Nexus
Interplanar West Marches
Player Guide v0.61
(report any errors or mistakes to Memo)
Introduction
Welcome to the world of Nexus, a hub of inter-planar travel. Every now and again, a new rift is torn in the fabric of reality and a gate of inter-dimensional travel is born. These gates entice adventures to band together and explore their mysterious depths. What great wonders lurk beyond these gates? What fame, fortune, or glory could one attain? Who or what is causing these gates to appear?
The answers can only be found by those brave souls willing to venture forth beyond the threshold, into the unknown
General Rules
Before you start to play, consider the following rules:
• Don’t be a chucklenugget!
• Timeout: if you are uncomfortable with anything that happens in the game, just say “timeout” and the DM will take a break and give everyone a chance to address the issue.
• By default, PvP is not allowed. No non-consensual PvP. If the situation requires PvP, try to make it non-lethal. Includes touching other people’s possessions.
• Toxicity, harassment, and discrimination in any form will NOT be tolerated.
• Be mindful of speaking over other players and the DM during games.
• #Welcome_Chat is for welcoming new players to the game. Questions should go in #Questions. All channels have a purpose and their names are good indicators of what should go in them. New channels will be unlocked once players have completed their first character.
West Marches Campaign
Coined by Ben Robins in his titular game, West Marches is a style of play that allows DMs and Players to host games at virtually any time. It does this by having multiple DMs and even more players in a single shared campaign world. All players start at the same home location and explore outwards each session. At the end of the session they make it back to their home location and share what they learned about the world. At its heart, West Marches games are collaborative games forcused on exploring a shared living world whose boundaries grow each time an adventure takes place.
For our game, the adventurers begin in the city of Nexus. The city has an inn and access to basic goods. Players may spend their money in the city of Nexus in preparation for the quest they will embark on.
Additionally, each DM has their own seperate planar world which is represented by the interdimensional rifts in the Nexus. Players will spend most of the time in these worlds, exploring the location and then coming home at the end of the session (hopefully in one piece!)
To read more on the Nexus lore and on each individual plane, follow this link
Part 1: Character Creation
Nexus: Interplanar West Marches has guidelines for character creation. These rules help to keep the game fair and balanced for everyone involved. If you are new to Dungeons and Drgaons 5th edition or if you have any questions at all about character creation, @DM any of the DMs in #questions and we will help guide you through the process!
Character Sheet
Players can make characters by acessing Nexus: Interplanar West Marches in roll20. To propagate a new character sheet, type the following macro into the roll20 chat window:
- !charsheet
Make sure to claim the sheet by changing the name and adding an image to the sheet to represent your character.
Allowed Resources
The resources allowed for character creation are as follows.
- Player's Hand Book (PHB)
- Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide (SCAG)
- Elemental Evil Player's Companion (EEPC)
- Volo's Guide to Monsters (VGM)
- Xandathar's Guide to Everything (XGE)
- Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (MTF)
- Guildmasters' Guide to Ravnica (GGR)
Unless specifically noted, players may use any combination of race, class, spells, and feats from these books. Features from other offical DnD books are not allowed. Unearthed Arcana (UA) is BANNED.
Level
All players are the same level. Player level can be found in the #level Discord text channel.
Hit Points
Players must take the average hit point calculation as described in the PHB.
Ability Scores
Players must use the point buy method for determining ability scores as decribed in the PHB (pg 13). Players can also use this link to help calculate their ability scores.
Starting Equipment
In addition to the starting equipment granted to them by their class and background, players also start with 2,000 gold.
Character Registration
Once your character is finished, ping @DM with your character name and roll20 name to have them check it over. If everything looks ok, the DM will then register you for the campaign, giving you the @PLAYER role and permissions. All new characters must be registered in this way, even for veterans of the Nexus Server.
Part 2: Questing
Questing is the primary source of experience and gold in the campaign. While you may always join a quest posted by DMs, the spirit of a West Marches game is that the players decide what quests they wish to endeavor on. When no quests are available, it is the player's responsibility to organize the game and request a session.
Requesting A session
Players who wish to play may request a session with DMs any time. To do this, gather players who might wish to join the game. Once players have been gathered, message @DM in the #session-request to request a session date and time. Ask the DM if there are any specific quests available to run. You may also check the quest lists at this link. Once a quest is posted, make sure to sign up in the #sign-up discord channel.
Signing Up
Alternatively, players may sign up for sessions that are already requested. To do this, check the #sign-up discord channel for any upcomming quests. Follow the link provided at the end of the quest posting in order to sign up. If the session is full already, or if you are unsure you will be able to make it to the session, you can request yourself as a backup player as well. Be mindful of session requirements when applicable.
