Act 2: Into the Shattered Obelisk | Venca Saga 3-20 | Level 3

Creating your character

🧿 The campaign is underway. The party has finished Nest of the Eldritch Eye and will begin Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk at Level 3 in Neverwinter. 🧿 Please come with a rough character concept and a reason your character is in Neverwinter, willing to work with the party, and connected in some way to Phandalin, ancient magic, cult activity, lost knowledge, or the larger mystery ahead. 🧿 Use Point Buy. We will use 2024 D&D rules, with 2014 options allowed only where no 2024 version exists. Official WotC content is allowed with approval for tone and balance. Homebrew and Unearthed Arcana require approval. Grim Hollow and Crooked Moon will not be used. All other third party classes and subclasses are fine, all third party items require approval. 🧿 For equipment, choose class starting gear or starting cash. Custom backgrounds get an extra 50 GP. Since characters begin at Level 3, each character also receives 100 GP and 1 approved uncommon magic item from official WotC material. 🧿 Please finish shopping and character updates before play begins.

Preparing for the session

Before we open the door and let the dice start causing problems, here’s the quick tech ritual: 🧿Discord should be installed as the app, not opened in-browser. Once you book, I’ll send the server link so you can join the table. 🧿We play in Foundry, which runs right in your browser and doesn’t cost you anything. Edge tends to behave best, Chrome is fine, and hardware acceleration should be turned on. 🧿Characters live in D&D Beyond. Build your character there and send me the link before your first session so I can import them into Foundry. 🧿Headphones are required so everyone can hear clearly. If background noise starts sneaking into the game, I’ll ask you to switch to push-to-talk. 🧿A mouse is strongly recommended. Foundry’s targeting, dragging, panning, hovering, and token controls are much easier with one. 🧿Please arrive in Discord 10 minutes early for a quick audio check, warm hellos, and any last-minute setup. Once we’re settled, we light the torches and begin. 🧿Stable internet matters. If your Wi-Fi is powered by sadness, plug in. Please turn off VPNs, downloads, streams, and anything else trying to steal the spotlight.

What Bauric brings to the table

My natural style is very balanced, I do a bit of comedy, some drama, and some combat, with a ton of RP sprinkled in. My primary goal is that I'll do what it takes to have you leaving the game that day, satisfied, feeling included, and dying to tell someone about that sessions insanity.

Homebrew rules

My house rules are light on purpose. We stay close to Rules as Written so the game feels fair, familiar, and easy to trust. When the moment calls for it, I leave room for cinematic choices, clever plans, and earned Rule of Cool moments. We use milestone leveling. You level when the story, choices, and progress have carried the party somewhere meaningful. Early on, you’ll have a short respec window. If your character is not playing the way you hoped, we can adjust. Later respecs are possible too, but they should be intentional since party identity and story continuity matter. Small retcons are fine for honest mistakes when caught quickly. The goal is simple: fair rulings, real stakes, steady pacing, and a story that has room to breathe.

How Bauric creates a safe table

Player safety and comfort matter at my table, especially in a campaign with horror themes, cults, and dark fantasy elements. Before the game starts, I will send out a Lines and Veils document and go over boundaries, tone, expectations, and table norms during Session 0. During play, X, N, and O check ins can be used verbally, in Foundry chat, or by private Discord message. I also use an Open Door policy, meaning players can step away at any time without pressure, and regular breaks will be built into sessions. If something needs to stop, shift, or fade to black, I will adjust immediately. I also leave space for brief debriefing at the end of sessions, especially after heavier moments. My goal is a table that feels respectful, communicative, and safe for everyone involved.