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

General Advice

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Muting Channels
Macguffins is a big server. You are  not expected to keep up with every channel . 

 In fact, one of the easiest ways to make the server less overwhelming is to mute anything that is not currently relevant to you. Muting a channel does not stop you from reading it later; it simply keeps Discord from constantly drawing your attention to it. 

 This guide is intentionally broad rather than listing every channel individually. Channels come and go, but the general approach should stay useful. 

 How to Mute a Channel 

 Desktop: Right-click the channel → Mute Channel → choose how long you would like it muted. 

 Mobile: Long-press the channel → select the notification/mute option. 

 You can unmute a channel at any time. 

 We generally recommend muting individual channels rather than the entire server. Important announcements are much easier to miss if the whole server is muted. 

 Channels Worth Keeping Visible 

 Announcements and Important Information 

 Keep the main server announcement channels visible. They are used relatively infrequently, and when something is posted there it is usually worth knowing about. 

 If you are a New PC , also keep #start-here visible while you are getting settled. 

 Activities You Are Currently Using 

 If you are interested in a particular part of the server, keep its main information or queue channel visible. 

 For example: 

 

 

 #quest-board if you are looking for quests; 

 

 

 #arena-queue if you are waiting for a Colosseum group; 

 

 

 the OOC channel for any RP, quest, event or Arena scene you are currently participating in. 

 

 

 Once you are no longer using that activity, feel free to mute it again. 

 Community Conversation 

 Our general OOC spaces are open to everyone: 

 

 

 General - ordinary conversation and whatever people are chatting about; 

 

 

 Random - memes, jokes and miscellaneous nonsense; 

 

 

 Personal - advice, venting and personal support; 

 

 

 There is no expectation that you follow all of them. Keep whichever ones you enjoy visible and mute the rest. 

 Channels You Can Usually Mute 

 Dice Channels 

 Dice channels generate a lot of messages with very little context if you are not involved in the scene. 

 Unless you enjoy watching other people's rolls, these are usually excellent candidates for muting. 

 RP Locations You Are Not Using 

 You do not need notifications from every tavern room, forest path, shop, temple and suspicious hole in Luna Pines. 

 Mute RP locations you are not currently using. You can still browse them whenever you want, and you can always unmute one when you start a scene there. 

 If you want to find RP rather than watch every location, #rp-requests is a much easier place to start. 

 Quest, Arena and Event Rooms You Are Not In 

 There is generally no need to follow the active rooms for activities you are not participating in unless you enjoy spectating. 

 Keep the main information/queue surfaces visible and mute the individual activity rooms until they matter to you. 

 Shops and Downtime 

 Most shop transactions and downtime activity only matter to the characters involved. 

 Keep the relevant overview/information channels available, but feel free to mute individual locations or transaction channels unless you are currently using them. 

 Character and Log Channels 

 Character sheets, XP logs, item logs and similar channels can be interesting to browse, but most players do not need constant notifications from them. 

 Mute them if they create noise. Your own information can always be checked when you need it. 

 A Good Starting Setup 

 If you have just joined and the server feels enormous, try this: 

 Keep visible: 

 

 #announcemts-general 

 

 #start-here 

 

 #general-talk 

 

 #rp-requests 

 

 

 whichever RP/OOC channels you are currently using; 

 

 

 #quest-board or #arena-queue if you are interested in those activities. 

 

 

 Mute: 

 

 

 most dice channels; 

 

 

 unused RP locations; 

 

 

 quests/events you are not participating in; 

 

 

 shop channels you are not using; 

 

 

 logs and specialist discussion channels that do not interest you. 

 

 

 Then gradually unmute things as you become familiar with the server. 

 There is no correct combination. The goal is simply to make Macguffins show you the things you care about , rather than everything happening everywhere at once. 

 If an important channel changes or you think this guide is out of date, please let an Admin or Helper know.

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 

 

 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 

 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
Avrae is the Discord bot we use for dice rolls, character sheets, spells, resources, combat tracking and an impressive number of tiny conveniences that nobody remembers until they need them. 

 If you've just arrived and this page looks like somebody has handed you the operating manual for an airship: 

 You do not need to learn all of this before playing. 

 Really. 

 Learn how to make a check. Learn !qstat . Steal everything else from this page as required. 

 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> 

 First Make Sure You Are The Right Person 

 Avrae can hold several of your characters. 

 This is wonderful right up until your wizard attempts an Athletics check using your barbarian's sheet. 

 Check your currently active character with: 

 !char 

 You can also use the Macguffins server alias: 

 !ch 

 which helps with switching characters based on the channel you're using. 

 If Avrae ever gives you numbers that make absolutely no sense, checking the active character is a very good first step . 

 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) 

 

 

 

 There are also Server Snippets for common effects such as Bless and Guidance, which are considerably less annoying than remembering the dice yourself. 

