[Dungeons & Dragons]

 

[D&D Kakaako Meetup]

Are you looking for a place to play Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, or board games with a group of like-minded people? Look no further than Cafe Villamor in Kaka'ako!

We host meetups for all of these games and more, providing a fun and welcoming environment for players of all levels. Whether you're a new player looking to learn the ropes, or a veteran looking for a new group to play with, we've got you covered.

Here's the schedule for our upcoming meetups:

Dungeons and Dragons:

Monday - Thursday 5:30pm - 8pm
Saturdays 11:00am -1pm

Magic the Gathering:

Sundays 11am

Brunch and Boardgames:

Saturdays 11am - 1:30pm

To join in on the fun, just come to the cafe during the scheduled meetup time and ask for an invite to our discord server or hit up the cafe on Instagram @CafeVillamor. We'll connect you with other players and make sure you have a group to play with. And if you don't have your own set of dice or cards, don't worry, we also sell them at the cafe.

We are located at the entrance of HiClimb climbing gym in Kaka'ako, so you can make a day out of it and try out climbing after the meetup. And don't forget, we have a great selection of games, snacks and coffee.

We look forward to having you join us for some fun and games at Cafe Villamor, 825 Ilaniwai st Kaka'ako.


[After School D&D Creative writing class & meetup group]

Welcome to our weekly after-school Dungeons and Dragons course! In this course, students will not only have fun playing D&D, but also develop critical thinking, communication, teamwork and creativity skills.

Each week, we will navigate through various challenges and obstacles that require players to think critically and come up with creative solutions. Players will also learn how to communicate effectively with each other and be a good team member. The game encourages the players to think outside the box and come up with unique and creative solutions to the challenges they face.

As a supplement to the course, I will be using this website to share some of my D&D content that I've created for the class and for my Cafe Villamor D&D meetup groups. This will include new adventures, character backgrounds, and other materials that will help to enhance the game experience for players.

So if you're looking for an after-school activity that is both fun and educational, come join us for our weekly D&D course!

[A Unique Campaign]

Welcome to my D&D Blog! I'm excited to share my experiences and insights from running a campaign over the last few years. My goal is to provide a flexible framework for a unique way of playing Dungeons and Dragons that emphasizes the use of downtime between sessions and encourages collaboration between players and the DM in shaping the world and the story. 

Setup follows the Pixar Storytelling formula:
Once upon a time there was [blank]. Every day, [blank]. One day [blank]. Because of that, [blank]. Until finally [bank].

Starting Premise:
This is a Manifest Destiny Westward Expansion world in which players race to claim and tame swaths of a new continent, building towns, cities and developing their own cultures, morals, traditions as they vie for control against several other factions trying to do the same. Most gameplay comes from them deciding how to engage with each of the other factions, all of which represent polar opposite philosophies towards governance, political beliefs and religions.

 In Summary the main story arc is as follows:
Players start in the age after adventurers. Every dragon slain, every dungeons pillaged and the world has congealed into stability under a single royal family who runs the entire continent. Every day life is mostly commerce, paying rent and working odd jobs throughout the city. It's been safe and stable for generations with only bloated bureaucracy and corruption being the only real issues. 

Session Zero

Players and DM design this  "Old Kingdom" based on whatever lore they wish. They select 2 main colors to signify that royal family. The royal family must be 1 race.
In my campaign, the royal family are humans with Purple and White as their colors. They also build a second faction called the Merchant's Guild that acts as the federal reserve for the royal family.

Session One:

Players play the first session feeling the mundane experiences of life in a stable world as working class people, then halfway though the session, usually right in the middle of whatever players are working towards, the DM will announce that there is an earth rumbling arcane explosion and pillar of light off on the westward ocean's horizon. The world is already fully mapped and there should be nothing there but deep sea and dozens of merchant and luxury ships.

Players then have to deal with or take advantage of the chaos of the city as panic and uncertainty on what this new explosion was grips the city.

At the end of the session, one day passes, the royal family has ascertained what caused the cataclysmic event: An entirely new and foreign continent has appeared in the middle of the ocean, it is speculated that it was brought here by a unprecedently tear in realities, or portal or whatever the DM wishes it to be. 

