Greetings, and welcome to my Machiavellian experiment! I am looking for 12-18 players for this Play-by-Post, split across 3 campaign threads. The year is 2017 and the setting is Earth. Everything seems to be going normally, however there is a looming threat lurking in the shadows. Will it be found and defeated before it can engulf the world in darkness? Sign up to find out!
This campaign delves heavily into intrigue and eldritch horror; while there will be some combats, it is not a focal point of the campaign. Most of the time you will be in urban environments and making skill checks by the dozen along with a heavy dose of role-play. As mentioned above, I have 3 campaign threads that I will be running for this. You can submit characters for multiple threads, however I will only accept you into at most one of them. Each campaign thread is set in the same time and place, and will be advancing as synchronously as possible with each other. Things you do in your campaign can and will affect those in the other ones.
I will be using this conversion of d20 Modern into the 5th Edition ruleset. See below for character creation details and restrictions. You may see folders marked "Future" or "Urban Arcana" in the previous link. Ignore anything in those folders, we will not be using them.
Ability Scores: 30 point buy, using the normal point buy rules. Max is 15 before racial adjustments, minimum is 8. In addition to the regular 6 ability scores, we will be adding the Sanity score as well. If you would gain proficiency in any mental stat (Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma), you may swap that proficiency out for Sanity proficiency instead. For more information on Sanity and Madness, see pages 258 and 264 of the DMG and page 21 of Out of the Abyss (for rules on Madness levels).
Race: This is Earth, there are only Humans. Congratulations, you're a Human. You have the option between standard Human and variant Human.
Class: You will be starting at level 1, so choose one of the six Basic classes in the conversion link. Certain campaign threads restrict your class choices, see below for more information.
Alignment: Choose an alignment according to the allowed alignments listed in the campaign thread.
Background: Choose one of the backgrounds in the conversion link. Certain campaign threads restrict your background choices, see below for more information.
Starting Wealth: We will be using the Wealth system as presented in the conversion link. Yes, it's horribly broken in many ways, please do not try to exploit it. I will be mad at you if you do. The complications of modeling it as actual money are far too steep (as the Wealth system abstracts that you not only have cash on hand/in the bank, but also might have a credit card, stocks and bonds, loans/mortgages that you are paying off, etc.). Roll for your starting Wealth score as instructed by your chosen Background. If your roll is below half of the maximum roll, your starting Wealth score is instead half of the maximum roll (round down).
HP: Normal rules for starting HP (max at first level). For resting, the "Gritty Realism" variant on DMG 267 is used: Short Rests take 8 hours and Long Rests take 7 days. You still heal to full at the end of a long rest.
Magic: As far as you are aware, magic does not exist. Entertainers put on dazzling displays of sleight of hand and subterfuge and call it magic, but it is not.
Equipment: When looking for how much equipment costs, first consult the charts in the conversion link. If you do not find it there, look it up on Amazon, Wal Mart, etc. and convert the monetary price over to a Wealth cost (or post the monetary price and I can do the conversion for you).
Starting Equipment: In addition to any starting equipment granted by your background (not all backgrounds grant starting equipment), you can purchase equipment by using the standard Wealth rules, including decreasing your Wealth score as necessary. For any particularly exotic items (such as anything considered illegal for normal civilians to have like fake IDs or automatic firearms), justify why you have the item as part of your backstory. Do not feel the need to purchase hundreds of minor things "just in case" -- the On-Hand rules in the Wealth section will cover that for you. Purchase only things that are more expensive than On-Hand allows, are integral to your character, or are otherwise things you don't want to leave up to chance when you really need them.
Location: Everyone will be starting in Chicago, Illinois.
Feats: The feats in the conversion document as well as feats in the PHB are fair game. Pick feats that make sense (so Heavy Armor stuff probably doesn't make sense, for instance).
1st campaign thread: You are ordinary people who found themselves at exactly the wrong place and exactly the wrong time. Class restrictions: None. Background restrictions: None. Alignment: LG, NG, CG, LN, N, or CN.
2nd campaign thread: You are members of a special investigation unit affiliated with the Chicago Police Department. Class restrictions: None. Background restrictions: The following Backgrounds are allowed: Adventurer, Athlete, Blue Collar, Creative, Investigative, Law Enforcement, White Collar. Choosing a background other than Investigative means that you are a new hire to the unit, and have yet to hone your skills (the background being what you were previously or what you moonlight as). Alignment: NG, LG, N, or LN.
3rd campaign thread: You are new members of a secretive cult, and will eventually become the main antagonists of the campaign. You do not have a Sanity score, however you still have 30 points to play with in your point buy to allocate to the other 6 ability scores. Class restrictions: Choose any Basic class, I will send you details on Advanced classes on the campaign thread itself once you reach level 3. The advanced class choices in the conversion link are not allowed (the ones you will choose between will be significantly more powerful, granting legendary actions and lair actions as you increase in level). Background restrictions: None. Alignment: LE, NE, or CE.
