Welcome to Harper Investigations
By choosing to play in my campaign, you are entering in to a sort of “social contract” with me (and all of your potential fellow players). This contract is one of mutual respect and consideration. I will continually put forth time and effort into preparing and crafting a world and story for your characters to explore and engage in, and in return - you will read this web page in its entirety, and abide by any rules set forth for the campaign. If you are willing to do this, then great! Let’s get started!
Hello and welcome to TPKRoleplay’s Harper Investigations campaign! I am Lukalock, and I will be your Dungeon Master!
The Harper Investigations campaign is set up so that each session is a one-shot wherein the player characters can go out on a new mission. I originally created the campaign with the goal of defeating the one true enemy of D&D: scheduling.
I wanted something that people could hop in and out of and join sessions as their schedule allowed, so that no matter how busy life gets there is at least a night or two per month where we could all sit down around a virtual table and tell some stories together.
Dungeons and Dragons is a passion of mine. The teamwork, imagination, problem solving, connection, and collaboration that happens during play is something that I truly feel is an important thing to have in my life - and even more importantly, it's fun. It's fun as hell.
Playing and streaming D&D online has opened up a whole new layer to the game experience that I have really enjoyed. I love performing, I love entertaining, and I love being able to bring people along as we explore our characters and the world that we’ve built.
But there are definitely some things that get “lost” in online play, and especially so in a rotating one-shot campaign like this one where there is such a high player rotation from session to session. And that’s where this little web page comes in. Since there isn’t always a great opportunity to do the standard “session 0” with this campaign like there is with a lot of the more traditional home table games, I thought I would just lay everything out here.
Below I will outline my DM House Rules, notes on Personal Playstyle and conflict resolution, information about the Campaign, Streaming, and Safety. Please read over everything, so that you know what to expect and what will be expected from you.
*Please note that you need to be 18+ years of age for this campaign.
Lukalock’s House Rules
1. Have the DM Roll Your Checks for a Bonus!
At any time, you can choose to have the DM roll your Skill/Ability check for you, keeping the result to themselves. Your roll will be granted a +2 (in addition to your normal bonus), but you will not know if the roll "failed" or "succeeded".
For example
Player: "I would like to look around the room to see if I can see anything useful"
DM: "Yes, please roll a Perception check"
Player: "Ok, I would like to use the House Rule and have you roll it for me"
DM: "Of course." *rolls die, adding +2 to the result*
"Your eyes scan the dusty room, you see rotting furniture and faded paintings in old frames. You see nothing of note."
In this example, it is unknown whether the roll succeeded against any DC, but the Roleplay result is the same, making it easier to prevent meta-gaming within the party.
2. Everyone has excellent dark vision.
That’s it. This helps playing via VTT be more enjoyable and usable.
3. Flanking
When a creature and at least one of its allies (must not be incapacitated) are adjacent to an enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space, they flank that enemy, and each of them has advantage on melee attack rolls against that enemy.
When in doubt about whether two creatures flank an enemy on a grid, trace an imaginary line between the centers of the creatures’ spaces. If the line passes through opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space, the enemy is flanked.
You can’t use flanking advantage to negate disadvantage from attacking an unseen enemy.
Flanking applies to melee attackers only.
Cannot be used if there are more enemies than allies in the region.
4. Good Goofs.
If the Bard uses Vicious Mockery and their insult makes me laugh out loud, the target gets no saving throw.
5. Giving it Your All.
Characters can turn a hit into a Critical by suffering two Exhaustion levels.
6. Failing Death Saves.
Characters gain a level of Exhaustion at the end of combat for each failed Death Save they suffered during that combat.
7. Leaving Early
If for any reason you have to leave the session early, operation of your character will be surrendered to the remaining Party members.
8. Retconning/Rewinding is reserved for story purposes only.
If the DM or a Player forgot to use their Proficiency bonus or Advantage, or forgot they have Immunity to a certain attack... then oh well, they forgot.
We will not be retroactively applying Damage or Saves during or after combat. If you remember you have a certain attack or ability, just use it on your next turn!
9. Keep the party in mind.
You should come up with a reason for the party's well-being and success to truly matter to your character. Either as a whole, or each individually, your Adventuring Party should be important to you (or serves your interests/furthers your goals) and you want to see that you all succeed.
When playing a party-based RPG like D&D there is an inherent social contract that each character is part of the team. D&D is a team sport.
