Getting Started

  T   his article's purpose is to give you a thorough and complete guide for the various rules and systems that we adhere to and utilize on the Dragonsmoke Archipelago Discord Server, set in a Bermuda Triangle-esque grouping of islands lost in the seas of Faerûn. This guide will tell you all you need to know about creating a character, embarking on solo adventures, joining arena events with other players, finding more story-focused groups, obtaining magic items, using downtime, and more.  

General Courtesy Rules

1. Be Respectful to Others
2. Keep it PG-13
3. Play Fair
4. Comply with DM Requests

 

Where do I start?

Characters

To create your character first, start with our Character Creation guide. As you construct your first character, be sure to take a look at this article (Skipping Level 1) if your interested in gaining some free early experience. Think about how they got to Wildcross. Did you venture into this new world from outer Faerûn? Or have you grown up your whole life on this strange island chain...?   You cannot start playing a character until your character is approved. We understand it's frustrating to wait when you are excited to play your new character but please don't do this. We require another set of eyes on your character sheet to ensure that it is properly filled out, and that we know it is set up properly. Sometimes this takes some time, but I assure you a DM will get to your request ASAP!  

Lore Primer

If you'd like to start with the lore of our wonderful island chain, check out the Lore Primer  

Avrae

Avrae is a Discord bot that can import character sheets from D&D Beyond, Dicecloud, or a custom Google Sheet created by the Avrae developers (see avrae.io for more). It’s important to get a handle on the basic commands in order to participate in play-by-post D&D on Discord. Don’t worry - the community is helpful and always eager to answer a question about Avrae. You will pick up the more advanced functions, including the vast array of aliases and snippets, as you go along. The best way to learn is to play a duo or in a group adventure, notice what other players are doing, and ask questions!
It might help to check out the Solo Commands Cheat Sheet, which includes all of the basic commands you’ll need for soloing.

What can I do?

Adventures

You can always request to participate in an adventure by posting in our #lfgm channel or join a DM-proposed adventure in the #looking-for-players channel. These are a more traditional D&D experience in the play-by-post format, and DMs are free to run their games in other settings and add homebrew on the fly.

Campaigns

We currently do not run any campaigns due to the nature of play-by-post gameplay. It's not too much to ask players to stick around to complete an adventure that lasts a month or so. But large Campaigns and modules can often last a lot longer than that. Until we as DMs figure out a better way to keep everyone engaged in a campaign, we won't be running any long-term campaigns.  

Self-Directed Play

One of the most unique things on our server is the ability to run your own sessions for yourself, or you and a friend. These sessions must be validated by a DM who will tally and post the final rewards. This is an interesting and fun activity where you can choose your own adventure and what you want to do. We have the ability for players to define quests, pursue certain goals which include roleplaying, and even pass skill challenges for an experience reward.  

Soloing

Soloing is when you are the only player participating in a self-directed session. This may mean you are controling your single character, or more than one if you choose to utilize the Powerhouse Companion rules.  

Duoing

A Duo session is much like a Solo session except there are two players involved. The players may designate one member to always run the game and be the "DM" setting up the monsters and encounters, or they may switch off that responsibility. Powerhouse Companions are allowed in a Duo so they can be run with 4 characters and feasibly have an entire party of adventurers.  

How Do I Run a Self-Directed Session?

  More details on how to run a solo session can be found in the Self-Directed Play article. If you want to jump in and get started, also see the Solo Commands Cheat Sheet for an overview of the Avrae commands you need to know to run a successful solo session.  

What's Next?

Systems

We have many unique systems on the server that are here to add interesting roleplay opportunites or are for enhancing your sessions and your experience on the server.   Rather than list them all here you can find a great overview when you are ready to start in the Introduction to Systems.  

Server Rules and Errata

We have a lot of house rules, variant rules, and errata we have developed over the years to refine the play experience on the server. A few relevant things are how to buy magic items and looting slain enemies.  

Magic Items

You can visit #wildcross-mysterious-island to purchase and sell magical equipment from Mad Max. Charisma checks can help reduce the cost of purchases and increase the payments for sales.   You can visit #wildcross-inks-and-dyes for a chance to petition the god of your choosing. Madame Encres doesn't often lower her prices, but you do have a shot at receiving a magic item with a boon. Beware -- you have a shot at receiving a magic item with a curse, as well! You can increase your odds by gaining proficiency in the religion skill or increasing Piety with your chosen god.   See Magic Items in the New World for more information.  

Looting

Use the !loot alias to loot defeated enemies during self-directed play. The value of dropped equipment is included in the coin generated by the alias.   You can read about the other specialized rules in the Rules and Errata article.  

Outside Resources

  Below is a list of resource links that you may find useful in getting started.

• Basic rules used for creating a character in Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition
• A simplified version of the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox
• The full version of the Solo Adventurer's Toolbox
• An in-server, detailed, step-by-step guide for soloing and Avrae mechanics (Avrae is a discord bot utilized for dice rolling automation)
• An in-server, bare-minimum, guide for soloing that details the minimum requirements.