The Bounty Board is a new feature from StartPlaying designed to make it incredibly easy for new players to find a Dungeon Master and... Start Playing!
What is a Bounty?
Bounties are Learn to Play Dungeons & Dragons One-Shots that players have requested to run at a specific time.
Only select DMs are eligible for the Bounty Board. If chosen, you will now have access to the Bounty Board tab.
DMs who are not eligible for Bounty Board will not see the Bounty Board tab.
Bounty Board Games
To run a Bounty Board game, you will need to make a Starter Set template. Note that the game system you select (e.g., D&D 5e) during template creation is permanent. If you later need to switch to a different system, a new template must be created.
Starter Set templates restrict certain sections with pre-filled information. This helps us keep the player experiences consistent across games. A key limitation to highlight is that the game systems for these templates cannot be modified once selected, emphasizing the importance of choosing the correct system during setup.
Setting Up Your Starter Set Template
To set up a Starter Set adventure that is streamlined and effective:
Focus on a specific one-shot adventure. Ensure it is self-contained and can be completed within the allotted session, keeping the experience concise and engaging.
Carefully select the game system during the initial setup to align with your planned adventure; this is a critical step as it cannot be changed later.
The pre-filled sections are as follows:
Title - "Learn to Play Dungeons & Dragons"
Format - One-Shot
Game System - Dungeons & Dragons 5e
Levels - Levels 1 - 5
Themes - High Fantasy
Session Duration - 2 Hours
Player Age Range - 18+
Experience Required - Beginner
Session Cost - $20
Equipment - Internet, Computer, and Microphone
Safety Tools - Deck of Player Safety
Character Creation - "(GM's Name) will provide pre-made character sheets for you to choose from after you sign up or at the start of the game."
Safety Tools
The Deck of Player Safety is required for all Bounty Board games. However, you can also add on other Safety Tools you like to use (Stars & Wishes, XNO Cards, etc.)
All Bounty Board games are required to comply with this standardized format.
How to Claim a Bounty
⚠️ NOTE: GMs will not be able to begin claiming bounties until November 10th. We are giving GMs time to make their templates ahead of the launch to Players.
Go to the Bounty Board
Find a bounty on a day and time that works for you
Click Claim
Fill out the Claim Bounty form within 5 minutes
Click Claim
Standardized Adventures
Just like Starter Set templates will have pre-filled selections, your Adventures will too.
Minimum Number of Players - 1
Maximum Number of Players - 6
Game Styles - Your choice of Combat Heavy, Dungeon Crawl, Roleplay Heavy, Rule of Cool, Rules as Written, or Theater of the Mind.
Other Game Style tags not in this list will not be listed as options.
Additional Questions
What Level Should Characters Be?
Pre-generated characters should be anywhere from Level 1-5. These are folks who have never played D&D before. We don’t want to over complicate their game with too many abilities and stat blocks!
What Adventure Should I Run?
You can run any adventure you want, as long as it is beginner friendly. If you need a starting place, we recommend checking out these resources as inspiration for quick, beginner friendly adventures:
Pre-Written Adventures
Note: One Shot Wonders has Adventures for Levels 1-20
Resources for Creating Adventures
Biggest Advice: Keep it Simple!
The entire session runs 2 hours, including your intros and closing the game. You'll also be answering questions from beginners (there's a lot to look at on that character sheet!), so keep it simple for you and your players.
Give them a taste of the fundamentals of D&D (exploration, social interaction, and combat), but don’t get too in the weeds.