 More on those shortly. 

 Combat 

 Attacking Things 

 Outside initiative, the basic attack/action command is: !a <attack> For example:  !a Longsword , !a Eldritch Blast , !a Bite 

 The attack name generally comes from your character sheet. 

 If Avrae finds several similarly named options, it may ask you to choose one. 

 You can also attach arguments and snippets: !a Greatsword bless or !a Longsword rage 

 We'll explain snippets properly before you begin attaching random words to attacks and hoping for the best. 

 Avrae's Automated 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" Quotation marks are useful for spell names containing several words. 

 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! 

 HP, Spell Slots & Resting 

 Avrae can track most of your basic character resources. 

 HP 

 

 You may see: !g hp 

 For more precise changes use  !g hp mod -5 which causes you to lose 5 HP. 

 Meanwhile !g hp mod 5 heals 5 HP. 

 !g hp set 20  Set HP directly to 20. 

 !g hp max  Return to maximum HP. 

 Macguffins also has the easier  !hp server alias. 

 

 Temporary HP 

 

 Use  !g thp 5 for 5 temporary HP. 

 

 Spell Slots 

 

 Macguffins provides  !ss for spell-slot management. 

 

 Resting 

 

 Avrae itself supports  !g sr  and  !g lr  for short and long rests. 

 Macguffins also has  !rest with the related aliases:

 

 !hd   

 !sr   

 !lr   

 

 

 

 These help reset the appropriate resources and, where relevant, spend Hit Dice. 

 !qstat : Our Favourite Little Status Line 

 If there is one Macguffins-specific Avrae command worth learning early, it is probably  !qstat 

 It produces a compact status line containing useful information such as: 

 

 HP 

 AC 

 spell slots 

 class resources 

 custom counters 

 

 This is particularly useful in PbP combat because your DM can quickly see the numbers that matter without opening your entire character sheet. 

 For help type !qstat ? 

 Changing Your Displayed AC 

 Temporary AC changes can be reflected in !qstat . 

 

 Add to your normal AC using  !qstat ac +2 

 Subtract from it using  !qstat ac -1 

 Set a fixed AC using  !qstat ac 21 

 Reset back to your normal base value using  !qstat ac 

 You can even make little personal shortcuts. For example  !alias shieldon qstat ac +2  and  !alias shieldoff qstat ac 

 

 You are also allowed to simply remember that the spell "Shield" gives you +5 AC. 

 Adding a Custom Counter 

 If your character already has an Avrae custom counter, !qstat can display it. 

 For example !qstat add :crossed_swords: Fighting Spirit 

 The counter name needs to match the existing counter name. 

 This is particularly handy for characters with resources that don't otherwise appear nicely in the default output. 

 Timelines: The Multiverse of Hit Points 

 Macguffins characters sometimes participate in more than one mechanical activity at once. 

 For example: 

 

 You're halfway through a Quest; 

 Your Arena match starts; 

 Arena-you gets horribly mauled; 

 Quest-you would quite reasonably like to object to suddenly losing 63 HP in another dimension. 

 

 This is what timelines are for. 

 Creating Timelines 

 Create your normal Quest state !qt new "Main" 

 Create an Arena state  !qt new "Arena" 

 Switching Between Them 

 Before acting in the Arena type !qt "Arena" 

 Your HP, resources and other tracked information now belong to that timeline. 

 When returning to your Quest type !qt "Main" and you're back to your Quest state. 

 A simple example. You begin with: 

 

 Main — Quest resources 

 Arena — Arena resources 

 

 Before your Arena turn type  !qt "Arena" You get hit. Spend spell slots. Rage. Regret your positioning. 

 Later, back in the Quest you type  !qt "Main" and your Quest resources are restored to the state stored on that timeline. 

 Get into the habit of checking which timeline you're on before changing resources. 

 Your DM will appreciate it. 

 Future-you will appreciate it. 

 Present-you may continue to forget occasionally and that's okay. 

 Looking Up D&D Rules & Content 

 Avrae can also act as a quick reference. 

 Useful commands include: 

 

 !spell <name> 

 !class <name> 

 !classfeat <name> 

 !feat <name> 

 !race <name> 

 !species <name> 

 !monster <name> 

 !condition <name> 

 !rule <name> 

 !item <name> 

 

 These are useful for looking up D&D material. They are not the source of truth for Macguffins-specific approvals, "house rules" or server procedures. 

 For those, use the Macguffins wiki. Avrae knows D&D but it does not attend our staff meetings. 

 Personal Aliases vs Server Aliases 

 Avrae allows you to create your own aliases and this is quite useful. 

 It also means you can accidentally install your own ancient copy of a command and then wonder why everybody else's works differently. 

