Seven people have vanished from their beds. No bodies, no signs of a struggle, just a ridiculously bright moon and something dead carrying a chained dagger.

I'm running a Crooked Moon campaign built around finding out what the hell is going on. It's a mystery that eventually takes the party from investigating disappearances to hijacking a train powered by spirits, riding a giant jeweled scorpion into battle, and pulling heists in a city in the sky.

We're currently at session 5, and I've got two seats open. You can still join without having played from the beginning. I'll get you caught up and work your character into the party and the ongoing story.

I run fairly roleplay-heavy games, like giving characters their own place in the story, and encourage players to come up with solutions that aren't necessarily in the rulebook. Foundry VTT, Discord and D&D Beyond.

Details:

• Wednesdays, 8 PM GMT
• 3-hour sessions, $20 per session
• Levels 3–15, long-term campaign
• Two seats available

There are dark themes, including death and body horror. We have a proper Session 0 and safety tools in place.

If it sounds like your sort of game, here's the listing: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cms6lc8d9009xl704tsdslxdf

Campaign Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pHowV4e-_I

Hey! I'm Lee, aka Leopold the Just — pro GM with 20+ years behind the screen, running paid games full-time on StartPlaying.

New Orleans By Night is a Vampire: The Masquerade 5e campaign of gothic vampire politics and personal horror in the Big Easy. Character-driven, beginner friendly, 18+.

When: Thursdays at 5:00 PM Central, weekly Where: Roll20 (VTT) + Discord for voice Price: $30/session per player Seats: 5 of 6 open

Sign up here: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmu9gsz60002lld04zok7po9q?slug=leopoldthejust

New to StartPlaying? You can also get $10 off your first session by signing up for your account using this link! https://startplaying.games/referral/cl4q1psp46euhbopk07tp42dx

🎲 Agents of Deadfall

Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall drops you into the fractured magocracy of Thay, where Szass Tam. Szass Tam is one of the most powerful liches in D&D history and is weeks away from completing a ritual that will unleash demonic undead on the entire realm.

Your party are the agents of Operation Deadfall, and you’re the only thing standing between Szass Tam and oblivion. In this adventure we will:

• Go undercover as we will prowl through dark alleyways, uncovering hidden agendas and plots leading us to stopping Szass Tam!
• Forge uneasy alliances
• Fight new foes warped by magic
• Reach level 20 and defeat Szass Tam once and for all!

🎮 Game Time:

• Saturday 7pm EST - 2/6 - LINK

🤓 About me

• I played RPG's for over 10 years, almost exclusively as a DM. Conventions, local game centers and community interactions are all things I did and enjoyed. Decided to go online to continue what is, to put it the simplest, my passion.
• Full-time GM: 1000+ games/100+ reviews on startplaying.games. My games are what I spent the majority of my time on, improving, making maps and running adventures and new systems.
• I developed FoundryVTT modules for Archvillain Chronicles patreon.
• I worked with Kickstarter projects creating whole modules for FoundryVTT. My recent big project is the LANCER module Pass the Torch. The demo is available completely for free, check it out yourself as it speaks highly of my craft.
• Several ongoing campaigns: players are engaged, looking forward toward next sessions, actively engaging in our discord community.
• I would picture myself as a rules as fun DM rather then rules as written. I do homebrew materials, constantly rewriting and improving. I reward roleplay and creative thinking. My players make the story - I just flesh it out.

👉 What am I paying for?

• The work I put into my campaigns: I always make sure to purchase additional maps, resources and outright change and adapt the story if need be just so my players have a memorable time
• Dedicated players with a certain level of maturity, a fee eliminates player no-shows and creates a full experience where we look to finish the module, not just start it.
• Scripts and modules that automate the combat and provide players with a smooth gameplay experience
• Full access to Heroforge
• Maps from talented patreon creators: Domille's Wondrous Works, Czepeku, Mad Cartographer and more.
• VTT dice from Q-workshop and Rollsmith.

📖 Content details

• Any official WotC/Paizo/Publisher product
• Unearthed Arcana/Playtest materials
• Homebrew (open for discussion)

🐲 Rules

• Be respectful to other players - everyone wants to have a fun game.
• Everyone is welcome, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, minority status, language skill or game skill. 💕

📞 How can I contact you?

• I am active on discord each day. A private message here or a discord small talk is all it takes: dmthetulio
• If you would like to play another campaign, in the same time period in any of the systems I do paid sessions in (pathfinder, starfinder, dnd5e and more) be sure to contact me!
• Reviews

Hi all, I'm Davi, a UK-based DM with about 8 years of experience and 100+ games run. I'm putting together a long-form campaign called Operation Deadfall and I'm looking for players.

The pitch: a lich in Thay is finishing a ritual that will raise an undead army powered by stolen demon energy. The one ruler who saw it coming got branded a traitor for saying so, so she hires outsiders who can't be traced back to her. That's your party. You sneak into the court, sabotage the ritual and kill him before it finishes, and nobody can ever know you were there.

