Danger in Dankwood: Dynasties and Deception
Ancient, secluded Dankwood, home to hardy peoples who live alongside fierce forest monsters, is beset by a new, eldritch evil. Brave the danger!
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday - 11:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
1 / 6 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/6
About the adventure
The Dankwood, a place of twilight mists and ancient secrets, is the home of dark legends, from wandering eldritch beasts and forest spirits of folklore, to powerful sorcerous entities, including Zarya of the Dawn, a goddess of pitiless light, Koschei the Deathless, a villainous twice-undead lich, and the dreaded Baba Yaga, a fickle witch of enormous power, known for feasting on the flesh of foolhardy heroes and innocents alike. YOU will play an adventurer seeking to unravel the mysteries of the Dankwood. You are either a soldier assigned to this mission, or someone who enjoys facing the unknown. Duke Vadmir of Stony Keep rules these lands from his border fortress, as, despite its many perils, the Dankwood is populated by a rugged if grim people, made up of hardy villagers, reclusive monks, the barbaric mountain folk of the south, and groups of adventurous rangers and skalds. But the Duke grows old, and his only (legitimate, heir-worthy) children have been missing for over two decades. Rumors have it that his daughter, fair Irena, has cloistered herself within a forest cult of enchanter nuns, while the twins Ivan and Igor have met terrible fates, the former cursed to remain a simpleton, and the latter becoming a dreaded oath-breaking anti-Paladin, ravaging the towns of the forest, surrounded by his powerful retinue of villains, known in whispers as the Dark Hunt. Some of you have answered the Duke's summons out of your drive for adventure, and some have been sent by the Duke's superiors: the Parliament of the United Peoples of Desmirandra. As the threat of a full-scale Orcish invasion from the east looms, the Duke must prepare to defend his lands, and you have been tasked with the mission of exploring the clues to his heirs' whereabouts, somewhere in the darkest depths of the Dankwood. Will you dispel the myths, and elucidate the truth of the legends? Will you discover rare treasures along the way? Or will you meet a gruesome fate at the gnarled hands of the forest leschii or simply be torn apart by dire wolves? Pack your saddlebags, heroes, and prepare for the twilight expanse of the Dankwood. Hold hope closest of all—for in the deepest darkness lie glimmers of the brightest light. Starts at Level 4. Heroically-minded or neutral characters preferred. All classes and subclasses OK. New players to D&D totally welcome.
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
1 year on StartPlaying
About me
Super old-school DM, running RPGs since 1983. Yup, I'm what the Stranger Things kids become 40 years later! World traveler and avid TTRPG gamer, I draw inspiration for my games from classic high fantasy (LOTR, Elric, Arthur/Merlin), Norse and Slavic folklore, plenty from 1980s adventure flicks, plus a lot from the crazy stuff I've witnessed IRL. I love the cool moments my players come up with, and as a dad, I'm flexible, love terrible puns, and am willing to step back and let my players choose their own paths. As a child of the 70s and 80s, I miss the cheesy "badassery" inherent in many movies and songs of that era. I also love the poignant moment of beauty that come with hope in the face of despair, and the challenges that come when fighting for one's values. I'm very LGBTQ+ friendly, an anti-war and equal rights activist, and I always try to be sensitive to, and respectful of, the identities and feelings of the people I play with. I don't like PvP, unless players agree to it, and only out of fun. As a teacher IRL, I appreciate child-like behavior, but not child-ish. E.g., I'm not against responsible substance use at my "table," but impairment ruins everyone's fun. I'm pretty casual, otherwise, and may "fudge" rules on occasion—but only *for* my players, never against.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Please have a Level 4 character ready before the first game, OR I have a few pre-built characters available for you to choose from! If you're a new player, don't mind the next paragraph. You'll be great! Core books, Tasha's, and Xanathar's are canon, but feel free to ask about other sources. Use whatever tools you want. If you're doing dice and paper, I prefer "roll 7 scores, re-rolling ones once, pick six scores, arrange how you want." DNDBeyond is fine, but in that case, please use Point Buy, you hardcore hero. Multiclassing is okay. If you're new to 5e, I'm willing to help you before the first session during a Zoom call. but I expect you to at least read up on your character class (abilities) before we play. It's just one page, folks. For those of you playing pre-built characters, I'll include summaries you can peruse.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Webcam and mic required. Actual computer (PC/laptop/good tablet) required. No smartphone-only players, please. Basic Zoom and Roll20 accounts are free, and the links I'll send out when you sign up should make it easy. As mentioned, we're starting at Level 4, and if you need help, I'm willing to help before the first session. Please be reasonably punctual. Please only miss sessions with one-week forewarning. Game starts 10 minutes after scheduled time. I'll communicate in Eastern US Time. And... WELCOME!
