Madcap Antics, Squelchey Horrors, and Soothing Pipeleaf

Creating your character

Players have two options: diving right into the campaign using pre-generated characters / learning the rules and the setting through play OR attending an optional Session 0 Collaborative Character and Background Workshop session [$20, 2.5-3.5 hours] to develop a bespoke character with in-world connections and learn about the system and setting. Option 1: At the start of the campaign (and whenever a character should chance to perish), I'll provide players three randomly pre-generated level 1 characters to choose from. These will be generated using the system's official online character generator:(https://www.dolmenwood.necroticgnome.com/characters/) and will be presented in easy to read Google Sheets character spreadsheets of my design. I will provide a link to each player. Option 2: I'll also host an optional $20 Session 0 Character Workshop session for players who would prefer to collaboratively create characters while getting a primer on the basic rules and the various classes' and kindreds' place in the world. For the workshop, I will provide each player three sets of ability scores to choose from. Players can use these to walk through the Dolmenwood character generation process. ------ For anyone who wants a nice (optional) overview of the setting, I recommend checking out the Welcome to Dolmenwood document located here: https://necroticgnome.com/products/welcome-to-dolmenwood Anyone wanting more details or seeking to learn rules ahead of time (not necessary as I'll continually teach rules through play) can refer to the Dolmenwood Players Book, all the rules of which are available online at https://www.dolmenwood.necroticgnome.com/rules.

Preparing for the session

I run games on Discord, so each player will need a Discord account. I will give each player a link to a private discord channel / voice channel. Please have a microphone a headphones to prevent feedback and echoes. Players with a Google account will be able view a Google Drive folder containing PDFs of the Dolmenwood Players Book, Dolmenwood Calender, and a Map of Dolmenwood on which the party can track their location. I will make the Calendar and Map available on Discord as well.

What Christof brings to the table

🎼 I'll provide a link to a Youtube Music playlist of ambient music that players can open in a browser tab and manage per their preferences. 🎭 I like to act, ham it up, and portray monsters and non-player characters (NPCs) with distinctive voices and sound effects 💭 I use "theater of the mind," describing the action rather than using a virtual tabletop (VTT). This leverages the power of imagination and makes for faster combats and no homework to learn new software. 🖼️ I share images from the Dolmenwood books, including maps of settlements and the campaign setting 🔮 Between sessions, I decide how the world and its NPCs and factions respond to party's actions and prepare new details accordingly ⚖️ I focus on decision making and consequences. I take care to clarify the stakes of a roll - what exactly success or failure will look like, what bonuses or risks various actions entail - before the dice are rolled. I work with you to troubleshoot and brainstorm viable solutions to in-game challenges. 💀 Character death is a real risk. Combat in this system is always a risky endeavor. After reaching 0 hit points, there is a 1-in-3 chance of dying each round, unless you get healing from special herbs, spells, or potions. It's usually best to scheme, hire NPCs to bolster your ranks, or fight dirty if you want to increase your odds of surviving a fight. If your character dies, don't worry: you can pick a new weirdo and join right back in :)

Homebrew rules

🪙 In Dolmenwood characters earn experience points (XP) by bringing gold and treasure out of dangerous places to a safe haven: 1 XP per 1gp value. Characters also get a small amount of XP for defeating enemies, but not as much as from treasure. This encourages creative problem solving: rather than killing monsters, the focus is on getting treasure hoards, which you could do with stealth or combat or persuasion or a piece of string with gum on the end. The approaches are limited only by your imagination. 🗓️ We'll use an optional rule from the rulebook that requires characters to engage in a period of training in order to level up (Until the training is complete, the character cannot advance to the next Level and can gain no further XP). This provides time for downtime activities (like inventing new spells) and prevents unrealistic growth from a peasant to a demi-god in less than a month. This rule also, encourages immersion and engagement with the game world, because you can speed up training time by seeking out certain NPC trainers. And you get to experience of the distinct seasons and holidays of the setting!

How Christof creates a safe table

I will ask players their content preferences and avoid sensitive content. All players are welcome to step away and take a break from the table without judgment. At the end of the session, I will solicit feedback about the game and work with players to make sure the game does not cause any discomfort or distress. We will take a 10 minute break after the first 90 minutes of the session. I won't tolerate players being mean to one another. In response to minor transgressions, I will point out the problem and give a warning. In response to unacceptable meanness, I will eject players from the server/campaign. When it comes to characters, I don't allow characters to steal from one another or from the party (no "finders keepers"; the party has to collaboratively and fairly divide any loot). I also don't allow characters to attack one another. The only exception is when such in-party conflict is enthusiastically endorsed by the whole table.