Introduction PLEASE read this page carefully! If you just skim it, chances are you will miss important details! Come and join The Guild, a group of almost-heroes for hire, traveling across the endless planes of existence for adventure, treasure, pay, and occasionally justice.  We play D&D4e as a series of interconnected come-when-you-can sessions: you are welcome to show up to the games you can make and skip the ones you can't with no repercussions, gaining levels and skills as you go  We average about 50 games per month among our 25 DMs and 100+ players (new and old) and have been running strong for over 5 years. Players with all ranges of experience, including new players, are welcome to join and are provided with all the materials needed to play (materials, rules, guides, checklists, video tutorials, etc.) upon joining The Guild. For more info, keep reading this guide and join our Discord server ! Please learn the basics FIRST : The Player's Handbook for 4e is widely available from various sources online (make sure you get the book for fourth edition). Before doing anything else, you should make a moderate effort on your own to get a grasp on the basics of roleplaying and the game, including skill checks, the basics of how combat works (standard, minor, move actions, the difference between a burst and a blast power or a close burst if you have one or more of those, etc.). You should read at least Chapters 1,2, 8, and 9 of the PHB (covering basics, adventuring, and combat), about 50 pages, so it shouldn't take too long. No, we don't expect you to know all the rules for cover and concealment off the top of your head right away, but it will help everyone immensely if you know a little bit: the more work you can do on your own, the more time our DMs can dedicate to running sessions! That being said, if you are confused, feel free to ask questions in Discord or in our Questions thread . Grab our Portable Compendium program, which contains virtually all items, powers, classes, races, feats, etc. in 4e, including the numerous errata added after their initial publication. Some info may be missing, so ask a GM if you're unsure. You should download this or have something equivalent (e.g. funin.space, not a D&D Wiki) in order to make your character. Please note that the Portable Compendium is a patched version updated by the Guild to correct many errors and exclusions that the publisher made when translating game elements from the original publications. We strongly recommend against using the Character Builder for your characters for the same ( and some additional ) reasons. Playing Sessions in the Guild Please have a Discord account and a working microphone: Join the Guild Discord Server where our DMs announce games, our members chill out and help each other, and players, new and old alike, work out their characters. There is also a considerable amount of off-topic tomfoolery: it's a good way to get to know the people you will be playing alongside. Please read the Guild Discord rules in the #welcome channel when you join.   Make your character! Before you can play, you have to make a player character (PC). New characters start at level 5 with 4500 gold pieces. After you read the chapters of the PHB named above, work through the New Character Checklist , which will guide you through getting your character ready and checked by our DMs. You will first have to make a character sheet on myth-weavers , then make some basic macros on roll20 for your powers and abilities. If you need a little help with building your character or writing your macros, feel free to ask in the appropriate Discord chat. You may want to keep in mind these general tips about using build chat and asking good questions . After you have done all that, have a look at some of the responsibilities and etiquette that will be expected of you whenever you play a session! Getting into a game: DMs will list when they want to run games in the Upcoming Sessions channel of the Guild Discord and will use that channel to ping when rolls are opening for a session, usually 15-30 minutes before the start of the game. Before the beginning of each game, all players with an eligible character will click the “I WANT TO PLAY” macro found in their character journals, which rolls a d20 and sends the result to the DM to determine who gets in. In general, the top 6 rolls will play that session, provided they have posted their character sheet and have made their macros. Eligible characters are characters that are alive and are an acceptable level for the mission. Sessions are usually listed as “Adventure Levels” or AL; typically characters within 2 levels of the AL are the best fits for that session. For instance, an AL8 game is appropriate for characters of levels 6-10, though DMs may allow characters three levels from the AL to participate in select circumstances. The DM retains the right to make final decisions about which PCs play in their sessions. All players should keep in mind ways that they can be a good Guildmate during rolls . There will also be impromptu sessions announced