Shared Expectations for Fifth Edition Dungons & Dragons

Here I am writing up a thing for a campaign. Why even go over this? We're all mature individuals, right? Well, as a teacher, I find that if you aren't setting yourself up for success, you're likely to fail. Most issues are a result of poor communication, so let's set down some ground rules so you know where I'm coming from. If you disagree with something I put forth, let's discuss! We can come to a compromise, but if I don't know there's an issue, I can't help. Let's dig in.

Rules for games run by Nick

1. Rule number 1 is fun; if it's not fun for the player and the GM, we should do something different.
2. Rule 2, we are all good people. While the characters we play are not necessarily lawful good, we are on a team working together. Thou shalt not make it not fun for others, so no trolling.
3. Rule 3, we all are playing by the same rules. That means the written rules of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. You are responsible for remembering the rules that help you. I am responsible for remembering the rules that hurt you.
4. Last rule. We're all human. Humans make mistakes. Forgive and forget. Leave your outside issues at the door and your table issues at the table.

Why rules?

• Set clear expectations.
• Make sure everyone feels they are treated fairly; see rule 3.
• We’re all on the same page.
• No Surprises ™.

Character creation

Here are some things to consider during character creation.

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• Starting level. What level are starting at? Most games start at first level, but we might want to start at third or fifth depending on the adventure.
• Starting Wealth. Higher level games usually start with a bit more coin to reflect previous adventures your character has completed.
• Starting items. You'll start with basic starting equipment for your class and background. In addition to that, I may ask you to pick some items from the Items Both Magical and Mundane list. Usually at least one uncommon item. Make up a good story for why your character has it!
• Leveling. We will be using Milestone Leveling. If your entire party wants to do experience leveling, I am open to it, but I will not be keeping track of your characters' experience totals.
• Stats. We'll roll 4d6 drop lowest for each stat. You may use point buy instead if you wish.

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• Classes. no more than 2 of each class; don’t want a whole party of rogues. You'll have to work together as a party to establish a good party balance.
• We are epic! Everyone take a bonus feat at character creation. You can choose from the list found at 5E Useful Lists and Tables. See Sources below for what to do when a Feat is found in two different sourcebooks.
• HP: rolled vs. average. your choice, but you must roll in full view of everyone during a session. First level gets full HP.

Sources

All sources are ok to use including published books (Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurers' Guide, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, etc.) and Unearthed Arcana. Third party sources are okay with GM permission. Please talk to me if there's a special race/class/background you'd like to do.

If the Unearthed Arcana and published source conflict, use the published version.

For those hesitant to play ranger as written in the PHB, I actually prefer The Ranger: Revised from Unearthed Arcana.

What Adventure Will We Run?

I can run any of the following with no prep-work. Any other modules, I'll need some prep to do.

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• Lost Mines of Phandelver (1-5). This is the starter box mini-campaign and a good place to start for those new to the game. What starts as a one-off job delivering goods to a tiny mining town turns into a grand adventure to rescue your boss and uncover the secrets to a magical lost mine.
• Storm King's Thunder (1-11). A sandbox style campaign that ranges over all the sword coast. Giants are out of control and you're tasked with finding out why. Find out why they're emerging from their strongholds to threaten the small folk and restore order in the sword coast.
• Tomb of Annihilation (1-10). A hex crawl with survival overtones. Has a couple of dungeons with really cool puzzle mechanics as well. Your patron sends you to the wildlands of Chult to find and contain a necromantic artifact called the Soulmonger. Destroying this artifact is the only way to stop the death curse which is gripping all of Faerûn.

Optional Rules

Since we use battlemaps, I will use the following optional rules from Dungeon Masters' Guide pages 251-252.

Flanking

When a creature and at least one of its allies are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy's space, they flank that enemy, and each of them has advantage on melee attack rolls against that enemies. The GM is the final arbiter of what is and is not flanking.

Diagonal Movement

When measuring range or moving diagonally on a grid, the first diagonal square counts as 5 feet, but the second diagonal square counts as 10 feet. This pattern of 5 feet and then 10 feet continues whenever you're counting diagonally, even if you move horizontally or vertically between different bits of diagonal movement. For example, a character might move one square diagonally (5 feet), then three squares straight (15 feet), and then another square diagonally (10 feet) for a total movement of 30 feet.

Roll20 vs. Traditional tabletop

I run most of my games on Roll20, even my offline ones in the real world. I use it to track initiative, monster and player HP, and battlemap positions. You do not have to have an account to play with me, but you might want one. You can keep track of your character using Roll20 or D&D Beyond. If you choose to use D&D Beyond for your character sheet, I can easily import your character into Roll20.

We don't need a fancy table to fully implement the battlemap features. I can also cast the map onto a television or connect a projector and throw the images up onto a wall.

What Flavor of Campaign?

Pick a Playstyle

We should be clear with eachother what kind of game we're playing. These playstyles aren't mutually exclusive, but I would like to know your preferred style so I can tailor the campaign to suit your needs. Don't like exploring? We won't do a hex crawl. Like inventory management? Guess you're the party quartermaster. Have fun!

You might also be a mix of one or more of these.

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• Acting. For those who like roleplaying in their RPG. Break out that Brittish accent and address everyone in character.
• Exploring. For those who like finding hidden treasure and revealing spaces and places on the map. AKA Hexcrawlers.
• Instigating. For the risktakers. Stuff needs to happen and it needs to happen NOW.
• Fighting. For the wargamers. Doing well tactically in combat and making strategic decisions is important.
• Optimizing. For the min-maxers. Numerical superiority is where it's at.
• Problem Solving. For the detectives. Solving puzzles, literal and figurative. Talking to characters and determining their motivations.
• Storytelling. For the big-picture people. There is an over-arching plot and you're the main character!

Pick a Campaign Name

I like to give each of my campaigns a name so I can differentiate them in my brain. It should be something distinctive and descriptive.

More Information

Links to more info can be found here.

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• Dramatis Personae and Important NPCs. Keep track of who you've met and what they look like. Track quest objectives and organizations here as well.
• Items, both Magical and Mundane. Find magic items with actual prices here if you're interested in blinging out your character.
• Discord Chat. Join the conversation!
• DND Beyond Campaign Link. please keep a copy of your character sheet here so we can run your character if you're not there.
• Optional Roll20 Link. If you like, you can jump in the game and play on your own laptop while we game. You can also game with us remotely. Roll20 is a virtual tabletop that's incredibly easy to use and runs online right in your web browser. You need an account, but creating one is free.