Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk

Creating your character

We’ll use the 2024 D&D rules, starting at level 1. Characters will be created in Foundry before the adventure begins, with help available during our free session zero. Use point buy or standard array for ability scores and standard starting equipment. The 2024 Player’s Handbook is our starting point for character options. Older official options can be considered where there isn’t a 2024 replacement. Check with me before using homebrew, third-party or playtest material. Your backstory should reflect someone just beginning their adventuring life. You might be a former soldier who has seen one skirmish, an apprentice magician, a village healer or a petty criminal looking for a fresh start. Leave room to earn your reputation during the campaign—slaying dragons, commanding armies and becoming a legendary assassin are things to work towards. A few paragraphs are plenty. Tell me where you came from, someone who matters to you, why you’re travelling to Phandalin and what you hope to achieve. Give your character a reason to cooperate with the party. Come with an idea if you have one; if you’re undecided, we’ll work it out together. All sheets will be reviewed before session one.

Preparing for the session

You’ll need a Discord account, a working microphone and headphones, a stable internet connection, and a computer that can run Foundry in a browser. A webcam is optional. Discord will be used for voice chat, announcements and questions between sessions. Foundry will hold your character sheet, dice rolls, maps and handouts. You don’t need to buy Foundry or any books for this campaign. The Foundry link will be posted in our Discord server a few days before the first session, along with instructions for logging in. If you’d like to create your character earlier, message me and I can make it available sooner. Once the link is available, please check that you can log in and hear the game audio. Test your microphone too. If anything gives you trouble, let me know beforehand so we have time to sort it out. During session zero, I’ll walk you through using your sheet, moving your token and rolling dice. Have a think about the kind of character you’d enjoy playing. A rough idea is enough: an aspiring knight, an apprentice wizard, a thief trying to go straight, or something else entirely. You’ll be starting at level 1, so keep your past achievements modest and leave the great deeds ahead of you. Bring a reason to travel to Phandalin and a willingness to work with the party. Please choose a character portrait or token made by a human artist. I won’t accept AI-generated tokens. There are plenty of free tokens available online, so you don’t need to commission anything. If you’re struggling to find something suitable, let me know and I’ll help you look. New players are welcome. You don’t need to memorise the rules or arrive with a finished character. Experienced players can prepare theirs ahead of time using the character creation guidelines, and we’ll review everything before play begins. Our free session zero will cover character creation, party connections, how Foundry works, and what everyone wants from the campaign. We’ll also discuss boundaries and the adventure’s darker themes. Anything you’d prefer to raise privately can be sent to me before or after that discussion. Please avoid reading the adventure or watching walkthroughs while we’re playing it. If you’ve played or run it before, let me know so we can keep the discoveries enjoyable for everyone. For each session, aim to be ready a few minutes before the start, with your microphone checked and your character sheet open. Let me know as early as possible if you’ll be late or unable to attend.

What Cameron Corbett brings to the table

I’ll provide the Foundry game, character sheets, maps, tokens and handouts, along with music and sound effects for the places you explore. Character creation help is included, and I’ll explain rules as they come up for anyone learning the game. My table welcomes creative solutions and a healthy amount of nonsense. You can try to bluff your way past a guard, turn an ordinary item into a questionable weapon, or develop a plan that makes everyone pause and ask, “Are we actually doing this?” I’ll give your ideas a fair hearing. The difficulty and consequences will depend on what you’re attempting. Picking a fight with something much stronger than you is still picking a fight with something much stronger than you. Expect NPCs with their own interests, enemies who respond to your tactics, and opportunities to solve problems through conversation, exploration or violence. Your choices will affect how people treat you and what happens next. There’s room for joking around, but also for taking the story seriously when it calls for it(though i do have a penchant for some nilboggery ifykykyk). Phandelver and Below begins with a frontier adventure and become increasingly unsettling. I want you to have people and places worth caring about by the time things start going wrong. You’re welcome to do a character voice, speak normally or describe what your character says. Everyone will have space to contribute, and beginners will have time to ask questions.

Homebrew rules

We’ll use the 2024 D&D rules as our foundation. I’m comfortable making rulings for unusual ideas and bending a rule when it produces a sensible, enjoyable result. Describe what you want to do, and I’ll explain what it requires before you commit where your character could reasonably understand the risk. Clever preparation and using your surroundings can make a difference. Actions have consequences. Reckless choices can lead to trouble, and character death is possible. A natural 20 doesn’t make every proposed action achievable. If a rules question would interrupt play for too long, I’ll make a ruling for the moment and check it afterwards. Any lasting house rules will be discussed with the group.

How Cameron Corbett creates a safe table

Before we begin, we’ll use session zero to discuss the campaign’s tone, expectations and boundaries. Phandelver and Below becomes darker as it progresses, so we’ll talk about its horror elements before getting into the adventure. We’ll establish Lines and Veils: subjects we leave out entirely, and subjects that can exist in the story but happen off-screen. You can share these privately with me on Discord. I’ll keep personal details confidential and communicate the agreed boundaries to the group. You can update them throughout the campaign. During play, you can say “pause”, or message me privately. We’ll stop adjust, skip or fade out the scene. You won’t be asked to explain your reason in front of the group. You’re free to step away whenever you need to. We’ll take a break around the middle of each session, with additional breaks available when needed. After an intense scene, I’ll check whether everyone is comfortable continuing. At the end of each session, there’ll be time to talk about what you enjoyed and anything you’d like handled differently. You can also contact me privately afterwards. Humour and chaotic plans are welcome, and everyone’s boundaries still apply. Give other players room to speak, respect their choices, and help make the table somewhere everyone can enjoy playing.