Leveling System
Nexus: Interplanar West Marches uses a custom leveling system for player progression. This system streamlines exp progression and rewards players for engaging the campaign through Combat, Exploration, and Roleplay. The rules for leveling are as follows:
All players are the same level. Player level can be found in the #level Discord text channel.
Player progression is cumulative across the server. Exp earned from a session is applied to a collective EXP pool.
Exp rewards will be based on the 3 pillars of adventuring: Combat, Exploration, Roleplay.
Each pillar is broken down by difficulty
- Easy = 5 exp
- Medium = 10 exp
- Hard = 15 exp
- Deadly = 20 exp
A maximum of 30 exp can be earned per session for combined combat, exploration, roleplay.
Upon character death, players will keep their level, but lose all gold and items.
Part 3: Down Time Activities
Down Time Activies (DTAs) acccount for the time between adventures. They represent the normal everyday upkeep and maintenance that every character needs to do in order to be ready and raring for that next big encounter. Below are the rules regarding Down Time Activities
Rules
Players can participate in a DTA at any time as long as they meet all the requirement for the DTA.
Players must announce DTAs in #downtime text channel.
Buying Magical Items
Players may buy magical items from the Nexus Grand Market. Players can check the list of items available for purchase in Part 4 of this guide. A player can purchase one magical item from the list by announcing in the #downtime chat:
Name: Insert character name
DTA: Buying Magical Items
Item Bought: Insert item name (and price)
Scribing Spells
Players who have access to spellcasting may scribe spells onto scrolls or into spellbooks. The spell must be from the character's class list or one that the character can learn. Players must also pay a scribing fee as indicated below:
| Spell Level | Scribing Fee |
|---|---|
| 1st | 60 gp |
| 2nd | 120 gp |
| 3rd | 200 gp |
| 4th | 320 gp |
| 5rd | 640 gp |
In addition to the scribing fee, players who are scribing spells into a spellbook must ALSO pay additional costs as indicated by the PHB spellbook copying rules (pg 114) .
A player can scribe one spell from the list by announcing in the #downtime chat:
Name: Insert character name
DTA: Scribing Spells
Spell Scribed: Insert spell name/level (and price)
Preparing
Players who can benefit from actions done outside of a session, must spend their time participating in a Preparing DTA in order to reap said benefits. Summoning, pre-casting spells, copying spells from other players, and any other benefits that expends time outside of a game session, MUST BE ANNOUNCED. Each time a player would benefit from any such action, they must announce in the #downtime chat:
Name: Insert character name
DTA: Preparing
Description: Insert brief description of the DTA
Cost: Insert costs if any (Eg. spell slot)
Benefit: Insert the DTA benefits
Inheritance
Players who retire a character may bequeath one magic item to their new character. This "Heirloom Item" once bequeathed, may not be traded or sold. All other magic items, mundane items, and gold are removed and the new character is at base XP for their level. A player can gain the benefits of Inheritance by spending 1000gp and announcing in the #downtime chat:
Name: Insert current character name
DTA: Inheritance (2000gp)
Heirloom Item: Insert item name
Description: Insert item description
Heir: Insert new character name
Item Sale
Players may sell magical items to the item shop for half value, using 1 DTA. A player can gain the benefits of Item Sale by announcing in the #downtime chat:
Name: Insert character name
DTA: Item Sale
Item Sold: Insert item name (and price)
Gold Received: Half-value of the item
Crafting
Welcome Traveler, to Cap & Wak's Crafting Wonders. We take ingredients from all across the magical realms of the Nexus, harness their energy and transform them into mythical artifacts the likes of which no world has ever seen. Now, what do you have for us today?
How - To:
To Craft an item, post in the #Crafting channel, listing all the ingredients you'd like to make available. It should look like this:
In #Crafting:
Name: Player Name
DTA: Crafting
Item: The item you'd like enchanted
Gold: List the amount of Gold to be used:
Ingredients: List all Ingredients to be used:
For example:
In #Crafting:
Name: Player Name
DTA: Crafting
Item: Plate Armor
Gold: 2200gp
Ingredients:
Rule of Thumb:
The rarer the ingredients, and the more money you are willing to spend, the better the resulting item will be.
Completion:
When your item is complete, it will be PM'd to you via Discord. The creation process may take up to a week; crafting is a busy business.
At any time during the process, the DM running the Crafting Channel may reach out to clarify exactly where and how you obtained the ingredients.
If any items or gold aren't expended or consumed by the process, they may be returned.
