Everyday Heroes: Learn to Play!

Creating your character

Character creation will be a part of the session! The game is hosted on Foundry VTT, which has a very intuitive "drag and drop" style of character creation. I'll walk the players through the process before putting them to the test in a classically familiar combat and tactics-heavy scenario.

Preparing for the session

🎭 WILL YOU NEED TO CREATE CHARACTERS? We'll make characters together as part of the "learn to play" process, but it may be helpful to think ahead to the *kind* of character you want to try out! Everyday Heroes characters are designed using six core archetypes: Strong Heroes, Agile Heroes, Tough Heroes, Smart Heroes, Wise Heroes, and Charming Heroes. Which one sounds the most interesting to you? 🎥 WILL YOU NEED A WEBCAM AND/OR MIC? --Short answer: Microphone yes, Webcam no. --Longer answer: I always keep my own webcam on when I GM. Although I don't require webcam use from my players, I do strongly encourage it, because: 1) A lot of roleplaying takes place through facial expression and non-verbal communication. Playing without a video image can sometimes be an obstacle to that. 2) As a safety tool, being able to see someone's face and read their expression can offer me (and other players) cues that something is wrong or that a player may be uncomfortable with where the game is going - which then gives me (or others) an opportunity to call for a break and check in with that player privately. 3) It is much easier to check in on engagement when I can see my players and visually gauge their reception to the situations I have presented to them. However, I completely understand any player's hesitancy to use a webcam for whatever reason, either personal, technological, or otherwise. For instance, I use multiple monitors so I can easily swap between Discord and Foundry, but I recognize that this is not standard - particularly for players connecting on a laptop. Bottom line: Use cameras if you wish, and I do encourage it... but should you choose not to, please feel no pressure to change or even to explain yourself. It is entirely up to you. 🎤 While Foundry is a robust and versatile VTT, I have learned that it doesn't always handle simultaneous voice/video particularly well. To that end, we will use Discord for voice. Once players register for the game, they will receive a link to my Discord server. 📝 WILL YOU NEED ANY ACCOUNTS OR LOGINS? ---Yes. I use Foundry VTT, but hosted online through The Forge. If you don't already have one, you will need to register for a free account at https://forge-vtt.com. You will also need Discord. 🃏 WILL YOU NEED TO READ THE RULES AHEAD OF TIME? ---This is a "Learn to Play" session, so by definition, no you don't! I'll teach them to you. If you WANT to get a head start, you can find the free Quickstart guide available for download at evilgeniusgames.com.

What Mikey brings to the table

I love immersion in my games! Through the Foundry VTT platform, I frequently incorporate music and sound cues, visual animations, and atmospheric special effects into my games. 😎📜 In terms of play style, I like to blend the Rule of Cool with Rules as Written... it is important to know and understand the game system and have a degree of consistency (so that everyone at the table has a good idea of what to expect from it), but it is equally important to know when the rules are getting in the way of a good story. I am always willing to adjust and modify things based on the needs of my players, especially when it results in some epic roleplaying situations. My primary philosophy as a GM is to stay flexible and adaptable; no matter what planning has gone into a game, I always try to be prepared to change course in an instant if it makes for a better experience for everyone. HAVING SAID THAT: Since this is a "learn to play" session, I'll be sticking to Rules As Written as much as possible so that you can take what you learn about the game and join any other table without difficulty. 🗺️🧠 I vary from Theater of the Mind to detailed battle maps, depending on the situation. When I do use battle maps, I like to make them as immersive as possible by incorporating walls/visibility, lighting, animations, sounds, etc., as mentioned above. 🖼️📸 #NoGenAI I do not use generative AI in my games, for any purpose. I respectfully ask that my players don't send me AI art to use as their characters' portraits or token art, or any other AI-generated content. I won't turn players away who want to use it. But I'd really prefer if you didn't.

Homebrew rules

As this is a "Learn to Play" session, I won't be using any house rules and will be sticking to Rules As Written.

How Mikey creates a safe table

🦺 Before we start, we will have a brief discussion about the Luxton Technique and how, if necessary, we will use it to address - in a supportive and non-dismissive way - any triggering situations that may arise in-game. ☕ Scheduled and unscheduled breaks are welcome, for ANY reason, and I always have an open-door policy for all my games (meaning any player can step away from the game for any reason at all without recrimination or criticism, and be able to return if/when they feel they are ready/willing to.) I do not kick players out for multiple absences, and if you communicate with me at least an hour before the start of a session, you won't be charged for them either. ANYONE can call a break (for themselves or on behalf of another player), without needing to explain why. 🏳️‍🌈 I strive to make my tables always inclusive and safe spaces that are consistently LGBTQIA+ friendly. 🏜️ CONTENT WARNING: Everyday Heroes is designed to be adaptable to pretty much any modern-day setting, and to any desired tone... from the light-hearted and fun to the dark and gritty. To that end, there is some content from the Core Rulebook and The Vault Rules Compendium Vol. 1 that may be potentially triggering, with references to survived trauma and harmful past experiences. This content is NOT necessary to play, but it is there as an available option for players and GMs to incorporate into their games, should it be desired.