Game: D&D 5e Group type: Online via Discord, text-based/play-by-post Experience: Any! Location/Timezone: Any timezone! Play-by-post means that it mostly doesn't matter. Schedule: NA Roles sought: Players! Lots of them! Game style: PBP works for best for those who like writing and roleplaying through text.
I'm looking to run a homebrewed version of Descent into Avernus as a West Marches style D&D 5e campaign. For those who don't know what a West Marches campaign is, I recommend going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAC-gBoX9k and watching Matt Colville's explanation. The aim is for groups of players to band together and visit specific locations
This will be a game about Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Heaven and Hell. It's about characters wrestling with living-breathing devils as well as personal demons. It's about falls from grace and the hope for redemption. It's about fighting against the very fabric of the physical and moral universe. But it starts in the multicultural port city of Baldur's Gate with a small group of soldiers called the Highwater brigade. The Highwater brigade are from the city of Elturel, a rival port not far from Baldur's Gate, which last week has been lost to this plane of existence, suddenly pulled into Avernus, the first level of Hell.
Hell isn't an abstraction for the Highwater brigade. Their leader, Captain Azara, was one of the Hellriders, the army that followed Zariel into Hell to fight for the Gods. But the Hellriders broke against the terrors of Hell and many of them fled in fear and closed the portals behind them. Azara was a young woman then and the shame has followed her to this today. She is now old, the Captain of her own mercenary brigade in Baldur's Gate, with a reputation as a straight arrow with an unerring commitment to justice. Her whole life has been an attempt to scrub bloodstains off her palms. The Highwater brigade is a ragtag group including angry young men with a chip on their shoulder, strangers with mysterious pasts, fellow veterans of Zariel's Ride and many more.
With Elturel's disappearance into Hell, Azara's past has come back to haunt her. She disbands the brigade, releasing everyone from their contracts. Now the brigade's members need to figure out what they want to do. There's enough work in Baldur's Gate with the refugee crisis, myriad bloodthirsty cults springing up and what not. But rumour has it that Azara is heading into Avernus herself and Highwater members are looking to follow her...
To join the game, post a 3-4 line character concept with race/class/alignment and tell me why you think this character would work well with this adventure - maybe because it illuminates a certain part of the setting or because it resonates with the themes of the adventure.
* How Alignment Works *
Alignment matters in this game. Good and Evil are at war. Law and Chaos are rival factions within these camps. Rival factions often hate each more than their actual enemies. Devils are Lawful Evil. They are all part of the infernal bureaucracy with Asmodeus as CEO. Demons are Chaotic Evil. They are fighting the Blood War against the Devils that ravages across the plains of Avernus. Good characters face certain (small) disadvantages in Avernus. (They are not debilitating at all but drive home how the essence of what it means to be in Hell. Which will be fun!)
Having an Alignment means officially joining a particular side for a particular reason. Neutral is the word not having any alignment. Most people are Neutral. Clerics, Paladins and Warlocks cannot be Neutral.
* How the game will be organized *
Players will have access to a map of Baldur's Gate and Avernus and to characters that will point them towards various events / quests. They can choose to go wherever seems more interesting or follow up on whatever plot thread grabs their attention. They can generate up to three characters each and choose which ones will go on the missions. Missions are not balanced for any particular level and death is always possible. But this isn't a combat-focused game. Roleplaying and exploration are the primary focus.
Characters level up based on number of sessions played, what new information they can bring back about Avernus and for playing to their alignment.
* Diversity / Safety *
As a POC, I'm committed to having a diverse group of players and making the game as comfortable and fun as possible for everyone. We'll be using safety tools and moderation will be strong regarding any kind of bad behaviour.
Hi, I find this concept super interesting! I may not be the fastest typer, but I want to give this style a shot!
I have an Lawful Evil, Human, Warlock of the Fiend that I would like to try out who wants to make infernal pacts and to lure other people into damnation for profit. I think that an infernal warlock might work well with this campaign setting, (devils, hell and all that) but I wouldn't mind making any other character if proves necessary.
That sounds super cool! Though we'd have to come up with a really good reason for him to try to free Elrurel from the clutches of the fiends. Maybe he has a pact with a fiend that isn't Zariel and doesn't want her to succeed!
I think that the idea of him being a Warlock of another Archdevil might work well. There's also the problem (from his perspective) that people seem to fear the devils and fiends. By rescuing these people from such a threat, he might be able to influence more people into thinking that not all devils are bad, both in Elruel and in Baldur's Gate. Not to mention, where there's conflict, there are desperate people who can be claimed for his Archdevil. He wants riches and glory, both of which can be obtained by helping Elruel.
My Discord is Jarovbees#7366. I've played D&D before, though not a West Marches style game. I'm willing to learn and give it a shot, though!
I have a Neutral Good Zariel Tiefling Cleric (War Domain) of Torm or Lathander, who I think would be perfect for the setting since...well, it's the reason she was made. I was thinking she could originally have been from Elturel, born and raised, but left temporarily to do some Order of the Gauntlet business. She returned to Elturel not being there anymore, and survivor's guilt will motivate her to find out what happened and setting it right.