This is a spy thriller, so expect disguises, bribes, blackmail, dead drops and quiet deals in crowded markets. The enemy runs an actual spy network. If you're loud in a tavern, fight in front of witnesses or skip the disguise, his agents come looking for you. I keep a secrecy tracker the players can see, so you always know how much heat you're carrying. Planning like a heist crew will get you a lot further than charging in, and I reward clever prep.

How I run it:

• Every session opens mid-scene with something already going wrong
• Full voice acting for NPCs, and music scored to the scene
• Combat-light, roleplay-heavy, rules mostly as written with some Rule of Cool
• Faces, scouts, fixers and fighters all get their own moment
• A few small homebrew rules to reward planning and character backstory (like "I Planned For This", which lets you declare you prepped something ahead of time)

The details:

• 5e using the 2024 rules, starting at level 11 and going to 20
• Saturdays, 9pm GMT+1, 3 hours
• 5 seats, starts once 3 players have joined
• $20 per session, charged when a session starts
• Foundry VTT, D&D Beyond and Discord
• 18+, and a Session 0 is required
• No generative AI used in any of my games

Non-Thayan characters are welcome too. Mercenaries, exiles, activists and travelers all work as long as your character has a reason to hate what Szass Tam is up to. You don't need to know the setting, I'll teach you what your character would know.

If you've never booked through StartPlaying, my link gets you $10 off your first session:

Saturday: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmun7wn2900eojt04k7ju1pae?ref=clp6e0g1i005xl408post584y

Happy to answer questions in the comments or DMs. Bring a code name and a cover story!

Somewhere under a lost and lonely hill lies a labyrinthine crypt. It is filled with terrible traps and ferocious monsters, but most of all - the richest of treasures hidden in the deepest parts of the tomb. (It may also be haunted by a demi-lich, but that's all hearsay!) As your team sets out to conquer this loot, there's only one question: Can 30 kobolds survive the Tomb of Horrors in 4 (and ½) hours?

-----

Hey there! I'm Dallas, and I have been dying to try this oneshot idea, no pun intended ;) I've prepared this as a Halloween special, so I'll likely only be playing these games, and then that's it.

We will be playing the infamous Tomb of Horrors in all of its intended horror as a oneshot, with a max time of 4 ½ hours. 30 pre-generated level 5 kobolds will be selected in a pool. And we will be honoring the original AD&D experience - very few saving throws, no investigation checks, and no death saves.

WARNING: Tomb of Horrors is a MEATGRINDER. These kobolds WILL DIE, and there is very little roleplay. The fun is discovering how far your team can make it within the time limit.

Game: Dungeons and Dragons 5e (2014)

Number of players: 3-4

Platform: Discord for VC, Owlbear Rodeo for VTT

Price: $8.00 (once)

Game 1: Saturday, October 24th at 7pm EDT (11pm GMT)

link: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmvd0bpyp01rcl007gx7sjwv2

Game 2: Wednesday, October 28th at 11am EDT (3pm GMT)

link: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmvj5zhuj005fi608wig31v1m

Game 3: Saturday, October 31st at 2pm EDT (6pm GMT)

link: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmvj637va00j6l208mjk81l1z

if you're interested in the challenge, feel free to reach out on Startplaying or Discord if you have anymore questions ✌️

Play in the brand new campaign frame, Journey to Horizon, from the new Hope & Fear expansion for Daggerheart! Travel, explore, and discover across a huge map, Daggerheart style!

In a Journey to Horizon campaign, you play a hero chosen by fate to resurrect a goddess and save the world. You will leave your sanctuary city that has been sealed by magic for a thousand years and be among the first to travel across a world completely changed and unknown.

You have a map, but it's a thousand years old, and the landscape has completely changed. The only thing you know for sure is where the other sanctuary cities are.

The realm is filled with wondrous and fantastical landscapes steeped in magic. Seemingly impossible combinations can and do happen: an area of desert could be right next to a glacier.

There are forces of evil and shadow arrayed against you, so this will be a dangerous journey fraught with peril. You will encounter monsters and wonders. You will explore ancient ruins and magics. You will make friends and enemies along the way.

TONE & FEEL
Adventurous, Epic, Hopeful, Magical, Mysterious, Sprawling, Wondrous

THEMES
Faith in Friendship, Growing Shadows, Hope Rekindled, New Beginnings, Pathways Long & Winding, Points of Light in a Ruined World

TOUCHSTONES
The Dragon Prince, Fallout, Final Fantasy VII, Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Lunar, Willow

If you’re excited to engage in the collaborative storytelling Daggerheart provides, and if you want to play a heroic and skilled character in a narrative focused game, then this is the campaign for you.

Play in a laid-back campaign custom-made for your character. This will be a heroic, high adventure, sandbox-style campaign.

We enjoy a lot of laughs, but still have our serious and dramatic moments.

This will be an ongoing campaign with a story that will unfold around you based on the decisions you make.

During session zero we'll make characters and build connections. I'll also give a brief introduction and orientation to Foundry.

