DM wants to learn&play lost mines of phandelver 3-4 players. 1-2 x month sat 1-4EST

[BubblesDaClown]

THIS GAME IS NOW FULL


FG License: I have ultimate.
Game System: 5e

Time Zone: EST
Day of week and time: Saturdays 1-4 PM
If new game, planned start date: When I have four players.
Planned Duration & Frequency: Once or twice a month.
Term: Till the end of the module and then we'll see, or the best laid plans and all that.

Text or Voice: Voice.
Voice software used: I signed up for discord two or three days ago, but have used skype.
Will this be recorded and/or live streamed? No.


Roleplay & Combat mix: 50/50
Number of Players in game & needed: FULL
Character starting level & equipment: 1st level, point buy system, you can get default equipment for class or arrange a session with me to build character with GP determined by roll.
Character restrictions:

No evil characters. You need a backstory that fits your race and class (and background if you have one). Review final with me.

If there is something in Unearthed Arcana you want to use discuss with me, for backgrounds, subraces, and class specific careers, discuss with me if it isn't in the PHB.

You can use any race in the PHB along with the following:
Race:
Aasimar
Goliath
Kenku
LizardFolk
Tabaxi
Triton

Details of your scenario:

Lost mines of Phandelver, then wherever we want to go if we want to go somewhere.

Death is possible, though I'd like to have player input, just dont get attached.

Come up with two or three different characters you might like to play so that if we end up with duplicates we can experience a wider range of PC types.

I have one person I want to ask if they want to join in. That will leave first come first serve, if that player doesn't want to join in then I'm looking for four characters.

Finally remember when building your character the simpler you make it, the easier it is for me. That being said, I believe that everyone has to learn sometime and am extremely patient. If you are experienced but don't want to play with people who are new to the system or new to fantasy grounds this probably isn't the game for you. However, if you don't mind helping other people and teaching, this might be the game for you.

Bubbles

Edit: I have volos guide and xanathar's guide, so subraces and class specific things in those books are also available.

Edit: I am now open for 4 players.

[Skornn]

I'm completely new to Fantasy Grounds and haven't played DnD in over a decade so I'm essentially a new player. If you don't mind someone that is new to both Fantasy Grounds and DnD, I'd love to join your group and play through Lost Mines of Phandelver and whatever else may come in the future. I've been looking to get back into it for some time, and finally have the time to do it so I look forward to starting.

[BubblesDaClown]

You're in. When I get to it later today I'll go over next steps in thread.
Bubbles

Edit: Also note this is 1-4 PM as that may make a big difference. I edited the post. Wasn't thinking about that when I originally posted.

[1bighammer]

You still looking for more players? I would be interested. I have an ulimate lic and a variation of different characters. Been in FG since Dec 2018 but have learned a ton. Have been playing DND for 30+ years.

[BubblesDaClown]

First come first serve. You're in. Note this is 1-4 PM. Just updated original post. I'll map going forward out later today.

[Lemonjelly]

I would like to join. I have a standard license but I'm still pretty new to FG, though character creation isn't a problem.

[BubblesDaClown]

You're in. One more slot left. I'll post plans going forward later today.

[KaeanCyredathem]

Ultimate license here, pretty experienced w/both FG and 5e, would love to discuss being a player. Can play a character that suits party composition, both mechanically and personality-wise, so others can have first pick on what they want to play and I'll fill.

[BubblesDaClown]

You are in. I'll post more later today about going forward.

[BubblesDaClown]

Ok,
So I have my networking set up and confirmed working. And the discord server set up and confirmed working for me. That's why this is later then I thought.

Here's what's next. Try to do the following by Wednesday.

I need you to give me your contact emails in a PM on this site. Don't give me something you don't want other people to know because I am going to use the emails you give me to coordinate group things among you. After I have all your contact info I wont use this forum post again. (Also I'm one of the olds... so I use email...)

Don't use this forum to relay information to me. While I will get it, I'm trying to leave this post behind.

Try to do the following by Friday.

Install Discord, sign up and test your audio. Don't worry about video, you don't want to see my ugly mug and I don't particularly relish showing it to you.

Once I have your email address I will send you an individual email probably by Friday from my address so that you have that as well. Once I have all your addresses I'll send a group email with everyone on it, and we can start from there.

Some other things to think about in the intervening time frame:

Your characters.

