2003, Balios (Bah-LEE-ohs), Texas. A medium-sized town that once flowed free with oil, but is now dried up. People born here rarely get the chance to leave, and even then the town drags us all back. Money is tight, but the internet here is cheap, and the old Reiler’s convenience store sells milk, eggs, bread… and firearms, for some reason.
On the surface, there is nothing special about Balios other than its history of violence and rumors of haunting. However, those in occult circles will know that this town has become something called a Hellmouth, the perfect spawning ground for Nightmares, otherwise known simply as monsters. Nightmares, regardless if they are physical, digital, or spectral, or any combination of the three, flock to Balios. No matter where you are in town, odds are there is a Nightmare within 10 meters of your exact location.
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Nightmare Shift! This is a digital/folk horror-lite, anime/manga-inspired urban fantasy roleplay thread, where you can play an occultist, one of the Men in Black, or a monster! No matter what you choose to play, remember that your goal is to have fun and help others do the same.
Rules:
Be kind and respectful, and try not to make others uncomfortable
Talk with others about your characters and their abilities before they come up. I’ve seen problems like this in the past.
My authority, as the author, is absolute.
Put the words “We still have hope” in your first post.
I love your ideas and reserve the right to ask to inculde them in my manga. You have the right to say no, no matter how much I beg.
Try to RP with newer players where you can, and explain the lore to them as well as you can manage.
Have fun and stay evil, my beloved chickens!
Factions:
Balios Occultists Anonymous Board (BOAB) A local group of paranormal minutemen who don’t associate with either faction. They have no leader, and basically you guys can do whatever you want with them.
Nightmare Extermination Order (NEO) Also known as MIBs (Men In Black), this organization is in charge of removing Nightmares from our plane and using their Artefacts to create occult technology for the US Government.
Blackhearts A group of vigilantes who believe Nightmares deserve to live and be loved like any other creature. Many of them are Nightmares themselves.
Homebrew:
Basics of Humans:
Spiritual Sensitivity. Ah, you’re finally awake! Humans have an SS rating of 0 to 10. Treat your SS rating as your spellcasting/ability save DC ability modifier regardless of your class, with the added consequence that all saves you make against magical effects take a penalty equal to your SS rating.
Level. When a man can get hit by an 18-wheeler and survive, something is up. Humans can be up to level 20, but you must take a point of SS for every two levels you take.
Dark Energy. Power in misery. When in a moment of extreme stress, you can choose to gain 1 point of Dark Energy once per round (no action required). Treat your SS as one higher for each point of Dark Energy you have, but also lose 1 HP for every Dark Energy point you have whenever you fail a save against a spell or get hit with a spell attack roll. You lose one Dark Energy whenever you cast a spell or use some other paranormal action, and you can use your action to calm youself and shed up to 3 Dark Energy.
Paranormal Filtering. Most mortals have a built-in defense mechanism: ignore it, and it probably won’t hurt you. You have an Paranormal Filtering rating equal to 10 minus your SS. If your PF is lower than a paranormal entity or effect’s Dark Energy, you can see it for what it realy is. If it is over their Dark Energy, you are immune to any spells they cast.
Basics of Nightmares:
What is a Nightmare? Can we eat it? A Nightmare is an embodiment of evil and negative emotions, though strangely they need not be evil themselves. They are born from the Nocturne, a turbulent sea of Dark Energy that spans thousands of worlds. It thrashes them against the Beach, the border between our reality and theirs, until they either find purchase on its iron teeth or die, their Artefacts falling back into the sea only to be reborn and repeat the process, becoming stronger with each cycle. Those who survive usually look like distorted version of earthly concepts, much like monsters from folklore or urban legends. A demonic Pikachu in your TV? Sure. A ghost that commands centipedes? Absolutely. Goatman that throws racists off bridges? There are already like six in the area. Anything goes. Try basing it off an urban legend you know, or making one up on your own.
Dark Energy. Your very essence is evil itself. A Nightmare has up to 1 maximum Dark Energy per CR or level you have. Whenever you use an ability that has a limited number of uses or a recharge die, you expend a Dark Energy point whenever you use it. If you run out of Dark Energy, you are transformed into a relatively defenseless monster until you get some more. You regain all Dark Energy on a long rest, and whenever a mortal gains or sheds Dark Energy, you can choose to gain the same number they gained or shed as a reaction.
