Beneath The Crooked Moon

Creating your character

We'll handle character creation together during Session Zero, but if you want to get a head start, here is everything you need to know: 🌙 Starting Level: 1 (campaign progresses through level 14) 🌙 Stat Generation: Standard Array or Point Buy (27 points). I don't use rolled stats, so the party stays balanced and no one feels left behind. 🌙 Allowed Content: Anything from the official 5e books (PHB, Tasha's, Xanathar's, Mordenkainen's, etc.) is fair game, plus the full suite of Crooked Moon material — 13 new Species, 15 Subclasses, 13 Backgrounds, 14 Feats, and 40 Spells tailored to the setting. I highly encourage leaning into Crooked Moon options, as they're built to resonate with the world and your character's place in it. 🌙 Where to Build: We'll be building characters in Alchemy RPG, which is also where we'll run our sessions. Alchemy gives us immersive scene backdrops, ambient music, dynamic character sheets, and a beautiful interface for both roleplay and combat. I'll send you an invite to the campaign so you can access all Crooked Moon content directly in the platform — no need to own the book yourself. If you've never used Alchemy before, don't worry: it's completely free, intuitive, and I'll walk you through it during Session Zero. 🌙 Homebrew & Off-Platform Options: If you want to play homebrew content or a race/class/subclass that isn't available in Alchemy, we have options. If you have a D&D Beyond account with the content you need, we can build the character there and import it into Alchemy. Otherwise, we can build it from scratch directly in Alchemy as a custom sheet. Either way, we'll find a way to make your concept work. Just bring it to me, and we'll sort it out together. 🌙 Backstory: A few paragraphs is plenty. I'm particularly interested in your character's wound, wish, or regret, although if you want to write a full novella, more power to you, and I'll enjoy the read. We'll develop the rest collaboratively, and I'll work your hooks into the story directly. If you've never built a 5e character before, don't worry, I'll walk you through every step. All you need to bring is an idea of who your character is and what haunts them.

Preparing for the session

🌙 Create a Discord account at discord.com — this is our home base for chat, scheduling, and between-session lore. I'll send you a server invite once you're booked. 🌙 Create an Alchemy RPG account at alchemyrpg.com — this is where we'll build characters and run sessions. Again, once you're booked, I'll send you a link to the game. 🌙 Test your mic and headphones in Discord, and make sure you're on Chrome or Firefox for Alchemy. That's it — no prep or 5e knowledge required. Just bring yourself and a character concept to Session Zero.

What Taylor brings to the table

Immersive Alchemy Sessions — Animated, atmospheric scene backdrops, ambient soundscapes, and tactical battlemaps bring every misted hamlet and shadowed shrine to life. 🌙 A Living Cast of NPCs — I do voices and lean fully into character — but there's no pressure for you to do the same. Narrate in third person, go full Critical Role, or land anywhere in between. Whatever's comfortable is exactly right. 🌙 Roleplay, Atmosphere, and Dynamic Combat in Equal Measure — 🌙 Rule of Cool, Built on RAW — I run Rules as Written as my default. That said, if you think of something cinematic or clever that requires some mechanical flexibility, give it a try! 🌙 A Story Tailored to You — Your Threads of Fate, wounds, and wishes get woven directly into the campaign. Expect callbacks, payoffs, and moments designed just for your character. 🌙 Interactive Handouts & Clear Communication — Images, maps, NPC portraits, and lore drops shared in-platform so you always have what you need at your fingertips. Responsive on Discord between sessions for questions, character development, or just to chat. 🌙 A Safe, Inclusive Table — Everyone is welcome here, and the Safety tools are baked in. 🌙 All Crooked Moon Content Provided — No need to buy the book. Every Species, Subclass, Spell, and magic item is included.

Homebrew rules

We will discuss these during the Session Zero, but here are some of my favorites. 🌙 Rolling with Emphasis — Borrowed from Brennan Lee Mulligan. When the stakes are dramatic and the outcome is binary, you can choose to roll two d20s and take whichever result is furthest from 10. The action either lands as a resounding success or a critical failure — no modifiers, no in-between. Great for high-drama moments where a normal check would feel too safe (or too guaranteed). Risky, rewarding, and very on-theme for the Hollow. 🌙 Hidden Death Saving Throws — When a character drops, I roll their death saves in secret. Your party won't know how close you are to the edge — only that you're down and the clock is ticking. It makes every healing word, every potion, every desperate dash across the battlefield feel like it actually matters. 🌙 Healing Potions as a Bonus Action — Drinking a healing potion on yourself is a bonus action. Administering one to an unconscious ally or throwing one still costs a full action. Keeps combat fluid and lets potions feel like the lifeline they're supposed to be. 🌙 Rule of Cool — If you describe something cinematic, clever, or thematically perfect, I'll bend the rules to let it land. Creativity gets rewarded.

How Taylor creates a safe table

The Crooked Moon explores dark themes — death, grief, cults, sacrifice, and the weight of folk horror. My job is to make sure those themes stay thrilling, not harmful. - Session Zero — We'll align on tone, expectations, and what's off-limits before we play. - Lines & Veils — I'll send a document before Session Zero so you can flag topics to avoid or handle with discretion. Update anytime, anonymously. - X / N / O Cards — Available digitally in Discord and Alchemy chat, so you can adjust content in the moment without interrupting the scene. - Open-Door Communication — Message me anytime between sessions. No issue too small. - Check-Ins — Brief temperature reads at the start and end of each session, with space to decompress after heavier scenes. - An Inclusive Table — The horror comes from folklore, never from prejudice. The Hollow is a hostile place. The table doesn't have to be.