Bandit's Keep

Why your bio matters If you want to find a dungeons and dragons group, you should keep in mind, that the player to DM ratio is heavily skewed against you. Most DMs receive up to 10 applications per player seat. Having a great player profile will help you stand out and will create a good first impression. Finding a dnd group has a lot in common with online dating. Leaving a good first impression, seeming reliable, trustworthy and willing to commit - these are all important either on a dating profile or when creating a player profile. If your thinking is “If they want to know more about me, they will ask.” It is very likely that they won’t. Remember that you are fighting an uphill battle. Groups aren’t really facing a shortage of players and you need to use any tool and skill you have to display yourself as someone they want to have in their group. Ofcourse it will be a balancing act - introducing yourself in as much detail as possible, while not ending up with more paragraphs than a book. The anatomy of a player bio Preferences, playstyle, experience, logistics, reservations and much more - all of these are things that help a Dungeon Master find the right person to even start a discussion with. If your profile introduces you on a superficial level: “Hello, I am Holger and I would love to find a group to play with.” Then you aren’t really saying much (other than your name, which is a good start). /images/general-media/1774870056_ib7o9mRg.gifThis could be you. Playstyle Are you someone who enjoys roleplay above anything else? Or do your eyes light up whenever the DM tells you all to “Roll Initiative”? Perhaps you find enjoyment in both deep character interactions, social encounters but when need be, have a good understanding of how combat works and enjoy casting fireball too close to your fighter (It happens…). If you know what you’d prefer in a game, be sure to explain which core pillars of the game you enjoy - a game that is all about dungeon crawling and heavy combat situations will not be something a roleplay-focused player will find as enjoyable as one with political intrigue, social manipulation or characters with a deep and devious backstory. You can pick and add various tags to go with your post. Groups filtering players by “Roleplay focused” will find you, if your profile has that tag added to it. Adding tags in addition to describing your preferences in the bio is a powerful tool. Experience level Have you played Dungeons & Dragons before? If not - don’t feel discouraged. There are new players discovering DnD every day and a newcomer is not a rare sight. Whether you've played the D&D 2014 rules version or are a newcomer starting fresh with the 2024 revised edition, tell the reader which version you are interested in playing. It can be both, if you are not overly picky. Many Dungeon Masters, either new themselves or veterans of the hobby, happily welcome new players to their tables. If they are just starting out with DnD and bravely decided to take up the role of the DM immediately (These players are heroes), they are very likely to enjoy other players with less experience. This is not to say that veterans are not suitable for their games, if the ones with experience are capable and willing to explain, guide and correct (when needed/asked). Nobody wants a “rules lawyer” player who insists on “Um Actually…” whenever the DM calls for a Perception roll, although Investigation might’ve been more appropriate. There are also veteran DMs who enjoy hosting newcomers at their games. Making sure that they understand the basics of the game, the core elements and grow them into capable players who will understand the game and how to be a great player.   Having previous experience is not a requirement. But being honest about it is a must. You are unlikely to not get “caught” if you attempt to overplay your experience. And that will just leave a bad impression of you. Logistics and location Whether you are looking for an online game, or seeking for an in-person at-a-table group, make sure to be specific. For online games, mark down your timezone. This will help you find a game, that won’t start after midnight, or early in the morning (Unless this fits well with your schedule). Joining a group where for other players it is 6PM, but you just woke up and are still working through your bowl of cereal, might not be the best fit. /images/general-media/1774870467_hf8VVPRp.pngThere are players from all across the world (also in regions that did not fit on this map. This is not the entire world, even though some bands arranging their"World Tour" see it that way) If you are trying to join an in-person game, mark your location. This isn’t to say, that give out your home address - don’t do that. There is no reason for that and putting specific personal information out there is a bad idea in general. Pick the closest town or city to you. On Groupfinder the search isn’t restricted to specific locations, but on a radius. If a DM, looking for players is searching around their area and your town falls into their search radius - they will find you.   If you have a specific schedule or time prerefences - mark those down. If you can only play from 6PM to 11PM on Wednesdays - make sure that this is clear to understand and see. You can even double down on timezones and repeat what timezone your 6PM is in. A fun fact You are not just timezones, experiences and preferences. You are a human being with a personality and thoughts. Perhaps you have a character concept that you would love to try out. A ranger that is afraid of trees, a wizard that is illiterate or a rogue that hates doing crime. Write a short introduction of that character - this will also give the DM an understanding on how you would approach the game. If you are not someone, who creates characters to store in your drawer, then this is perfectly acceptable. Many players create a character to fit the world/game they are going to join and craft it based on the lore and history of it. In addition to a pre-created character, you can list books, shows, movies that you enjoy (that could be seen as your theme or playstyle preferences). This will describe your type of fantasy to anyone reading. Love Discworld? Write it down. Not overly excited about lovecraftian horrors - understandable. Weak versus good bio: a comparison While these should be taken with a grain of salt, here are two approaches - one illustrating a superficial approach and one that shows that you put in some effort. That effort will be seen as a “green flag”. You show yourself as someone who is actually willing to put in the work when it comes to a game or crafting a great character that enhances the game. Weak bio “I want to play a rogue or a ranger. I’m free on the weekends.” Good bio “Hello. I am a 3-year veteran looking for a bi-weekly group on either Thursdays or Fridays (available after 6PM (GMT)). If life doesn’t unexpectedly come in the way, I am reliable and can commit to consistently showing up to on the game night. I enjoy character-driven games and social intrigue. In no way against combat but I would prefer to find a game with a stronger focus on the roleplay side of things. Very okay with games where our characters can die in reasonable scenarios. I am a huge fan of The Stormlight Archive series and The Kingkiller Chronicle.” These are general examples - not something you should be imitating almost word for word. But should be taken as a directing guide when you are creating or updating your profile. /images/general-media/1774870655_Tmq1TOe5.gifYou are all set now. Ready to be invited? Stop waiting for a miracle. Create your player profile now and let Dungeon Masters find you. Don’t forget to bump your post every day. You will see the button on your profile. Clicking on the bump button will move your profile to the top, increasing the odds that your profile stands out and gets noticed.

