Campaign: Heroes of the Hidden Forest
A Dungeons & Dragons 5e campaign for the Hidden Forest gaming group
Heroes of the Hidden Forest (working title) is a loose medley of several popular Dungeons & Dragons adventures in a sandbox-on-rails format, set in a simplified fantasy setting parallel to the Forgotton Realms.
Gameplay
Since players in this campaign don't live in the same area, this game is played online using virtual tabletop software. Digital books and adventure modules are also used. We don't use physical dice, minis or maps, keeping the overall cost fairly low.
These tools are used to organize campaign info and play D&D online:
- WorldAnvil
WorldAnvil is used for note-taking, campaign planning and world details. You can also keep character details here for role-playing and posterity purposes.
- Roll20
Roll20 is a virtual tabletop (VTT) application for online roleplaying games, used to display maps, monsters and handouts.
- D&D Beyond
D&D Beyond is the official Wizards of the Coast website for character sheets, rulebooks, adventures and homebrew creations. This is where to manage your character sheet and roll dice.
- Beyond20
Beyond20 is a browser extension used to link dice rolls and character stats from D&D Beyond to Roll20.
Sourcebooks
These core rulebooks are used to run the game.
Player's Handbook
Dungeon Master's Guide (not acquired)
Monster Manual (not acquired)
These optional supplemental rulebooks provide more details, character options and additional content to enhance the game.
Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide
The most popular sourcebook for the Forgotten Realms setting, this supplement adds more detail and setting-specific options (Backgrounds & Classes) for campaigns in the Forgotten Realms.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything
Xanathar's Guide is a wealth of additional game rules, character options (Sub-Classes, Feats, Spells, Items and more) and activities to provide a more fun, detailed and versatile gameplay experience.
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
This campaign has a lot of Dragons, but the core rulebooks don't give a lot of resources for crafting interesting dragons, lairs, hoards, draconic characters and dragon societies. This book is where to go for more dragony goodness.
Difficulty Level
This campaign has a Moderate difficulty level, with challenging encounters, dangerous monsters and devious villains. The prologue is easy.
Your character may die during gameplay if they are reduced to 0 hit points and fail their death saving throws. If your character dies during combat, you may create a new character or take over an available NPC. If your character dies out of combat or is killed anti-climactically due to a stupid mistake, you may be able to take back your turn at the DM's discretion.
Certain house rules and modifications are in place to make this campaign more accessible to beginner players like bonus perks, magic items, combat manuevers and useful environmental elements or effects. Keep in mind that this method of "scaling up" a party can be prone to failure due to bad decisions or dice roles. Be sure to carefully consider your options, including Inspiration and safety cards.
House Rules
Some basic house rules will be used to speed up gameplay, provide more detail or grit, and clarify ambiguous game rules:
Rulebook Interperetations
Since 5th Edition rules are complex and semantically nuanced as written, this campaign uses D&D 5th Edition Modern Rules as Intended (RAI). Rule interperetations will be noted here for consistency.
Turns & Action Economy
Each turn represents ~6 seconds of activity. Use your character sheet to determine what you think your character can do in one round.
- According to the game rules, a character can do the following during their turn:
- Take a standard action (~3-4 seconds, such as an interaction, attack, spell, etc.)
- Take a bonus action (~1-2 seconds, like sheathing a weapon or using some class abilities)
- Take a move Action up to their current movement speed.
- Speak one sentence.
On your turn, describe what you imagine your character doing in the next six seconds. If your description is reasonable, the DM may ask for a dice check to determine the success or failure of your actions.
If you're not sure whether your character can do something in one turn, ask the DM.
Using Potions as a Bonus Action
Outside of combat, characters can equip one potion on their person (pockets, belt, etc.) to use quickly as a bonus action. The potion is broken and lost if the character takes a critical hit.
Critical Success & Failure
- Extra damage dice for critical hits are maximized (Mercer rules)
- Critical failures on ranged attacks fired into melee may hit an ally (3e rules)
- Critical failures give Inspiration on next roll (One D&D rules)
- Critical rolls (1&20) on ability checks & saving throws result in the best or worst possible scenario (4e rules)
Bonus Feats & Level-Up Perks
- Characters get one free perk (chosen by the DM w/ player input) based on their character background and skills.
- Players can choose one free feat at level 1, so long as they meet the prerequisites and with DM approval
- Players receive an amount of bonus points at each level (listed as EXP) which can be traded for perks and bonus feats
Homebrew Creations
Homebrew creations are enabled in D&D Beyond. Homebrews should only be used to add more flavor and customization to your character, and not to increase its overall "power". Please check with the DM before adding any homebrews.
Creating a Character
Characters will be created during Session 0. You don't need to make a charatcer ahead of time, but you can take some notes on the character you'd like to play. Check out the Players Handbook to learn more about the character options available to you.
You can create a new character later if you make a mistake in the character creation process, or if you want to play a different class later on.
Boundaries
Boundaries exist to exclude unwanted topics from the game table and ensure that everyone can enjoy their D&D experience. You can add an item to this list at any time. If something uncomfortable comes up during gameplay, use a safety card to skip it.Lines
These themes do not exist in the world, and are specifically disallowed at the table:
- Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism
- Sexual Violence or Harassment
- Dead Pets
Veils
These themes do exist in the world, but are not included in gameplay or described at the table.
- Pregnancy & Children ("G" Max)
- Graphic Sexual Content ("R" Max)
- Body Horror ("PG-13" Max)
Safeties
If something happens during gameplay that keeps you from havng fun, you can use a safety card to skip the scene or modify your roll.
Bonus Cards
Bonus Cards can be used to add a random bonus to your roll. They use a standard playing card deck and are scored as in blackjack (aces + jokers crit). Each player gets one bonus card per session.
Skip ("X") Cards
X Cards can be used to skip a scene or description that you're uncomfortable with. No explanation is required, but the DM may ask some questions to help them understand what content should be skipped.
Setting
This campaign is set in the Hidden Forest, a fantastical universe parallel to the Forgotten Realms. The story takes place on the world of Toril, in the northwest region of the continent of Faerûn.
Our heroes find themselves in the coastal city of Neverwinter awaiting the arrival of their friend and patron Gundren Rockseeker, who has hired them to escort a shipment of mining supplies along the Sword Coast to the quiet town of Phandalin.
Plot
This campaign is run as a series of modules from level 0-5 or higher, plus a prologue (Rise of the Redscales) to set the stage. Several changes have been made to each adventure module to carry a common theme and continuous narrative.
Plot points/Scenes
Prologue: Rise of the Redscales
The campaign begins with the adventure Rise of the Redscales, a humorous one-shot adventure for a party of 4th-level kobolds. In this adventure the party must defeat the treacherous Bluescale clan and discover the fate of the Dragon Queen.
Act 1: The Lost Dragon of Phandalin
In Act 1 the players will become acquainted with Phandalin, the primary setting of the campaign. Their characters will thwart the villanous Redbrand Ruffians and discover a secret plot to take over the lost Phandelver Mine.
Themes
High Fantasy
Sword & Sorcery
Relations
Protagonists
The Redscales (Prologue)
Phandalin Adventurers
Allies
Gundren Rockseeker
Sildar Hallwinter
Backdrops
Threats
Bandits & Ruffians
Evil Mages
Monsters
Table of Contents
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