Colossus of the Drylands | Full Campaign, Beginner Friendly!

Creating your character

We will have a free Session 0 that contains the following: - Vibes: You'll get to hear the basics of the campaign, and I'll ask what parts of it everyone wants to focus on. If you want a gritty and dark experience or a whimsical cozy one, we can discuss it amongst the party! - Character Creation: You'll choose your characters class and heritage, and develop some connections with other player characters! - Worldbuilding: You will get the chance to add something to the campaign's map! This can be a location, a group, a social norm, etc. which will help to flesh out the setting. (This has been a favourite of my player's Daggerheart campaigns!) - Safety: We will go over the safety tools I use (An X card, Lines/Veils, Consent sheets) just to make sure that everyone has a good time. Trauma isn't always visible, and it's best to check what topics are off limits with players to make sure that we keep the fun stuff going!

Preparing for the session

I use a Discord server for voice chat and to help organize my games, and a Discord account is required for that. After the first character creation session I often recommend for players to use Demiplane (Or Heart of Daggers) to make a virtual character sheet. This can help consolidate information like Domain cards and Subclass abilities that aren't present on the default character sheets. I use OwlbearRodeo as a Virtual TableTop (VTT) but that does not require an account.

What Eski brings to the table

As I talk about in my GM Profile, I love the Rule of Cool! If you have any ability or item that you want to reflavour or use for a different purpose, we can sort it out and get your ideal character built into the mechanics! I use ambient music and background noise (Can be muted if you prefer!), as well as immersive visuals for non-combat encounters to help set the scene. I can lean heavily into either side of Combat and Roleplay, and I try to find the happy middle ground between the players to keep everyone's interest!

Homebrew rules

For Daggerheart: - Massive Damage: If a damage roll deals more than double a target's Severe threshold, they will mark 4 HP instead of 3. - Spotlight Tracker: I sometimes use these in parties with lots of players, but it is often a last resort. - Defined Ranges: In Combat Encounters, ranges will be tied to the number of spaces, but this is somewhat flexible.

How Eski creates a safe table

My games are safe for everyone, and the Safety tools are the one set of rules I am strict with. If at any point you feel uncomfortable with another player's actions or with a topic/event that was discussed, please let me know so I can ensure that it doesn't happen again. *If I find that a player is intentionally hurting or making another player uncomfortable, they will be removed from the game.* Here's how I use each tool: Aftercare and Bleed: After every game I ask players how their experience was, and open the floor to any out of character concerns or uses of the Safety tools in the game. If tension in-game is high from conflict between the characters/NPC's, then we can discuss it out of character and identify if any emotions have spilled over. Immersion is great, but not if it's making players feel horrible towards myself or other players outside of the game. Breaks and X Cards: In the middle of every session we have a quick 10 minute break, where players can have a bio-break, conversation about the current game state, and any other concerns they may not have had time to bring up. The party will also use X Cards, which can be used by players when they feel uncomfortable with the current content, resulting in the current moment being skipped, changed, or taken back. This can be shown on a facecam with a piece of paper and an X, or typed in the groups text chat as an X. It will often trigger a break in the game as I'll ask the player privately what has made them uncomfortable to make sure it is properly skipped and removed. Lines and Veils, Consent Checklists, in Session 0: During Session 0 we will follow Daggerheart's guide for creating safe and fun games. Involved with that is a pre-session Consent checklist, which will feature controversial or intense topics that the player will consent to experiencing, say that they want it obscured, or completely out of the game. These are messaged privately to each player. If any topics are addressed as off-limits or veiled, then I will begin the Session 0 with this information to prevent accidental harm as early as possible. While I check in often with my players and give Trigger warnings before any sessions that contain intense topics/themes, the Session 0 is super important for learning what my players want for both their safety, and to have a great experience at my table.