It started faintly, almost imperceptible, but it quickly grew until the very earth quaked and cracked open. The world stood still as homes were ruined and lives were lost. Sinkholes swallowed cities whole. Crevasse opened and shattered the land. Strange monsters from the depth of the world climbed up and wreaked havoc on an already dying society.
Yet, from such a disaster, wonders also emerged. Strange monuments and obelisks emerged from cracked ground, often in the middle of nowhere and some rare times in the middle of a city. Fifteen of them were spread around the world, an imposing structure that the monster shied away from. The few adventurous souls that braved entering the monument rarely returned, enacting the first international decree to ban further entry into any tower, until one snuck in and came out carrying otherworldly power capable of slaying many of the monsters in one fell swoop. They were called Conquerors, the ones who conquered the monument.
With the success of one, many more followed, driven by the promise of power. The Conquerors' and their powers were enough of an equalizer to push back the tide of destruction. Monsters were purged. Lands were reclaimed. The world settled once again for the moment. The people banded together, forming new communities and cities around the safety of the monuments, now called the Gauntlet from the series of trials one must take to conquer it. The land of ruined cities were overtaken by wildlife once more, but new lands were settled with better fortification.
Life finds a way and continues onwards.
Greetings and Salutation!
Hello there,
Welcome to the world of Avidya. This is a world where people only have one goal: to survive the endless tide of monsters that crawled out from the depths of the earth. Gone were the days when normal social structure, cultural heritage, and scientific progression were the pinnacle of civilization. Every day is a struggle to live, and only the strong survive. It is eat or be eaten, hunt or be hunted. There is no time to ask: how could this happen? Why would the monster come now? Where do they come from? There is only the drive and will to survive.
Until there is a chance. The strange monuments that rose from the earth as the monsters came offered the people a sanctuary. The monsters shied away from it for some unknown reason. Many brave souls dared to enter the monument, and only a handful survived. Yet, these handful of survivors came back wielding supernatural and otherworldly powers. It was enough to turn the tide against the crushing wave of monsters.
Now, it is time for the prey to hunt. It is time for the people to ask: how will we stop this?
Background Information
The original conception of Avidya started when I posted this interest check here. At that time, I just heard the news that a new anime called Solo Leveling would be released soon. I read a couple of chapters of the novel and a few pages of the comic/manhwa -- also watched the three episodes of the Netflix series -- but it reminded me of another manga/anime called Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. From there, this idea of playing in similar worlds made me create this world.
I'd like to apologize to the few people who were interested in having a short test game in that interest check post. I never really followed up on that. I ended up scrapping most of the mechanics discussed there and brainstormed some more. Hopefully, this will be more to your taste.
General Information
The main focus of this campaign is conquering the Gauntlet Monument and the Emergence Breach. It is already a known fact in Avidya that conquering the Gauntlet Monument would give you a relic or a set of relics that allows someone to wield incredible power, enough to fight back the monsters that came from the Emergence Breach. It is rumoured that the relic and power can also be used to close the breach forever, or at least control it to such a degree that it can only be opened by the relic-wielder.
However, as there are only fifteen Gauntlet Monuments spread across Avidya, conquering more monuments would mean having more powers. Conquest against towns that had taken shelter around the monument would not be too farfetched. A war against conquerors is only a matter of time. The fight for survival would then no longer be just against the endless horde of monsters, but also against fellow people of Avidya.
You will start in a desert town in the far west of Avidya. It is a newly established town called Perseverance. In the middle of the town stands an unconquered Gauntlet Monument giving shelter for the people from the monsters coming from the Emergence Breaches called the Pale Chasm to the north and the White Waste to the east and south.
I am hoping we can amass 5 players for this campaign. I don't require you to already have an established character sheet. After I select the players that would fit into the campaign setting, I will PM you individually to flesh out some things before sending an invite to a Discord channel and the campaign link.
Campaign Information
The world of Avidya is not unlike our own world. Except, it had already fallen from the massive earthquake that awakened the monsters. It is currently in the process of rebuilding, but much information and knowledge were lost when the Emergence started. The level of technology will be about early industrial age -- late renaissance. There are guns -- early one-shot guns like blunderbusses or flintlocks, but as it strangely rarely works on the monsters, it had been abandoned.
I have elected to ban the cleric class for the players. There will be one in Avidya, a conqueror of a monument, that the players may see in the campaign, but the player may not choose a cleric class during character creation, but I can make a concession if it is a knowledge cleric. Be warned, though, I will make you live up to your knowledge cleric-ness by springing up riddles and puzzles.
Another class that I will heavily restrict is the warlock class. This is not because I don't like the class, but it is because it doesn't fit with the setting. I will still allow the class to be taken, but not all the subclasses will be available. Four subclasses will not fit with the campaign setting: the fathomless, great old one, undead, and undying. Add: since the first posting of this recruitment thread, I have elected to allow fiend warlocks despite its lack of connection with the world.
As mentioned before, the world of Avidya is not unlike our own world. It is a non-magical world that has been ravaged by monsters. Magic items will be very, very, very rare; they must be commissioned from materials found after slaying monsters or conquering a Gauntlet Monument or an Emergence Breach. To counter this, potions will be available at a reduced price. I have thought about further complicating the matter by using the Gritty Realism guideline in DMG, but I will defer that decision to the chosen players.