I am looking for 4-6 players for each campaign thread.
Please try to post at least once per day in order to keep things moving along. I would like to keep each campaign thread synchronized time-wise as much as possible (at most a week or two apart from each other). Each of my posts will be prefaced with the current time. I will additionally be doing some things in order to reduce some of the back-and-forth needed:
Spoilers: I will be posting numerous notes inside of spoilers. Please do not open spoilers unless they are addressed at you. For example, I will post spoilers for relevant History or Arcana checks whenever the need arises. Roll your check, then open the spoilers that correspond to your result. An example is as follows:
Investigation 10+
The amount of dust caking everything in this room indicates that it has not been used for months, if not longer.
Investigation 15+
Sections of the floor have more dust than other sections, indicating that things may have moved through this room previously, displacing some of the dust. Whatever it is, it did not leave any footprints or drag markings on the floor. Perhaps it was able to hover or fly?
Investigation 20+
The pattern of the displaced dust on the floor leads you to believe that the creature moved between the doorway and one bookshelf in particular. The bookshelf in question has far less dust on it than the other bookshelves. Scrape marks on the wall next to the bookshelf indicate that it may have been moved recently.
I will also sometimes post a "DM Screen" spoiler. These are used for my own rolls, and sometimes delve into NPC backstories and motivations. The purpose of these spoilers is to provide context for those reading the thread but are not players. If you are a player, I kindly request that you do not open these spoilers as they will contain actual spoilers for the upcoming plot.
If you do open spoilers that are not addressed to you, please do not apply any knowledge you gained for an in-game benefit. In other words, please do not "metagame."
Combat: A combat round lasts for one real-life day or until all players have posted their actions, whichever is shorter. All players will act, then all enemies will act; Group Initiative is used to determine who goes first unless surprise is involved (in which case the group which has surprise goes first). If you have not posted your action before the day is over, it is assumed you do not move and will be taking the Dodge action unless you leave instructions for other players to "bot" your character. Combat will be gridless and theater-of-the-mind. In other words, there will be no battlemat. I may provide maps of the area to better formalize what is around you, but you will not be moving tokens around said map.
Please let me know if you have any questions. If you would like to submit a character, please indicate which campaign thread it is for. If you submit multiple characters, please rank them in order of most to least preferred (so that I can get everyone where they want to go, if possible).
Timeline:
July 1, 23:59 UTC: Deadline for character submissions. Any characters submitted after this point will not be considered, as I need a couple of days to tie character backstories into the plot.
July 3: Notification of those who have been selected.
July 5: Creation of campaign threads, you are invited to join and introduce your character. Nothing will be happening the first couple of days, so it's a good time to get to know each other and work out any other details you may need to work out.
Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.
You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of your unarmed strike.
When you use the Attack action with an unarmed strike on your turn, you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.
Fast Hero:
Fast Movement
Your base movement speed increases by 10 feet.
Military:
Rank & Privilege
You have a rank from your career as a military officer. Active and former military officers still recognise your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other officers and requisition simple equipment for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to events and locations where your rank is recognised.
Cell phone, first aid kit, pain relievers, pen light, revolver, pocket knife, 30 rounds of ammunition (2d6), stun baton.
Feat details:
Pistol Expert
Prerequisite: Proficiency with personal firearms
Thanks to extensive practice with handguns, you gain the following benefits:
You can reload weapons with internal or cylinder magazines as an action or a bonus action.
Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
When you use the Attack action and attack with a one-handed weapon, you can use a bonus action to attack with a one-handed firearm you are holding
Personality:
Personality Traits: I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide; I judge people by their actions, not their words; I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.
Ideals:Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic); Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral); Sincerity. There’s no good in pretending to be something I’m not. (Neutral)
Bond: I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Flaws: I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior; I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others; Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.
Backstory:
Charlotte Finne grew up as an only child in Kansas City, Missouri. Her father, Jonas Finne, was a rejected soldier, due to an injury he suffered in a car accident that left him with frequent headaches and a limp in his left leg. At the age of ten, Jonas taught Charlotte how to shoot a gun. At fourteen, she was the best rookie on her school’s trap shooting team. At fifteen, she landed herself in a national tournament of sorts. But during her Junior year of high school, her father died, leaving her the revolver that he always carried with him. A second car accident, this time with fatal results. Charlotte’s mother was heartbroken, but Charlotte herself was determined to carry on. She went on to score fairly high on her ACT, with a total of 33. Her high score, along with her 3.89 GPA, managed to land her a full-ride to the University of Chicago, where she is currently studying Biochemistry with a minor in Anatomy.
