Candlekeep Files: Cursed Tomes & Forbidden Knowledge| D&D 2024

Creating your character

Beginner Friendly You don’t need any prior experience to get started. Character creation is part of the experience, and you’ll be supported every step of the way. We’ll be using the free character builder on Roll20, which walks you through each decision step-by-step and keeps everything organized in one place. It’s designed to be easy to use, even if you’ve never touched D&D before. You have a few options for how you’d like to start: • Before First Session: You’re welcome to create a character ahead of time in roll20 if you’d like. • Session 0- Free Session: We'll discuss safety tools, party background, and campaign tone. I can also assist with character creation here. • Pre-Generated Characters: If you’d rather jump straight into the game, I’ll have ready-to-play characters available. You’ll still get a walkthrough so you understand how your character works. We can also schedule a 1-on-1 pre-session check to get you familiar with the online tools like Roll20 before the first session. Character concepts that would fit well include, but are not limited to: A wizard whose mentor vanished into a cursed text A bard collecting stories that keep coming true A monster hunter who distrusts libraries but needs answers A warlock whose patron’s name appears in a forbidden catalogue

Preparing for the session

Once you sign up, I’ll send you an invite to our Discord server, which we’ll use for voice chat and general communication. You’ll want a working microphone and either headphones, earbuds, or speakers so you can hear the group (and the ambient music) clearly. We’ll be using Roll20 for character sheets and play. If you don’t already have one, a free Roll20 account is easy to make. When the game starts, you’ll get a direct link to the campaign—no hunting things down or complicated setup. As long as you’ve got a computer that can run Discord and Roll20 at the same time and a decent internet connection, you’ll be good to go. If you ever have trouble getting set up, I’m happy to help.

What Eric brings to the table

My goal is to create a welcoming table where players can relax, learn the system, and enjoy a great story together. You can expect an immersive experience with background music and ambient sound to help bring scenes to life. The game will use Roll20 maps, images, and tokens so everyone can easily follow the action during exploration, chases, and combat. My GM style focuses on collaborative storytelling. I enjoy descriptive narration, cinematic moments, and encouraging creative solutions from players. Rules help guide the game, but clever ideas and dramatic moments are always welcome. You may also hear the occasional NPC voice or accent during roleplay—sometimes serious, sometimes a little humorous. I’m not a professional voice actor, but I enjoy bringing the world and its characters to life. Most importantly, I aim to create a friendly, cooperative table where everyone feels comfortable learning the game and contributing to the story.

How Eric creates a safe table

Creating a safe and respectful table is a priority. Before the game begins, we’ll use Demiplane’s built-in safety tool to quickly and anonymously indicate any topics or situations players would prefer to avoid. This helps establish our Lines and Veils so everyone’s boundaries are respected from the start. During play we will also use an X-Card safety tool. If something in the game becomes uncomfortable, any player can simply signal the X-Card. When that happens: • We immediately stop the scene • Take a short break • Return and continue with a different scene or direction No explanation is required. Players never need to justify using the tool. If someone does want to talk about it privately, I’m always available to listen—but that conversation is completely optional. The goal is to ensure everyone feels safe, respected, and able to enjoy the game, so we can focus on telling a great story together.