We will start at Level 1. I want an extensive backstory if possible so I can incorporate tidbits of your backstory into the world. As we will start in a non-magical world before possibly getting magic after conquering the monument, I would like to know how you have used your spellcasting abilities in a non-magical way during your life so far. For example, you know the cantrip prestidigitation; you can explain it by your character carrying a small bag filled with veritable tools that will cause the effects mentioned in the spell. I encourage you to take only utility spells and no offensive spells.
Now, race is tricky. I will say that you can choose any race you want, except tiefling or races with the Amphibious trait (water genasii or merfolk) or a fly speed (Fairy or aarakocra). If you have Tasha, I encourage using the Custom Lineage; that way you can customize your character's look and feat, but everyone will have the same basic abilities or features. Regardless of your race, you start with an additional feat of your choice.
This will be an asynchronous game, but I will most probably choose people who came from UTC+7 to UTC+13 timezone. However, if there is a lot of interest in the PST-EST zone or around UTC+0 zone, I will create another group for each zone with the same campaign setting, maybe with a different starting place because originally I had 3 possible starting places (a desert, a coast, and a forest) but chose to start in the desert just because I recently watched Dune.
After thinking for a few days since planning this post, I will now say anyone can apply as this will be an asynchronous game. I only ask that you plan to stay for the full length of the campaign, which will probably take a couple of years. So far, I have planned the campaign to start at Level 1 and end at Level 10. If, by any chance, we want to continue past that, then we can.
If you are still interested in joining me in this, here's what I want you to put in your application:
Character Information
Name: Race: Class (Future Subclass): Background:
Backstory: Make it as detailed as possible, especially if you are choosing a spellcaster. Explain how you use your chosen cantrips and first level spells in a non-magical way.
Reason for being in Perseverance: You can be a new refugee, one of the original settler, or maybe even a travelling brigands that find the town perfect for retirement. I encourage you to have bonds in the town. Maybe family, close friends, lovers, or even being one of the town's founder. They would also be the reason you volunteer to conquer the monument.
Player Information
Nickname/Username: Timezone:
What do you hope to see in the campaign: Describe an event or overarching story arc you want to see. For example, if you want a war, then I will give you war at a certain point in the campaign. Another example, if you want to explore, what kind of places would you like to see?
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign): Do add into the world with anything you want. A character concept you want to meet. An event that already happened in the past but you want to re-discover. A rumour of strange machines. An assassination attempt. A place that people dare not tread. I encourage you to think of each Gauntlet Monument and Emergence Breach as a demiplane. All of these additions to the world can be in the world of Avidya itself or in these demiplanes.
Additional Information
EDIT:By the time of this edit, it will already be two days since I first released the recruitment post. I have added the following additional information to provide more options to the prospective players.
For some reason, I always have problems during inserting an image. So, you can see the world map of Avidyain this link. On the map, there are several markers of interest.
🔔 (the image of a bell) denotes a Gauntlet Monument. It is unknown whether they have already been conquered or not, but it is common knowledge that the Gauntlet Monuments in Ort, Qorelia, Munamguk, Cantrinia, and Arishan are already conquered.
💥 (the image of an explosion) denotes an Emergence Breach. They are even more mysterious than the Gauntlet Monument because no one has dared to near it or has been strong enough to near it. Although, there are rumours that Damocles Horizon had been closed by the conqueror from Ort. There are also rumours that Muridae Market is not really an Emergence Breach but an allied settlement to Arishan despite sightings of horned people with colourful skins and tails.
The Gonagan Tower is well known to be the place where an international council took place after the fall. Not much is known about the place except its importance in ratifying the treaty to ban entry into any monuments due to its danger and its eventual deregulation after the first monument had been conquered.
The Sawonese Lighthouse is rumoured to be haunted.
Closing Remarks
As you might have guessed, this will have a heavy combat and puzzle emphasis during the first few levels, but there will be a period where heavy roleplay is involved. Hopefully, I can deliver a satisfying story that will cover all the bases I've alluded to and mentioned. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask in the forum or to PM me.
I will open this recruitment thread until the end of the month. After that, I will directly PM anyone that I have chosen to be in the campaign. We will have a brief session zero over PM or Discord before we start the game.
Race: Gnome/Halfling (in that order, depending on what's allowed)
Class (Future Subclass):
Articifer/Alchemist
Background:
Guild member or equivalent
Backstory:
Brix was raised by his apothacary mother and his brewer father. From them Brix learned to extract the essence of plants, minerals, and even animal by products like lard, hide, and but not limited to, bones. His mother showed him things like Strong smelling compounds derived from boiled cow piss when waived under the nose can sometimes bring the near dying back to consciousness. She would make soothing salves that could calm and promote the healing of wounds. His father showed him how to create and distil reagents and recombine them to great effect. Being some what of a talented tinker in his own right, Brix modified a discarded and broken gauntlet into a delivery system for some of these special compounds his father and mother had shown him.
