Gold in the Wood, A Folktale | Learn to Play Cairn
Cairn | Campaign
About the adventure
"Cairn is an adventure game about exploring a dark & mysterious Wood filled with strange folk, hidden treasure, and unspeakable monstrosities. Character generation is quick and random, classless, and relies on fictional advancement rather than through XP or level mechanics." - from https://cairnrpg.com/ ----- Cairn is currently a favorite in the indie TTRPG scene, but it's hard to find people to play! Here is an opportunity to try Cairn at its best, with an experienced GM who knows how to facilitate an old-school style game. We will play Cairn exactly as the game suggests, by exploring the mysterious Wood, using a hexmap to tell a player (and treasure) driven story. Your choices will blend with random tables and prepared elements to map a completely unique map. Played on discord, flexible in terms of pen/paper or online resources
Game style
Sandbox / Open World
In "Sandbox" or "Open World" games, players are given a tremendous amount of freedom to pursue their stories without the restrictions of a more linear game style. Players are encouraged to explore and engage with the world, and find their own story as they do so. These games offer the players the opportunity to help drive the narrative, and allow for the story to evolve organically through the choices they make.
There's one more seat, with a minor vetting process. Game is narrative focused, thoughtfully-paced, and atmospheric. A PC died last week. -- Feel free to join in at the capacity that works for you. This game is collaborative storytelling focused, art forward, and sometimes asynchronous. We will definitely be able to weave you into the plot.
5.0
(15)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
48 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, World Builder
Game Master Reviews (15)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Storytelling
World Builder
Chris
Played 2 sessions
Highly recommend
Will Scannell
Played 6 sessions
Sam is an incredibly talented GM and knows how to create a wonderful story and world!
Keshav
Played 5 sessions
Scraw is a lively DM and great to interact with. He creates a very in-depth world for players to get lost in, if need be, and provides sufficient room for experimentation and alternate paths, even if the world around us reacts strictly. He occasionally fudges rolls, so that the story can continue, and I think that is wise, as overly strict adherence to the rules can drag the story down or kill off interesting NPCs too early. I think that voice acting is hard as a DM, and with practice, it definitely can become better, but I think that he has the potential to get there. There is obviously for every DM the pressure to balance world lore and detail with expediency, some players like an hour long lecture on world history, and some get bored if you describe a book for a little more than a second, I think that it's a careful balancing act between players and DMs and maintaining a two-way street can allow for smoother and more appealing storytelling. His games also lack unnecessary violence and grimness. You can sense something sinister lurking or waiting to strike you down, but beyond simple dying in combat, or the creeping sensation of enigmatic horror, there isn't anything overly in your face, it's subtle, and I like that subtle creeping sensation. I wish him good luck and hope to provide more information as I play more games with him for longer. :)
Grim
Played 11 sessions
Great first game, nice with voices and catching me up to speed.
Liam
Played 2 sessions
Absolutely!
Lokalyl
Played 22 sessions
Sam is a one of the friendliest and off the cuff creative GM's you could ask for. I look forward to every session and have a great time every week. Sam is a supportive, helpful GM who encourages creativity and roleplay. Brilliant GM.
Additional details
How to prepare
Working discord needed. You can download the rules of Cairn at www.cairnrpg.com.
What I provide
I will bring the cairn pdf (which is free), the hex mapping tools, and the discord. I have curated a huge number of random chart tools over at www.gnomestones.fun/the-link-farm.
Gameplay details
This is a standard old school dnd game, with risk of character death. In the game I might take the role of a dastardly villain, but above table I'm still friendly and respectful. My role as a GM is help the players survive, not revel in their demise.
Content warnings
• Violence
• Character Death
Safety tools used
• Open Door
• Session 0
How will character creation work
The character creation process is very simple, and will be included in the first session as part of the gameplay. Character creation is going to be quick and part of the fun!
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
High
Experience level
Open to all
Platforms used
• Discord
$15.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Monday - 2:00 AM UTC
2 Hour Duration
3 / 4 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Open to all
Age: 18+