People often forget that H.P. Lovecraft helped lay the foundation for epic fantasy, as well as modern horror and science fiction. This campaign reflects that oft-forgotten fact. It fully integrates elements of the Cthulhu Mythos into a D&D adventure series. The campaign itself is published by Petersen Games, and takes PCs from level 1 to level 15 (I've changed the title in an effort to avoid spoilers).
I will run recruitment for this campaign for one week, starting at the time this post goes live. There are 5 PC slots available, and you can create your characters using the following guidelines.
ABILITY SCORES: Point Buy or Standard Array
RACE/LINEAGE: Any official WOTC race, or a Custom Lineage as per TCoE.
CLASS: Any official WOTC class, along with Blood Hunter. All PCs begin at 1st level. I will also allow the following options from Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos For 5th Edition Fantasy supplement (obviously, some subclasses aren't available at 1st level; I'm providing these so you can plan ahead with character concepts): College Of Alien Symbolism bard; Dream and Elder Sign Domains for cleric; Mystery Warrior fighter; Oath Of Awakening paladin; Researcher rogue; and School Of Ritualism wizard.
ENCUMBRANCE: Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out if it becomes narratively relevant.
SET-UP: Our story begins in the frontier city of Ventissa, a beacon of civilization and security on the edge of the dread Wilderness of Yilan. Ventissa is a small, walled city of granite and sandstone on the banks of the River Semma. It is dominated by a large gladiatorial arena, a round-towered castle, and a sphinx-flanked temple of the cat goddess Bastet. The climate in the highlands is arid, but the Semma keeps the city unpleasantly muggy. The lingering stench of the city’s moist underbelly is nearly offset by the valuable incense and spices grown in the nearby hills and warehoused in Ventissa before being shipped downriver. Thanks to its location near a low mountain pass into Yilan, Ventissa is also the staging ground for adventurers and merchants seeking their fortune in that primeval and dangerous land.
Gehir Greencloak, a wealthy wizard and scholar, is putting together an expedition to cross the Wilderness of Yilan and rediscover the fabled Golden Tower, an ancient elven fortress said to be full of magic and treasure. He seeks worthy adventurers to act as scouts and guards on this expedition, offering 1,000 gp per person plus a fair share of the spoils. To select the lucky adventuring party, Gehir is holding a tournament in the fighting pits of Ventissa, with the winning team earning the coveted spot on his expedition. This is not a fight to the death, and the arena’s staff of healers will be there to ensure none of the contestants dies. Gehir considers the contest to be a job interview of sorts. The adventuring parties are expected to show resourcefulness, teamwork, and fighting prowess. After all, the Wilderness of Yilan is no place for amateurs.
A NOTE ABOUT "INSANITY": Lovecraftian fiction often deals with characters "losing their mind" upon exposure to the horrors of the Mythos. But RPGs are notoriously bad at dealing with mental illness in accurate or sensitive ways. Rather than try to wrestle this dragon, I will simply omit all game-mechanical depictions of "insanity" presented in the Mythos 5e supplement. Instead, I will use either that supplement's Dread mechanic (which works like levels of Exhaustion), or the Stress mechanics in the forthcoming Van Richten's Guide To Ravenloft. Players should remember that despite the presence of the Mythos, this campaign is primarily epic pulp fantasy, not horror.
ETIQUETTE: This campaign will be inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly. As a DM, I will not tolerate bigoted language or behavior towards any group of real-world people, or towards individual players. Players who violate this policy will be kicked from the game on the first offense. Please make your best effort to respect and support your fellow players and their PCs, and you can all have fun kicking some Mythos butt together.
Once the PCs have been selected, I will post once a week, at the same time each week, in a separate thread. You will then have one week to respond to the prompt. We can of course post more often, and might have to do so on many occasions, but once a week will be the minimum. Any player who has not responded within one week will be contacted by PM to make sure everything is OK. This will be followed by a one-week grace period. Two weeks without posting forfeits your spot in the game, and I will open up recruitment to replace your PC.
I've never DMed a PbP game before, but I'm excited to try it. I think the slower pace will help me get a more in-depth understanding of the rules. I have DMed for in-person and virtual groups for 30+ years, though, so not to worry.
Thanks! Ia Cthulhu!
In your application, please give a brief history of your own involvement with D&D, and include the phrase "Ia, Cthulhu!" somewhere to demonstrate that you have read this entire post.
My background: Never played a pbp before. Only ever DM'ed 5e. Been DM'ing for about a year.
Character Name: Zadok Allen
Class: Bard
Race: Half-elf
Background: Variant Entertainer - Gladiator / Sailor (was going to develop as support/buff/healer but also would depend on party make-up)
Very Draft Backstory: Born and raised in a small fishing village (complete with folklore about the Deep Ones, who doesn't like that) on the coast... boats and fishing are part of his DNA. Lost parents to a mysterious plague when only 12. Left village as could not cope with the grief. Found himself under the tutorage of a master bard (Francis Thurston) who he travelled and learned from for 4 years. They found themselves in Ventissa and settled in for a bit to earn some coin. But his master disappeared and he has not seen or heard anything since. That was 10 years ago. Returning to Ventissa to search once again for some clues he finds himself unable to refuse the draw of 1,000gp...