I love when Players create a complex character with an interesting backstory and motivations for adventuring! But if the personality that seems to spring forth from that is one that can’t be a team player, you may want to strongly consider changing your story.
10. Stay invested.
Pay attention when it’s not your turn.
Telling people to pay attention sounds condescending, but we all get distracted sometimes. And getting distracted is okay, but try to make sure your focus always comes back to what your friends are doing. They’re trying to be awesome, badass fantasy heroes, they want people to notice how cool they are! Also, having to ask “what just happened?” all the time slows the game to a crawl.
11. Respect Your Fellow Players
Don’t tell others how to play their character. You can't expect everyone else to change to suit your playstyle.Regardless of whether or not the group’s play style matches up with yours, you should not be telling others how to play their character at the table. This especially applies if you are not in the same room/are with them.
Share the spotlight. Everyone at the table is responsible for making sure all the players are having fun and have an opportunity in the spotlight, not just the DM.
It's wonderful to be creative and I encourage it! But the spotlight and game time needs to be shared around. Creative actions are great, but when a player's turn becomes a 5 minute ordeal, and then the Fighter who's been waiting only has to go "I attack" and "This is the damage I do, next", it can usually cause some friction within the group. Try not to let your actions slow down the pace of the combat.
Don’t undermine other party members. Other than very rare circumstances, never try to stop another player’s actions or plans. When another player does something crazy or dumb, jump in and help them succeed.(If someone is repeatedly taking actions that the party thinks are bad ideas, see my “Player Differences” notes below on having the characters talk about it in-game.)
12. Know how you want to act.
Don’t make people wait around for you to figure out what to do in a fight scene!
If you’re playing a Wizard or another class with complex powers, figuring out how your spells work on the fly is a huge task that requires a lot of time spent digging through the Player’s Handbook. An easy way to avoid putting a moratorium on gameplay, figure out what you want to do while other people are taking their turn! If you want to do something, but don't know how to do it, look up the rules while waiting your turn. You’ll feel more confident when you take your turn because you’re prepared and the game keeps moving. It’s a win-win!
13. Be a rules guru, not a rules lawyer.
A rules lawyer will usually argue long and often about rules interpretations, and object to any actions not specifically supported by the rules. They can be very disruptive and they usually place the rules of the PHB above the rules set by the DM. And as a referee, the DM interprets the rules and decides when to abide by them and when to change them. (DMG, p. 4)
A rules guru is a person who knows the rules and tells people when asked if someone doesn't remember a rule. There are a lot of rules in D&D! It can be tough to remember all of them. It's great having someone who does, so you don’t have to search through the rulebook for ten minutes when your character decides last minute to try and animate a skeleton.
A rules guru can be a big help when someone asks a question about the rules at the table, and I can just turn to them and say, "Counselor?". I may go with a different ruling, but I still value having someone at the table with such a vast amount of knowledge willing to share it when asked.
14. Flow and fun first, rules disputes after.
Rules disagreements are going to happen. But drawn out rules disputes do not have any place in the play session.
If another player or the DM is doing something that you feel is not in alignment with how the game rules are designed, by all means say something… once. Or send a message on the side.
Getting into rules debates in game takes everyone out of the immersion of the story and into the bad kind of drama. The right place to take any arguments about rules that can’t be resolved in a single exchange in session is out of game. Follow up with your DM or fellow players offline and talk through how things should work out regarding specific rules.
We all get how important the rules are to playing a game. They set limits, they lay the game’s framework, they are the environment that allows the game to exist. But remember the most important rule is to have fun and sometimes that requires bending the rules a bit.
15. Find the fun.
I keep coming back to this “fun” thing. It’s because D&D and other TTRPGs are roleplaying games. While you don’t have to be riding the joy train to Funtown the entire time (a little bit of frustration can actually increase enjoyment in the long run), don’t torture yourself over this game with elves and wizards.
If you’re not having fun, ask yourself why. Can you start having fun without ruining someone else’s fun? Yes? Do it. No? Be patient, but also be willing to talk it out IRL if the not-fun goes on for too long.
Personal Playstyles
Rules and Gameplay
D&D is a game built upon 3 pillars. All of which are equally important. When I GM, I run games relatively loosely from a rules standpoint, and am willing to bend what the rulebook says when it doesn't make sense in a given situation. I adapt things to fit the game-world reality over the written rule and use my judgment as the final authority for in-game events.
