound when it adds to the scene (storms, harbours, distant chanting, machinery, etc.). If audio ever distracts you, tell me. I can reduce or remove it. Combat style Combat is meaningful and dangerous, especially at Level 1. Fights won’t be constant, but when they happen they matter. Encounters support the story: ambushes, chases, messy terrain, time pressure, weather, objectives. I’m not trying to “beat” you, but I will play enemies like they want to live. Rules approach Core expectation: rules support flow. Most of the time we run close to Rules as Written, but I’ll make quick calls to keep momentum. If a ruling matters long-term, I’ll review it after the session and keep it consistent going forward. Rule of Cool: If you try something bold and it fits the moment, I’ll usually give it a fair chance with a clear risk and a clear roll.I don’t run single-solution puzzles. If your plan is smart, I’ll let it work. Investigation rewards follow-up: talk to people, revisit places, test assumptions, connect clues. Stealth, diplomacy, and lateral thinking are real options. Not everything is solved by fighting. Safety and comfort We use Green/Yellow/Red boundaries and Pause. If something crosses a line, we adjust immediately, no questions asked. You can message me privately anytime if you want a scene handled differently. What I expect from you Bring a character who wants to be part of the party and the story. Share spotlight, stay collaborative, and be ready to make choices. The chronicle: https://campaigns.setpiece.one/incursion/

Homebrew rules

Homebrew Rules These are quality of life rules that keep the campaign dangerous without slowing play. If something feels unfun in practice, we will tune it. Core philosophy Fast rulings at the table: I will make a quick call to keep momentum. If it matters long-term, we lock a consistent ruling after the session. Player options first: If you describe a smart approach, you get a real chance to succeed. Not everything is solved by damage. Healing and survival Potions: Drink a potion yourself as a bonus action. Administer a potion to someone else is an action. Downed but not out (Wounded): The first time you drop to 0 HP between long rests, you gain 1 level of Exhaustion when you stand back up. If you drop again before a long rest, you gain another level. This makes going down feel serious without instantly killing you. Long rests need safety: A long rest only counts as a full long rest if you have shelter and relative safety (indoors, secured camp, protected site). If you sleep in harsh conditions or under threat, you get a field rest: you regain Hit Dice (up to half) and spell slots as normal, but you do not fully clear Exhaustion (you clear one level). (If this proves too harsh early, I will ease it.) Combat clarity and tactics Flanking: Flanking gives +2 to hit, not advantage. It rewards positioning without turning every fight into an advantage pile. Cinematic stunts: If you want to do something creative (swinging on rigging, sliding under a table, kicking sand), tell me your intent. I will offer a roll and a clear risk. Success may add a small rider effect (push, disarm, prone, cover, etc.) when it makes sense. Skills and teamwork Helping: You can only use the Help action on a skill check if you can reasonably assist. If it is technical, you usually need proficiency to Help. Group checks: When the whole party attempts something together (sneaking, climbing, tracking), we use a quick group check so everyone participates and we keep pace. Inspiration (more opportunities) Inspiration is common: You can hold up to 2 Inspiration. Spend Inspiration to gain advantage on a roll, or to turn a good idea into a small narrative edge (right tool, useful contact, remembered detail), as long as it fits the scene. Death and consequences Death saves are standard rules. The grit comes from Wounded, resource pressure, and smarter enemies, not from making death saves more punishing.

How Amon creates a safe table

Before we start I will send a Green / Yellow / Red Lines and Veils sheet (the colour chart). You can return it privately if you prefer. You can also message me anytime with “please avoid X” or “keep Y off-screen.” No explanation required. Session 0 safety (what we cover) In Session 0 we will: Confirm the campaign tone (survival, mystery, horror-lite, escalating cosmic threat). Set Lines (no-go) and Veils (fade to black) for the table. Agree on how we handle sensitive themes (we can include them, imply them, or remove them). Confirm table expectations: collaboration, spotlight sharing, no surprise PvP. In-session tools (fast and low-friction) You can use any of these at any time: PAUSE (spoken or typed): stop the scene immediately. We will rewind, fade out, or change direction. OPEN DOOR: step away any time, for any reason. Private message: if you’d rather not speak up, DM me “yellow” or “pause” and I will adjust without calling you out. X / N / O’s (digital): X = stop / change now N = keep going but tone down / fade out O = all good Use them by typing X / N / O in chat, or DMing me, or holding them up on video if you’re on camera. Choose whichever is easiest in the moment. Player agency boundaries No forced romance. No charm spells or mind-control used on PCs without player consent. No “gotcha” content that violates your Red list. After intense scenes (or at end of session), I’ll do a short check-in: Group check: “Everyone okay?” (O/N/X responses are fine) Optional private check: I may DM you if something looked heavy. If something landed badly, we’ll adjust future content. No blame, no debate. Ongoing adjustments Your boundaries can change. Your comfort can change. You can update your Green/Yellow/Red list at any time and I will treat it as the current truth.