3. Slightly Technical Stuff

Learn more details about efficiently playing on a PbP server for when you feel more comfortable.

• General Advice
• Text Formatting Cheatsheet
• Muting Channels
• Character Sheets
• D&D Beyond
• Dicecloud
• Google Sheets
• Dicecloud v1
• Avrae and Commands
• Using Avrae
• Server Aliases
• Server Snippets
• Server Operation
• Common DM Rulings (Game Mechanic FAQ)
• Item Restrictions
• How Are Quests Assigned?
• How do Mounts work?
• How does Animate Dead work?
• Guidance on Battlerager Subclass

General Advice

Text Formatting Cheatsheet

italics = *italics*
bold  = **bold**
bold italics = ***bold italics***
strikeout = ~~strikeout~~
underline = __underline__
underline italics = __*underline italics*__
underline bold = __**underline bold**__
underline bold italics = __***underline bold italics***__
code block =  ``text here`` (3 backticks)
code line = `text here` 

Muting Channels

As we continue to evolve the server and improve the flow for new users, some information on this page may become out-of-date. This is a good thing! It means we're working on improved ways to make sure you aren't overloaded with information when you join, and maybe one day we don't need any guides like this since it will all be smooth as gravy.

If you notice something out of date, feel free to ping an Admin or Edgelord to have it updated!

Part of the concern may be that there are so many channels, but there actually aren't a lot you have to pay attention to regularly. So a little trick is to aggressively mute channels you aren't involved in, which also helps you focus down until you get more comfortable as you figure out more. Advice below is just my opinion, everyone can have their own. You can always read channels that are muted, but not be bombarded with them while something is happening.

How to Mute

There is a method for muting an entire server. We recommend against that, as it highly encourages "out of sight, out of mind" which isn't fun for any of us! Instead, we recommend muting individual channels. A little bit of process now can make sure the server notifies you exactly as often about the things you'll care about.

On PC/Mac, right-click or command click on the channel and select Mute Channel then Until I turn it back on. Just do this process for each channel you want to not notify you about. On mobile, long-press the channel and select the mute option from there. To unmute, go through the process and select Unmute. It's that easy!

What to Mute (or not)

This guide assumes you are interested in minimizing pings and alerts from the server to avoid overwhelm. As you get more comfortable with the server, definitely remove some channels off mute to engage more with RP opportunities and discussions!

Macguffins Ltd - The Essentials

Consider muting...

• #welcome unless you want to see as new people pop on to the server and say hello!
• #character-creation-discussion after you have made your character, unless you are inclined to help out new players.

Consider keeping off mute...

• #announcements-weather as one ping a day isn't bad, and it can be great to keep on top of daily cycles at Luna Pine!

Don't mute...

• #about-us since it receives pings so rarely, but can be great for keeping abreast of the server.
• #new-members as it receives messages very rarely, but they can be very helpful (even for veteran players).
• #server-statistics as it is receives messages very, very rarely.
• #notable-npcs as it is receives few updates, but when it does, it is ... notable.

ESPECIALLY don't mute...

• #announcements-general because they're incredibly important for staying on top of the 

Character Information

Consider muting...

• #character-sheet-checking after you have made your character, unless you're curious about what builds new players are trying.

Don't mute...

• #character-descriptions as it is valuable to see as new members join the server and have an understanding of who you may encounter in the world.
• #character-backgrounds as it is not updated too often and can contain interesting insight about other characters
•  
• #character-memorial because you'll want to know who dies, obviously. That's kind of a big deal. Very rarely gets pinged, luckily.
• #character-retirement as it is rarely pinged and you'll probably need to pay attention as players change characters or leave.

Avrae

Definitely mute...

• #avrae-playground as it will receive a lot of random pings and messages as people test things out, unless you are an Avrae pro and would like to help. Most people will ping #avrae-talk-for-talking-about-avrae-but-not-for-actually-running-commands-in if they need help, though

Consider muting...

• #avrae-talk-for-talking-about-avrae-but-not-for-actually-running-commands-in unless you are looking for help or willing to help answer questions about Avrae

Discussion Channels

As you can expect, discussion channels can be muted depending on your interest on the subject matter. This will be a subjective opinion.

Consider keeping off mute...

• #random-talk, #serious-talk, #art-show, #book-talk, #food-talk, #critical-role-talk, #pet-pics-and-talk. #game-mechanics, #macguffins-io unless you don't care about the particular topic being discussed

Don't mute...

• #general-talk because we are a community and a lot of important or fun conversations can happen here! If you do mute, you can also do so for a limited time if there's an active conversation you feel less compelled to engage in.
• #server-meta-discussion as even if you feel you have little to say about the server, you can always benefit from learning more about what others are saying.

Downtime

Definitely mute...

• #downtime-dice unless you want to enjoy watching what dice results people roll

Consider muting...

