I've got two seats left for a campaign that will be going through most of the Tales from the Yawning Portal. It will be set in a custom campaign setting. Custom backgrounds and stories will be both encouraged and engaged with, while at the same time, there is no requirement to develop an extensive backstory for your character. The current players requested a game with an obvious plot hook to follow but the freedom to go off the rails (hence probably going through only most of the tales). Starting level will be 1.

I put together groups based on player's shared play preferences and general compatibility. I want everyone to be friends and have a fun time. If this sounds like a campaign you'd commit to, I always start with a free first session one-shot. This lets you get to know me and the rest of the group. Regular payments are $15 a session after that, paid monthly. If this isn't a campaign you'd like, reach out to me if you are looking for another type of group. Like I mentioned, I put groups together based on interest and have other groups coming together. This particular one is just right on the cusp of having enough players.

About Me
Hey, I’m Scurvy. I’ve been running D&D games for twenty years, since back when a Chessex mat and a box of miniatures meant you were serious about the hobby. I’m proficient hosting D&D 5e 2024 & 2014, D&D 3.x, AD&D 2e, and FFG’s Star Wars RPG. I’ve clearly got a penchant for D&D, but I love the whole hobby of TTRPGs with a passion.

What I Offer
My sessions are about what your group wants. I’m open to any setting and any balance of roleplay/combat/exploration/political intrigue/etc. I’ll use any published material and run any system. I’ve got almost everything TSR ever published and a good percentage of WotC’s official stuff too. Do you want to run a Wizard of Oz homebrew? I’ve got a publication for that. Awakened animal pirates? I’ve got that too. 

For trial sessions (see below), you’ll need to pick from the systems listed above, but I’ll learn a new system (like Vampire: The Masquerade) for a long-term group. I will also teach any system, either to individuals or whole groups. Have you ever been curious about older versions of D&D? Now’s your chance to learn.

For D&D 5e/2e, I also have my own fully developed homebrew world, populated with over 600 settlements, over 200 adventures and over 1000 dungeon-crawl styled encounters. It’s lite on required history (history that is required for the adventures to work), so any background a player wants can be worked in. It also has a lot of optional background, in case you just want to be dumped into a ready-made world.

If there is a particular book/compendium/asset you want as part of our sessions (if I don’t already own it anyways), part of my pitch is I invest back into monthly groups, so I’ll get that asset. I use Arkenforge, Tabletop Simulator, Dungeon Alchemist, and Talespire among other apps. I have animated maps, circular and top-down view tokens, and spell effect templates. I have sound effects and background music. My folder of just circular tokens is over 5.5 GB. 

I offer the below types of games, each which can additionally be of varying difficulty/deadliness. These are just generalizations of game styles. I’m open to just about any preference.

• The Tour Bus - what I consider the most typical D&D game. The group has a set itinerary going from A to B, but you get to get off the bus and explore a little. Eventually the tour guide will get you back on the bus for the next stop though. The players will be allowed to go anywhere/do anything they want, but I’ll keep throwing plot hooks at them as needed.
• The Railroad - I think most everyone knows this term. It’s like the Tour Bus except there will be no player agency in deciding how to move forward. This dungeon leads to that fortress, and no, you don’t have time to go start a farm.
• The Open World - another term I think is familiar. My homebrew above is a good example. You’ll have a world map and the adventures you face will be based on where you choose to go. There will be big obvious plot hooks for long-term adventuring with world-altering consequences, but the players can just ignore that and start running a tavern instead - and I’ll pivot to running a business simulation game.

Why Pay?
If you’re browsing a paid listing, you probably already know the general benefits of a paid campaign. 

• People who are willing to pay are generally more invested.
• There are significantly less no-shows.
• Campaigns are much more likely to get to level 20 or conclude with a planned ending.
• GMs that feel confident enough to charge are usually above average.

Why pay me in particular?

Aside from what I’ve already mentioned above (such as my pledge to reinvest back into groups), I think paid sessions should be like books or restaurants or movies - you should try different authors and cuisine and directors. I hope a group will stay with me for a full campaign and will come back for future ones, but I also don’t want to be the only GM they ever use again.

• If you are a pre-formed group with a current years-long, multiple campaigns finished GM, you should give someone else a try, even if not me. If you’ve been with your GM for years, they’re probably part of the group at this point. Might I suggest inviting them to play with you and paying for their share of admission?
• If you’re a regular at paying for sessions, why not give me a try?
• If you’ve never paid for a session before, think of it like a night out. You’re going to get at least 4 hours of a live session, but I’m not a stickler about running over and I make myself reasonably available before/between sessions. How much would a night out at the movies cost and last compared to a session?

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