I’m looking for a brave group of 4-5 adventurers. As the brains behind those adventurers, you should be prolific, mature, and invested, and create a character that is interesting and believable.
Your character name, identity, and actions as they are portrayed in this adventure become my property to do with as I see fit, including them in a short story about this adventure, or as a PC or NPC in a future adventure or story.
That’s my fee for DMing this game. It is otherwise free to play.
A brief bit about the setting
Only two gods exist - Amaril (Good) and Zetal (Evil). Tale of a third goddess called the Lady exist but as a true god of neutrality she rarely intervenes in mortal matters, if she exists at all. Some people also still pray to so called "pagan" gods of agriculture or commerce or some other thing, and some even claim to have received divine boons from them as a result. This is considered a heresy, trickery, or outright lies or misunderstanding.
Everyone knows everything good comes from Amaril.
Similarly Zetal is blamed for the continued rise in dark magic and abominations.
The adventure takes place in the Empire of Galagos - an enormous empire that, after centuries of war against fringe elements and neighboring countries, span most of the continent. Normal “enemies” to the south, in the desert and beyond, as well as fringe holdouts from the north and other inhospitable places, do exist. To the east a large and forbidding forest called the Grim (Forest) lies wedged between two mountain ranges in what would otherwise be an idyllic dale. Today war is mostly against strange creatures emerging from dark woods and rocky crags to threaten civilization. Some abominations are so terrible as to have only been made possible by the will of Zetal himself!
Sorcery and Witchcraft (ie sorcerers and warlocks) are openly hunted and brought to justice. Signs of corruption, including tails and horns, only serve to bring undue inspection, if not outright torture or murder.
In Galagos, every one serves. Most ultimately serve in the military. Those with a suitable craft or family wealth can buy a deferment every year, but few can do so for all of their children, or for very long. Still, the money raised from deferments goes to support the military. The system is, as much as any openly will say, fair. Military service is common. As further evidence of fairness only those in service are permitted to loot, and looting CAN be a lucrative way to earn one's way out of service. Other than death or a proclamation from the empire, there is no other way out. Tattoos tell the truth of one's service, and magical tattoos exist for certain significant accomplishments or events.
The need for divine healing and arcane magics leaves the empire making considerable efforts to train young people in the trade. Some succeed. Others ultimately end up drafted. Whether one lives or dies in service to the empire in these roles the family of such a person continues to benefit throughout the servitor’s life.
Some flout the law, neither paying the tithe or serving. They are outlaws. They are hunted and either killed outright or magically invested into dangerous quests on behalf of the empire. Since everyone serves anyone who might otherwise find this reprehensible either thinks its fair, or is smart enough to keep their mouth shut.
Others make their way as adventurers, and a healthy tax in the form of a "Right of Expedition" also serves the empire's purposes - cleaning out internal threats, retrieving artifacts, and providing revenue to the empire in the form of a 20% tax.
Rules for your character
Use DndBeyond to make a first level 5th edition character per the core rules and link to it here in this thread.
For THIS adventure all player races in the SRD are permitted, but realize the campaign setting is overwhelmingly human, and being a tiefling or dragonborn MAY have consequences. See above. If theres enough interest I’m likely to pick a human over an “other”. Consider that your first experience with the prejudice of humans and the fickleness of fate. Halflings, gnomes and dwarves are largely treated only in regard to their trade and while bullies exist, these races enjoy the same protections of the empire that humans do.
There are no elves known to man.
Half orcs are known as Tokan, and generally looked at with suspicion or pity. Use the Half Orc race for character generation.
If you want to play a monster see me privately. We may have some combat work for you to do.
You may use either the legacy rules for races or the newer rules.
If you’re darker you or your ancestors were likely from places further south. Conversely if you’re pale with blonde hair you’re likely from the snowier regions originally beyond the northern borders of the empire. If you dont care about such things you're likely from the continent. Unlike our modern world where worldwide travel is more common, long range travel is rare and geographic ethnicities and customs are assumed. As long as service is rendered to the empire these things generally don’t matter (at least to the law). Large cities, where citizens of the empire congregate for trade, etc are the exception. As with our modern world, they are often a melting pot.
The adventure opens with you, alone or in a small group, on the open plains of the eastern side of the empire.
Rules for the player
I’m expecting at LEAST one post a day from each player, and would like there to be 3-4 depending on the pace of things.
While not a rule per se, this probably SHOULDN’T be your first PBP. It’s a different format that in person or even online.
Make sure your PC has an alignment, a personality, and some other fluff for me and others to incorporate into the story. If you’d rather all that stuff be private and come out in the story – great. Send it to me ahead of time via private message..
Characters accepted into the adventure will be invited to the DndBeyond campaign. No one is in until they’re added, and order of posting your character to the thread doesn’t mean anything.
Maps will be updated in thread.
Dice will be rolled here.
Point buy for stat generation
I would prefer this was your only game, because it helps you stay focused and because there always seem to be a shortage of DMs here.
If your character dies, you're done. At least for this adventure. If you've been a great contributor you may be asked to play again in the future. But death has to have consequences.
Some House Rules
Death saves happen only after aid is rendered. Until that moment no mention of a PCs status may be made. A request for status results in a secret roll against the would-be savior's medicine skill, if any.