Looks good at first glance, will do a more thorough audit later once I get more players signing up... not as much interest as I'd like. I can cut it down to 2 threads, but I don't want to run just an evil campaign. That means I need more people joining you :)
If I don't get enough interest, I'll shelve it for now and re-open recruitment at a later date (probably around when DDB goes out of beta, as there should be a glut of new or returning people to the forums at that time).
I'll gladly join in! The idea is fascinating to me and I'll gladly run a split of both Cult and Special Ops threads. I need to do a lot more reading to get up ro speed on the campaign, but I picture a modern Sherlock Holmes at odds with a ruthless Demagogue.
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Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
You can submit characters for multiple campaign threads, but only one of them will be accepted; in other words, you cannot be in more than one thread at the same time.
Character submissions are not first-come, first-serve. I will be selecting characters based on the strength of their submissions and how well I think they'd work together.
Starting Equipment: 2 Wealth, Autoloader pistol, Ammo (50)
Background: An old ex-cop who was expelled from the force by corrupt officials who his investigations threatened to expose. Now pulled into something beyond his understanding, he makes do with quick reflexes and a winning personality to struggle on in an attempt to regain a normal, everyday life.
Edit: Goofed up wealth roll and forgot Reputation.
Sgt. Bradley "Doc" Stevenson Level: 1 (Dedicated Hero) AC: 17 Hit Points: 10 (1d8+2) Speed: 30 Alignment: Lawful Neutral STR 13 (+1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 10 (+0) SAN 12 (+1) Passive Perception: 15 Saving Throws: WIS +5 , CON +4 Languages: English, Spanish Skills: Perception(LE) (+5), Investigate(LE) (+3), Medicine (+5), Insight (+5) Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Simple Weapons, Personal Firearms, Civilian Ground Vehicles.
Background: (Law Enforcement) - Former US Army 18D Special Forces Medical Sergeant that did multiple tours in Iraq and other classified undisclosed locations that now currently works on the Chicago PD as a Swat Team Paramedic.
Ideals: I can stare down enemy combatants, murderers and drug dealers without flinching. Bonds: I do what I must and obey just authority. Traits: I would still lay down my life for the people I served with. Flaws: I can come off too harsh or even rude at times especially when lives are at stake.
Special Abilities: Empathy: You add half your proficiency bonus to any Wisdom or Charisma ability check you make that doesn’t already use your proficiency bonus.
Thin Blue Line: You have a rank from your career as a law enforcement officer. Active and former law enforcement officers still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other officers and requisition simple equipment for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to events and locations where your rank is recognized.
Roll the dice and play the game, I’m not here to listen to your politics.
“But this isn’t right. You’re meant to charge in, sword drawn, banner flying-that’s what all the other knights did!” “Yeah, right before they burst into flame.”
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
I'm going to roll for Wealth and Reputation in this thread.
Student Background: 5
Reputation with Charisma 16 (+3 modifier) : 11
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DnD Beyond PbP Characters:
Tayla Varan, Water Genasi Monk:A licentious daughter of a licentious union, out to live and love in a war-torn world. Campaign:The Eagle's Eye Elsie Conway, Human Roguelike: A normal university student in a modern world, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Campaign:The Advent of Shadows
AC 13 HP 8 Speed 40 ft. STR 8 (-1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 10 (+0) INT 11 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) SAN 8 (-1) Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4 Skills Acrobatics +5, History +2, Insight +4, Medicine +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5 Senses passive Perception 14 Languages English, German, Mandarin Chinese Level "Fast Hero" (Roguelike) 1
Special Abilities Fast Movement. Elsie has a base speed of 40ft. Pistol Expert. Elsie can reload a firearm with an internal or cylinder magazine as an action or a bonus action. She is not disadvantaged by the 5ft rule on ranged attack rolls. After making an attack with a one-handed weapon, she can attack with a firearm as a bonus action.
Actions Smoke Grenade. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/50 ft., burst 15. Hit: special. Tonfa. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Bonus action grapple. Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/400 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Picture:
Description:
"Don't even think about it."
Belying her innocent name, Elsie is rather a rugged in her manner, if not in her appearance. She could have been a model in another world, if she wasn't so practical and down-to-earth. Her stance shows this, in her crossed arms and grim face. Her stern, though somewhat teasing expression is framed by dark brown, almost auburn hair, that hangs messily down past her shoulders.
Her clothes are practical. Red tank top under a dark green utility jacket, and military-spec pants hugging her long, lithe legs contribute to a sharp, though well-wearing look.
Elsie's movements are sharp and precise, her walk almost a strut, such is her outward confidence. Unless trying to be unseen, nothing about her is in any way, shape or form and attempt at concealation.
