[D&D-5e-2024] In the Shadow of the Dragon

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Toad`

Game content rating question:
PG of course involves no sexual content, but I'm wondering about descriptive violence and gore.. could you please clarify that? My subjective opinion may differ from yours.

Examples in cinema or other media may help?

-Grave

That is a great question, and reminds me that I forgot to include something in the application process around Saftey Tools. These are not required, but completely available for players to use.

Ok, what do I mean by "I like to keep my games PG-rated". For language, I will generally stick to fantasy swears 'Orc's Blood', 'Goblin Piss', and the like. Sexual content, anything explicit would be off-screen. Violence and Gore, I am probably closer to PG-13, think Marvel Movies. D&D has a lot of combat after all. Bones will break, blood will spatter. If there is something truly gruesome and horrific, I will just tell you that it is, but not go into detail about how or why. Here is an example of what you can expect, where a couple of guards accidentally blew themselves up while destroying a brige.

For my players, I don't hold you to the same standard of what I write. So long as you are within site guidelines, and the players at the table are comfortable with the content, I won't punish you for it.

Hopefully that helps! Feel free to ask any further questions if you need clarification.

[Aisede]

Shared worldbuilding, huh... ? If Willowrest/The Opal Guard were to engage in an exchange (I.e. an exchange program) where would those soldiers come from?

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Aisede

Shared worldbuilding, huh... ? If Willowrest/The Opal Guard were to engage in an exchange (I.e. an exchange program) where would those soldiers come from?

The short answer is that they wouldn't. The Opal Guard are not officially recognized by either the Eryndor or Ardenia kingdoms. If they want soldiers from Willowrest, whoever has current claim on the region (based on skirmishes of the border in lands generally further south of Willowrest), they would enlist them the same as they would from any other town or city in their region. The individual members might be part of the Opal Guard, or might not. The Baron and the Duke both have their own guards, assigned to them as Vassals of the region, who are mostly hired from the locals of Willowrest, but not exclusively.

I'll note, both Kindgoms try to avoid sending troops directly to Willowrest. They fear that doing so might anger the Dragon. It's a legend that tends to keep the area safe from outside influence (think of like how Dracula's reputation worked to keep invaders away)

[Admin Bhelogan]

The official game folder is now linked in the OP. I am working on more the World Building thread there (planning still on getting a map up of the region, and info on some of the important local families, including the Duke and Baron). First up though, since it has come up here and in PMs, is an explanation of the Pantheon of the region.

[BurrowingOwl]

Once a week sounds like about what I can manage right now with my work schedule, and I really want an excuse to play around with the 2024 rules, so I'll throw my hat in the ring.

Two questions:

1. What's the religious situation in Willowrest like? Is there a particular deity or pantheon that's widely worshipped? Is there one main church or temple, or are there multiple religious institutions? Do you have a strong idea of how that looks, or is that something you'd want me to flesh out in my backstory if I were to create a cleric?

2. I had a character idea that kind of jumped out at me in reading the background info, but I wanted to run it by you first before fully fleshing it out, since it ties in pretty closely to your NPCs. Specifically, I was thinking about playing the rebellious daughter of one or the other of the two rival noblemen. Willful and idealistic, she rebels against her calculating and ambitious father - first by taking her vows as an acolyte in Willowrest's church/temple/whatever (which handily ruins her father's chances of marrying her off for political advantage), and then, just to rub it in, by joining up with the Opal Guard and committing her loyalties to Willowrest itself, rather than her father's patron kingdom. (For extra funsies, I was also mulling over the idea of a relationship between her and the son of the other rival nobleman - maybe friends, maybe rivals, maybe a Romeo and Juliet thing, depending on what he's like.)

Would that work, or does that step on ideas and worldbuilding you already had?

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by BurrowingOwl

1. What's the religious situation in Willowrest like? Is there a particular deity or pantheon that's widely worshipped? Is there one main church or temple, or are there multiple religious institutions? Do you have a strong idea of how that looks, or is that something you'd want me to flesh out in my backstory if I were to create a cleric?

I don't know if you had a chance to read what I posted for the Panteon just yet (since I posted links to it about 10 minutes before your post, but check that out. The Abbot in the region worships, very diligently, the Nameless Gods. Beyond that, there might be small 'study' groups of faithful who worship other beings, but none important enough that we will list them initially.