The Royal Family issues a decree that anyone who wishes, can take a royal contract scroll and set out to the new world to lay claim to the empty and untouched lands. They will take one year to muster the entire military might of 150+ galleons and every soldier in the kingdom and sail to claim the continent in one year's time. Upon arrival, any adventurer who has one of these scrolls and has tamed or build up the land will become a fully fledged member of the royal family regardless of race or background and they get to keep the lands as their own as a vassel of the family.

This starts a frenzy in the city as everyone rushes to secure supplies, and passage to the new world. The players can pick any methods they want to get to the new world and secure a scroll.

Session two
Players Find a way onto a ship, steal a ship, or barter with another NPC or faction to join their ship while also trying to find a scroll. Either by legally signing up, stealing, bartering, buying or forging one.

Players set off to sail. Depending on the type of ship, the DM will give me 2-3 encounters to show that many other ships do not make it due to being ill prepared or due to the chaos at sea. They also come across debris from all the ships that were caught in the initial explosion maybe picking up a survive to further explain to the players what  the portal/tear looked like and how big it was.

Session Three

Landfall! Depending on how they did at sea, players either wash ashore with nothing, get raided in the night or are attacked by strange new creatures, or if really luck, land with ship intact.

This new continent is basically a whole new world with none of the WoTC monsters or creatures. The DM and players can find their own collection. For first timers I suggest the free Monster Hunter Worlds DnD Creature book off reddit. 

Players are now off to the races and the world develops as they explore and encounter new native creatures, races, opposing factions and allies.

Downtime:

Downtime between sessions is for crafting, Since there is no gold or merchants, everything has to be crafted and build with what they find and loot. So intsead of a zombie happening to hold 100G, they get bones, leather, feathers and must draw what they create between sessions. When they arrive back the next week, they roll for it's quality and stats up to the DM's discretion.



[Old Kingdom Setting]

Welcome to the “Old Kingdom”, a realm of Dungeons and Dragons that has once known centuries of conflict and adventure, now reduced to tales of the past as stability, commerce, and autocracy have taken hold. Gone are the days of fearsome monsters and dragons, as the realm has enjoyed generations of peace and prosperity. Power has been held by the human royal family for time immemorial, with their rule extending to every corner of the kingdom. If you are a person of worth or influence, it is only by the grace and favor of the royal family.

The wealth and finances of the kingdom are controlled by the Merchant's Guild, a powerful organization that maintains a close relationship with the royal family and provides the financing that keeps the realm running smoothly. Think of them as the Federal Reserve, creating coins and gold at the behest of the royal family to ensure financial prosperity throughout the land.

But all of this is about to change as the players soon discover, as their world of safety and comfort is turned upside down.

Davenport was an ancient port city that had stood for over a century. Its streets were narrow and winding, lined with towering buildings of brick and stone. The city was a melting pot of cultures and races, with humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings all living and working alongside one another.

The vibrant markets were always bustling with activity, filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of a hundred different goods from all corners of the realm. The streets were crowded with merchants and traders, shouting out the virtues of their wares and haggling with customers.

The city was home to dozens of galleons, their tall masts rising up above the rooftops like a forest of sails. The harbor was always alive with the sound of creaking wood and the shouts of sailors as they went about their work.

The guards and nobles of Davenport were all humans, and they were tasked with maintaining order and protecting the city from threats both within and without in ages past, but now stand more as bureaucrats and mall cops. Despite the challenges that came with such a diverse and bustling city, Davenport remained a thriving hub of trade and commerce, a testament to the resilience and determination of its people and the total power held by the royal family and the merchant’s guild. 


[New Continent]

As the players look out over the horizon to the west, they see a towering pillar of light and energy, reaching up into the sky. The light is blinding, and the ground beneath them trembles as a deafening explosion echoes across the land. The sea glows with the intense light, and for a moment, the world is bathed in its radiance.

Suddenly, the light is gone, and the players are left staring out into the darkness. But as their eyes adjust, they realize that something has changed. The horizon is different, and a new landmass has appeared on the horizon. Ships that were once visible on the horizon are now gone, vaporized in the cataclysmic event. They quickly realize that this is something far beyond their understanding, an arcane event of unprecedented magnitude.