Background:
An only child of a divorced relationship, Elsie had it rough as a kid. Never getting the same attention or respect or home life that her peers did, she grew to admire rugged practicality rather than daintiness and such things that others valued. Instead she grew up in solitude and a little bit morose, socially surviving off brushing-off interactions with others.
Despite this, she came to know a few close, tight friends in her lifetime at school. One of these was a girl called Lilly, who was an artist and a dreamer, quite the polar opposite to her own practical salt-of-the-earth nature. Because of this, they complimented each other and became fast friends, studying and helping each other through school. Until Elsie demanded that Lilly take her talent public, which resulted in a public and private fallout.
After this Elsie grew even more morose and reclused, keeping to herself at all times, spending time at the shooting range when she lived with her dad, a retired Army Ranger, and when she lived with her mom, volunteering at local organisations. Life became much of a day-to-day drag for her.
Fighting through to university was no mean feat but she succeeded anyway. Now a student, doing decently well at the University of Illinois at Chicago, but still with the nagging thought of "what could have been" echoing in her head, and supporting herself on a job, she is ready to face the world. Or, uh, seems to be.
Background: Student
A student can be in high school, college, or graduate school. He or she could be in a seminary, a military school, or a private institution. A college-age student should also pick a major field of study.
Her inventory is listed in the Dicecloud sheet, as this is just a peek at the full character. In the Journal tab, there is a log for her Wealth and Reputation scores. Append and correct as you see fit.
Tayla Varan, Water Genasi Monk:A licentious daughter of a licentious union, out to live and love in a war-torn world. Campaign:The Eagle's Eye Elsie Conway, Human Roguelike: A normal university student in a modern world, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Campaign:The Advent of Shadows
Come on, people! This looks like a lot of fun, and if I wasn't already involved in too many PbPs for schedule, I'd give it a go! Best of luck to you, skizzerz.
Alright, I'll throw my hat in too. I'll post full character later, but the general idea I had looking over things just briefly was a Dedicated Hero, a priest.
Everyone seems to be leaning toward one of the first two threads. Guess I'll have to roll the baddie in Thread #3 >:)
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Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
I'm working on collecting the conversion document into a single bookmarked PDF so that it is easier to search and look up information. I'll update the OP when I have that ready (hopefully sometime this weekend) 😄
In the meantime, please continue to post your character submissions! The more the merrier!
The documents are already formatted however, and I don't really feel like redoing all of the formatting in markdown. My plan was to just copy/paste it wholesale into Word (which preserves the formatting), fix up whatever issues there might be, add bookmarks, and then export it as a PDF. Also, the font used in homebrewery isn't really all that great for a "modern" style game, so I'm going to adjust everything to Futura instead.
Thanks for the tip, even though it isn't going to work out this time.
Greetings, and welcome to my Machiavellian experiment! I am looking for 12-18 players for this Play-by-Post, split across 3 campaign threads. The year is 2017 and the setting is Earth. Everything seems to be going normally, however there is a looming threat lurking in the shadows. Will it be found and defeated before it can engulf the world in darkness? Sign up to find out!
This campaign delves heavily into intrigue and eldritch horror; while there will be some combats, it is not a focal point of the campaign. Most of the time you will be in urban environments and making skill checks by the dozen along with a heavy dose of role-play. As mentioned above, I have 3 campaign threads that I will be running for this. You can submit characters for multiple threads, however I will only accept you into at most one of them. Each campaign thread is set in the same time and place, and will be advancing as synchronously as possible with each other. Things you do in your campaign can and will affect those in the other ones.
I will be using this conversion of d20 Modern into the 5th Edition ruleset. See below for character creation details and restrictions. You may see folders marked "Future" or "Urban Arcana" in the previous link. Ignore anything in those folders, we will not be using them.
Ability Scores: 30 point buy, using the normal point buy rules. Max is 15 before racial adjustments, minimum is 8. In addition to the regular 6 ability scores, we will be adding the Sanity score as well. If you would gain proficiency in any mental stat (Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma), you may swap that proficiency out for Sanity proficiency instead. For more information on Sanity and Madness, see pages 258 and 264 of the DMG and page 21 of Out of the Abyss (for rules on Madness levels).
Race: This is Earth, there are only Humans. Congratulations, you're a Human. You have the option between standard Human and variant Human.
Class: You will be starting at level 1, so choose one of the six Basic classes in the conversion link. Certain campaign threads restrict your class choices, see below for more information.
Alignment: Choose an alignment according to the allowed alignments listed in the campaign thread.
Background: Choose one of the backgrounds in the conversion link. Certain campaign threads restrict your background choices, see below for more information.