• #downtime-proposals unless you want to see what other players are attempting for their downtime for enjoyment
• #downtime-crafting for similar reasons as above
• #downtime-discussion to engage in conversation about downtimes and get inspiration
• #downtime-rp unless you have an active session or would like to see what others are doing as their interesting downtime

Don't mute...

• #downtime-overview as it contains important information and updates about downtime

Shops - Commerce Area

Definitely mute...

• #merchant-dice unless you love watching people remove money from their pouches in Avrae

Consider muting...

• #abi-dalzims-horny-wildlings-shoppe, #bottle-shock, #general-nonsense, #kronks-krushers-and-kleavers, #temple-services, #unfamiliar-familiars unless you are curious about what other people are purchasing or you have an active session there

Don't mute...

• #merchant-ooc unless you really don't want to engage with other players regarding shop activity
• #shop-of-secrets because you may want the reminder whenever Mustard is back in town (you can temporarily mute if needed)

Luna Pine Information

ESPECIALLY don't mute...

• #town-lore because it doesn't update often, but when it does, you'll definitely want to know
• #town-bulletin-board because it doesn't update often, but when it does, it could be very valuable
• #rp-voting because we're here to have fun and play D&D! It doesn't get pinged often and can be a great way to engage in channels that you have muted

Town RP Area

Definitely mute...

• #town-dice unless you care about random and out-of-context dice rolls

Consider muting...

• #town-guard-house, #tavern-east-room, #tavern-west-room, #tavern-back-room, #town-the-library, #town-1, #town-2, #town-3 unless you have an active RP session there or want to watch others RP

Consider keeping off mute...

• #town-gates as it is a valuable source of seeing new members to the town and give them a hearty wave!
• #tavern-bar-room unless you want to actively avoid the open RP opportunities

Don't mute...

• #town-ooc unless you want to actively avoid discussion happening and you aren't engaged in any RP

Edge of Town - RP Area

Definitely mute...

• #edge-dice unless you really want to see out-of-context dice rolls

Consider muting...

• #temple-main, #temple-gardens, #temple-kitchen, #the-cemetery, #the-horse-farm, #the-roots, #the-grove, #the-hill, #the-pond, #the-edge-1, #the-edge-2, #the-edge-3 unless you have an active RP session there or want to watch others RP

Don't mute...

• #edge-ooc unless you want to actively avoid discussion or get insight about what is happening with others

The Colosseum

Definitely mute...

• #arena-dice, and any other channel in here that isn't mentioned below (unless you are actively in an arena match there)

Consider muting...

• #arena-lobby as you will get a ping when it is your turn to join and RP your entrance.

Don't mute...

• #arena-overview as they update rarely but may be important if they do
• #arena-queue to keep track of where you are in the queue and it only updates as people check
• #arena-ooc as it mostly focuses around handling of the queue and asking questions about the arena, and not team chat

The Arena: PVP

Definitely mute...

• #arena-pvp-dice because - again - it's just random rolling

Consider muting...

• #arena-a-pvp and #arena-b-pvp unless you want to watch others duke it out in here

Don't mute...

• #arena-pvp-ooc unless you don't care about PvP and what anyone has to say about it

Player Logs

Consider muting...

• #xp-log unless you want the above, but for experience
• #magic-item-log unless you want to keep track of new items coming into the server and what goodies are in store
• #spell-copying-log unless you want to see the spells that others are trading around

Quests

Consider muting...

• #request-board unless you're curious about the journeys and interest of others
• #request-discussion unless you are engaged in a conversation there or want to see others chat

Don't mute...

• #quest-rules as it is important and never receives posts
• #dm-review because you should see as reviews about the community come in, and it isn't too active
• #dm-bio-channel for similar reasons above, because our DMs are here for you and you should care
• #completed-quests because it can be real neat-o to see what other people are up to!

ESPECIALLY don't mute...

• #quest-board unless you don't want to quest (but are you really going to D&D without questing?)

In the end, you should have a handful of places that you can focus on, and you can feel free to read the rest at your leisure!

(Written by Kautiontape)

Character Sheets

D&D Beyond

https://www.dndbeyond.com

If you need help with D&D Beyond, please reach out to our expert customer service representatives in #avrae-questions!

Dicecloud

Using Dicecloud

Dicecloud is the middle-road between the "does everything for you at a cost" style of D&DBeyond and the more manual efforts of the Google Sheets. There is some mild effort to set up Dicecloud, but once you do this, there is a lot of power and automation. Feel free to ask any questions in #avrae-help or visit the Dicecloud Discord for more information.

Getting Started

Parts of this guide are taken from the guide in the Dicecloud Discord linked above, in the channel #your-first-character. They've been reconstructed for your benefit here.

First Step: Get the Library

If you are brand new, subscribe to the below collection by clicking the link, signing into your Dicecloud account, and clicking the "Subscribe" button at the top-right of the page. This must be done before you create your first character.

The Libraries of Vexus

This is the bread-and-butter 5e content that is community maintained, and it is provided in a helpful package that is updated regularly so you don't have to hand-enter your content or pay for books on D&DBeyond. The Admins and DMs running the server have access to the content we are providing you, so this is just a faster route to entering your character's provided details.