The first drop to zero and subsequent healing comes with no strings attached. Any subsequent bounce from death to life results in a level of exhaustion until the next short rest. This is a little grittier than some of you are used to.
The rule of cool is in effect. We can add custom content upon my approval, but for ease of getting started no custom races, classes, or feats.
Conversely, depending on the flow of things and how a situation plays out your PC may suffer some debilitating injury that cant just be wiped away with a cure wounds. In most cases a lesser restoration (or the medicine skill + time) will solve the problem.
Common is Galagosian. Assume most “monsters” don’t speak it. There are ethnicities far from the empire that also have their own dialect. It likely wont come up in this adventure. Probably.
The light cantrip only produces the light of a candle. Light as you are used to it is a first level spell. Bring your torches.
Some Last-Minute Things
While not particularly gory this is a darker campaign, with some less than inclusive opinions about tieflings and dragonborn, and other races on the part of the NPCs. There is however no racism between the various ethnicities of human. There wont be any sexual violence. Somebody is sure to eat meat. Someone may die. Maybe they’ll have it coming. Maybe they didn’t. If you’ve got anything you DON’T want to see hashed out in a game ask me about it privately. Better to sort that out now than mid game.
Some tension true to your character’s form is acceptable. Even encouraged. But rude behavior wont be tolerated. Since I’ll know your PC backstory, I’ll be the final arbitrator. If you think someone is being rude, try to work it out in character dialog. If you aren’t sure, private message me.
I’d like to start Thursday evening at the latest (3/9/23). I’m in the Central US time zone. I’ll check the boards at 6AM, 10 AM, 12 PM, 3PM, and after work until 9 PM, and advance the story as I can.
Lastly, when you post your link to your character include the first initial of YOUR name, the first initial of your characters first name, and the first initial of my UserName so I know you read all this.
Race: Changeling (will be in the guise of a human)
Class: Bard (Plan on going into college of Eloquence, and multiclassing inti rogue if multiclassing is allowed)
Background: Charlatan
Alignment: Lawful Neutral or Evil
Personality: A calm and collected individual. Is bound to use deception and charm to execute a plan. He sees himself as the smartest in the room but is open to other ideas if they aren't dumb.
Backstory: He was born just outside the empire, where his parents (Gregorith and Jakola Galesburrough) had to abandon him at a young age. He was told by them that he had to be in the guise of a human in order to survive. Olin doesn't remember why his parents had to do this. He spent the next few years as a homeless child in the empire. The first thing he ever stole was the first lute that he ever used. This lute fell out of the pack of a traveling minstrel. He spent a lot of those years learning how to play it. He was self-taught, and a natural. He eventually came across 3 Kobolds that were homeless and living in an alleyway of a city in the Empire. These were Zirk, Min, and Gad. They got along instantly and figured out a new way to survive. Olin, with his lute, took to being a traveling street performer. He went to cities all over the kingdom performing. The Kobolds would pickpocket his audiences so that they got more money than he played for. Since he was a changeling (He trusted the kobolds with this info), he put in a new face everywhere he performed as to make it harder for him to track. They kept this up for years, all the way to adulthood, where overtime he learned how to use magic with his music. However, one day in the capital city, he got caught in the act! His real race wasn't revealed, but his scheme was. The kobolds managed to get away, but Olin was captured. He got sentenced to be "magically invested into dangerous quests on behalf of the empire." His first quest in the eastern area of the empire is where the game will start.
Well, this definitely sounds interesting, and I can appreciate that amount of effort put into detailing the rules and limits of the campaign. I do have two questions though, just so I can have an idea as to the pace and how far into the future to commit: (1) will you be using XP or milestone advancement, and (2) presuming everything goes well with the campaign, how far do you see it going--to level 5? 10? Or would that be measured in months rather than levels?
(EDIT: Actually, as I think more about the campaign world, I guess I have one more question: if sorcerers and warlocks are looked down upon, and presumably wizards are considered kosher, what about bards? Are there obvious distinctions between the arcane spellcasting classes, and do the "undesirable" ones sometimes simply hide their true nature? (Perhaps just carrying a spellbook is enough to keep them safe?))
I'm super interested, and I'm currently in the process of fleshing out a character, but I have a couple of questions that could help me in the process.
1. Does the Lady in your world bear any resemblance to the Lady of Terry Pratchett's works?
2. Is it safe to assume that any other light-producing cantrips (produce flame, create bonfire, etc.) are about as effective as light?
3. I really hate to ask this, and so I'd like to make it clear that I 100% accept that you'll probably say no, but would it be okay if I use a cantrip I made a while ago called Gambler's Boon? I just think that it could go well with my character, and I don't think it would be too powerful.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Personality: He is skittish, and clearly tormented to the point of paranoia. He constantly seeks ways to "be good" to try to offset his other "needs"
Backstory: Emyrs was found as a child, barely 6 summers old, stumbling from the Grim into a nearby farming settlement, he wore tattered rags and was non-verbal. He was taken in by a halfling couple, Geldric and Mariana Hornfellow, both farmers, who took kindly to the wild-eyed lost boy. They gave him room, board and care. Whilst they shared their meals, Emyrs ate little, and it seemed that food did not provide sustenance, he grew thinner and weaker as the days passed. Then, the affliction passed, Emyrs began to grow rapidly, and grow strong. The Hornfellows were delighted. But, they found themselves exhausted, waking each morning more tired than when they had gone to sleep. All the while, Emyrs grew, by 10 years of age he surpassed his "parents" in stature. He was able to carry out much of the work on the farm himself. The parents continued to toil, but the lack of rest and the backbreaking manual work took its toll. One night, Mariana awoke, something she rarely did these days. She lit a torch and looked across to her husband, and saw Emrys, crouched across his body, a glowing trail of purple dust leaving Geldric's ear, and into Emrys' mouth, lamprey like fangs evident behind his lips. She stumbled from the bed as Emrys looked up and snarled, before the fangs faded and his countenance returned. He fled.
