Fantasy Old Wild West D&D | The Good, The Bad, & The Monstrous

Creating your character

Here are the guidelines for character creation: RULE #1 :: CREATE A CHARACTER THAT WANTS TO DO STUFF! RULE #2 :: CREATE A CHARACTER THAT WANTS TO DO STUFF AND BE PART OF A GROUP! 5.5 Rule Set :: we will be using the 5.5 Core and Expanded Rules. Legacy content will not be used NO level 1 flying species (Aasmiar is allowed) No 3rd Party Material Along with the 12 standard classes I will also accept Artificer, Gunslinger, and Pugilist You can equip any common armor and/or shield, as well as one melee and one ranged weapon your character is proficient with Pistols and muskets are encouraged but modern weapons are not allowed Ability Scores: Standard Array or Point Buy ASK THE ME ANYTHING: if you are unsure about something, or if there is a weird idea you want to try, or something extra you’d like to have, then please ask

Preparing for the session

Please make sure you have: (1) an account on dndbeyond.com / a free account is available. I will send you my campaign link so that you can have free access to all of my source books for character creation (2) an account on Discord / I would encourage both audio and video for the game because it makes it easier to interact with other players and me BUT video is not mandatory. I will send you my server channel when you sign up. (3) A basic understanding of the rules is encouraged (4) Your favorite way to roll dice (physical, website, app) as the honor system will be in play. (5) A suitable microphone for voice chat. (I will be on video, and you are more than welcome to join me, but doing so is not required.)

What Nelson | The Charming Trickster brings to the table

- A Session Zero: this will be a conversation where we will go over etiquette and safety tools, GM style and rules stuff, and the 'fantasy world' where our game will take place. - As a GM, I follow the rules as written to keep the game consistent, but I’m more than happy and always willing to embrace creative or chaotic ideas when the Rule of Cool moment calls for it. - I have a wide range of character options on D&D Beyond and will share my content prior to Session 0 to encourage character creation - We’ll use Owlbear Rodeo, a streamlined virtual tabletop that does not require you to create an account - I use a combination of theater of the mind with reference images and maps as needed using Owlbear Rodeo and Discord - While I’m no professional voice actor, I enthusiastically bring NPCs to life with my own quirky attempts at voices. Which oddly enough tend to all sound like either a Brooklyn cab driver, a southern debutant, or a vaguely European accent done very badly.

Homebrew rules

Our campaign will use the following house rules (all of which will be explained at the table): Heroic Death Options. When a character is reduced to zero HP instead of rolling D&D death saves, they get to choose one of four options: - Blaze of Glory. Your next action is a Critical Success and then your character dies - Permanent Scar. Your character stabilizes with 1 HP, is unconscious, prone, has 1 level in exhaustion, and will suffer a permanent penalty (DMs choice) - Risk It All. Roll a d20 :: 1-9 your character is dead – on a 10-19 your character is alive with half HP restored and you take 1 level of exhaustion – on a NAT 20 your character is alive with full HP restored - Medic Please. You are prone, your only action is crawling half at movement and must wait for another character to revive you. If you have not been revived by the start of your next turn your character dies Heroic CRIT. When a player rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll, they deal damage equal to the weapon’s full damage value plus the ability modifier, then they add one extra roll of the weapon’s damage die. Example: If you score a critical hit with a dagger (1d4 damage) and your character has a +3 modifier: You deal 4 (maximum of 1d4) + 3 (modifier) + 1d4. So, the total damage would be 7+1d4. Spell Exhaustion. Spellcasters can cast spells without available spell slots by taking a level of exhaustion per spell level, per spell cast (i.e., a 3rd-level spell costs 3 exhaustion). Exhaustion = -1 on every d20 roll per level and a character can take up to 6 levels of exhaustion before the possibility of character death a 6th level spell triggers death saves a 7th level spell instant death and must use Revivify an 8th level spell instant death and can only be brought back with a high-level spell like Wish a 9th level spell the character is gone forever Shield Sacrifice. This rule allows shield bearers to sacrifice their shield in order to reduce damage from an incoming attack. When a creature wielding a shield is hit by an attack, it can use its reaction to direct damage from the incoming attack to the shield instead of taking the damage itself. If the shield is hit in this way it is destroyed and can not be repaired. The player will have to find a new shield.

How Nelson | The Charming Trickster creates a safe table

- At Session 0 we will go over social behavior expectations and safety tools, my GM style, in-game rules, and the 'fantasy world' where our game will take place - There will always be a pre-game check-in - After the sessions are done, decompression and general chatting will be available in the group discord chat - I have an open door policy and I love feedback as it helps me to know what to keep doing or what to avoid in the future, so keeping an open line of communication is important to me - D&D is a game that assumes you talk to your DM about everything. Asking questions and getting clarity at (and away from) the table is one good way to make sure everyone, including yourself, has an amazing experience