Originally Posted by BurrowingOwl

2. I had a character idea that kind of jumped out at me in reading the background info, but I wanted to run it by you first before fully fleshing it out, since it ties in pretty closely to your NPCs. Specifically, I was thinking about playing the rebellious daughter of one or the other of the two rival noblemen. Willful and idealistic, she rebels against her calculating and ambitious father - first by taking her vows as an acolyte in Willowrest's church/temple/whatever (which handily ruins her father's chances of marrying her off for political advantage), and then, just to rub it in, by joining up with the Opal Guard and committing her loyalties to Willowrest itself, rather than her father's patron kingdom. (For extra funsies, I was also mulling over the idea of a relationship between her and the son of the other rival nobleman - maybe friends, maybe rivals, maybe a Romeo and Juliet thing, depending on what he's like.)

Would that work, or does that step on ideas and worldbuilding you already had?

So, small spoilers here, my initial plan for the Recrtuiment class to the Opal Goard was going to be complicated by having a member from each family (one from the Duke, and one from the Baron) also try to join, which would be a first-ever. The Opal Guard has decided that this can only work if BOTH are accepted, to keep the numbers even. Thus, the enemies would have to work together. So, if you were to play one of these characters, then you would be filling in for an NPC idea I had. IMO, I think its a good idea. We would adjust need to fill in the details of who the rest of the family is around your character (which shouldn't be an issue).

[Tacobob]

I noticed Kobolds were mentioned. Would it be possible to make a kobold PC? I have an odd desire to create a variation of an old kobold character I once had. I'd make the character a cleric/healer as nobody likes to play that class, but it's very very necessary for a group to have at least one. There could an assorted of reasons why the kobold would move to Willowrest. If not, I could just play a human cleric.

[BurrowingOwl]

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

I don't know if you had a chance to read what I posted for the Panteon just yet (since I posted links to it about 10 minutes before your post, but check that out. The Abbot in the region worships, very diligently, the Nameless Gods. Beyond that, there might be small 'study' groups of faithful who worship other beings, but none important enough that we will list them initially.

Oops, I didn't see that - I was in the process of writing when you posted

I'll give that a thorough read before fleshing out the character.

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

So, small spoilers here, my initial plan for the Recrtuiment class to the Opal Goard was going to be complicated by having a member from each family (one from the Duke, and one from the Baron) also try to join, which would be a first-ever. The Opal Guard has decided that this can only work if BOTH are accepted, to keep the numbers even. Thus, the enemies would have to work together. So, if you were to play one of these characters, then you would be filling in for an NPC idea I had. IMO, I think its a good idea. We would adjust need to fill in the details of who the rest of the family is around your character (which shouldn't be an issue).

It sounds like I did stumble onto something you had plans for. I'd love to have my character fit into that - either with an NPC as their opposite number from the other noble family, or maybe with another PC if someone was interested.

[Aisede]

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

So, small spoilers here, my initial plan for the Recrtuiment class to the Opal Goard was going to be complicated by having a member from each family (one from the Duke, and one from the Baron) also try to join, which would be a first-ever. The Opal Guard has decided that this can only work if BOTH are accepted, to keep the numbers even. Thus, the enemies would have to work together. So, if you were to play one of these characters, then you would be filling in for an NPC idea I had. IMO, I think its a good idea. We would adjust need to fill in the details of who the rest of the family is around your character (which shouldn't be an issue).

I might be able to fill in for the remaining noble. Like with Tacobob, she would be a... Spin... On one of my favorite character concepts. When she was first conceived, it was basically as a traumatized orphan who discovered faith through loss, and swore off violence of any kind. She became a pacifist cleric healer who devoted herself to preserving life as best she could, and to assist those around her- often, at no gain of her own. Hearing what I have heard here... I'm getting ideas. What if she was related to the Duke or Baron and, despite the Duke/Baron wishing otherwise, became a cleric devoted to the Nameless Ones. She wants to bring balance to an unbalanced world, and this is as good as any place to start. She has no real utility in the family beyond possibly being wed off, and feels this is a better use for her talents, and her faith.

She's still largely pacifistic, but understands destruction is a neccesary component to bring order. She would just rather "destroy" an opponent through diplomacy and compassion. If you turn an enemy into a friend, have you not destroyed the enemy? And created an opportunity for balance.

