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Dungeon Master for Hire!

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HOW DO WE GET STARTED?

The first step in getting your group started in a game at 'Dungeon Master for Hire' is to pick which version and setting your group wants to play.  

Three versions  and settings  are available.  


Versions


1) 5th edition 

2) 3.5 edition 

3) OD&D 


Version Specifics / House Rules


1)  5.0 -  This is the most recent version which most people nowadays are using.     Available races are:  human, dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf,                                     dragonborn, tiefling, half-orc and halfling.  Some races also have subraces,such as mountain dwarf or wood elf.  Not in use as a race in my                      Dark Sun or Mystara campaigns are dragonborn and tieflings.  They just don't exist in Athas or Mystara.


               Available classes in all settings are:  barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, mystic, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, warlock, wizard.  


               This system uses a unique, 'advantage-disadvantage', feature which many players like.  Savings throws have been replaced by DC checks,

               (difficulty checks), based on attributes.  At level 3 characters get to specialize their classes into one of three paths, allowing for more 

               character development than previous versions.  The feats and skills are reduced in number, but well balanced. This is the most recent, and 

               most popular version.


2)  3.5 -  This version has the following race options:  human, dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, half-orc and halfling.  Available classes are:  barbarian,

               bard, cleric, druid,  fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, and wizard.  The skills in 3.5 use a rank system. Each level you get ranks                     which are used to upgrade your skills.  They also introduced 'feats' in this version.   


3)  OD&D - This is the classic 80's boxed sets, (Red, Blue, Green, Black and Gold), otherwise known as the 'Basic Rules'.    Available races are:                                human, dwarf, elf, halfling.  Available classes are:  cleric, fighter, magic-user, thief, mystic.  All dwarves and halflings are considered fighters                     in this version, and all elves are considered fighter/magic-users.  


Making a Character


There is a lot involved in making a character for a game of Dungeons and Dragons, and for a group of players this can often take several hours just in itself.  Depending on which version of the rules your group has chosen, character creation will occur as follows:


1) 5.0 version - let the dungeon master know what each member of your group wants to be, (race, class, background, alignment and sex), along with 

                         any special quirks you'd like the character to have 

                       - the Dungeon Master will create the characters based on your desires and have them ready for your first game so you can start right 

                          away - with this option the players do not roll their own attributes or pick their own skills

                       - alternatively your group can spend game time to make up their characters all together, and roll their own attributes/pick their own skills
                          or, if someone in your group owns the players manual, you can make up the characters yourself and bring them 

                          ready to play

                       - if you choose to make up your own character, the 'customized ability score variant', must be used - any characters attributes that do

                         not 'add up' will be disqualified from play

                       - all classes are in use, however no dragonborn and no tiefling characters in the Dark Sun or Mystara campaigns,  (these do not exist in                              the worlds of Athas or Mystara)


2) 3.5 version - let the dungeon master know what each member of your group wants to be, (race, class, background, alignment and sex), along with 

                         any special quirks you'd like the character to have 

                       - the Dungeon Master will create the characters based on your desires and have them ready for your first game so you can start right 

                          away - with this option the players do not roll their own attributes or pick their own skills

                       - alternatively your group can spend game time to make up their characters all together, and roll their own attributes/pick their own skills
                       - see above for race and class restrictions


3) OD&D        - same as for 3.5.  Let the DM know your choices and he will have the characters ready for you for play

                      - alternatively, your group can make up their characters with the DM on game time and roll your own attributes/pick your own skills

                        and feats, or, make up your own character before the game if you own the OD&D set

                      - see above for race and class restrictions


SETTING OPTIONS


There are 3 setting options available:


1)   Mystara

2)   Forgotten Realms (Faerun)

3)   Dark Sun (Toril) 

MYSTARA


This is the main campaign setting that I use, however other options (see above) are possible.   Since this is the most out-dated campaign that I use,  the information can be hard to find, so I have provided a lot of information below on the different countries and cultures/races involved.  