Knowing that he could not stay with the family, and that he was a monster, condemned to feed on others all his days, Emyrs sought refuge in a ruined chapel, once dedicated to Amaril's name. As he slept, he felt a strange sensation, much like the dreams he had consumed in his younger life, he felt sustenance flow into his body as the prayers of the locals washed over him into a nearby statue dedicated to Amaril. Around the neck of the statue was a golden chain and pendant. Emyrs took it, feeling the prayer flow into him. At the point he dedicated his life to Amaril. He would serve, he would restore life, an effort to replace the energies taken in his childhood. He reached out, grasping the pendant, feeling holy energy coursing through his body.
Personality: Reserved and quiet, independent and not very trustful (especially of authority/officers)
Background: Outlander
Backstory: Kasimyr grew up in the foothills of the mountains, not far from the Grim. Like his father and his older sibling, he was a woodcutter and sometime hunter (though the family skirted the legal definition of poacher). Living where he did, he learned early to be distrustful of people in the village, and any authority figure as they were usually looking for extra "taxes". The area also brought him into frequent contact with the Dwarves of the mountains and isolated villages of Halflings, both of whom dealt more honestly with his family than the more "civilized" humans. Having run the "wilds" since he was a little boy, and developed the stealthy characteristics of a hunter, it was a natural fit that he should spend his military career as a scout. Truly, except for his one experience in a small town, he has never been to anything resembling a large town or a city.
Species: Human (Might switch to variant depending on content available)
Class: Druid
Background: Acolyte (Of The Lady)
Short Backstory: Ali is a druid from the deep south raised in a commune who pays homage to The Lady. They didn't get much exposure to modern views as a child and as such can be quite oblivious at times. They are currently on a "Walkabout" trying to discover their place in the world and having a rough go at integrating into the grander society outside their family.
It would be milestone advancement. As for the end - this adventure wont last long. Think of it as a dress rehersal. Depending on how things go for me and the group all or part of you may move on to other opportunities, separately or together.
As for bards... theyre tolerated, there being no evidence of extraplanar influence in their magics. There is no systemic movement against them. Desperate times after all call for desperate measures. But there are definitely those within the heirarchy, both martial and arcane, who feel their talents might better be spent elsewhere.
I'm super interested, and I'm currently in the process of fleshing out a character, but I have a couple of questions that could help me in the process.
1. Does the Lady in your world bear any resemblance to the Lady of Terry Pratchett's works?
Im going to say no. As far as the civilized commoners of the world understand she doesnt exist. Druids. Rangers. They may know differently. If they do, they arent telling, though they often invoke her name.
2. Is it safe to assume that any other light-producing cantrips (produce flame, create bonfire, etc.) are about as effective as light?
You shouldnt assume that. In this sense then produce flame might seem superior, but there are tradeoffs with having flames in your hand and using them as weapons. Also, light as a first level spell scales with level, ultimately replacing spells like daylight, etc. We'll get to that when the time comes.
3. I really hate to ask this, and so I'd like to make it clear that I 100% accept that you'll probably say no, but would it be okay if I use a cantrip I made a while ago called Gambler's Boon? I just think that it could go well with my character, and I don't think it would be too powerful.
I'll think about it. I dont see much benefit in the opening act, so lets leave it out for now. When / if we get to it we'll talk about swapping it out.
The SRD is the Standard Reference Document, stuff that everybody can use without having any books. You can access it via Basic Rules under Sources, and then go to the Races section to see the available options.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Appearance is light brown skin, dark hair, brown eyes, family origins from within the continent
Personality, honest and simple in thought process, willing to trust and give someone a chance to show if they are friend or foe, respectful of beasts and nature, distrustful of the empire but he has learned from his military service to tolerate the empire
some background stuff:
Brade was a son to nomads, a small group of people hoping to avoid military service by wandering the wild gaps between civilization. It was a meager, simple existence. Brade learned from a young age to both respect and rely upon the beasts and animals of the wilderness as unlikely allies in a harsh world. Unfortunately, fate caught up to them eventually when agents of the empire found them. Young Brade was ripped from his family and, his captors noting his impressive physical abilities, he was pressed into military service at a young age.
Brade was a soldier. His unparalleled fighting prowess drew the attention of his officers, but his tendency to lose himself in reckless animalistic battle-trance soon convinced those officers that his military career would not last long. Expunged from military service, he was placed in the Eastern realms and instructed to patrol the area and fight evil on his own terms. To his officers’ relief, Brade accepted these orders without question.
