Once Upon a Thorn | A Homebrew Feywild D&D Campaign

Creating your character

Character creation starts with Session 0. This is where we’ll talk through the setting, tone and themes of the campaign, as well as what kinds of characters are likely to feel at home in the story. It’s also a great chance to workshop ideas together, build connections between characters, and start thinking about backgrounds, motivations and the sorts of things you’d like your character to explore during the game. Characters will begin at Level 3, so you’ll already have enough abilities and personality to feel established without being overwhelmed by too many mechanics straight away. For ability scores, we’ll use 4d6, dropping the lowest die. You’ll roll two full sets of stats and choose the set you prefer. I like rolling because it gives characters a little individuality, but I also don’t want anyone starting the campaign feeling significantly weaker than the rest of the party. If the dice are particularly cruel and your total falls below what you’d get from Standard Array, we’ll look at other options together. Characters will primarily be created through D&D Beyond, where I’ll enable content sharing for all of the books and resources I own. You’re welcome to build using the official options available there, and I also have access to a variety of homebrew resources and PDFs. I’m very open to homebrew, particularly when it helps bring a character idea to life, but I prefer to look at it together first rather than automatically allowing everything. The goal isn’t to restrict creativity, it’s to make sure anything we introduce fits the setting, works alongside the rest of the party, and remains fun for everyone at the table. Because this is my own homebrew Feywild, I’m also very happy to collaborate on ideas that are a little stranger than standard D&D! If there’s a particular kind of Fey character, unusual lineage, strange bargain, magical background or other concept you’d love to explore, bring it to me. We can work together to find a version that feels exciting for you while still belonging naturally in the world. Most importantly, I don’t expect you to arrive at Session 0 with a perfectly finished character. A rough idea, a piece of artwork, a class you fancy trying, or even just “I want to play something weird and Fey” is more than enough to start with. We can build from there together.

Preparing for the session

Once you join the game, I’ll invite you to our Discord server where all campaign information, links, house rules, safety tools and character creation guidance will be kept in one place. Before play, you’ll need free accounts for Discord, Roll20 and D&D Beyond. Discord will be our main space for communication and voice chat, Roll20 will be used for maps and gameplay, and D&D Beyond will be used for character sheets and shared content. I usually use Spotify for ambient music during sessions. If the whole group doesn’t have access, I’m happy to provide music another way, such as through YouTube streaming, so nobody is left out. Beyond that, just bring a working microphone, a reasonably stable internet connection, and a character idea you’re excited to explore. Everything else will be covered together in Session 0.

What Jessica (Mansey) brings to the table

I like my games to feel immersive, visual and full of personality. I use character voices for NPCs, reference art to help bring people and places to life, and ambient music that changes with the tone of a scene from cosy village moments to eerie exploration or high stakes combat. I create custom maps for the campaign, including overworld maps, important locations, social scenes and battle maps, so players always have a clear sense of where they are and what the world around them looks like. I love cinematic encounters and environments that feel like part of the story rather than just a grid to fight on. Mechanically, I enjoy a good balance between structure and creativity. I like the rules to give the game a solid foundation, but I’m also very happy to reward clever ideas, unusual solutions and those wonderful moments where a player asks, “Can I try something a bit ridiculous?” If it fits the scene and makes the story more fun, I’m usually excited to see where it goes. Above all, I want players to feel like they’re exploring a living world made specifically for the story we’re telling together. Full of memorable characters, beautiful places, emotional moments, surprises, and plenty of opportunities to make the adventure their own.

Homebrew rules

I use a small number of homebrew rules to keep play flowing and make certain moments feel more cinematic. Nothing is hidden or sprung on players as we’ll review these together during Session 0 and make sure everyone is happy with them before the campaign begins.

How Jessica (Mansey) creates a safe table

I like to begin every campaign with a Session 0 so that everyone knows what to expect from the game and from each other. We’ll go over table expectations, character creation, campaign tone, house rules and the safety tools we’ll be using, as well as giving everyone space to ask questions or raise anything they’d like me to be aware of before we begin. My Lines & Veils document and table rules will always be available in our Discord so players can refer back to them at any time. I’m also very happy for players to update their boundaries as the campaign continues as something being comfortable at Session 0 doesn’t mean it has to remain comfortable forever. Because my games are online, players can use safety tools digitally. If a scene is becoming uncomfortable, you can message me privately, simply ask to pause, skip or fade the scene. You never need to justify why. We can rewind, redirect or move on and continue the game without making it a big discussion at the table. I also have an open door policy with messages. Players are always welcome to message me privately about something they enjoyed, something that didn’t sit right, another player interaction, or anything they’re worried about. I’d much rather know about a small concern early than have somebody sit quietly feeling uncomfortable. After particularly emotional or intense sessions, I like to check in and make sure everyone is doing okay before we disappear for the week. Ultimately, I want my games to be a place where people can safely explore dramatic stories, take risks with their characters, laugh a lot, and know that the people behind those characters will always come first.