Introductions: In most campaigns, a group of characters is thrown together at an inn or some other gathering, with players having to awkwardly describe themselves to one another and figure out a reason to adventure together. In Return to the Well, we'll be starting with just a couple of the characters who have worked out their backgrounds so that they're already friends, family or at the very least co-workers. After that, new PCs will be gradually added on until we've filled the core group. The idea is to create a natural flow of introductions as you might find in a novel or film, so players should make sure their character concept fits in snugly with whatever is current to the story by keeping up with the blog entries. As these characters are added they will begin with an XP total equivalent to the existing PCs, and it's likely that it might take a couple levels before all are in place.
Classes & Ancestries: All Classes & Ancestries from the Core Rulebook and official sourcebooks are welcome, although characters are encouraged to stick with types that better fit into the current climate, culture and environment.
Alignment: You can choose any non-evil alignment. Though fun, evil characters won't have much of a place where we're going, and are more likely to over-complicate or stall game sessions. Thault is a continent of many races, creeds, loyalties, and prejudices, there will be plenty of conflict available without the need to pile on much more for ourselves. Chaotic neutral characters may come under a bit of extra scrutiny, so if choosing that alignment please adhere to its actual description.
Other Restrictions: While a dash of distinctiveness and eccentricity can round out a character, I'd like players to avoid the creation of 'clown' characters which are immediately problematic. A little bit of trouble can be fun to get into, and there is nothing wrong with a sense of humor, but if the DM and other players are spending more time trying to backtrack your every action, or if you're just showing up to try and test everyone's limits, it might be best to hang that idea up, even if it's 'in character'. One other type I'd like to avoid is the 'empty combat suit', a PC who sits around twiddling his or her thumbs and doesn't even seem to know we're at a roleplaying game until the fighting starts. It's not unusual to have an entire session or two without any combat whatsoever, so whether this is 'just being in character' or not isn't going to guarantee a good time. Show up to roleplay, always! If you want a few great examples, check out the YouTube channels for Critical Role or L.A. by Night.
