The Comprehensive Guide to Starting Daleos

This is a WIP, stay tuned for a full guide to get you from joining the server, to having an epic time being involved in the thickest of stories!

## Before Joining the Server

You might have come from a background playing tabletop games, previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons, play-by-post roleplays, or computer role-playing games. No matter where you come from, no matter what your backstory is in the gaming industry, my goal in this section is to update you to where Daleos stands among it all.

If you are used to playing older editions of Dungeons & Dragons, you might find this harder to absorb than most other players who come from different backgrounds. We play 5e D&D, which is to say the latest version as of writing this guide. Previous editions focused much more on combat, dungeon exploring, and the DM creating and ruling a world. Even when they ran modules, the DM was considered to be the ultimate end no matter what. Fifth edition has stepped away from that, somewhat.

In 5e D&D, the Dungeon Master still plays a very important role as lead storyteller, rule interpreter, world designer, among many other things. However, the players are much more emphasized to have more power here. In earlier editions, what the DM said, goes. Period. In 5e, while that is largely the case, it is also important to understand that 5e is much more about a cooperative story. While the DM might do all of this work and play an important part, he is nothing without Players who can agree to these rules and have fun at the same time.

With that said, it is important to know that as an online server, we take rules a little more seriously than the typical homebrew setting, but not as harsh as an Adventures League group. We have set up a series of Server Rules and our own Gameplay Rules Errata to help keep the game world consistent, always moving forward in the right direction, and still remain balance as this is still a game after all. It is important to remember to respect the rules and changes we have made on the server, but don't feel shy to politely ask about how we may have come to certain decisions. Who knows, we might change them in the future.

This is an online community with lots of blood, sweat, and tears put into it. Everyone plays an important role, no matter if you are a Team Member or an Adventurer. We hope you will love our server, and help to make it grow bigger and better than it already is.

Lastly, we have split up the role of Dungeon Master into multiple groups to help manage the server in a better way. We have Team Leaders, Bot Wizards Team, Business Handler Team, Gameplay Rules Advisory Team Homebrew Development Team, Lore Writers Team, Quest Runner Team, Recruitment Team, Wiki Workers Team.

Each of our teams has an important and vital role to keeping the server running, and we hope that when you're able, you will be willing to join a few of them to help us grow as a server.

## Where do I start

This section hopes to get you started in in a state where you can plop your character into the server for play! The sections following this will be useful tips and guides to help further your play here on the Daleos server, which can be read after you have started the server.

* Have read our Daleos Character and Setting Guide, Server Rules, and Gameplay Rules Errata
* You need access to the PHB (Player's Handbook) to get started in character creation, or other free online supplements such as the SRD
* Our Character Options can be found on the discord server under the Approved Classes channel and the Approved Races and Daleos Eratta Channel
* Lastly you need a place to put your character. We recommend an online service, like Dicecloud, D&D Beyond, Gsheet. Dicecloud takes a little knowledge of coding but otherwise is fairly easy to use, and Gsheet looks like the typical sheet that you might be used too, and D&D Beyond works very closely with Avrae and the content you have there will be accessible on the server.

You will need to create your character on your own; we fully trust you to abide by our rules and make them appropriately. Just remember that we use the point buy system, and always take average health (we don't allow rolling for stats or anything similar). If you need any help, feel free to ask on the help channel on the discord server, someone's always around!

After you have a character fully written up and ready to play, you are free to "rift in" to the server! (Mind you, it's alright if you miss a few things. We just ask that you clean things up as you go along. I personally recommend cleaning things up whenever the server gets slow and you're waiting around for others to log on)

## Rifting In

If you have already read our Daleos Character and Setting Guide, you should know how this works. If you haven't, you should still go back and review before joining the server. There are important guidelines there to make sure characters don't ruin the immersion for others.

When you first create a character, the most common way to have them join the server is to "rift in". This is to say, wherever your character is, whatever they are doing, a magical rift opens up unlike anything in any other world. This rift sucks them in, and sometimes other debris or enemies or friends. The rift then carries you instantly to Daleos, namely the Town Square or Rabbits' Respite of Osteria, and then deposits you there permanently. You are now a part of the server, with no clear way back!

Some people do manage to return home, though it is considered to be an impossible task. Generally, this is reserved as long-term goal for when you reach 20th level. However, some people grow bored of their characters, and may wish to Retire their characters early. We do allow retired characters to "rift home" to give their arcs closure, if that is what you would like to choose.

## This is So Much Fun! What do I do Now?

I'm glad you asked that! Though, I hope by this point you have already joined the server and are enjoying it. If you have not, I recommend you give this guide a break, go have some fun, and read this in between posts. It'll be here for you to read later if you decide to come back after a month, don't worry!

Many players find it fun to create many different characters that they can swap between. Be sure to check out our Creating Multiple Characters Guide before attempting to do so. While I personally recommend against it, everyone does do it (even myself). And it does become useful in case you join a quest, but due to the online nature of things it gets put on hold for some time. You may then wish to play another character who is still free to walk around outside of the quest.

Another thing you may wish to do, is join one of our many teams. As I had mentioned up above, we have quite a selection to choose from. Each team has their own requirements; though in general you have to have been on the server for 3 months. Some teams allow newer recruits, though newer than 1 month is very rare.

You can also check out the Player Character List, and get to learn your fellow characters! (Just remember, *you* learn of these characters, that doesn't mean your *character* learns of them) You might even wish to update your character and add them to the list! Two reasons: The first being so others know about your character and can read about them. The second, is you earn an additional 10% experience from every quest or adventure you go on!

I also mentioned quite a few different things up above, with lots of different links. Now might be a good time to go through those and get them a better read. Or a first read... there's a lot of information.

Learning our local bot, Avrae, is a very useful thing to do as well. Most of the players should have helped you to use her by now, and there is a Bot Wizards Team to help you learn anything you're missing!