Below I have placed a link for you to click that will give you give you a run-down of the countries included in the 'Known World' of Mystara. Here is the link:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTesyZDm


Available races:  human, dwarf, elf, half-elf, half-orc, halfling, gnome.  There are no Dragonborn or Tieflings in the Mystara setting.


FORGOTTEN REALMS


The focus of the Forgotten Realms setting is the continent of Faerûn, part of the fictional world of Abeir-Toril, usually called simply Toril, an Earth-like planet with many real-world influences. Unlike Earth, the lands of the Forgotten Realms are not all ruled by the human race: the planet Toril is shared by humans, dwarves, elves, goblins, orcs, and other peoples and creatures. Technologically, the world of the Forgotten Realms is not nearly as advanced as that of Earth; in this respect, it resembles the pre-industrial Earth of the 13th or 14th century. However, the presence of magic provides an additional element of power to the societies. There are several nation states and many independent cities, with loose alliances being formed for defense or conquest. Trade is performed                                                                                        by ship or  horse-drawn vehicle,  and manufacturing is based upon cottage industry.


Toril consists of several large continents, including Faerûn, the western part of a continent that was roughly modeled after the Eurasian continent on Earth., which is the main setting of a Forgotten Realms campaign.  Religion plays a large part in the Forgotten Realms, with deities and their followers being an integral part of the world. They do not have a passive role, but in fact interact directly in mortal affairs, answer prayers, and have their own personal agendas. All deities must have worshipers to survive, and all mortals must worship a patron deity to secure a good afterlife. A huge number of diverse deities exist within several polytheistic  pantheons. 

Available races are:  human, dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, dragonborn, tiefling, half-orc and halfling.  Some races also have subraces,such as mountain dwarf or wood elf. 

Here is an informational video on the world of Forgotten Realms (Toril) to give you an idea of the setting.  




DARK SUN


Dark Sun is played on the fictional planet Athas. Novels and source books largely take place in Tyr Region though other areas are described for a play such as the Ringing Mountains and the Jagged Cliffs. The game likely takes place on a single continent, but the exact landmass configuration of the planet or the existence of other continents is unknown.

Athas has a single, crimson sun and two moons named Ral and Guthay.  Dark Sun features a number of important distinguishing features that differentiate it from other Dungeons and Dragons campaign settings. The brutal climate and the oppressive rule of the sorcerer-kings have created a corrupt, blood thirsty, and desperate culture that leaves little room for chivalric virtues common to fantasy settings (hence why paladins are excluded from the setting).   Slavery is wide spread, the people are violent, and monsters roam the wastes beyond the safe havens of the city-states and villages.   Arcane magic draws its power from the life force of plants or living creatures with the potential to cause tremendous harm to the environment. As a result, wizards and other arcane casters are despised and must practice in secret.  Psionics are extremely common with nearly every living thing having at least a modicum of psionic ability. Due to a scarcity of metal, weapons and armor are made from natural materials such as bone, stone, wood, carapace or obsidian.  Athas has no deities and no formal religions other than the false cults created by the sorcerer-kings.   Thus clerics and druids instead draw power from the Inner Planes/Elemental Chaos


Races in Dark Sun are limited to:  humans, dwarves, elves, half-elves, half-giants, half-orc, halflings, muls, and thri-kreen.  There are no gnomes, dragonborn or tieflings in Dark Sun.


Putting it All Together


Now that you've seen the options, it's time to make some selections.  When contacting DM for Hire for a game,  please have the following choices made:


Game Version:  5e, 3.5 or OD&D?


Setting:  Mystara, Faerun, or Dark Sun?


If the DM is making up characters for the group, each player will have to provide the following choices;                                                                                                          

Race

Class

Gender

Alignment

Background (what was your character before they decided to become an adventurer?)

Any special quirks that you would like to role-play (accents, a lisp, goes crazy around wine, afraid of bats, etc)


After you have submitted this information, the DM can design a character for you for play and this will save us all some time and you some money.  For those that want to totally make up their character every step of the way during the first session, this is fine, but it's on your group's time.