The gauntlet was very damaged but Brix only needed pieces anyway. By removing the large fingers he was able to re-engineer them into twin cylinders located on outside of his arm just above the wrist. Between the cylinders was a small lever. This lever atached to twin plungers that would slide back and forth within the cylinders pressurising the tubes. The tubes themselves flipped up so that they could easily be filled with chemicals and compounds that Brix carried in a bandolier across his chest. The bandolier was fashioned so that the small bone vials are held snuggly in place.
Brixs Father has created a potent brew by distilling fermented grains knownas Philibin Firewater (moonshine). Brix is incharge of distribution to the local areas
Reason for being in Perseverance:
Brix is a native to Perseverance. He hopes that with further study he can understand why the monsters come and possibly a way to deter them.
Player Information
MrJanuary
Timezone:
MST but I'm around off and on all day. I keep odd hours.
What do you hope to see in the campaign:
Just good character development. A story arc that allows me to possibly take Brix on a journey of discover. Possibly even finding that which will help protect his family.
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign):
I find.it hard to predetermine what I want to add. Once we play there and I get a feel for it, we'll work on something.
Name: Wadi Dawnchaser Chogan Race: Goliath (or Custom Linage if a better fit) Class: Druid (Blighted/Dreams/Stars/Moon - seeing whatever we think would work best in this world and storyline) Background: tbd (I'm always frustrated by the lack of common backgrounds like farmer, hunter, forest dweller (sorry about the venting ;-) )) - maybe Outlander, Faelost, or Hermit)
Backstory: He is a child of nature, raised by woodland creatures he is most at home in the wilds. His parents were traveling through the forest and were killed by bandits that let the child to the beasts of the forest. Instead the spirts and fae of that forest invited the child in and raised them as their own. He grew up being able to converse with all manner of fauna. Just recently week he was informed by the great sprit that he is from Perseverance. He made the difficult decision and has set out to find what remains of his family.
Reason for being in Perseverance: He is there to find out what happened to his family and to reconnect. Along the way he learns about the monument
Player Information
Nickname/Username: Mustang Timezone: EST
What do you hope to see in the campaign: Primarily to explore your world and to be engaged in interesting combat situations. He would want to reconnect with family and to have the chance to conquer the monument (which he just learned about).
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign): The natural side of the world. To flesh out and expand upon those areas and experiences.
Full disclosure, I am GMT+0, but this sounds cool so I will make an application anyway and hope there is enough from this side of the ocean for a second group.
Character Information
Name: Milo Fairchild Race: Custom Lineage (Appearance of a Halfling. Exact appearance will change if I am in a group not starting in the desert. Feats: Dual Wielder and Mobile) Class (Future Subclass): Fighter (Rune Knight) Background: Entertainer (main method, sword juggling)
Backstory: He used to live in a town not near a monument. He was a hunter, both for getting food, and for picking off lone monsters, often with some help. It was through this that he learnt how to use two swords as with the monsters, a good offense was sometimes better than a good defence. This skill also extended to juggling swords. One day, he went out of town to hunt food, which also saved his life. Shortly after leaving, monsters overran his home town leaving no survivors. The conqueror arrived too late. He fled from the monsters while they were preoccupied in the town so didn't spot him. With no one from his old life left, he travelled in grief and settled a few months prior to the campaign. He managed to make friends who showed him that even though he lost everything, it didn't mean he had to lose himself. He lived at the local inn, entertaining the guests with his juggling and flute skills, or telling highly exaugurated tales of his "adventures", in exchange for a room and food.
Reason for being in Perseverance: Survival. Having lost his old town due to monsters he moved to a safe town with a monument. He has a good friendship built up with the local innkeeper.
Player Information
Nickname/Username: Swift Timezone: GMT+0
What do you hope to see in the campaign: A stronghold that the PCs own. Possibly an adapted version of the UA bastions. But essentially, a base of operations that can be customised and upgraded.
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign): Another (rival) adventuring party. Why is it that in most campaigns, the PCs are the only hero group. Sure you get some hero NPCs but no other parties. Seeing as the guardian towers are limited, racing against another party to gain the power adds a challenge. The party can still be good, but selfish and wants the power for themselves so they can be seen as the heroes not sharing. Won't necessarily be in conflict with the party.
Update: I have updated the first post to provide a little bit more information in the Additional Information section. I will also open the recruitment until the end of the month, after which I will choose the people that fit with the general storyline that I have in mind and the setting. Then, we'll do a session zero to flesh out the world and the characters before starting the game.
Backround: As a young boy his parents signed him up for military school. Hes long since forgotten their names and faces, he was raised a soldier and a good one at that. Once the monsters started appearing he was at the front lines. He watched as his friends, no, his family were mowed down. he was the only soldier left in his platoon. He quickly took to the woods using his survival skills he learned from the military to survive and some he learned along the way. His prized possesion is his bow which he saved from his brother, platonas, his closest friend in his platoon. they were closer than any other brother they knew.
Reason for perserverance: Resting, hes constantly fighting monsters and collecting money and rewards for it, he also wants to kill every monster he can find to avenge the closest thing he had to family. he has made connections with the local children and through them the parents through his amazing stories to tell (even if hes a bad story teller)
player info:
NIckname: burning
What I hope to see: survival and combat with players interacting and having fun sharing stories and RPing
Add into the world: other ex military survivors who we can ask for help or trade with.