- Beginner friendly
- Woman friendly
- BIPOC friendly
- LGBTQ+ friendly

Weekly Campaign
Game time: Thursdays 4pm Pacific
Duration: 2-3 hours
Cost: $30/session
VTT/Chat: Foundry + Discord

Game Link

My GM Profile

Use My Referral Link and Get $10 Off!

Play in the brand new campaign frame, Journey to Horizon, from the new Hope & Fear expansion for Daggerheart! Travel, explore, and discover across a huge map, Daggerheart style!

In a Journey to Horizon campaign, you play a hero chosen by fate to resurrect a goddess and save the world. You will leave your sanctuary city that has been sealed by magic for a thousand years and be among the first to travel across a world completely changed and unknown.

You have a map, but it's a thousand years old, and the landscape has completely changed. The only thing you know for sure is where the other sanctuary cities are.

The realm is filled with wondrous and fantastical landscapes steeped in magic. Seemingly impossible combinations can and do happen: an area of desert could be right next to a glacier.

There are forces of evil and shadow arrayed against you, so this will be a dangerous journey fraught with peril. You will encounter monsters and wonders. You will explore ancient ruins and magics. You will make friends and enemies along the way.

TONE & FEEL
Adventurous, Epic, Hopeful, Magical, Mysterious, Sprawling, Wondrous

THEMES
Faith in Friendship, Growing Shadows, Hope Rekindled, New Beginnings, Pathways Long & Winding, Points of Light in a Ruined World

TOUCHSTONES
The Dragon Prince, Fallout, Final Fantasy VII, Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Lunar, Willow

If you’re excited to engage in the collaborative storytelling Daggerheart provides, and if you want to play a heroic and skilled character in a narrative focused game, then this is the campaign for you.

Play in a laid-back campaign custom-made for your character. This will be a heroic, high adventure, sandbox-style campaign.

We enjoy a lot of laughs, but still have our serious and dramatic moments.

This will be an ongoing campaign with a story that will unfold around you based on the decisions you make.

During session zero we'll make characters and build connections. I'll also give a brief introduction and orientation to Foundry.

- Beginner friendly
- Woman friendly
- BIPOC friendly
- LGBTQ+ friendly

Weekly Campaign
Game time: Fridays 4pm Pacific
Duration: 2-3 hours
Cost: $30/session
VTT/Chat: Foundry + Discord

Game Link

My GM Profile

Use My Referral Link and Get $10 Off!

All skill levels and abilities welcome. 1 seat is already filled, willing to start with 3 players.

Pitch: As the ages-long Blight recedes, adventurers and factions race to claim the newly revealed wilds and the secrets long lost within.

About the adventure

Lords of the New Wilds, will be player driven, with the story crafted from your backstories and in-game choices. Experience the story you dream of for your character!

For as long as memory reaches, a dark blight has eaten away at the edges of the world, forever growing and never ceasing. Safe lands dwindled, and souls from every corner of the world were pushed into an ever-shrinking center. Extinction and doom were all but certain; it was only a question of when. What was left of the world had come to accept its fate, to be snuffed out and swallowed by the insatiable blight. Until one day, without explanation, it began to withdraw. Lands not seen for an age began to see sunlight once more, and soon many turned their eyes to what hidden treasures might be revealed. The New Wilds are not a promised land. They are a question, an unwritten story, waiting for new lords to take the quill and make their mark. An old, forgotten world is becoming new again. A world resigned to extinction finally sees a ray of light through the darkness. Is the blight leaving for good, and why? What terrible and amazing things will be left in its receding wake? Who will become the Lords of the New Wilds?

Welcome to the Somnium Shard. A sundered paradise; knowledge, gods and power's all known throughout the land, its history coveted by lost tomes, cosmic knowledge and crazed minds. With earliest carvings detailing a different world that may have been the Shard's muse, the inspiration for reality. However not all could be replaced, and the world's panorama was in its own natural discourse, with the residents at home.

With that overly grand intro done welcome to my personal world, a multi-year labour of love that I'm still working on with every session, a sandbox type world for players to discover, learn about and influence as they desire. Designed as an open campaign for players to fit into as they wish, follow the threads of their backstory, or start a questline that leads to them swearing loyalty to a kingdom. Whatever it is you feel you want to do in a fantasy world I'll accommodate it as well as I can. However do not think that this means everything is free, the Somnium Shard is still a living and breathing world, thievery, murder and the sort will have consequences, as will trying to steal that magical artifact. You'll have to contend with mages scrying on you, rangers tracking you and bounty hunters after you if you upset the wrong people.

So come and join the adventure, see where your characters can take you, how they can evolve and develop in this world with a DM that can handle whatever you feel like throwing at him.

We play on Roll20 and Discord so do make sure you have both. Message me on discord at proxy4d if youre interested at all 😄. The games are beginner friendly and I'm very happy to help you setup anything at all that you need.