To me, narrative will always come first. I usually have a heavy focus on roleplay, drama, and exploration, as minimal mechanics and combat as possible. I’m easy. I’m at the table to tell a story, not to memorize rules and roll a ton of dice. However, this does not mean I don’t recognize the importance of the rules and game mechanics. Mechanics use is based around conflict, and conflict is an integral part of a story.
The rules are the only common ground the DM and the players share. That's the point of rules. To create a shared framework for how things will work. But once the table's rules have been established, it then becomes the player's responsibility to accept how their DM runs the game and to stop holding RAW as some immutable standard.
I will always try to remain consistent with my rulings. But if after the session, it is discussed and decided that a ruling needs to be changed, then so be it. In almost every case, any change made will apply to things going forward, and not applied retroactively.
I always tell my players they are responsible for knowing their own sheets. With a multitude of games to play, different systems, editions, and even genre’s—I simply can’t keep up with all the rules. Nobody is infallible and everyone at the table will make mistakes, including the rules lawyer expert.
Please understand, players, that DMs are not perfect, we will forget a detail of this weapon, that class, or every fifth spell. If you think we are forgetting something, mention it politely off-stream either during the session in a private message, or save it till afterwards.
Also, just a note - while I am responsible for handling the actions of the Player's enemies, I am not your enemy. In fact, I am on your side, because what we are all working to do is enjoy ourselves and put together some bits of story worth remembering.
Player Differences
In regards to the "I'm just doing what my character would do" moments that can occur in a game:
I've seen a few players act this way not out of impulsivity, but as a way to push the group forward into literally anything other than debating something ad nauseum. "Alright, I kick the door down", became a favorite phrase of theirs when the party would spend 10 minutes trying to prepare for an encounter.
And as DM, I say... Let them rush in! Hold everyone else back and let them tackle it. Make your tactical decision based on what they encounter in the room.
DM: "Player x rushes in the room and finds themselves faced off with a giant X or a horde of Y."
You: "My tactical analysis of the situation says that I think we should skip this room"
Player X: "Wait, guys you need to come save me, I won't survive."
You: "Perhaps you should've stuck with the plan then. We'll come back for yourbody after we find a better way of dealing with this."
Player X: "It's what my character would do!"
You: "Well, leaving you behind in the next town or dumping your body in a ditch somewhere is what our characters would do."
My suggestion for most disputes over differing play styles would be to keep it in-character! If you are bothered that your party member always attempts to pickpocket the town guards, have your character say something to theirs! Or if you think a player has different spells available to them that might be more useful in a specific encounter, have your character say it!
“Hey Mr. Sorcerer friend, we are about to fight some nasty fire beasts tomorrow. Do you have anything with cold damage up those spell-filled sleeves of yours?”
But please refrain from directly telling others how to play their characters! (see rule #11) Accept that they do not have to listen to your advice.
The goal of D&D should be fun. For some people, that fun is character development. For others it's a story. For others it's epic combat encounters. Liking or disliking any of these aspects isn't categorically wrong, but can cause problems between players when their game needs clash.
Understand that not everyone has the same play style. There is nothing wrong with being in a D&D group with people who like to play the game differently than you, but in my opinion there is something wrong when you aren't letting the other person play how they want, or are spoiling their fun because they aren't playing how you would/do.
Player/DM Compatibility
Just like people differ, so do Players and playstyles. There's a lot of complexity to DM/Player compatibility, and sometimes it's also about person-to-person compatibility.
Like nearly all conflicts, problems arise as a result of communication (or lack thereof) and differing expectations. It may be that we just want different things.
I will always try to find an acceptable compromise that keeps everyone happy, but at the end of the day, it's my game. If you want to play something different from the type of game I'm running then it's up to you to find another game that more closely matches your preferences.
In Closing
Cut the DM Some Slack. Most of us are not Matt Mercer, and not even close. We make mistakes, get frustrated, make bad calls etc.. But we are also the people that make the game happen in the first place, and there’s a lot to be said for that. The hours and dedication it takes to be the DM often get taken for granted.
You would never accept an invitation to a friend’s party and then complain the beers they provided weren’t cold enough, the company didn’t do it for you, and you didn’t agree with their music choice. Sometimes, what you thought was going to be a legendary party turns out to be a few dudes drinking cheap beer around the kitchen table, but that’s life. You have to accept when the DM doesn’t manage to bring the A game, and be content with the fact that you’re still having fun with your friends, and that the next one will most likely be awesome.