We will update if different libraries become available.

Create a Character

1. From Dicecloud, go to the Character's page on the left side of the navigation.
2. Click the big red "+" on the bottom right of the screen.
3. Fill out your characters Biography information.
4. Click Next
5. Toggle off "All User Libraries" and select only "Libraries of Vexus" to remove the SRD content and use the content crafted in the library you Subscribed to above. If you do not have this option, you need to stop creating this character and go subscribe in the "First Step" section like we asked you to. Otherwise, you can do all of this manually, but it is just not fun and very time consuming for no real benefit.

Google Sheets

Sheet Resources

Version 2.1 / Version 1.4

Troubleshooting

Help! Whenever I try to run !gsheet or !update I get some weird string about Error loading character: Unexpected input on line 1, col 6: expected DECIMAL, D, INTEGER, LPAR, _WS, U_OP

9/10 times this occurs because you have messed up the formatting on one of the cells. Compare to another sheet in #character-sheet-checking and make sure the format is very similar. Common culprits include how you formatted weapon attack damage (separate damage from type with space, not a slash) and how you fill in your spells (do not fill the second sheet for spells and attacks unless you have to).

Dicecloud v1

Dicecloud v1 has been cast aside in favor of the new hotness in Dicecloud v2. You can still access your v1 characters through the website and Avrae at https://v1.dicecloud.com, but moving forward, new characters should be created in v2.

Due to changes between v2 and v1, characters created in v1 are not supported in v2. To migrate an existing character, you have to recreate them in v2 using the guide as if it were a new character. We're always willing to help, too, so feel free to drop a message in #avrae-questions if you want help with your migration.

Using Dicecloud v1

When in Dicecloud, you aren't going to be touching the Stats page directly unless you use it for HP tracking. Instead, you'll do a combination of the following: In the "Persona" tab you will see a + next to "Level 0". This is where you add a class and set the level. The base configuration is done through these two tabs to start, by clicking on them and clicking the ✎ in the upper right of the modal. For your race, what features do you get in terms of Base speed, stats, and language proficiencies? You'll click the pencil and "Add Effect" for the changes to stats and setting a base, and "Add Proficiency" for langauge. Plus anything else. Don't confuse the "Add" modifier (default selection) with "Base". In most cases you will add a modifier, but for things like speed you will be setting the base.

Similarly, with your class, you want to do the same thing but use it for Hit Points, spell slots, Hit dice, and all your proficiencies you get from your class. For Wizard, I set my Base Value of Hit Points in this to (6) + (4) * (level - 1). That would be the base die (6) plus the average for each level after 1. You may have to change this if you multiclass (I can explain how if that's the case). All of the formulas you need for spell slots are in the second tab of that Google Sheet I linked. You set those up with that and you will never have to edit your spell slot number again as you level, because it will be automatically calculated.

Features work almost exactly the same way. Throw in the text you want for the feature. If you can only use it X times per whatever, set to "Limit uses" if you'd like, but know that Avrae also tracks this independently. Like with Gsheet, nothing that happens in Avrae changes your sheet. But if a feature changes something permanent about your character (like giving you an attack or a plus modifier) then you can also do that from here.

Otherwise, that should be it. While the initial start can be slightly daunting, it's actually not hard. Just remember if you want something to change on the sheet, you probably need to find a spot to just add an Effect.

Useful Sites and Info

First, you know https://dicecloud.com. That's going to be your (mobile-friendly) bread and butter site, but it doesn't have everything from the get-go. So for this, you may want to use Andrew Zhu's "AutoChar" site. Otherwise, you can follow the advice above and make the site you want.

To get the API key, that's in your account settings after you register on Dicecloud. You can plug in the details to that page, and magically, a character sheet will appear with most of the stuff filled out.

You will need to add your inventory to your Inventory page and clicking the + in the bottom right. If the item is SRD, you can add it from library and put it in the right bag. Otherwise, you'll need to copy the item down from your favorite site.

You also have a spellbook which contains spells, not all of which are SRD. Luckily, there's a thing for that, too, with Andrew Zhu's Spellbook site. Same API key but copy your character sheet URL. Then just find the spells and put them in the list, then click Add.

For anything else special you may need, there is a spreadsheet of common formulas to enter into Dicecloud.

Character Examples

You can feel free to check out some of our members did as examples here:

Kaution

Relinquish (Tiefling Wizard), Barbera (Variant Human Cleric), Terry Folds (Changeling Bard), "Mister" Jinx (Tabaxi Paladin)

I personally enjoy making categories and coloring them, since things are sorted by color. So I can make sure my Magic Items appear before my boring items (and especially quest items). I do the same for features, although I do some other fancy tricks with <details><summary>Some Text</summary>More Text!</details> to get things nice and compact.

