The Shard Cycle: A D&D 5e Campaign

An Epic Adventure of Mystery, Destiny, and Forgotten Power

Game: D&D 5e (2014 Ruleset)
Campaign: The Shard Cycle (Homebrew)
Campaign Length: Long Term
Schedule: Tuesdays 10:30pm EST (Weekly)
Game Needs: All Roles
Setting: Forgotten Realms, Sword Coast
Location: Discord (Voice), Roll20 (VTT), D&D Beyond (Character Sheets), Beyond20 (Dice)
Requirements: Good microphone, stable internet, free Roll20 account, and weekly commitment
Age: 21+
Experience Required: None

Greetings, Fellow Adventurers!

I am Vizual, a veteran Dungeon Master with over three decades of experience weaving epic tales through collaborative storytelling in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. In my campaigns, you are the heroes of the story. Your decisions matter, your actions have consequences, and the world continues to turn whether you choose to intervene or not.

I'm looking for dedicated players to embark on an entirely homebrew campaign set within the familiar world of the Forgotten Realms. The Shard Cycle is a long term adventure filled with mystery, exploration, dangerous encounters, ancient secrets, and choices that will shape the fate of the world around you.

But unlike most D&D campaigns, your story doesn't begin as an adventurer. It begins as an ordinary person. You are not a seasoned warrior, a powerful wizard, or a heroic champion. You're a commoner. Someone with a home, a livelihood, perhaps a family, and a life you've grown accustomed to. You have no reason to believe you're destined for anything extraordinary. At least, not yet.

What Sets This Campaign Apart

Intense Role Playing: Character development, meaningful interactions, and collaborative storytelling are at the heart of this campaign. Your character's relationships, motivations, and decisions will help shape the unfolding story.

An Open Sandbox: The Sword Coast is yours to explore. Follow rumors, investigate mysteries, build relationships, and chart your own path. There is a larger story unfolding, but how you approach it is entirely up to you.

The Wheel of Time: The world does not wait for adventurers. Events unfold, threats grow, and opportunities come and go. Choosing to act, or choosing not to, can have lasting consequences.

From Commoners to Heroes: Everyone begins at level 0, using a custom commoner system. You won't start with the abilities and powers of a traditional adventurer. Those will come through the story itself, making your character's growth part of the adventure.

Mystery and Discovery: Not everything will be explained at the beginning. The world holds secrets, and discovering the truth will be just as important as surviving the dangers along the way.

A Living, Breathing World: NPCs have their own motivations, settlements face their own struggles, and the consequences of your decisions may be felt long after you've moved on.

Campaign Overview: The Shard Cycle

The Forgotten Realms. The Sword Coast.

For most, life continues much as it always has. Merchants travel the roads between cities. Farmers tend their fields. Sailors brave the waters of the Sea of Swords. Nobles scheme, thieves steal, and adventurers chase fortune and glory.

But something is changing.

Strange rumors have begun to spread. Travelers speak of places where the air seems to shimmer, where unnatural creatures have appeared, and where once familiar landscapes have become twisted and unrecognizable. Some dismiss these stories as tavern tales. Others whisper that something is terribly wrong.

And somewhere along the Sword Coast, a handful of ordinary people have begun experiencing something they cannot explain.

Dreams.

Dreams of places they've never visited. Faces they've never seen. Battles they've never fought. And an unsettling feeling that something, somewhere, is calling to them.

Whatever is happening, the world has yet to understand its significance. And neither have you.

Adventure Hook: Echoes of a Forgotten Dream

It begins with a dream.

You stand upon a battlefield beneath a sky you do not recognize. The ground is scarred and broken. Smoke drifts across the ruins of a place that might once have been a great city. Somewhere in the distance, steel clashes against steel, and voices cry out in a language you do not understand.

You look down at your hands. They are not your hands. You wear armor you've never owned. In your grasp rests a weapon you've never held. And yet... it feels familiar. As though you've held it a thousand times before.

A terrible sound tears across the sky. You look up. High above the battlefield, something impossible is happening. The sky itself appears to be breaking. A brilliant fracture stretches across the heavens, spilling an unnatural light over the ruined landscape.

Around you, figures turn toward the light. You cannot make out their faces, but somehow you know them. You have fought beside them. You have trusted them. And though you cannot explain why, you would give your life for them.

Then a voice calls out. Not from the battlefield. Not from the sky. But from somewhere deep within your own mind.

"Remember."

You awaken with a start. Your heart is racing. Your skin is cold with sweat. You're home. In your own bed. Surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of your ordinary life.

Just another dream.

Except... you've had this dream before. And each night, you remember a little more.

Campaign Highlights

Begin at Level 0: Experience the transformation from an ordinary commoner into an adventurer, with your character's abilities emerging through the story.

Explore the Sword Coast: Travel through settlements, wilderness, ancient ruins, forgotten dungeons, and places touched by forces beyond mortal understanding.

Uncover an Overarching Mystery: Piece together clues, investigate strange events, and discover connections between seemingly unrelated occurrences.