in the Guild Discord when a DM suddenly finds they have free time. Keep an eye on the chat if you're looking to play! If you roll low and don't get into a session: You get what we call a “multiplier,” a +10 bonus for the next time you roll into a session. For instance, if everyone but you rolled a 10 or higher and you rolled a 6 to get into a session, then the next time that you go to play a session, you get a +10 bonus to your roll. If you still don't get into that one, you get a +20 for the next, and so on. Note: you have to show up for a session and be able to play it to get a mult. If you can't make a whole session because you have work or something, then you are not eligible for a mult. If the game is a level that you do not have an eligible character for (e.g. a paragon game and your characters are levels 5 and 8), you can still get a mult for not being able to participate in that game. More stuff on mults here . Please be respectful of others' time. If you plan to roll to get in, you should plan to take part in each session for the full listed duration (or about 4-5 hours if no duration is listed) . The estimated length of the session should be listed with its posting in the Upcoming Sessions channel. If you cannot stay for the maximum posted game time (if you have class or work in an hour and a half), do not roll to get into the game . You are making a commitment to your allies and companions when you play that you will be there to back them up until the job is done. If you leave in the middle of a session without just cause, it may result in a temporary or permanent ban from the Guild. Sorry for getting all in-your-face, everyone, but other similar come-when-you-can games have had issues with people pulling this sort of crap and leaving their teammates to die while the DM flounders to adjust the rest of the session. The flexibility of this game should allow you to play full sessions no matter what your schedule, so you don't need to resort to playing half of one. Come prepared to work together . The format of Guild adventures assumes that the entire party will work together on the adventure, so if you have some especially malevolent or self-centered idea for a character, save it for another campaign, please. If you have not had your myth-weavers sheet and macros for a character checked by a DM yet (on Discord), you may not roll into a game or collect mult . If you join a game and don't actually have your macros ready, you are not only wasting your own time, but the time of 5 other players and the DM. The DMs are happy to help you out with macros and understanding your powers at any time other than game time. There is almost always someone in-game or on the Discord chat who can help you out.   Becoming a DM: If you wish to become a DM for the Guild, send a private message to Matt W. on Discord and he will explain the process, requirements, and perks to you. Character Rules Additional Characters: When your character reaches level 7, you unlock a second character slot. This second character must be of a different role than your first character. If you have a hybrid character or a non-typical build of a pure class, use your honest judgment to determine what role it most represents and try for something different. (Damage focus = striker, Protecting allies focus = defender, moving people/limiting attacks = controller, healing/granting attacks = leader). When your second character also reaches level 7, you gain a third character slot; when that character reaches 7, you gain a fourth, and so on. There are no restrictions on character role for the third and subsequent character slots, though you are encouraged to try a new class or an interesting hybrid for your additional characters. When one of your characters hits level 21, you can get an additional "Epic Slot" for another character. Read more details here . Mulligan: Until your character plays its first game at level 7, you can change any aspect of its build, background, or personality under what we call “Mulligan rules.” Minor changes (swapping a power or a feat) can be done at will, but larger changes (multiple powers, any change to class or race) will require that your sheet be resubmitted and approved, just as with a new character. Characters undergoing mulligan keep their loot and XP and are still ineligible for sessions they played during the mulligan stage. These characters can keep story awards if desired, but can dissolve all other items for their full gold value to purchase replacement items. The main exceptions to this policy are items purchased from the Sales thread or from traveling merchants, which can only be refunded for the amount that was spent on them. When one of your characters hits level 11, you can do a " paragon re-work " to adjust some features, powers, and other game elements on your character that may not have worked out. Otherwise, outside the mulligan period, you must follow the standard 4e retraining rules in the PHB. Retirement: If you decide you do not like a character who has passed the mulligan range, you may retire them. When