Planescape: "Welcome to the Cage!" (3rd level) start 02/26/26

Creating your character

Planescape is a GLORIOUS campaign! It does add some additional complexity to character creation, though. I prefer to use the character sheets on Roll20. PCs have access to the 2024 PHB via my account there. Let's start with the Standard Array for your ability scores: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and an 8. If you need help understanding where to assign each score based on your class selection, refer to pg. 38 in the PHB. Once that is done, choose a home world/campaign for your character. The beauty of Planescape is that it encompasses all the D&D worlds at once! If you want your character to have been born and raised on the planes, perhaps you live in Sigil? Or maybe one of the gate towns of the Outlands? In any event, regardless of which you choose (Forgotten Realms, Dragon Lance, Dark Sun, Greyhawk, Eberron, etc.) we will want to primarily use source material from that campaign to build your character. Don't worry, it may sound daunting but I'm here to help! PCs will begin at 1st level and it is my intention for the campaign to continue til level 21 or more, if there is continued interest. Depending on which campaign of origin you choose for your character you may get access to expanded species, background, feats, gear, spells, and so on. Most 3rd party or home-brew content can quickly imbalance game-play if we're not careful, so be sure to check with me before including this sort of material for your character. I will update it to 2024 for you, so that you can use it, if possible, but be prepared for it to work differently than you expect. Besides the mechanical aspects of preparing for gameplay, you'll also want to do the following: - Choose a picture that best represents your character and send it to me so I can make a token for that map on roll20. - Familiarize yourself with roll20.net and maybe watch a tutorial video for D&D 2024 if you're not familiar with it. If you're brand new to the game, I run regular Dragon Delves one-shots to help new players learn the rules. - Practice smack-talk in the mirror so that your wit can amuse and devastate us come game night. - Select a song that makes a great anthem for your character for the campaign playlist that we will build together!

Preparing for the session

I use Discord for community building, chat and voice chat for all gaming sessions. Players will also need to have an account on roll20.net in order to see the virtual table top and also to utilize features such as the character sheet, maps, minis, spell effects, dynamic lighting and dice roller. (You do not need a paid account on roll20 as I have one and my benefits are extended to my players during session!) You will need to have an idea of what kind of character concept that you would like to play. For example, do you want to play an Elven Wizard from the city? Or a Halfling druidess that lives in a tree? Or an Orc Barbarian with a fear of spiders? Coming up with one or two basic character concepts beforehand will be a great help for character creation. Also, decide if it will be okay if another PC decides to play a build similar to your own (is there room for two wizards in the party?), or if you want to be the only one playing a particular species and/or class in the party, and plan your backup character concept(s) accordingly. ** Players also need to send a portrait of their character to me, so I can make a miniature token **

What lady_0f_pain (Paul) brings to the table

It is my goal to provide you with an epic story that will keep you ever excited for what comes next! You can expect that I'll play the rules as written so that you can develop a predictable sense of the game physics (knowing the rules empowers players to play their best)! I will help you learn to use your character's powers strategically to support your allies and overcome challenges. My games provide a good balance between role playing, combat and exploration. I can't say that I dip heavier into one category more so than another. I'm a supportive DM and I want to help your character shine! While I will use my powers to challenge you (and you will HATE my villains), my ultimate goal is to provide you the opportunity to overcome those obstacles so you can feel that uplifting tingle from having done good deeds by the end of the session! Mechanically I am very organized as a DM. I tend to have all the maps and tokens prepared in advance, so there will be visual aids even when doing "theater of the mind" scenes.

Homebrew rules

The only homebrew rule that I currently have is with the spell component pouch - ask if you're interested in how that works. I am opened to making custom content and homebrew rules as need dictates, but I otherwise prefer to stick with RaW to keep everyone on equal footing.

How lady_0f_pain (Paul) creates a safe table

During the process of creating our characters and discussing roleplaying in general, we will go over a checklist of items where each player can outline their boundaries and tolerances. You will also want to check the content warning labels to ensure that you can stomach the potential content of this campaign (I tried to account for a general idea of what may come at you in a Planescape setting). Players also have the option to take breaks as needed and to freely discuss with me if they're feeling dysregulated by any game-related content. As DM I realize that it's my party and everyone is responding to my invite. So I want you all to be comfortable during the game and to feel good when you walk away from it. I'm always available to discuss sessions with players even after the fact, if it helps them process the experience, or if some of the content needs to be sensitized in some way.