I’m looking for a small number of experienced Dungeon Masters to playtest a DM-facing campaign framework I’ve been developing called Tainted Kingdoms.
This is not a traditional adventure module and not a heroic power fantasy. It’s a roleplay-forward, faction-driven urban campaign designed around civic realism, institutional pressure, and meaningful consequences for action and inaction.
The Campaign in a nut-shell:
A living-city campaign framework, not a linear plot
Faction relationships drive opportunities, danger, and escalation
The city itself functions as the primary antagonist
Violence is possible, but rare, contextual, and remembered
The system rewards investigation, restraint, leverage, and social play
Players are free to act, but the world responds honestly
This is built to support:
Political intrigue
Noir-style investigation
Social maneuvering and reputation management
Labor conflict, unrest, and revolution
Desperate survival under oppressive systems
Trying to avoid:
quest chain or adventure path
“defeat the villain” story
consequence-free combat
tables that want frequent fights every session
beginners learning 5e basics
If your table enjoys asking “what does this choice cost?” instead of “what do we kill next?”, this will likely be a good fit.
What I’m Looking For
DMs willing to run at least 3–5 sessions
Tables comfortable with heavy roleplay and ambiguity
Honest feedback on usability, not just vibes
Especially interested in hearing from DMs whose players:
push against authority
try to go loud early
or attempt to stay neutral and see what happens
Playtesters will receive:
The full Dungeon Master’s Campaign Guide
A structured Session Zero player handout
DM quick-reference sheets for faction tracking and prep
Permission to modify, stress-test, or break things
This is currently a playtest, not a finished commercial product. I’m trying to answer questions like:
Does Session 1 generate momentum or paralysis?
Do consequences feel earned rather than punitive?
Is faction tracking manageable week to week?
Does low-frequency combat feel tense or frustrating?
Where does DM cognitive load spike?
Feedback I’m Not Looking For
To be clear and respectful of everyone’s time, this project is not aimed at:
Making the campaign more forgiving
Increasing combat frequency
Simplifying moral complexity
Turning it into a traditional heroic narrative
That’s not because those preferences are wrong. They’re just not what this framework is designed to do.
Interested?
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy running, reply here or DM me with:
Your DM experience level
What kind of table you usually run
Whether you’d want to playtest privately or share public feedback
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance to anyone willing to put this through its paces. I’m genuinely interested in seeing where it holds up and where it breaks.
— A DM who wants bystanders to feel real
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Hi all,
I’m looking for a small number of experienced Dungeon Masters to playtest a DM-facing campaign framework I’ve been developing called Tainted Kingdoms.
This is not a traditional adventure module and not a heroic power fantasy. It’s a roleplay-forward, faction-driven urban campaign designed around civic realism, institutional pressure, and meaningful consequences for action and inaction.
The Campaign in a nut-shell:
A living-city campaign framework, not a linear plot
Faction relationships drive opportunities, danger, and escalation
The city itself functions as the primary antagonist
Violence is possible, but rare, contextual, and remembered
The system rewards investigation, restraint, leverage, and social play
Players are free to act, but the world responds honestly
This is built to support:
Political intrigue
Noir-style investigation
Social maneuvering and reputation management
Labor conflict, unrest, and revolution
Desperate survival under oppressive systems
Trying to avoid:
quest chain or adventure path
“defeat the villain” story
consequence-free combat
tables that want frequent fights every session
beginners learning 5e basics
If your table enjoys asking “what does this choice cost?” instead of “what do we kill next?”, this will likely be a good fit.
What I’m Looking For
DMs willing to run at least 3–5 sessions
Tables comfortable with heavy roleplay and ambiguity
Honest feedback on usability, not just vibes
Especially interested in hearing from DMs whose players:
push against authority
try to go loud early
or attempt to stay neutral and see what happens
Playtesters will receive:
The full Dungeon Master’s Campaign Guide
A structured Session Zero player handout
DM quick-reference sheets for faction tracking and prep
Permission to modify, stress-test, or break things
This is currently a playtest, not a finished commercial product. I’m trying to answer questions like:
Does Session 1 generate momentum or paralysis?
Do consequences feel earned rather than punitive?
Is faction tracking manageable week to week?
Does low-frequency combat feel tense or frustrating?
Where does DM cognitive load spike?
Feedback I’m Not Looking For
To be clear and respectful of everyone’s time, this project is not aimed at:
Making the campaign more forgiving
Increasing combat frequency
Simplifying moral complexity
Turning it into a traditional heroic narrative
That’s not because those preferences are wrong. They’re just not what this framework is designed to do.
Interested?
If this sounds like something you’d enjoy running, reply here or DM me with:
Your DM experience level
What kind of table you usually run
Whether you’d want to playtest privately or share public feedback
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance to anyone willing to put this through its paces. I’m genuinely interested in seeing where it holds up and where it breaks.
—
A DM who wants bystanders to feel real