As they look upon the new continent, they can see that it is unlike anything they have ever seen before. Strange, twisted towers and spires rise up from the land, and the sky is filled with dark, ominous clouds. The sea is turbulent, and ships that were sailing nearby have been lost, their crews vaporized in the blast. The players can feel the weight of the unknown and the danger that may lie ahead.

The players are aware that this event has changed the world forever, and that their journey is about to take a dramatic turn. The new continent is unknown and uncharted, and they realize that they are among the first people to set foot on its shores. They know that this event has changed the balance of power, and that new opportunities and dangers await them. As they set out to explore this new land, they are filled with a sense of excitement and trepidation, not knowing what they will find, but eager to discover the secrets of this new world.


[Arcane LeyLines]

As the players make their way through the dark, twisting caverns, they begin to notice a gentle breeze blowing through the caverns. As they follow the breeze, they come upon a massive chamber, its walls and ceiling formed of obsidian black rock that glistens in the soft light of the bioluminescent fungi and moss that grows throughout the chamber. The chamber is filled with a variety of glowing mushrooms, luminescent lichens and phosphorescent moss that pulse with a soft, ethereal light.

The chamber is huge, its size comparable to that of an entire palace or grand temple. The ground is covered in a thick layer of moss, and strange plants and flowers sprout from the ground, their leaves and petals glowing with an otherworldly light. The chamber is teeming with life, strange creatures can be seen scurrying about, their bodies aglow with the same bioluminescent light as the plants.

The walls of the chamber are adorned with glowing crystals and gems that pulse with an arcane energy. The air is thick with the scent of ancient minerals and the sound of trickling water echoes through the chamber.

As the players explore the chamber, they come across an unusual sight, a massive floating reefback leviathan trapped in this cavern, it floats around aimlessly within the confines of the space. Following it is a meek calf, which seems to be following its mother's every move. The mother reefback leviathan seems injured as it has scars and is dripping a black blood. Along the walls of the cavern, you can see the ground down wall where the leviathan has bumped into the walls, grinding along them aimlessly.

The Reefback is large in size, akin to an entire galleon, in size, with most of the creature's body being comprised of a thick, dark-colored carapace with a rounded, triangular front, and a relatively small body concentrated in the posterior. Attached to its main body are several long whip-like tentacles.

An adult Reefback has patches of vibrantly colored coral, flora and other things growing across its carapace, befitting its name, while the younger ones lack this trait as less has had time to grow. The carapace has a variety of patterns depending on the species. Beneath its carapace, it is dark green with light blue vibrantly bioluminescent panels on the sides and in the middle. This one in particular has 8. Each one recharges with the arcane energy each day and it can use them to cast devastating spells. On either side of its body are eight teal blue bioluminescent bulbs. The presence of such a creature in the chamber adds a new layer of danger and intrigue to the already mysterious and awe-inspiring cavern.

This chamber is an ancient and extinct lava tube, more like an underwater cave that has dried out over time. The absence of molten lava creates a different atmosphere and set of dangers for the players to navigate. The chamber is a unique and interesting environment, unlike anything they may have encountered before.


[Florian Warrior]

Florian Warrior

Challenge Rating: 5

Size: Medium

Type: Plant

Alignment: Neutral Good

Attributes:

Abilities:

Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire

Damage Immunities: Poison

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing from nonmagical weapons

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained

Special Traits:

Actions:

Appearance: The Florian Warrior is a tall, humanoid-shaped creature made of various types of plants. Its skin is a deep green color, and its body is adorned with leaves, grasses, and other organic plant parts. A large flower blooms from the back of its head, and its eyes are blackened sesame seeds. They are fierce defenders of their land and their people and they possess a deep wisdom and knowledge of the natural world.

Ecology: Florian Warriors are the protectors of their people, the Florians, and their land. They are deeply connected to nature and the earth and possess the ability to manipulate and control plants to some extent. They live in small communities that are host to a life tree. Their lives and life force are tied to that tree and as long as the mother tree exists, whenever one dies, it's heartseed will regrow over several days and it will revive.