Now Brade is a nomad. He appears to be carrying out his last orders but he also hopes to discover the nomad group that was his family. He hopes to find his parents again. A part of him knows it is unlikely that the empire would have released his parents from its clutches, but he doesn’t dwell on those thoughts, focusing instead on the struggles of each day.
T.B.H.
(character can be fleshed out more as needed, such as titles and rumors about his exploits in the military, tattoos about it, etc)
(his character is such that he would amicably join an adventuring group without much fuss)
( just wanted to add that yes, I am currently a player in 2 other games and not DM’ing anything. This will not detract from at least daily posting in this campaign. Current posting in the other games are only 2-3 times per week anyway and I do want to be posting daily+ )
Kiana was once a simple charlatan, who used various tricks and cons to get out of serving the Empire and to earn a modest amount of coin along the way. Her favorite of such tricks, which she relied on more often than any other, was to pretend to be a Cleric of Amaril by performing a phony healing in front of Empire officials. So that Kiana could prove that she had divine magic, they would bring in a random wounded soldier and request her to fix their wounds. Unbeknownst to them, the wounded soldier would be replaced by Kiana's partner in crime, Ayden, before being brought to her. Because of her religious upbringing, Kiana knew how to make a fake holy ritual convincing, so she would light some incense and speak a prayer before laying her hands onto Ayden. Ayden's wounds were never real, but instead makeup made out of a material that reacted with the smoke of an herb placed in the incense, so that after about a minute or so of laying hands the wounds would evaporate into the smoke, and it would seem that Kiana's touch cured him to onlookers.
This con worked well for avoiding draft and earning some coin, but one time something went wrong. Ayden was running late, likely pulling a solo scam elsewhere, and so nobody was there to replace the wounded. Kiana knew something was wrong, but she couldn't find a way out-- her only option was to go through with the ritual and hope an opportunity for escape would present itself. Her mind raced, knowing all too well the cost of lying to the Empire. As she panicked, she lit the incense, said some holy words, and placed her hands upon the soldier. She did not really know it, but in that moment she prayed.
She prayed not to Amaril, for she knew that said god had long since denied her. Without even knowing it, her actions, her rolling of the dice, meant that she was putting absolute faith in a being she had only ever heard of in whispered rumors. That being saw her actions, and returned the faith in kind. With a white light, Kiana's touch cured the soldier of every laceration on his body. None in the room were especially surprised, as they all saw what they expected to; a holy person working holy magic. Kiana, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. Without any training, or any real care for higher beings at all, she had managed to develop a knack for divine magic. Though she has her suspicions on the source of the magic, she is still searching for information on who gifted her mysterious abilities.
Kiana, realizing her newfound potential and not wanting to waste it, left Ayden behind in Central Galagos and headed off to the East. She knew that many things lurked within the Grim, so she figured somebody would pay if she helped eradicate them. Plus, although she would be loathe to admit it, the idea of fighting monsters and saving lives was appealing to her. And, just like that, an adventurer was born.
Personality:
Kiana loves to take risks whenever an opportunity to do so presents itself. She's not mean, per say, but tact is not her strong suit. She's also very fascinated with magic. First, she tried to access magic through the divine, but being rejected by Amaril (perhaps because another entity already had its eyes on her) ultimately got her sent away from her clerical family. Then, she tried to study wizardry, but she couldn't manage to successfully execute a single cantrip. Her attempts and failings at finding a source of magic just mean that she is all the more pleased with her current situation, having magic that seems to come from both within her and above. Every time she casts a spell, it feels like all that studying into various methods of magic finally payed off, and she likes to use magic even when it isn't necessary to prove to herself that the search was worth it.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
I present to you Colm (pronounced Column) O’Concannon, variant human bard.
Colm’s specialty is folk songs. He knows most by heart and is skilled on the lute, viol, and flute but knows little of the finer classical music. He travels around, performing mostly in taverns and inns but occasionally a lords manor or something of the like. He’s a very friendly, charismatic fellow with little to no inhibitions on 99% of things wether it be drinking, performing…wenching.
(Partially kidding with the last one. I’m not going for the horny bard stereotyp)
Colm grew up in an orphanage (sorry, another edgy backstory) till he ran off with a band of traveling performers. There he learned to sing, dance and play and rapidly rose to be among the best in the group. By now, though, they’re disbanded and he’s a one-man show. Still impressive, though, with his near-master instrument skills and his very wide voice range.
Now for his weaknesses… he has no problem accepting a challenge wether it be drinking, a fight, a contest of wits…he’s in, and often gets himself in trouble because of it.
ICH if you’re looking for my real first initial, or SCH I’d you want my username.
(quick note: I’m waiting to pick my feat until I (hopefully) get accepted, cause I don’t have a subscription and I don’t want any of the basic feats you get for free, and I’m hoping that someone in this will and will enable content sharing within the campaign. I’ll probably go for Actor.)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.
It looks like this is going to make, so I look to close off the recruiting sometime tomorrow, at which time we'll start the inviting. I've been reading your backstories and considering your characters and will likely start with a message to each of you about things you may know and how the adventure starts. i get the impression that none of you know each other, and that none of your characters has any particular reason to know each other. With that in mind, you may not all start at the same time / in the same scene.
I’m looking for a brave group of 4-5 adventurers. As the brains behind those adventurers, you should be prolific, mature, and invested, and create a character that is interesting and believable.