You are heroes of the good kind, you may be broken, don't want to be heroes, have quirks, not exactly be on the right side of the law (may not want to be), and so on,but ultimately your heart is in the right place. You may even be the target of others who aren't evil for some reason. But ultimately burning an entire village to the ground just to hear the screams isn't you. Burning it down on accident and suffering the consequences? That's up to me. Neutral or good characters only.

Since I plan on continuing after lost mines, likely a published adventure, though don't know what yet, don't worry about choosing characters that don't pop at low levels, do what you think you'd like to do for the long haul.

You may want to throw together 2 or 3 characters before Friday, that way when I share your addresses you'll be able to send your classes and races to everyone in order to figure out what you want to do. I have no preference, if you decide you want to all be gnomish monks on a quest to find the perfect haiku, so be it, however I'm not going to fundamentally alter the module so variety might make it easier on you. Also if you get bored with something we'll change it out at an appropriate moment so don't worry about being locked in.

Don't send your player backgrounds or stories to everyone if you want to keep them secret, unless you plan on being established compatriots, but I will need to see them.

This module is in Faerun, consider the evil factions your enemies, or at best in opposition to you, but if you have a feeling you'd like to eventually have your character get in contact with one of the good or neutral factions, let me know in private. It may or may not happen.

You are all traveling to Phandalin together, the town in the module. Consider why you might be doing that together with the other specific PCs, and when we have the group's email and discord server up you can discuss among yourselves.

Equipment.

Use standard equipment for background and class.

If you don't want a background disregard background and class specific equipment and use 75% of max class beginning gold (PHB 143) rounded up to the nearest GP. This is so you can build your characters without me being present.

Ex: Paladin = 5d4x10 Max is 200, use 150 GP. Druid 2d4x10 Max is 80, use 60 GP.

Costs of equipment are as listed in the PHB or fantasy grounds.

If your really hung on rolling for gold we can set up a character build session and you can roll but your getting one chance and if your paladin rolls 5d4 and gets 5 you just lost 100 GP.

Ammunition, rations, lodging and travel. I want to keep track of this in fantasy grounds, but not have it be a spreadsheet. If it gets to be a chore we'll address it later. Running out of ammo may not be fun from a strategic standpoint, but it can be from a roleplay one.

Specific to ammunition, after you leave combat, if you are still around, and it hasn't been destroyed, ask me if you retrieve ammo, if I say yes, you can retrieve half your expended ammunition rounded up. I'm leaving keeping track of this in your hands though. I'm not going to be watching it.

Spell components: As long as you have a component pouch, or appropriate focus I'm going to ignore these unless there is a cost associated with the component, in which case you need to have on your character the amount of gold dictated in the component cost.

Character building sessions

I have in the past, although I am new at this, set up individual sessions with players to walk them through building their characters in fantasy grounds. I enjoy doing this, so if this is something you want to do because you are unfamiliar or just want to be in the server when you are doing let me know. We will get together. I am assuming you all can download and install the client, or already have it, but if you are having issues we'll work through it. This also gives you a chance to make sure you can connect to the server.

Questions:
If you have any questions save them for when we have email addresses established.

Me:
For the rest of this month I'm working an off schedule, I probably wont be around when most of you are awake. In April I go back to a normal one. For now we are shooting for 3 hour sessions 1-4 PM on saturdays, but after that shift change there may be an opportunity to have these sessions on days and times that make better sense for everyone. That being said, I like doing it on saturday, and probably will stick with that as the primary day.

Finally because I am relatively new, I'd appreciate it if you catch rules errors, bookeeping errors (component costs, etc), and other stuff if I miss it. Don't worry about speaking up. If I make a decision and there is something wrong with it, let me know, if it is wrong, we'll all discuss it, but I make the final decision.

Bubbles

[Targas]

Side note from a GM. I‘m not playing in your group, but please consider players might not have all sources available for character generation, as you might have (or vice versa). That could lead to players generating their characters from the SRD. Although nothing wrong with it, you can end up with mixed Player Handbook, Xanarhar‘s Guide and SRD resources being used together, which could lead to having multiple resources (memory) open at once and item‘s not referring from the same source.
So here is how I handle it. Either let the serer run (unattended) for the players as a lookup and for generating their chars directly in it, or let them give you a character sheet and you all enter everything yourself as a GM. Lately some users used D&D Beyond, so I switched to the latter option.
But this is just my suggestion, to avoid inconsistencies later. Of course, you can do it as you like.