Hommlet: Let's Party Like It's 1978 & Gygax is after you!

Creating your character

We'll start at first level. We're using the 2024 5E rules. Character generation rules are on page 33 of the Player's Hand Book. Use those for your basic design using a 27 point build. You're encouraged to play one of the legacy races (dwarf, elf, halfling, gnome, human) but no race is limited. Greyhawk draws heavily from the flavor of the first editions of the game and this is an ideal place to run a classic race. Once you have a basic idea for your character and background, reach out to me. We'll place the character within the historical context of Greyhawk, setting your place and background to suite your design and the setting. From this work I'll provide a list of information that you possess as well as notes on your contacts if appropriate for your character's design prior to our first session. You will know things that others simply do not based on who your character is. How and when you share that information, is yours to determine.

Preparing for the session

I have run games on Fantasy Grounds for the last 12 years and have introduced dozens of players to the platform. I am more than willing to help anyone become familiar and competent in its use. You'll need to download the free software. Here are some great introductory videos. https://www.fantasygrounds.com/home/QuickStartGuide.php I also use Discord as a video and chat tool and will be adding a channel to my group for players of this game. I prefer all players are available via video call during the game. This supports roleplaying and helps us all come to know each other better.

What Tad Kilgore brings to the table

I am trained as an actor and playwright and will bring a full cast of NPCs to the table. I try to make the world as real as I can, as I want you to be able to escape the everyday world and be a hero. We all need a little heroism in our life! Combat is intense. There will occasionally be player death. This is never arbitrary. You will know the risks and assume them. Great stories are filled with consequences and your character will face them. You'll also face consequent rewards. I listen to what my players say and design to what I hear at the table and in conversations both in character and out. I find what each player enjoys and work to give them those moments at the table. For some players that is a long scale narrative in a world they help shape. For others it is simulated physical challenges that test their resolve and resourcefulness. For some it is in character roleplaying that lets them explore a new persona. Few things make my experience more enjoyable than helping craft moments like these with my players.

Homebrew rules

Getting nearly killed (dropping below zero hit points) is scary. Every time your PC is at zero hit points, they gain a level of fatigue and all of those effects. One level of fatigue is removed after each long rest. This makes the consequences of injury more dire, but also makes repeated combats and risks more strategic for players.

How Tad Kilgore creates a safe table

We're all here to have a good time. In my experience, very few people set out to make others uncomfortable. Most issues have to do with a lack of awareness or habits from other environments. Its important to be aware of this as a player and a DM and to have tools in place to help everyone. I use lines and veils. I'll send links out to that document as people join play. I also cover many issues related to boundaries in our slot zero (which we'll set up as a freebie). I will modulate the intensity of the narrative to the aesthetics of the group based on that feedback. X, N, & O cards are in play. If you find any point in the narrative or interaction unacceptable, you can DM me directly during the game or flag it to everyone at the table. I will handle with discretion. We will debrief after every session and launch each session in a recap. This gives us a venue to flag issues or behaviors and also provide frank feedback to your DM.