Starting Wealth: We will be using the Wealth system as presented in the conversion link. Yes, it's horribly broken in many ways, please do not try to exploit it. I will be mad at you if you do. The complications of modeling it as actual money are far too steep (as the Wealth system abstracts that you not only have cash on hand/in the bank, but also might have a credit card, stocks and bonds, loans/mortgages that you are paying off, etc.). Roll for your starting Wealth score as instructed by your chosen Background. If your roll is below half of the maximum roll, your starting Wealth score is instead half of the maximum roll (round down).
HP: Normal rules for starting HP (max at first level). For resting, the "Gritty Realism" variant on DMG 267 is used: Short Rests take 8 hours and Long Rests take 7 days. You still heal to full at the end of a long rest.
Magic: As far as you are aware, magic does not exist. Entertainers put on dazzling displays of sleight of hand and subterfuge and call it magic, but it is not.
Equipment: When looking for how much equipment costs, first consult the charts in the conversion link. If you do not find it there, look it up on Amazon, Wal Mart, etc. and convert the monetary price over to a Wealth cost (or post the monetary price and I can do the conversion for you).
Starting Equipment: In addition to any starting equipment granted by your background (not all backgrounds grant starting equipment), you can purchase equipment by using the standard Wealth rules, including decreasing your Wealth score as necessary. For any particularly exotic items (such as anything considered illegal for normal civilians to have like fake IDs or automatic firearms), justify why you have the item as part of your backstory. Do not feel the need to purchase hundreds of minor things "just in case" -- the On-Hand rules in the Wealth section will cover that for you. Purchase only things that are more expensive than On-Hand allows, are integral to your character, or are otherwise things you don't want to leave up to chance when you really need them.
Location: Everyone will be starting in Chicago, Illinois.
Feats: The feats in the conversion document as well as feats in the PHB are fair game. Pick feats that make sense (so Heavy Armor stuff probably doesn't make sense, for instance).
1st campaign thread: You are ordinary people who found themselves at exactly the wrong place and exactly the wrong time. Class restrictions: None. Background restrictions: None. Alignment: LG, NG, CG, LN, N, or CN.
2nd campaign thread: You are members of a special investigation unit affiliated with the Chicago Police Department. Class restrictions: None. Background restrictions: The following Backgrounds are allowed: Adventurer, Athlete, Blue Collar, Creative, Investigative, Law Enforcement, White Collar. Choosing a background other than Investigative means that you are a new hire to the unit, and have yet to hone your skills (the background being what you were previously or what you moonlight as). Alignment: NG, LG, N, or LN.
3rd campaign thread: You are new members of a secretive cult, and will eventually become the main antagonists of the campaign. You do not have a Sanity score, however you still have 30 points to play with in your point buy to allocate to the other 6 ability scores. Class restrictions: Choose any Basic class, I will send you details on Advanced classes on the campaign thread itself once you reach level 3. The advanced class choices in the conversion link are not allowed (the ones you will choose between will be significantly more powerful, granting legendary actions and lair actions as you increase in level). Background restrictions: None. Alignment: LE, NE, or CE.
I am looking for 4-6 players for each campaign thread.
Please try to post at least once per day in order to keep things moving along. I would like to keep each campaign thread synchronized time-wise as much as possible (at most a week or two apart from each other). Each of my posts will be prefaced with the current time. I will additionally be doing some things in order to reduce some of the back-and-forth needed:
Spoilers: I will be posting numerous notes inside of spoilers. Please do not open spoilers unless they are addressed at you. For example, I will post spoilers for relevant History or Arcana checks whenever the need arises. Roll your check, then open the spoilers that correspond to your result. An example is as follows:
Investigation 10+
The amount of dust caking everything in this room indicates that it has not been used for months, if not longer.
Investigation 15+
Sections of the floor have more dust than other sections, indicating that things may have moved through this room previously, displacing some of the dust. Whatever it is, it did not leave any footprints or drag markings on the floor. Perhaps it was able to hover or fly?
Investigation 20+
The pattern of the displaced dust on the floor leads you to believe that the creature moved between the doorway and one bookshelf in particular. The bookshelf in question has far less dust on it than the other bookshelves. Scrape marks on the wall next to the bookshelf indicate that it may have been moved recently.
I will also sometimes post a "DM Screen" spoiler. These are used for my own rolls, and sometimes delve into NPC backstories and motivations. The purpose of these spoilers is to provide context for those reading the thread but are not players. If you are a player, I kindly request that you do not open these spoilers as they will contain actual spoilers for the upcoming plot.
If you do open spoilers that are not addressed to you, please do not apply any knowledge you gained for an in-game benefit. In other words, please do not "metagame."
Combat: A combat round lasts for one real-life day or until all players have posted their actions, whichever is shorter. All players will act, then all enemies will act; Group Initiative is used to determine who goes first unless surprise is involved (in which case the group which has surprise goes first). If you have not posted your action before the day is over, it is assumed you do not move and will be taking the Dodge action unless you leave instructions for other players to "bot" your character. Combat will be gridless and theater-of-the-mind. In other words, there will be no battlemat. I may provide maps of the area to better formalize what is around you, but you will not be moving tokens around said map.
