Hi everyone!

Since I'm mostly stuck at home right now with lots of free time, it seems to be a great time to start a D&D campaign!

I'd like to run Lost Mines of Phandelver, since it's a classic and I own it on DDB. If you've already played this adventure, this isn't the campaign for you. 
I'm looking for a group of players who want to have fun and can post fairly often (daily preferred). I'm a relatively inexperienced DM, so don't expect anything amazing!

If this seems like something you'd like to be a part of, you can post your applications in this thread! I'd like to start this weekend, so get your applications in before Saturday!

Application format

 If you have questions about anything, I'll be happy to answer them!

Q&A

Q: Are UA and Homebrew allowed?  A: UA is unless I have a specific problem with it, PM me to ask about homebrew.
Q: What about stats?  A: We will use rolled stats, but we'll do it later.
Q: Backstory Advice?  A: Keep it short and sweet for now. Ideally, your backstory should tell me something about who your character is, not just what they've done.

Here's a couple questions:

How will stats be chosen? Point buy? Standard array? Rolling dice?

Are UA and homebrew allowed? Any other restrictions on sources for classes and races?

Name: Boigo Bristletoes

Class, Race, Background: Fighter, Halfling (Stout), Folk Hero

Quote: "If it ain't broke, I can break it!"

Treasured Possession: Boigo carries with him a burlap doll, stuffed with straw, with hair from a horses tail woven into the top of its head.

Backstory: Boigo grew up in a nearby farming town. He settled down and had a daughter. His town was attacked by an owlbear, and he was part of the group that defeated it. But alas, his daughter was slain and his wife never forgave him for her death. Not having anything to go home to, he now tries to find adventure to keep his mind occupied.

Name: Saralyssa

Class, Race, Background: Wizard, forest gnome, sage

Quote: "Talking is not my strong suit, if you want it blown up, give me a shout."

Treasured Possession: Saralyssa's spellbook was a gift to her from her wizard master.

Backstory:

She was apprenticed to one of the wizards in Waterdeep when she was fairly young. She has learned what she can from him and knows the best way to grow in power is to go out and become an adventurer. She left his tower with the book he gave her in hand, and little else to her name.

Once I've chosen the players, we will roll stats before starting the game.

It will be loosely set in the Realms, but there are no race or class restrictions. UA is mostly allowed (if there's a problem we can work it out). PM me if you have any specific homebrew in mind, and I'll see if it works.

(Sorry, backstory is longer, but doesn't really stack up to higher levels necessarily)
Name: "The Doctor" "Doc" Jennings
Class, Race, Background: Rogue, Variant Human, Cloistered Scholar
Quote: "While the humanoid anatomy differs from species to species, you can see here, here and here, where they share great similarities between them. Knowing where to strike can be far more efficient than simply swinging a giant hammer, my friend."
Treasured Possession: A seashell necklace from his granddaughter.
Backstory: Though inept at magic, the young Elias Jennings was a prodigy of sorts with his deft hands and quickened mind. He attended a prestigious academy by recommendation, gleaning as much as he could from every book he could acquire. By the time he was in his early twenties, he had received word that his family had perished in a plague that had swept through his home town. Distraught, he fell into a downward spiral. He had spent so many years studying medicine, anatomy and biology to return home and improve the lives of those who had helped grant him the opportunity. With little left to carry on, he drank heavily and fell through the cracks of society. Working as a back-alley surgeon for unsavory sorts and living from day to day with a forlorn, hopeless stare. For most of the next two decades, criminals and ne'er do-wells throughout the region had heard the name of "Doc Jennings", who would accept any and all takers for the right coin.

Things changed however, when he began what would have been the very beginning of his twilight years. He was approached one day at the market in broad daylight, despite his best efforts to maintain his appearance of just a simple retired scholar, by a young woman with the same bright red hair and green eyes he'd seen in the reflection so many times before. She hesitantly revealed that she had been searching for him for years; her mother, having just been one of the many harlots in the city but who tried to give her daughter a chance. Upon further discussion and discovery, Elias realized that this woman was indeed his daughter and after some time to process, she brought him home to her current family. Nothing luxurious by any standard, but her husband and their daughter had done fairly well for themselves and lived comfortably. The joy he felt in his heart was renewed and multiplied a hundred fold upon meeting his granddaughter.

These days, "The Doctor" works tirelessly alongside other well-meaning souls, using his unique wit and reflexes to aid protect the lands. All in the hopes of providing a better life, not only to his newfound family, but to all who wish to carve out a happy existence for themselves in this world.