Game 1:

• Schedule: Weekly from 7pm UTC Monday for 3-4 hours every session
• Cost: 20$ per sessions
• Party is at level 1, the game has not yet begun.
• Slots: 3/5
• Game Link: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmvfuseq200adjt08kmy4svkg?slug=chaska

Game 2:

• Schedule: Weekly from 7pm UTC Wednesday for 3-4 hours every session
• Cost: 17$ per sessions
• Party is at level 5, on session 9.
• Slots: 4/5
• Game Link: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmoxemgt600a9lb04y5v42so2

Game 3:

Game 3 has a much stronger theme around undead and an evil Lich, keep that in mind if you wish to join.

• Schedule: Weekly from 11pm UTC Sunday for 3-4 hours every session
• Cost: 17$ per sessions
• Party is at level 2, on session 4
• Slots: 4/5
• Game Link: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmstlszzy000pjo04rf1vxnkm

This is an asynchronous PBP D&D Lord of the Rings 5e campaign hosted by my friend with 22 years of experience as a DM. New or experienced players are welcome to join, and this is a paid campaign 10$ a week every Sunday. And here's the link to the StartPlaying page, where you can join and ask questions, and welcome on in https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmkqojr9s0023jo042ggtd794

"Everything changed on that fateful day. Looking back, I know that whatever we did changed our lives forever. The sky raptured and something strange came through. It was a great adventure that showed us how little we knew about the universe. It was scary and yet magical. I wish we could do it again."

Adventure as a kid in the 80s that never was! Adults are distant, school is boring, and oh yeah, there are robots and hoverships about. Although you share your hometown with the mysterious particle accelerator facility known as the Loop, your life seems ordinary until a strange incident one night changes everything for you and your friends as you discover a mysterious creature.

Hello, I'm Caestus! Looking players for a game of Tales from the Loop, using the book They Grow Up So Fast, a group of four linked pre-created adventures. The game uses the Mutant: Year Zero engine, which is fairly easy to understand, and will run on the Alchemy VTT; which makes the whole thing quite easy to play and great for beginners.

System: Tales From the Loop

Platform: Alchemy

Date: Tuesday 4 pm PST - Bi-Weekly

Session duration: 3 hours

Players: 3/5 slots filled

Player experience: No experience required, great for new players

Price: $10/session via Startplaying

Details & sign-ups: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmtdcs4nd000jjq04a8mv5qg4?ref=clq3g7daf0001lutqn2yzf0jp

New and ongoing games open all week long! Check out reviews and open games at my Startplaying.games page HERE! You can also join our DISCORD to check out all the goings on and new player content updates!

Game: D&D 5.5e

Location/Timezone: (USA - EST)

Schedule: (Weekly, Check Below!)

Game style: A mix of combat and RP leaning a bit more toward combat. I like to incorporate a player's background and backstory into main arcs of the narrative, being more player and character driven! This setting has a mix of traditional fantasy and sci-fi. These aspects can be mixed, separated or tailored to the group's desires!

TL:DR: Tons of new and ongoing games all week with a ton of new and exciting player content to choose from!

ONGOING GAMES!

TUESDAY - 10:00AM EST (2/8)

[Join our ongoing LEVEL 7 LEAGUE OF MAGICS adventure as our heroes investigate a nefarious plot by a group war-seeking extremists!]

TUESDAY - 6:00PM EST (3/8)

[Join our ongoing LEVEL 9 LEAGUE OF MAGICS: DREAMS OF THE BROKEN MASK adventure, as a small group of solo-contract adventurer's have made a name for themselves, and someone now seeks their assistance.]

WEDNESDAY - 2:00PM EST (7/8)

[Join our ongoing LEVEL 7 LEAGUE OF MAGICS adventure as our group of heroes investigate a growing darkness in the Erdwood, slowly draining the life out of every atom it touches!]

WEDNESDAY - 7:00PM EST (6/8) 🔥NEW!🔥

[Join our new LEVEL 4 LEAGUE OF MAGICS campaign as our group of misfit adventurers all trying to find themselves, their history, and escorting a group of refugees back to their village through days of treacherous jungle terrain!]

THURSDAY - 6:00PM EST (4/8)

[Join our ongoing LEVEL 6 DEEP SPACE ARCANA campaign and race across the galaxy to the wedding of the millennia!]

FRIDAY - 12:00PM EST (4/8) ⚔️HIGH LEVEL!⚔️

[Join our ongoing LEVEL 16 TYRANNY OF DRAGONS 5.5e REVAMP CAMPAIGN! This adventure is set in the Forgotten Realms setting, guiding players through the classic Tyranny of Dragons adventure, with new twists, turns, story elements, and updated for 5.5e!]

FRIDAY - 7:00 PM EST (5/8) ⚔️HIGH LEVEL!⚔️

[Join our ongoing LEVEL 15 LEAGUE OF MAGICS adventure as our heroes travel across the world to find allies and armies to fight in the coming war against the Fairy Queen of Darkness!]

SATURDAY - 12:00PM EST (6/8)

[Join our ongoing LEVEL 7 LEAGUE OF MAGICS adventure as our heroes adventure through a labyrinthine dungeons filled with all sorts of story-themed rooms, searching for the infinite library of Mythrill Eternal!]