(Written by Kautiontape)

Avrae and Commands

Using Avrae

Cheatsheet

(attack)-> !a <weapon> 
(Skill check)-> !c <skill>
(Save)-> !s <save>
(Cast a spell)-> !cast <spell>
(Look up spell)-> !spell <spell>
(Look up class feature)-> !classfeat <class feature>
(Feat)-> !feat <feat>
(Long rest)-> !g lr
(Change hp)-> !g hp <number>
(Temp hp)-> !g thp <number>

Quick Intro to Avrae

Checks & Saves

• Make sure you have the right character loaded (use !char to check)
• Use !save Dexterity or !s Strength to make a saving throw.
• Use !check Athletics or !c Intelligence to make a skill check.
• To any check or save, you can add:
  • advantage
  • disadvantage
  • -b 5 (bonus to d20)

Combat

(http://avrae.io/cheatsheets/player) (Start with !i begin)

• To enter combat, use !i cadd (stands for "initiative, character-add")
• To attack in combat, use !i a Target Weapon (remember with "I attack Target with Weapon")
• To any attack, you can add any of the things from the checks and saves section (adv, dis, etc) as well as:
  • -d "1d6 [piercing]" (extra damage)
• To make attacks of opportunity, use !i aoo YourName Target Weapon
  • The requirement of your own name is because a single discord user could be running multiple combatants.

Spells

• To cast a spell, use !cast "Magic Missile"
• To cast a spell in combat at a target, use !i cast "Fire Bolt" -t Target
  • -t is a tag that indicates your target. You can add multiple by doing -t Target1 -t Target2 -t Target3, as in the case of AoE spells.
• Sometimes, more than one option will show up for your desired spell. Pick one by following the prompt if this happens.

Rules & Lookup

A lot of 5e rules can be accessed through !rule, !class, !classfeat, !race, !monster or !condition. Check them out!

Server Aliases

Available to all players on the server. For more information, many aliases accept a ? to see the help.

Character Management

Character Setup
!level - Automatically handle many class-specific things in Avrae (run once per level)
!setrace - Handle racial-specific features in Avrae (run once)
!manage - Handles many things Avrae doesn't pick up on sheets

Character Tracking Tools
!bag - Manage your inventory in Avrae
!coins - Manage your money in Avrae
!xp - Manage your current XP value and level
!tool - Manage (and roll) with tool proficiency
!prep - Manage your prepared spells
!ch - Quick character changer based on channel

Character Resources

Manage, spend, and display various combat-related resources.

!hp - Manage your current HP (alias for !game hp)
!ss - Manage your spell slots (alias for !game ss)
!rest (!hd, !sr, !lr) - Perform a short/long rest and regain associated resources or spend hit dice
!exhaust - Manage your levels of exhaustion

DM Inspiration
!dmi - Grant a DM Inspiration to your character (with attached reason); use with dmi snippet

Sheets

Various ways of printing out your character information.

!qstat - Condense single-line stats like HP, AC, spell slots, rage [See !qstat ?]
- (Rage each round with !qrage and end range with !erage)
Alternatives: !ehud, !hud, !vsheet

Rolls

Perform specific types of rolls, usually using your stats.

Basic Combat Rolls
!conc - Roll concentration check (Note: Avrae combat only)
!grapple - Roll athletics to grapple (with params)
!hide - Roll stealth check and show rules of hiding
!ds_dmi - Roll for death save with DM Inspiration from !dmi

Non-Combat Rolls
!madness - Short-Term Madness table
!potion - Roll for specific potions, lookup rules
!boop - A non-damaging attack (rolls to hit)
!use - Rolls saves for combatants in init. Pulls their save bonuses and relevant effects from the combat.

Combat

Combat oriented commands

Generic Actions
!assist
!dash
!disengage
!dodge
!ready

Spells
!absorb - Absorb elements spell automation (Absorb Elements)
!blink - Roll for end of turn Blink
!hex - Hex (?)
!shield - Cast and display AC for Shield

Classes

Commands specific for each class, including general class functionality or class features.

Barbarian
!rage - Barbarian Rage
!surge - Path of the Wild Soul's Wild Surge
Bard
!bard
Cleric
!divinity - Cleric Channel Divinity
Druid
!wildshape - Druid wild shape into an animal
Fighter
!fighter - Meta macro that includes several fighter commands (may be outdated?)
!wind - Fighter Second Wind
Monk
!monk
Paladin
!smite - Paladin smite
!loh - Paladin Lay on Hands
Sorcerer
!font - Sorcerer Font of Magic
!wmsurge - Sorcerer Wild Magic
Warlock
!warlock
Wizard
!recover - Wizard Arcane Recovery
!portent - Wizard Portent

Races

Commands specific for a race, including general race functionality or racial features.

!tiefling

Rules and References

Commands that perform rule lookups or other documentation display.

!climbrule
!disarmrule
(See also: !potion and !tool)

DMs

Tools for the DMs to help run their quests and games.

Map Utilities
!map - Create a map using On The Fly Battle Maps, including !move and !tokenimport
!distance - Calculate the euclidian distance between points on a grid

Games

Commands to perform games or other quirky fun.