Trading
Players may trade magical items to each other. The items must be of approximate equal value. Players can gain the benefits of Trading by each and announcing in the #downtime chat:
Player 1:
Name: Insert character name
DTA: Trading
Item Traded: Insert item name (and price)
Trading To: Insert name of receiving player
Player 2:
Name: Insert Character Name
DTA: Trading
Item Traded: Insert item name (and price)
Trading To: Insert name of receiving player
Part 4: Grand Market
The Nexus Grand Market teems with buyers and sellers of many sorts: dwarf smiths and elf woodcarvers, halfling farmers and gnome jewelers, not to mention humans of every shape, size, and color drawn from a spectrum of nations and cultures. In Nexus, almost anything imaginable is offered for sale, from exotic spices and luxurious clothing to wicker baskets and practical swords.
For an adventurer, the availability of magical armor, weapons, and items is of paramount importance. Proper equipment can mean the difference between life and death in the untamed wilds. Below is a list of magical merchandise that can be found in the Nexus Grand Market.
General Rules
Any items found in the PHB can be purchased and sold without spending a DTA. Players can sell PHB items for half their listed price. Players must spend DTAs to buy and sell any items not found in the PHB.
Item Descriptions
Descriptions of items can be found here.
Consumables
Consumables represent all items that can be used up when used in their intended manner. By default, consumables are somewhere around one tenth the price of an equivalent permanent item. The scroll prices below represent a typical scroll of that level.
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Spell Scroll Level 0 | 10 |
| Ammunition +1 (each) | 25 |
| Quaal's Feather Token Anchor | 50 |
| Spell Scroll Level 1 | 60 |
| Philter of Love | 90 |
| Ammunition +2 (ea) | 100 |
| Potion of Poison | 100 |
| Dust of Dryness (1 pellet) | 120 |
| Elixir of Health | 120 |
| Keoghtom's Ointment (Per dose) | 120 |
| Spell Scroll Level 2 | 120 |
| Potion of Fire Breath | 150 |
| Potion of Greater Healing | 150 |
| Potion of Climbing | 180 |
| Potion of Heroism | 180 |
| Potion of Invisibility | 180 |
| Potion of Mind Reading | 180 |
| Potion of Water Breathing | 180 |
| Scroll of Protection | 180 |
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments | 200 |
| Potion of Animal Friendship | 200 |
| Spell Scroll Level 3 | 200 |
| Quaal's Feather Token Fan | 250 |
| Quaal's Feather Token Whip | 250 |
| Potion of Diminution | 270 |
| Potion of Growth | 270 |
| Dust of Disappearance | 300 |
| Necklace of Fireballs (One bead) | 300 |
| Potion of Gaseous Form | 300 |
| Potion of Resistance | 300 |
| Universal Solvent | 300 |
| Spell Scroll Level 4 | 320 |
| Ammunition +3 (ea) | 400 |
| Potion of Speed | 400 |
| Sovereign Glue | 400 |
| Horn of Blasting | 450 |
| Potion of Superior Healing | 450 |
| Dust of Sneezing and Choking | 480 |
| Necklace of Fireballs (Two beads) | 480 |
| Oil of Slipperiness | 480 |
| Potion of Flying | 500 |
| Arrow of Slaying (ea) | 600 |
| Spell Scroll Level 5 | 640 |
| Bead of Force | 960 |
| Elemental Gem | 960 |
| Necklace of Fireballs (Three beads) | 960 |
| Potion of Clairvoyance | 960 |
| Potion of Vitality | 960 |
| Spell Scroll Level 6 | 1280 |
| Potion of Supreme Healing | 1350 |
| Chime of Opening | 1500 |
| Necklace of Fireballs (Four beads) | 1600 |
| Oil of Etherealness | 1920 |
| Ioun Stone Absorption | 2400 |
| Quaal's Feather Token Bird | 3000 |
| Quaal's Feather Token Swan Boat | 3000 |
| Oil of Sharpness | 3200 |
| Necklace of Fireballs (Five beads) | 3840 |
| Potion of Invulnerability | 3840 |
| Gem of Brightness | 5000 |
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Deck of Illusions | 6120 |
| Necklace of Fireballs (Six beads) | 7680 |
| Ioun Stone Greater Absorption | 31000 |
| Rod of Absorption | 50000 |
| Talisman of Ultimate Evil | 61440 |
| Talisman of Pure Good | 71680 |
| Robe of Useful Items | Items * 5 |
Combat Items
Combat items are primarily good for killing things. A few have other uses as well, like the luckstone or the Ioun Stone of Mastery, but their biggest effect is making their owner better at killing or not getting killed. For all items which are weapons or armor, add the cost of the mundane base weapon or armor that makes them up to their price.