Your character name, identity, and actions as they are portrayed in this adventure become my property to do with as I see fit, including them in a short story about this adventure, or as a PC or NPC in a future adventure or story.
That’s my fee for DMing this game. It is otherwise free to play.
A brief bit about the setting
Only two gods exist - Amaril (Good) and Zetal (Evil). Tale of a third goddess called the Lady exist but as a true god of neutrality she rarely intervenes in mortal matters, if she exists at all. Some people also still pray to so called "pagan" gods of agriculture or commerce or some other thing, and some even claim to have received divine boons from them as a result. This is considered a heresy, trickery, or outright lies or misunderstanding.
Everyone knows everything good comes from Amaril.
Similarly Zetal is blamed for the continued rise in dark magic and abominations.
The adventure takes place in the Empire of Galagos - an enormous empire that, after centuries of war against fringe elements and neighboring countries, span most of the continent. Normal “enemies” to the south, in the desert and beyond, as well as fringe holdouts from the north and other inhospitable places, do exist. To the east a large and forbidding forest called the Grim (Forest) lies wedged between two mountain ranges in what would otherwise be an idyllic dale. Today war is mostly against strange creatures emerging from dark woods and rocky crags to threaten civilization. Some abominations are so terrible as to have only been made possible by the will of Zetal himself!
Sorcery and Witchcraft (ie sorcerers and warlocks) are openly hunted and brought to justice. Signs of corruption, including tails and horns, only serve to bring undue inspection, if not outright torture or murder.
In Galagos, every one serves. Most ultimately serve in the military. Those with a suitable craft or family wealth can buy a deferment every year, but few can do so for all of their children, or for very long. Still, the money raised from deferments goes to support the military. The system is, as much as any openly will say, fair. Military service is common. As further evidence of fairness only those in service are permitted to loot, and looting CAN be a lucrative way to earn one's way out of service. Other than death or a proclamation from the empire, there is no other way out. Tattoos tell the truth of one's service, and magical tattoos exist for certain significant accomplishments or events.
The need for divine healing and arcane magics leaves the empire making considerable efforts to train young people in the trade. Some succeed. Others ultimately end up drafted. Whether one lives or dies in service to the empire in these roles the family of such a person continues to benefit throughout the servitor’s life.
Some flout the law, neither paying the tithe or serving. They are outlaws. They are hunted and either killed outright or magically invested into dangerous quests on behalf of the empire. Since everyone serves anyone who might otherwise find this reprehensible either thinks its fair, or is smart enough to keep their mouth shut.
Others make their way as adventurers, and a healthy tax in the form of a "Right of Expedition" also serves the empire's purposes - cleaning out internal threats, retrieving artifacts, and providing revenue to the empire in the form of a 20% tax.
Rules for your character
Use DndBeyond to make a first level 5th edition character per the core rules and link to it here in this thread.
For THIS adventure all player races in the SRD are permitted, but realize the campaign setting is overwhelmingly human, and being a tiefling or dragonborn MAY have consequences. See above. If theres enough interest I’m likely to pick a human over an “other”. Consider that your first experience with the prejudice of humans and the fickleness of fate. Halflings, gnomes and dwarves are largely treated only in regard to their trade and while bullies exist, these races enjoy the same protections of the empire that humans do.
There are no elves known to man.
Half orcs are known as Tokan, and generally looked at with suspicion or pity. Use the Half Orc race for character generation.
If you want to play a monster see me privately. We may have some combat work for you to do.
You may use either the legacy rules for races or the newer rules.
If you’re darker you or your ancestors were likely from places further south. Conversely if you’re pale with blonde hair you’re likely from the snowier regions originally beyond the northern borders of the empire. If you dont care about such things you're likely from the continent. Unlike our modern world where worldwide travel is more common, long range travel is rare and geographic ethnicities and customs are assumed. As long as service is rendered to the empire these things generally don’t matter (at least to the law). Large cities, where citizens of the empire congregate for trade, etc are the exception. As with our modern world, they are often a melting pot.
The adventure opens with you, alone or in a small group, on the open plains of the eastern side of the empire.
Rules for the player
I’m expecting at LEAST one post a day from each player, and would like there to be 3-4 depending on the pace of things.
While not a rule per se, this probably SHOULDN’T be your first PBP. It’s a different format that in person or even online.
Make sure your PC has an alignment, a personality, and some other fluff for me and others to incorporate into the story. If you’d rather all that stuff be private and come out in the story – great. Send it to me ahead of time via private message..
Characters accepted into the adventure will be invited to the DndBeyond campaign. No one is in until they’re added, and order of posting your character to the thread doesn’t mean anything.
Maps will be updated in thread.
Dice will be rolled here.
Point buy for stat generation
I would prefer this was your only game, because it helps you stay focused and because there always seem to be a shortage of DMs here.
If your character dies, you're done. At least for this adventure. If you've been a great contributor you may be asked to play again in the future. But death has to have consequences.
Some House Rules
Death saves happen only after aid is rendered. Until that moment no mention of a PCs status may be made. A request for status results in a secret roll against the would-be savior's medicine skill, if any.
The first drop to zero and subsequent healing comes with no strings attached. Any subsequent bounce from death to life results in a level of exhaustion until the next short rest. This is a little grittier than some of you are used to.