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D&D and other tabletop role-playing games are meant to be a form of entertainment and an exploration of a story, character, or world. It is not meant to be perfect, it's meant to be fun. Hopefully this is something we can all experience together.
Below is a great episode of Murder & Coffee that covers the subject of Player Dynamics and dealing with tension that can arise at the table:
The Campaign
In the Harper Investigations campaign, we run new one-shots every other Tuesday evening at 6pm pacific. Join in when you can, or play every session as a campaign regular.
The campaign is designed so that players can hop in and out from session to session. It usually fills up fast, with priority given to players on a "first-signed-up" basis.
You can find the signup link in the TPKRoleplay Discord server, pinned in the #harper-investigations channel.
If you ever sign up for a session and then find yourself unable to attend for whatever reason, no worries! Just let me know as soon as possible, so that I can give the spot to another player! Chances are that someone else is wanting to hop in. (Also the more time I have to prepare for any changes, the better. A quick message is all I need.) You should also have the ability to “swap” places with another player. Just make sure that you only swap with other members of the Discord #harper-investigations channel!
Characters need to be from 5E Sourcebooks.
Unearthed Arcana with GM Approval. Please create your character in DnDBeyond. For stats you can either use Standard Array, Point Buy, or dice rolls (roll 4, drop the lowest). Roll using the honor system, but please know that if your character shows up “god mode” with all 18s, that will not fly.
You can find the DnDBeyond campaign link in the TPKRoleplay Discord server, pinned in the #harper-investigations channel.
The setting will be mostly in Forgotten Realms/Faerûn. Character backstories need to be somehow tied to the Harper Faction.
The character can be true to the Harpers’ cause, secret double agents working against the cause, or even ambivalent/apathetic to the cause and became involved out of boredom or other reasons. Either way is fine.
If you ever want to spend time working with me on your character/your character's backstory/your character's downtime, please just let me know! This campaign is set up so that people of all desired levels of involvement can find their zone and live there. If you're just wanting to hop in from time to time for some DnD one-shots, then great! If you're wanting to dive in to the deeper mysteries of the campaign, then I'm all for it! But unless you reach out to me, I will assume you are just here for fun and occasional rolling of the dice!
Each session usually starts with all of the characters hanging out in the Harper hideout, where they will receive a new mission to go out and investigate or handle some problem within the realm.
For the first few session, your character will recieve their mission orders via their contact in the Harper organization, whether in person, by letter, or via dead-drop. After earning yourself a reputation as a trusted and reliable asset, you will be invited to stay at a Harper hideout/safehouse location. The hideout is run by a member of the Harper faction. They relay new mission orders and looks after the hideout. Additional information about the Harpers and the hideout can be found under the Journal section of the campaign.
You can find the VTT campaign link in the TPKRoleplay Discord server, pinned in the #harper-investigations channel.
Tracking character income and downtime activities between sessions is up to each player individually.
You decide how involved you would like to be with your character between each session. Each character receives a Poor wage of 2sp a day, as a sort of "retainer" wage, and the Harper hideout offers various benefits to crafting and other downtime activities.
You can find more information about downtime in the TPKRoleplay Discord server, pinned in the #harper-investigations channel.
I am always happy to answer any questions you might have about the campaign or your character. You can ask in the #harper-investigations Discord channel, or message me directly. If I don't have time to answer right away, then I will gladly schedule some time to sit down and chat, or even hop on a call.
Streaming and Playing Online
Playing Online
Before Playing
You will need to have a camera and microphone for your computer, as well as a stable internet connection (10 Mpbs is recommended, but the bare minimum required is 3 Mpbs). You can run a speed test here.
You will also need a Forge and DnDBeyond account (both free), as well as access to the TPKRoleplay Discord server.
You will need to have filled out the TPKRoleplay Player Application (available in the Discord), and be officially on-boarded by a member of the staff, which will include signing a Player Revenue Agreement.
The Video Call
Currently, we use Zoom for our video call software. Please download and install this on the computer you will be using to play.
I will post the invite link for the call in the Discord 30 minutes prior to going live. Please make sure you are on the call no less than 15 minutes before go-live to allow me time to set up the call correctly in the stream overlay.
The Virtual Tabletop
Maps, Tokens, and Handouts
Occasionally we may run sessions using the “theater of the mind” method, however most of the time we will use Foundry hosted on Forge for the virtual table top (VTT). This is where we can access and use all of the virtual maps, tokens, and handouts for the campaign.
