Heroes of the Borderlands | Learn To Play D&D

Creating your character

We will play with premade templates that will be available to pick on DnD Beyond, however, you can add your own flavour to them. Think about your character's appearance, personality and history as much as you like before you introduce them (and yourself!) to us.

Preparing for the session

Players should create a free account on D&D Beyond, as this is the platform we'll use for maps. This is also where I'll share the player handbook with you, as well as your premade character sheet. We will use Discord for voice and video. While I will share my video, you don't have to (though it is encouraged.) You should have a strong connection and a decent quality microphone - if we can't hear you, we can't play!

What Kitty brings to the table

As a teaching DM, I will introduce you to the world of D&D through introduction to the tools we use as players to build a world together. I will gently remind you of every step until you have it down. To make this the most fun experience, you can expect it to be roleplay heavy. I will play NPCs (the characters you will meet in the game) with big personalities, and you are encouraged to talk to them and each other in character as much as you feel comfortable. Now and again, I will ask you to make up and describe details of the world around you that we can integrate into the game, as a way to help you get used to collaborating at the table. I will use background music and noise (via KenkuFM) to set the scene, as well as limited visuals on Beyond. I encourage you to find the limits of the system - don't be held back by the actions on the sheet in front of you. Wherever the game allows it, I'll help you find a way to achieve whatever you want to do, as long as it doesn't affect the experiences of other players.

Homebrew rules

None. We will be playing by-the-book so that you can take your newfound skills forward with confidence into the next adventure you choose, whatever that might be. The Heroes of the Borderlands guidebook expects that rules are enforced loosely, in order for everyone to learn in the early stages without stopping the flow for correction.

How Kitty creates a safe table

We will be using the Deck of Player Safety during session zero. While this beginner campaign is tame, player collaboration may take it briefly a different way. Because of this, it's important we are all on the same page. We will use the Deck of Player Safety to create a blacklist of topics and situations before the campaign begins. Where any of those topics appear in the game, I will steer away. This campaign is intended not to stray above a PG-13 rating. Players can anonymously call a 5 minute break at any time, no reason required, during a session. During those 5 minutes, I will stay present and contactable in case players need a chat to discuss their feelings and comfort levels.