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Vicious Weapon | 350 |
| Adamantine Armor | 500 |
| Mithral Armor | 800 |
| +1 Weapon | 1000 |
| Sword of Life-Stealing | 1000 |
| Ioun Stone Protection | 1200 |
| Wand of the War Mage +1 | 1200 |
| Bracers of Archery | 1500 |
| Circlet of Blasting | 1500 |
| Javelin of Lightning | 1500 |
| Prayer Bead - Smiting | 1500 |
| Wind Fan | 1500 |
| Sword of Sharpness | 1700 |
| Staff of the Adder | 1800 |
| Dancing Sword | 2000 |
| Glamoured Studded Leather | 2000 |
| Pipes of the Sewers | 2000 |
| Prayer Bead - Bless | 2000 |
| Saddle of the Cavalier | 2000 |
| Sword of Wounding | 2000 |
| Frost Brand | 2200 |
| Dagger of Venom | 2500 |
| Gloves of Missile Snaring | 3000 |
| Ioun Stone Agility | 3000 |
| Ioun Stone Fortitude | 3000 |
| Ioun Stone Insight | 3000 |
| Ioun Stone Intellect | 3000 |
| Ioun Stone Leadership | 3000 |
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Ioun Stone Strength | 3000 |
| Staff of Withering | 3000 |
| Cloak of Protection | 3500 |
| Oathbow | 3500 |
| Ring of Protection | 3500 |
| +2 Weapon | 4000 |
| Boots of Speed | 4000 |
| Dragon Scale Mail | 4000 |
| Elven Chain | 4000 |
| Ioun Stone Regeneration | 4000 |
| Iron Bands of Bilarro | 4000 |
| Prayer Bead - Curing | 4000 |
| Rope of Entanglement | 4000 |
| Wand of Enemy Detection | 4000 |
| Luckstone | 4200 |
| Wand of the War Mage +2 | 4800 |
| Flame Tongue | 5000 |
| Periapt of Wound Closure | 5000 |
| Ring of Evasion | 5000 |
| Ring of the Ram | 5000 |
| Tentacle Rod | 5000 |
| Animated Shield | 6000 |
| Armor of Resistance | 6000 |
| Arrow-Catching Shield | 6000 |
| Belt of Dwarvenkind | 6000 |
| Bracers of Defense | 6000 |
| Ioun Stone Reserve | 6000 |
| Pearl of Power | 6000 |
| Pipes of Haunting | 6000 |
| Ring of Resistance | 6000 |
| Robe of Scintillating Colors | 6000 |
| Scimitar of Speed | 6000 |
| Shield of Missile Attraction | 6000 |
| Giant Slayer | 7000 |
| Mace of Smiting | 7000 |
| Brooch of Shielding | 7500 |
| Amulet of Health | 8000 |
| Dragon Slayer | 8000 |
| Gauntlets of Ogre Power | 8000 |
| Headband of Intellect | 8000 |
| Mace of Disruption | 8000 |
| Mace of Terror | 8000 |
| Nine Lives Stealer (Fully Charged) | 8000 |
| Wand of Magic Missiles | 8000 |
| Wand of Web | 8000 |
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Staff of Thunder and Lightning | 10000 |
| Wand of Binding | 10000 |
| Wand of Fear | 10000 |
| Ioun Stone Awareness | 12000 |
| Rod of the Pact Keeper +1 | 12000 |
| Staff of Charming | 12000 |
| Sunblade | 12000 |
| Staff of Healing | 13000 |
| Ring of Shooting Stars | 14000 |
| Ioun Stone Mastery | 15000 |
| +3 Weapon | 16000 |
| Hammer of Thunderbolts | 16000 |
| Rod of the Pact Keeper +2 | 16000 |
| Staff of Fire | 16000 |
| Staff of Swarming Insects | 16000 |
| Wand of Paralysis | 16000 |
| Ring of Fire Elemental Command | 17000 |
| Dwarven Thrower | 18000 |
| Wand of the War Mage +3 | 19200 |
| Efreeti Chain | 20000 |
| Ring of Free Action | 20000 |
| Sentinel Shield | 20000 |
| Staff of Striking | 21000 |
| Ring of Spell Storing | 24000 |
| Vorpal Sword | 24000 |
| Ring of Water Elemental Command | 25000 |
| Rod of Alertness | 25000 |
| Staff of Frost | 26000 |
| Instrument of the Bards - Fochulan Bandlore | 26500 |
| Instrument of the Bards - Mac-Fuirmidh Cittern | 27000 |
| Rod of Lordly Might | 28000 |
| Rod of the Pact Keeper +3 | 28000 |
| Instrument of the Bards - Doss Lute | 28500 |
| Instrument of the Bards - Canaith Mandolin | 30000 |
| Mantle of Spell Resistance | 30000 |
| Ring of Spell Turning | 30000 |
| Prayer Bead - Favor | 32000 |
| Wand of Fireballs | 32000 |
| Wand of Lightning Bolts | 32000 |
| Wand of Polymorph | 32000 |
| Instrument of the Bards - Cli Lyre | 35000 |
| Scarab of Protection | 36000 |
| Sword of Answering | 36000 |
| Staff of the Woodlands | 44000 |
| Spellguard Shield | 50000 |
| Cloak of Displacement | 60000 |
| Robe of Stars | 60000 |
| Weapon of Warning | 60000 |
| Prayer Bead - Wind Walking | 96000 |
| Instrument of the Bards - Anstruth Harp | 109000 |
| Instrument of the Bards - Ollamh Harp | 125000 |
| Prayer Bead - Summons | 128000 |
| Holy Avenger | 165000 |
Noncombat Items
Noncombat items give some sort of problem-solving ability not directly related to combat. Some, like the Eversmoking Bottle and the Boots of Levitation are also useful in combat, but that isn’t where the bulk of their utility comes from.
