The Kasala Problem

Creating your character

Players should use the standard 5th Edition (2024) Player’s Handbook to build level 3 characters. Use point buy for ability scores: you have 27 points to distribute among your six abilities, with a minimum of 8 and maximum of 15 before racial bonuses. This keeps everyone balanced and makes sure no one feels like they got unlucky with rolls. Pick a race and class from the basic options (Human Fighter, Elf Rogue, Dwarf Cleric, Halfling Wizard work great), assign your point-buy scores, apply racial bonuses, pick starting equipment from your class, and you’re done. Most new players can be ready in 20-30 minutes. You’re all mercenaries working together. The adventure assumes you know each other and trust each other well enough to take a job from the King. Think about how your characters met or why they decided to form a company together. That’s it. This one-shot doesn’t need complex backstories. Starting level is 3. Everyone gets the exact same amount of gold based on their class and buys equipment from the Player’s Handbook. No magic items yet. This adventure doesn’t need them.

Preparing for the session

Before the session, players need to set up two things. First, create a free account on Owlbear Rodeo (owlbear.rodeo). This is where we’ll run the combat maps and see the town layout. You don’t need to download anything—it works in your browser. Just sign up with an email or Google account. Second, join the Discord server where we’ll be chatting during the game. The DM will send you the invite link. Make sure you have Discord installed or can access it in your browser, and log in about 15 minutes before we start so there are no connection hiccups.

What Psalm Bactol brings to the table

Every NPC will sound like a real person. You’ll know who you’re talking to by how they sound. Combat matters. We’ll use Owlbear Rodeo so you can see the battlefield, understand positioning, and know why taking cover or using the environment actually changes things. Enemies are smart but not unfair. If you get creative with your tactics, it pays off. The Rule of Cool is real here. If you think of something clever—swinging from a rope, using a spell in a way I didn’t plan for, convincing someone they shouldn’t fight you—it works if it’s awesome enough. Your creativity is the best thing about this game, and I want to reward it. I’ll also weave your character’s story into this adventure where it fits. If your backstory connects to Serva, if you have a reason to care about what’s happening there, I’ll make sure it matters. This one-shot is about you becoming heroes. I want you to feel that. We’re all here to have fun. That comes first. Everything else follows.

Homebrew rules

Mechanical rules: a. VTT Owlbear Rodeo b. Flanking is a +2 and is determined if a line passes through a target in between two allies within melee range. c. Using potions are bonus actions and administration of potions to other allies is an action d. Exhaustion will be based off the 2024 rules where a -2 penalty is applied per level of exhaustion up until death at level 6 exhaustion e. Stats will be point buy f. Every hit dice rolls (Short rests, level ups, and certain actions that require hit dice rolls) are always rerolled on a 1. g. Healing potions or dice rolls potion effects. If a potion allows you to roll dice for a certain amount you can choose to spend a bonus actions to use it normally and just roll. But if you use your main action to drink the potion you gain the maximum roll of that potion instantly.

How Psalm Bactol creates a safe table

Before we start, we’ll go over the X, N, and O’s—things that are off-limits, things we’re neutral on, and things we’re all excited about. I’ll send a quick form before Session 0 so everyone can share what they want and don’t want at the table. This takes five minutes and makes sure we’re all on the same page. During the game, if something feels uncomfortable or you want to skip a scene, just let me know. We can fade to black, change direction, or rewind. No explanation needed. Your comfort at the table matters more than any story beat. I’ll check in after the session too. How did it feel? What worked? What didn’t? This helps me get better and makes sure the next session is even more fun. Everything we do here stays here. What happens at the table is between us.