Game Night, In Plain English

Andreas will ping the group once the date locks in — we're aiming for a Saturday evening, around four hours. Probably at his place; possibly at Oscar's if we want to lean all the way into the tavern of it all. Either way, you'll get a calendar invite the moment the day is fixed.

Yourself. A printed character sheet — either the one the interactive builder spits out, or the tea-stained version Andreas mails you a week before. A drink, if you like. Optional: dice if you have them, a pen for taking notes. Andreas has dice for everyone — bringing your own is a vibe, not a requirement.

Roughly four hours, with a break for food in the middle. If we're flying we'll keep going. If everyone's tapped out we'll wrap. Nobody is graded on completion.

Yes — the night is built for newbies. Half the table will be in the same boat. The first twenty minutes are designed to teach you the mechanics by doing them, not by being lectured. If you want to read ahead, the New Here? page has the full crash course. If you don't, you'll pick it up at the table. Andreas runs it like a host, not a referee.

Plenty. There are deep cuts and easter eggs throughout — especially if you've spent time in Baldur's Gate 3 or Skyrim. The kindest thing you can do for the table is pace yourself. Let the newbies figure out their characters; don't optimize too hard; let a moment land before you reach for a rule.

We'll mourn for three minutes and run with the people who showed. If this becomes a recurring thing (and it might), you'll get another shot.

No. The minimum is: pick a character (or grab one of the ten ready-to-play options on Your Character), and skim that archetype's detail page. That's it. Everything else is optional — for players who want more.

Email Andreas — every archetype detail page has a "This one is me" button at the bottom that drafts the email for you. He'll fill in the last few details with you in chat. A week before the game, you'll get a tea-stained letter in the mail with your character's hero prop tucked inside.

The Build Your Own page has the full guide — pick a species, pick a class, write three paragraphs about why your character left home. Or use the interactive builder — same flow, just guided step by step, with a printable sheet at the end.

Tell Andreas. We'll figure it out. Worst case: grab one of the ready-to-play archetypes the morning of, and play it cold. The pre-rolls are designed for exactly that — every detail is filled in, you just pick up the sheet and play.

Nope. Two Reluctant Heirs walk into a tavern is a premise, not a problem. We'll reskin one slightly so they don't share a name, and the night gets richer for it.

No. You can play it straight — combat, exploration, problem-solving — and have a great time. Roleplay deepens the experience but it's not required. If you do want to lean in, no Shakespeare necessary; the bar is "talk in your character's voice for one moment per scene." Most players surprise themselves.

Andreas will help you. Newbies get the lightest possible hand — he'll narrate your options if you freeze. Combat is faster than it looks once you've done a round of it. If you want a preview, the sample scene on the New Here? page shows exactly what a turn looks like.

Use it for whatever, including looking up rules — Andreas does the same. The only ask is that you stay engaged when it's somebody else's turn. D&D is a group game and the magic happens in the room, not in your DMs.

Yes to combat — it's an adventure, not therapy. Goblins die and worse. Cursing is encouraged but not required. The story has horror elements (a cult, a cosmic-horror reveal in the back half) — nothing nightmarish, but if you have specific limits Andreas should know about, send him a private note in advance and he'll route around them.

Yes. Bring snacks if you want, or sit down hungry — there'll be food and drink at the table. Beer, wine, liquor, soft drinks all available. Nobody's been dragged out of a session by their wife yet.

However in-character you want. Some players narrate in third person ("Cassian draws his sword and steps forward"), some commit to a voice ("I'll handle this — stand back"), some just describe their actions in plain English ("I attack the goblin"). All of those are correct. Mix and match across the night.

Yes — Andreas handles the music at the table. There's also a small curated playlist on this site for the week before the game, if you want to walk in already in the right headspace. Doing the dishes Tuesday night while a Skyrim track plays is a legitimate way to prepare for game night, and you have permission.

One-shot for now — a complete adventure in one evening. If everyone has a great time, it could become recurring: one session every month or two, picking up from where we left off. Several of the archetypes have hooks designed to extend into a longer campaign if we want to.

Yes. Some wives are likely joining. The site's voice tilts dad-jokey but the night is for everyone. If a partner wants in, send their info to Andreas the same way you'd send your own and we'll get them set up.

Andreas had fun building it. The website is half the point. The other half happens at the table.

You'll find out at the table. Don't compare notes with the others until you reach the Trade Way.