!card
!diceking

Macros

Commands that just display a text or image.

!bookclub - For reminding people about the bookclub!
!cookie - 🍪
!several - "Several people are typing"
!try - "Well you can certainly try"

Avrae

Aliases specifically for handling Avrae and Avrae functionality.

!avrae - See a brief tutorial on how to use Avrae with common commands
!back - Backup and restore your character variables (advanced)

Admin

Functionality mainly for admin usage.

!weather - Calculate a new day of weather (used in #announcements-weather)

Server Snippets

These snippets are attached to various rolls (!r, !c, !s, etc.) to add common modifiers. Simply add the text as a word after the roll to use them, such as !a greatsword gwm guidance hbc to attack with Great Weapon Master with a Greatsword given Guidance and Hexblades Curse.

Several of these will also display the rule for the skill associated with the snippet.

---

bane: -1d4 from Bane
bless: +1d4 from Bless
dmi: Advantage and use DM Inspiration point from !dmi
guidance: +1d4 from Guidance
gwm: -5 to attack roll, +10 to damage from Great Weapon Master
hbc: Critical on 19,20 from Hexblade's Curse
hex: +1d6 necrotic damage from Hex
hunt: +1d6 to damage from Hunter's Mark
prof: + your proficiency modifier
puresneak: +Xd6 based on level from Sneak Attack (non-magic)
pwat: +10 from Pass Without a Trace (meant for Stealth)
rage: +X based on Barbarian Level for Rage
reckless: Advantage on attack plus rule print for Reckless
sneak: +Xd6 based on level from Sneak Attack
ss: -5 to attack roll, +10 to damage from Sharp Shooter
syn: -1d6 to attack roll from Synaptic Static
tsmite: +2d6 thunder damage from Thunderous Smite

Server Operation

Common DM Rulings (Game Mechanic FAQ)

This section provides general answers to some common questions where the RAW are ambiguous, unclear, or contradictory. Or they are areas of the rules that do not easily translate to the West Marches format. Most players do not need to know the information below, but it is provided for transparency and to encourage consistency across DMs. However, these are areas of the game that WotC left up to DM interpretation, or have not made definitive rulings on, thus individual DMs may choose to use rulings different than those presented here so if they apply to you ask your DM for their interpretation on these situations.

Can pets/familiars/summons/companions use magic items?

In general any creature associated with a player character that is not humanoid cannot attune or use magic items, with the exception of using or administering potions if the creature is physically capable of doing so. This applies to : conjured / summoned creatures, animated undead, awakened animals/plants, beastmaster animal companions, artificer homunculus, artificer steel defender, artificer arcane cannons, familiars, mounts created by the Find Steed or Find Greater Steed spell and possibly others.

When can I use an item with a recharge time of > 1 day?

Items with a recharge time of > 1 day (for instance the Figurines of Wondrous Power) are assumed to be recharged at the start of a quest. For Colosseum fights usually it will be allowed to be recharged but double check with the DM to make their job balancing the encounter easier.

Who gets to decide what I summon with Conjuration spells?

Certain spells like Conjure Animals and Conjure Woodland Beings are unclear as to how it is determined which creatures are conjured. In general, the caster may suggest what is conjured but the DM may veto it, though many DMs will determine the creatures by rolling on HB tables or based on what would be suitable for the present environment. 

Can I conjure X?

Creatures conjured by theses spells may use the 5e statblock of a creature from any official WotC published source. However, the well known "broken" conjuration spell creatures - i.e. Chwingas, and Pixies - are generally not available. 

Can I cast a spell I learned from X using my spellslots?

Player characters can gain access to spells from many sources: racial spells, feats, magic items. Unless the source of the spell specifically says that the spell can be cast using your spellslots then you cannot use your spellslots to cast the spell.

Item Restrictions

Just like any in person or digital table, the DM may impose a variety of restrictions on the players to ensure that their game runs smoothly and is enjoyable for everyone at their table. For example the limitations on the variety of classes or races available during character creation, the availability of optional rules, or the list of items that may be acquired by their players. To ensure a fair playing field for all players from level 3 to 20 and to reduce the stress on our amazing DMs, we have decided to limit or restrict the accessibility of particular items for a variety of reasons. Generally, these are broken down into four main categories, or groups, which include scope, power, balance, and unforeseen circumstances.

Group 1

The following items have been restricted due to being beyond the scope of the server, i.e. items that don't fit the theme of Macguffins, Ltd, end game magic items and beyond

All Legendary and Artefact magic items as well as Smokepowder are not available. 

Group 2

The following items have been restricted as they have been deemed too powerful for the style of West Marches experience that we have cultivated. 