Magic. This is why it’s called the SUPER-natural. If you have spell slots, you do not expend Dark Energy to cast spells, but you can choose to increase the DC or attack bonuses of your spells by 1 for every point of Dark Energy you expend. You must have at least 1 Dark Energy after using this boost.
Cloak.Sometimes it’s better to be below notice. Whenever you encounter a mortal creature, you can choose to appear as a monster, or you can attempt to disguise yourself as a mortal or become invisible to them entirely. Your Cloak automatically works when you try to disguise yourself, but if you choose to become invisible or they investigate your disguise, check to see if their Paranormal Filtering is lower than your Dark Energy. If it is, you are detected.
Sunlight. Like it or not, you work in the dark. You have disadvantage on all attack rolls while you or your target are in direct sunlight (not in the shade or the dark). In addition, while in direct sunlight, you have vulnerability to all damage.
Spreading Hysteria. It is not your flesh which satiates me, but your fear. You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, although it is deeply unpleasant to go without doing any one of those. Instead, you must feed on Dark Energy. When you take a long rest, you are actually collecting Dark Energy to fill your pool. How you do this is up to you, but typically this means either harrassing mortals to induce stress or seeking out Dark Energy just lying around.
Artefacts. And you were worried about your HP. If you die, you drop an Artefact that contains your Dark Arte. Anyone who holds the Artefact can choose to resurrect you by expending 10 Dark Energy, or simply to use it to replicate your Dark Arte perfectly as if it were theirs.
Basics of Dark Artes:
Paranormal Armor. Life is fragile. You are anything but. Most of your HP does not represent physical toughness. It instead represents a sort of supernatural barrier that protects you from harm. A mixture of a sci-fi shielding system and pure luck. When you take damage to all but the last few hit points (twice your level in HP), there is a visible and usually audible effect to show that it hit but did not pierce your Paranormal Armor. When your Paranormal Armor is broken, it is usually flashy and cool. You cannot be physically damaged while you have Paranormal Armor, but you can still experience sensations such as pain through it.
Wards. Paper or plastic? Physical armor is useless in the occult, so you have likely equipped yourself with Wards instead. These function similarly to armor in regular DnD, but instead of harming your stealth, they make you increasingly obvious to occultists. They also grant a bonus to saves against spells based on how extreme the Ward is.
Type
AC
Spell Saves Bonus
Extra
Mask
+2
+1
Must cover your whole face; -2 to damage rolls with False Strikes
Holy/Occult Symbol/NEO suit
13+DEX
+2
Must be visible on your person
Costume/Spooky Cloak
16+DEX (max 2)
+3
Must be visibly occult/weird
Cursemonger’s Garb
20
+4
Makes you look insane
False Strikes. A brutal weapon for a less civilized age. A basic technique that nearly every Arteist knows is how to beat someone to death with a bat. As times changed, so has the art of making weapons out of thin air and Dark Energy. You know how to conjure any weapon you are proficient in, which is shaped as you see fit and uses your Spiritual Sensitivity (if you are human) or your highest ability score (if you are a Nightmare) for its attack and damage rolls. These only deal damage to Paranormal Armor, and cannot cause lasting injury to flesh unless you are a Nightmare attacking a target with a Paranormal Filtering (or in the case of a Nightmare, Dark Energy) of less than half your current Dark Energy. These weapons disappear in direct sunlight.
Sunlight. The light protects, yet diminishes. You can’t cast or be effected by spells while in direct sunlight.
Spell Lists. The game has been changing for a while, hasn’t it? If you have spellcasting, you choose your spell list based on whatever you think makes sense for your character’s flavor. You could be a Wizard casting Spirit Guardians because you have an “Aura theme” while a Warlock could have Spike Growth because they have a “Ice theme” and they’re reflavoring the spikes to be icicles.
Dark Artes. What power system? Humans can have up to two Dark Artes each, while Nightmares can have up to three. Dark Artes from picked-up Artefacts count against the number of Dark Artes you have. If you have more than your maximum, you have to choose which ones to prepare when you finish a long rest.
Dark Artes should be weak, but versatile. This is an RP thread, not a pure combat thread. You can expend Dark Energy to boost their power, but beyond that, anything goes as long as everyone is okay with it.
I... spent too much time on this last night. It's not finished, but I would like some feedback.