Backround: As a young boy his parents signed him up for military school. Hes long since forgotten their names and faces, he was raised a soldier and a good one at that. Once the monsters started appearing he was at the front lines. He watched as his friends, no, his family were mowed down. he was the only soldier left in his platoon. He quickly took to the woods using his survival skills he learned from the military to survive and some he learned along the way. His prized possesion is his bow which he saved from his brother, platonas, his closest friend in his platoon. they were closer than any other brother they knew.
Reason for living and fighting: revenge, he vows to kill every last monster on this earth and avenge his family
player info:
NIckname: burning
What I hope to see: survival and combat with players interacting and having fun sharing stories and RPing
Add into the world: other ex military survivors who we can ask for help or trade with.
I see reference to discord in the post (not sure if it was there before the edit or not). I'm not bothered either way, but I know the answer might put some people off so asking now before selections are made so no one pulls out later.
Will the main campaign be run on the forums or discord with avrae?
I see reference to discord in the post (not sure if it was there before the edit or not). I'm not bothered either way, but I know the answer might put some people off so asking now before selections are made so no one pulls out later.
Will the main campaign be run on the forums or discord with avrae?
I have experienced some difficulty with Avrae before. It's good, but sometimes it can suddenly stop connecting with DDB, making it difficult to know who's rolling and what the roll is. So, the game will be in the forum. The discord will mainly be for maps and out of character discussion.
Quick question: when is the cutoff date for registration? Also what date will the DM choose who gets cut and who gets to be in the campaign?
I'll make a decision on who's in and who's not by the end of the month. So, if you have any friends who are willing to join, I will still consider their characters until or during the deadline day. I will probably send a private chat about that same day to those who get to be in the campaign, which will probably be the 1st of February on my end and the 31st of January on your end.
Quick question: when is the cutoff date for registration? Also what date will the DM choose who gets cut and who gets to be in the campaign?
I'll make a decision on who's in and who's not by the end of the month. So, if you have any friends who are willing to join, I will still consider their characters until or during the deadline day. I will probably send a private chat about that same day to those who get to be in the campaign, which will probably be the 1st of February on my end and the 31st of January on your end.
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I AM HOMICIDE I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF FIRE I AM STRENGTH AND POWER PRAISE LORD JEFF THE EVIL ROOOOOOOMMMBBBAAAAA
I AM PURE HATE! MY NAME IS BURDURXA SHADEMAKER! TREMBLE IN FEAR AT ITS MENTION!!!! PM ME THE WORD TOMATO OR I WILL SLAP YOUR FIRST BORN CHILD!!
Name: Inge Stonechild (<-- link to dndbeyond character sheet) Race: Custom Lineage (human with a touch of both Giant and Elven blood in her ancestry... feats: Polearm Master and Slasher) Class: Barbarian (Path of the Giant planned) Background: Folk Hero
Backstory:
It was Winter when Inge was found abandoned in stony, mountainous lands bordering the White Waste by a clan of nomadic warriors. Baby of unknown parentage, near blue with the cold, yet not shivering, nestled in her rocky nook. Taken in and raised as one of their own by the nomads, Inge adopted their heritage and took to their style of polearm fighting with gusto. In some ways, however, she differed from the other clan children who grew bored listening to elders speak of ancestors and traditions. Inge, by contrast, devoured all the ancestral stories that she could, having no true parents to call her own and a growing chip on her shoulder as a result, her own towering stature and pointed ears suggesting both elven and giant ancestry. This rapt attention to lore caught the notice of the clan's wise woman, who spoke of prophecies that in a time of danger, one raised by the clan but not born of them, would venture forth in search of an object of power and salvation.
That all seemed forgotten when the Breaches arose. And all, nomads and farmers and town-folk alike, huddled around the safety of the Monuments. Yet this never felt right to Inge, who despite warnings, often ventured on walkabouts into the monster-infested wastes around Munamguk, tales of which were oft repeated and embellished, much to Inge's chagrin, by her surviving clanfolk. Until she heard of the Conqueror of Munamguk. Suddenly she knew what she must do. How had she not seen where her path lay? So it was that Inge Stonechild set out, glaive in hand, to find what fortune held in store for her in Perseverance and the Monument within.
Reason for being in Perseverance: (See Backstory above).
Character Image: (see spoiler just below)
Player username: Tybard Player timezone: Pacific (PST is UTC-8) What do you hope to see in the campaign: I love combat, problem-solving, mysteries and complex, nuanced lore. I hope to gradually discover more about Avidya (and/or adjoining planes) and the origin of the Breaches and Monuments. And Inge thirsts to discover something about her own personal ancestry. Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign): I suppose I'll wait to see if I'm chosen, but I am thinking something related to Inge's ancestry, per above. Some association or lore involving giants (or elves) in what is unfolding with the Breaches and Monuments in Avidya.
