Shadows of Phandalin

Creating your character

Character creation will be fine-tuned during the free Session Zero. This will be about the same length of time as other sessions. We will discuss any character or game mechanics questions you have during this. All character will be starting at Level 1 for this adventure. All Race and Class options that are found in the following books are available to use: The Players Handbook, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. There are two ways in which players may choose their starting Ability Scores: Variant Array: 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11. Allocate these numbers among our six ability scores as you see fit before any Racial Bonuses. Roll for Scores: These rolls can either be done during Session 0 or with me on Roll20 at a separate designated time. The player will roll 4d6 and have the option to reroll any 1 or 2 once. After doing so, we will take the sum of the three highest dice. That will be a number you can choose to allocate to any Ability Score you’d like. The Charactermancer in Roll20 is very helpful when it comes to describing what you are choosing for you character as you do. However, if you ever feel unsure, no worries. I am happy to help with any questions or additional setup needed during Session Zero. You will be given the option of starting gold or starting equipment when first creating your character. Make sure to choose starting equipment. Even though you are a Level 1 Adventurer, you are still more skilled and experienced than the average townsfolk. At the beginning of the adventure you will have the opportunity to roll dice for the amount of starting gold based on your class, in addition to the starting equipment.

Preparing for the session

I will create a channel dedicated to this campaign using Discord. This is where the majority of our communications will take place. Between sessions I am available to text with. During the sessions, this is where we will be using the voice chat features. Please make sure that your device has a compatible microphone enabled. The game itself will be played on Roll20. Players are not required to have any sort of subscription to their services, or materials purchased. I will provide access to any information needed during the game.

What Steve brings to the table

I do my best to accommodate personal needs and goals for all of my players and their characters! Combat should be exciting, interesting and also tell a story in its own way. I really enjoy giving the NPCs their own voices and quirks to help flesh out their personalities. Music is crucial and I love to add ambience and music for certain situations. I am a firm believer in the "Rule of Cool", which is not letting the rules get in the way of something great happening in the story. The more creativity my players bring to the table, the more I am willing to reward that with cool scenes and unforgettable moments. That being said, I still try not to let scenes or battles get too hung up on the rules for too long. That is the reason I run my games with the rules as written (besides the optional variants listed below).

Homebrew rules

All of these variants are optional and will be decided on in Session Zero. If the party decides they would not like to incorporate them, that is absolutely fine. Please keep in mind, rules here apply to players and enemies equally! 1. When you roll a Natural 20 on the d20 and score a critical hit, the damage is maxed before the roll of the damage die. This helps to ensure that every Critical Hit feels like it. 2. When using a healing potion, you receive the full amount on an action, but must roll when used as a bonus action. Any other potion can only be used by spending an action for its full effect. 3. Flanking: When a creature is making a melee attack, and there is an ally on the opposite side of the target, the attacker gets advantage on their attack rolls. 4. If rolling two d20 (with advantage or disadvantage) a roll of the same number (doubles) constitutes as a critical success.

How Steve creates a safe table

I share a Google Doc with all my players that includes a multiple choice questionnaire. This is intended to help better understand any topics or experiences that their characters may encounter that the player would not be comfortable with. I have always maintained an open door policy. I take into account the concerns of my players at all times with professional sincerity. If you are unsure of situations or content that may or may not cause a problem to arise, I do utilize the X, N, and O cards as means to convey this quickly and conveniently.