Name: Arras Class: Sorc Race: Triton Background: Sage Backstory: Arras was born and lived his life in the Underwater City of Saltcrest. It wasn't the largest city in terms of underwater cities, but it was big enough to house around 100 people. Growing up, magic always intrigued him and caused him to study it as a child and well into adulthood. Everything was peaceful, and do to the city size, they never involved themselves in any feuds.
However, recently, their home and a lot of the underwater life and ecosystem has been under a threat of extinction. Arras has been tasked with going to the surface and figuring out what exactly is going on and to see if there is anything he can do to stop it. This is how he finds himself in Ventissa. Unsure of what he's supposed to be looking for, he has been chomping at the bit of every offer he can find. This is how he hears about a tournament to become part of an adventuring party.
Name: Tren Blackmantle Race: Custom Lineage Class: Fighter Background: Mercenary Veteran Backstory: Tren answered the wizard's request for warriors without any hesitation. He had just finished his latest job, a stint as a bodyguard for a spice merchant traveling on a caravan to bring their wares to a market far away. They just returned to the city when Tren saw the notice for the trial the wizard was sponsering. Having some free time, before he has to check in with the mercenary company, Tren decided to give the wizard's test a go and see about earning a spot on this interesting mission. Ia, Cthulhu...
My DND expeerience... I have been playing since 3.5. I didn’t get deeply into PBP until 3 years ago though, but have been very deeply vested in that since then.
backstory: TBD- an escapee from horrors most can not imagine.... (Will flesh out with DM input if picked)
my background: 30+ years of gaming experience to “red box” basic. DM, player, pathfinder, all editions except 4e. Can post frequently, US eastern time zone. Like roleplay as well as combat. newer to PbB.
Thanks for your interest, everyone! Just a reminder that recruitment for this campaign will be open for a whole week. So please don't get discouraged if you don't hear back from me for a while.
Of all the independent adventuring privateers to sail the waters, Helena Rakyevra is one name that always earns a bard a decent pile of coins if he’s skilled enough to tell her story.
The legend goes that Rakyevra sailed her ship - the Cutty Jay - into that dread region of sea through Semma. The waters in that part of the sea are said to boil with the anger of an ancient being, and that the only captains who go there are those who sail supernatural craft from the higher planes or fools wishing to hasten their own departure from the material plane.
But sail into the danger she did. So few were the number of her crew who survived to come back - and so few of those who weren’t gibbering wrecks themselves - that it’s only from Helena Rakyevra’s mouth that anyone can appraise what happened out there.
It’s said that the Cutty Jay ran into a squall and crossed paths with a ship of unearthly beauty crewed by beings who could not have been of this world. Their captain, if you believe the accounts, was a celestial being who had developed a fondness of the sea and overstayed his mandate in the material realm.
Helena, seeing that her own ship could not survive the storm but the other ship could, attempted to board it and take it by force. It was only once they were aboard the other ship that the nature of its crew became apparent, and the suicidal reality of attacking it became painfully obvious.
Most of the crew of the Cutty Jaw were slaughtered in the battle, but Helena herself stood fast, defending herself from the onslaught on all sides. So fiercely did she fight that the celestial captain - who in none of the stories is given a name - spared Helena’s life and invited her to parley in his chamber. The two, it is said, developed a deep respect for each other. The celestial captain spared her and kept her aboard his ship until the storm passed. There, he returned her to her ship, where she met with the few lucky survivors who’d remained there.
From there, Helena returned to Ventissa, where she had her base of operations. Not long after that, it became apparent that she was with child. Her son, Atem, was born at sea during a cargo run. Pale of skin with unnervingly black eyes, it was clear to all that this was no ordinary child. Yet from the moment he was born, Helena’s attitude softened and she insisted that the stories about the celestial captain and the adventure in the depths of sea were embellished. Yet she always refused to give the name of her son’s father.
Atem grew up on the rolling waves, spending only half his life on land learning the way to trade and find the best opportunities. He was a confident, if hot-tempered young lad, a train in him that his mother tried to quell. Not least among the reasons for this was the way that the boy’s temper was often accompanied by strange phenomena and, on occasion, even a spark of radiant fire from his hair or fingertips.
Helena was not young when Atem was born, and by the time her son was a man she was already of an age where it was fitting for her to retire onto the land. Atem was most uncomfortable with this, but she assured him that it was not the end of her career - she would find a way to keep seeking trouble on the land!
Atem inherited the Cutty Jay and continued to trade on her for many years. Each time he returned to Ventissa, he would check in with his mother and they would share tales of their exploits. Helena had turned her hand to mercenary work, having assembled a team of strong-arms to deal with issues that were below the notice of the city watch.
One particular issue that Helena mentioned was that of a population of kuo-toas that had supposedly assembled in the sprawling sewers beneath the city. This was, in fact, not something new. The kuo-toas had been there for well over many years, and they mostly kept to themselves. But recently people had started complaining about slime at the wells, and water that made people sick. The kuo-toas were to blame, and there was a reward for anyone who could encourage them to ‘move along’.
