In Heroes of Neverwinter, you choose a pregenerated character or create a custom-made character from the game’s four races (human, halfling, eladrin, dragonborn) and classes (fighter, wizard, cleric, rogue). In town, you’ll be able to procure weapons and armor at the Mercenary Arms Depot, as well as potions, magical implement and other trinkets at the Tarmalune Trade House. Then head over to the Beached Leviathan—Neverwinter’s famed tavern, the most popular and shady in town—to find other characters to invite into your party roster.

These other characters are those of your friends. With asynchronous multiplayer, your friends themselves don’t need to be online for their characters to share in the adventure (as well as in the experience and loot, depending on your success). However, if they are online, your friends can participate in spectator mode, helping with decisions, healing and buffing members of your party.

And you’ll want a healthy, well-organized party. The adventures are no easy tasks, with over 45 available at launch (and still more to follow). They range from short challenges to sprawling dungeons—filled with monsters, traps, puzzles and boss fights. When you’re ready to head out into the world, just check the Adventure Board in town for what’s available—from the kobold menace in Neverwinter Woods, to the Dragon’s Roost in the Sword Mountains!

Success in the dungeons means gaining experience, magic items, and gold—all used to help advance your character. And looting the dungeon is its own mini-game. When you open a container (such as a treasure chest or some corpses), you get to pick one item within from a selection of ten; choose randomly if you’re feeling lucky, or use potions of luck to reveal items before you choose.

Beyond advancing your character, successful adventuring also means unlocking elements for your own custom dungeons. Through the Dungeon Workshop (available upon reaching 10th level), you’ll be able to create dungeons for other players to explore and attempt to complete—with players voting for their favorites, and DMs earning a percentage of in-game currency entrance fees!