Welcome to the game! This is where you can ask the DM (me) out-of-character questions about stuff like actions you want to take, rules to work over, etc.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:32, Mon 01 Nov 2021.

Alright, so I mentioned a "Bioware-style" companion system for this campaign, which I think you'll be interested in. While there are a number of NPCs which can join your team from the beginning, they're all more for plot hooks and roleplay than they are for help in combat.

The basic premise is that you and I discuss 2-3 character concepts - and possibly even builds - for custom NPC companions; we describe what type of bond you want them to have with your character, and I'll sprinkle them in across the first few regions of the game so that you can meet them organically and invite them to join your team.

In combat, you'll control their actions, but otherwise, I will be doing the roleplaying.

How does this sound so far? It may be a bit more work than just creating one character, but I believe that it will create really strong ties and give you even more freedom to have the type of team you want.

By the way, how familiar are you with the Out of the Abyss module? In order to follow the spirit of the module, I was thinking that your character would definitely be a total foreigner to the Underdark, someone from the surface who hasn't even considered that they might end up there.

Sounds good to me!    And I know surprisingly little about the Out of the Abyss module, other than it being considered "hard".

So I rolled up my stats (ignore that first roll, I was thinking I could repeat it 6 times).   I ended up with 15, 13, 13, 12, 11, 4 (ouch).

I just realized that I made your name appear as "placeholder"; sorry about that, the interface told me to name your character before you even got here, so that's what I did instead. I could change it to say your username instead, for now?

With those rolls, it sounds like the array is going to be your best option.

As for the module, allow me to give you the breakdown: your character is a standard adventurer from the surface, who has been captured and taken deep, deep below the earth to a dark elf outpost for holding before you'll be transported to their main city and sold as a slave. You begin the game without any of your adventuring equipment on you, and must find a way to escape before you meet such a terrible fate.

The first chapter of the module is all about this outpost where you're being held, and is essentially a slow-burn of a jailbreak situation; you can bide your time, make deals with the guards, keep a watch on patrols, and sneak around, or you can try something crazy and try to get away before anyone realizes what has happened.

Personally, I would advise a slow-burn approach, so that your character can get their bearings and make a solid plan (or two, or three).

Speaking of the place where you begin, your character will have been in this prison for about 10 days already, and will have had the opportunity to scavenge something and smuggle it away for potential use: roll a d20 for me to see what you got.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:26, Tue 02 Nov 2021.

Yep, I’ll go with the array.   And sure I’m fine with placeholder or my user name.

Oh and I rolled a 4 on a d20.    Does it alert you when I roll?   Or should I let you know the result in a post?

It looks like you found yourself "A living spider the size of a tarantula", my friend. I have no idea exactly how useful it will be, but who knows? You may not even want it, especially since the drow themselves keep giant spiders like bandits keep wild dogs.

The next steps are in your hands; once you have a character concept to talk about, just hit me up. I am ready to help anytime.

I'm also realizing now that I failed to answer your question about the dice. No, I am not alerted to when dice rolls are made, so notifying me is the best way to get it seen.

I've been thinking of character ideas, and I've rolled my 2 bonds to see if that can help inspire me a bit.

Here's what I ended up with for bonds:

1. You once had the opportunity to meet a circle of myconids - the mushroom folk of the Underdark. They offered you shelter and a chance to "meld" using their telepathic spores, and you have yearned ever since to repeat that experience.

6. Years ago, a vicious noble named Ghazrim DuLoc was implicated in the death of someone you cared about. The crime was covered up, though, and DuLoc disappeared. Rumor has it the Zhentarim aided his escape, but you've sworn to find him one day.

For my character, I'm leaning towards a Mountain Dwarf Druid or Ranger.   What are your thoughts on multiclassing in the future?   Obviously subject to the ability score minimums on the PHB, and would have to make sense for the situation.

I just saw the part about extra 1st level...so I think that answers the multiclass question, if I read it correctly.

The PHB says that mountain dwarves are called shield dwarves in this setting, which is interesting because of the focus that the module places on that race every so often - namely those mentions of Gauntlgrym.

Given your race and your bonds, your character could have been born of virtually any kind of family across the realm; a simple dwarven clan hidden away in a forest, hill or mountain, a soldier in the army that fought to take back Gauntlgrym, an orphan from some city big or small, and so on and so forth.

As for multiclassing, I'm certainly not barring you from doing it; it's just up to you whether you want to do it or not. The extra 1st level idea was someone else's, but I think the point of it was that it didn't count for your character levels, which would've caused you to need more XP to level up. What I'm saying is, I think we could do a thing where you combine the extra 1st level with levels of a multiclass, if that's what you want - you'd just have to make sure to clearly note your actual character level.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:38, Wed 03 Nov 2021.

Narratively, the extra 1st level makes you an anomaly with incredible talent; maybe you were born under a strange star, maybe you're just a prodigy of your time, etc.

Also, I just remembered that there's a thing from Xanathar's Guide to Everything that you might like. Have you heard of it? It's called "This Is Your Life"; it helps you flesh out all of the little details of your character's life.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:42, Wed 03 Nov 2021.

Hmmm interesting.    I will definitely check it out...I got a copy of Xanathar’s guide recently and haven’t had a chance to do more than glance at it until now.    I should have some time tomorrow to start coming up with some more solid ideas for my character.   I’m pretty set on a dwarf, but still considering which classes would match what I’m looking to get out of this campaign.   Part of me wants to try something different, because I tend to end up with Rangers and Druids quite a bit...so maybe I’ll do a Cleric Fighter instead.