Atem wished his mother the best of fortune in accomplishing this mission, and set out to sea on another job of his own. When he returned to Ventissa, he heard the distressing news that his mother and her party had not returned from their journey into the sewers to deal with the kuo-toas. Atem assembled a team of his own men to go after her and find out what had happened.
Striking out into the dark undersprawl of Ventissa, Atem made his way to the forgotten recesses of the water channels, following any clues he found about the path his mother had taken. It wasn’t long before he started to see what the stories had been about. The tunnels were clogged with slime, and not just of the kind common to sewer passages. Something sinister was afoot down there.
Eventually, he came into a huge chamber - a sewer manifold long forgotten by the people of the city. This was where the kuo-toas had made their home. Atem found them worshipping some strange, serpentine idol. When Atem and his man rushed at the kuo-toas demanding to know what had happened to his mother, he found that they were not able to give a comprehensible answer. But the answer itself came in another form.
The water began to churn and the kuo-toas fled. Atem and his men were surprised by the emergence of a monstrous creature. This was the creature the kuo-toas had been worshipping, and the true source of the rancid water and slime in the city. Atem and his crew put up a brave fight, but there was little they could do against such a horrifying creature. Finding that he was the last one alive, Atem, took up a kuo-toa spear and let out a cry. The strange glowing energy that sometimes accompanied his rages came in that moment, and somehow infused the spear with a magical aura. He flung it at the monster, hitting it straight in the eye. The creature roared and lunged at him, pulling him into the water.
For a while, that was the last thing Atem remembered.
When he came to, he found himself lying on a slimy pedestal that had been constructed by the kuo-toas. They surrounded him, seemingly worshipping him in place of the idol that had previously stood in that spot. Atem was not able to communicate with the fish-men, but through gestures and other creative means it became apparent that he somehow survived the encounter, and was now perceived by the kuo-toas as their god.
Slipping away from the deranged creatures was not an easy job, and he accomplished it only by giving his gestured assurances that he would return. The journey back to the surface was a long and difficult one. As he walked the dark tunnels of the sewers, he could swear that there were voices speaking to him from the gloom, but decided that it was his imagination.
When he surfaced, he was dismayed to learn that two whole weeks had passed since he’d first gone below ground. The Cutty Jay had already been bequeathed to a new owner and a new captain, the crew having sadly conceded that Atem must have perished in the sewers, along with his noble mother.
For a while, Atem was in a slump, uncertain what he should do. He had lost everything. But then, one night after imbibing a considerable quantity of rum, Atem heard the voice again. It came like the babbling of water in his ears, or the thunder of thrashing around beneath the waves. This voice - this being - had been trying to establish a presence in the world to accomplish its own inscrutable ends, and had hopes to enslave the kuo-toas and use them as its eyes, ears and hands in the material plane.
“But you...” it said to Atem, “...you could prove far more useful to me, being what you are…”
Atem was confused. What was he? He asked the question, but the voice seemed to delight in keeping that information to itself.
“Heed my voice,” it said. “Go where I instruct and do as I require...and perhaps you shall have your answers...and perhaps even the return of your mother…”
The experience I have with Lovecraft was the one time I played a CoC one-shot, we were planning to do a longer campaign but unfortunately the group fell apart after that. Now a chance for more Lovecraft with DnD? Sign me up! I got into 5e two years ago and have been playing pbp from last year or so. I'd love to see how this will turn out. Ia Cthulhu!
Short description (backstory to be plumbed out if chosen):
Byron "Brain" Saffron was raised in the spice fields of Yentissa, not much for the manual side of farming, they took to finding clever ways to get tasks done like, creating new tools for harvesting quickly, or using mirrors to catch the last waning rays of sunlight to finish a harvest on time.
Key backstory elements: Hexblood, Haunted one, has a child, is pushing toward middle aged and it's having a mid life crisis even they answer the call
Ability Scores: Point Buy- STR14DEX13CON10INT13WIS15CHA10 SAN0
Background: Visionary
Backstory:
Nilvén went through martial training which is both physical and metaphysical in nature. It had stemmed from her belief that by practicing martial arts she would be successful to unlock a higher state of consciousness. An old scroll of paper made of otherworldly material had been considered as a proof of her believe which had gained a bold reality through her nightmares and visions regarding strange creatures.
She's often seen chanting gibberish words dictated from the scroll while roosting in solitude. If someone had decided to ask about the content of the scroll, she would remain silent or try to deny it's existence. The quest regarding the fabled Golden Tower would be a chance for her to find the pieces of an unsolved puzzle regarding her origin.
Unique Trait: Nilvén was initially unwary of the concept of binary division among human or other species, also the use of pronouns didn't make any sense to her. So she'd mimic others for the use of language or the gendered context added to it.
My Involvement with D&D: I have been playing several play-by-post games in other social sites for two years(2017-19), after a long hiatus I had decided to play D&D recommended by one of my former GMs. I'm currently active in several sessions. (la, cthulhu!)