[Florian Mage]

Challenge Rating: 3

Size: Medium

Type: Plant

Alignment: Neutral

Attributes:

Abilities:

Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire

Damage Immunities: Poison

Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing and Slashing from nonmagical weapons

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained

Special Traits:

Spellcasting: The Florian Mage is a 6th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The Florian Mage has the following spells prepared:

Actions:

Appearance



[Florian Trickster]

Challenge Rating: 4

Size: Medium

Type: Plant humanoid

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Appearance: The Florian Trickster Rogue is a Medium-sized humanoid made of various types of plants. Its skin is a deep green color, and its body is adorned with leaves, grasses, and other organic plant parts. A small flower blooms from the back of its head, and its eyes are blackened sesame seeds. They are agile, and their movements are fast and fluid. They often carry short swords or daggers made of branches and vines.

Attributes:

Abilities:

Actions:

Appearance: The Florian Trickster Rogue is a medium-sized humanoid made of various types of plants. Its skin is a deep green color, and its body is adorned with leaves, grasses, and other organic plant parts. A small flower blooms from the back of its head, and its eyes are blackened sesame seeds. They are agile, and their movements are fast and fluid. They often carry short swords or daggers made of branches and vines. They dress in a combination of leaves and grasses, as well as scavenged or stolen clothing. They are masters of disguise and can blend in with their surroundings to avoid detection.


Ecology: Florian Tricksters are the rogue-like members of their society, they possess a natural agility and stealth abilities. They are deeply connected to nature and the earth, but unlike their more peaceful counterparts, they use this connection to their advantage by manipulating and bending the plants to their will. They live in small communities that are connected to a large mother tree, their houses, and seed pod structures hang from the branches or roots of the tree. They are not necessarily evil, but they are known for their mischievous and cunning nature. They are often seen as outcasts by their peaceful kin and as such, they tend to form their own communities or live alone. They are opportunistic and will take whatever they can to survive, whether it be through thievery, scavenging or other means. Though they are not necessarily violent, they are skilled fighters and can defend themselves when necessary.


[Solaris AKA Reefback  Leviathan]

Floating Reefback Leviathan

Challenge Rating: 8

Size: Huge

Type: Aberration

Alignment: Neutral

Appearance: The Floating Reefback Leviathan is a huge creature, resembling a floating sentient reef growing off of a humpback whale. Its body is covered in a thick layer of hard coral, barnacles and other sea life. Its underbelly is adorned with glowing bioluminescent panels that pulse with energy. As it absorbs energy from its environment, the panels start to fill with energy and glow brighter.

Attributes:

Abilities:

Actions:

The Floating Reefback Leviathan is a majestic and powerful creature that dwells in the depths of the ocean. It absorbs energy from its surroundings to power its Solar Beam ability, which it uses to defend itself or to hunt for food. Its tough coral exterior and amorphous body make it difficult to grapple or restrain. It is generally neutral towards other creatures, but it will fiercely defend its territory if it feels threatened. It's a formidable opponent, with its powerful Solar Beam, a bite attack and its tentacles that can grapple its prey.

[Obsidian Elemental]

Obsidian Elemental

Challenge Rating: 2

Size: Medium

Type: Elemental

Alignment: Neutral

Appearance: Obsidian Elementals are semi-sentient manifestations of arcane energy that have taken form within crystals and stones. They have pitch black obsidian bodies that resemble humanoids, with each possessing a unique gem or crystal in their head or torso. The gems are filled with arcane energy, giving the elementals a single spellslot worth of power, which they can use to cast the spell "Witchbolt." Obsidian Elementals are imposing figures, with high strength and constitution, but low other stats.

Attributes:

Abilities:

Actions:


[Thunder Lynx]

Thunder Lynx

Challenge Rating: 7

Size: Medium

Type: Monstrosity

Alignment: Neutral

Appearance: The Thunder Lynx has a colubrid-like face, with grayish-blue scales covering its slim, squirrel-like body. Patches of white feathers cover its back and a bushy tail, adorned with rows of sharp spikes. Its front limbs also have a few spikes. Its head, claws, back, and tail are all vulnerable to injury. When fully charged, the feather on its back will stand on end.