All Handouts and campaign information available to your character can be found in the Journal section of the VTT game.
If you do not already have some sort of image/art representation for your character, please make sure to find some. Even if it is just some cool fantasy character art you found from a google search, that will work. It doesn’t need to be custom, we just need something to use for your character’s token (virtual table top miniature) in the VTT.
Please send me the image or artwork for your character at least one day before the session, so that I can create your character’s token in the VTT.
Please set your Forge display name to match your name in Discord so that I know who you are and which character tokens to assign to you.
You can find the VTT campaign link in the TPKRoleplay Discord server, pinned in the #harper-investigations channel.
Character Sheets and Rolling the Dice
Please create your character in DnDBeyond and join them to the correct DnDBeyond campaign.
You can roll your dice by using the virtual dice in the VTT game. This makes things incredibly convenient and quick, and I definitely recommend it. However, depending on your computer or your internet speed, this may not be the best option for you.
You are of course always welcome to use and roll physical dice, using the honor system for all of your roll results. Occasionally you may be asked to roll within the VTT game for transparency if it is a particularly important roll.
You can find the DnDBeyond campaign link in the TPKRoleplay Discord server, pinned in the #harper-investigations channel.
Streaming on Twitch
Twitch Platform
First and foremost, please be aware of Twitch’s Terms of Service and Community Rules and Guidelines.
Secondly, you will probably want to have the stream up and open while playing (but muted), so that you can see the live stream Chat and also know whether or not a viewer has used the Twitch Channel Points to grant your character Advantage/Disadvantage or Healing live during the game.
Live Play
“Role-playing games are just an organic improvised space for storytelling.” - Matthew Mercer
D&D is already a fantastic and dynamic game. Add in the interactivity of a live stream, with viewers commenting, and even affecting the course of gameplay, and you get a unique gameplay and viewing experience: part game show, part talk show, part episodic fantasy-adventure.
“The people who watch the show are instrumental in helping us create the show... People want to be part of telling a story together.” - Anna Prosser
Streaming D&D is much different than just playing D&D, whether it's around a table or virtually. You are no longer just playing a casual game with peers, taking long sidebars to debate Alignment or argue over what constitutes a Free Action — you are performing.
Part of your role now is that of a live entertainer, and it's important to keep that in mind. It is everyone’s job keep the narrative moving, whether it’s a roleplay moment between characters, or investigating clues to further the plot. You will need to value and respect your fellow performers, making sure to share the spotlight and cheer on their character moments. It doesn't have to all be Shakespeare, with dramatic moments and flowery lines— it can be Saturday Night Live, with silly improv and kooky hijinks.
Find where you're comfortable, and most importantly - have fun.
Safety and Consent
A Safe Space
From fending off an attack by bloodthirsty pirates to delving into dank caverns, roleplaying games allow you to explore and experience things you probably don’t want to face in real life—or to approach topics from the perspective of characters who may be very different than your actual self. This shared experience is intended to be fun for all involved, but RPGs can put characters in life-or-death crises, intense emotional situations, or traumatic environments. Whether it’s body horror in a scary game, violence against children or animals in a fantasy world, flirty, romantic, or sexual relationships in any setting—or numerous other challenging scenarios—the line between fun and awkward, difficult, or downright unpleasant can be difficult to identify, and varies dramatically from player to player.
- Consent in Gaming, Montecook Games
All current and future players in my campaign will be asked to read over the Consent in Gaming document and fill out a personal Consent Checklist before playing.
Your checklist response will never be shared around to any other players or DMs. It is just for me to have for when I am creating or choosing new campaign content. If I reach out to you about your answers on the checklist, it will in no way be to have you justify your answers to me, but merely to clarify if there is something I am unsure of.
I will be communicating to players which topics are off-limits within the campaign, but I will never share whether or not a specific player marked a topic. In that same vein, I will also not be sharing which list items, if any, I have marked personally for myself.
The current official Safety and Consent Form for the Harper Investigations Campaign can be viewed here. Please familiarize yourself with which off-limits topics are marked. I will be updating the list periodically.
It is always possible that things get missed or forgotten. If you ever feel uncomfortable on stream, please just excuse yourself from your computer quickly and step away and message me. I can go to break and we can discuss things and course correct as needed.
And that’s about it!
Thank you all for being such wonderful people and I can’t wait to play with you all!!
- Lukalock
