The West Marches is a “common oneshot setting” – many diverse groups can play sessions in the same shared world.
Here are the rules:
Rule One:
- You are an adventurer because you feel a strong call in your bones to adventure. The boredom of a calm life doesn’t appeal to you – you are driven to leave behind the safety of civilization and explore the wilds to make your name. Regardless of what drives you, you are driven. You choose where to go and what to do. There will be a handful of obvious choices, but you don’t by any means need to take them. The adventure is in your hands.
The Rest:
- Players can suggest or join sessions on an at-will basis. There is no assumed set party – characters can and should adventure in many different groups.
- Players schedule sessions with each other via the the TRGN Discord and through scheduling here on the trgn.network site. The DM will NOT take the initiative; if players want to play, it’s their responsibility to make it happen – but he will work with the players to ensure a session is available.
- Players can make as many characters as they want (though I assume most people will want to stick with one), but characters can’t transfer gold or items between characters.
- Characters should be maintained in DnD Beyond – the DM maintains a campaign for this purpose, and links to the campaign are in the link library.
- Each session is presumed to be self-contained. Players venture into the wild, find or are found by adventure, and return home each session. Note that it may take multiple excursions to ‘clear’ a dungeon or other event!
- Players who are new to D&D or tabletop RPG’s must start out with level 1 characters in order to learn the mechanics of the game. All other characters may start at the aggregate average level of all characters (not players!) in play, rounded down. That will be maintained on the announcements page and in the Discord channel. Characters keep whatever gold, items, and XP they earn from session to session.
- Every character starts each session in Landfall. If characters have not returned home by the end of the session, they automatically return after play has ended.
- The world of the Reach persists beyond each session. If players have made a change in one session, other players will see that change if they follow the same path in a later session.
- The town of Landfall is, for whatever reason, safe. Adventure is found beyond civilization’s edge. Characters can rest here between sessions and come to no harm. Likewise, there is nothing of interest for you back in the lands of Tintagel or the HDE. Adventure is found in the wilds beyond.
- After each session, it’s highly encouraged that at least one player add relevant information to the TRGN – usually as a journal entry. There are a lot of players, and they won’t know what’s going on unless you inform them.
- A running gazetteer will be maintained by the DM within the VTT – and, as time permits, on an external site – but it is the players’ responsibility to maintain their own notes *and* keep everyone else informed.
Some Things To Remember:
- Survival in the wilds is not assured. In this campaign, simple essentials will matter! Don’t forget your food, your healing potions, and the rest.
- Death isn’t just possible… it’s probable. The world is precisely what it is. Encounters are NOT tailored to a group – they exist in the world for you to find. Discretion and caution is the better part of valor.
- The town doesn’t have magic. Magic items can be found or made, but the only things in the shops are what you can find in the equipment lists.. if you’ve got the gold.
- XP is earned through Quest Completion, Combat and Challenge XP, and Roleplay. XP will be tracked in the VTT, as will the ‘official’ copy of your character. D&D Beyond is yours to maintain!
- No homebrew or unofficial classes or races are allowed. However, as time marches on, some races and classes special to the LITD universe will unlock.. if you can find them.
- Characters must be approved by the DM prior to your *second* session. Approvals are for sanity’s sake, and for adherence to lore.
Miscellaneous:
- This campaign will use the Fantasy Grounds VTT (see link library), Syrinscape, and the TRGN discord as its working tools. D&D Beyond will be available with all usable sources for character creation. Please check your tech stack!