Time Wars

Creating your character

Character creation will happen before Session 1, with optional one-on-one conversations with me to help integrate your backstory into the campaign. This is a character-driven, long-form story. Your backstory will matter in meaningful ways, so I strongly encourage players to come with: At least one unresolved relationship A defining personal failure or regret A strong motivation (protect something, prove something, escape something, etc.) A belief or philosophy your character holds strongly Starting Level: 3 (You will be competent, but not legendary.) Stats: Standard Array or Point Buy (player choice). Allowed Sources: Official 5e published material (PHB, Xanathar’s, Tasha’s, etc.) No homebrew without prior approval. No Unearthed Arcana. Tone Guidelines: Characters should have reasons to cooperate. No chaotic evil “burn it down for fun” builds. This campaign rewards depth over gimmicks. Setting Notes: Your character begins with the belief that they were living their normal life prior to Session 1. You do not start as wandering adventurers already grouped together. We will discover why you are together. If you enjoy characters with emotional layers and room for growth, this is the table for you.

Preparing for the session

Before Session 1, here’s what you’ll need to do: 1. Make Sure You Have D&D Beyond We’ll be using D&D Beyond for character sheets, maps, and gameplay tools. A free account works perfectly. Once you book, I’ll send you the campaign link so you can build your character directly inside it. 2. Join the Discord Server We’ll be using Discord for voice chat and all campaign communication. You’ll get a private invite after booking. Discord is where: We play I post announcements and recaps I drop world hints and lore We spiral into conspiracy theories between sessions Please make sure your mic works and you’ve tested your audio before game time. Clear audio makes roleplay so much better. 3. Build Your Character (With Intention) Send me your character concept at least 48 hours before Session 1. This is a character-driven campaign. Your backstory won’t sit on a shelf collecting dust — it will matter. Give me something I can work with: a regret, a rival, a belief, a relationship. If you’d like to brainstorm together, I’m happy to hop on a quick one-on-one chat. 4. Show Up Curious You don’t need to study lore ahead of time. In fact, don’t. Discovery is part of the fun. Bring curiosity. Bring theories. Bring strong character choices. Even bad ones. I can absolutely work with bad decisions.

What Charlyssa brings to the table

You are not signing up for a generic dungeon crawl. You’re signing up for a carefully built, character-driven story where your choices actually matter. Here’s what you can expect from me: Deep Character Integration If you give me backstory, I will use it. Relationships, regrets, rivals, beliefs — they won’t be flavor text. They will shape the world around you. A Living, Reactive World NPCs remember. Consequences carry weight. Victories and failures ripple outward. The world does not sit still waiting for you. Voices, Atmosphere, and Tone Yes, I do character voices. No, I am not ashamed of them. I use ambient music when it enhances the moment, not to overwhelm it. Tone shifts are intentional — mystery, tension, humor, horror — all have their place. Combat That Means Something Combat is not filler. It has narrative weight. I enjoy tactical combat that rewards smart positioning and teamwork, but I’m not here to punish creativity. If you have a clever idea that fits the moment? I lean into it. I respect the rules — they give structure — but I also believe in the Rule of Cool when it serves the story and doesn’t break balance. Villains With Teeth My antagonists are intelligent. They plan. They react. They have motives beyond “be evil.” If you underestimate them, that will matter. Fairness and Clarity I don’t fudge dice to “save” or “punish” players. I don’t run gotcha mechanics without clues. If something is deadly, there will be warning signs. Collaborative Storytelling This is not me telling you a story while you watch. It’s us building something together. I will challenge your characters. I will respect your agency. And I will absolutely let your decisions reshape the narrative. If you want a world that feels alive, layered, and worth investing in — that’s what I bring to the table.

Homebrew rules

I keep homebrew light and intentional. If I change something, it’s to improve pacing or raise tension — not to surprise you. Potions Drinking a potion yourself is a bonus action. Administering a potion to someone else is an action. Critical Hits Critical hits deal maximum damage on one die, then you roll the additional dice. This keeps crits impactful without being swingy chaos. Death Saves Falling unconscious repeatedly in the same combat increases risk. Each time you go down after being revived, your next set of death saves becomes more dangerous. Going down should feel scary. Flanking We use flanking rules, but positioning matters. Intelligent enemies will use it too. Rule of Cool (Within Reason) Creative ideas are encouraged. If it’s clever, cinematic, and doesn’t break balance, I’ll work with you. If a ruling ever needs clarification, I’ll make a quick call at the table and we can revisit it after the session if needed. My goal is tension, fairness, and momentum — not paperwork.

How Charlyssa creates a safe table

This campaign is meant to be intense, but it should never make anyone feel unsafe. Here’s how we’ll keep things comfortable for everyone: Consent Form: Before we start, you’ll get a consent form to fill out. This lets you mark what topics are fine, which should be handled carefully, and which are off-limits. I’ll check these before we play and keep them in mind at all times. Session 0: We’ll talk through lines and veils, expectations, and the kind of story we want to tell together. This is where you can bring up anything that would make the game better or safer for you. During Play: We’ll use simple safety tools: X = stop, I’m not comfortable. N = this is heading toward a line, please shift. O = I’m good, even if I look stressed—it’s just roleplay. You can say these out loud, drop them in chat, or message me privately. Aftercare: Some sessions may hit hard. At the end of each game, I’ll check in quickly to make sure everyone’s okay and talk through any intense moments if needed. Bottom line: the story can be dark, but the table is always safe. We’re here to have fun, together.