Echoes of the Forgotten Forge

Creating your character

We’ll create characters together during our first session. That way, if you’re brand new, you won’t need to worry about knowing the rules ahead of time—I’ll walk you through each step. If you already have experience, you’re welcome to come with ideas, but we’ll finalize them as a group to keep everything balanced and clear. • Starting Level: All characters begin at Level 1. You’ll grow in power as the adventure continues. • Ability Scores: We’ll use the standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) • Sources: You may use the Basic Rules, the 2014 Player’s Handbook, or the 2025 Player’s Handbook for character creation. This ensures everyone has access to consistent, beginner-friendly options. • Backstories: Keep it simple—just a few sentences about who your character is and why they’re in Phandalin. To help, answer these three questions: 1. What do you love? 2. What do you hate? 3. Why are you willing to work with the party? • Where We’ll Make Them: We’ll build characters together at the table (or online using D&D Beyond, if that’s easiest). I’ll provide cheat sheets and walk you through races, classes, equipment, and spells step by step. Pro Tip for New Players: Think about what kind of hero you’d like to play in a fantasy story. Do you picture a knight in shining armor, a clever thief, or a wise healer? Start with that idea, and I’ll help you turn it into a character that fits the rules

Preparing for the session

For our game, you’ll need a free Roll20 account and a Discord account. Roll20 is where we’ll handle maps, dice rolls, and character sheets, while Discord is where we’ll meet for voice chat and table talk. Both platforms are free to use, and I’ll provide direct links and setup instructions before our first session. If you’ve never used them before, don’t worry; I’ll walk you through everything step by step. You’ll also have the option to join my Darkwulf Studios Discord server for updates, community chat, and extras. Joining is encouraged but not required; you can participate fully with just the game link.

What Darkwulf Studios brings to the table

Story & Tone Our game balances casual fun with dramatic moments. We’ll laugh, joke, and enjoy lighthearted roleplay, but when the story gets serious, expect the stakes to rise. You’re free to go off-script—if your choices take us in unexpected directions, I’ll weave that into the world. I’ll also look for ways to bring your backstory into the adventure. A detail you create about your character could become an important part of the story. To enhance the mood, I’ll often use atmospheric music—light background tracks during travel or downtime, tense beats during combat, and more immersive sounds when the story calls for it. Roleplay & Table Dynamics Roleplay is encouraged, but it doesn’t need to be constant. Casual chatter is fine—we’re here to have fun. Party conflict can happen, but only if all players involved are comfortable. Rivalries, competitions, or even betrayals are okay at my table, as long as the players end on good terms and no one’s fun gets spoiled. I reward clever ideas, tactical thinking, and roleplay. Expect to see your creativity reflected in how the story unfolds and in the outcomes of your choices. Combat & Rules We’ll use maps for combat so you can plan tactics and see the action clearly. My style is middle of the road with the rules—I’ll stick to the book most of the time, but if a creative idea makes the game more fun, I’m open to it. Combat difficulty will vary. Some fights will be straightforward, others dangerous. I won’t pull punches if you get in over your heads, so smart play and teamwork are your best tools for survival.

Homebrew rules

Potions as Bonus Action Drinking a healing potion as a bonus action means you only roll the dice for healing. If you use your full action, you gain the potion’s maximum healing instead. This gives you a choice between speed in combat or reliability when you need it most. Critical Hits When you score a natural 20 on an attack, the damage is extra deadly. Instead of just doubling dice, you deal maximum damage plus one roll of the dice. This rule applies to both players and enemies, so expect crits to be exciting and dangerous. Death Saves When you’re at 0 hit points, rolling a natural 1 counts as two failures, while a natural 20 gets you back on your feet with 1 HP. This raises the tension while also rewarding lucky rolls. Death saves are serious—fail three, and your character dies. Inspiration You can earn Inspiration by roleplaying your character well, coming up with clever ideas, or working as a team. Inspiration lets you reroll a d20, giving you a second chance on something important. Don’t be afraid to lean into your character’s personality—it might just earn you a reroll. Downtime Bonuses If you spend extra time outside sessions writing journals, backstories, or recaps, you may earn small in-game perks. These could be things like a little extra gold, advantage on a roll, or a point of inspiration. It’s a way to reward creativity and help build the shared story.

How Darkwulf Studios creates a safe table

Your safety and comfort at the table are always a priority. To help with that, we’ll use a few tools and practices: • Session 0: Before we dive in, we’ll talk about expectations, boundaries, and what kind of game everyone wants to play. • Stars and Wishes: At the end of sessions, we’ll take a moment to share what we enjoyed (“stars”) and what we’d like to see more of in the future (“wishes”). • X, N, and O Cards: These tools let you signal how you’re feeling in the moment: • X = Stop. Something made you uncomfortable; we’ll pause and adjust. • N = Not now. A scene is okay but you’d prefer it to move along. • O = Everything’s good—keep going. • Open Communication: If something bothers you inside or outside the game, you can always bring it up with me. We’re here to have fun, together, and I’ll always do my best to make sure everyone feels included and respected.