Lost mines of Phandelver

Creating your character

Character creation takes place prior to our first session. Once you join the campaign, you will receive an invite to our dedicated Discord server and our D&D Beyond campaign link. I provide full content sharing, giving you access to all the necessary digital books to build your hero. We will use the Beyond20 extension or the DDB-Importer within Foundry VTT to seamlessly bring your character to life with custom tokens and automated sheets. Starting Level: 1 (We will progress to level 8). Stat Generation: We use Point Buy or Standard Array to ensure a balanced party dynamic. Allowed Material: Anything from official Wizards of the Coast sourcebooks is fair game (PHB, Tasha’s, Xanathar’s, etc.). If you’re interested in Homebrew or Critical Role content, please run it by me first to ensure it fits the cinematic tone of the world. I don’t just want a stat block for your character; I want to help you create a character with a reason to be in Phandalin! During the week leading up to our start, I will be available via Discord for "Mini-Session Zeros." We will work together to tie your character’s goals to the mystery of the Lost Mine, ensuring you have a personal stake in the story from the very first roll. Since we are using a high-production Foundry VTT setup, I will provide a 1-on-1 "Tech Check" if needed. We’ll make sure your browser settings are optimized for our dynamic lighting and ambient weather effects so that when the first session begins, we can dive straight into the immersion without troubleshooting.

Preparing for the session

How to Prepare To ensure we can dive straight into the cinematic experience without technical delays, please complete the following steps before our first session: 1. Join the Community (Discord) Once you’ve joined the game, you will receive a link to our private Discord server. This is our "Base of Operations" where we handle out-of-character chat, scheduling, and voice/video during the game. Please ensure you have a high-quality microphone and a stable internet connection. 2. Create Your Character (D&D Beyond) I will provide a link to our D&D Beyond campaign with full content sharing enabled. You don’t need to purchase any books; you’ll have access to everything you need to build your hero. If you use the Beyond20 browser extension (Chrome/Firefox), your rolls will send directly from your character sheet into our VTT! 3. Access the Table (Foundry VTT) We use Foundry VTT for our gameplay. You do not need to buy a license or download any software. I will provide a unique web link for our game room. Browser Note: For the best experience with our dynamic lighting and weather effects, please use a Chromium-based browser (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge). Hardware: A dedicated graphics card is recommended to handle the high-resolution maps and visual effects. 4. The "Tech Check" If you are new to Foundry VTT or Beyond20, I am happy to hop into a 10-minute "Tech Check" with you a few days before the game. We will make sure your audio is crisp, your character sheet is synced, and the VTT is running smoothly on your machine. 5. Safety & Consent Please take a moment to review the "Safety Tools" document in our Discord. It’s important to me that the table remains a fun and comfortable space for everyone. If you have specific "Lines or Veils," you can message them to me privately at any time.

What Amon brings to the table

While I utilize premium technology to enhance the visuals, the heart of my games lies in the storytelling. I provide a world that reacts to you. NPCs aren't just quest-givers; they have distinct personalities, goals, and—yes—unique voices and mannerisms. Whether you’re negotiating with a grumpy town guard or bartering with a mysterious merchant, I strive to make every interaction feel authentic and memorable. You can expect a curated soundscape of ambient music and environmental effects that shift with the mood of the story, pulling you deeper into the atmosphere of Faerûn. My GM style is heavily influenced by the "Rule of Cool." While I have a firm grasp of the 5e ruleset, I believe the rules are a framework for fun, not a cage for creativity. If you have a daring, cinematic idea that isn't strictly covered in the handbook, I will almost always work with you to find a way to make it happen. I want you to feel like the hero of your own epic, and I prioritize narrative flow and player agency over rigid "Rules as Written" (RAW) lawyering. When the initiative is rolled, things get exciting. I provide tactical, engaging combat encounters where the environment matters just as much as your stat block. However, I am not a "GM vs. Players" style narrator. I want your characters to succeed, but I want those successes to feel earned. We will use the full suite of VTT tools to keep combat fast-paced and visually clear, allowing us more time to focus on the heroic descriptions of your killing blows and clever maneuvers. Beyond the game itself, I provide a safe, inclusive, and organized environment. I am your advocate and your teammate. I provide full access to my digital library on D&D Beyond so you never have to buy a book to play, and I am always available between sessions to discuss character arcs, lore questions, or mechanical ideas. My goal is to handle the heavy lifting of the "math" and logistics so that when you sit down at my table, your only job is to have an unforgettable adventure.

Homebrew rules

The "Bonus Action" Potion: You can drink a potion yourself as a Bonus Action. Administering a potion to an unconscious ally still requires a full Action. This keeps you in the fight while maintaining the tactical importance of helping others. Secret Death Saves: To heighten the drama of a fallen hero, Death Saving Throws are rolled privately to the GM. This removes "meta-gaming" and creates a genuine, heart-pounding rush for your allies to reach you in time. The "Click" Rule: When you trigger a trap, I will say "Click." You get a split second to describe your immediate reaction (e.g., "I dive for cover" or "I raise my shield"). Your description will grant a bonus, a penalty, or advantage/disadvantage on your saving throw based on how you react. Tactical Flanking: Positioning matters on our high-resolution maps! Flanking an enemy provides a flat +2 bonus to hit. This encourages teamwork and movement without overshadowing other class abilities. Heroic Level 1 Feat: Every character starts with one free Feat at Level 1. This allows you to customize your character’s flavor and mechanics from the very beginning, making your hero feel unique. Success at a Cost: Sometimes, a "near-miss" is more interesting than a failure. If you fail a skill check by a narrow margin, I may offer you a Success at a Cost—you achieve your goal, but with a narrative complication or a minor setback. Cinematic Minions: For epic battles against overwhelming odds, I utilize "Minion" rules. These foes have all their usual power but only 1 Hit Point, allowing you to cleave through waves of enemies like a true legendary hero. Meaningful Inspiration: Inspiration is awarded for great roleplay and character-driven choices. It can be spent to reroll a die or to "buy" a minor narrative favor, such as knowing a local contact or finding a useful item in your pack. Lingering Exhaustion: Falling to 0 hit points is a traumatic event for a hero. When you are knocked unconscious and subsequently brought back to life (via healing or stabilizing), you gain one level of Exhaustion. This adds a layer of survival grit to combat and encourages tactical play to keep your allies standing.

How Amon creates a safe table

As the Game Master, I prioritize a table environment where everyone can focus on the game without unnecessary friction. This is a collaborative space; I expect maturity and mutual respect from all players. Harassment or disruptive behavior will result in an immediate removal from the session to protect the integrity of the group. We establish the ground rules before the first die is rolled. During our Session Zero, we will explicitly define our "Lines and Veils"—the topics that are off-limits or need to be handled with a "fade to black." I provide a straightforward checklist for you to fill out privately beforehand so I can tailor the adventure's content to the group's comfort levels without making it a public discussion. During gameplay, we use simple, direct signals to manage the narrative: The X-Card: If a scene or topic becomes uncomfortable, any player can trigger an "X" signal (via chat or a private message). We stop, pivot, or skip the scene immediately—no explanation required, and no judgment passed. and Direct Communication: I maintain an open-door policy via Discord. If something happens during a session that didn't sit right with you, I expect and encourage you to message me privately so we can address it before the next game. At the end of each session, I stick around for a few minutes to hear what worked and what didn't. This isn't just about the rules; it’s about ensuring the tone of the game is hitting the mark for you. If you need to discuss a specific moment or adjust a boundary, that is the time to do it.