SUNDAY - 2:00PM EST (7/8)

[Join our LEVEL 15 LEAGUE OF MAGICS adventure, as our group begins their training and preparations to head to the planet Kronos and stop an invasive alien species!!]

SUNDAY - 11:00AM EST (4/8)

[Join our upcoming LEVEL 5 CURSE OF STRAHD REVAMP campaign, bringing the classic 5e adventure to 5.5e! Join our adventure as the group explores the town of Vallaki and must decide how to deal with the mad burgomaster!]

UPCOMING GAMES!

THURSDAY - 9:30PM EST

[Join our upcoming LEVEL 3 LEAGUE OF MAGICS adventure as our heroes travel into the sundered Snow's Kingdom, now teeming with hordes of undead and aberrations from the Plane of Void!]

You are a Blade Runner of the LAPD's elite Rep-Detect unit, and you aren't happy. One of your own has been murdered. It's up to you to solve the crime... but as ever on the rain-soaked streets of LA, things aren't as simple as they seem. You'll have to sort out the truth from lies, false memories and treachery. Can you crack the case and keep both your life and your soul?

Electric Dreams is the starter set for Free League's Blade Runner roleplaying game, and we're looking for Blade Runners. As the starter set, it is perfect for new players, and players do not need to own a copy of the rules. Blade Runner RPG is a game of sci-fi action, investigation and difficult moral choices. It uses a modified version of the Year Zero system that allows for intense chases and dangerous combat and has a strong emphasis on investigation. We need one more Blade Runner to begin.

System: Blade Runner

Platform: Roll20

Date: Sunday 3:00 pm PST - Weekly

Session duration: 3 hours

Players: 1/4 slots filled

Player experience: No experience required, great for new players

Price: $16/session via Startplaying

Details & sign-ups: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmuq2ogb000s2jn04i2lwogy4?ref=clq3g7daf0001lutqn2yzf0jp

The Imperium of Man is waging the Achillus Crusade across the stars to drive back powerful alien forces. The Feral world of Aurum possesses vital resources, but its fierce warrior people are unimpressed by Imperial missionaries. Only one group is mighty enough to impress these warriors and win their allegiance: the superhuman Space Marines of the Deathwatch. But strange forces are conspiring against them, and the Space Marines will need both firepower and cunning to succeed. Do you have what it takes to be one of the Emperor's angels of death? Do you Know No Fear?

The Emperor Protects is a set of three adventures for Deathwatch, a game where players play Space Marines in the Warhammer 40K universe. Players will start with 1,000 extra XP. I'm available to help players with character creation and teach rules, so being new to the system isn't any kind of bar. Join us! The Emperor Protects!

System: Deathwatch

Platform: Roll20

Date: Monday 2:00 pm pst campaign, biweekly.

Session duration: 3 hours

Players: 2/5 slots filled

Player experience: No experience required, but players should own or be ready to acquire a copy of the core rules

Price: $17 via Startplaying

Details & sign-ups: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmo88qffr000ml704bqe7ljbg?ref=clq3g7daf0001lutqn2yzf0jp

The mists have claimed you.

I'm looking for 5 players to join a weekly Curse of Strahd campaign set in the haunted land of Barovia.

I've been DMing for around 5 years, and I'm looking to build a group that wants to experience the campaign as a long-term story rather than simply rushing from encounter to encounter.

Campaign Details

Curse of Strahd
5 players
$20 per player/session
Thursday — 6:30 PM UK
3-4 hours per session
Weekly
Foundry VTT + Discord

What kind of game is it?

🦇 Gothic horror and dark fantasy
🎭 Character-focused storytelling
🔎 Investigation and mysteries
⚔️ Dangerous tactical combat
🗺️ Exploration and adventure
☠️ Meaningful consequences
👑 Strahd is an active presence throughout the campaign

Your characters aren't just passing through Barovia. They'll have their own reasons for being there, relationships to develop, and choices that can have lasting consequences.

I'm particularly interested in players who enjoy getting into character and contributing to the story, but there's still plenty of combat, exploration and classic D&D adventure.

New players are welcome. You don't need to know every rule before joining.

⚠️ Content warning: This is a gothic horror campaign and includes violence, death, psychological horror and other mature themes.

Interested?

Send me a DM and tell me a little about yourself and what sort of character you'd want to bring into Barovia.

I'll answer any questions you have and can provide the StartPlaying page with the full campaign details

Start Playing link: https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmu1jvofg000sl504r2h43ah7?ref=cmgwfeptj0002jm04cmbm1y79

View in your time-zone https://timee.io/e/5QG

First off: The price will be discounted after you join the campaign. This can be adjusted individually for each player, so don't worry if you see the original 20$. You will get the 50% off.