The rule of cool is in effect. We can add custom content upon my approval, but for ease of getting started no custom races, classes, or feats.
Conversely, depending on the flow of things and how a situation plays out your PC may suffer some debilitating injury that cant just be wiped away with a cure wounds. In most cases a lesser restoration (or the medicine skill + time) will solve the problem.
Common is Galagosian. Assume most “monsters” don’t speak it. There are ethnicities far from the empire that also have their own dialect. It likely wont come up in this adventure. Probably.
The light cantrip only produces the light of a candle. Light as you are used to it is a first level spell. Bring your torches.
Some Last-Minute Things
While not particularly gory this is a darker campaign, with some less than inclusive opinions about tieflings and dragonborn, and other races on the part of the NPCs. There is however no racism between the various ethnicities of human. There wont be any sexual violence. Somebody is sure to eat meat. Someone may die. Maybe they’ll have it coming. Maybe they didn’t. If you’ve got anything you DON’T want to see hashed out in a game ask me about it privately. Better to sort that out now than mid game.
Some tension true to your character’s form is acceptable. Even encouraged. But rude behavior wont be tolerated. Since I’ll know your PC backstory, I’ll be the final arbitrator. If you think someone is being rude, try to work it out in character dialog. If you aren’t sure, private message me.
I’d like to start Thursday evening at the latest (3/9/23). I’m in the Central US time zone. I’ll check the boards at 6AM, 10 AM, 12 PM, 3PM, and after work until 9 PM, and advance the story as I can.
Lastly, when you post your link to your character include the first initial of YOUR name, the first initial of your characters first name, and the first initial of my UserName so I know you read all this.
Olineiros "Olin" Galesburrough
Race: Changeling (will be in the guise of a human)
Class: Bard (Plan on going into college of Eloquence, and multiclassing inti rogue if multiclassing is allowed)
Background: Charlatan
Alignment: Lawful Neutral or Evil
Personality: A calm and collected individual. Is bound to use deception and charm to execute a plan. He sees himself as the smartest in the room but is open to other ideas if they aren't dumb.
Backstory: He was born just outside the empire, where his parents (Gregorith and Jakola Galesburrough) had to abandon him at a young age. He was told by them that he had to be in the guise of a human in order to survive. Olin doesn't remember why his parents had to do this. He spent the next few years as a homeless child in the empire. The first thing he ever stole was the first lute that he ever used. This lute fell out of the pack of a traveling minstrel. He spent a lot of those years learning how to play it. He was self-taught, and a natural. He eventually came across 3 Kobolds that were homeless and living in an alleyway of a city in the Empire. These were Zirk, Min, and Gad. They got along instantly and figured out a new way to survive. Olin, with his lute, took to being a traveling street performer. He went to cities all over the kingdom performing. The Kobolds would pickpocket his audiences so that they got more money than he played for. Since he was a changeling (He trusted the kobolds with this info), he put in a new face everywhere he performed as to make it harder for him to track. They kept this up for years, all the way to adulthood, where overtime he learned how to use magic with his music. However, one day in the capital city, he got caught in the act! His real race wasn't revealed, but his scheme was. The kobolds managed to get away, but Olin was captured. He got sentenced to be "magically invested into dangerous quests on behalf of the empire." His first quest in the eastern area of the empire is where the game will start.
https://ddb.ac/characters/95425516/fx8KYx
BOH
anything you want to ask of me about Olin, go right ahead.
Osborne Goodluck | Level 1 | Halfling | Sorcerer (Wild Magic) | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Well, this definitely sounds interesting, and I can appreciate that amount of effort put into detailing the rules and limits of the campaign. I do have two questions though, just so I can have an idea as to the pace and how far into the future to commit: (1) will you be using XP or milestone advancement, and (2) presuming everything goes well with the campaign, how far do you see it going--to level 5? 10? Or would that be measured in months rather than levels?
(EDIT: Actually, as I think more about the campaign world, I guess I have one more question: if sorcerers and warlocks are looked down upon, and presumably wizards are considered kosher, what about bards? Are there obvious distinctions between the arcane spellcasting classes, and do the "undesirable" ones sometimes simply hide their true nature? (Perhaps just carrying a spellbook is enough to keep them safe?))
Whistler
Titus - V. Human Battle Master Fighter 3 - [Pic] - [Pic2] - [Traits] - in Shadowglass
Locke - V. Human Shadow Monk 3 / Undead Warlock 2 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in FOW - DMless West Marches
Flèche - V. Human Swords Bard 10 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in The Scarlet Mist
Sterling - V. Human Bard 1 - [Pic] - [Traits] - in Bards: Dragon Heist
>> New FOW threat & treasure tables: fow-advanced-threat-tables.pdf fow-advanced-treasure-table.pdf
I'm super interested, and I'm currently in the process of fleshing out a character, but I have a couple of questions that could help me in the process.
1. Does the Lady in your world bear any resemblance to the Lady of Terry Pratchett's works?
2. Is it safe to assume that any other light-producing cantrips (produce flame, create bonfire, etc.) are about as effective as light?