Item	Rarity
All-Purpose Tool, +1	Uncommon
Amulet of the Devout, +1	Uncommon
Arcane Grimoire, +1	Uncommon
Bloodwell Vial, +1	Uncommon
Dragonhide Belt, +1	Uncommon
Moon Sickle, +1	Uncommon
Rhythm-Maker's Drum, +1	Uncommon
Rod of the Pact Keeper, +1	Uncommon
Wand of Magic Missiles	Uncommon
All-Purpose Tool, +2	Rare
Amulet of the Devout, +2	Rare
Arcane Grimoire, +2	Rare
Bloodwell Vial, +2	Rare
Dragonhide Belt, +2	Rare
Moon Sickle, +2	Rare
Rhythm-Maker's Drum, +2	Rare
Rod of the Pact Keeper, +2	Rare
Cloak of Displacement	Rare
Failed Experiment Wand	Rare
Mantle of Spell Resistance	Rare
Reveler's Concertina	Rare
Ring of Spell Storing	Rare
Wand of Fireballs	Rare
Wand of Lightning Bolts	Rare
All-Purpose Tool, +3	Very Rare
Amulet of the Devout, +3	Very Rare
Arcane Grimoire, +3	Very Rare
Bloodwell Vial, +3	Very Rare
Dragonhide Belt, +3	Very Rare
Moon Sickle, +3	Very Rare
Rhythm-Maker's Drum, +3	Very Rare
Rod of the Pact Keeper, +3	Very Rare
Shield (*), +3	Very Rare
Wand of the War Mage, +3	Very Rare
Weapon, +3	Very Rare
Belt of Fire Giant Strength	Very Rare
Horn of Valhalla, Bronze	Very Rare
Nine Lives Stealer	Very Rare
Robe of Stars	Very Rare
Spellguard Shield	Very Rare
Wand of Polymorph	Very Rare

Group 3

The following items have been restricted because they would pose balancing issues in a West Marches Server. These balancing issues primarily arise through combat encounters because, unlike a table game, the specific DM is not in tune with the specifics capabilities and item interactions of the group of adventurers. 

Item	Rarity
Broom of Flying	Uncommon
Winged Boots	Uncommon
Docent	Rare
Flying Chariot	Rare
Helm of Teleportation	Rare
Horn of the Endless Maze	Rare
Horn of Valhalla, Brass	Rare
Horn of Valhalla, Silver	Rare
Mind Lash	Rare
Professor Skant	Rare
Rod of Rulership	Rare
Shield of Far Sight	Rare
Wand of Viscid Globs	Rare
Weird Tank	Rare
Wings of Flying	Rare
Amulet of the Planes	Very Rare
Carpet of Flying	Very Rare
Conch of Teleportation	Very Rare
Helm of Devil Command	Very Rare
Ioun Stone, Absorption	Very Rare
Manual of Bodily Health	Very Rare
Manual of Gainful Exercise	Very Rare
Manual of Quickness of Action	Very Rare
Navigation Orb	Very Rare
Orb of the Veil	Very Rare
Peregrine Mask	Very Rare
Ring of Regeneration	Very Rare
Rod of Absorption	Very Rare
Soul Bag	Very Rare
Timepiece of Travel	Very Rare
Tome of Clear Thought	Very Rare
Tome of Leadership and Influence	Very Rare
Tome of Understanding	Very Rare

Group 4

The following items have been restricted because they may cause issues between players and lead to unforeseen circumstances, specifically both intentional and unintentional PvP scenarios. 

Item	Rarity
Infernal Puzzle Box	Uncommon
Daern's Instant Fortress	Rare
Wand of Wonder	Rare
Devastation Orb of Air	Very Rare
Devastation Orb of Earth	Very Rare
Devastation Orb of Fire	Very Rare
Devastation Orb of Water	Very Rare
Efreeti Bottle	Very Rare
Manual of Clay Golems	Very Rare
Manual of Flesh Golems	Very Rare
Manual of Iron Golems	Very Rare
Manual of Stone Golems	Very Rare
Mirror of Life Trapping	Very Rare

How Are Quests Assigned?

The process we use is the Gale–Shapley (aka deferred acceptance) algorithm, designed to find stable matches between our group of players and a group of quests with limited slots. The resulting assignment which is most fair by giving players the quest they want most and quests the players it wants most. It is optimal for finding a stable solution such that no player would wish to trade "spots" with another player in a way where both players would be happy with the trade.

In this set-up, our players each have a preference (in the form of your preference vote). Similarly, quests will have a preference for players, focused entirely around a pre-determined "target level" the quest prefers players to be close to.

If all quests have room for all player's first choice, then all players will be placed into the appropriate quest. Unfortunately, life isn't always that simple, and a quest will likely have more people wanting to join than slots available. In this case, the players are selected based on a series of tie-breaking strategies to pick who gets priority.

1. Players always get quests that are resolving a quest request, obviously, or other case-by-case bases
2. Player priority is always most important, so selecting a quest as #1 always get priority over #2
3. Target level preference, where the players who are closest to the quest's target level get priority. Players of the target level get priority, then players who are 1 level off from the target are next, followed by players 2 levels off, etc.
4. In the event players are equally far from the target level (e.g., a quest has target level 4, and has a level 3 and level 5 sign up) priority is given to the lower level player
5. Players of the same level are randomly sorted to avoid any unintentional bias

At this point, the algorithm will have assigned everyone possible to a quest, and the DMs review the spread. A final pass is given to make sure the level spread is as expected.