a character is retired, they are fully replaced with a brand new character: their story awards and list of previously-played sessions are removed and any items they had acquired are lost. The new character can begin at one level below the retired character, with the minimum XP and the base gold for that level. If you wish, you can alternatively choose to start at the base XP and gold for any level below that of the retired character (i.e. you may retire a level 12 PC into a new level 8 PC if you so choose). Mundane items (i.e. those on PHB page 222) can be taken gratis; you do not need to track their costs when retiring into a new PC. You can "mulligan" this new character (adjusting powers, feats, etc.) until they gain a level, after which normal retraining rules apply. Raise Dead: If you die in a session and choose to pay for the Raise Dead ritual to bring your character back, you take penalties! You get all the penalties listed for the Raise Dead ritual, PLUS you only get 50% of the XP for that session and you cannot get any magic item drops (even using RNG ); you do still receive normal gold awards for that session.   Assorted Guild Rules and FAQ   Cheating may result in a permanent ban! Note that honest mistakes don't count, and we don't foresee this being a problem, but nonetheless, it should be said. Hate speech/being an asshole to other players will not be tolerated: For most things, you get one warning, a "Hey, man, that's not ok. Don't do it again." If it is particularly offensive (you decide to go on some Hitler-esque rant), you will be banned with no warning. Again, not an expected issue, but our goal is to keep this place as open and welcoming as possible. "OMG Do I have to PAY for this?" No. The Guild Living Campaign is run by volunteer DMs who run games for fun in their spare time, and we do not require you to pay to play. If you feel like contributing monetarily to the campaign, you can gift a subscription on roll20 to the Guild Grandmaster Matt W. and all donations will go toward getting The Guild more resources, more fun, and (maybe) less lag ! Streaming and Recording Perhaps you want to share your adventures with the world; maybe you just want to keep it for your own memories. Regardless, you may only record or stream a session if you ask permission of the DM and all of the players and they all agree. If you are a player or DM, you are free to say "no, I would prefer you didn't" and then no one is allowed to record or stream it, even if everyone else is ok with it. This isn't just a preference of ours , but a law in most U.S. states and internationally, and is really just common sense for not pissing off your fellow players. Yes, even if the recording is just for yourself, please ask! You can find streams from some DMs and players here . Feel Free to Ask Questions! The DMs are here to help you and make sure you have a fun experience, and other players will often help each other too! That being said, when asking questions in the Discord Chats or the Questions Thread , try to make your questions good questions , i.e. questions that are not easily answerable by reading the things we have told you to read and prepared for you. We will do our best to help everyone, but with so many players, it can be hard if they don't also attempt to help themselves. Additional Resources You may find these resources helpful for character creation and gameplay: Guild Reference Index : Trying to find a reference thread or post? Looking for help/instructions on something? Check the index to see if there is a link to a useful guide! List of Old Build Guides : This has links to archived versions of the (now defunct) Wizards forum containing character build guides. Remember when using a build guide that the ratings the author gives may not reflect what is best for your character! However, these guides are occasionally useful for narrowing down a large number of choices for items, or at the very least listing all the powers you can take at a specific level. (If for some reason the web archive gets expunged, you can download all the build guides (~50 MB total) here . Minor Rulings Listing : A list of minor clarifications and houserules. You may want to skim through to see if any apply to you, but chances are they won't impact you too severely. This is the first place you should look if you think a power, feat, or feature is unclear. Guild Census : Wonder what classes and roles we have in the Guild? Check the census! Please keep the entries for your characters updated! Remember to follow the Census Rules , mainly "Do NOT resort the census" and "Don't touch anything that doesn't belong to you." Roll20 Tutorial: If you have never played on roll20 before, this tutorial has lots of helpful info. Even if you have played on roll20, there's some tricks in there you may not know. Helpful Threads Some common issues and questions have been discussed in various threads. Tips and Etiquette for Gameplay Rules on Items Where is the Guild? Who are the Guild Members? New Character Creation Checklist Guild Reference Index Thanks for joining!