3. I really hate to ask this, and so I'd like to make it clear that I 100% accept that you'll probably say no, but would it be okay if I use a cantrip I made a while ago called Gambler's Boon? I just think that it could go well with my character, and I don't think it would be too powerful.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Name: Emyrs
Race: Dhampir (human)
Class: Peace Cleric
Background: Haunted One
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Personality: He is skittish, and clearly tormented to the point of paranoia. He constantly seeks ways to "be good" to try to offset his other "needs"
Backstory: Emyrs was found as a child, barely 6 summers old, stumbling from the Grim into a nearby farming settlement, he wore tattered rags and was non-verbal. He was taken in by a halfling couple, Geldric and Mariana Hornfellow, both farmers, who took kindly to the wild-eyed lost boy. They gave him room, board and care. Whilst they shared their meals, Emyrs ate little, and it seemed that food did not provide sustenance, he grew thinner and weaker as the days passed. Then, the affliction passed, Emyrs began to grow rapidly, and grow strong. The Hornfellows were delighted. But, they found themselves exhausted, waking each morning more tired than when they had gone to sleep. All the while, Emyrs grew, by 10 years of age he surpassed his "parents" in stature. He was able to carry out much of the work on the farm himself. The parents continued to toil, but the lack of rest and the backbreaking manual work took its toll. One night, Mariana awoke, something she rarely did these days. She lit a torch and looked across to her husband, and saw Emrys, crouched across his body, a glowing trail of purple dust leaving Geldric's ear, and into Emrys' mouth, lamprey like fangs evident behind his lips. She stumbled from the bed as Emrys looked up and snarled, before the fangs faded and his countenance returned. He fled.
Knowing that he could not stay with the family, and that he was a monster, condemned to feed on others all his days, Emyrs sought refuge in a ruined chapel, once dedicated to Amaril's name. As he slept, he felt a strange sensation, much like the dreams he had consumed in his younger life, he felt sustenance flow into his body as the prayers of the locals washed over him into a nearby statue dedicated to Amaril. Around the neck of the statue was a golden chain and pendant. Emyrs took it, feeling the prayer flow into him. At the point he dedicated his life to Amaril. He would serve, he would restore life, an effort to replace the energies taken in his childhood. He reached out, grasping the pendant, feeling holy energy coursing through his body.
Character sheet: https://ddb.ac/characters/95455931/P8DhWM
SEH
Skrach / Miner
"ALWAYS GIVE A MONSTER AN EVEN BREAK!"
1st Edition DMG
https://ddb.ac/characters/95476516/5iPSNV
Name: Ali Akili
Species: Human (Might switch to variant depending on content available)
Class: Druid
Background: Acolyte (Of The Lady)
Short Backstory: Ali is a druid from the deep south raised in a commune who pays homage to The Lady. They didn't get much exposure to modern views as a child and as such can be quite oblivious at times. They are currently on a "Walkabout" trying to discover their place in the world and having a rough go at integrating into the grander society outside their family.
It would be milestone advancement. As for the end - this adventure wont last long. Think of it as a dress rehersal. Depending on how things go for me and the group all or part of you may move on to other opportunities, separately or together.
As for bards... theyre tolerated, there being no evidence of extraplanar influence in their magics. There is no systemic movement against them. Desperate times after all call for desperate measures. But there are definitely those within the heirarchy, both martial and arcane, who feel their talents might better be spent elsewhere.
Some of you seem hell bent to spend a campaign being hunted.
Also, Damphirs and Changelings are not part of the SRD, and as such cant be a part of this campaign.
What is SRD?
Osborne Goodluck | Level 1 | Halfling | Sorcerer (Wild Magic) | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
The SRD is the Standard Reference Document, stuff that everybody can use without having any books. You can access it via Basic Rules under Sources, and then go to the Races section to see the available options.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
Oh... that plus other reasons, I'm going to drop my application.
Osborne Goodluck | Level 1 | Halfling | Sorcerer (Wild Magic) | Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
BRADE
Brade is a male human barbarian (wolf totem)
soldier background, chaotic good alignment
Appearance is light brown skin, dark hair, brown eyes, family origins from within the continent
Personality, honest and simple in thought process, willing to trust and give someone a chance to show if they are friend or foe, respectful of beasts and nature, distrustful of the empire but he has learned from his military service to tolerate the empire
some background stuff:
Brade was a son to nomads, a small group of people hoping to avoid military service by wandering the wild gaps between civilization. It was a meager, simple existence. Brade learned from a young age to both respect and rely upon the beasts and animals of the wilderness as unlikely allies in a harsh world. Unfortunately, fate caught up to them eventually when agents of the empire found them. Young Brade was ripped from his family and, his captors noting his impressive physical abilities, he was pressed into military service at a young age.
Brade was a soldier. His unparalleled fighting prowess drew the attention of his officers, but his tendency to lose himself in reckless animalistic battle-trance soon convinced those officers that his military career would not last long. Expunged from military service, he was placed in the Eastern realms and instructed to patrol the area and fight evil on his own terms. To his officers’ relief, Brade accepted these orders without question.
Now Brade is a nomad. He appears to be carrying out his last orders but he also hopes to discover the nomad group that was his family. He hopes to find his parents again. A part of him knows it is unlikely that the empire would have released his parents from its clutches, but he doesn’t dwell on those thoughts, focusing instead on the struggles of each day.
T.B.H.