A former privateer turned mercenary who followed Zariel on his failed raid into Hell. After the disaster that was Zariel's Ride, he put up his sword and spiraled into a life of drinking to deal with the horrors he witnessed. However, Captain Azara's absolution of the Highwater Brigade has recently caught his attention. Old loyalties die hard so he decides to take his sword off the wall and go see what the Good Captain is up to...
Broken from the path of her usual ancestors, her curiosities led her to an area in a forest where she was discovered at a young age by a traveling academic. In observing her and her curious nature, he took her in and began to teach her the ways of magic. It was an odd type of student, but he love a lover of oddities and challenging the current standings of the world. Over the course of time, she learned much from him before he had to travel to a capital for activities that were unfolding in the area. She had not heard from him in some time and took to traveling to find his whereabouts.
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Dungeon Master: 5 years Hosting paid games for groups online via Discord & Roll20.
Feel free to contact me if you are looking for a DM!
I would love to give this a try if you'll have me. Played lots of D&D and other RPGs but not this style before.
Devonorama#6012
Nuetral Good Dragonborn Fighter (Dueling/ hopeful Eldritch Knight)
Backstory I thought up that can be changed if needed:
Once at the rank of Flame (lieutenant) in the Baldur's Gate military "The Flaming Fist" with less then ideal luck. As a leader of a small scouting troop his entire group got taken off guard by bandits on a scouting mission and he lost over half of the men under him due to poor choices. This event caused him to lose face as well as his his rank and he has been lowered down to a Manip (sergeant). He has always wanted to train in magic and has begun to spend his savings on scrolls, books, and tomes of arcane knowledge. Recently looking for an alternative career choice, as the military has not worked out great for his reputation, he has been hearing of a group looking to descend into Avernus. This could be a great opportunity to regain some reputation as well as increase his arcane knowledge, or if anything take his mind off his mistakes...
Human Wizard, neutral good, squishy pyromancer basically. Grew up as a wizard’s apprentice, he disappeared, she’s been searching for him ever since. He could be in hell so that’s why shes there.
Hey I'm interested in this if you're still looking! Myos Nikitas, a human noble wizard. Chaotic Good. Raised as the third child of a wealthy family, Myos has a heart for the outsider. He was the child on the outside, his brother born first was raised to be the heir and patriarch of the family. His sister raised to be married off to secure the family's position at the local court. He, given his magical gifts, was given a tutor and told good luck. His family focused their efforts on the first two children as Myos learned how to wield the magic he was born with, resulting in a few fires and mishaps. Myos as his first successful spell summoned a cat familiar, Vaithos, who has been with him for nye a decade. His brother has recently taken over the family estate and Myos is has set out to make his own fortune and help others along the way. I think Myos would fit great in the theme of exploration, as he is curious and an avid learner. He's prepared for combat but prefers to resolve situations outside of combat. The idea of helping others by dealing with demons would intimidate him, but given time he could grow confident enough in his abilities to fight for the sake of others.
Game: D&D 5e
Group type: Online via Discord, text-based/play-by-post
Experience: Any!
Location/Timezone: Any timezone! Play-by-post means that it mostly doesn't matter.
Schedule: NA
Roles sought: Players! Lots of them!
Game style: PBP works for best for those who like writing and roleplaying through text.
I'm looking to run a homebrewed version of Descent into Avernus as a West Marches style D&D 5e campaign. For those who don't know what a West Marches campaign is, I recommend going to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGAC-gBoX9k and watching Matt Colville's explanation. The aim is for groups of players to band together and visit specific locations
This will be a game about Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Heaven and Hell. It's about characters wrestling with living-breathing devils as well as personal demons. It's about falls from grace and the hope for redemption. It's about fighting against the very fabric of the physical and moral universe. But it starts in the multicultural port city of Baldur's Gate with a small group of soldiers called the Highwater brigade. The Highwater brigade are from the city of Elturel, a rival port not far from Baldur's Gate, which last week has been lost to this plane of existence, suddenly pulled into Avernus, the first level of Hell.
Hell isn't an abstraction for the Highwater brigade. Their leader, Captain Azara, was one of the Hellriders, the army that followed Zariel into Hell to fight for the Gods. But the Hellriders broke against the terrors of Hell and many of them fled in fear and closed the portals behind them. Azara was a young woman then and the shame has followed her to this today. She is now old, the Captain of her own mercenary brigade in Baldur's Gate, with a reputation as a straight arrow with an unerring commitment to justice. Her whole life has been an attempt to scrub bloodstains off her palms. The Highwater brigade is a ragtag group including angry young men with a chip on their shoulder, strangers with mysterious pasts, fellow veterans of Zariel's Ride and many more.
With Elturel's disappearance into Hell, Azara's past has come back to haunt her. She disbands the brigade, releasing everyone from their contracts. Now the brigade's members need to figure out what they want to do. There's enough work in Baldur's Gate with the refugee crisis, myriad bloodthirsty cults springing up and what not. But rumour has it that Azara is heading into Avernus herself and Highwater members are looking to follow her...