Join Feora's red blossoms blight - D&D Beyond / D&D Beyond Maps / Discord - Dungeons & Dragons 5e | StartPlaying Games

In the land of Feora, the dead are rising. Necromancy is no longer merely a forgotten myth. It has become a terrifying scourge. People are left abandoned by those that swore to protect them. As hatred and zealotry rise, someone must stand their ground.

Hi, I'm Mat and starting my dark fantasy campaign in my homebrew world of Etaria. Now, for the first time on StartPlaying! The setting and story frame is play-tested and robust. You will play a group of heroes (with complicated and fun backstories for me to weave a plot around 😉) being dragged into conflict in the small country of Feora. Your characters start off with the job of bringing a group of refugees to the safe haven of Felindre, the second largest town of the kingdom. How you met and why you are here is up to you. How you tackle the situation and the way the plot develops will largely depend on your decisions. Each group will tackle the problems differently and make me smile while pulling the strings!

I have roughly six years of DMing experience and my style is a mix of roleplay-focused storytelling and challenging encounters (aiming at 60/40). The world in general is open and you are free to explore, while I will provide a central storyline.

I don't use random encounters but design them, with purpose and progress in mind.

This is a dark fantasy campaign in a world inspired by the tone of the Witcher books with a gruesome touch of grim horror.

I have several safety tools at the ready and you will get a free session 0 to discuss our lines and veils. And, even play a bit already ;-)

The table is beginner and LGBTQ+ friendly.

The campaign will start no earlier than November 18, 2026, with a potential session 0 as soon as we gather all players and agree on a date :-)

Any questions? Feel free to ask!

Little piece of lore:

The Aranon empire did not break in a single cataclysmic event, but was hollowed and corrupted. What was once united, became fractured by resentment and suspicion. Men founded kingdoms and broke their neighbors. Their weakness without union was mistaken for the strength and glory of kings. Holy crusades, though righteous in purpose, were fought against the very seeds from which they themselves had sprung. Greed for power and dominance. Now we find ourselves in Feora, the smallest of the fractured kingdoms. What answer can a king offer, when his people return to their families from freshly sealed graves, soil still clinging to their skin?

*"What if the world remembers a history that never happened?"*

**Time:** TBD, Eastern Time, Saturdays

**System:** Mage: The Awakening 2e — The Sundered World (Dark Eras)

**Platform:** Roll20 + Discord Voice, Foundry Soon

**Price:** $20/session via StartPlaying

**Length:** Long-Term Chronicle (50+ Sessions)

**Players:** 4–6, ideally one of each Path

**New Players Welcome, 18+ Only**

I'm recruiting for a long-term **Mage: The Awakening 2e** chronicle set in **The Sundered World**, a prehistoric Dark Era.

The year is approximately **5500 BCE**.

Humanity is beginning to tame the wilderness. The first farming communities flourish beneath the protection of the Wise, Awakened men and women who wield powers once reserved for the gods.

But beyond the firelight, the world belongs to something older.

Gods still walk. Spirits and flesh mingle in the untamed Border Marches. The children of Father Wolf stalk a world where the Hunt is sacred, while ancient powers watch humanity's growing influence with fear and resentment.

And beneath it all lies impossible mysteries.

The People remember a glorious age when humanity commanded the world and walked alongside gods. Its ruins remain. Its wonders still haunt the wilderness. Yet those who look backward through Time discover something terrifying:

That age never existed.

You are one of the Wise, protectors, scholars, mystics, and explorers of a civilization still finding its place in the world. Your discoveries may reveal what happened to the Time Before, what the gods truly are, and why the world itself seems to be changing.

This is a **player-driven chronicle**, not a railroad. You'll explore ancient Mysteries, negotiate with supernatural powers, protect or challenge the communities of the People, and decide what humanity's relationship with the world around it should become.

**StartPlaying:** [https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmuy5o94n0017lc04wrs3phi6\](https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmuy5o94n0017lc04wrs3phi6)

# What to expect

* Heavy roleplay and character development

* Supernatural investigation and ancient Mysteries

* Exploration of a prehistoric world filled with living gods, spirits, and forgotten wonders

* Moral dilemmas involving humanity, civilization, and the supernatural

* A living world shaped by player choices

* Memorable recurring NPCs, factions, and competing supernatural interests

* Dangerous but relatively infrequent combat

* New players welcome — no previous Mage experience required

# Five Paths, Five Mysteries

I'm hoping to recruit **one character from each of the five Mage Paths**, with each connected to a different aspect of the setting. I will allow one Werewolf in place of a Thyrsus

* **Thyrsus — the Mystic:** Studies spirits, explores the relationship between Flesh and Shadow, and seeks to understand the supernatural forces reshaping the world.

* **Werewolf — the Hunter:** Belongs to the culture of the Uratha, understands the obligations of the Hunt, and has personal stakes in the fate of Father Wolf.

* **Moros — The Ocean Below:** Death, ghosts, the Underworld, and what remains of forgotten ages.

* **Mastigos — Dreams & the Astral:** The human soul, dreams, and memories of a world that may never have existed.

* **Acanthus — The Lost Time Before:** Shattered history, Fate, prophecy, and the mysteries of Time.

