Dragonchess
Dungeons & Dragons 5e | Campaign
About the adventure
Five ancient dragons are playing an ancient game of strategy and manipulation, and you are one of the many game pieces. The gameboard is the continent of Vara'Sil, a land steeped in ancient perils, scheming nobles, and dark secrets. The prize: dominion and control over the land and the people that live there. Will you prove hero enough to unseat these ancient masters of politics, conquest, spying, and misdirection? Or, perhaps, will you usurp their thrones and become a tyrant yourself? Please note that this game is intended to be played as a long campaign. The buildup of tension, drama, and taking sides is only satisfying if ample time is allowed. The consequences of decisions that are made by you, the player, will occasionally take a long time to unfold. If you are interested in a politically sophisticated game with major stakes and real rewards for smart decision-making, this is a game I think you will enjoy. This is not the first time I've run this original campaign. In my experience, some sessions may pass without any combat, but the combat that does happen is very significant and weighty. If you enjoy combat after combat, this may not be your preferred game, but if you like your combat to feel necessary and dangerous, I think you'll like it.
Be prepared to play a long adventure in an open world. Make sure that you run your character concepts by me before you create them, as the campaign setting doesn't include all standard 5th edition races and some of them have substantial changes from the default setting assumptions.
2 years on StartPlaying
Additional details
How to prepare
If we're playing online, players will need Discord installed and an active Discord account. A mic is required, but a webcam is not necessary (although I think it makes the experience better). Familiarity with 5e rules will help you out. I help people out on their turns with rules and spell descriptions, but I rarely give advice or help out of combat. It's up to you to understand how your items and spells work and how they might be useful. If we're playing online, you'll need dice or a dice roller. I abide by the honor system for rolling dice online. I'm going to trust that you aren't cheating, and hope you honor that.
What I provide
I have a large collection of dice, miniatures, and terrain. If we're playing in person, you'll see a personalized miniature of your character (which we can talk about you purchasing if you want). If we're playing online, I'll be using a webcam to shoot the battlefield when we're in combat. I also know a couple of great artists that have reasonable fees if you want to commission art of your characters.
Gameplay details
Most of the really important gameplay will be decision-making. Whom to trust, why, and with what information or treasures? Players should expect that they may be ambushed, face enemies they thought were friends and vice versa. The game's pace is methodical, a slow burn through a long novel as opposed to an action movie.
Content warnings
• Animal Death
• Alcohol Use
• Blood
• Character Death
• Drugs (addiction, use, withdrawal)
• Body Horror
• Child Death
• Drowning
• Fire
• Hostages
• Insects
• Illness
• Kidnapping
• Murder
• Mind alteration
• Memory Erasing
• Pandemic
• Pet Death
• Slavery
• Snakes
• Spiders
• Terrorism
• Violence
Safety tools used
• Breaks
• Debriefing
• Lines and Veils
• Session 0
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
I urge players to create characters after talking to me. There are details about the setting and world that will be critical for character creation, and I'm happy to guide people through that during our first session.
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
Low
Experience level
Intermediate
Platforms used
• Discord
$15.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Custom / Tuesday - 4:00 PM UTC
2-5 Hour Duration
0 / 6 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Intermediate
Age: All Ages