Mystery at the Museum (D&D 5e 2024)

Creating your character

Once you book, I'll share the Roll20 link to the game, and you're welcome to make your character there before the session. Characters start at level 5 using the 2024 rules. For stats, use the standard array or point buy. Your character should be someone who's willing to work with the group, so no betraying or attacking the other party members. I have most of the books, so if you have a specific idea for what you want to play, message me and we'll figure it out. If you'd rather skip character creation, I'll have pre-made characters ready to go.

Preparing for the session

1. Make a free Roll20 account at roll20.net if you don't have one already. 2. Make a free Discord account if you don't have one. We'll use Discord for voice chat during the game. 3. After you book, I'll send you an invite to my Discord server and the link to our Roll20 game. Join both before game day. 4. Build your character in Roll20 (or grab one of my pre-made characters) and have it ready at least a day before the session so I can take a quick look. 5. Have a working microphone, and a headset if you can. It keeps echo down and makes the creepy sound effects hit a lot harder. 6. Roll20 works best in Chrome or Firefox on a computer. Tablets and phones can work in a pinch, but they make the game harder to play. 7. Try to join the Discord voice channel about 10 minutes early so we can sort out any tech issues and still start on time.

What Jeff - Weaver of Tales brings to the table

Here's what you can expect at my table: Voices and atmosphere. Every NPC gets their own voice, and I run background music and sound effects the whole game. For this one, that means echoing footsteps in empty halls, flickering lamps, and sounds you can't quite place. Headphones strongly recommended. Maps with real darkness. The game runs in Roll20 with full maps and dynamic lighting, so you only see what your light reaches. What's sitting in the next gallery stays a mystery until you walk in. Lively combat. Fights move fast and stay fun. I describe the hits, the misses, and the big finishing blows, and I keep turns moving so nobody's sitting around waiting. Rule of Cool. If you want to try something wild, tell me what you're going for and we'll roll for it. Clever ideas get rewarded, and I'd much rather say "roll for it" than "you can't do that." Just remember that in this museum, not everything is what it seems. Ready-to-play characters. Pre-made characters are available if you'd rather skip building one. A safe table. I use a chat-based X-Card and go over Lines and Veils before we start, so everyone can enjoy the scares without getting blindsided by something they didn't sign up for.

Homebrew rules

Potions: Drinking a potion is a bonus action (this is already the rule in 2024, but I'm calling it out so nobody's surprised). Fumble tables: At the start of the game, the table will vote on whether to use fumble tables for natural 1s. If we use them, fumbles will be fun and dramatic, not character-ruining. Everything else follows the 2024 rules as written, with a healthy dose of Rule of Cool.

How Jeff - Weaver of Tales creates a safe table

Before the game: Once you book, I'll send a short Lines and Veils form through Discord. Lines are things that won't show up in the game at all. Veils are things that can happen but fade to black instead of being described. Your answers stay private between you and me, and I'll adjust the game around them. Pre-game check-in: We'll spend the first few minutes going over the tone of the game, the content warnings on this listing, and how the safety tools work. This one mixes creepy exploration with some dark humor, so I want everyone to know what to expect before we head inside. During the game: I use X, N, and O cards in chat. You can type them to the whole table, or whisper them privately to me with /w gm if you'd rather not call attention to yourself. - X means stop. I'll skip past or rewrite that content right away, no explanation needed. - N means nudge. Something's getting close to uncomfortable, so I'll ease off or move the scene along. - O means okay. You're good, keep going. I may ask for these during intense scenes as a quick check-in. Breaks: If you need a minute, just say so and we'll take a short break. After the game: I'll stick around on Discord voice for a few minutes after we wrap to decompress, talk through the game, and hear how it went. If something bothered you and you'd rather say it privately, message me anytime and I'll take it seriously.