Name: Brunhelga Bronzegrog Class: barbarian Race: dwarf Background: clan crafter Backstory: Brunhelga has always had quite a temper to match her fiery red hair, but that didn't stop Thutmouk Bronzegrog from falling in love and taking her as his mate. The two have been married for more than a century and a half, but they have never had any children. They worked in the Bronzegrog family business for about 60 years: a tavern in a town upriver from Ventissa. Thutmouk helped run the tavern while Brunhelga, an accomplished cook, worked in the kitchen. About 70 years ago, the couple decided to start their own tavern and traveled to the frontier town of Ventissa to do so. Despite Brunhelga hating the name, Thutmouk named it the Bronze Grog. The new tavern has kept the two extremely busy, and while Brunhelga has always wished they had been able to have children, she had never realized just how much it bothered Thutmouk to not have any heirs. That is, until she found out that he had gotten another dwarf — a younger dwarf — pregnant. To say this made Brunhelga mad is an understatement. She did not kill Thutmouk. She did not burn down the Bronze Grog. But neither the dwarf nor the tavern will ever be quite the same again. Brunhelga up and left her home and her mate and is ready to leave Ventissa as well. When she heard about the wizard's expedition, she decided this would be her ticket out of town. Despite spending most of her life in the kitchen, she feels that handling heavy slabs of meat, crates, barrels, knives and axes has plenty prepared her to be an adventurer.
My history of involvment with D&D: I was a big fan of Geek and Sundry and started watching Critical Role Season 1 when they started advertising Season 2. Once Season 2 started, and I heard them advertise dndbeyond, I checked it out and made my first character. I've been playing by post ever since (3 years, 3 months, and 7 days now). I have been involved in too many campaigns to count as a player and am currently DMing four campaigns, two of which have been going for about two and a half years. I have only played one "IRL" game, and it was an online one shot. I absolutely loved it and would love to do it some more. From what I understand from others, DMing a PbP game is very different than DMing a game IRL. Even if I don't make it into the campaign, feel free to ask me questions if you have any.
NOTE: The party will absolutely require healing magic support. Those of you with Placeholder posts, or new folks, might want to strongly consider cleric, druid, or paladin concepts.
From what I understand from others, DMing a PbP game is very different than DMing a game IRL. Even if I don't make it into the campaign, feel free to ask me questions if you have any.
Thanks for the offer of help! I've mostly ever DMed IRL games. I've always wanted to try PbP, though. I feel like it will give me a deeper perspective on the rules.
Backstory: Rickin Warmwater was born to a highly religious Halfling family, the Halfling goddess Yondalla. They were devout clerics as was many generations of their family before them. As a gift for their devoutness when Rickin was born he was so with a natural font of divine magic touched by Yondalla, which left him with a birthmark on his forearm in the shape of cornucopia. Rickin though as he grew older did not want the burden of the religion or take on the responsibilities of the church. He had become much of trickster and prankster around the temple and village. Soon he left home, leaving behind the religious life and prude family he did not care for. Rickin had become skilled in making different identities for himself as he travelled the world, and learned to dabble in 'potions and cures' which he would sell to people on the streets or in markets to make a living. He finds himself in Ventissa swindling some 'potions and cure alls' when he saw the advertisement from Greencloak and the reward piqued his interest. Ia Cthulhu!
DND History: I’ve been playing for about 2 years or so now, did some in person adventure league and DM’d some in person games for friends. And played a lot of Discord DND with some forum pbp DND here!
A few of you have said you're not really familiar with Lovecraft stuff. Here is a nice primer on Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, copied from Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos For 5th Edition Fantasy supplement. It might help you contextualize your character concepts a bit.
In the 1920s and 1930s, an obscure American writer named H. P. Lovecraft penned some of the most inventive and evocative horror tales ever written. He broached topics never before conceived, devised a multitude of terrifying entities, and invented a whole new approach to horror, changing the face of fantastic fiction forever. Yet he did even more. He was active in the Amateur Press Association of his time and corresponded heavily with other authors, giving them advice and mentoring them. One of his innovations was to create a sort of common mythology, which multiple authors would draw upon when writing horror tales. Most infamously, he created the fearful book the Necronomicon, which was mentioned by dozens of other writers, giving it an aura of realism that is rare in fiction. The same is true for many of his other creations.
The framework he invented is usually called the Cthulhu Mythos, named after one of his most famous frights. And here we are today, steeping ourselves again in its awesome and terrible secrets.
The Cthulhu Mythos is based on the principle that humanity is not the center of the universe. The cosmos is vast and filled with unthinkable forces, many not subject to our own natural laws. Some of these forces are unthinkably powerful—best considered to be like unto gods. These include Great Old Ones and Outer Gods such as Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth, Hastur, and Cthulhu. Others are lesser beings, though still fearsome and dangerously intelligent, such as the fungi from Yuggoth, the deep ones, or the elder things. These forces can manifest in the physical world as well, giving supernatural potency to inanimate objects or even concepts, such as geometry and mathematics.
The Mythos is nothing if not scientific, though humanity does not and indeed cannot know everything. The magic of the Mythos is all founded upon scientific principles, discovered or undiscovered.
Class: The Fathomless Warlock (I like the tentacle attack..feels more Cthulu to me)
Race: Fallen Aasimar
Background: Mythos Survivor
Joe was just a normal dude, on a pleasure cruse, when one night something visited the ship they were on. A horror. Many horrors. The boat floated into dock a few days later...the crew all missing. Covered in ichor and ranting about "The Nether" and "The Great Old One" was Joe....somehoe he had survived. The marks of a tentacle where found wraped around his chest and back...never healing or leaving. A madness in his eye. Did he fight his way to freedom? Or did he make a bargain. NO one knows for sure...except Nether Joe and whatever it was that dragged him in to the depths....