Inspired by legendary settings such as Firefly, Westworld, Borderlands, Trigun or Cowboy Bebop, Deep Sky Ballad is a space western ttrpg where the characters play the members of a Posse - fortune seekers more or less tightly bound to each other who share their resources and a spaceship in search of purpose or wealth. Description The game mechanics are based on the Blackjack System, a poker cards based system; it's the same rules system Arcana Familia ttrpg use, and give agency to the player to balance the power and accuracy of an action through what can be considered a subgame. /images/general-media/1776361953_pusoqZrn.jpg The peculiar solving mechanics of Deep Sky Ballad, the Blackjack System is essentially reduced to a very rapid game of the homonymous card game; a number of cards are drawn and revealed from a deck of poker cards, which are then increased or discarded based on the attributes and skills of the character, in order to bring the sum of their value between a number established by the difficulty of the challenge and 21. This system has been designed to be quick and simple but still guarantee the player maximum control over the test itself, and to distinguish between the possibility and the control possessed by the character. In addition to the Blackjack System, there are an innovative spaceships combat system and the Hardboiled System. The first is a simple, agile and fast mechanic involving all the players; the Hardboiled System, instead, is a system of abilities possessed by the character determined by the interaction that he possesses with his fellow Posse, in order to create dramatic and cinematic scenes such as those presented by the TV series from which Deep Sky Ballad is inspired. Even the starship itself owned by the Posse can be defined as a separate character, even if driven by all players. With its own sheet that defines its characteristics, it can be modified according to the needs of the group in every aspect. And space battles will prove to be a pleasant way to break the pace of the game, through a combat system between spaceships that is quick and easy, but which allows each character to contribute to its progress, regardless of his job or her abilities. /images/general-media/1776361986_AKZC0xAQ.jpgDeep Sky Ballad Additional links drivethrurpg.com - Quickstarter drivethrurpg.com - Core Book drivethrurpg.com - Solo-play/Masterless expansion gamefound.com - Space Farmer Expansion

Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition is a tactical, combat-focused tabletop roleplaying system released by Wizards of the Coast in 2008. Designed to fix the high-level math imbalances and "martial vs. caster" disparities of the 3.5E era, 4E redesigned the game's engine with a more video game adjacent approach. It is famous for its structured, grid-based combat and for standardizing class abilities into a unified system. While its dramatic departure from legacy mechanics polarized the fanbase directly paving the way for the creation of Pathfinder. 4E is widely praised today for its brilliant monster design, DM tools, and unparalleled encounter balance. The system it directly replaced is Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition (2003) Description In D&D 4E, players take on the roles of heroes who are combat-capable right from the start. The system relies of combat being carried out with the use of a battle grid. Positioning plays a big part of the combat experience. The exact location of the characters matters greatly. Unlike other editions where spellcasters are played in a separate mechanical way than martial classes, 4E unifies the progression system. Every class is boiled down to a specific combat "Role" and draws from their specialized toolkit of "Powers," making the game balanced and ensuring that every character has unique and impactful actions that they can perform on their turns. System Overview & Key Features The Power System Instead of traditional spell slots or basic attacks, every class has a list of At-Will, Encounter, Daily, and Utility powers, each with different power levels and frequency at which they can be performed. Fighters can execute epic daily maneuvers just as wizards cast daily spells, creating a better balance between martial classes and spellcasters. Combat Roles All classes are sorted by their class specialization role: Defenders (tanks who draw aggro and protect their allies), Strikers (high single-target damage), Leaders (healers and support), and Controllers (area-of-effect damage and debuffers). Static Defenses Saving throws were removed and replaced with four different defense values: Armor Class, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will. When a wizard casts a fireball, they roll an attack against the targets' Reflex. Instead of both sides rolling for success and for defense - the attacker is the only one to roll dice. Healing Surges A standardized resource pool representing a character's stamina. Almost all healing in the game, whether from a cleric's spell or catching your breath, requires the target to spend a Healing Surge, which reliably heals them for exactly one-quarter of their maximum hit points. Monster Roles & Minions The Dungeon Master's toolkit was revolutionized. Monsters have explicit roles (like Brute, Artillery, or Skirmisher) that cleanly dictate their behavior. 4E also introduced "Minions". Monsters that have normal stats and deal average damage, but only have exactly 1 Hit Point, allowing heroes to cleave through cinematic hordes. Skill Challenges An unique system with 4E is Skill Challenges - a "cinematic" series of actions that turn social, environmental or escape situations into more movie-like scenes. The players must achieve a certain amount (determined by the situation) of successful skill checks, before they collect enough failed skill checks. Additional links dungeonsanddragons.com - Official Dungeons & Dragons website