Please let me know if you have any questions. If you would like to submit a character, please indicate which campaign thread it is for. If you submit multiple characters, please rank them in order of most to least preferred (so that I can get everyone where they want to go, if possible).
Timeline:
OMIGOD YES. Reserved .
Just an average metalhead who plays DnD in his spare time.
PbP Character: Roberta Thalan, Void Beyond the Stars Otherside
PbP Character: Primus Eidolon, Eotha 2
PbP Character: Usmor Illiqai, Tomb of Corrosion
PbP Character: "Templar" Danver, You're the Villains
Homebrew stuff
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D&D Beyond FoundersOh, I like the ideas Skizzerz, nice!
I had a quick read of the Modern 5e conversion and this sounds interesting - I'd like to play on Campaign 3 please.
Pun-loving nerd | Faith Elisabeth Lilley | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
I'd like for my CE human character to be in campaign 3 please.
Name: Samantha "Sam" Greene
Class: Smart "hero"
Background: Student (at prestigious Ivy League place)
Stats: 9 16 16 16 11 10
Wealth: 5
Rest shall be added later.
Just an average metalhead who plays DnD in his spare time.
PbP Character: Roberta Thalan, Void Beyond the Stars Otherside
PbP Character: Primus Eidolon, Eotha 2
PbP Character: Usmor Illiqai, Tomb of Corrosion
PbP Character: "Templar" Danver, You're the Villains
Homebrew stuff
Never played an evil campaign before! Would love to play in campaign 3!
A NE Fast Human Variant Military
Character Sheet:
Randall "Revenant" Rosenthal(M)
Level 1
Human Variant
Fast Hero
Military
Neutral Evil
STR 12
DEX 16 (15 + 1 (MAT))
CON 16 (15 + 1)
INT 8
WIS 14 (13+ 1)
CHA 11
SAVES (DEX & CON)
HP (Take 4): 11 (8 + CON)
HD: 1d8
AC: 13 (10 + DEX) (No Armour Yet)
Wealth: 8
Reputation: 7
Speed 40' (Fast Movement)
Medium
Skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival, Perception
Proficiencies: Simple Weapons, Personal Firearms, Light Armour
Languages: English
Personal:
Age 33
Height 5'8"
Weight 158lb
Feat:
Martial Arts Training (MAT):
Watch This Space
This sounds like an absolutely incredible idea!
Mega Threads - Staff Quotes - Useful Resources - Homebrew FAQ - Pricing FAQ
Charlotte Finne, Variant Human, Smart Hero, Student.
Thread one, if you don't mind, actually.
Details:
Stats:
Str: 10 (+0) Dex: 14 (+2) Con: 13 (+1) Int: 16 (15+1) (+3) Wis: 10 (+0) Cha: 10 (+0) San: 12 (11+1) (+1)
HP: 9
AC: 12
PP: 14
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Proficencies:
Saving throws: Intelligence, Sanity
Tools: Computers, Electric Guitar
Weapons: Simple weapons, personal firearms.
Armor: Light
Skills: History, Insight, Investigation*, Medicine, Nature, Perception*
*Expertise'd
Languages: English, Spanish, Japanese
Features:
Feat: Pistol Expert
Student ID
Expertise
Plan
Wealth Score: 9
Reputation Score: 5
Equipment: (Open to DM revision)
Cell phone, first aid kit, pain relievers, pen light, revolver, pocket knife, 30 rounds of ammunition (2d6), stun baton.
Feat details:
Pistol Expert
Prerequisite: Proficiency with personal firearms
Thanks to extensive practice with handguns, you gain the following benefits:
Personality:
Personality Traits: I am incredibly slow to trust. Those who seem the fairest often have the most to hide; I judge people by their actions, not their words; I’m convinced that people are always trying to steal my secrets.
Ideals: Independence. When people follow orders blindly, they embrace a kind of tyranny. (Chaotic); Knowledge. The path to power and self-improvement is through knowledge. (Neutral); Sincerity. There’s no good in pretending to be something I’m not. (Neutral)
Bond: I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Flaws: I have little respect for anyone who is not a proven warrior; I speak without really thinking through my words, invariably insulting others; Most people scream and run when they see a demon. I stop and take notes on its anatomy.
