Dungeon Master's Guide to Averoth

Collaboration is key to a healthy and thriving world. We all love our ideas, and don’t want to overshare to spoil surprises that we have, but we must learn to balance that as DMs and work together to keep our living world as consistent and coherent as possible.

As a result, two of the foremost guidelines is the understanding that sessions designed to impact the Guild - be it in a negative or positive light - needs to be approved by the Guild DMs. This is because the Guild DMs are constantly working on arcs regarding the guild, and your session may be in direct conflict with things in progress. Additionally, you must check with the countries Master DM to ensure that any plans for your session doesn't intervene with any established lore, and also to ensure consistency with region/world lore. I.E You don't have the guild sent into a jungle in the middle of Eris Olen.

Even beyond Guild sessions, collaboration with other DMs is a necessity in an online environment in which many people help shape the world. Be open to sharing ideas and story arcs with your fellow DMs, and be open to using their ideas to help run your own sessions. The better we, as DMs, can work together, the more we all benefit.

So you want to be a DM...
You’ve decided that you want to become a Dungeon Master in the world of Averoth. Awesome! The first step is to talk to one of the Master DMs about becoming an Apprentice DM. You will then get a fancy orange role proclaiming you to be an Apprentice DM. You’ll get access to some cool resources that will hopefully facilitate your planning.

The next step is to think of an idea for a oneshot that the Guardians of the White Rose guild can undertake. Do you want to fight some bandits? Do you want to help catch zoo animals that have escaped their cages? Do you want to forever traumatize players by exposing them to goats? Use your imagination.

Once you have an idea for your oneshot, try to place it in the region you are DM for (Sidenote: Currently only sessions in Akra Kuden, just across the border in Drassai, or sessions in Eris Olen can be ran). If the session truly does not fit into your part of the world, it is possible to run it in another region. In that case, talk extensively with the relevant DMs.

Work out whether your oneshot makes sense in the region you run it in. A mad wizard isn’t likely to appear in Laevateinn, nor is a sandworm in Drassai. Get an idea for what level of players you want, and how to make the session fun and engaging for them. Don’t throw that Elder Dragon at those level 3s, make completing your session attainable (see rule 5 of the server).

Once you have worked out all the details of it, post the recruitment post in #session-recruitment. The form for it can be found pinned in that channel.

In order to move on from your Apprentice status, you need to run at least two trial games, all of which need to be supervised by a full DM (Craftsman tier or above), and all of which need to be canon. You can and should ask for feedback from the DM(s) that supervised your session.

One-shot
These sessions are meant to be run by one group in one session, with everything neatly tied up by the end. They should have minimal impact on the characters and the Guild and serve as mini stories - sort of the “filler” episodes.

One-shots recruit from available members of the Guild, who become “locked” and unable to partake in downtime activities or other sessions until they are unlocked.

The amount of time a character is locked out depends on the travel time involved in the session, with a 5:1 ratio for determining the number of days to lockout a character to a maximum of 5 IRL days locked out. This means for every five days that pass in the session, the characters should be locked out for one IRL day, with a minimum lockout of one IRL day.

Adventures
Adventures are story arcs that use the same group of characters over multiple sessions. This should be at least 3 sessions. Like one-shots, everything should be tied up neatly by the end of it.

The story arcs used in an adventure can vary in theme, from stand alone stories to those personal to a character, or even involving the Guild.

Similar to one-shots, calculate how many days the characters should be locked out - however, take into account the number of IRL days that have taken place between sessions as well. Barring extreme travel or circumstances, the characters should be unlocked immediately with no lockout. If there is a concern about this, please contact a Master DM to figure out the best solution.

Campaigns
A campaign is a story in and of itself, with many side arcs. Campaigns do not utilize guild members and run independently of the guild.

Typically, campaigns run lore building - creating events that happened, or have happened, elsewhere in the world.

At the end of a campaign, characters are considered retired. Players should feel free (and encouraged) to do post write-ups of what their characters would do after the end of a campaign. Depending on the campaign, it is possible to have those characters be turned into NPCs living on.

DM (Apprentice)
Apprentice DMs are new to DMing on Averoth, and so the role is meant to let them showcase their abilities as a DM in a way that doesn’t impact the server but still allows for flexibility.

Apprentice DMs cannot create factions, towns, or major cities. Small villages and the like can be done, but any new locale requires approval from the relevant Master DM. NPCs created should have little to no influence, unless approval from a Master DM is given.

Ideally, Apprentice DMs should look at existing lore and work in sessions that utilize it. Sessions should be one-shots that wrap up nicely. When posting sessions, please contact a Craftsman DM or higher to arrange to have one of them sit in the session to observe. Apprentice DMs can only be promoted if their sessions have been observed and meet the standards Averoth is looking for.

DM (Journeyman)
Journeyman DMs have shown their worth and are free to begin creating more lore and repeating threats, such as bandit groups, small merchant guilds, and establishments (such as roadside Inns). Journeyman DMs can also run adventures - independent story arcs run by the same group over multiple sessions. These adventures should tie up cleanly, similar to a oneshot.

