The Spire's Shadow 🧙♂️Urban Intrigue and Adventure in Ptolus
Dungeons & Dragons 5e | Campaign
About the adventure
Welcome to the City in the Shadow 🏙️ Darkness grows in Ptolus 🏰 The Spire looms, ever-present 🤴 Factions vie for control 🤝 Who will you trust? The city of Ptolus; a place of great magic, and even greater ambition. The eternal Spire, shrouded in mystery, casts its shadow over this vast metropolis, and in this darkness, factions lie, cheat, and steal for their scraps of power. For you, Ptolus is a city of opportunity. Unimaginable treasures lay hidden away, just waiting for the right person to be uncovered. But who can you trust when gold is on the line? Join with your plucky band of soon-to-be adventurers as you delve into the city's secrets. But watch your back. The Spire's shadow leaves many places to hide. What to expect: 📜 A custom adventure. Your characters are the stars. All backstories WILL be used. 🗺️ Rewarding exploration. The city of Ptolus is vast. Who knows what lurks above and below? ⚔️ Exciting combat. From villainous vampires to loathsome liches, the threats are ever changing and built to challenge. 🗣️ Dynamic roleplay. The politics of the city are fraught with obstacles. How will you react? 🎭 A perfect balance of comedy and drama. Fans of Critical Role, Dimension 20 and NADDPOD will find a lot to love. ...and much, much more! Come with me into this epic tale of adventure together in a campaign from levels 1-12 and beyond. Your characters drive the action. Your decisions shape the story. What will YOU do?
Current Party Level 4: Gnome Warlock (Great Old One) Leonin Paladin (Oath of Glory) Kender Ranger [1]/Rogue [3] (Scout) Elf Cleric (Light Domain) Human Bard (College of Eloquence)
5.0
(21)
2 years on StartPlaying
306 games hosted
Highly rated for: World Builder, Creativity, Storytelling
Game Master Reviews (21)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
World Builder
Creativity
Storytelling
Siku
New review
Played 17 sessions
Incredible DM. He takes the time to make your character feel part of the story, not just a nameless adventurer. He is great at playing off interactions with NPC's making them memorable instead of just quest-givers. The threats also feel real and escaping them feels all the more rewarding. Olly also runs Foundry well and efficiently, making the game not feel bogged down by the minutiae of playing online. The music is also great! 10/10 recommend as a DM!
Andrew
Played 6 sessions
Olly is a fantastic DM. Very welcoming and helpful. I had a blast playing with him and his current group.
Kip
Played 36 sessions
Olly is a great all-around Game Master. Does he know the rules and how to deliver balanced and challenging combats? Yes. Does he fill his world with interesting NPCs with a variety of different secrets, motives, and personalities? Yes. Can he build a world that, right out of the gate, you know you could spend the next few years exploring? Yes. Does he include mysteries and puzzles without making them harder than we can handle? Yes. And is he happy to sit back and listen as our characters talk through our next steps, head over to a bar, and then bicker about unicorns? Yes. Most importantly, does he respect us all and want what's best for the group? Definitely, yes!
JC
Played 37 sessions
Olly, thy patience knows no bounds. Olly is a great GM that goes to lengths to provide a vibrant world and fun characters to interact with. Our game is filled with players that are chaos goblins and brimming with anarchic behaviour, and he navigates it (and us) with the skill of a well-seasoned GM. Characters and NPCs feel tangible, and you know he can hit the sweet spot when you catch yourself having genuine empathy for the NPCs and their depth of story (Still on the fence about Galthair). Highly recommend Olly, catch one of his games, you won’t be disappointed!
Jonas
Played 40 sessions
Olly is an absolutely fantastic DM. Amazing world-building, and his creativity and attention to detail always makes every session extremely fun, not to mention his great voices and NPC's which always become memorable one way or another. If you're looking for a DM who will listen and engage with you as a player while providing a fantastic story which will leave you wanting for every next session, look no further.
Zachary
Played 51 sessions
Olly has been a great GM all round. He has been very accommodating and is willing to work with his players financially. He has also been great at creating a world tailored to all of the players in the campaign. Finally, he has created so many unique and lovable characters as well as some that you love to hate. 10/10 would absolutely recommend Olly!
Additional tables
1 available
Weekly / Wednesday - 8:00 AM UTC
Apr 30 / Session 5
5 / 6 Seats Filled
Additional details
How to prepare
New to TTRPGs, D&D or VTTs? All you need to get started is a free Discord account. Add me on there and I can answer any questions and guide you through the rest. Username: wernerhotdog From there you will need: -A free D&D Beyond account -An internet browser. Chrome or Edge work best! -A microphone/headset -A stable internet connection -A webcam is encouraged but not essential Accommodations can be made for anyone who does not wish to use the virtual tabletop.
What I provide
I provide: -A custom campaign developed around your characters -An in depth knowledge of the rules and VTT -Sourcebooks shared on D&D Beyond -Evocative battle maps -NPCs with their own voices and motivations -Immersive music and soundscapes -A professional experience
Gameplay details
📜 A custom campaign - The possibilities of Ptolus are endless. Your backstories will help shape the city. - Individually targeted quests will keep the stakes high. - Player buy-in is a must. As your backstories will drive the narrative, it is essential that players are willing to put effort and thought into their characters. Thinking and feeling in-character is strongly encouraged. ⚙️ A perfect balance of the three pillars - Exciting combat will keep you on the edge of your seat. - Rewarding exploration means a new surprise is always on the horizon. - Deep NPC motivations provide high-stakes role-play encounters. 🗣️ Community guidelines - Collaborative thinking is a must. - Zero tolerance for harassment and abuse - Have fun and encourage others to do the same
Content warnings
• Alcohol Use
• Blood
• Character Death
• Death
• Murder
• Violence
• Prejudice
Safety tools used
• Breaks
• Lines and Veils
• Open Door
• Session 0
• Stars and Wishes
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
Character creation will be done in D&D Beyond using my library of races, classes and subclasses. Looking for something I don't have? Let me know and I will purchase it for you to use at no extra charge. Characters should be built using the 2024 ruleset. Starting Level 1. Characters joining later join at the same level as the party. Advancement: Experience Ability scores: Point buy or Standard Array Feats and Multiclassing: Yes Content from these source books is permitted: 2014 Player's Handbook, 2024 Player's Handbook, Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Mythic Odyssey's of Theros, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, The Book of Many Things. Content from other sourcebooks and home-brew content will not be permitted. If you would like to use a species, class, or subclass that appears in both the 2014 & 2024 rules, the 2024 version must be used. Guidance on what species best suit Ptolus is available in my Discord. Banned character options: -No custom lineage -No Drow -No Peace or Twilight Domain Clerics
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
Low
Experience level
Open to all
Platforms used
• Discord
• Foundry VTT
• D&D Beyond
$30.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 1:00 PM UTC
Apr 30 / Session 19
3-3.5 Hour Duration
5 / 6 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Open to all
Age: 18+