Meaningful Character Progression: Your growth is tied to important discoveries and accomplishments rather than simply accumulating experience points.

A World That Reacts: Communities can prosper or suffer, allies can become enemies, and the consequences of your choices may extend far beyond the immediate adventure.

Dangerous and Memorable Encounters: Combat will matter, but not every problem needs to be solved with a sword or spell.

Your Story, Your Choices: There is no single prescribed path through the campaign. The decisions you make will determine how your story unfolds.

The Adventure Awaits

This campaign is intended for players who enjoy immersive role playing, character development, exploration, and unraveling mysteries over time. I'm looking for people who want to become invested in their characters, their companions, and the world around them. Players who understand that D&D is a collaborative storytelling experience, where the greatest moments often come from the unexpected.

You don't need decades of experience, extensive knowledge of the Forgotten Realms, or even a firm grasp of the rules. All I ask is that you bring your imagination, a willingness to participate, and a commitment to the group.

Every legend has a beginning.

Some begin with a mighty warrior drawing a sword. Others with a wizard discovering an ancient spell.

Yours begins with an ordinary life... and a dream you cannot forget.

Will you answer the call?

Interested in Joining?

Please reply with the following information:

Name You Would Like to Be Called:
Confirm You're Over 21:
Character Concept or Class You're Interested In:
Experience With D&D:
Official Campaigns You've Played In:
What Do You Enjoy Most About D&D?:
Discord Contact Information:

Looking forward to meeting some new adventurers and telling an unforgettable story together!

Name You Would Like to Be Called: Hi, I'd prefer if you called me Mal!
Confirm You're Over 21: I'm 22 years old, I can provide proof if necessary as well.
Character Concept or Class You're Interested In: I'm most interested in playing a Cleric of some sort. A cowardly young man who finds the little bit of courage in him through his faith. And hopefully as the journey goes, he gains more confidence to make a change in the world.
Experience With D&D: I've been playing D&D for over 4 years now! I first started with 5th edition and have played a few campaigns in 5.5 edition. 
Official Campaigns You've Played In: I've mostly played in homebrewed campaigns, though only one finished properly. The others ended due to external factors and that slowly ended the game. When it comes to officially released content, I've only played one-shots found in the Yawning Portal book.
What Do You Enjoy Most About D&D?: I enjoy making a character and getting to act through them. To experience a story through them can lead to a lot of personal connection for them. But I also enjoy meeting new people through D&D, I've met some of my closest friends because I took a chance and rolled some dice.

Discord Contact Information: My Discord username is Mygoodfun.

Name You Would Like to Be Called: Genoval
Confirm You're Over 21: I am 32.
Character Concept or Class You're Interested In: I'm looking to play a College of Dance Bard, if you'll allow that subclass, and if not I can tinker with the build to fit the 2014 rules or think up a different character. If you allow 3rd party content I have another idea I've been wanting to try out.
Experience With D&D: I learned D&D in middle school on 4e (unlucky start), then got back into it in college with 5e. I have DM'd 4 campaigns and been an active player for the last 8 years. I feel confident in my ability to create interesting characters with plenty to roleplay.
Official Campaigns You've Played In: I have run Ghosts of Saltmarsh, Call of the Netherdeep, Waterdeep: Dragon Heist (partway), and a homebrew campaign, and I have participated in several homebrew campaigns as a player, including a 3-year long stint with a consistent group on Saturdays.
What Do You Enjoy Most About D&D?: I enjoy tactical and challenging combat in D&D, though I feel perfectly comfortable with roleplay and in-depth exploration as well. I do also enjoy creating characters and builds, as well as figuring out how to tie all of the elements of a character together throughout the campaign.
Discord Contact Information: My Discord username is genoval. 

Name You Would Like to Be Called: Kornel

Confirm You're Over 21: I was born in 1996

Character Concept or Class You're Interested In: I'm hoping to play a young, hopeful, do-gooder human swordsman. He grew up on a farm and has a mysterious origin. He would hopefully be a Neutral Good Battle Master Fighter!

Experience With D&D: I have played in a few campaigns since 2021. Mostly experienced with 2014 but have done a little 2024 as well.

Official Campaigns You've Played In: I've only played in Homebrew campaigns, but they've all been long term. There's also been a few homebrew one-shots 

What Do You Enjoy Most About D&D?: I mostly love being able to create a character and see that character realized in a fantastical setting with an amazing world, fleshed out characters, a dynamic and deep story, interesting villains, the potential for love and bonds, and intense, cool fights that allow me to really have fun and flavor with it. I especially love my character and their backstory being a part of the story.

Discord Contact Information: @kornel01

Name You Would Like to Be Called: Arashi

Confirm You're Over 21: Yes

Character Concept or Class You're Interested In: Frontline, Ranger, or support. 

Experience With D&D: 6 years

Official Campaigns You've Played In: 7

What Do You Enjoy Most About D&D?: Rp and story building

Discord Contact Information: arashi_no_oni