The Halls of Halaster | A Mad Mage Adventure | 5.5e | Level 5-20

Creating your character

Characters should be created before the first session at Level 5 using D&D Beyond, with Point Buy used for ability scores. Official D&D 5e character options are welcome; if you want to use anything homebrew, third-party or particularly unusual, just check with me first. When you sign up, you’ll be given a link to the Discord server, which we’ll use for game communication and voice during sessions, as well as a Roll20 link where the game itself will be played. Your D&D Beyond character can then be used alongside Roll20 during play. Most importantly, create someone who has a reason to descend into Undermountain and who can work as part of a team. Treasure hunters, glory seekers, scholars, thrill-seekers and people who absolutely should have read the waiver are all very welcome.

Preparing for the session

Before the first session, please make sure you have a Roll20 account, D&D Beyond account, and Discord account. You’ll be sent links to the game and Discord server when you sign up. We’ll use Discord for voice chat during sessions and Roll20 for the game map, tokens and encounters. You’ll also need a working microphone and either a set of physical dice or a digital dice roller. Your character should be created in D&D Beyond before the first game and ready to use on the night.

What Yore-GM brings to the table

I run games with a strong focus on character, atmosphere and fun. Expect character voices, music and ambience, visual maps and plenty of NPC interaction, alongside puzzles, exploration and combat. For this campaign I’ll also be leaning into the game-show feel, with themed challenges, strange trials, prizes, ridiculous moments and Halaster doing his very best to make your lives difficult for his own entertainment. Combat will have enough challenge to make your choices matter, but I am not interested in trying to “beat” the players. I like creative thinking, teamwork and bold ideas, and I am very happy to use the Rule of Cool when something makes sense and creates a great moment. The rules matter, but they should support the story rather than stop it dead. I also like to make characters feel part of the world, so your backstories, relationships, fears and ambitions may find their way into the campaign. Expect a mix of comedy, danger, mystery and genuinely dramatic moments, with plenty of space for the party to take the story in directions I probably did not expect.

Homebrew rules

I use a small number of homebrew rules to make the game feel a little more dramatic and character-focused. On a natural 20, you deal maximum damage for the normal dice, then roll the dice again and add the result, making critical hits feel genuinely powerful. Natural 1s can be dangerous, with consequences depending on the situation rather than always being a simple automatic miss. I also use homebrew feats tied to character growth, so your character may gain unique abilities as the campaign develops rather than progression coming only from levelling. Alongside this is a Bane and Boon system, where major choices, magical influences, bargains or events can leave your character with lasting advantages, drawbacks, or sometimes both.

How Yore-GM creates a safe table

Before play, I’ll provide an anonymous Lines and Veils document so everyone can flag any hard limits, softer boundaries, or themes they would prefer handled carefully without needing to explain why. We’ll also go over the important points before the campaign begins so everyone knows what kind of content is and is not on the table. During sessions we’ll use the usual X-card system for anything that needs to stop or move on immediately, and players are always welcome to message me privately if they would rather not raise something in front of the group. Comfort takes priority over keeping a scene going, and no one will ever be expected to justify a boundary.