Setting the Table

Setting The Table

Before we jump into the game, it’s important to have a quick chat about how you like to play and what kind of story you want to be part of. This helps make sure everyone’s on the same page, the game flows smoothly, and the adventure fits your group’s style from the very start.

Think of this as the “ground rules” conversation — it keeps the game fun, fair (for you and me!), and tailored to your group from the very first session.

Tell us about you!

Share a bit about your D&D background — how long you’ve been playing, the kinds of campaigns you’ve joined (long-running epics, short adventures, or one-shots), and any D&D books, shows, or other media you enjoy.

Also, what parts of those games did you like the most… and what didn’t work for you?

Commitment

How long of a story are we committing to?

One shot quest - A single, self-contained adventure.
Short quest (3-4 sessions) - A brief story with a clear start and finish.
Mini campaign (4-6 sessions) - A small campaign allowing for character growth and a few subplots.
Standard Campaign (8-12 sessions) - A full narrative arc with room for multiple storylines.
Epic Campaign (12+ sessions) — A long-term story with major shifts in power, wars, betrayals, and personal transformations.

Are we ok with going maybe 1-2 sessions short or over as needed?

How often do we meet?

every week
every two weeks
super tentative; will coordinate and update

How many hours per session are we willing to commit?

Are we ok with going maybe 1-2 hours over as needed?

Note that this includes time allowance to get everyone set up and settled, as well as a short debrief/cooldown period after each session.

Your commitment - personal and as a party

Casual Player – I’ll join when I can. I don’t need to follow every plot thread to enjoy the game.
Consistent Player – I want to stay involved in the main story and finish quest arcs, but it’s okay if I miss a session once in a while.
Core Player – I plan to be present for every session and keep up with ongoing story and character developments.

We’ll aim for at least half the party to be Core players, and keep casual players to a small slice — around 10% of the group.

I’d much rather push a session back than play with part of the group missing. The game works best when everyone’s there, so we can all share the story, make decisions together, and fully enjoy the adventure.

Character Death/Secondary Characters

Hey look - I know I can seem pretty relaxed, but a roll is a roll. If your character ends up in a string of bad luck, we deal with it. That said, there are a few common ways we handle character death to keep the story moving:

Create a New Character – Bring in a new PC introduced naturally in the story.
Temporary Character – Play an NPC or short-term character until a new one fits the plot.
Return Option – The group may pursue a way to revive or restore the fallen character if the story allows.
Legacy Character – Introduce a new PC connected to the old one (family, ally, apprentice, etc.).
Group Reset (for one-shots or short arcs) – If the death changes the party dynamic too much, we may start a new arc with a fresh group.