People often forget that H.P. Lovecraft helped lay the foundation for epic fantasy, as well as modern horror and science fiction. This campaign reflects that oft-forgotten fact. It fully integrates elements of the Cthulhu Mythos into a D&D adventure series. The campaign itself is published by Petersen Games, and takes PCs from level 1 to level 15 (I've changed the title in an effort to avoid spoilers).
I will run recruitment for this campaign for one week, starting at the time this post goes live. There are 5 PC slots available, and you can create your characters using the following guidelines.
SET-UP: Our story begins in the frontier city of Ventissa, a beacon of civilization and security on the edge of the dread Wilderness of Yilan. Ventissa is a small, walled city of granite and sandstone on the banks of the River Semma. It is dominated by a large gladiatorial arena, a round-towered castle, and a sphinx-flanked temple of the cat goddess Bastet. The climate in the highlands is arid, but the Semma keeps the city unpleasantly muggy. The lingering stench of the city’s moist underbelly is nearly offset by the valuable incense and spices grown in the nearby hills and warehoused in Ventissa before being shipped downriver. Thanks to its location near a low mountain pass into Yilan, Ventissa is also the staging ground for adventurers and merchants seeking their fortune in that primeval and dangerous land.
Gehir Greencloak, a wealthy wizard and scholar, is putting together an expedition to cross the Wilderness of Yilan and rediscover the fabled Golden Tower, an ancient elven fortress said to be full of magic and treasure. He seeks worthy adventurers to act as scouts and guards on this expedition, offering 1,000 gp per person plus a fair share of the spoils. To select the lucky adventuring party, Gehir is holding a tournament in the fighting pits of Ventissa, with the winning team earning the coveted spot on his expedition. This is not a fight to the death, and the arena’s staff of healers will be there to ensure none of the contestants dies. Gehir considers the contest to be a job interview of sorts. The adventuring parties are expected to show resourcefulness, teamwork, and fighting prowess. After all, the Wilderness of Yilan is no place for amateurs.
A NOTE ABOUT "INSANITY": Lovecraftian fiction often deals with characters "losing their mind" upon exposure to the horrors of the Mythos. But RPGs are notoriously bad at dealing with mental illness in accurate or sensitive ways. Rather than try to wrestle this dragon, I will simply omit all game-mechanical depictions of "insanity" presented in the Mythos 5e supplement. Instead, I will use either that supplement's Dread mechanic (which works like levels of Exhaustion), or the Stress mechanics in the forthcoming Van Richten's Guide To Ravenloft. Players should remember that despite the presence of the Mythos, this campaign is primarily epic pulp fantasy, not horror.
ETIQUETTE: This campaign will be inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly. As a DM, I will not tolerate bigoted language or behavior towards any group of real-world people, or towards individual players. Players who violate this policy will be kicked from the game on the first offense. Please make your best effort to respect and support your fellow players and their PCs, and you can all have fun kicking some Mythos butt together.
Once the PCs have been selected, I will post once a week, at the same time each week, in a separate thread. You will then have one week to respond to the prompt. We can of course post more often, and might have to do so on many occasions, but once a week will be the minimum. Any player who has not responded within one week will be contacted by PM to make sure everything is OK. This will be followed by a one-week grace period. Two weeks without posting forfeits your spot in the game, and I will open up recruitment to replace your PC.
I've never DMed a PbP game before, but I'm excited to try it. I think the slower pace will help me get a more in-depth understanding of the rules. I have DMed for in-person and virtual groups for 30+ years, though, so not to worry.
Thanks! Ia Cthulhu!
In your application, please give a brief history of your own involvement with D&D, and include the phrase "Ia, Cthulhu!" somewhere to demonstrate that you have read this entire post.
Lovecraft? In my D&D?
I'm so in!
Name:
Class: Druid (Some of the circles seem like they can be reflavoured excellently to fit the mythos).
Race:
Background:
Backstory:
Ia, Cthulhu!
William Brackwater: Human Fighter - The Windward Isles
Love it, la Cthulhu!
My background: Never played a pbp before. Only ever DM'ed 5e. Been DM'ing for about a year.
Character Name: Zadok Allen
Class: Bard
Race: Half-elf
Background: Variant Entertainer - Gladiator / Sailor (was going to develop as support/buff/healer but also would depend on party make-up)
Very Draft Backstory: Born and raised in a small fishing village (complete with folklore about the Deep Ones, who doesn't like that) on the coast... boats and fishing are part of his DNA. Lost parents to a mysterious plague when only 12. Left village as could not cope with the grief. Found himself under the tutorage of a master bard (Francis Thurston) who he travelled and learned from for 4 years. They found themselves in Ventissa and settled in for a bit to earn some coin. But his master disappeared and he has not seen or heard anything since. That was 10 years ago. Returning to Ventissa to search once again for some clues he finds himself unable to refuse the draw of 1,000gp...
Draft char sheet
N/A
Not well versed in lovecraft, but would love to join. I'll create a character soon and edit this post with it.
