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
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As we continue to evolve the server and improve the flow for new users, some information on this page may become out-of-date.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If you notice something out of date, feel free to ping an Admin or Edgelord to have it updated!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
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.
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
- From Dicecloud, go to the Character's page on the left side of the navigation.
- Click the big red "+" on the bottom right of the screen.
- Fill out your characters Biography information.
- Click Next
- 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
Troubleshooting
Help! Whenever I try to run
!gsheet
or!update
I get some weird string aboutError 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.
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 Banebless
: +1d4 from Blessdmi
: Advantage and use DM Inspiration point from !dmi
guidance
: +1d4 from Guidancegwm
: -5 to attack roll, +10 to damage from Great Weapon Masterhbc
: Critical on 19,20 from Hexblade's Cursehex
: +1d6 necrotic damage from Hexhunt
: +1d6 to damage from Hunter's Markprof
: + your proficiency modifierpuresneak
: +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 Ragereckless
: Advantage on attack plus rule print for Recklesssneak
: +Xd6 based on level from Sneak Attackss
: -5 to attack roll, +10 to damage from Sharp Shootersyn
: -1d6 to attack roll from Synaptic Statictsmite
: +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.
- Players always get quests that are resolving a quest request, obviously, or other case-by-case bases
- Player priority is always most important, so selecting a quest as #1 always get priority over #2
- 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.
- 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
- 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.