* **Obrimos — Gods & the Supernal:** The nature of divinity, the Pangaeans, and humanity's relationship with higher powers.

These are **suggested story connections, not premade characters**. You'll have freedom to create your own character, with bonus starting XP available for meaningfully incorporating your Path's suggested mystery into your concept.

The goal is a Circle of Wise whose different interests lead them into the many strange corners of this ancient world.

# About me

I've been running long-form campaigns professionally for several years. My games emphasize preparation, immersion, and character-driven storytelling, with extensive Roll20 handouts, custom reference documents, and memorable NPCs.

I especially enjoy weaving player backstories, ambitions, and personal Mysteries directly into the chronicle. Your character's interests won't simply be background details; they'll help determine which stories we explore and how the world develops around you.

# Character Creation

We'll create characters together before the campaign begins using **Mage: The Awakening 2e**, with the setting-specific rules from **The Sundered World**.

You don't need to know the system or its lore beforehand. I'll help you learn spellcasting, develop your character concept, and understand how this ancient world differs from modern Mage.

# Platform

* Roll20

* Discord Voice

* 3-hour weekly sessions

* $20/player/session via StartPlaying

If you've ever wanted to explore Mage before the Diamond Orders, before the familiar world of modern Awakened society, when humanity was young and the gods still walked among mortals, I'd love to have you at the table.

Feel free to comment or send me a DM with any questions.

**StartPlaying:** [https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmuy5o94n0017lc04wrs3phi6\](https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmuy5o94n0017lc04wrs3phi6)

A dead god stirs beneath Tu'narath.

Vlaakith, the immortal Githyanki Lich-Queen, intends to steal its divine spark and ascend to godhood. Your mission? Infiltrate her haunted Palace of Whispers, survive her ultimate guardians, and destroy her machinery before it’s too late.

Welcome to high-level D&D 2024 (5.5e) at its finest: featuring weekly Wednesday sessions at 6:30 PM UTC via Foundry VTT and Discord. Priced at $15 USD per session via StartPlaying, this 5–9 session mini-campaign blends 70% crunchy tactical combat, 20% exploration, and 10% roleplay in an uncompromising, high-stakes dungeon crawl.

🧙‍♂️ MEET YOUR GM & SETUP

Run by an experienced educator and veteran DM of over a decade, the table is neurodivergent-friendly. Expect premium Foundry VTT integration with dynamic lighting and automated support for Tier-4 mechanics. Character creation features epic starting gear (1 Very Rare, 2 Rare, and 2 Uncommon magic items) during a dedicated Session 0 using D&D 2024 rules.

👉 Secure Your Seat on StartPlaying!

A campaign for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Pokémon, and exploring how these two systems might come together.

The story takes us to the island of “Junohs” (a completely homebrew location). This forgotten region has enjoyed years of peace, maintaining harmony between people and Pokémon. In the island’s main areas and biomes, a number of ancient Pokémon live, tasked with preventing natural disasters and, essentially, maintaining order for all the island’s inhabitants. Recently, something has unsettled each of these ancestral Pokémon, threatening to plunge the region into catastrophe. Those capable of discovering the cause of these events and calming the ancestral Pokémon will earn the respect of the island and, ultimately, earn the privilege held by only a select few: to leave and strive to become great Pokémon Trainers.

We’ll be using the Pokémon 5e system, which has an exceptional website detailing all the relevant information on how to create trainer character sheets, as well as the mechanics for capturing Pokémon and the abilities they’ll possess. Since this is a “homebrew” region, we’ll work together with the players to determine which Pokémon might be found in the island’s different biomes. Of course, there will be a predetermined list and a “Pokédex” shared with the players, but it’s also important to include Pokémon that the players themselves want to see (excluding area-specific legendary Pokémon for reasons I believe are understandable).

The campaign will take place exclusively on Junohs Island, with the possibility of exploring other regions if that’s something the players at the table happen to be interested in.

Welcome to my story in the incredible D&D universe. I've been creating a fleshed out world, where not only do your decisions matter, but they may change the game indefinitely for all parties, not just your own.

I will not only jam with whatever players throw at me, but also try to fully incorporate it into the story of the world. Back stories will always come into play, each character becoming a crucial role within their story.

My campaigns will be perfect for you if you're interested in heavy story, world exploration, and finding creative ways out of situations.

If you've ever loved Elder Scrolls, Morrowind is my inspiration, so you'll find something that comes from my genuine love of the game, D&D, and story telling as a whole.

I have 2 different story's running now:

The City of Rust & Steel:

This campaign begins in 1893, you will be navigating through the city of Penadrome, where the air is thick and musky, and smoke claws its way out from the factories. The smoke seeps into the streets and clings to all that it touches, reaching its thickest point near the tower's base.

Your pulse beats in sync with each tick whispering from the clocktower, instinct dragging you on despite your struggles to retain control. This body was never yours, but merely a gift given to you by an oh so gracious god, and once again, it has come time to collect dues.