Backstory:
Charlotte Finne grew up as an only child in Kansas City, Missouri. Her father, Jonas Finne, was a rejected soldier, due to an injury he suffered in a car accident that left him with frequent headaches and a limp in his left leg. At the age of ten, Jonas taught Charlotte how to shoot a gun. At fourteen, she was the best rookie on her school’s trap shooting team. At fifteen, she landed herself in a national tournament of sorts. But during her Junior year of high school, her father died, leaving her the revolver that he always carried with him. A second car accident, this time with fatal results. Charlotte’s mother was heartbroken, but Charlotte herself was determined to carry on. She went on to score fairly high on her ACT, with a total of 33. Her high score, along with her 3.89 GPA, managed to land her a full-ride to the University of Chicago, where she is currently studying Biochemistry with a minor in Anatomy.
Is my character mostly good to go? Aside from backstory and all.
Looks good at first glance, will do a more thorough audit later once I get more players signing up... not as much interest as I'd like. I can cut it down to 2 threads, but I don't want to run just an evil campaign. That means I need more people joining you :)
If I don't get enough interest, I'll shelve it for now and re-open recruitment at a later date (probably around when DDB goes out of beta, as there should be a glut of new or returning people to the forums at that time).
I'll gladly join in! The idea is fascinating to me and I'll gladly run a split of both Cult and Special Ops threads. I need to do a lot more reading to get up ro speed on the campaign, but I picture a modern Sherlock Holmes at odds with a ruthless Demagogue.
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
You can submit characters for multiple campaign threads, but only one of them will be accepted; in other words, you cannot be in more than one thread at the same time.
Character submissions are not first-come, first-serve. I will be selecting characters based on the strength of their submissions and how well I think they'd work together.
Looking to play in thread one or two, with a preference for two.
Charismatic Hero, Law Enforcement background, Variant Human
Stats: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 16, San 10
Starting HP: 9
Save Proficiencies: Charisma, Wisdom
Skill proficiencies: Investigate, Perception, Athletics, Deception, Persuasion; Tool: Civilian Ground Vehicles
Bonus Feat: Pistol Expert
Starting Equipment: 2 Wealth, Autoloader pistol, Ammo (50)
Background: An old ex-cop who was expelled from the force by corrupt officials who his investigations threatened to expose. Now pulled into something beyond his understanding, he makes do with quick reflexes and a winning personality to struggle on in an attempt to regain a normal, everyday life.
Edit: Goofed up wealth roll and forgot Reputation.
Wealth: 7
Reputation: 7
Id love to try this. Prefer campaign 2 please.
Character Sheet:
Sgt. Bradley "Doc" Stevenson
Level: 1 (Dedicated Hero)
AC: 17
Hit Points: 10 (1d8+2)
Speed: 30
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
STR 13 (+1) DEX 14 (+2) CON 14 (+2) INT 12 (+1) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 10 (+0) SAN 12 (+1)
Passive Perception: 15
Saving Throws: WIS +5 , CON +4
Languages: English, Spanish
Skills: Perception(LE) (+5), Investigate(LE) (+3), Medicine (+5), Insight (+5)
Proficiencies: Light Armor, Medium Armor, Simple Weapons, Personal Firearms, Civilian Ground Vehicles.
Background: (Law Enforcement) - Former US Army 18D Special Forces Medical Sergeant that did multiple tours in Iraq and other classified undisclosed locations that now currently works on the Chicago PD as a Swat Team Paramedic.
Ideals: I can stare down enemy combatants, murderers and drug dealers without flinching.
Bonds: I do what I must and obey just authority.
Traits: I would still lay down my life for the people I served with.
Flaws: I can come off too harsh or even rude at times especially when lives are at stake.
Special Abilities:
Empathy: You add half your proficiency bonus to any Wisdom or Charisma ability check you make that doesn’t already use your proficiency bonus.
Thin Blue Line: You have a rank from your career as a law enforcement officer. Active and former law enforcement officers still recognize your authority and influence, and they defer to you if they are of a lower rank. You can invoke your rank to exert influence over other officers and requisition simple equipment for temporary use. You can also usually gain access to events and locations where your rank is recognized.
Wealth(W): (9) (Middle Class) / Current=8
Reputation(R): (7) Current=7
Weapons:
Heckler & Koch VP9 Pistol (Hit:+4, 2d6 piercing DMG) (Range: 80/400, Ammo:15, semiauto, 3lbs) (Cost:17=Free)
Taser (Hit:+4, 1d4 Lightning DMG+DC13(CON) vs Incapacitated) (Range:10/50, 2lbs)(Cost:7 (R))
Equipment:
First Aid Kit (10 Uses, Stabilize w/o Medicine check, 3lbs)(Cost:5=-1W)
50 Rounds of 9mm Ammunition(1lb) (Cost:5=Free)
Steel Handcuffs (Cost:7 (R))
Cellphone (Cost:5 (R))
Standard Flashlight (Cost:4 (R))
Light Duty Vest AC 15+2 (Cost:18 (-1W))
Roll the dice and play the game, I’m not here to listen to your politics.