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Helm of Comprehend Languages | 500 |
| Driftglobe | 750 |
| Trident of Fish Command | 800 |
| Cap of Water Breathing | 1000 |
| Eversmoking Bottle | 1000 |
| Quiver of Ehlonna | 1000 |
| Ioun Stone Sustenance | 1000 |
| Ring of Warmth | 1000 |
| Goggles of Night | 1500 |
| Horseshoes of the Zephyr | 1500 |
| Mariner's Armor | 1500 |
| Necklace of Adaption | 1500 |
| Ring of Water Walking | 1500 |
| Wand of Magic Detection | 1500 |
| Wand of Secrets | 1500 |
| Gloves of Swimming and Climbing | 2000 |
| Heward's Handy Haversack | 2000 |
| Rope of Climbing | 2000 |
| Ring of Feather Falling | 2000 |
| Boots of Elvenkind | 2500 |
| Eyes of Minute Seeing | 2500 |
| Eyes of the Eagle | 2500 |
| Ring of Jumping | 2500 |
| Dimensional Shackles | 3000 |
| Eyes of Charming | 3000 |
| Medallion of Thoughts | 3000 |
| Ring of Swimming | 3000 |
| Bag of Holding | 4000 |
| Boots of Levitation | 4000 |
| Ring of Animal Influence | 4000 |
| Boots of Striding and Springing | 5000 |
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
| Cloak of Arachnida | 5000 |
| Cloak of Elvenkind | 5000 |
| Gloves of Thievery | 5000 |
| Hat of Disguise | 5000 |
| Horseshoes of Speed | 5000 |
| Immovable Rod | 5000 |
| Lantern of Revealing | 5000 |
| Periapt of Health | 5000 |
| Periapt of Proof Against Poison | 5000 |
| Slippers of Spider Climbing | 5000 |
| Cloak of the Bat | 6000 |
| Cloak of the Manta Ray | 6000 |
| Ring of X-Ray Vision | 6000 |
| Cape of the Mountebank | 8000 |
| Portable Hole | 8000 |
| Apparatus of Kwalish | 10000 |
| Boots of the Winterlands | 10000 |
| Folding Boat | 10000 |
| Ring of Invisibility | 10000 |
| Helm of Telepathy | 12000 |
| Cube of Force | 16000 |
| Ring of Mind Shielding | 16000 |
| Rod of Rulership | 16000 |
| Mirror of Life Trapping | 18000 |
| Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location | 20000 |
| Robe of Eyes | 30000 |
| Gem of Seeing | 32000 |
| Plate Armor of Etherealness | 48000 |
Part 5 DM Application Process
Prerequisites
- It is recommended to have at least one year of DMing experience but you can still apply if you don’t.
- Must have been a part of the server for at least a month.
- Must have played in at least 5 games in the server.
- Must be familiar with the basic rules of D&D 5e.
- Be a cool dude (or dudette).
Process
- Privately message one of the active DMs with a request for a recommendation
- Have at least two active DMs give you a recommendation for a Trial Game
- You will be given the title of Trial DM
- Prepare 3 Trial Games and run them
- An active DM must be a player or an observer to the games
- The DMs who viewed the games will give feedback to the other DMs and discuss the quality of the games.
- If you are not accepted you must wait one month until attempting to run another Trial Game