Arras - D&D Beyond (dndbeyond.com)
Name: Arras
Class: Sorc
Race: Triton
Background: Sage
Backstory: Arras was born and lived his life in the Underwater City of Saltcrest. It wasn't the largest city in terms of underwater cities, but it was big enough to house around 100 people. Growing up, magic always intrigued him and caused him to study it as a child and well into adulthood. Everything was peaceful, and do to the city size, they never involved themselves in any feuds.
However, recently, their home and a lot of the underwater life and ecosystem has been under a threat of extinction. Arras has been tasked with going to the surface and figuring out what exactly is going on and to see if there is anything he can do to stop it. This is how he finds himself in Ventissa. Unsure of what he's supposed to be looking for, he has been chomping at the bit of every offer he can find. This is how he hears about a tournament to become part of an adventuring party.
I don't have a signature.
Placeholder
Name: Tren Blackmantle
Race: Custom Lineage
Class: Fighter
Background: Mercenary Veteran
Backstory:
Tren answered the wizard's request for warriors without any hesitation. He had just finished his latest job, a stint as a bodyguard for a spice merchant traveling on a caravan to bring their wares to a market far away. They just returned to the city when Tren saw the notice for the trial the wizard was sponsering. Having some free time, before he has to check in with the mercenary company, Tren decided to give the wizard's test a go and see about earning a spot on this interesting mission. Ia, Cthulhu...
My DND expeerience... I have been playing since 3.5. I didn’t get deeply into PBP until 3 years ago though, but have been very deeply vested in that since then.
I’m interested-
Name: Vexha female variant human
wizard (school Of ritualism)
abilities: point buy.
background Mythos Survivor.
backstory: TBD- an escapee from horrors most can not imagine.... (Will flesh out with DM input if picked)
my background: 30+ years of gaming experience to “red box” basic. DM, player, pathfinder, all editions except 4e. Can post frequently, US eastern time zone. Like roleplay as well as combat. newer to PbB.
Thanks for your consideration. Ia, Cthulhu!
Draft character:
https://ddb.ac/characters/49772758/e9b4vs
Yes, anything in official WOTC content is available. Have fun! Ia, Cthulhu!
Thanks for your interest, everyone! Just a reminder that recruitment for this campaign will be open for a whole week. So please don't get discouraged if you don't hear back from me for a while.
Ia, Cthulhu!
Interested!
Placeholder.Name: Atem Rakyevra
Race: Fallen Aasimar
Class: Fathomless Warlock
Background: Sailor (or Mythos Survivor)
Backstory (see spoiler):
Of all the independent adventuring privateers to sail the waters, Helena Rakyevra is one name that always earns a bard a decent pile of coins if he’s skilled enough to tell her story.
The legend goes that Rakyevra sailed her ship - the Cutty Jay - into that dread region of sea through Semma. The waters in that part of the sea are said to boil with the anger of an ancient being, and that the only captains who go there are those who sail supernatural craft from the higher planes or fools wishing to hasten their own departure from the material plane.
But sail into the danger she did. So few were the number of her crew who survived to come back - and so few of those who weren’t gibbering wrecks themselves - that it’s only from Helena Rakyevra’s mouth that anyone can appraise what happened out there.
It’s said that the Cutty Jay ran into a squall and crossed paths with a ship of unearthly beauty crewed by beings who could not have been of this world. Their captain, if you believe the accounts, was a celestial being who had developed a fondness of the sea and overstayed his mandate in the material realm.
Helena, seeing that her own ship could not survive the storm but the other ship could, attempted to board it and take it by force. It was only once they were aboard the other ship that the nature of its crew became apparent, and the suicidal reality of attacking it became painfully obvious.
Most of the crew of the Cutty Jaw were slaughtered in the battle, but Helena herself stood fast, defending herself from the onslaught on all sides. So fiercely did she fight that the celestial captain - who in none of the stories is given a name - spared Helena’s life and invited her to parley in his chamber. The two, it is said, developed a deep respect for each other. The celestial captain spared her and kept her aboard his ship until the storm passed. There, he returned her to her ship, where she met with the few lucky survivors who’d remained there.
From there, Helena returned to Ventissa, where she had her base of operations. Not long after that, it became apparent that she was with child. Her son, Atem, was born at sea during a cargo run. Pale of skin with unnervingly black eyes, it was clear to all that this was no ordinary child. Yet from the moment he was born, Helena’s attitude softened and she insisted that the stories about the celestial captain and the adventure in the depths of sea were embellished. Yet she always refused to give the name of her son’s father.
Atem grew up on the rolling waves, spending only half his life on land learning the way to trade and find the best opportunities. He was a confident, if hot-tempered young lad, a train in him that his mother tried to quell. Not least among the reasons for this was the way that the boy’s temper was often accompanied by strange phenomena and, on occasion, even a spark of radiant fire from his hair or fingertips.
Helena was not young when Atem was born, and by the time her son was a man she was already of an age where it was fitting for her to retire onto the land. Atem was most uncomfortable with this, but she assured him that it was not the end of her career - she would find a way to keep seeking trouble on the land!
