Strixhaven goes to spelljammer

Creating your character

Session 0 is where your character takes shape. Arrive with a spark of an idea, what kind of student are you? What do you study, and how do you fit into a magical academy that launches its brightest into the wilds of the Astral Sea for perilous fieldwork? For stats roll 4d6 for each stat, reroll any 1s, and drop the lowest die. Do this seven times, then pick your favorite six scores to shape your character’s strengths and quirks. Start by building your character as a Strixhaven student, first and foremost. This campaign is a blend of bustling campus life, arcane research, daring exploration, and the occasional brush with danger far from the safety of the library. Picture not just what your character can do in a fight, but what they’re passionate about, what kind of fieldwork calls to them, and how they mesh with a team of fellow students. You can draw from official material, plus anything I give the green light for this campaign. Just make sure your character feels at home in a world of magical academia, Spelljammer voyages, and the thrill of uncovering strange creatures or ancient relics. Prioritize looking at Spelljammer and Strixhaven books for character creation. Players should come to Session 0 with: * A character concept * A rough class idea * Their rolled stats * An idea of what kind of student they are * Any questions about allowed options * And which class they belong to The magic really happens when your character feels like a true student, someone who belongs at Strixhaven and is ready to brave the unknown on wild magical expeditions. Aim to create someone who fits both the academy halls and the call to adventure.

Preparing for the session

Before the game, players will need to take a few steps to be ready for their free Session 0 and play. Step one: hop into our Discord server. That’s where all the magic happens: announcements, PDFs, help with anything you need, and everything you’ll need to stay in the loop. Next, decide if you want to track your character on D&D Beyond or with a trusty Excel sheet, whichever suits your style best. We’ll be using Owlbear Rodeo to bring our maps, scenes, and battles to life, so make sure you can access it and feel comfortable exploring its features. Since we’re venturing into Strixhaven in Spelljammer, come ready with a spark of inspiration for your student. What do they study? How do they tackle field work? Picture the role they’ll play when the arcane gets dangerous and the stars call. Before the campaign starts, players should: * join the Discord server * make sure they can access D&D Beyond or Excel * make sure they can access Owlbear Rodeo * come to Session 0 with a character concept * have an idea of what kind of Strixhaven student they want to be That’s all you need to set the stage. The rest, we’ll discover together in Session 0.

What Dominic brings to the table

I will provide a D&D Beyond campaign with content sharing enabled for all players, so you will have access to the character creation tools and shared material available for the game. You’ll also have access to any approved third-party PDFs and campaign-specific materials we’re using, so everyone can draw from the same pool of ideas when building their characters and diving into the story. *Ryokus Guide to yokai realms *galens guide to elemental Powers *Tome of mystical tattoos II * The Chronomancer Class *Sculptor Class As a GM, I like to keep a healthy balance between Rule of Cool and Rules as Written. I care about the rules, but I also want creative and cinematic moments to happen. If you want to try something cool, I will do my best to use what is already on your sheet and within the mechanics of the game to make it work. You can also expect: * background music to help set the mood and atmosphere * character voices for important NPCs, or to help make it clear who is speaking * smart, meaningful combat with real stakes For combat, my goal is to make encounters feel dynamic and engaging. I do not want fights to just be “run up, hit, and stand there.” I like encounters where movement, teamwork, positioning, and choices matter. For this campaign specifically, you can also expect: * field-study style adventures * weird creatures and magical environments * mystery tied to the things the students bring back * a mix of school-life energy and dangerous exploration All together, you’re in for a game brimming with atmosphere, unforgettable NPCs, cinematic moments, and adventures that blend magical discovery with genuine peril.

Homebrew rules

We use a few homebrew rules in this game to keep combat moving, make moments feel more dramatic, and support the style of play I like to run. Potions in Combat Drinking a potion in combat is a bonus action. If you use your action to drink a health potion, you gain the full healing amount. If you use a bonus action, you roll for the healing as normal. Crunchy Crits We use Crunchy Crits. Instead of rolling double dice on a critical hit, you deal maximum damage on the normal damage dice, then roll the damage dice once more, then add modifiers. This makes critical hits feel more impactful and exciting. Pointy Hat’s Battlefield Action System We also use Pointy Hat’s Battlefield Action System. This helps make combat feel more active and cinematic by giving the battlefield itself more presence and by encouraging movement, interaction, and creative choices during encounters. Suspenseful Death Saves If your character goes down, I roll your death saves. I will tell you whether the roll was a success or a failure, but you may not tell the rest of the party how many successes or failures you currently have. Of course, your allies aren’t left helpless. If they’re close enough, they can check on your condition: * If they are within 5 feet and proficient in Medicine, they can use a bonus action to assess you. * If they are not proficient in Medicine, they take action instead. The Medicine check works like this: * DC 10: They learn whether you are closer to stabilization or closer to death. * DC 15: They learn exactly how many successes and failures you currently have. In Session Zero, we vote on whether everyone wants A Mana System Spellcasters use Mana Points (MP) instead of spell slots. Each spell costs mana based on its spell level, while cantrips cost 0 MP and can be cast freely. In general, mana is fully restored on a long rest. Warlocks regain mana on a short rest, and Wizards and Circle of the Land Druids regain a smaller amount on a short rest as described in the system rules. Mana costs scale by spell level, starting at 2 MP for a 1st-level spell and going up to 27 MP for a 9th-level spell. The system also includes upcasting, optional spell enhancements, and Mana Burn for casting beyond your normal limits. These rules are meant to make the game feel faster, more cinematic, and more tense while still keeping meaningful choices in play.

How Dominic creates a safe table

Your comfort at the table matters, so I weave in a few simple safety checks to keep things fun for everyone. Before a session, I’ll give a quick heads-up if anything potentially triggering might come up (nothing super detailed, just enough to prepare). After every session, I’ll do a short check-in/debrief so people can flag anything that didn’t sit right or anything they’d like handled differently going forward. During play, I’ll also send a message to everyone who has red or yellow reactions. If something is getting uncomfortable, you can click yellow to mean “ease up / steer away,” or red to mean “stop this and change direction.” No explanations required in the moment, we’ll just adjust and keep the game safe and fun. Also, I’ve got ADHD, so we’ll take breaks along the way. They help me stay sharp and keep the adventure running smoothly, plus they’re a great chance for everyone to grab water, stretch, and