Sessions run by Journeyman DMs should not directly impact the Guild - if you wish to run a session that could damage or benefit the reputation of the Guild, please contact a Guild DM first to get approval. NPCs created by Journeyman DMs should be added to the Averoth Wiki with enough information so they can be used by other DMs. A template for the bare minimal information necessary can be found here.

DM (Craftsman)
Craftsman DMs begin to create greater influences on the world at large. This can be creating larger guilds and organizations, and changing political structures within cities.

A craftsman DM isn’t just creating small NPCs - they’re creating and managing people and events that have far reaching influences and consequences.

Because of the impact that Craftsman DMs can have, it’s vital that they be capable of working with other DMs in order to help make these changes a real part of the world in a way that helps immerse players and keep the concept of a changing world alive.

DM (Master)
Master DMs are part of the governing body of the server, and beyond that they take the scope of Craftsman and expand on it to the world. Master DMs can hold the seat as the DM of a country. In this capacity, they have the final say on the lore in that region, and thus are responsible for the other DMs in their region, as well as for signing off backstories of characters and sessions that happen within that region.

Master DMs work together to create world-changing events. Wars, embargos, cities being created or destroyed, reshaping entire regions, plagues, Gods dying and new ones coming into being….

Next to that, Master DMs are permitted to run other-planar sessions, and are the first ones to be informed of the plans of the Loremasters.

Server-wide DMing rules
1) Item interaction: You can stow a weapon as part of the item interaction to pull one out. Should you have the Dual Wielder feat, you can do it with two weapons, one for each hand.

2) Using potions: Potions are a bonus action to use on yourself, and an action to feed to others. Rogue Thief can use an item interaction to use on yourself, and a bonus action to feed to others, as part of Fast Hands.

3) Action Options: Expanded action options (DMG pg. 271 & 272) can be used in combat, with the exception of Mark. The following are being incorporated without any changes: Climbing Onto A Larger Creature, Overrun, Tumble. The following are being allowed with a change: Shove aside (incorporated into Shove, you can shove a creature in any direction; the difficulty of this is at DM discretion depending on situation, environment etc.), Disarm (difficulty is determined by the DM).

4) Flanking: There is no flanking.

5) Movement: Normal 5e rules apply (see PHB p. 191).

6) Characters that get abilities and powers from Powerful Entities, such as Clerics, should be conscious of how their characters use those abilities and powers. As such, a DM has the power to deny the effects of a spell, such as Guidance, if they feel that Powerful Entity would not approve of its use, within reason. More egregious misuses of an Entity's power, or the rupture of a Paladin Oath, may have longer lasting consequences.

7) Non-lethal damage: For melee attacks, follow RAW (p. 198 PHB). Optionally, a DM can choose to allow non-melee non-lethal attacks as well. In that case, the following is applied: For non-melee, non-lethal attacks are only possible if it is an attack roll and a single target attack, and only if announced ahead of time. In this case, the target has +5 to AC.

Resources

 * Dungeon Master’s Guide
 * Monster Manual
 * Volo’s Guide to Monsters
 * Mordekainen’s Tome of Foes
 * Other DMs


 * The Trove - For all your map and asset needs. Plenty on there!

Server-specific resources

 * The Averoth Wiki - Here you can find lots of information about the regions and people within those regions. Do note that whatever happens in the regions isn’t necessarily limited to what is on the wiki. If you want something that isn’t already happening within that region, talk to the corresponding Master DM to see if it is possible. A lot is possible, as long as you check it with them before making any modifications to their region. They might also have some NPCs or towns for you that haven’t been used before.
 * Master DMs - This one cannot be stated often enough and is a recurring theme. They are the ones that rule a region and decide on what can and cannot be done. If you really want something to be done, a little bribery goes a long way. Give them back the NPCs you created, make an awesome pub in a small town to give back to them, etc.
 * DM Drive - This is a drive full of resources that we have collected for the Dungeon Masters of Averoth. It’s awesome, use it. The resources in it are quite varied.
 * Rewards guide - Titty has made a rewards guide for Averoth, which can be found here. The guide can be used to determine the amount of XP that players and the DM get. Rewards are based on the average level character in the party, rounded down, so if there are three level 8s and one level 3, the XP is based on level 6 ( (8+8+8+3)/4=6.75, so 6 rounded down ).

Session rewards
'''NOTE: Session rewards can only be handed out for sessions with at least 2 players. This is both DM and player rewards.'''

Upon successful completion of a oneshot or adventure, players can receive some rewards other than the friendship they made along the way. "'Feel no sympathy for thy players, for they are greedy and shall consume all that is given, and still want for more.'"In other words, do not feel pressured to give better rewards or specific items to your players. XP and Gold Rewards are based on the average level of the party rounded down. Magical Items rewards are based on the lowest level of the party.

Do always give something to your players, even if it is only 5 copper. Session rewards can also be in goods -such as chests, tables, or tapestries- or favours. When it comes to handing out magic items, there must be a reason that NPC posses the item in question. Clear the items you want to hand out beforehand with a Craftsman or Master DM.

