Phandelver & Below | The Weird West of Phandalin | Session 0

Creating your character

We'll build the party together and make sure everyone has a reason to ride into the frontier. 🎲 Start at Level 1 📊 Use Point Buy 📘 2024 rules are our foundation 🔄 2014 options are welcome when there is no updated 2024 version 🛠️ Homebrew and Unearthed Arcana require approval 🚫 No Grim Hollow or Crooked Moon 🤝 Your character should have a reason to travel with the group 🏘️ Bring a reason to care about Phandalin, its people, or the frontier 🧭 Create someone willing to follow trouble when things get strange 📜 Your backstory matters Almost any traditional D&D character can fit this setting. You might be: 🤠 A wandering gunslinger or sellsword 💰 A prospector chasing rumors of a legendary mine 🎯 A bounty hunter tracking someone into the frontier 🃏 A gambler looking for one last big score 🐎 A scout or wilderness guide ⚒️ A miner hoping to strike it rich 📚 A scholar investigating ancient ruins 🙏 A traveling preacher or healer 🛡️ A former soldier searching for a new purpose 🏹 A hunter who knows the wild country better than anyone 💼 A merchant hoping to build something in Phandalin 🌄 A settler looking for a place to finally call home 👤 A drifter running from a past that may eventually catch up Or something entirely your own. Your class does not need to change to fit the Western theme. A paladin can be a frontier lawkeeper. A rogue might be a gambler or outlaw. A ranger can be a tracker or bounty hunter. A wizard might be an eccentric frontier scholar. A cleric could be a traveling preacher tending isolated settlements. Bring me the character you want to play, and we'll find their place in the frontier. I take the backstory you give me and weave it into the campaign, so the people you knew, the promises you made, and the trouble following you can become part of our version of Phandalin.

Preparing for the session

Before riding into Phandalin, you'll need: 💬 Free Discord account 🐉 Free D&D Beyond account 🎙️ Working microphone 🌐 Stable internet 💻 Computer or laptop 🎧 Headset recommended 🧭 No character prep needed Once you join, you’ll receive the Discord, campaign, and Foundry links. We’ll handle setup together before the journey to Phandalin begins.

What Bauric brings to the table

Welcome to the Lost Frontier. At my table, expect: 🎬 Cinematic descriptions and memorable scenes 🤠 A strong fantasy-Western atmosphere 🎭 NPCs with personalities, motives, and relationships 🗣️ Plenty of room for conversation and roleplay ⚔️ Dangerous combat where your decisions matter 💰 Outlaws, prospectors, rival factions, and frontier trouble 🏘️ A Phandalin that feels like an actual community worth protecting 🗺️ Detailed Foundry maps and visual aids 🔎 Mysteries that reward investigation 👁️ A gradual transformation from frontier adventure into Weird West horror 📖 Character backstories incorporated into the campaign 😄 Humor when the table finds it naturally 🤝 A game where everyone gets opportunities to contribute I want Phandalin to feel like more than the town where you pick up quests. You'll know the bartender. You'll recognize the sheriff walking down the street. You'll know which prospectors struck gold, which rancher needs help, which merchant cannot be trusted, and which outlaw has a bounty hanging outside the local saloon. You'll make friends. You'll make enemies. And when something begins happening to the people of Phandalin, you'll hopefully care enough to find out why. My goal is simple: when the session ends, you should leave feeling included, satisfied, and ready to tell someone what just happened.

Homebrew rules

💀 Death saves are rolled privately ⚔️ Flanking is not used ⚖️ Rulings are fair and consistent 🎬 Cinematic solutions are encouraged when they make sense 🤠 Western flavor does not require changing your character's normal D&D mechanics The goal is fewer mechanical speed bumps, stronger tension, and more time actually playing the game. This campaign uses a Western presentation and atmosphere, but underneath the dust and frontier trappings it remains D&D. Magic, monsters, swords, bows, armor, spells, and traditional fantasy characters all belong here.

How Bauric creates a safe table

The frontier should be dangerous for the characters, not uncomfortable for the people playing them. Before the campaign begins, we'll establish boundaries together during Session 0. 🛡️ Tone, boundaries, and expectations covered during Session 0 📄 Shared Lines and Veils document 🔄 Boundaries can be updated at any time ❌ X, N, and O tools available during play 💬 Safety tools may be used publicly or by direct message ⏸️ Five-minute break approximately every hour 🚪 Open-door policy 🤝 Quick check-ins during heavier scenes You can pause, step away, or check out briefly without pressure or explanation. Because this campaign eventually moves into supernatural and eldritch horror, we'll establish ahead of time where everyone's boundaries are concerning disturbing imagery, transformation, psychological horror, violence, and other potentially intense material. The goal is a tense, cinematic frontier adventure with a respectful and comfortable table behind it.