What DM Dude (Alex) brings to the table
I'll set up all the game maps, and make a custom token for each player, based on any art the player would like to provide. I won't do a lot of voices, preferring to describe them, e.g., "she says in a low, gravelly voice: 'get your hands off my horse, you forest filth!'" However, if you want to do voices, or even dress in character, go for it! Maps will be in Roll20, character sheets can be done in any way, as long as the DM's seen any updates. Roleplay will be over Zoom, and I prefer that your camera is usually on (this isn't middle school, and I'm not going to tell tales to the top of your head). You don't need experience with Roll20 before the game. Joke rabbit holes and cell phone distractions will be kept at one minute. 2-minute bio breaks whenever, no judgment. 10-minue breaks roughly every hour. 10 minute social catch-up at the start, the rest discussed during breaks. 5-10 debrief at the end of each session. The DM is totally open to communication between sessions. Oh, and strategizing behind his back is super-cool. As for game rules, the DM is always open to brief reminders and corrections—I'm not a computer, haha—but for ambiguous scenes, usually tend toward Rule of Cool, with RAW clarification after the session. Retconning (minor) may occasionally occur, and never against the players. I like combat to be reasonably paced, so please BE READY when it's your turn. Initiative order will be on full display! If you're playing a caster, please know the basics of your spells, at least, or alternatively play another class. I'll allow one major re-spec after a few sessions, but please keep your character recognizable. I'm liberal on swapping spells or abilities that prove to be undesirable. CHARACTER SECRETS are welcome, but must be public to me and all PLAYERS. I'm a stickler for distinguishing between player knowledge and character knowledge. Meta-gaming is OK when strategizing, but kept to a minimum. No secret villains, lone wolves, or "loose cannons," please. If your character has a wacky habit, like taking bong rips before battle, it's not a boon. If you're playing a thief, don't steal from party members. If you plan to disrupt the game, please find another one. Character identity, such as gender, etc. must be respected, but don't expect applause. NO INTER-CHARACTER PREJUDICES about IRL subjects such as gender or looks will be tolerated, including against het males. You are all allies on an adventure together! Safe space, sorta. I may feature LGBTQ+ NPCs, but this isn't a game about gender identity or sex, it's about slaying baddies and protecting the innocent. No graphic romance will be described. I may butcher some Slavic folklore, but it's artistic discretion, and in my IRL background. I do tend to do scripted lore info-dumps, but I try to keep them under 5 minutes. Lastly, please be respectful, and remember that it's a game. If I see "hard feelings" starting, I'll address it in break-out rooms during a break, or between sessions.
Homebrew rules
Multiclassing: No ability requirements. E.g. if you want to play a charismatic Paladin who's also a very stupid Wizard, go for it.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Microphone
Internet
Webcam
Platforms used
Safety
How DM Dude (Alex) creates a safe table
The DM will discuss, privately, with every player before the first session what triggers a player would like to avoid, and the DM will respect that. In the case of an unwitting trigger, any player can feel free to bring it up with the DM, even if it's an opinion about another player feeling or making them uncomfortable. Zero tolerance for bullying or deliberate triggering..
Content warnings
Safety tools used