Every choice you make matters, every decision impacts the world around you, in your hands lies the fate of this world, but are your hands strong enough to withhold its weight?

The Cruel Sun:

The gods of this land are all false, they call us heretics yet we know the truth. The only true God is the Sun, and all we have now are but corruptions of its pure form. You people give up your families, your morals for these 'Gods'... but a true God would never ask such perversions of you.

You've awoken, you're eyes see nothing but cold dark stone.

A mumbling coming from the left draws you're attention, you are not alone here.

You've been asleep longer then many cities have been on maps, but now you must awaken, a great war is coming, and it needs you to decide which side is righteous.

This campaign is both story and battle driven. You are put in between two warring sides, throughout the campaign your goal will be to find the side you wish to aid and help them to conquer the other.

Both sides are fully playable, and will have in depth story lines to accompany them, you and your group will decide your own fates...along with the dice rolls of course.

My games are usually $5-$15 per session, however I am flexible with pricing if money is an issue!

My campaigns are very roleplay heavy, all your actions have consequences.

They are open world, in The City of Rust & Steel you can explore 3 different countries, and as many cities and towns as you can get to, in The Cruel Sun the whole country is explorable as well!

My worlds are great for investigative interactive players, you can befriend NPCS, be betrayed, or fall in love!

Campaigns times are

\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~

Tuesdays:

12:00 pm - The City of Rust & Steel - 5/6 players

https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmvbbnja2001bl4074ujp7wtb?ref=cmqyfwxzp01mskz04fc9u86v7

3:30 pm - The Cruel Sun - 4/6 players https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmumaz33n00pbjp04r2g7dojn?ref=cmqyfwxzp01mskz04fc9u86v7

7:00 pm - possible but not yet running a

Fridays possible if requested for anytime as long as we finish by 10:00 pm!

Sundays

8:30 possible but not yet running

As an AFAB myself, my groups are queer friendly and safe, I also have a women's/afab's only campaign within these settings as well, so if your interested in any of the above let me know!!

Welcome to my story in the incredible D&D universe. I've been creating a fleshed out world, where not only do your decisions matter, but they may change the game indefinitely for all parties, not just your own.

I will not only jam with whatever players throw at me, but also try to fully incorporate it into the story of the world. Back stories will always come into play, each character becoming a crucial role within their story.

My campaigns will be perfect for you if you're interested in heavy story, world exploration, and finding creative ways out of situations.

If you've ever loved Elder Scrolls, Morrowind is my inspiration, so you'll find something that comes from my genuine love of the game, D&D, and story telling as a whole.

I have 2 different story's running now:

The City of Rust & Steel:

This campaign begins in 1893, you will be navigating through the city of Penadrome, where the air is thick and musky, and smoke claws its way out from the factories. The smoke seeps into the streets and clings to all that it touches, reaching its thickest point near the tower's base.

Your pulse beats in sync with each tick whispering from the clocktower, instinct dragging you on despite your struggles to retain control. This body was never yours, but merely a gift given to you by an oh so gracious god, and once again, it has come time to collect dues.

Every choice you make matters, every decision impacts the world around you, in your hands lies the fate of this world, but are your hands strong enough to withhold its weight?

The Cruel Sun:

The gods of this land are all false, they call us heretics yet we know the truth. The only true God is the Sun, and all we have now are but corruptions of its pure form. You people give up your families, your morals for these 'Gods'... but a true God would never ask such perversions of you.

You've awoken, you're eyes see nothing but cold dark stone.

A mumbling coming from the left draws you're attention, you are not alone here.

You've been asleep longer then many cities have been on maps, but now you must awaken, a great war is coming, and it needs you to decide which side is righteous.

This campaign is both story and battle driven. You are put in between two warring sides, throughout the campaign your goal will be to find the side you wish to aid and help them to conquer the other.

Both sides are fully playable, and will have in depth story lines to accompany them, you and your group will decide your own fates...along with the dice rolls of course.

My games are usually $5-$15 per session, however I am flexible with pricing if money is an issue!

My campaigns are very roleplay heavy, all your actions have consequences.

They are open world, in The City of Rust & Steel you can explore 3 different countries, and as many cities and towns as you can get to, in The Cruel Sun the whole country is explorable as well!

My worlds are great for investigative interactive players, you can befriend NPCS, be betrayed, or fall in love!

Campaigns times are

\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~

Tuesdays:

12:00 pm - The City of Rust & Steel - 5/6 players

https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmvbbnja2001bl4074ujp7wtb?ref=cmqyfwxzp01mskz04fc9u86v7

3:30 pm - The Cruel Sun - 4/6 players https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmumaz33n00pbjp04r2g7dojn?ref=cmqyfwxzp01mskz04fc9u86v7

7:00 pm - possible but not yet running a

Fridays possible if requested for anytime as long as we finish by 10:00 pm!

Sundays

8:30 possible but not yet running

As an AFAB myself, my groups are queer friendly and safe, I also have a women's/afab's only campaign within these settings as well, so if your interested in any of the above let me know!!