How do Mounts work?

Possible Steeds

Horses to be used as steeds can be purchased from Mailee at #unfamiliar-familiars. Creatures other than horses require special saddles in order to be ridden, and undomesticated animals/monsters may only be ridden during quests / arenas at DM discretion or if the statblock / item description says they can be ridden. 

All the listed options in the Find Steed / Find Greater Steed are permitted for those who have that option. If you would like a steed that is not listed in there you can either use a statblock for one of the listed mounts and reflavour it as a similar creature, as long as any special attacks / abilities make sense. If you would like a statblock different from one of the listed mounts for your custom steed then submit a request to #request-board, the DMs will then discuss what would be an appropriate statblock and whether it would be a permissible mount.

Note: Only non-hostile creatures at least one size category larger than you have any chance of being ride-able. 

Controlled Mounts

While mounts are in combat there are two options for how they act: Controlled or Independent. Most of the time while you are riding your mount, it will be a controlled mount. A controlled mount is effectively an extension of your character. It moves during your turn and the mount can only take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge actions. It can still take bonus actions and reactions including attacks of opportunity, provided it is physically capable of doing so. E.g. a warhorse requires its hooves to attack, so would be unable to make an AoO if its feet are stuck in quicksand or mud. Controlled mounts are controlled by the player.

Independent Mounts

Intelligent creatures or wild animals are typically always independent mounts, but in special circumstances - such as the Find Steed spell - may consent to become a controlled mount. Independent mounts roll their own initiative and act on their own turn, but have access to all actions including making attacks. However, you may be required to make an ability check to get an independent mount to follow your instructions. Independent mounts may choose to flee combat, or throw off their riders of their own accord and are controlled by the DM. 

Items and Mounts

Controlled mounts can wear barding and other equipment designed for them, but cannot wield weapons nor use magic items (except items specifically designed for mounts). Independent mounts may be able to use other objects, at DM discretion.

Frequently Asked Questions

D&D 5e is not especially good at explaining mounts and mounted combat, here are some of the most common questions.

How big is my mount?

A Medium creature fills a 1x1 square on a battlemap and can only be ridden by Small or smaller creatures.

A Large creature fills a 2x2 square on a battlemap grid, while riding a Large mount you are treated as occupying all of those squares for the purpose of attack reach and AoOs.

A Huge creature fills a 3x3 square on a battlemap grid, while a Medium or smaller creature is riding a Huge mount you are normally treated as occupying the entire 3x3 square for the purpose of attack reach and AoOs. However, your DM may choose to treat you as occupying the central square of a Huge mount - be sure to ask which rule they use.

Can “X” be my mount?

In general, creatures that can fly, or cause status effects (other than “prone”) such as ‘poisoned’ or ‘restrained’ are not allowed as mounts, unless given by a DM for use only during a specific quest.

Examples

Example: “I ride up to the Orc and attack him with my sword.”

Controlled mount: the mount moves as part of your turn, you use your action on your turn to make your attack making two (or more attacks) if you have the Extra Attack feature. The mount cannot attack, but may Disengage and continue moving after you have attacked.

Independent mount: 

On your turn: You use your movement and bonus action, then Hold Action to attack once in range of the Orc, then instruct your mount to approach the Orc.

On mount’s turn: The mount uses its movement to get within 5ft of the Orc, triggering your held action. You use your reaction to make a single attack against the Orc, (Extra Attack only applies to attacks on your turn.) Your mount can then make its attack against the Orc.

How does Animate Dead work?

Creating Undead

Currently, you are permitted to create undead creatures during quests or arenas with the permission of the DM or using downtime (see: Downtime Rules for details). You cannot create undead inside of Luna Pine during RP. If you wish to convert a fresh corpse into bones, so that you may raise a skeleton instead of a zombie, this would typically require 1 hour worth of work by 1 creature.

You must adhere to the rules of the relevant spells : i.e. the corpse must be of a humanoid or beast of the appropriate size. This means any of your undead creatures that are reduced to 0 hp cannot be reanimated as their creature type has changed to “undead”.

Undead Stats / Equipment

Undead creatures use their published stat block. Individual DMs may allow undead to wear other non-magical equipment or use magic items during their quest / arena, but this is not the default. Undead not specified in the spell cannot be created - e.g. animating the bones of a minotaur does not create a Minotaur Skeleton.

Undead in Luna Pine and Towns

In general, undead creatures that are under the control of a necromancer are permitted in Luna Pine. You may RP with 1-2 undead creatures in the rp areas, however other player characters may justifiably believe undead to be innately evil creatures and wish to destroy them. Please be considerate and courteous to such player characters. 