Atem inherited the Cutty Jay and continued to trade on her for many years. Each time he returned to Ventissa, he would check in with his mother and they would share tales of their exploits. Helena had turned her hand to mercenary work, having assembled a team of strong-arms to deal with issues that were below the notice of the city watch.
One particular issue that Helena mentioned was that of a population of kuo-toas that had supposedly assembled in the sprawling sewers beneath the city. This was, in fact, not something new. The kuo-toas had been there for well over many years, and they mostly kept to themselves. But recently people had started complaining about slime at the wells, and water that made people sick. The kuo-toas were to blame, and there was a reward for anyone who could encourage them to ‘move along’.
Atem wished his mother the best of fortune in accomplishing this mission, and set out to sea on another job of his own. When he returned to Ventissa, he heard the distressing news that his mother and her party had not returned from their journey into the sewers to deal with the kuo-toas. Atem assembled a team of his own men to go after her and find out what had happened.
Striking out into the dark undersprawl of Ventissa, Atem made his way to the forgotten recesses of the water channels, following any clues he found about the path his mother had taken. It wasn’t long before he started to see what the stories had been about. The tunnels were clogged with slime, and not just of the kind common to sewer passages. Something sinister was afoot down there.
Eventually, he came into a huge chamber - a sewer manifold long forgotten by the people of the city. This was where the kuo-toas had made their home. Atem found them worshipping some strange, serpentine idol. When Atem and his man rushed at the kuo-toas demanding to know what had happened to his mother, he found that they were not able to give a comprehensible answer. But the answer itself came in another form.
The water began to churn and the kuo-toas fled. Atem and his men were surprised by the emergence of a monstrous creature. This was the creature the kuo-toas had been worshipping, and the true source of the rancid water and slime in the city. Atem and his crew put up a brave fight, but there was little they could do against such a horrifying creature. Finding that he was the last one alive, Atem, took up a kuo-toa spear and let out a cry. The strange glowing energy that sometimes accompanied his rages came in that moment, and somehow infused the spear with a magical aura. He flung it at the monster, hitting it straight in the eye. The creature roared and lunged at him, pulling him into the water.
For a while, that was the last thing Atem remembered.
When he came to, he found himself lying on a slimy pedestal that had been constructed by the kuo-toas. They surrounded him, seemingly worshipping him in place of the idol that had previously stood in that spot. Atem was not able to communicate with the fish-men, but through gestures and other creative means it became apparent that he somehow survived the encounter, and was now perceived by the kuo-toas as their god.
Slipping away from the deranged creatures was not an easy job, and he accomplished it only by giving his gestured assurances that he would return. The journey back to the surface was a long and difficult one. As he walked the dark tunnels of the sewers, he could swear that there were voices speaking to him from the gloom, but decided that it was his imagination.
When he surfaced, he was dismayed to learn that two whole weeks had passed since he’d first gone below ground. The Cutty Jay had already been bequeathed to a new owner and a new captain, the crew having sadly conceded that Atem must have perished in the sewers, along with his noble mother.
For a while, Atem was in a slump, uncertain what he should do. He had lost everything. But then, one night after imbibing a considerable quantity of rum, Atem heard the voice again. It came like the babbling of water in his ears, or the thunder of thrashing around beneath the waves. This voice - this being - had been trying to establish a presence in the world to accomplish its own inscrutable ends, and had hopes to enslave the kuo-toas and use them as its eyes, ears and hands in the material plane.
“But you...” it said to Atem, “...you could prove far more useful to me, being what you are…”
Atem was confused. What was he? He asked the question, but the voice seemed to delight in keeping that information to itself.
“Heed my voice,” it said. “Go where I instruct and do as I require...and perhaps you shall have your answers...and perhaps even the return of your mother…”
The experience I have with Lovecraft was the one time I played a CoC one-shot, we were planning to do a longer campaign but unfortunately the group fell apart after that. Now a chance for more Lovecraft with DnD? Sign me up! I got into 5e two years ago and have been playing pbp from last year or so. I'd love to see how this will turn out. Ia Cthulhu!
Ia, Cthulhu!
Hello there, I'm a 25 year veteran of Dungeons and Dragons (and other rpgs), I don't so much with lovecraftian stuff, but am interested.
Here is a link to my character https://ddb.ac/characters/49805684/LhgKSr
Short description (backstory to be plumbed out if chosen):
Byron "Brain" Saffron was raised in the spice fields of Yentissa, not much for the manual side of farming, they took to finding clever ways to get tasks done like, creating new tools for harvesting quickly, or using mirrors to catch the last waning rays of sunlight to finish a harvest on time.
Key backstory elements: Hexblood, Haunted one, has a child, is pushing toward middle aged and it's having a mid life crisis even they answer the call
Character Creation
Name: Nilvén Zhou
Race: Tiefling
Class: Monk
Ability Scores: Point Buy- STR14 DEX13 CON10 INT13 WIS15 CHA10 SAN0
Background: Visionary
Backstory:
Nilvén went through martial training which is both physical and metaphysical in nature. It had stemmed from her belief that by practicing martial arts she would be successful to unlock a higher state of consciousness. An old scroll of paper made of otherworldly material had been considered as a proof of her believe which had gained a bold reality through her nightmares and visions regarding strange creatures.