Originally Posted by BurrowingOwl

It sounds like I did stumble onto something you had plans for. I'd love to have my character fit into that - either with an NPC as their opposite number from the other noble family, or maybe with another PC if someone was interested.

I very much am! Abigail was, and has been, my favoirte character concept. She worked out great in Banana's introductory game, and I really enjoyed playing her in Arin12's game. I'd like to explore her as a character, and her background allows for a lot of flexibility. She'll basically following the tenants of whatever true neutral deity best fits her balanced beleifs.

[Admin Bhelogan]

Originally Posted by Tacobob

I noticed Kobolds were mentioned. Would it be possible to make a kobold PC? I have an odd desire to create a variation of an old kobold character I once had. I'd make the character a cleric/healer as nobody likes to play that class, but it's very very necessary for a group to have at least one. There could an assorted of reasons why the kobold would move to Willowrest. If not, I could just play a human cleric.

I hate saying 'No', but I am going to in this case. No Kobold characters. Let's stick to the races explicitly listed in the 2024 PHB.

[BurrowingOwl]

Originally Posted by Aisede

I might be able to fill in for the remaining noble. Like with Tacobob, she would be a... Spin... On one of my favorite character concepts. When she was first conceived, it was basically as a traumatized orphan who discovered faith through loss, and swore off violence of any kind. She became a pacifist cleric healer who devoted herself to preserving life as best she could, and to assist those around her- often, at no gain of her own. Hearing what I have heard here... I'm getting ideas. What if she was related to the Duke or Baron and, despite the Duke/Baron wishing otherwise, became a cleric devoted to the Nameless Ones. She wants to bring balance to an unbalanced world, and this is as good as any place to start. She has no real utility in the family beyond possibly being wed off, and feels this is a better use for her talents, and her faith.

She's still largely pacifistic, but understands destruction is a neccesary component to bring order. She would just rather "destroy" an opponent through diplomacy and compassion. If you turn an enemy into a friend, have you not destroyed the enemy? And created an opportunity for balance.



I very much am! Abigail was, and has been, my favoirte character concept. She worked out great in Banana's introductory game, and I really enjoyed playing her in Arin12's game. I'd like to explore her as a character, and her background allows for a lot of flexibility. She'll basically following the tenants of whatever true neutral deity best fits her balanced beleifs.

I'm sorry, I didn't see that you were interested in playing a cleric. I can play something else instead, Cleric was the first thing that popped into my head for this idea, but I could do a lot of other things instead - I was mostly just doing that so that there'd be a healer. As long as it's got the "committing to something that makes it inconvenient for Dad to just order her back home" element, it works - and joining the Opal Guard does that all by itself. Maybe a paladin... or I might just do a fighter; I play a lot of fighters, but I'm eager to mess around with their upgrade in the 2024 version... we'll see.

[Aisede]

Originally Posted by BurrowingOwl

I'm sorry, I didn't see that you were interested in playing a cleric. I can play something else instead, Cleric was the first thing that popped into my head for this idea, but I could do a lot of other things instead - I was mostly just doing that so that there'd be a healer. As long as it's got the "committing to something that makes it inconvenient for Dad to just order her back home" element, it works - and joining the Opal Guard does that all by itself. Maybe a paladin... or I might just do a fighter; I play a lot of fighters, but I'm eager to mess around with their upgrade in the 2024 version... we'll see.

I mean, I don't see anything wrong with having two clerics. They'll almost certainly be of two different domains (As I'll be pushing for the Peace Domain if I can. It fits Abigail thematically.) You could be a Protector, and I a Thaumaturge, for example.

[Admin Bhelogan]

I don't see anything wrong with having a party full of only Clerics.

On another note, if you don't have the full 2024 PHB, there are limited resources available in the D&D Free Rules (2024) If you are using those, please stick to the content available there.

[BurrowingOwl]

Originally Posted by Aisede

I mean, I don't see anything wrong with having two clerics. They'll almost certainly be of two different domains (As I'll be pushing for the Peace Domain if I can. It fits Abigail thematically.) You could be a Protector, and I a Thaumaturge, for example.

I wasn't that attached to cleric anyway; this gives me the excuse to explore something else.

[Tacobob]

Originally Posted by Admin Bhelogan

I hate saying 'No', but I am going to in this case. No Kobold characters. Let's stick to the races explicitly listed in the 2024 PHB.

No worries! Thanks for replying!

And if someone else wants to play a cleric, I'll come up with something else.