From Cadets to Cosmos: The Light of Xaryxis Saga | Spelljammer

Creating your character

Character creation will be done as a group during a session 0, where other rules and expectations are discussed. Premade characters will also be available. We will use DnD Beyond for character sheet management. 🛠️ Creating Your Hero: The Guidelines As you start thinking about your character, remember: You are a Cadet! Whether you are a "groundling" from a fantasy world or a seasoned traveler of the stars, you have arrived at the Spelljammer Academy to earn your wings. Think about why your hero joined—are you looking for adventure, fleeing a past, or seeking the glory of the Astral Sea? ⚙️ D&D Beyond Settings When you join our campaign link and open the character builder, please ensure your "Home" tab matches these settings: Leveling: Milestone (You level up after big story beats, not by counting points). Hit Points: Fixed (This keeps things fair and simple!). Sources: Please turn ON Spelljammer: Adventures in Space, 2014 Core Rules, and Legacy Content. Partnered Content: Please turn this OFF. 🧬 Race, Class, Ability Scores, & Background Level: Start at Level 1. Class: Any official class is welcome! Race: To fit the "Space Opera" theme, choices are limited to the Spelljammer/Astral Sea races: - Astral Elf (SAIS) - Autognome (SAIS) - Giff (SAIS) - Githyanki (MotM) - Githzerai (MotM) - Hadozee (SAIS) - Plasmoid (SAIS) - Thri-kreen (SAIS) Note: If you want to play a "Groundling" (Human, Dwarf, Elf, etc.) who just joined the Academy, please message me first! Ability Scores: Use Point Buy. This is a balanced way to "buy" your stats so everyone starts on an even playing field. Alignment: We are playing heroes! Please choose a Non-Evil alignment. Background: The Astral Drifter and Wildspacer backgrounds are good choices for 1st-level characters who have ties to the Astral Plane. These backgrounds each give a feat. If you take a background from elsewhere and doesn’t get a feat from that background, your character gains one of the following feats of your choice: Magic Initiate, Skilled, or Tough. 🎒 Equipment & Gear Starting Items: Choose the "Equipment" option (not gold) based on your Class and Background. Gold: We don't roll for starting gold; your background provides your starting funds. Trading: You can sell starting gear or buy new equipment (like spell components) using standard PHB prices. ------------------------------ Need help? No problem! We will walk through these steps together during Session 0, and I will have premade characters available if you'd prefer to jump right in!

Preparing for the session

My games will use a Discord for voice/video calls during the session, as well as any digital handouts (maps, items, info, etc.). You can create a free account on www.discord.com Character sheet management will be handled through DnD Beyond. This will also serve as our VTT (virtual tabletop). You can create a free account on https://www.dndbeyond.com/

What D. Robert (EMTMAN) brings to the table

What I Provide: A Cinematic Trek Through the Stars Joining my Spelljammer campaign means stepping into a high-stakes, "Space Opera" adventure where the sky is no longer the limit. Here is how I bring the Astral Sea to life: Epic Scope & Soundscapes: I utilize ambient cosmic music and sci-fi sound effects to simulate the hum of a spelljamming helm and the vast silence of Wildspace. Expect enthusiastic character voices for everyone from eccentric giff commanders to mysterious astral elves. Tactical Ship Combat: I provide high-quality digital deck maps for your ship. We will use streamlined rules for ship-to-ship boarding actions and broadside maneuvers, ensuring that commanding a vessel feels powerful and intuitive. The Rule of Cool in Orbit: In the vacuum of space, creativity is survival. I heavily favor the Rule of Cool—if you want to swing from a rigging line to board an enemy ship or use a spell in a creative way to patch a hull breach, I’m going to help you make it happen! My Table Expectations To ensure our voyage is smooth and fun for everyone, I run a table built on mutual respect and "Session 0" transparency: The Golden Rule & Wheaton’s Law: This is a collaborative game. Respect your fellow crewmates and keep the "jerk-behavior" strictly to the villains we’re fighting. PG/PG-13 Rating: This adventure maintains a "PG-13 movie" rating. It’s heroic, swashbuckling, and exciting, but we keep the content clean and focused on the adventure. Respect the Pilot: Every player is the pilot of their own character. Do not tell other people what to do or how they should play their hero. We are here to see how your unique character reacts to the cosmos. The Hard Stop: If a scene, theme, or description crosses a line for you, simply ask to stop. We will immediately pause, adjust the narrative, and move forward. Your comfort is always more important than the dice.

How D. Robert (EMTMAN) creates a safe table

Session 0 will cover character creation, expectations and rules, and player safety (I generally use the lines and veils system). All my games are ran as PG-13. Players are also encouraged reach out to me with personal concerns.