She's often seen chanting gibberish words dictated from the scroll while roosting in solitude. If someone had decided to ask about the content of the scroll, she would remain silent or try to deny it's existence. The quest regarding the fabled Golden Tower would be a chance for her to find the pieces of an unsolved puzzle regarding her origin.
Unique Trait: Nilvén was initially unwary of the concept of binary division among human or other species, also the use of pronouns didn't make any sense to her. So she'd mimic others for the use of language or the gendered context added to it.
My Involvement with D&D: I have been playing several play-by-post games in other social sites for two years(2017-19), after a long hiatus I had decided to play D&D recommended by one of my former GMs. I'm currently active in several sessions. (la, cthulhu!)
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Name: Brunhelga Bronzegrog
Class: barbarian
Race: dwarf
Background: clan crafter
Backstory: Brunhelga has always had quite a temper to match her fiery red hair, but that didn't stop Thutmouk Bronzegrog from falling in love and taking her as his mate. The two have been married for more than a century and a half, but they have never had any children. They worked in the Bronzegrog family business for about 60 years: a tavern in a town upriver from Ventissa. Thutmouk helped run the tavern while Brunhelga, an accomplished cook, worked in the kitchen. About 70 years ago, the couple decided to start their own tavern and traveled to the frontier town of Ventissa to do so. Despite Brunhelga hating the name, Thutmouk named it the Bronze Grog. The new tavern has kept the two extremely busy, and while Brunhelga has always wished they had been able to have children, she had never realized just how much it bothered Thutmouk to not have any heirs. That is, until she found out that he had gotten another dwarf — a younger dwarf — pregnant. To say this made Brunhelga mad is an understatement. She did not kill Thutmouk. She did not burn down the Bronze Grog. But neither the dwarf nor the tavern will ever be quite the same again. Brunhelga up and left her home and her mate and is ready to leave Ventissa as well. When she heard about the wizard's expedition, she decided this would be her ticket out of town. Despite spending most of her life in the kitchen, she feels that handling heavy slabs of meat, crates, barrels, knives and axes has plenty prepared her to be an adventurer.
My history of involvment with D&D: I was a big fan of Geek and Sundry and started watching Critical Role Season 1 when they started advertising Season 2. Once Season 2 started, and I heard them advertise dndbeyond, I checked it out and made my first character. I've been playing by post ever since (3 years, 3 months, and 7 days now). I have been involved in too many campaigns to count as a player and am currently DMing four campaigns, two of which have been going for about two and a half years. I have only played one "IRL" game, and it was an online one shot. I absolutely loved it and would love to do it some more. From what I understand from others, DMing a PbP game is very different than DMing a game IRL. Even if I don't make it into the campaign, feel free to ask me questions if you have any.
"Ia, Cthulhu!"
Great concepts so far, everyone!
NOTE: The party will absolutely require healing magic support. Those of you with Placeholder posts, or new folks, might want to strongly consider cleric, druid, or paladin concepts.
Thanks for the offer of help! I've mostly ever DMed IRL games. I've always wanted to try PbP, though. I feel like it will give me a deeper perspective on the rules.
Sounds interesting! Placeholder.
erm. hello there, 'tis i. not that you know me.
I will submit a Paladin for consideration tomorrow.
Name: "Rickin Warmwater"
Class: Divine Soul Sorc
Race: Halfling
Background: Charlatan
Backstory: Rickin Warmwater was born to a highly religious Halfling family, the Halfling goddess Yondalla. They were devout clerics as was many generations of their family before them. As a gift for their devoutness when Rickin was born he was so with a natural font of divine magic touched by Yondalla, which left him with a birthmark on his forearm in the shape of cornucopia. Rickin though as he grew older did not want the burden of the religion or take on the responsibilities of the church. He had become much of trickster and prankster around the temple and village. Soon he left home, leaving behind the religious life and prude family he did not care for. Rickin had become skilled in making different identities for himself as he travelled the world, and learned to dabble in 'potions and cures' which he would sell to people on the streets or in markets to make a living. He finds himself in Ventissa swindling some 'potions and cure alls' when he saw the advertisement from Greencloak and the reward piqued his interest. Ia Cthulhu!
DND History: I’ve been playing for about 2 years or so now, did some in person adventure league and DM’d some in person games for friends. And played a lot of Discord DND with some forum pbp DND here!
A few of you have said you're not really familiar with Lovecraft stuff. Here is a nice primer on Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, copied from Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos For 5th Edition Fantasy supplement. It might help you contextualize your character concepts a bit.
Name: Nether Joe
https://ddb.ac/characters/49870947/4C8oD6
Class: The Fathomless Warlock (I like the tentacle attack..feels more Cthulu to me)
Race: Fallen Aasimar
Background: Mythos Survivor
Joe was just a normal dude, on a pleasure cruse, when one night something visited the ship they were on. A horror. Many horrors. The boat floated into dock a few days later...the crew all missing. Covered in ichor and ranting about "The Nether" and "The Great Old One" was Joe....somehoe he had survived. The marks of a tentacle where found wraped around his chest and back...never healing or leaving. A madness in his eye. Did he fight his way to freedom? Or did he make a bargain. NO one knows for sure...except Nether Joe and whatever it was that dragged him in to the depths....