Hombrew Setting W/ 5e Overhaul: Iron-Klad [LGBTQ+] [Low Magic]

Creating your character

I've made quite a few homebrew changes to 5e to better fit it to the vision of the campaign, so character creation will have some differences. There's a more limited list of species to choose from in Drevar, namely: - Orcs & Half-Orcs - Hobgoblins & Half-Hobgoblins - Elves & Half-Elves - Humans - Gnomes - Halflings - Yuan-Ti - Goliaths - Changelings - Dwarves They've all been slightly edited. I'll provide a list of them with features upon character creation. Other than that, other things have seen changes which I'll explain as it becomes relevant. It's all fairly simple. As far as backstory, we're all going to collaborate on Klad Raddick's story and identity, and we can use that as a spring board to discuss PC backstory, since is sort of the connecting thread here. Ideally, PCs will have a backstory about what happened pre-adventuring, and a collective backstory about what happened during adventuring. We'll come up with the collective part in session 0 and over the course of the campaign! All characters start at level 5, and ability scores will use the tic-tac-toe method. I'll explain it better in voice, but essentially you roll 9 d6s, spread out the results on a tic-tac-toe board, and select 6 lines out of the 8 possible to get the sum of your stat. It's very fun! If it doesn't make sense now, don't worry. It will once we get to character creation. I have a very strict No-AI content policy. Do not send me backstories or character art created by AI!

Preparing for the session

All you need is discord or signal. Discord is preferable as of current because of its convenience, but there's a possibility of needing to move chat clients if discord becomes too intrusive with ads, or doubles down on privacy intrusion. I use FoundryVTT to run my games. I don't use Forge, which means if you want to make edits to your character you'll have to let me know so I can open the server for you. I have no issues doing this at any time, provided it's during waking hours. Responses may also be late if I'm running a session when you ask me. Please have at least an ok mic with not a lot of disruptive background noise. The occasional sound is ok, but if we're hearing constant voices/and or hums from the background that can't be fixed, you unfortunately can't play at my table. Sorry!

What Charlie brings to the table

I use soundscapes and music, sometimes custom-made, to immerse players into the story. I take pride in my audio choices during as a DM. Other than that though, I want to tie characters into the world they're in, set seeds for mystery and plot, and set up big character moments that you'll hopefully never forget! I also love hearing characters role play and am happy to listen while I plan for the near future. My combats are usually pretty tough, but not unfairly so. While this campaign will have tough combats, though, it is distinct from a meat-grinder. This isn't tomb of annihilation. I'll use NPCs/organizations/any plot devices you give me from your backstory. I want to include them so you can interact with them. Such is the point of D&D!

Homebrew rules

What first was meant to be a slightly tweaked 5e kind of turned into a major overhaul, to the point where it feels like a different system. With that being said, I made sure to keep class compatibility largely untouched. The overhaul is meant to make combat more tactical & gritty, but also open up more options for creative play. Weapon choice matters more and I've done a weapons overhaul based on a bunch of medieval weapons that all have different abilities and use-cases, but I promise it's not complicated. Potions take a bonus action to consume, and you can consume them as a full action to get their maximum healing. You can also decide to drink health potions when you're at full health as an action. The next time you get hit, the potion automatically kicks in and heals you. Crits do maximum damage and don't double the dice. Reloading is more strict and takes longer, but ranged weapons do a lot more damage. HP scaling is a lot slower after level 5, but you gain maximum HP through levels 1 and 5. There's other changes as well, but I'll just provide those as they become useful to know.

How Charlie creates a safe table

X, N, and Os are messaged to me or a trusted friend who can then message me. I also have players fill out the Monte Cook RPG checklist, so I have a reference of content to avoid always available. I have a very low tolerance for anyone getting misgendered in my games. This also extends to myself. If you are not familiar with playing D&D with trans people, I recommend you do not join my game. Obviously, any sort of hate speech at all will result in immediate removal from the campaign. If any players are ever uncomfortable with another player at the table, I encourage you to let me know so we can solve that as soon as possible. D&D should be fun, and I have no place for creeps at my table. We'll take take breaks about half-way through each session. These will be 10 - 15 minutes so you can go make tea or use the washroom, or just chat. I'll probably be at my computer doing some small prep while the break happens, so you're welcome to chat with me during the break. If anyone needs to the leave the session for a break or any reason, they are welcome to do so. Nobody will judge you for doing it, and I'm very flexible.