We hosted a Player Q&A session for our next in-store campaign over the break. Here's the player questions, and Meagan's answers!
General Questions
Is there anything being changed from the Player’s Handbook? Will this spell/ability/feat/etc be changed/nerfed/buffed?
Everything will be done by the 2024 Player’s Handbook. If you are unsure of a ruling, go by what the book says. If you are still confused, please talk to your DM.
Can druids use 2024 Monster Manual? Are there dinosaurs?
2024 PHB ONLY. No Monster Manual.
On the main island, there are no dinos. Explore the other islands to see if there’s any out there.
The phrase “using materials from older books…” is referenced in PHB multiple times. Will any older materials be used in this campaign by players?
2024 PHB only.
How will cap attendance work week by week?
Session attendance will be first come, first serve. People can prepay if they want (in store or online). 30 people each day is the soft cap until we see how many people are playing around Session 0. Playing in one session of a specific cycle does NOT guarantee your spot for the remaining sessions - only paying for your session does. This is done to help preserve player experience by preventing tables larger than 6 players.
For all people who aren't in discord: will this information be posted anywhere outside of discord?
Meagan runs the GXP website, Facebook, and D&D-specific Discord channels. She tries to post relevant information before the start of the campaign, as well as midway. All relevant information will be posted prior to session 0 on the website. Most updates will be posted on Discord. Major events (such as two-day or in-person RP events) will be announced in the store and on Facebook. Q&As will be posted on the website.
Will critical hit/critical fail tables be used this campaign?
There are no home rules being implemented for this campaign; HOWEVER these charts don’t fall under those restrictions. This is still being discussed among DMs and may be implemented in the future.
Will there be a feedback system to submit information about problems/questions?
We will be instituting a feedback system. It will be completely anonymous & voluntary if a player chooses to participate and be done at the end of the cycles.
Anything being changed from the PHB?
EVERYTHING EXACTLY BY THE PHB BOOK. NO CHANGES.
Can we multiclass?
Yes, as long as it follows the rules in the book, no restrictions right now.
Are artificers allowed?
We are only allowing what is in the 2024 PHB; Unearthed Arcana is never allowed. Anything released in the future will have to be vetted and approved before it is allowed to be used.
How is Discord going to be handled this campaign?
For this campaign, there will be only 2 Discord mods and DMs: Carlitos serves for Monday players/ Sovereign Concord. Abi serves for Tuesday players/ Dread Domain. They will be the dedicated DM for each faction only for Discord roleplay.
We are removing all campaign story plot-relevant scenes from the discord; roleplay involving a DM and player will be for character development only; no story-driving scenes will be in Discord.
Can Table DMs do NPC RP in public settings?
Only 3 main Discord DMs allowed to do discord scenes: Meagan, Carlitos, and Abi. Table DMs are allowed to RP in general RP scenes if they so choose, but can’t do player specific scenes without first getting it cleared by the Discord DMs. Table DMs are never required to participate in public RP.
Will there be RP areas in the Discord?
Yes, there will be at least one for each faction and possibly one neutral. We’re still looking into it and need a reason for the neutral area’s existence.
Right now it’s unknown if the Discord RP areas will be locked between sessions yet.
With there being two factions, how will discord be split?
There will be separate channels for both Sovereign Concord players and Dread Dominion players. You will only be able to view and talk in the channels for your faction, and any neutral ones that are made.
Can we use D&D Beyond for this campaign?
D&D Beyond is required for this campaign for character sheets. It is completely free to join and use, and there are several campaigns set up for the store to join that will have the 2024 PHB available to use.
You can still have a normal paper character sheet and normal dice to roll with. In the event of a discrepancy between the DND Beyond and paper sheet, it will be assumed that the DND Beyond sheet is accurate.
Can I use metal dice at the table?
Absolutely! But you are required to have a dice rolling tray.
When is Session 0?
Jan 27th is the date for Session 0, with the following week February 3rd & 4th being the start of Cycle 1
When will the first 2-day events be? What about the first in person event?
Tentatively the first 2-day event will be in June, official date TBD. The first in-person event is still being planned and is dependent on how the plot goes; as we draw closer the information will be put out in advance.
How many special events will there be for the campaign?
There will be two 2-day events and 2 in-person events.
WHAT?! The store is moving? Where/when are we moving to?
Close by! Unable to say the exact place and time now, but close to our current location. We’re super excited but can’t share any more information just yet.
During the down weeks between cycles, what is going to be run? Will it be on Monday and Tuesday?
Whatever people want to run! There will be several systems available to try, not just D&D. While we want to do both days, it ultimately depends on attendance.
How much will these end-of-month/between cycle events cost?
$5
How long will cycles be?
MOST cycles will be 3 weeks; last week of every month is an off week, but if a month has 5 weeks it will be a 4 week cycle with an off week.
When do we level up?
Players will level up after their last session of the cycle.
How will inevitable weather day store closures affect game days?
If we have to close for weather, the off week will be converted to a makeup week for the day that missed. The other day will run one shots as normal
Campaign Specific Questions
What does leadership look like in the factions? Will there be subleaders?
