Gear, Gold, and… Why Did You Bring a Donkey?
A quick reminder as everyone finalizes characters:
This campaign kicks off with a specific approach to starting equipment. It's not meant to be punishing—it’s meant to set the tone for the world and give you full control over how your character is outfitted.
Here’s what you get:
Starting gold (50 gp from your background)
PLUS Class-based starting gold (check your class description)
PLUS: A 200 gp personal sponsorship for gear
That sponsorship comes from an anonymous benefactor supporting your party—but it’s per character, not a shared pool. You can’t give the 200gps from the benefactor to someone else in your party, but you CAN give them your starting gold (background+class).
Here’s the catch:
The 200 gp must be spent at the time of character sheet submission. Anything you don’t spend gets returned to your benefactor. It’s a use-it-or-lose-it budget, and it cannot be used on magical items, including healing potions. Mundane gear only.
You don’t start with kits or pre-packed gear—you start with gold, and you choose exactly what your character brings into the story. So if your sheet has gear you didn't pay for (or you somehow ended up in plate mail and a barding-clad warhorse at level one), it's time for a second look.
Donkey’s, Horses, and Wagons…Oh My!
Some of you are already thinking big—horses, donkeys, carts, wagons, maybe even vardos or pack animals. Totally fair! Just keep one key detail in mind:
The gateway to your adventure is inside a tavern… Literally.
Mannanan’s Door is a sentient magical portal located within the Forest Inn—a normal human-sized building with tables, chairs, a bar, and a no-nonsense innkeeper.
So:
Your wagon won’t be rolling through the front door.
Your mule isn’t making it through the dining room.
Your war elephant? Not gonna happen.
And even if you somehow got them inside, remember:
You’re walking through a magical portal to unknown destinations—sometimes ships, sometimes cities, sometimes ancient ruins, sometimes sewers.
Not all of them are animal-friendly.
If you do plan to bring mounts or transport, you’ll need a magical means of shrinking, storing, or dismissing them. If you don’t have that? Assume they’ll be left behind at the inn when the door opens.