Murder at Blackbriar Hall

A Gothic Fantasy Mystery for Dungeons & Dragons 5.5 e
Play-by-Post Campaign Recruitment

The storm began three nights ago.

By the time your carriage reaches the gates of Blackbriar Hall, the moors have become a sea of mist and mud beneath a bruised autumn sky. Lightning flashes across distant hills, illuminating twisted blackthorn hedges and the looming silhouette of the Sinclair estate.

The invitation in your possession was written in a hurried hand:

“I fear I have uncovered something terrible.
If anything should happen to me, I ask that you come at once.
There are few in this house I trust.”
— Lord Cedric Sinclair

You arrive too late.

Before the night is over, Lord Sinclair is found dead in his private study, slumped forward in his chair with a ceremonial dagger buried between his shoulders.

The door was locked from within.

The servants whisper of ghosts in the walls.
The family physician insists the timeline is impossible.
Every guest hides secrets.
And somewhere inside Blackbriar Hall, a killer walks freely among you.

The storm has washed out the roads.

No one can leave.

About the Campaign

This is a roleplay-heavy gothic mystery campaign inspired by:

• classic detective fiction,
• haunted manor stories,
• and slow-burn character drama.

Expect:

• investigation and deduction,
• tense social encounters,
• hidden passages,
• conflicting testimonies,
• atmospheric exploration,
• and mounting paranoia.

Combat will occur occasionally, but this is primarily a mystery-focused adventure where observation, roleplay, and theory-building matter far more than dungeon crawling.

Tone & Themes

• Gothic fantasy
• Locked-room murder mystery
• Secrets and betrayal
• Psychological tension
• Supernatural ambiguity
• Trust eroding under pressure

Think:

• candlelit corridors,
• rain against stained glass,
• whispered conversations at midnight,
• and the realization that someone at your dinner table is a murderer.

Character Expectations

Characters should have a believable reason to accept Lord Sinclair’s invitation, such as:

• scholars,
• investigators,
• clergy,
• mercenaries,
• occult specialists,
• old acquaintances,
• noble retainers,
• physicians,
• adventurers seeking patronage,
• or individuals connected to earlier tragedies surrounding the Sinclair family.

Characters with:

• strong roleplay instincts,
• personal secrets,
• moral complexity,
• and investigative curiosity
  will thrive in this campaign.

Campaign Details

• System: D&D 5.5 e
• Format: Play-by-Post
• Starting Level: 3, may progress to 5
• Party Size: 4-5 player characters. 
• Starting Location: Blackbriar Hall
• Style: Narrative-heavy collaborative mystery
• Posting Rate: This is a slower, thoughtful campaign, expect posts 1-3 x per week.  Posters who put up 10 posts a day in a thread may be disappointed.
• Allowed Content: 2024 D&D 5.5e content, published content only, no homebrew.  

What Lies Within Blackbriar Hall?

• A labyrinthine hedge maze
• Family crypts beneath the estate
• A haunted observatory tower
• Burned letters and hidden ledgers
• False alibis
• Arcane deception
• And a truth someone is willing to kill to protect

“Truth fears no path.”
— Inscription above the hedge maze gate at Blackbriar Hall

Will you uncover the truth before the killer strikes again?