Wow... there's so much here and I love ALL of it! I can tell you put a lot of thought and care into every single detail- all the systems seem balanced and fair, and there's lots of room for customization. It's what I love about all the things I've seen you make- it's clear that lots of time and thought and love are put into your creations. If you ever do make a thread with this concept, you can absolutely count me in!
I'll post it soon, but I have DnD in about an hour.
Alright! Enjoy D&d!
I may be taking inspiration from one of my favorite pieces of media and making one of my characters a headless corpse with amnesia who was decapitated during an incident regarding a rollercoaster.
I'll post it soon, but I have DnD in about an hour.
Alright! Enjoy D&d!
I may be taking inspiration from one of my favorite pieces of media and making one of my characters a headless corpse with amnesia who was decapitated during an incident regarding a rollercoaster.
Awesome. Remember, Nightmares typically were not humans at any point, but they can easily resemble and behave like humans, alive or not.
I'll post it soon, but I have DnD in about an hour.
Alright! Enjoy D&d!
I may be taking inspiration from one of my favorite pieces of media and making one of my characters a headless corpse with amnesia who was decapitated during an incident regarding a rollercoaster.
Awesome. Remember, Nightmares typically were not humans at any point, but they can easily resemble and behave like humans, alive or not.
I'll post it soon, but I have DnD in about an hour.
Alright! Enjoy D&d!
I may be taking inspiration from one of my favorite pieces of media and making one of my characters a headless corpse with amnesia who was decapitated during an incident regarding a rollercoaster.
Awesome. Remember, Nightmares typically were not humans at any point, but they can easily resemble and behave like humans, alive or not.
Yeah, I remember. Perhaps it’s possessing a body?
You don't have to change your concept at all, actually. Just say there's a rumor that someone lost their head on a rollercoaster, and you're good to go. Nightmares are just as physical as us when they need to be.
I'll post it soon, but I have DnD in about an hour.
Have fun with D&D!
Once their intro is wrapped up back at Lord's Rest, could I bring The Architect of Nightmares (KK) to the thread? I can also have loads of other ideas for characters if that one doesn't work.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
I'll post it soon, but I have DnD in about an hour.
Alright! Enjoy D&d!
I may be taking inspiration from one of my favorite pieces of media and making one of my characters a headless corpse with amnesia who was decapitated during an incident regarding a rollercoaster.
Awesome. Remember, Nightmares typically were not humans at any point, but they can easily resemble and behave like humans, alive or not.
Yeah, I remember. Perhaps it’s possessing a body?
You don't have to change your concept at all, actually. Just say there's a rumor that someone lost their head on a rollercoaster, and you're good to go. Nightmares are just as physical as us when they need to be.
Alright then, awesome! Her name shall be Jane. Jane Doe.
Hey guys and gals, new person here. Wanted to see what the fuss was all about over on D&D beyond.
A little about me, I'm a bit of a sucker for TTRPGs, namely D&D, but I've never tried 5e. I mostly play 3.5e, as well as a few homebrew systems. I also love music, namely Swedish Death Metal, but I am open to new genres. Just not pop. Anything but pop.
Also coming with a question: Can someone explain how to join one of those roleplay threads?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hi, I'm Anders. I like wreaking havoc in TTRPGs and listening to Swedish Death Metal. I currently am in the process of starting a campaign, GMed by your's truly. Entombed is a great band, you should check 'em out.
Hey guys and gals, new person here. Wanted to see what the fuss was all about over on D&D beyond.
A little about me, I'm a bit of a sucker for TTRPGs, namely D&D, but I've never tried 5e. I mostly play 3.5e, as well as a few homebrew systems. I also love music, namely Swedish Death Metal, but I am open to new genres. Just not pop. Anything but pop.
Also coming with a question: Can someone explain how to join one of those roleplay threads?
It’s not as complex as you would imagine, make an intro where you describe the character, or characters, usually sticking to the thread’s theme if it has one, giving the character’s appearance and things like that, maybe adding in some small quicks, and then people interact with it. I may be underselling it, but that’s my experience.
Hey guys and gals, new person here. Wanted to see what the fuss was all about over on D&D beyond.
A little about me, I'm a bit of a sucker for TTRPGs, namely D&D, but I've never tried 5e. I mostly play 3.5e, as well as a few homebrew systems. I also love music, namely Swedish Death Metal, but I am open to new genres. Just not pop. Anything but pop.
Also coming with a question: Can someone explain how to join one of those roleplay threads?