 

 Check your personal aliases by using !alias list 

 Check the server aliases by using !servalias list 

 

 If both lists contain the same command name, your personal version may be overriding the current server version. 

 You can remove your personal version with !alias remove <name> 

 Then try the server command again. 

 Server Snippets 

 

 The equivalent server-snippet list is  !servsnippet list 

 Personal snippets can be viewed with !snippet list 

 

 This can be useful when a snippet behaves differently for you than it does for everyone else. 

 “Avrae Sent Me An Error” 

 Congratulations! You have reached the authentic Avrae experience. Before summoning the nearest technically inclined person, try the following. 

 

 Check your character !char Wrong character accounts for an impressive number of mysteries. 

 Check the command spelling, particularly with custom aliases. A single missing letter can transform useful automation into Discord politely informing you that it has absolutely no idea what you're talking about. 

 Ask the command for help. For Macguffins server aliases, try  !command ? For Avrae's native commands  !help <command> 

 Check for an old personal alias  !alias list  If you have your own version of a server command, try removing the personal one and running the command again. 

 Check whether the server command actually exists  !servalias list and for snippets  !servsnippet list 

 If Avrae mentions something being deprecated that is because Avrae changes over time. If the error comes from a  personal alias , you may need to update or replace it. If the problem comes from one of our server aliases , tell us which command you used and copy the error. 

 

 Please do not quietly work around it forever. We cannot fix the strange noise in the basement if everyone agrees never to mention the strange noise in the basement. 

 “I Can't Find The Command I Need” 

 This guide is intentionally not a complete Avrae manual. 

 For Macguffins-specific functionality, check Server Aliases which is the maintained catalog of server-wide custom commands. Or check Server Snippets which is the maintained catalog of roll modifiers. 

 For Avrae's own functions, use its official command documentation. 

 You can also try !help or !help <command> 

 If you're still stuck, ask. 

 Asking somebody who knows the command is considerably faster than spending forty minutes trying increasingly desperate combinations of punctuation. 

 Recommended New-Player Learning Order 

 If you're new to Avrae, don't try to swallow the entire page at once. 

 Step 1 - Learn these 

 

 !char 

 !c 

 !s 

 !a 

 !cast 

 !qstat 

 

 Congratulations! You can now play most ordinary scenes. 

 Step 2 - When combat happens 

 Learn  !i join  and how to use  -t  for targets (if your DM uses Avrae initiative). Otherwise  !qstat is your friend.  

 Your DM can help with everything else. 

 Step 3 - When resources matter 

 Learn:  !hp   !rest   !ss and whichever class-specific aliases you actually use. 

 Step 4 - If you're in a Quest and Arena simultaneously 

 Learn: !qt before changing your HP 

 Step 5 - Fancy nonsense 

 Personal aliases, custom counters, advanced snippets, map utilities, elaborate automation. These are the cherry on top and you are not required to learn them. 

 The Actual Cheatsheet 

 When Discord has eaten your brain and you remember nothing: 

 

 !char   Who am I? 

 !c Perception Do I notice the problem? 

 !s Dexterity Can I avoid the problem? 

 !a Longsword Can I stab the problem? 

 !cast "Fireball" Can I make the problem everybody's problem? 

 !g lr Can I sleep after the problem? 

 !qstat How badly has the problem hurt me? 

 !qt "Arena" Which version of me currently has the problem? 

 

 That's enough and everything else is here when you need it.

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 

 You generally won't need all of these immediately. 

 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. 

 There are also class-specific, spell-specific, race-specific, DM and utility aliases. 

 If your character has a mechanic you use regularly, check Server Aliases before building your own . 

 There is a decent chance somebody already did the suffering for you. 

 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 (Legacy) !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. Some snippets automate legacy 2014 mechanics; these are labelled below. 

 

 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 (2014) 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 (2014) 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
These restrictions apply regardless of whether a character uses 2014 or 2024 rules unless a specific entry says otherwise. 

 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?
Ruleset note: Macguffins currently supports both 2014 and 2024 characters. The general mounted-combat rules below apply to both unless otherwise stated. Spell-created mounts such as Find Steed work differently depending on the version of the spell your character uses. 

 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.  

 A creature must generally be willing, at least one size larger than its rider, and physically suited to being ridden before it can function as a mount. 

 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.  

 Find Steed — 2024 

 The 2024 Find Steed spell uses the Otherworldly Steed stat block. 

 The steed can resemble a Large rideable animal of your choice, such as a horse, camel, dire wolf or elk. Its appearance does not change its stat block. 

 While you are riding it in combat, the steed functions as a controlled mount and shares your Initiative count, as described by the spell. 

 If you want the steed to look like something particularly unusual, the creature should still have an anatomy reasonably capable of serving as a mount. 

 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?
Applies to both 2014 and 2024 characters 

 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 (Legacy)
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.