The Great Adventurers' Guild

Creating your character

Characters start at level 1. Any official (from WotC) source is allowed. Standard Point Buy for stats. Average HP for level ups. Standard starting equipment. Alignment is optional (mind the Table Conduct rules). Milestone advancement. I am open to running either 2014 or 2024 rules. I can even run a mix. We can all decide at Session 0.

Preparing for the session

Please have both a Discord and Roll20 account. Only a microphone for speaking is required (no cameras). Try to have a character concept before Session 0, but do not roll up your character as we'll do that in Session 0.

What Zaodon brings to the table

My goal is to create a game that feels immersive, responsive, and distinctly D&D, where the rules give the world structure, but creativity is always encouraged. Rules with Room for the Rule of Cool I generally follow the rules as written, so players can understand how their abilities work and make meaningful tactical decisions. But D&D is at its best when players try things that aren't neatly covered by a rulebook. If you want to swing from a chandelier, collapse a balcony onto an enemy, improvise with a spell, or attempt some ridiculous plan I never anticipated, I want you to try it. I'll determine a fair way to resolve it rather than shutting down a good idea because there isn't a specific rule for it. NPCs with Personality I use character voices for most NPCs. Not because I expect every voice to win an acting award, but because it helps distinguish characters from one another and separates NPC dialogue from narration. Recurring NPCs have their own personalities, motivations, relationships, and goals. I want the people you meet to feel like characters rather than quest markers. Combat with Decisions to Make I enjoy tactical combat, but I don't want every encounter to become two groups standing still and trading attacks. Expect varied terrain, hazards, intelligent enemies, unusual objectives, environmental opportunities, and encounters where understanding the situation can be just as important as dealing damage. And not every fight has to end with everything on the battlefield dead. An Immersive Virtual Tabletop I use Roll20 to help bring scenes to life with ambient music, environmental sounds, dynamic lighting, visual effects, detailed maps, and other audiovisual elements. These aren't intended to replace imagination. They're there to reinforce it. A crowded tavern should sound different from an ancient crypt, and entering a dark dungeon with only the light from your character's torch should actually feel different from walking across a sunny village square. A Game That Responds to You Most importantly, I don't expect players to discover the solution I already decided upon. I present situations. You decide what to do about them. Creative plans, unexpected alliances, clever uses of abilities, negotiation, exploration, and occasionally spectacularly bad decisions are all welcome. The world, and I as the DM, will respond.

Homebrew rules

I have only a few homebrew rules, which will be covered in Session 0 and are documented in a player Handout.

How Zaodon creates a safe table

My Lines & Veils document will be available in-game, visible to everyone. We'll set it up in Session 0, and modify it as needed. I will also periodically check in with you after games to ensure there are no unspoken issues. I am also available for private messages via Discord at any time.