It’s not as complex as you would imagine, make an intro where you describe the character, or characters, usually sticking to the thread’s theme if it has one, giving the character’s appearance and things like that, maybe adding in some small quicks, and then people interact with it. I may be underselling it, but that’s my experience.
Great thanks!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hi, I'm Anders. I like wreaking havoc in TTRPGs and listening to Swedish Death Metal. I currently am in the process of starting a campaign, GMed by your's truly. Entombed is a great band, you should check 'em out.
Hey guys and gals, new person here. Wanted to see what the fuss was all about over on D&D beyond.
A little about me, I'm a bit of a sucker for TTRPGs, namely D&D, but I've never tried 5e. I mostly play 3.5e, as well as a few homebrew systems. I also love music, namely Swedish Death Metal, but I am open to new genres. Just not pop. Anything but pop.
Also coming with a question: Can someone explain how to join one of those roleplay threads?
Welcome new şǎćřīfįçẽ friend! What you’ll want to do is read the original post, usually find the keyword hidden in the rules, then make a character that fits within the theme of the thread, like you would in a dnd game
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I’m a decent DM and an above average rules lawyer
I have several complete Pokedexes | I may be stupid, but at least I’m not smart!
Stay Paranoid!! My Drummer given title is… Swift as the Dragon
Hey guys and gals, new person here. Wanted to see what the fuss was all about over on D&D beyond.
A little about me, I'm a bit of a sucker for TTRPGs, namely D&D, but I've never tried 5e. I mostly play 3.5e, as well as a few homebrew systems. I also love music, namely Swedish Death Metal, but I am open to new genres. Just not pop. Anything but pop.
Also coming with a question: Can someone explain how to join one of those roleplay threads?
HI!
I’m Archfey, one of the ✨pillars of the adohand’s community✨ and i’m so glad to have you all here! There are a few things you should know about roleplay threads.
roleplay threads, also called, ‘Taverns,’ (they don’t necessarily need a tavern, though) usually have their own unique theme and lore, in the first post. You’d make a character following that general lore and any rules they give you, with at least some basic backstory, usually. You can have an intro post for them to introduce them, usually having them arrive there or do something interesting, and basically, you can just roleplay from there, describing what your character does and having conversations and stuff! There isn’t really any DM, but if you want to have fights or anything, you can. We all default to using 5e around here.
also, when talking out of character on roleplay threads, we speak in asterisks, like *this*
any other questions? Sorry if I’m not explaining it well or missed something.
Hey guys and gals, new person here. Wanted to see what the fuss was all about over on D&D beyond.
A little about me, I'm a bit of a sucker for TTRPGs, namely D&D, but I've never tried 5e. I mostly play 3.5e, as well as a few homebrew systems. I also love music, namely Swedish Death Metal, but I am open to new genres. Just not pop. Anything but pop.
Also coming with a question: Can someone explain how to join one of those roleplay threads?
HI!
I’m Archfey, one of the ✨pillars of the adohand’s community✨ and i’m so glad to have you all here! There are a few things you should know about roleplay threads.
roleplay threads, also called, ‘Taverns,’ (they don’t necessarily need a tavern, though) usually have their own unique theme and lore, in the first post. You’d make a character following that general lore and any rules they give you, with at least some basic backstory, usually. You can have an intro post for them to introduce them, usually having them arrive there or do something interesting, and basically, you can just roleplay from there, describing what your character does and having conversations and stuff! There isn’t really any DM, but if you want to have fights or anything, you can. We all default to using 5e around here.
also, when talking out of character on roleplay threads, we speak in asterisks, like *this*
any other questions? Sorry if I’m not explaining it well or missed something.
Don't be sorry, i think i get the gist of it, thanks to y'all
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hi, I'm Anders. I like wreaking havoc in TTRPGs and listening to Swedish Death Metal. I currently am in the process of starting a campaign, GMed by your's truly. Entombed is a great band, you should check 'em out.
Muahahahaha! Exactly as I expected!
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
I'll post it soon, but I have DnD in about an hour.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
Alright! Enjoy D&d!
I may be taking inspiration from one of my favorite pieces of media and making one of my characters a headless corpse with amnesia who was decapitated during an incident regarding a rollercoaster.
Awesome. Remember, Nightmares typically were not humans at any point, but they can easily resemble and behave like humans, alive or not.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
Yeah, I remember. Perhaps it’s possessing a body?
Could an Artefact be say... the size of a 64 Impala?