The full session reward guide can be found here.

NOTE: Magic item rewards have to be set in stone before the session commences and cleared beforehand. Maximum of 1 magic item and 2 magic consumables per session. If you want to go over this limit, contact a Master DM.

Outside of handing out items during the session, players are permitted to visit shops to buy items. For magical items, use the Sane Magical Item Prices. The PDF can be found in the Drive. Clear the sale of Magical Items with a Craftsman DM or higher. For non-magical items, use the D&D Shop Catalog, also found in the Drive.

Assault Oneshots
Assault oneshots can vary, but generally pit the few against the many or the few against the overly powerful.

In an assault oneshot, players volunteer to take part in some massive scale battle. There are great risks for potentially no material reward. The players must know out of character what they are getting into when they sign up for the session.

Beyond the out of character warning when possible an in character warning should also be made to further explain the approaching danger. Characters - and players - should always have the option of backing out. As guild sessions in Averoth must be balanced for the players in them, this may mean having to do some last minute adjustments to the encounters that are expected!

When - for whatever lore reason there is - no in character warning can be given, an explicit warning in the recruitment post needs to be made. Players should absolutely understand what they are signing up for.

Rule 5 and Assaults
Averoth’s Rule 5 is as follows: Just as we expect players to know their characters, to not metagame, to be responsible and fun to play with, we expect our DMs to abide by some standards. Every encounter or challenge a DM puts in place needs to have a reasonable solution to it, even if the solution is walking away. If a DM puts an inescapable challenge in front of the players that isn't balanced properly, players have the right to contest that. Rule 5 makes assaults difficult to manage. An assault is meant to push characters, but they still need to be balanced properly and while assault oneshots are meant to be difficult, they must adhere to rule 5.

Just like any other oneshot ran for the Guild in Averoth, players can contest the challenges of an assault.

CRs and Encounter Difficulties
Keeping in mind that Rule 5 still applies to assault oneshots, this increases the difficulty on the DM to balance what the players are facing.

Generally speaking, the DMG’s encounter difficulty and daily budgets are still the appropriate guidelines to use. At any given time on the battlefield, unless there are in-session lore reasons why (such as the characters making grave mistakes that result in bad things happening) the current encounter should never be more than 1.5x deadly for the group at any one time.

As the DM, make use of waves and manage the creatures coming in (see Tips & Tricks for Managing Assaults section). Keep track of what is on the field and estimate what the current difficulty is, and adjust accordingly. Enemies can flee or move to handle other threats elsewhere, and new ones can show up.

Assaults on the Guild Hall
The Guild is a central location for many adventurers and an obvious problem point for any intelligent BBEG. The Guild Hall has resources, some treasures (more so depending on individuals there), and array of skills that can be more than problematic for the budding Evil Doers’s future plans.

Assaults on the Guild need to be planned carefully, however, as it simply is not possible to account for all the characters who can potentially be available - and therefore would assist - in an assault. Think about this when planning on assault on the guild - where are these other characters? Perhaps they are setting up a ‘medic camp’ to manage any injured. Maybe they are helping defend off screen (see Assault Rewards below). As a DM for the assault, it is your job to help figure out what these people are doing, just as you would have to figure out what all the clerics, mages, and warriors of a town are doing should one be under siege.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are lore reasons why the Hall is a difficult place to attack. With constant patrols, a watchtower, and magical wards the Hall is a rather secure location. Given this, assaults that “surprise” the guild generally can’t happen (this is not to say they can’t, given sufficient lore reason and planning it absolutely can be accomplished) and the members of the Guild that participate should be expected to have some amount of preparation time, even if it is only a minute or two in which to get in position and prepare themselves.

In terms of destruction, the property of the Hall can be damaged or destroyed - there is nothing preventing such damages from happening.

Assault Rewards
Typically an assault is going to be Tier X, and rewards should be given based on what tier the average party level falls into, but leaning towards the max rewards. As always, use your best judgement.

When it comes to physical rewards - such as gold or magic items - an assault can be treated as an adventure (and therefore, multiple magic items and greater gold distribution) if there are lore reasons why such rewards would be there. Taking out a lieutenant and a captain who worked in tandem with a magical shield and a magical pike, for instance, or an assault upon an evil dragon’s den that results in collecting their massive treasures.

With massive rewards though, there might be other considerations - requests from local governments that appropriate compensation to them be made for the damage/theft it caused, for instance.

Tips & Tricks for Managing Assaults

 * Multiple DMs can really help manage the complexities of an assault.  Even if the other DM is in the same session, having them there to manage certain aspects of things will help keep the session moving and let you focus on the things you need to focus on.
 * Have weaker and stronger versions of some of the creatures that you can swap in if players flee.  This helps keep the balance of the session if a player decides to opt out.
 * Be ready with waves.  There are many reasons why enemies aren’t all on screen at once - have a few reasons on hand and bring them in as needed.  If a higher CR enemy is going to come in, make sure enough minions have been dealt with that their introduction doesn’t completely unbalance the encounter - even if it means delaying them a round or two.