This is Dungeons & Dragons, fifth edition, in its 2024 revision, played in Varendor: a vast medieval-fantasy world of kingdoms, trade routes, old ruins, and peoples whose lives continue whether you join them or not. There is no central campaign, chosen one, or required mission. You may seek work, pursue an ambition, travel, serve a faction, build a home, or simply survive. The Game Master describes what your character can perceive, you say what you do, and the dice resolve uncertainty.
How a session runs
Play moves in a simple loop: the GM describes the situation, you describe what you want to do, and the GM narrates the result. Dice come out when the outcome is uncertain and the rules call for a test. The full statement of that loop is in @Missing file. Three modes share the table: exploration, social interaction, and combat. Combat is important, but a session may focus on trade, travel, study, work, friendship, politics, or rest instead.
What to expect
- One roll to learn. Nearly everything is a D20 Test — the 2024 revision's name for ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls. One die, one modifier, one target number; the next chapter explains it.
- Your character is yours to shape. Species, class, and background set rules for what you know and can do. Your reasons for being in Varendor are your own; you do not need a prophecy, a quest, or a plan to save the world.
- The world has its own motion. Factions pursue their aims, people keep obligations, and events may happen beyond your sight. You can join in, walk away, or miss an opportunity. News travels through people and takes time; rumors can be incomplete or wrong.
- Danger is not balanced to you. An enemy does not become weaker because you are low-level, and victory is never guaranteed. Preparation, information, allies, and choosing when not to fight matter. Retreat, negotiation, stealth, and avoidance are real options.
- Time and consequence matter. Travel takes time, resources are finite, and actions may change relationships or reputation. At zero hit points, the 2024 death-save rules apply; help may be possible, but it is not promised. Death is permanent unless a legitimate means of resurrection exists.
A life in Varendor
Not everyone you meet is an adventurer, and not every house hides a mystery. Farmers, couriers, merchants, officials, soldiers, and families have duties of their own. You may choose a modest aim — safe passage, steady work, a home, or a repaired reputation — or pursue high ambition. Major events may happen without you; local news reaches you through witnesses, travelers, notices, and rumor, with delays and errors. The setting rewards curiosity, not obligation.
Where things live
The complete rules sit in the Rules folder — @Missing file compresses the core into one page, the Core Rules chapters go deeper, and the Glossary answers questions alphabetically. Classes, species, spells, monsters, and equipment are records the sheet can use. The rules tell you what your character can do; Varendor's living world supplies the circumstances, people, and consequences. Character creation is next, and the guided flow will walk you through the sheet.