Background Summary: A prodigy in the field of medicine loses his reason for pursuing the path in the first place, falls down a dark path for years. He becomes a drunk and a resource for those outside the law. He finds an unexpected light in the life of his newly discovered family and discards his shady past in an attempt to make amends and make the world a better place for his new family, specifically his young granddaughter.

My intent in recommending a backstory of 2-4 sentences was not to stop them from being interesting, it was to encourage them to focus on a few important moments that impacted the character. We can always expand on them later. It's only a loose limit, but if you're going to write paragraphs of backstory (which I will read), it would be good to also include a punchier summary.
My comment on 1st level characters was  meant to be a separate piece of advice. Feel free to include whatever wacky stuff you want (in fact, I like wacky), so long as you're not conquering armies with only your fists before the adventure even starts.

Edit: Updated the first post.

Name: Quyst
Class, Race, Background: Warlock, Tiefling, Criminal
Quote: "Oh, there comes the rich bastard with OUR gold...time for action."
Treasured Possession: A scapular, gifted to her by the priest who run the orphanage where she grew up
Backstory: In short: Robin-hood style girl. Orphan, mistreated by being a tiefling among bigots, she keeps a dark-roguish facade, but she's really a sweet, kind person, trying to keep people from suffering as she did.

Quyst had a rough life growing up as a Teifling in a small Human village. She doesn't know a thing about her father, and her mom died when she was a teenager. People on that small village would treat her as mischievous, as a thief, or things of the sort, just for her race and looks; eventually, she decided to act up to the expectations. However, deep down she is a good person - she just doesn't allow people to notice it. She steals in Robin Hood style, from rich snob people, distributing among the poor.

Even though she tries to do good at all times, she had one dark episode on her story. The greed for power made her make a pact with a Fiend, and like most of the times she was tricked in the deal. She killed a young man in the forest, not knowing what she was doing. That was more than enough to make her run away from the village an start an adventurer's life. It also made her even more inclined to do good and charity at all costs.

 Name: Garbo Timbers
Class, Race, Background: Noble Genie Warlock (UA) - Forest Gnome Sage
Quote: "Fascinating. You know, I wrote a treatise on this very topic! It was ninety-two pages but I can summarize it in.... thirty minutes or so."
Treasured Possession: A small stoppered bottle from which Garbo first discovered his patron.
Backstory: Garbo was born with the wanderlust typical of his people, and the same thirst and desire for knowledge. What set him apart from his people, however, was his ability to convince people that he happened to know everything about any topic they wished to know about, whether or not he truly did or not. The small reputation that Garbo gained for himself attracted the attention of a noble marid named Vivaraad, who believed the young gnome's knowledge could help Vivaraad add to his collection of rare and unusual things. Alternatively, Garbo's bravado could prove amusing to the marid when (not if) the gnome talks himself into trouble,

Slip Swifthand
Fighter, Forest gnome, Noble
"Dont worry, I have a good aim, it wasnt going to hit you."
A old carved bow given to him by his uncle
After getting lessons and forming a bond with his instructor, his instructor one day had to take his leave. This instructor had been everything as he grew since he was his teacher for everything, he was his source for knowledge. So he kept in communication with him until he heard he was in danger, he set of after to search for his instructor and hopefully help him.

Name: Shamash Turnuroth
Class, Race, Background: Silver Dragonborn, Acolyte, Paladin
Quote:  "Well, if you you say so, I guess I should help you out..."
Treasured Possession: Shamash keeps two blood-red cords wrapped around his wrists at all time. They were given to him by a priest at the Shrine of Suffering where he grew up.
Backstory: Shamash was orphaned at a young age, and grew up at the Shrine of Suffering in Baldur's Gate. They were kindly to him there, and he grew to be quite large, and strong, and devoted to Ilmater. He was inspired by the story of Daern, and has been adventuring for a few years, hoping to find something worthy of devoting himself to. He had been traveling with another group of adventurers, because they seemed like the type who would try and right the wrongs of world, but then he (very) gradually realized that they weren't so much Robin Hood...as robbers. 