Name: Reyra Geylant (Link to the character sheet) Race: Wood Elf(Valenar Variant) Class (Future Subclass): Fighter (multi class into rogue, tending to Phantom, Soulknife or Inquisitive depending on what she finds on her journey it might trigger one or another.) Background: Knights of Solamnia (reflavoured to Elven Militia Training)
Backstory: Reyrawas born to a wood elf clan that clung to the last remains of a once great forest. Now it is a desert and the waterhole that feeds the oasis that they call their home is drying out. It has since years and this had forced the tribe to shrink. Many have left, many more had died. Reyra was one of the last to remain but it was time to leave. Centuries she had lived here, taken care of plants and animals alike. No longer, none are left to care for. She had fought side by side with her clan, who is no longer. With tears in her eyes, she remembers when - as a youth - she rode on horseback through the lively forest. What had happened, why? Well, she knew what had happened. But why? With the last remaining members of her clan, she begins the the journey to Perseverance to find refuge and, ultimately, after so many years abandoning her ancestral home.
Reason for being in Perseverance: Reyra is a refuge who just arrived from an oasis in the desert that was the remains of a once great forest. She hopes to offer her skills as services. She's an able herbalist, though there aren't many herbs in the desert - once forest - anymore. She can brew and is apt with a few alchemist recipes. If nothing else she tries to find a job as a cook or offers her sword hand. She appears as a young woman but is several centuries old.
Player Information
Nickname/Username: Cyreon Timezone: UTC+01
What do you hope to see in the campaign: Tactical battle in diverse environments, engaging puzzles and exploration of a new world that can be virtually everything with the demiplane mechanic. (I have looked through the other submissions and feel strongly that I would also love to see an implementation of the UA Bastion rules or similar. This would nicely interact with the "Add into the world" section and, in fact, I think for Reyra it would be nice to help rebuild her home in form of a bastion that is a growing forest area.)
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign): Perhaps, it is possible to reverse desertification of her home, Reyra would definitely look out for a solution even if it is a complex one. Perhaps, certain druids could help or a powerful artefact, or a ritual spell cast by living and dead members of her clan? I don't know yet, but I'm willing to work it out with you.
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
It's Monday the 29th at about 7.25 AM as I post this.
With three days left to the deadline, there don't seem to be any more applicants. So, I'll be closing the recruitment early. We have just enough for a party of six. So, thank you MrJanuary812, GRMustang, Swiftgale, burningkings, Tybard, and cyreon, for your interesting characters and ideas. I will be PM-ing each of you to flesh out your character more and follow up on what you want to add to the world. After that, we'll have a short session zero either via DDB messaging or Discord to discuss some things before we hopefully can start the game next week.
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Greetings and Salutation!
Hello there,
Welcome to the world of Avidya. This is a world where people only have one goal: to survive the endless tide of monsters that crawled out from the depths of the earth. Gone were the days when normal social structure, cultural heritage, and scientific progression were the pinnacle of civilization. Every day is a struggle to live, and only the strong survive. It is eat or be eaten, hunt or be hunted. There is no time to ask: how could this happen? Why would the monster come now? Where do they come from? There is only the drive and will to survive.
Until there is a chance. The strange monuments that rose from the earth as the monsters came offered the people a sanctuary. The monsters shied away from it for some unknown reason. Many brave souls dared to enter the monument, and only a handful survived. Yet, these handful of survivors came back wielding supernatural and otherworldly powers. It was enough to turn the tide against the crushing wave of monsters.
Now, it is time for the prey to hunt. It is time for the people to ask: how will we stop this?
Background Information
The original conception of Avidya started when I posted this interest check here. At that time, I just heard the news that a new anime called Solo Leveling would be released soon. I read a couple of chapters of the novel and a few pages of the comic/manhwa -- also watched the three episodes of the Netflix series -- but it reminded me of another manga/anime called Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. From there, this idea of playing in similar worlds made me create this world.
I'd like to apologize to the few people who were interested in having a short test game in that interest check post. I never really followed up on that. I ended up scrapping most of the mechanics discussed there and brainstormed some more. Hopefully, this will be more to your taste.
General Information
The main focus of this campaign is conquering the Gauntlet Monument and the Emergence Breach. It is already a known fact in Avidya that conquering the Gauntlet Monument would give you a relic or a set of relics that allows someone to wield incredible power, enough to fight back the monsters that came from the Emergence Breach. It is rumoured that the relic and power can also be used to close the breach forever, or at least control it to such a degree that it can only be opened by the relic-wielder.
However, as there are only fifteen Gauntlet Monuments spread across Avidya, conquering more monuments would mean having more powers. Conquest against towns that had taken shelter around the monument would not be too farfetched. A war against conquerors is only a matter of time. The fight for survival would then no longer be just against the endless horde of monsters, but also against fellow people of Avidya.
You will start in a desert town in the far west of Avidya. It is a newly established town called Perseverance. In the middle of the town stands an unconquered Gauntlet Monument giving shelter for the people from the monsters coming from the Emergence Breaches called the Pale Chasm to the north and the White Waste to the east and south.
I am hoping we can amass 5 players for this campaign. I don't require you to already have an established character sheet. After I select the players that would fit into the campaign setting, I will PM you individually to flesh out some things before sending an invite to a Discord channel and the campaign link.
Campaign Information
The world of Avidya is not unlike our own world. Except, it had already fallen from the massive earthquake that awakened the monsters. It is currently in the process of rebuilding, but much information and knowledge were lost when the Emergence started. The level of technology will be about early industrial age -- late renaissance. There are guns -- early one-shot guns like blunderbusses or flintlocks, but as it strangely rarely works on the monsters, it had been abandoned.