Attributes:

Abilities:

Actions:

The Thunder Lynx is a fierce and agile monster, resembling a cross between a colubrid snake, a squirrel, and a lynx. Its body is covered in sharp spikes and it has the ability to charge itself with static electricity to increase the strength of its attacks. It's also able to glide for long distances, and launch its electrified hair at foes. It has the ability to overcharge itself when clinging to a wall surface, but this makes it move slower and its tail need to be broken to disable this ability.


CR 1 Loot: Antlers

CR 1 Loot: Antlers/Feathres

CR 1 Loot: Green Scales

CR 1 Loot: Antler, Scales

CR 4 Loot:Leather/Scales/Frill

CR 4 Loot: 1 Big Horn/Scales

CR 4 Loot: Antlers/Claw/Spike

CR 4 Loot: Leather/Frill/Claw

[Loot Tables and Creative Crafting]

As players continue their journey in the campaign, they will have the opportunity to gather resources from the new world they are exploring. During their downtime between sessions, they can use these resources to craft unique items for their characters, such as weapons and armor. This is a creative exercise that allows players to use their imagination and personalize their character's equipment. The resources can be gathered through hunting and exploring the new world, and the crafting process can take place during downtime between sessions. These crafting ideas are still in development, and players are encouraged to be creative and come up with their own designs.

[Static Hive]

As the adventurers make their way through the forest, they notice a strange phenomenon in the distance. A dense cloud of mist, tinged with an eerie blue glow, moves quickly toward them. The air grows colder, and the hair on the back of their necks stands on end. As it draws closer, they can hear the crackle of electricity within the cloud.


As the mist envelops them, they realize that it is not just mist, but rather a moving cloud of electrified vapor. The mist is charged with static electricity, and it causes the hairs on their skin to stand on end and gives them small shocks. As they move forward, they notice the source of the lightning - a massive insect queen, perched on a branch above them. She is surrounded by a hive of flying lightning bugs, each resembling a mix between a dragonfly and a praying mantis. The queen's massive wings flap slowly, causing the mist to swirl and the air to crackle with electricity. The insects are fiercely protective of their queen and will swarm and attack anything that enters the mist, tearing at flesh with their sharp mandibles and firing electric bolts from their bodies.


The bugs are a formidable challenge for the adventurers, with a CR of 5. They are quick and agile, using their lightning speed to dodge and weave through the air, making them difficult to hit. They will use their bite and electric bolt attacks to try to bring down their prey. However, the insects have a deadly secret - when they die, they discharge all their stored static electricity as a powerful arc lightning that hits the 5 nearest creatures, friend or foe. The adventurers must use all their skills to navigate through the electrified mist and take down the queen before she and her hive of insects overwhelm them.


[HiVE Queen]

Insect Queen

Huge beast, unaligned

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points 195 (17d12 + 85)

Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.

STR 21 (+5) | DEX 18 (+4) | CON 21 (+5) | INT 1 (-5) | WIS 13 (+1) | CHA 7 (-2)


Skills Perception +4

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages –

Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Actions

The queen insect is a monstrous creature, standing at the height of a two-story building. Its body is a mix of dragonfly and praying mantis, with large, razor-sharp forelegs that can easily cut through flesh and chitin. The queen's wings are massive, with each flap generating a gust of wind and a crackle of electricity. It is said that the queen can summon lightning bolts from the sky with the flapping of its wings, causing trees to shake and the ground to rumble. Its eyes gleam with an otherworldly intelligence, and its mandibles drip with venom that can paralyze even the hardiest of creatures.

[HiVE Guardian]

Lightning Bug

Medium beast, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 52 (8d8 + 16)

Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.

STR 12 (+1) | DEX 17 (+3) | CON 14 (+2) | INT 1 (-5) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 7 (-2)

Skills Perception +2

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages –

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Actions

The lightning bugs, on the other hand, are smaller in comparison, standing at the height of a human. They are also a mix of dragonfly and praying mantis, with iridescent wings that sparkle in the light. Their bodies are covered in a hard carapace that glows with an eerie blue light, and their eyes are multifaceted, allowing them to see in all directions. They move with lightning speed, darting and weaving through the mist as they hunt for prey. When threatened, they unleash a powerful electrical charge that can stun or kill their enemies, and when they die, they release all their stored static electricity in a burst of arcing lightning that can hit multiple targets at once.