We recommend necromancers either leave their undead outside of towns or have a means to hide / carry the undead creatures while inside towns, such as a bag of holding / portable hole or a specially designed homebrew item (make a request in #request-board to be considered to receive such an item). See table below for size capacity for each type of container:

Item	Zombie	Skeleton	Exit Speed
Bag of Holding	⅓ of the bag, max 3 / bag	⅙  of the bag, max 6 / bag	Can be turned inside out to empty as 1 action
Portable Hole	1/12 of the hole, max 12 / hole	1/24 of the hole, max 24 / hole	3 exit per round.

Stores of rotting corpses, or uncontrolled undead creatures are not permitted in Luna Pine. If you run out of spell slots to maintain your undead horde during a quest or an arena then it is assumed any undead in excess of those you can control are immediately destroyed.

Multiple timelines

It may happen that you create new undead or some of your undead may be destroyed in one timeline (quest / arena) while you have other undead in another timeline. Undead cannot travel through timelines, so any undead created in an arena while you are in a quest cannot be added to those you have in the quest, likewise undead destroyed in an arena does not affect the number you have on a quest that is already running. And vice-versa, undead destroyed in a quest don’t affect the number you have available for an arena until that quest ends. 

When quests / arenas end, you must update the number of undead you have available for any new scenes you may join. 

To track your undead available to you when you start a new scene / quest / arena, you must record the number of undead of each type you had at the start of each quest / arena before combat begins.  Then when any particular instance ends you compare your number undead at the end of that instance to the number of undead at the start. This is your net gain / loss of undead, e.g. if you started a quest with 5 zombies and finished the quest with 10 zombies you have a net gain of 5 zombies.

You then apply that net change to your current set of available undead.

Example 1: Wiz starts with 3 zombies and 3 skeletons. Wiz joins a quest and an arena.

During the arena: 1 zombie and 2 skeletons are destroyed.

The arena ends first, at which point Wiz has 2 zombies and 1 skeleton left.

During the quest: 3 zombies are destroyed.

When the quest ends, Wiz updates his total undead minions to be 1 remaining skeleton.

Example 2: Wiz starts with 3 zombies and 3 skeletons. Wiz joins a quest and an arena.

During the arena: 0 zombies and 1 skeletons are destroyed.

The arena ends first, at which point Wiz has 3 zombies and 2 skeletons left.

During the quest: 2 zombies and 2 skeletons are destroyed, and the Wiz animates 4 new zombies

When the quest ends, Wiz has 5 zombies and no skeletons left.

Create Undead Spell

When you reach the level where you can cast "Create Undead" then you can create more powerful undead creatures: wights, ghasts, ghouls, and mummies these follow the same rules laid out above, and are considered equivalent to zombies for storage purposes. Undead such as wights that are able to create permanent undead under their own control by killing other creatures can only do so during quests or arenas as such acts can have serious implications. 

Guidance on Battlerager Subclass

We hear at MacGuffins Ltd. have recognized that the Battlerager subclass of Barbarian is poorly supported in the RAW rules, and creates some unique difficulties interacting with systems on the server. Therefore, we have developed the special guidance and home-brew rulings detailed below to enable this unique subclass to function on the server.

Racial Restriction

Since Tasha's Cauldron of Everything the racial restrictions on Bladesinger were removed by WotC, however the same was not extended to the Battlerager. We believe this is against the spirit of the game that WotC is trying to make thus here at MacGuffins, any race/species can choose to follow the Path of the Battlerager. However, we encourage character choosing this route to have some kind of background connection to dwarves from whom they may have learned this unique subclass.

Magic Item Compatibility

The Battlerager subclass is built around wearing and using spiked armour as both protection and as a weapon in combat. However, RAW spiked armour is treated exclusively as armour which makes it impossible to upgrade the weapon attack associated with the spiked armour with magic items unlike all other weapons. Thus here at MacGuffins we have ruled:

The spikes of the "spiked armour" of the Battlerager subclass are treated as a 'melee weapon' for the purposes of magical items. Thus any magic item that can be any generic weapon - e.g. +1 weapon, +2 weapon, Dragon Wrath Weapon - can be used as spikes attached to the battlerager's armour. When such a magic item is attached, any bonus to damage rolls only affect attacks make with the spikes. Whereas only +1,+2, or +3 magic bonuses granted to the spikes affect the damage dealt to creatures grappled by the battlerager.

Note that: spikes of the spiked armour can be treated as weapons for the purposes of artificer infusions or casting spells.

This means that a +1 AC spiked armour can be obtained from Kronk at a cost of 1000gp+cost of spiked armour, +1 attack/damage spikes can be purchased from Kronk for an additional 1000gp.

Attacking with Spikes

To be consistent with our ruling that the spikes of the spiked armour are considered weapons, and in consideration of the relative weakness of the design of the Battlerager subclass, we have additionally ruled that the spikes of the spiked armour can be used to make attacks with your Action by characters with at least 6 levels of Battlerager while they are raging.