To join the game, post a 3-4 line character concept with race/class/alignment and tell me why you think this character would work well with this adventure - maybe because it illuminates a certain part of the setting or because it resonates with the themes of the adventure.
* How Alignment Works *
Alignment matters in this game. Good and Evil are at war. Law and Chaos are rival factions within these camps. Rival factions often hate each more than their actual enemies. Devils are Lawful Evil. They are all part of the infernal bureaucracy with Asmodeus as CEO. Demons are Chaotic Evil. They are fighting the Blood War against the Devils that ravages across the plains of Avernus. Good characters face certain (small) disadvantages in Avernus. (They are not debilitating at all but drive home how the essence of what it means to be in Hell. Which will be fun!)
Having an Alignment means officially joining a particular side for a particular reason. Neutral is the word not having any alignment. Most people are Neutral. Clerics, Paladins and Warlocks cannot be Neutral.
* How the game will be organized *
Players will have access to a map of Baldur's Gate and Avernus and to characters that will point them towards various events / quests. They can choose to go wherever seems more interesting or follow up on whatever plot thread grabs their attention. They can generate up to three characters each and choose which ones will go on the missions. Missions are not balanced for any particular level and death is always possible. But this isn't a combat-focused game. Roleplaying and exploration are the primary focus.
Characters level up based on number of sessions played, what new information they can bring back about Avernus and for playing to their alignment.
* Diversity / Safety *
As a POC, I'm committed to having a diverse group of players and making the game as comfortable and fun as possible for everyone. We'll be using safety tools and moderation will be strong regarding any kind of bad behaviour.
Hi, I find this concept super interesting! I may not be the fastest typer, but I want to give this style a shot!
I have an Lawful Evil, Human, Warlock of the Fiend that I would like to try out who wants to make infernal pacts and to lure other people into damnation for profit. I think that an infernal warlock might work well with this campaign setting, (devils, hell and all that) but I wouldn't mind making any other character if proves necessary.
That sounds super cool! Though we'd have to come up with a really good reason for him to try to free Elrurel from the clutches of the fiends. Maybe he has a pact with a fiend that isn't Zariel and doesn't want her to succeed!
Are you on Discord? Give me your handle.
My Discord is Nocrotal#3348
I think that the idea of him being a Warlock of another Archdevil might work well. There's also the problem (from his perspective) that people seem to fear the devils and fiends. By rescuing these people from such a threat, he might be able to influence more people into thinking that not all devils are bad, both in Elruel and in Baldur's Gate. Not to mention, where there's conflict, there are desperate people who can be claimed for his Archdevil. He wants riches and glory, both of which can be obtained by helping Elruel.
My Discord is Jarovbees#7366. I've played D&D before, though not a West Marches style game. I'm willing to learn and give it a shot, though!
I have a Neutral Good Zariel Tiefling Cleric (War Domain) of Torm or Lathander, who I think would be perfect for the setting since...well, it's the reason she was made. I was thinking she could originally have been from Elturel, born and raised, but left temporarily to do some Order of the Gauntlet business. She returned to Elturel not being there anymore, and survivor's guilt will motivate her to find out what happened and setting it right.
Sent you a friend request on Discord.
Discord: Lamia#7061
Goblin, Wizard, Chaotic Neutral
Broken from the path of her usual ancestors, her curiosities led her to an area in a forest where she was discovered at a young age by a traveling academic. In observing her and her curious nature, he took her in and began to teach her the ways of magic. It was an odd type of student, but he love a lover of oddities and challenging the current standings of the world. Over the course of time, she learned much from him before he had to travel to a capital for activities that were unfolding in the area. She had not heard from him in some time and took to traveling to find his whereabouts.
Dungeon Master: 5 years
Hosting paid games for groups online via Discord & Roll20.
Feel free to contact me if you are looking for a DM!
I would love to give this a try if you'll have me. Played lots of D&D and other RPGs but not this style before.
Devonorama#6012
Nuetral Good Dragonborn Fighter (Dueling/ hopeful Eldritch Knight)
Hi
Human Wizard, neutral good, squishy pyromancer basically. Grew up as a wizard’s apprentice, he disappeared, she’s been searching for him ever since. He could be in hell so that’s why shes there.
Hey I'm interested in this if you're still looking!
Myos Nikitas, a human noble wizard. Chaotic Good. Raised as the third child of a wealthy family, Myos has a heart for the outsider. He was the child on the outside, his brother born first was raised to be the heir and patriarch of the family. His sister raised to be married off to secure the family's position at the local court. He, given his magical gifts, was given a tutor and told good luck. His family focused their efforts on the first two children as Myos learned how to wield the magic he was born with, resulting in a few fires and mishaps. Myos as his first successful spell summoned a cat familiar, Vaithos, who has been with him for nye a decade. His brother has recently taken over the family estate and Myos is has set out to make his own fortune and help others along the way.
I think Myos would fit great in the theme of exploration, as he is curious and an avid learner. He's prepared for combat but prefers to resolve situations outside of combat. The idea of helping others by dealing with demons would intimidate him, but given time he could grow confident enough in his abilities to fight for the sake of others.