Scions of the Dark Goddess | Roll20 | Beginner Friendly
Lost friends, a mysterious company, and an overarching mystery spanning years. Will you discover the truth or will you die trying?
About the adventure
Join us for a twisted tale delving into the dark forests of Maine, the cold sterile labs of a mad scientist, and discover the future of human evolution in Scions of the Dark Goddess. This is a modern day horror campaign from Shadowlands Ediciones Juegos de mesa y rol. Players should expect to avoid combat as much as possible (you are extra squishy in Call of Cthulhu) and use role-play to solve puzzles and problems they come across. Just as a heads up, this is a body horror campaign. If you are uncomfortable with this type of horror regardless of medium, this may not be for you as there will be descriptions, some pictures from the module, and implied events related to body horror. If body horror is your favorite thing, you'll have a great time! We'll be focusing on character development and role-play, with combat and puzzles being right behind. I'll be using Roll20 for maps and Discord for voice chat.
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Roleplay Heavy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
1 year on StartPlaying
159 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Teacher
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
I started running games in 2016 cause I thought Adventure League was too loud and crowded at my local game shop. My main games are DnD 5e and Cypher, though I have experience with Alien RPG, Call of Cthulhu, Star Wars D6, and more! I love comedy and fantasy games but thoroughly enjoy horror and sci-fi. My goal as a GM is to make sure you're having fun and encourage character building/growth. I'm not a RAW kind of GM. While I do defer to the rules on certain things, my overall goal is to keep balance and fun integral to the game. I also give inspiration if you make me laugh out loud while you're in character.
View Profile →Reviews (15)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Knows the Rules
Teacher
Gymsyd is friendly, kind, fair, and works hard to ensure her players have a good time. She knows the rules and technology very well, is quite responsive to questions in and out of game, and shows patience with her players. She is prepared for her sessions and does fun voices. I recommend her for experienced or new players!
Very smooth VTT on Roll20 with audio on Discord. No tech glitches. Game play was wonderful. GM knows the resources and rules and does a great job of breathing life into the NPC's and monsters. Although I am not usually a fan of background music while playing, Syd's added to, rather than detracted from, the overall experience. I was playing with two friends and two players I had never met or played with before. I was a nice group that integrated into a party smoothly. Well done Syd, and thanks for a very enjoyable 3 hours. I and at least one of my compatriots have signed up for the next One Shot in the sequence. I am looking forward to the new module!
A perfect GM, so nice and so helpful in every way. I was new to both online rpg and Call of Cthulu. She made it so easy for me, I can't thank her enough! The game was so fun, if I hadn't had schedule issues, I would see it till the end. But I'm hoping join her for another game in the future, and maybe another campaign! I definitely recommend her as a GM if you're a beginner or an advanced player. And she does great voices!
Character creation
Creating your character
We'll create characters during Session 0. It's good to go ahead and have an idea of your character ahead of time. There will be Pre-Gen Characters available if you do not want to dip your toes into Call of Cthulhu Character Creation. This particular campaign utilizes many pre-gen characters to follow through the narrative. In total each player will play around 3 to 4 characters throughout the game. These are some skills that might be useful in game besides some obviously useful ones (like Locksmith, Stealth, Disguise, etc.). If you aren't sure about a skill, just let me know! - Computer Use - Drive Auto - Electronic Repair - Electronics - History - Natural World - Navigate
While this is an ongoing campaign, each chapter is fairly self contained. There will be through lines within each, but players could hop in at almost any time and not worry about missing much.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need an Quest Portal account. Players will only need a microphone, and we'll be using Quest Portal's voice chat. Characters will be made or selected at session 0. If you haven't played Call of Cthulhu before, here's a great rundown of the system on Youtube by Don't Stop Thinking. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS1cni6K304
What GMSyd brings to the table
I love doing voices to try and keep NPCs memorable. While horror is a love of mine, I do find that interspersing some humor can help ease tension. I'm not a RAW GM, but most of the time I'll stick to the rules. If something seems arbitrary, I'll homebrew as needed. I try to use ambient music where possible and use lots of descriptions to help players get a feel for the space or creature they may be seeing.
Homebrew rules
Critical success and improvement - if you get a natural 1 on a skill check, you can roll 2d10 to improve the skill if you succeed on your improvement roll. Luck Rolls and Improvement - If you use luck to succeed on a roll, you can roll for an improvement at the end of the session. Luck Improvement - At the end of the session, you can roll to improve your luck. Make a luck roll. If you fail, add 2d10 to your luck pool. If you succeed, add 1d10 to your luck pool.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How GMSyd creates a safe table
General Rules 1) Respect and listen to your fellow players. 2) Respect and listen to the GM. 3) Please do not distract other players. 4) Making the DM laugh so hard they can’t breathe while you’re in character gives you inspiration. 5) Take notes. 6) Please save meta-gaming, rule debates, memes, etc. until designated break times. 7) Wild Magic can occur at the GMs discretion. 8) Remember actions have consequences. 9) Keep noise at a reasonable level. Respect our neighbors and all of our ears. 10) No explicit actions will be detailed in-game. This includes sex, torture, etc. In accordance with StartPlaying.games rules and rightly so, no non-consensual sexual actions and no pedophilia will be allowed in this game. 11) No politics. 12) The Rule of Cool applies to the GM as well as players. We will be doing a Session 0 where I will gather everyone's lines and veils. I also have an Open Door policy. You can step away for any reason, and the only thing we'll ask is if you're ok.