Into the Dragon's Lair

Creating your character

We will not be doing a "cold start" during Session 1. Instead, I will meet with each player individually before the campaign begins. I want to spend time brainstorming with you, understanding your character's goals, and approving their place in the story. This allows us to potentially add creative twists or unique homebrew elements that make your character feel truly special. Level: This one shot is set at level 7 Ruleset: We are strictly using the D&D 5e (2024+) rules for Class, Species, Feats, and Backgrounds. (highroller gunslingers, graviturgy and chronurgy mages are off the table). **Character Sheets:** Character creation will happen in Foundry VTT via the Actor Studio tool. You may choose to roll stats on the server once you join. **Staring Equipment** When you are creating your character on Foundry VTT the Actor Studio tool will provide you a starting fund of 300 GP and a shop to purchase your basic items.

Preparing for the session

A Discord account is required. Once you join the campaign, I will send you an invite to our dedicated server where we will coordinate sessions and character creation. A desktop or laptop with a stable internet connection. Please use a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Brave, Edge, etc.), as Firefox and Safari can occasionally have compatibility issues with the VTT. A decent microphone and a good pair of headphones are essential to prevent echo/background noise and ensure everyone can be heard clearly. We will be using my self-hosted instance of Foundry VTT. You do not need to purchase or download anything for this; I will provide the login details and access links via Discord and session notifications.

What Riley brings to the table

Rules are the scaffolding, not the cage. I prioritize the narrative flow and momentum. If you have a creative, cinematic idea that pushes the boundaries of the rules, I will almost always say "Yes, and..." to make that legendary moment happen. For music I have music prepared to stream into the game, in addition to this any music of your choice can be mixed into the playlist for you. Got a custom track that plays when your character marches into battle sword in hand? Let's make that happen. Combat encounters in my games rarely feel like a swing-athon, With rules and rebalances you will see the battlefield evolve pretty quickly as different threats and opportunities shift around. I am your character's biggest fan. I spend time outside of sessions looking for ways to weave your specific Character arc and personal goals into the very fabric of the campaign.

Homebrew rules

The Golden Dice: This is a unique reward for exemplary moments of roleplay, strategy, or deep immersion. You can spend Golden Dice to bolster a d20 roll when you need it most, or trade them in via our Discord shop for special, homebrewed items for your character. Potions & Utility: Drinking a healing potion is a Bonus Action. Administering a potion to another creature remains a full Action.

How Riley creates a safe table

Discussion: We will talk openly about the overall tone of the game (survival, suspense, exploration) and confirm that everyone is comfortable with the themes of isolation, violence, and dealing with loss. The Pause/Check-In: If at any point something in the game makes you feel uncomfortable, you can call a Pause (verbally or in chat). We stop the action immediately. We can discuss the issue, remove the uncomfortable content, or adjust the scene. Stars and Wishes: At the end of every session, we will dedicate a few minutes to Stars (things you loved about the session) and Wishes (things you hope to see more or less of next time). This provides a non-confrontational way to ensure the game is tracking with everyone's enjoyment. As a DM I will provide each player with a space to communicate with me regarding any lines, boundaries, stars and wishes that may choose to speak of between sessions. It can also act as a private safe space or a place to share information exclusive to that player.