There are subleaders in each faction that function like a council (military, diplomat, spymaster). More information about them will be made available when the primers are released.
Positions will be filled by NPCs now but later PCs can be elected to fill those roles if they are interested.
Do we need to build boats to get around the islands?
No, boats will be available, unless you want to build your own. No one is locked from travel.
Will there be aerial travel?
Find out in play (FOIP)
Since aasimars and tieflings can come from any race, why can’t they be on both days?
Unfortunately, to do the things the store wants to do there needs to be some restrictions. These restrictions, just as all the other racial restrictions, won’t be permanent, but a roadblock for players to work towards overcoming if they want.
Is it possible for someone to play on both days, but with different characters?
With the way the campaign is set up, it’s not possible/feasible to be done. That is subject to change in the future depending on how the story goes, but not right now.
Will there be bastions this campaign?
We (the DMs) are still trying to figure out how to integrate them. It is a goal to have them be integrated eventually.
When campaign does split, will there be dedicated DMs to specific levels? I.E., will there be DMs specifically for the 1-10 players and some for the 11-20 players?
Yes. At the end of this current campaign, when we implement two concurrent campaigns of different levels, each “half” of the campaign will have its own dedicated Dungeon Masters.
Can I flavor my weapon/armor/insert other item as something else?
Flavor is free and fine, as long as you stick with the limitations/mechanics of the item. Crossbows flavored as guns is allowed.
NOTE: If you wish to have a “gun” for a LARP event, real guns are absolutely prohibited; any prop you use MUST NOT resemble a real weapon. Fantasy, steampunk, painted Nerf guns are all okay.
If my goal is not to get in good with my faction, how can a player accrue wealth to undermine the factions?
You can still complete jobs and get paid.
When story critical missions pop up, will players be made aware of them?
Yes. Missions will be put out in the off week to the players to decide on what needs to be done. Missions not chosen by players will still happen, without player influence.
The wrap up of missions not taken by players MIGHT be posted on discord by Discord DMs. That is completely to be determined by them.
What does the level of interest between the two factions look like right now?
It’s still too early with people trying to figure out their characters. No real heavy shift noted yet, but we will see around Session 0.
How common are magic items?
Find out in play. This is ultimately dependent on DM/player interactions. There’s a lot of worldbuilding things that will affect how rare and what types of items will be found. Magic items will NOT be as heavily restricted as they were at the beginning of C4.
How will warlock patrons be handled?
Will be handled in discord possibly, won’t affect plot or world at all. Can be done with a table DM if they agree.
Will there be PvP?
As with all campaigns before, PvP is not allowed and heavily discouraged. HOWEVER, friendly sparring is allowed as long as all parties agree/consent to it.
Economy Questions
How will the economy work?
For this campaign, we are focusing on a gold-less economy, AKA a trade goods economy or bartering economy. There are three major components:
-Faction specific currency (only in faction controlled area in each faction, non useable between factions)
-Trade goods (barter between factions & off mainland)
-Writs of Favor (written promise from someone you’ve helped, tradeable; IOU; most valuable)
How will the economy work with copying spells and/or material components?
That is unable to be answered at this time.
Writs of Favor - what mechanism will be used to validate the WoF? How to prevent/enable counterfeiting?
That’s not something we considered, but definitely will now! There will be a known way to show they are valid (proof of authenticity, magical sigils on goods, TBD)
Debt collection may be a thing, FOIP.
If I am from the Sovereign Concord and am doing a job in Dread Dominion territory, what currency will I earn?
Depends; you get paid the currency for the faction of whoever gave you the job.
Will a currency exchange exist?
Yes, not necessarily advantageous; fees and rates will be affected by story/plot.
What kind of shops will we see?
There is a set number of cities on the mainland; each city will have a blacksmith, general goods merchant, and alchemist. Those shops will be ranked based on things that have happened in the world (player impacted, DM done, background stuff, etc etc).
Ranks can go up and down, and will affect what that store has, prices, etc.
Ie, a Rank 3 Blacksmith will have more goods and better prices than a Rank 1 or Rank 2 Blacksmith
Will there be lifestyle/upkeep cost?
Maybe! Still making decisions.
If we aren’t using gold, how will equipment buying at character creation work?
Gold from equipment buying will be a 1:1 conversion to your specific faction currency
Trade goods: will the amount of what each shop has affect location?
There will be a standard list for each store for each tier. Rank 1 no matter where you are, will have the same stuff and same price. Differences between rank only.
Will there be a shop like what the Mori ran in C4?
No. All shopping will be done at the table or within Downtime.
How will crafting affect the economy?
Currently we are not allowing player crafting this campaign. This is not including player skills (cook feat, crafter feat, etc), as they have no effect on the economy. If it can be abused, it won’t be allowed.
If it is or can be considered flavor, or if a player has an ability that lets them craft mundane items, it’s fine.
Will we have Downtimes this campaign?
Downtimes will be severely reduced and heavily dependent on where a character is in the world. More information to come as the campaign goes on.