(character can be fleshed out more as needed, such as titles and rumors about his exploits in the military, tattoos about it, etc)
(his character is such that he would amicably join an adventuring group without much fuss)
( just wanted to add that yes, I am currently a player in 2 other games and not DM’ing anything. This will not detract from at least daily posting in this campaign. Current posting in the other games are only 2-3 times per week anyway and I do want to be posting daily+ )
(ok now I’m done updating my submission!)
Kiana Goodpiety
Race: Variant Human
Class: Sorcerer (Divine Soul)
Background: Charlatan
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Backstory:
Kiana was once a simple charlatan, who used various tricks and cons to get out of serving the Empire and to earn a modest amount of coin along the way. Her favorite of such tricks, which she relied on more often than any other, was to pretend to be a Cleric of Amaril by performing a phony healing in front of Empire officials. So that Kiana could prove that she had divine magic, they would bring in a random wounded soldier and request her to fix their wounds. Unbeknownst to them, the wounded soldier would be replaced by Kiana's partner in crime, Ayden, before being brought to her. Because of her religious upbringing, Kiana knew how to make a fake holy ritual convincing, so she would light some incense and speak a prayer before laying her hands onto Ayden. Ayden's wounds were never real, but instead makeup made out of a material that reacted with the smoke of an herb placed in the incense, so that after about a minute or so of laying hands the wounds would evaporate into the smoke, and it would seem that Kiana's touch cured him to onlookers.
This con worked well for avoiding draft and earning some coin, but one time something went wrong. Ayden was running late, likely pulling a solo scam elsewhere, and so nobody was there to replace the wounded. Kiana knew something was wrong, but she couldn't find a way out-- her only option was to go through with the ritual and hope an opportunity for escape would present itself. Her mind raced, knowing all too well the cost of lying to the Empire. As she panicked, she lit the incense, said some holy words, and placed her hands upon the soldier. She did not really know it, but in that moment she prayed.
She prayed not to Amaril, for she knew that said god had long since denied her. Without even knowing it, her actions, her rolling of the dice, meant that she was putting absolute faith in a being she had only ever heard of in whispered rumors. That being saw her actions, and returned the faith in kind. With a white light, Kiana's touch cured the soldier of every laceration on his body. None in the room were especially surprised, as they all saw what they expected to; a holy person working holy magic. Kiana, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. Without any training, or any real care for higher beings at all, she had managed to develop a knack for divine magic. Though she has her suspicions on the source of the magic, she is still searching for information on who gifted her mysterious abilities.
Kiana, realizing her newfound potential and not wanting to waste it, left Ayden behind in Central Galagos and headed off to the East. She knew that many things lurked within the Grim, so she figured somebody would pay if she helped eradicate them. Plus, although she would be loathe to admit it, the idea of fighting monsters and saving lives was appealing to her. And, just like that, an adventurer was born.
Personality:
Kiana loves to take risks whenever an opportunity to do so presents itself. She's not mean, per say, but tact is not her strong suit. She's also very fascinated with magic. First, she tried to access magic through the divine, but being rejected by Amaril (perhaps because another entity already had its eyes on her) ultimately got her sent away from her clerical family. Then, she tried to study wizardry, but she couldn't manage to successfully execute a single cantrip. Her attempts and failings at finding a source of magic just mean that she is all the more pleased with her current situation, having magic that seems to come from both within her and above. Every time she casts a spell, it feels like all that studying into various methods of magic finally payed off, and she likes to use magic even when it isn't necessary to prove to herself that the search was worth it.
BKH
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
How I'm posting based on text formatting: Mod Hat Off - Mod Hat Also Off (I'm not a mod)
PLACEHOLDER because this is very well thought out and I want to join.
If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/95502553
I present to you Colm (pronounced Column) O’Concannon, variant human bard.
Colm’s specialty is folk songs. He knows most by heart and is skilled on the lute, viol, and flute but knows little of the finer classical music. He travels around, performing mostly in taverns and inns but occasionally a lords manor or something of the like. He’s a very friendly, charismatic fellow with little to no inhibitions on 99% of things wether it be drinking, performing…wenching.
(Partially kidding with the last one. I’m not going for the horny bard stereotyp)
Colm grew up in an orphanage (sorry, another edgy backstory) till he ran off with a band of traveling performers. There he learned to sing, dance and play and rapidly rose to be among the best in the group. By now, though, they’re disbanded and he’s a one-man show. Still impressive, though, with his near-master instrument skills and his very wide voice range.
Now for his weaknesses… he has no problem accepting a challenge wether it be drinking, a fight, a contest of wits…he’s in, and often gets himself in trouble because of it.
ICH if you’re looking for my real first initial, or SCH I’d you want my username.
(quick note: I’m waiting to pick my feat until I (hopefully) get accepted, cause I don’t have a subscription and I don’t want any of the basic feats you get for free, and I’m hoping that someone in this will and will enable content sharing within the campaign. I’ll probably go for Actor.)
If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.
It looks like this is going to make, so I look to close off the recruiting sometime tomorrow, at which time we'll start the inviting. I've been reading your backstories and considering your characters and will likely start with a message to each of you about things you may know and how the adventure starts. i get the impression that none of you know each other, and that none of your characters has any particular reason to know each other. With that in mind, you may not all start at the same time / in the same scene.
Awesome!
If I haven’t offended you, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll get to you eventually.