Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I hope this will present a comprehensive picture of the campaign I'm

hoping to secure for our group of players. Some of the points listed have already been mentioned to some of
you, so I apologize for the repetition. First, some backstory...

I originally began DMing a campaign set in the Forgotten Realms. Many of the details listed below were part
of that campaign. In a nutshell, my work schedule became too busy to give the campaign a proper amount of
attention and it was disbanded. I'm in contact with some of the former players, but others have ghosted.
Fortunately, there are some players who did not participate before, but are interested in playing in a renewed
campaign. To some degree, I'm looking for someone to take up the reigns and DM the campaign in the
manner in which it was conceptualized, moving forward with his or her own variation on the theme.

Frequency of play, times, etc.

We'd like to get 12 hours of session time per month. The available days and times are: M-F, 6-10 PM and
Sa/Su, 2-10 PM. Friday can run loger, since it's not a work night. Three 4-hour sessions are fine or one 8-
hour session plus one 4-hour session. 6-hour sessions could work, as long as it's not before a workday. We
are in the North American Central time zone. Also, I would set up a private Facebook group for the
campaign as an organizer and communications hub, so some participation in that group will be necessary.

Means of play.
There is much flexibility on this topic on our end, with just five players at most, but we need at a basic level
of audio/video with the DM. By "our end," I mean all of the players will be gathered in my gaming room,
without individual laptops. The selected DM may wish to go all out with Roll20, Discord, etc. or want
nothing more than Skype. The Audio/Visual bells and whistles are nice, but they will not be the primary
deciding factor. Right now, my gaming room has a 55" 4K smart TV that could be used with a laptop to
display a Roll20 screen or simpler means of communication. Additionally, I'll be getting a camera suitable
for showing the group to the DM and a conference table mic so the DM can hear us. If it is worthwhile, I'll
add a ceiling projector to the room. That will allow any game screen material to be projected down to the
table, if we want to leave the TV free for other uses. Again, lots of flexibility on our part and if a DM is not
prepared to present a big production and wants to stick to A/V basics, it's not a dealbreaker for us. Please
note, we have lots of dice from years of play and we like to use them. I don't care to use online dice. If there
is a need for the DM to see the dice, we can, for example, set up a smartphone to livestream the dice tray.

Rules of play.
I'm looking for a game mechanically based on 3.5. However, there needs to be a strong flavor of 1st edition.
This means things like combat, saving throws, skills, feats, prestige classes follow fairly close to 3.5 by-the-
book. AD&D 1st edition flavor includes things like:
 A PC just might randomly get sick. (1st ed DMG p. 13) Getting well could be a great adventure hook.
 PCs can acquire henchmen/followers the old way (1st ed DMG p. 16) without the 3.5 Leadership
feat.
 Wizards start with very few known spells and have to always be on the lookout to scrounge new
ones. They don't fall into one's lap. (1st ed DMG p. 39)
 It's awfully tough to bounce back from zero or fewer hit points. (1st ed DMG p. 82) Best play smart
and retreat if things go begin to go south.
 Levels don't just happen. A PC needs to train and a big part of training details hinge on how
believably the player has been running the character. (1st ed DMG p. 86)
 Making holy/unholy water is a big undertaking, because it does damage to more than just undead and
Outsiders. Various types of PCs can even be hurt by one other the other. (1st ed DMG p. 13)
 Drinking another potion while one is still going? Mixing them in the vial? Better watch out! (1st ed
DMG p. 119)
There are other points, but I think you see what I mean. We'd like a challenging game. Often, the most
challenging rules on a particular topic are from 1st ed.
Campaign tone.
As already mentioned, we're looking for a campaign specifically located on the primary continent in the
Forgotten Realms world, Faerûn. As far as a point in the Realms' timeline, we'd like to be well before all the
cataclysmic gimmicks that the publishers used to highlight edition changes. So, that would be prior to the
Spellplague, Time of Troubles, etc. Also, I'd like the level of magic and fantastical stuff to be lowish-to-
below-average. Arcane spells are be learned/memorized because there are no spontaneous caster classes in
the arcane magic family. Magic shops, as they are known in most campaigns, simply don't exist. Magic items
are too dear to just sell to some dealer. A +1 weapon is a big deal. A +2 weapon is a major heirloom with
backstory. Basically, by dialing back the magic, I hope to restore the 'wow factor' that should never be lost
by players. Insofar as lowish fantasy is concerned, I mean a general reduction in the frequency of fantastical
species. Seeing a Grey Elf is likely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a non-adventurer. A troll incursion is
talked about for generations by common folk. Again, making things somewhat more limited/rarish will, I
hope, make us, the players, portray a better sense of wonder in the PCs.

Campaign religion.
Since the general Realms culture is High Middle Ages with some regions more akin to the Dark Ages and a
very few bright spots are more Late Middle Ages/Early Rennaissance-like, religions of the gods hold
considerable sway. In addition to the large group of Realms-specific deities, there are cultural zones wherein
specific groups of gods are of primary importance. Along the cold and barbaric north of the continent, the
Norse gods are foremost on one end and at the other end of the wild north, the Finnish gods rule. To the
south, in the Old Empires, Egyptian, Sumerian, and Greek mythoi find their ideal settings. The Moonshea
Islands are the land of the Celtic gods and the wellspring of Druidism. To the east, the gods of the nomads
are most commonly worshiped. With so much religion afoot, one would suppose the balance of magic would
tip heavily to clerics, since Arcane magic is diminished. this is not so, since the vast majority of NPC clerics
lack that 'special something' to call forth much Faith magic. Most can muster a few orisons. The most devout
call forth 1st & 2nd level spells by the strength of their faith. However, the rare prelate who can restore sight
to the blind, cleanse the sick of their disease, and (dare it be said) raise the dead to life is a paragon of faith.

Character stuff.
Honestly, if it were up to me, we'd roll 3d6 in order an make a hero out of whatever came up. My peers are
not quite as spartan as I. So, we'd like to go with seven servings of 4d6, kick the lowest die, and keep the six
stats of our choosing. Due to the lessened pervasiveness of magic, several classes are out for PCs. Examples
include, but are not limited to: Sorcerer, Warlock, Truenamer, Spellthief, Hexblade, Duskblade, Dread
Necromancer, Beguiler. Some classes are out of player reach due to geography, like those originating in
Kara-Tur: Ninja, Samurai, Shugenja, Sohei, Shaman, Wu Jen. Other classes are out because they rely on
variant mechanisms like pacts, auras, incarnum, stances, etc: Binder, Crusader, Dragon Shaman, Dragonfire
Adept, Incarnate, Marshal, Shadowcaster, Soulborn, Swordsage, Totemist, Warblade. There are others, but I
think you see the big picture. Available species are different from available classes. In theory, all the player-
legal species exist and could be taken as PCs. However, fantastical creatures are more rare than a normal
D&D setting, so having such a rare being as a PC would likely need some explaining. Also, regular folks are
unsophisticated and superstitious. If a PC picks a species with a bestial/'unnatural' head, wings, horns, and/or
hoofed feet, that PC is going to have a rough time. So, keeping things closer to 1st edition is likely a safer
move, but who knows what the DM and player might work out? There is plenty more on this topic, but I
don't want to take this document past two pages.

In closing, we need a DM who can do a campaign quite a bit different from what's generally going on these
days. I understand many of you may have no interest in this sort of proposition, now that more factors are on
the table. That's perfectly fine, because we all do fun differently. I hope that at least a few of you are still in
the running. please let me know your thoughts, once you have had a chance to consider these parameters.
Thank you all very, very much.