“But this isn’t right. You’re meant to charge in, sword drawn, banner flying-that’s what all the other knights did!”
“Yeah, right before they burst into flame.”
I'm going to roll for Wealth and Reputation in this thread.
Student Background: 5
Reputation with Charisma 16 (+3 modifier) : 11
DnD Beyond PbP Characters:
Tayla Varan, Water Genasi Monk: A licentious daughter of a licentious union, out to live and love in a war-torn world. Campaign: The Eagle's Eye
Elsie Conway, Human Roguelike: A normal university student in a modern world, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Campaign: The Advent of Shadows
For consideration (First Thread): https://dicecloud.com/character/JoiW4Yi3eZ727bJAA
Here we go!
Character Sheet:
Elsie Conway
AC 13
HP 8
Speed 40 ft.
STR 8 (-1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 10 (+0) INT 11 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) SAN 8 (-1)
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4
Skills Acrobatics +5, History +2, Insight +4, Medicine +4, Perception +4, Stealth +5
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages English, German, Mandarin Chinese
Level "Fast Hero" (Roguelike) 1
Special Abilities
Fast Movement. Elsie has a base speed of 40ft.
Pistol Expert. Elsie can reload a firearm with an internal or cylinder magazine as an action or a bonus action. She is not disadvantaged by the 5ft rule on ranged attack rolls. After making an attack with a one-handed weapon, she can attack with a firearm as a bonus action.
Actions
Smoke Grenade. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 20/50 ft., burst 15. Hit: special.
Tonfa. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. Bonus action grapple.
Revolver. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/400 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Picture:
Description:
"Don't even think about it."
Belying her innocent name, Elsie is rather a rugged in her manner, if not in her appearance. She could have been a model in another world, if she wasn't so practical and down-to-earth. Her stance shows this, in her crossed arms and grim face. Her stern, though somewhat teasing expression is framed by dark brown, almost auburn hair, that hangs messily down past her shoulders.
Her clothes are practical. Red tank top under a dark green utility jacket, and military-spec pants hugging her long, lithe legs contribute to a sharp, though well-wearing look.
Elsie's movements are sharp and precise, her walk almost a strut, such is her outward confidence. Unless trying to be unseen, nothing about her is in any way, shape or form and attempt at concealation.
Background:
An only child of a divorced relationship, Elsie had it rough as a kid. Never getting the same attention or respect or home life that her peers did, she grew to admire rugged practicality rather than daintiness and such things that others valued. Instead she grew up in solitude and a little bit morose, socially surviving off brushing-off interactions with others.
Despite this, she came to know a few close, tight friends in her lifetime at school. One of these was a girl called Lilly, who was an artist and a dreamer, quite the polar opposite to her own practical salt-of-the-earth nature. Because of this, they complimented each other and became fast friends, studying and helping each other through school. Until Elsie demanded that Lilly take her talent public, which resulted in a public and private fallout.
After this Elsie grew even more morose and reclused, keeping to herself at all times, spending time at the shooting range when she lived with her dad, a retired Army Ranger, and when she lived with her mom, volunteering at local organisations. Life became much of a day-to-day drag for her.
Fighting through to university was no mean feat but she succeeded anyway. Now a student, doing decently well at the University of Illinois at Chicago, but still with the nagging thought of "what could have been" echoing in her head, and supporting herself on a job, she is ready to face the world. Or, uh, seems to be.
Background: Student
A student can be in high school, college, or graduate school. He or she could be in a seminary, a military school, or a private institution. A college-age student should also pick a major field of study.
Her inventory is listed in the Dicecloud sheet, as this is just a peek at the full character. In the Journal tab, there is a log for her Wealth and Reputation scores. Append and correct as you see fit.
Cheers,
Cata~
DnD Beyond PbP Characters:
Tayla Varan, Water Genasi Monk: A licentious daughter of a licentious union, out to live and love in a war-torn world. Campaign: The Eagle's Eye
Elsie Conway, Human Roguelike: A normal university student in a modern world, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Campaign: The Advent of Shadows
Come on, people! This looks like a lot of fun, and if I wasn't already involved in too many PbPs for schedule, I'd give it a go! Best of luck to you, skizzerz.
Alright, I'll throw my hat in too. I'll post full character later, but the general idea I had looking over things just briefly was a Dedicated Hero, a priest.
Everyone seems to be leaning toward one of the first two threads. Guess I'll have to roll the baddie in Thread #3 >:)
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
I'm working on collecting the conversion document into a single bookmarked PDF so that it is easier to search and look up information. I'll update the OP when I have that ready (hopefully sometime this weekend) 😄
In the meantime, please continue to post your character submissions! The more the merrier!
Skizzerz, have you seen this? Homebrewery
Might be useful as you collect.