Thread by @JoshuaBarbeau: "Alright Twitterverse, listen up! I want to try something CRAZY. You and I, we're going to play some together. I'll be the DM, and all […]" #DnD5e #TwitterDnD #4e #DragonHeist

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DMonDemand 🐉 Ask me your storytelling questions!

@JoshuaBarbeau

, 55 tweets, 21 min read Read on Twitter

Alright Twitterverse, listen up! I want to try something CRAZY. You and I, we're going to play some #DnD5e together. I'll be the DM, and all of you together will be the player. Each day I will post a new 24h poll. Your answers will determine what happens next in the story. 1/...

Should be fun, am I right? You'll all be like a hydra character, having one body but with many minds. The more people playing the game (number of votes), the more interesting the choices will be! Help us expand the hive of players by retweeting with the hashtag #TwitterDnd. 2/...

The goal is to connect with people in a fun and engaging way and give them a shared experience together. If I can also show new players how easy it is to get into #DnD5e so much the better. We'll try to keep it simple with traditional rules and see how far our hero can get. 3/...

So without further ado, let's kick off this #TwitterDnD campaign!

To start, we need to build our hero. What #DnD5e Race do you want to play? 4/...

We're playing #TwitterDnD, and you can too! I'll DM, you play. Each day a new poll goes up. Your answers decides where the story goes next.

But first we must make a character. Elf won out with 38% of votes. Now let's pick a subclass.

5/...

Wood Elf wins with 54% of the votes.

Next we need a class. I'm going to borrow some #4e terminology to help us narrow down our options. If you don't know what these terms mean, Google is your friend!

The class you want to play is...

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Assuming it doesn't change much in the next 12 minutes then we are going Arcane. Are you a charismatic bard? An elegant bladesinger? A devious Warlock? You decide.

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Wood Elf Sorcerer it is!

What do you say we speed this character creation process along, shall we? Going to post multiple polls at once so we can start playing faster.

What is the source of your power? If there is a tie, you will instead be a Wild Magic Sorcerer.

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Before you became an adventurer, what kind of person were you? Choose a background option. Since there are a ton to choose from, I have narrowed it down to four. On a tie, all four will be junked and four new background options will be presented instead.

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Ability scores determine your strengths and weaknesses for nearly everything you do. Now that we know our race & class we can pick what goes where. I've come up with four different arrays to choose from (racial bonus included). On a tie, I will roll instead.

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What should we call you? I've presented 3 options below, but feel free to suggest names of your own in the comments! If "other" wins the poll, the name in the comments with the most likes will be your character's name.

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The game will be set in the Forgotten Realms, of this, there is no doubt; but what story do you wish to tell there? Do you want to play in a published adventure (a la #DragonHeist or #StormKingsThunder), or embark on a wholly original tale?

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Alright! This character is starting to shape up. We're almost ready to take them for a spin. But what kind of Sorcerer would you be without SPELLS? At 1st level you know four Cantrips (simple spells that can be cast as often as you like). The first one is:

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Your second Cantrip is:

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Your third Cantrip is:

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And your fourth and final Cantrip is:

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But while Cantrips are always fun, 1st level spells are even better. You will start off knowing two 1st level spells. The first one is:

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And your second is:

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Almost as important as your spells are your Proficiencies; the skills you are good at and the weapons, armors, and tools you can use. Since this is a solo game (you are multiple players, but still only one character), careful skill selection will be critical.

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As a Wood Elf and a Far Traveler you get Perception and Insight for free. In addition to that you get three more skill proficiencies, a tool proficiency (musical instrument or gaming set), and a bonus language proficiency. The first skill you picked is:

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@varnished_truth @varnished_truth, thanks for the retweet! The more players we've got voting on these polls, the more diverse and interesting Zylbella is bound to be.

Zylbella's character sheet (updated in real-time):
ddb.ac/characters/157…

Spells are done! It was neck and neck between Detect Magic and Shield, but Detect won out by 1 vote in the end. Magic Missile, on the other hand, was a very clear favourite. You can see Zylbella's developing character sheet here: ddb.ac/characters/157…

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Time to finish out Proficiencies! First, one more off the Sorcerer class skill list. The number in brackets is the current bonus you have before proficiency (so just the ability modifier), for context.

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Your last skill proficiency comes from your Far Traveler background and can be any skill you like. We'll need to narrow this list down first. Do you want training in a skill that traditionally utilizes Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma?

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You also have proficiency in a tool (musical instrument or gaming set). I've picked four choices for you. Which do you see Zylbella using more?

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You also get a bonus language from Far Traveler. As an Elf, you know Common and Elvish automatically. I will also throw in a bonus language based on where you hail from later, which won't be one of these. Choose one. If there's a tie, I'll swap out the options.

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Speaking of where you hail from, where is that, exactly? As a Far Traveler, you have ventured to the Sword Coast from a distant land. Choose one of the following four options. If this poll ends in a tie, you are instead from the fabled elven isles of Evermeet.

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Just as important as where you are from is why you left your distant homeland. Are you on the run, always looking over your shoulder? Did something draw you here? Perhaps you're on a mission for your people? Or maybe you just enjoy exploring? You decide.

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Tell me more about Zylbella's personality! Answer this question: true or false, do you have different assumptions from those around you concerning personal space, blithely invading others’ space in innocence, or reacting to ignorant invasion of your own?