I have elected to ban the cleric class for the players. There will be one in Avidya, a conqueror of a monument, that the players may see in the campaign, but the player may not choose a cleric class during character creation, but I can make a concession if it is a knowledge cleric. Be warned, though, I will make you live up to your knowledge cleric-ness by springing up riddles and puzzles.
Another class that I will heavily restrict is the warlock class. This is not because I don't like the class, but it is because it doesn't fit with the setting. I will still allow the class to be taken, but not all the subclasses will be available. Four subclasses will not fit with the campaign setting: the fathomless, great old one, undead, and undying. Add: since the first posting of this recruitment thread, I have elected to allow fiend warlocks despite its lack of connection with the world.
As mentioned before, the world of Avidya is not unlike our own world. It is a non-magical world that has been ravaged by monsters. Magic items will be very, very, very rare; they must be commissioned from materials found after slaying monsters or conquering a Gauntlet Monument or an Emergence Breach. To counter this, potions will be available at a reduced price. I have thought about further complicating the matter by using the Gritty Realism guideline in DMG, but I will defer that decision to the chosen players.
We will start at Level 1. I want an extensive backstory if possible so I can incorporate tidbits of your backstory into the world. As we will start in a non-magical world before possibly getting magic after conquering the monument, I would like to know how you have used your spellcasting abilities in a non-magical way during your life so far. For example, you know the cantrip prestidigitation; you can explain it by your character carrying a small bag filled with veritable tools that will cause the effects mentioned in the spell. I encourage you to take only utility spells and no offensive spells.
Now, race is tricky. I will say that you can choose any race you want, except tiefling or races with the Amphibious trait (water genasii or merfolk) or a fly speed (Fairy or aarakocra). If you have Tasha, I encourage using the Custom Lineage; that way you can customize your character's look and feat, but everyone will have the same basic abilities or features. Regardless of your race, you start with an additional feat of your choice.
This will be an asynchronous game, but I will most probably choose people who came from UTC+7 to UTC+13 timezone. However, if there is a lot of interest in the PST-EST zone or around UTC+0 zone, I will create another group for each zone with the same campaign setting, maybe with a different starting place because originally I had 3 possible starting places (a desert, a coast, and a forest) but chose to start in the desert just because I recently watched Dune.After thinking for a few days since planning this post, I will now say anyone can apply as this will be an asynchronous game. I only ask that you plan to stay for the full length of the campaign, which will probably take a couple of years. So far, I have planned the campaign to start at Level 1 and end at Level 10. If, by any chance, we want to continue past that, then we can.
If you are still interested in joining me in this, here's what I want you to put in your application:
Additional Information
EDIT: By the time of this edit, it will already be two days since I first released the recruitment post. I have added the following additional information to provide more options to the prospective players.
For some reason, I always have problems during inserting an image. So, you can see the world map of Avidya in this link. On the map, there are several markers of interest.
Closing Remarks
As you might have guessed, this will have a heavy combat and puzzle emphasis during the first few levels, but there will be a period where heavy roleplay is involved. Hopefully, I can deliver a satisfying story that will cover all the bases I've alluded to and mentioned. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask in the forum or to PM me.
I will open this recruitment thread until the end of the month. After that, I will directly PM anyone that I have chosen to be in the campaign. We will have a brief session zero over PM or Discord before we start the game.
Thank you.
Character Information
Name: Brix Philbin
Race: Gnome/Halfling (in that order, depending on what's allowed)
Class (Future Subclass):
Articifer/Alchemist
Background:
Guild member or equivalent
Backstory:
Brix was raised by his apothacary mother and his brewer father. From them Brix learned to extract the essence of plants, minerals, and even animal by products like lard, hide, and but not limited to, bones. His mother showed him things like Strong smelling compounds derived from boiled cow piss when waived under the nose can sometimes bring the near dying back to consciousness. She would make soothing salves that could calm and promote the healing of wounds. His father showed him how to create and distil reagents and recombine them to great effect. Being some what of a talented tinker in his own right, Brix modified a discarded and broken gauntlet into a delivery system for some of these special compounds his father and mother had shown him.
The gauntlet was very damaged but Brix only needed pieces anyway. By removing the large fingers he was able to re-engineer them into twin cylinders located on outside of his arm just above the wrist. Between the cylinders was a small lever. This lever atached to twin plungers that would slide back and forth within the cylinders pressurising the tubes. The tubes themselves flipped up so that they could easily be filled with chemicals and compounds that Brix carried in a bandolier across his chest. The bandolier was fashioned so that the small bone vials are held snuggly in place.
Brixs Father has created a potent brew by distilling fermented grains knownas Philibin Firewater (moonshine). Brix is incharge of distribution to the local areas
Reason for being in Perseverance:
Brix is a native to Perseverance. He hopes that with further study he can understand why the monsters come and possibly a way to deter them.
Player Information
MrJanuary
Timezone:
MST but I'm around off and on all day. I keep odd hours.
What do you hope to see in the campaign:
Just good character development. A story arc that allows me to possibly take Brix on a journey of discover. Possibly even finding that which will help protect his family.
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign):
I find.it hard to predetermine what I want to add. Once we play there and I get a feel for it, we'll work on something.
