Getting Started

This is the place for new players to get started. Listed below are the house rules for the game.

If you have any issues or questions, please ask in the Help Desk channel.

## First Steps

1. Please go over the basics of the world and familiarise yourself with the House Rules
2. Create a character according to the character creation rules
3. Create an avatar token using this link
4. Post your character sheet including a small description and the avatar token in #character\_list
5. Change your Discord name to: [lvl.3] charactername
6. Introduce your character in the #the\_golden\_tankard\_ic channel, assemble a party and look for outgoing missions.

## Character Creation

* Character creation is based on a **30** Point Buy system
	+ Minimum score of 7, maximum score of 17 (before racial stats)
	+ You can use this calculator for quick calculations
		- Under Custom Rules, you can adjust the number of points to assign (please note that the calculator's default maximum available points is **27**)
* Level 3 start. Take the average HP when calculating total HP
* **Classes:**
	+ Everything from PHB, XGTE, SCAG (no wings), Revised Ranger and Mercer's Gunslinger 1.3. (Gunslingers get a free pistol) are permitted
* Default **Races:**
	+ Humans, Dwarves, Half-Orcs, Halflings, Gnomes, Dragonborn, Tieflings.
		- **Unlocked Races:**
			* *The Lunasi*
			* *Goblins (from Volo's Guide to Monsters)*
		- Human Variants get specific Feats, depending on where they are from.
* **Starting items:** Everyone starts with 150gp (nothing from class or background) that can be spent on weapons, armor and mundane items.
* **Languages**:
	+ The maximum number of languages your character can learn is equal to their Intelligence modifier (minimum 1).
	+ If they have more languages than this, choose which ones you wish to keep.
	+ All characters know how to speak Common, but they cannot read or write Common if they have not learned to.
* **Darkvision:**
	+ Darkvision is not a common ability, only those who live in the darkest places of the world have it. If you are not a drow elf, deep gnome, or duergar, and you have the darkvision ability, remove it.
		- *Languages and Darkvision, gained through class features are exempted.*
* **Multiclassing:**
	+ If you want to multiclass you have to take at least 4 levels in one class before you can invest in another class, after which you have to take at least 4 levels in your new class before switching classes again.
* **Inventory:**
	+ You can only carry a limited amount of gear, weapons and armor.
	+ Your inventory capacity is equal to your Strength Score.
	+ Mundane Items usually take 1 resource slot each. (Rations and Torches take 1 slot per 10 each. Gold takes 1 slot per 100 gp)
	+ For detailed Weapon, Armor and Item resource costs and slots, refer to this list.

## House Rules

### **Dangerous Magic**

* Magic has become volatile and extremely dangerous since the Cataclysm.
* Spellcasters need a focus, arcane or divine. If you don't have a focus, your spells will cause a wild magical surge. This focus can be integrated into a weapon or shield.
* Every spellcasting focus has a small Arcanium Crystal built into it. Otherwise, the wild magic wouldn't be controllable at all. And even with one, a small risk of backlash remains, as described below.
	+ **Magic Surge:**
		- Whenever you cast a spell, roll a flat d20.
		- If the result is equal or below the spell level; the spell triggers a Magical Surge.
			* [roll a d100 on the Magic Surge Table]

### **Wizard Spellbooks:**

* Player spellbooks are destroyed upon death. Bringing a character back to life restores the spellbook.

### **Stress**

* The adventuring life is not an easy one. Moving from town to town, delving into dark dungeons and hunting dangerous monsters for perhaps a few gold coins, is not a safe—or sane—way to make a living.
* Stress can be gained through danger, hardship and adversity.
	+ You start with 0 points of Stress.
	+ When you reach 10 points of Stress for the first time after a long rest you suffer a Stress Break, gaining a random Affliction.
	+ Roll a d100 on the Affliction Table
	+ When you reach 20 points of Stress your heart starts to give out. Make a Death Blow saving throw DC 15 (Constitution saving throw).
	+ On a failure you are reduced to 0 hit points and dying.
	+ Whenever you take additional damage or gain more Stress while at 20 Stress points you need to make another Death Blow saving throw (DC 15).
* **Recovering Stress:**
	+ You can recover stress from resting. But also various spells and class abilities allow for stress recovery:
		- A short rest restores 1d4 points of Stress.
		- A long rest restores 1d6 + your wisdom modifier points of Stress.
		- Rolling a natural 20 on an attack roll against a dangerous enemy restores 1 point of Stress.
		- Killing a creature that has damaged your sanity restores 1 point of Stress.
		- [Lesser Restoration] restores 1d4 points of Stress.
		- Paladins [Lay on Hands] restores 1 point of Stress for 5 Lay on Hands points spend.
		- Using a [Bardic Inspiration] dice or being effected by a Battlemaster's [Rally] dice restores half the value rolled worth of points of Stress.
		- [Protection from Good and Evil] Negate any stress gain from specified creature types for the duration.
* **Healing an Affliction:**
	+ A [Greater Restoration] spell can heal one Affliction.
	+ Once the Sanitarium is unlocked in Ashgate, Afflictions can be healed there for a fee.
	+ Until then, all Afflictions are effectively permanent.