Name: Ena Umequinal
Class, Race, Background: Sorcerer, Human, Faceless
Quote: "Ehehe...foolish mortal! This is no ordinary book, and that black cat is far from normal. You'd best tread carefully, lest I unleash the darkness in my soul and tear the world as...unter? Alunder? Uponder? Uh...t-tear the world apart. Hey stop laughing at me, stupid!"
Treasured Possession: A demonic grimoire which contains the source of Ena's power and secrets that could bring all of Faerûn to ruin (totally not her diary).
Backstory: Ena's older sister, who desperately wanted to become a powerful wizard, resented her due to her natural affinity for magic. Ena was tormented because of her talents and attempted to quell her sister's envy by pretending that she was not so great after all. She fashioned the completely unremarkable objects around her into fraudulent pact boons and pretended that she had been under the influence of an otherworldly patron all along, undermining the true source of her gifts and posturing as a warlock. Alas, her sister wasn't a fool, and when Ena's plans failed she felt overwhelmed by shame and ran away from home. She now wanders in search of deeds to accomplish under her flamboyant persona, so that she might one day return to her sister with a reputation that would earn her approval.

TLDR; Sorceress role-plays as a warlock because her wizard sister is jealous.

“What d’ ye mean, ‘Best ale in town’?  This dragon urine ain’t fit t’ tan rat hide!”  Tafod Haearn was almost apoplectic in his disbelief at what passes for ale in the ‘Stag and Thorn’.  He hurled the wooden tankard onto the sawdust covered floor.  Shaking a gnarled fist the size of a decent ham under the quivering tap-man’s nose, the furious dwarf stomped out, shaking dust from the rafters as he slammed the door after him.

At that moment a bit of breeze stirred the signboard above him and, as it swung creaking softly, an glint sparked in his eye.  Pulling his Greataxe in a smooth, continuous motion, he rent the ‘Stag and Thorne’ to flinders.

”Teach these lladron a thing ‘r two aboot claimin’ t’ know what ale is!  Ain’t none knows ale better ‘n me or me nom-de-guerre no be Tafod Haearn!”

As Tafod slipped his Greataxe back into his belt the sun gleamed on the blade, black iron inlaid with a complex geometric of silver.  It was obviously not a mundane weapon; a knowledgable observer would know that it was most likely a treasured thing handed down through untold generations of dwarves.  It was in fact an heirloom, one that Tafod felt he had to prove he earned the right to wield, which was why he was out and about looking for adventure.

Mountain Dwarf  Fighter

”Drinkin’ ale and bloodwork be the finest things in life.”

https://ddb.ac/characters/25066743/hd6TNB

Name: Eldin Marrow

Class, Race, Background: Twilight Domain Cleric, Variant Human, Acolyte
Quote: “Follow the light, or the light will show you darkness.”
Treasured Possession: A wood carving of the symbol of Pelor, the only thing to remember his family by.
Backstory: Born and raise in a farming community devoted to Pelor, family killed and adopted by priests at a young age. While other priests pray for harmony and praise Pelor for good harvests, Eldin couldn’t overlook the fact that darkness still roam the living realm and there are corruption and wickedness anywhere the sun shines. Knowing that sermons and prayers are limited, Eldin decided to leave home and travel around the world, to spread light and eliminate darkness, by peace or by force.

Name: Dargo Timbers
Class, Race, Background: Monk, Forest Gnome, Gladiator
Quote: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog"
Treasured Possession: A lock of hair from his first love. A lost love.
Backstory:  Being given away by his parents at a young age, Dargo grew up in a monastery. His training would be his life for many years. Until he was forced to leave the monastery. Searching the world for his "course" in life, he unknowingly returned to his home city. Through pure luck he stumbled upon a fellow gnome giving a speech on monastic combat techniques. He was wrong about nearly everything, but he looked so familiar....

I've PM'd you about the yet to be determined facts.

Name: Rotom
Class, Race, Background: Artificer, Kobold, Soldier
Quote: "I shall purge those who stand in the way of progress and innovation, with the sciences I have been taught."
Treasured Possession: An old, rust-covered amulet.
Backstory: He worked in a mercenary unit for a few years after his tribe was wiped out by a marauding band of goblins, who he has sworn vengeance on. He eventually parted ways with them and now he's here.

Name: Ronald "Big Bear" Foster
Class, Race, Background: Druid, Half-Orc, Farmer (A basic reskin of folk hero, I can send you the details if need be)
Quote: "*grunts* Here, let me help you with that"
Treasured Possession: An old yew walking staff with carvings of various animals, plants, and crops all along the surface
Backstory: Big Bear has a talent for working with animals, developed during his childhood as the son of a long line of ranchers. He developed a wanderlust as he got older, and only recently decided to follow his heart and hit the road to see what there is out there. He doesn’t like to get into philosophical debates, just believing that if you can help somebody, that you probably should, nuff said.

 Ability scores: 17 14 13 17 13 15

If your class chooses their subclass at first level, it should be included in your application.

It looks like the pace of applications is slowing down, so I'll close this thread in about 18 hours.

Updated my application above.