**This Space for Rent**
Character Information
Name: Wadi Dawnchaser Chogan
Race: Goliath (or Custom Linage if a better fit)
Class: Druid (Blighted/Dreams/Stars/Moon - seeing whatever we think would work best in this world and storyline)
Background:
tbd
(I'm always frustrated by the lack of common backgrounds like farmer, hunter, forest dweller (sorry about the venting ;-) ))
- maybe Outlander, Faelost, or Hermit)
Backstory:
He is a child of nature, raised by woodland creatures he is most at home in the wilds. His parents were traveling through the forest and were killed by bandits that let the child to the beasts of the forest. Instead the spirts and fae of that forest invited the child in and raised them as their own. He grew up being able to converse with all manner of fauna. Just recently week he was informed by the great sprit that he is from Perseverance. He made the difficult decision and has set out to find what remains of his family.
Reason for being in Perseverance:
He is there to find out what happened to his family and to reconnect. Along the way he learns about the monument
Player Information
Nickname/Username: Mustang
Timezone: EST
What do you hope to see in the campaign:
Primarily to explore your world and to be engaged in interesting combat situations. He would want to reconnect with family and to have the chance to conquer the monument (which he just learned about).
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign): The natural side of the world. To flesh out and expand upon those areas and experiences.
D&D since 1984
Full disclosure, I am GMT+0, but this sounds cool so I will make an application anyway and hope there is enough from this side of the ocean for a second group.
Character Information
Name: Milo Fairchild
Race: Custom Lineage (Appearance of a Halfling. Exact appearance will change if I am in a group not starting in the desert. Feats: Dual Wielder and Mobile)
Class (Future Subclass): Fighter (Rune Knight)
Background: Entertainer (main method, sword juggling)
Backstory:
He used to live in a town not near a monument. He was a hunter, both for getting food, and for picking off lone monsters, often with some help. It was through this that he learnt how to use two swords as with the monsters, a good offense was sometimes better than a good defence. This skill also extended to juggling swords. One day, he went out of town to hunt food, which also saved his life. Shortly after leaving, monsters overran his home town leaving no survivors. The conqueror arrived too late. He fled from the monsters while they were preoccupied in the town so didn't spot him. With no one from his old life left, he travelled in grief and settled a few months prior to the campaign. He managed to make friends who showed him that even though he lost everything, it didn't mean he had to lose himself. He lived at the local inn, entertaining the guests with his juggling and flute skills, or telling highly exaugurated tales of his "adventures", in exchange for a room and food.
Reason for being in Perseverance:
Survival. Having lost his old town due to monsters he moved to a safe town with a monument. He has a good friendship built up with the local innkeeper.
Player Information
Nickname/Username: Swift
Timezone: GMT+0
What do you hope to see in the campaign:
A stronghold that the PCs own. Possibly an adapted version of the UA bastions. But essentially, a base of operations that can be customised and upgraded.
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign):
Another (rival) adventuring party. Why is it that in most campaigns, the PCs are the only hero group. Sure you get some hero NPCs but no other parties. Seeing as the guardian towers are limited, racing against another party to gain the power adds a challenge. The party can still be good, but selfish and wants the power for themselves so they can be seen as the heroes not sharing. Won't necessarily be in conflict with the party.
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
Update: I have updated the first post to provide a little bit more information in the Additional Information section. I will also open the recruitment until the end of the month, after which I will choose the people that fit with the general storyline that I have in mind and the setting. Then, we'll do a session zero to flesh out the world and the characters before starting the game.
Name Hunteros Negrada
Race: Dragonborn (brass)
Class: Ranger
Backround: As a young boy his parents signed him up for military school. Hes long since forgotten their names and faces, he was raised a soldier and a good one at that. Once the monsters started appearing he was at the front lines. He watched as his friends, no, his family were mowed down. he was the only soldier left in his platoon. He quickly took to the woods using his survival skills he learned from the military to survive and some he learned along the way. His prized possesion is his bow which he saved from his brother, platonas, his closest friend in his platoon. they were closer than any other brother they knew.
Reason for perserverance: Resting, hes constantly fighting monsters and collecting money and rewards for it, he also wants to kill every monster he can find to avenge the closest thing he had to family. he has made connections with the local children and through them the parents through his amazing stories to tell (even if hes a bad story teller)
player info:
NIckname: burning
What I hope to see: survival and combat with players interacting and having fun sharing stories and RPing
Add into the world: other ex military survivors who we can ask for help or trade with.
Timezone: washington state
I AM HOMICIDE I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF FIRE I AM STRENGTH AND POWER PRAISE LORD JEFF THE EVIL ROOOOOOOMMMBBBAAAAA
I AM PURE HATE! MY NAME IS BURDURXA SHADEMAKER! TREMBLE IN FEAR AT ITS MENTION!!!! PM ME THE WORD TOMATO OR I WILL SLAP YOUR FIRST BORN CHILD!!
MY VENOM SYMBIOTE: FFFFUUUUUURRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY
Hunteros Negrada character sheet
I AM HOMICIDE I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF FIRE I AM STRENGTH AND POWER PRAISE LORD JEFF THE EVIL ROOOOOOOMMMBBBAAAAA
I AM PURE HATE! MY NAME IS BURDURXA SHADEMAKER! TREMBLE IN FEAR AT ITS MENTION!!!! PM ME THE WORD TOMATO OR I WILL SLAP YOUR FIRST BORN CHILD!!
