Learn D&D by Playing: Your First Adventure! All are welcome

Creating your character

Character creation is part of the learning experience! You do not need to know how to build a D&D character before joining. We'll go through character creation together during Session 0. I'll explain what the different choices mean, help you understand your character sheet, and make sure you end up with a character you're excited to play. - Starting Level: 1 - Character Options: All officially published D&D content is allowed. Unearthed Arcana and homebrew options require prior approval. If you're unsure what you want to play, I'll help you find something that fits your interests and experience level. - Ability Scores: You may use Standard Array, Point Buy, or rolled stats. If you choose to roll, we'll roll 4d6, reroll 1s, and drop the lowest die. Rolls will be made openly in Discord or Roll20 during Session 0. If your final total is below 72, you may reroll. - Multiclassing: Allowed, though I generally recommend keeping things simple if you're new to D&D. You can always explore more complicated character options as you become comfortable with the game. - Your Character: You don't need a detailed backstory. Bring an idea, a personality, a goal, or even just "I want to play a wizard who does magic." We'll build from there. Most importantly, you don't need to know what you're doing yet. That's what I'm here for.

Preparing for the session

You don't need to study D&D before joining this campaign. In fact, please don't feel like you have to read the rulebooks! We'll learn the game by playing it. You'll need: 1. Roll20 We'll use Roll20 as our virtual tabletop for maps, dice, character information, and combat. 2. Discord We'll use Discord for voice chat and communication between sessions. 3. A Character Sheet You can use Roll20, D&D Beyond, another digital character sheet, or even a physical sheet. I'll help you get everything set up. 4. Curiosity Come ready to ask questions, experiment, and occasionally discover that your plan was much funnier than it was sensible. You do not need to memorize rules, understand every class, or know what all your dice do before your first session. If you're completely new to D&D, that's exactly who this campaign is for.

What Marco "Polo" Ricci brings to the table

My job is to run the game and help you learn how to play it. I'll explain rules when they come up, help you understand your character sheet, and give you options when you're unsure what you can do. You can ask questions at any time, and there's no such thing as a stupid D&D question. You'll also get a world to explore: interesting NPCs, mysteries, locations, combat, roleplay, and problems that don't always have an obvious solution. Your choices matter. I'll prepare the world, but you decide what your characters do in it. I'll reward creative thinking, explain mistakes rather than punish you for not knowing a rule, and adapt the adventure to the choices you make. Expect a mix of roleplay, exploration, combat, humor, and the occasional moment where the party collectively asks, "Can we actually do that?" Yes, let's find out!

Homebrew rules

Most of D&D follows the normal rules, but I use a few house rules to keep the game moving and make certain moments more fun. You don't need to memorize these. I'll explain them when they come up. - Rule of Cool: Creative ideas can make a difference. A clever description or unusual approach may grant advantage, lower a difficulty, or create an option the rules don't explicitly cover. - No Encumbrance: We won't track carrying weight. Common sense still applies, you can't casually carry a boulder because we aren't counting pounds. - Standing Up: Getting up from prone costs a maximum of 15 feet of movement. - Passive Perception: Your Passive Perception is the minimum result you can roll on a Perception check. Advantage adds +5; disadvantage subtracts 5. - Potions: Drinking a healing potion yourself is a bonus action. Giving one to someone else, or drinking another type of potion, takes an action. - Reroll 1s: Reroll 1s when gaining hit points or rolling healing potion dice. - Exhaustion: We use the newer exhaustion system rather than the older 2014 version. - Flanking: Flanking only applies when the creature being flanked is no more than one size category larger than the characters flanking it. - Inspiration: You can have up to 3 Inspiration points, but only 1 carries between sessions. - Critical Hits: Critical hits use a "Crunchy/Perkins" rule: roll the normal damage dice, then add their maximum possible result. A 1d6+2 critical becomes 1d6+6+2. These rules are here to make the game fun, fair, and cinematic!

How Marco "Polo" Ricci creates a safe table

Player safety and comfort are a priority at my table. Since this is an introductory campaign, I want you to feel comfortable learning, asking questions, making mistakes, and figuring out what kind of D&D you enjoy. Session 0 & Boundaries Before we begin, we'll discuss the campaign's tone and expectations. You'll also have the opportunity to privately tell me about any topics you'd prefer not to appear in the game (Lines) or that you'd prefer to be handled off-screen or without graphic detail (Veils). You never need to explain or justify a boundary to the group. Safety Tools During Play I'll provide digital X, N, and O cards through Roll20. You can also use them verbally or through chat. X card, Stop: Something about the current content is not comfortable. We immediately stop, skip, or change the scene without requiring an explanation. = card (N), Slow Down: Something is approaching a boundary or becoming uncomfortable. I will adjust the scene, tone, or description. I card (O), Okay: A check-in that indicates the current content is comfortable and we can continue. We also use an Open Door policy. You can step away from the game at any time for any reason. Ongoing Communication Your boundaries can change. If something that seemed fine during Session 0 becomes uncomfortable later, just let me know. We can adjust or add a Line or Veil at any point. I'll also make time for a brief check-in after sessions and am available privately between games if you want to discuss anything. Most importantly, you are here to learn and have fun. You are never expected to tolerate something that makes you uncomfortable just because it's "part of the game." Mistakes are part of learning D&D. So are asking questions, trying ridiculous ideas, and occasionally rolling a natural 1 at the worst possible moment. We'll figure it out together.