You don't have to change your concept at all, actually. Just say there's a rumor that someone lost their head on a rollercoaster, and you're good to go. Nightmares are just as physical as us when they need to be.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
Kaiju do exist in this world, so I'd say go for it.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
The thread is up, by the way.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
Have fun with D&D!
Once their intro is wrapped up back at Lord's Rest, could I bring The Architect of Nightmares (KK) to the thread? I can also have loads of other ideas for characters if that one doesn't work.
Former Spider Queen of the Spider Guild, and friendly neighborhood scheming creature.
"Made by spiders, for spiders, of spiders."
My pronouns are she/her.
Web Weaver of Everlasting Narrative! (title bestowed by Drummer)
To Yvonne:
Yes. Do it.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
Alright then, awesome! Her name shall be Jane. Jane Doe.
Fun fact: Pound for pound, you are hotter than the sun.
Yo, I'm Himy (He/him) not as active as I use to be, but I'm here from time to time. I don't got much else to say.
"Like a soon to be broken man once said: You're either perfect, or you're not me."
”Be not defeated by the rain. Be not hindered by the wind. Bested by neither winter snow or summer heat.”
Hic Sunt Dracones\
Taking a bit of a break from DDB. Be back before summer
Hey guys and gals, new person here. Wanted to see what the fuss was all about over on D&D beyond.
A little about me, I'm a bit of a sucker for TTRPGs, namely D&D, but I've never tried 5e. I mostly play 3.5e, as well as a few homebrew systems. I also love music, namely Swedish Death Metal, but I am open to new genres. Just not pop. Anything but pop.
Also coming with a question: Can someone explain how to join one of those roleplay threads?
Hi, I'm Anders. I like wreaking havoc in TTRPGs and listening to Swedish Death Metal. I currently am in the process of starting a campaign, GMed by your's truly. Entombed is a great band, you should check 'em out.
Peace, love, and death metal my friends
-Anders
It’s not as complex as you would imagine, make an intro where you describe the character, or characters, usually sticking to the thread’s theme if it has one, giving the character’s appearance and things like that, maybe adding in some small quicks, and then people interact with it. I may be underselling it, but that’s my experience.
Great thanks!
Hi, I'm Anders. I like wreaking havoc in TTRPGs and listening to Swedish Death Metal. I currently am in the process of starting a campaign, GMed by your's truly. Entombed is a great band, you should check 'em out.
Peace, love, and death metal my friends
-Anders
Welcome new
şǎćřīfįçẽfriend! What you’ll want to do is read the original post, usually find the keyword hidden in the rules, then make a character that fits within the theme of the thread, like you would in a dnd gameI’m a decent DM and an above average rules lawyer
I have several complete Pokedexes | I may be stupid, but at least I’m not smart!
Stay Paranoid!! My Drummer given title is… Swift as the Dragon
May the dice roll ever in your favor
HI!
I’m Archfey, one of the ✨pillars of the adohand’s community✨ and i’m so glad to have you all here! There are a few things you should know about roleplay threads.
roleplay threads, also called, ‘Taverns,’ (they don’t necessarily need a tavern, though) usually have their own unique theme and lore, in the first post. You’d make a character following that general lore and any rules they give you, with at least some basic backstory, usually. You can have an intro post for them to introduce them, usually having them arrive there or do something interesting, and basically, you can just roleplay from there, describing what your character does and having conversations and stuff! There isn’t really any DM, but if you want to have fights or anything, you can. We all default to using 5e around here.
also, when talking out of character on roleplay threads, we speak in asterisks, like *this*
any other questions? Sorry if I’m not explaining it well or missed something.
Don't be sorry, i think i get the gist of it, thanks to y'all
Hi, I'm Anders. I like wreaking havoc in TTRPGs and listening to Swedish Death Metal. I currently am in the process of starting a campaign, GMed by your's truly. Entombed is a great band, you should check 'em out.
Peace, love, and death metal my friends
-Anders
Oh look. A new guy. Nice to meet you new guy.
Yo, I'm Himy (He/him) not as active as I use to be, but I'm here from time to time. I don't got much else to say.
"Like a soon to be broken man once said: You're either perfect, or you're not me."
”Be not defeated by the rain. Be not hindered by the wind. Bested by neither winter snow or summer heat.”
Hic Sunt Dracones\
Taking a bit of a break from DDB. Be back before summer