Waterdeep: Dragon Heist w/ animated maps and monsters

Creating your character

🧙 Character Creation We’ll have a Session 0 before the campaign begins so everyone can build characters together, ask questions, establish party connections, and make sure everyone is excited about the group. 🎲 Anything and everything is welcome! I’m very open to creative character concepts, unusual races, subclasses, backgrounds, and flavorful ideas. If possible, please stick primarily to the 2024 D&D ruleset, but if there’s something from older material you really want to use, bring it up and we can usually find a way to make it work. 📊 Choose the stat method you prefer. You can roll for your ability scores, use Point Buy, or take the Standard Array. I want players to have some freedom in how they build their characters rather than forcing everyone into one method. Characters will begin at Level 1 and will be created through D&D Beyond. I’ll provide a campaign link through our Discord where I share my available sourcebooks, giving everyone access to plenty of character options. 🏴 Faction ties are highly encouraged! If there’s a Waterdeep faction or organization that interests you—such as the Harpers, Zhentarim, Emerald Enclave, Force Grey, Lords’ Alliance, or something else—let me know. Your character doesn’t need to already be a member, but having an interest, connection, rivalry, family history, or personal reason to get involved gives me a lot to work with. Factions will play a major role in this campaign, with opportunities to earn trust, climb the ranks, take on special missions, gain allies, and make enemies along the way. 💬 We’ll also have a dedicated Discord server for the campaign where we can discuss characters, coordinate schedules, share campaign information, and keep the group connected between sessions. Most importantly, build a character you’re excited to play. Waterdeep rewards characters with goals, connections, ambitions, secrets, and reasons to become involved in the city, so don’t be afraid to give your character something they want beyond simply “going on adventures.” Maybe they want wealth, influence, membership in a powerful faction, their own business, revenge, forbidden knowledge—or something nobody else in the party knows about yet. 👀

Preparing for the session

🎧 How to Prepare Getting ready is easy — I provide everything you need to play! Before the game, please make sure you have: * 🌐 A reliable internet connection * 🎙️ A good microphone so everyone can hear you clearly * 😄 A good attitude and willingness to have fun, work with the group, and tell a great story together Everything else is handled through my Discord server, including campaign information, character creation links, D&D Beyond access, announcements, and anything else you’ll need before and during the campaign. 💬 Join the Discord here: https://discord.gg/6KKjvfZHz No extra purchases or complicated setup required — just show up ready to play!

What Iceman (Alex) brings to the table

🎭 Character Voices & Roleplay Yes, I absolutely do character voices. Are they good? That is highly debatable. 😂 Please come prepared to enjoy them, not judge them. I love giving NPCs distinct personalities, quirks, motivations, and relationships so Waterdeep feels like a living city instead of a collection of quest markers. 🎶 Immersive Atmosphere I use ambient music, sound effects, animated tokens, animated monsters, spell effects, and interactive maps to make the game feel as immersive as possible. Whether you’re sneaking through a dark alley, negotiating in a crowded tavern, or fighting for your life, I like the environment to help set the mood. ⚔️ Challenging but Rewarding Combat Combat can be dangerous, tactical, and challenging, but I want victories to feel earned rather than frustrating. You’ll encounter unique monsters, customized encounters, and plenty of homebrew weapons, magical items, and animated abilities that you won’t find in a standard campaign. 🔥 Rule of Cool I lean heavily toward the Rule of Cool. The rules matter and provide structure, but if you come up with something creative, cinematic, or completely ridiculous that makes sense in the moment, I’m usually willing to let the dice decide. My goal is to create a game where your choices matter, your characters feel important, combat is exciting, and everyone gets opportunities to have memorable moments—even if some of those moments involve me attempting an accent I absolutely should not be attempting. 😅

Homebrew rules

🏠 Homebrew Rules I use a variety of optional homebrew rules, but I don’t simply drop them on the group without warning. Before the campaign begins, I’ll present the options and **the group will vote on which rules we want to use. These can include things like modified critical hits, potion rules, alternate death mechanics, expanded crafting, custom weapons, downtime options, and other quality-of-life changes designed to make the game more exciting and rewarding. 🎲 The goal is always fun, not complexity. I tailor my games to the players at the table, so if the group loves tactical rules, we can lean into them. If everyone prefers a faster, more cinematic style, we can keep things lighter. And if a homebrew rule sounds great on paper but isn’t fun once we start playing? We can change it. Nothing is more important than making sure the table is having a good time.

How Iceman (Alex) creates a safe table

🛡️ **Player Safety & Comfort** We’ll cover safety and table expectations during Session 0 before the campaign begins. This is where we’ll talk about boundaries, topics players would rather avoid, and anything that should stay off-screen or be handled carefully. I want everyone to feel comfortable speaking up, whether that means saying something in the moment, sending me a private message, or checking in with me after a session. If something ever crosses a line, we can pause, fade to black, change direction, or move on without anyone needing to justify themselves. My goal is to create a table where everyone feels respected, included, and comfortable enough to have fun. Waterdeep can get dark, dangerous, and chaotic—but the players should always feel safe at the table.