Session 0

Hi folks! This is a sheet of information you will need to know before you begin playing, regarding what I dis/allow and expect. In theory, you should be able to read through this document, and by the end have a rough idea of what to look forward to. However, if you do have any questions, please let me know! -Amber

Campaign primer
The characters will be playing an Adventure of the Week-styled adventure in D&D 5e. There will be an emphasis on exploration.

Exploration

 * The 5e RAW exploration rules suck. I will be replacing them with the rules linked above.

Dungeon Crawling

 * D&D is, first and foremost, a dungeon crawler game regardless of edition. Thus, in order to get the fullest D&D experience, dungeon crawling is a must.

Semi-hyperrealism

 * Basically, I’m trying to be as realistic as possible. However, I’m human, I make mistakes, I forget things, etc.

60% Serious, minimum

 * I’m not asking much, but since everyone is Paying To Play (to steal a video gaming term), I’d like for no one to ever walk away from a session feeling that their time and money was wasted. Have fun, but stay on target.

House Rules

 * These are rule changes I’ve playtested thoroughly and will be implementing in our game. Please read carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

Availability
We ask that everyone check in at least once a week. If no one has heard from you in a week, I'll ask if you're still wanting to play, and if that goes unanswered, then I'll be removing you from the server. This is not meant to be permanent; if you are ready to come back, send me a message (Discord or Startplaying is fine), we'll get you reinstated.

I do ask for at least 3 players per session; if there aren't 3 players signed up on Startplaying by T-minus 2 Hours, I'll be cancelling that session.

Please give at least 24hrs notice if you can’t make a session or are going to be late so I have time to adjust to fewer players. Also, please try to arrive to session at least 15 minutes early; if there are technical issues, we have time to work on them without eating game time.

Conflict Resolution
I expect that issues with how I DM or decisions I make will be brought up to me privately so it can be discussed one on one respectfully. I will do my utmost to be open and available for these discussions. In-party issues should be discussed between players first, then include the DM.

Non-Consensual Acts
I don't want to RP any rape/sexual assault scenarios. I’m sure no one else does, either.

Consent
There is a consent form that must be filled out and returned to me before you can begin playing. It is one of the pinned messages in the #dm-announcements channel on the Discord server. This is non-optional, even if your response is, “Idk?”, I need a response.

Metagaming
Metagaming is considered a normal part of playing West Marches games. It is typically actively encouraged for DMs to share a lot more information with players than you might be used to. Thus, “Would My Character Know That?” is a less relevant question than in a ‘normal’ D&D game.

Maps
There is no map of Rhea beyond the town, except what details your party could scrap together and begin to put to a shared file, so you could all read and review as desired. Because this was pieced together by your characters, don’t worry about it being incredibly accurate, because it’s not. Here’s the link to your map.

Checking for Traps
In an effort to curb the inclination to ask to check for traps every scene change, I’m incorporating traps into my Wandering Monsters table instead of preplanning exact locations. Once one has been rolled on the table, I’ll then call for the appropriate check to see who spots the trap as normal.

Character Creation

 * D&DBeyond Sources: all should be RED except Rick & Morty content. This is because I don't own the R&M book, so I have no idea what's in it.
 * Ignore Coin Weight should be GREY.
 * Races: Human, High Elves, High Half-Elves, Dwarves, Ice Genasi (homebrew), Leonin, Goliath, Tabaxi, Vedalken, Warforged
 * For explanation, read: Setting
 * Any feats, backgrounds variants, classes, UA, Critical Role, are fine, except:
 * Wizards, Psionics, Mystics, Way of the Astral Self, or natural flight speed
 * Wizards negate the reason for Sorcerers, Artificers, and Bards to pretty much exist, as Wizards can do all of their tricks but better.
 * Psionics, Mystics, and Way of the Astral Self are OP AF.
 * Flight speeds are code for: Give the DM a Massive Headache
 * Humans cannot be Sorcerers.
 * This is due to the Setting. Humans come from our Real World of Earth, so having Draconic blood or being infused with Wild Magic doesn't make sense.
 * Warlocks can only be Celestial Patrons.
 * Again, due to Setting. Your patron is one of the Aesir, i.e., Thor, Odin, Loki, etc. Same goes for Paladins and Clerics.
 * Only 1/3rd of the West Marches active characters can have Rogue levels.
 * This is due to a large number of players wanting to be Rogues or the, "I get in and out with information super quietly" character. Not everyone can be this.
 * New players cannot play Druids.
 * Druids are the hardest class by a lot. This is due to having a very complicated class feature (Wild Shape) and a complicated spellcasting (prepared/ritual casting). I've watched too many people quit D&D because they got frustrated with their Druid character.
 * Level X to start.
 * I will let you know what the current starting level is during our one-on-one meeting for character creation.
 * If you've already created a character with me, PM me for it.
 * XP Leveling. (You’re not required to read this, but if you’re interested)
 * There will be a hard level cap at level X+4. Once all active (as in: have played in the two weeks) PC’s are level X+4, I’ll raise the level cap, and then raise the starting level to level X+4.
 * Once you have gained enough xp to level up, your character cannot go on anymore missions until they have completed the Training downtime activity to gain their next level.
 * Multiclassing: PHB restrictions + 1 instance of the Training Downtime activity to gain the training required (this isn't duplicative, just restating for clarity)
 * Standard Array
 * Keeps the playing field level. I find that half your party rolls really well and the other half quits because they hate feeling like they suck next to the guy who rolled 3 18's. The only people who actually like to roll for their stats are people who feel like they roll well and end up with a bunch of high numbers, not because they genuinely like to roll for their stats.
 * All characters are expected to have these common goals for the campaign: explore, learn, and be willing to share that information with others.
 * This is to make the WM theme function. If your character is being selfish with your information or are unwilling to explore, they don't need to be here.
 * No alignments.
 * This video is so dated, the Myers-Briggs test mentioned in this has since been debunked. It is really cool and worth taking once, but don't read into there being only 16 personality types; there's literally millions of personality types. It's impossible to test for in a precise way.
 * No character can have ever been to Rhea before; all of you must be new arrivals to this spaceport.
 * Backstories are not required; but as with all things, the more you give, the more you get. As long as it has a clear Beginning, Middle, and End, I’ll do my best to incorporate something from your character’s backstory into the story of the region.


 * Starting Equipment: normal starting equipment and one magical item from this list.
 * Character names: see the Setting for the appropriate name generator. You don't have to pull from the name generator specifically, but it will give you a sense of how names function for our setting. Don't rely on D&DBeyond's character name generator; that doesn't pull from the same name generators I'm using.
 * Characters will use the same pronouns as you.
 * I instituted this rule after my third player thought it’d be “funny” to play the opposite sex or an actual trans character in the most disgustingly sexist/transphobic ways possible. If you are reading this, you were not one of those players.
 * No “smartass/snarky asshole/jerk”, “lone wolf”, or “socially inept” characters. Play something helpful/useful.
 * This is not universal but meant to curb the issue of players thinking that the “smartass/jerk” archetype is a character concept. It’s not and it shouldn’t be present in a D&D game.
 * The “Lone Wolf” wouldn’t participate in a party because “I Can Do It Better On My Own”, thus it shouldn’t be present in a D&D game.
 * The “socially inept” character’s presence is perpetually jeopardizing a party’s goals in NPC interactions, thus it shouldn’t be present in a D&D game.
 * “It’s What My Character Would Do” is not an acceptable excuse to do or not to do something in-character. Give me a real reason. Why would your character do that? If you can’t answer that question, then your character wouldn’t do it.