MY VENOM SYMBIOTE: FFFFUUUUUURRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY
I see reference to discord in the post (not sure if it was there before the edit or not). I'm not bothered either way, but I know the answer might put some people off so asking now before selections are made so no one pulls out later.
Will the main campaign be run on the forums or discord with avrae?
After joining more my signature got out of hand so I am now a proud member of the extended signature club!! :)
I have experienced some difficulty with Avrae before. It's good, but sometimes it can suddenly stop connecting with DDB, making it difficult to know who's rolling and what the roll is. So, the game will be in the forum. The discord will mainly be for maps and out of character discussion.
Quick question: when is the cutoff date for registration? Also what date will the DM choose who gets cut and who gets to be in the campaign?
I AM HOMICIDE I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF FIRE I AM STRENGTH AND POWER PRAISE LORD JEFF THE EVIL ROOOOOOOMMMBBBAAAAA
I AM PURE HATE! MY NAME IS BURDURXA SHADEMAKER! TREMBLE IN FEAR AT ITS MENTION!!!! PM ME THE WORD TOMATO OR I WILL SLAP YOUR FIRST BORN CHILD!!
MY VENOM SYMBIOTE: FFFFUUUUUURRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY
I'll make a decision on who's in and who's not by the end of the month. So, if you have any friends who are willing to join, I will still consider their characters until or during the deadline day. I will probably send a private chat about that same day to those who get to be in the campaign, which will probably be the 1st of February on my end and the 31st of January on your end.
k thanks.
I AM HOMICIDE I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF FIRE I AM STRENGTH AND POWER PRAISE LORD JEFF THE EVIL ROOOOOOOMMMBBBAAAAA
I AM PURE HATE! MY NAME IS BURDURXA SHADEMAKER! TREMBLE IN FEAR AT ITS MENTION!!!! PM ME THE WORD TOMATO OR I WILL SLAP YOUR FIRST BORN CHILD!!
MY VENOM SYMBIOTE: FFFFUUUUUURRRRRRRRYYYYYYYY
Name: Inge Stonechild (<-- link to dndbeyond character sheet)
Race: Custom Lineage (human with a touch of both Giant and Elven blood in her ancestry... feats: Polearm Master and Slasher)
Class: Barbarian (Path of the Giant planned)
Background: Folk Hero
Backstory:
It was Winter when Inge was found abandoned in stony, mountainous lands bordering the White Waste by a clan of nomadic warriors. Baby of unknown parentage, near blue with the cold, yet not shivering, nestled in her rocky nook. Taken in and raised as one of their own by the nomads, Inge adopted their heritage and took to their style of polearm fighting with gusto. In some ways, however, she differed from the other clan children who grew bored listening to elders speak of ancestors and traditions. Inge, by contrast, devoured all the ancestral stories that she could, having no true parents to call her own and a growing chip on her shoulder as a result, her own towering stature and pointed ears suggesting both elven and giant ancestry. This rapt attention to lore caught the notice of the clan's wise woman, who spoke of prophecies that in a time of danger, one raised by the clan but not born of them, would venture forth in search of an object of power and salvation.
That all seemed forgotten when the Breaches arose. And all, nomads and farmers and town-folk alike, huddled around the safety of the Monuments. Yet this never felt right to Inge, who despite warnings, often ventured on walkabouts into the monster-infested wastes around Munamguk, tales of which were oft repeated and embellished, much to Inge's chagrin, by her surviving clanfolk. Until she heard of the Conqueror of Munamguk. Suddenly she knew what she must do. How had she not seen where her path lay? So it was that Inge Stonechild set out, glaive in hand, to find what fortune held in store for her in Perseverance and the Monument within.
Reason for being in Perseverance: (See Backstory above).
Character Image: (see spoiler just below)
Player username: Tybard
Player timezone: Pacific (PST is UTC-8)
What do you hope to see in the campaign: I love combat, problem-solving, mysteries and complex, nuanced lore. I hope to gradually discover more about Avidya (and/or adjoining planes) and the origin of the Breaches and Monuments. And Inge thirsts to discover something about her own personal ancestry.
Add into the world (Used only when chosen for the campaign): I suppose I'll wait to see if I'm chosen, but I am thinking something related to Inge's ancestry, per above. Some association or lore involving giants (or elves) in what is unfolding with the Breaches and Monuments in Avidya.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Sorry, I'm on vacation and while I will try to check-in at least daily, I cannot promise that I will always be able to do so. From September 1, I should be back to normal.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus ||
It's Monday the 29th at about 7.25 AM as I post this.
With three days left to the deadline, there don't seem to be any more applicants. So, I'll be closing the recruitment early. We have just enough for a party of six. So, thank you MrJanuary812, GRMustang, Swiftgale, burningkings, Tybard, and cyreon, for your interesting characters and ideas. I will be PM-ing each of you to flesh out your character more and follow up on what you want to add to the world. After that, we'll have a short session zero either via DDB messaging or Discord to discuss some things before we hopefully can start the game next week.