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Personality test continued! True or false; Zylbella has her own ideas about what is and is not food, and they find the eating habits of those around them fascinating, confusing, or revolting... I mean, have you SEEN the way humans from the Sword Coast eat? Yuk.

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Zylbella will need an ideal, a world view to believe in. Using the default options for Far Traveler we get six to choose from (so, we'll have to narrow it down cuz these polls only give four choices). They are...

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They also need a bond, to help you stay grounded and connected to the game world. Could be something that connects you to your homeland, a greater cause, or even the new world you are visiting. Picking "none of the above" refreshes the list with 3 new options.

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And finally, they will also need a crippling character flaw that I, your DM, will of course never use against you ever... 😈

Choose one, or pick other and comment with a unique character flaw below.

If there is a tie, I will refresh the list with new options.

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Character Creation Thread:
A while back you decided Zylbella has Dragon blood in their veins as the source of their magic power. I need to know what TYPE of Dragon she is a distant relative of.

If there's a tie, then you'll have a Green Dragon ancestor (Poison).

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Character Creation Thread:
Time to pick your final skill proficiency. You decided earlier that this would be a Strength or Dexterity skill. The numbers in brackets are the relevant ability score modifiers for that skill before your proficiency bonus will be added.

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Character Creation Thread:
Every hero needs to be EQUIPPED for the difficult job of adventuring. Let's pick some quality gear for Zylbella to count on when times get rough.

Choose your first weapon. You'll also start with two Daggers.

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Character Creation Thread:
Musn't leave home without that all-important caster focus. Do you see Zylbella with a staff? Sure, it's big and clumsy, but it can double as a weapon. Or do they prefer something sleeker, like a wand? Maybe a simple component pouch?

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Character Creation Thread:
We need a pack. Dungeoneer's pack has a very useful crowbar, but the Explorer's has a super comfy bedroll and a mess kit (and we've already established Zylbella is finicky about food). Decisions, decisions...

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Character Creation Thread:
And one last extra special item for fun. An ancient, perhaps magical heirloom from the continent of Zakhara, your distant homeland.

Disclaimer: Longswords use Strength to attack (your dump stat), but you are proficient with them...

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Character Creation Thread:
And speaking of home, you lot had trouble deciding on what your reasons were for coming to Faerun, so let's try this again. Why did Zylbella leave Zakhara? What follows is four different, detailed motivations. The poll is at the end.

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Character Creation Thread:

1. I am an emissary of Zakhara. I was specially selected along with a group of six other candidates ("the seven") to explore the distant lands and make contact with far off peoples. The Sword Coast is the furthest I have traveled yet.

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Character Creation Thread:

2. I am a fugitive of Zakhara. I used to be the consort of Kalil al-Zahir, the Grand Caliph of Huzuz, but that all ended the day Kalil was killed. I was framed for his murder and chased out of the country. I cannot go back.

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Character Creation Thread:

3. All my life I never thought I would leave Zakhara, but when my magical talents first manifested I prayed to Najm for courage and she answered me with a vision of the Sword Coast. Now, at long last, I am here seeking answers.

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Character Creation Thread:

4-1. In Zakhara I wasn't just an ordinary mage. I was a Sah'ir - a direct descendant of the genies who shape the lands of fate. When I delved into the ancient texts to learn more of my family history, I discovered a horrible secret...

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Character Creation Thread:

4-2. ...That my family was not Sha'ir, like the others, but that we were descended from Dragons! I thought my family would be pleased to learn our true heritage, but I was wrong. I was exiled to bury the secret, never to return.

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Character Creation Thread:

And to ensure no ties this time, let's do this:
1. Emissary of Zakhara. (Wins ties)
2. A fugitive, falsely accused. (Beats #3 in a tie)
3. Guided by a divine vision.
4. Exiled for knowing too much. (Loses ties)

Choose.

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Character Creation Thread:

Oof, Tweet 39 (why you left Zakhara) took 7 tweets to do properly. Am I putting too much effort into this?😂

#Nope. 😋

Let's see, what have we got left to do?...

Right! You still need a crippling character flaw. 😈 Thought I forgot?

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Character Creation Thread:

And Zylbella still needs an ideal. Pick one:

Inquisitive. Everything is new, but I have a thirst to learn.
-OR-
Suspicious. I must be careful, for I have no way of telling friend from foe here.

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Fun fact, the Zakharan god/goddess of courage is also non-binary, like our hero here.
forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Najm

Character Creation Thread:

This is the last question, and then your non-binary wood elf dragon magic sorcerer from Zakhara can finally be let loose on the Sword Coast. When you were exiled from your homeland they placed you on a boat. What was its destination?

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A tie here will mean that the boat you are on gets lost at sea, and you will wind up stranded on an island a few miles off of the Sword Coast.

Also, you may have noticed that at no point did I ask you what Zylbella's appearance was. I wanted to leave it up to your imaginations.

Though, if any artists who are following along want to take a crack at drawing Zylbella, I may just make your depiction canonical.

What's more, I didn't ask you what Zylbella's alignment was. Also on purpose. Their alignment is meant to be as fluid as the masses controlling her.

A note on pronouns: Zylbella is canonically non-binary. For the sake of ensuring nobody gets offended if a mistake is made, let's say that while Zylbella generally prefers they/them pronouns, they are equally comfortable responding to she/her and he/him interchangeably.