The Shifting Sands of Har'Akir | A D&D 5.5e Anthology
Looming over uncaring sands and a heartless sun, the Darklord of Har'Akir sends all under his domain seeking his Ka, to whatever ends they may meet.
About the adventure
"Many seek me and ask what is time to one who cannot die. They seek refuge in eternity, in an existence that cannot be quenched, cannot be strangled by the eternal march of time. In them I see an eagerness to enjoy the fruit of a timeless life. Yet, they do not know that fruit will turn to sand in your mouth, the sweet nectar a forgotten memory, the taste becoming nothing but gristle between your teeth. So I free them from their misguided smiles and lust for power. Be not like them. When you stand before your Pharaoh, do so with my Ka, so I may be freed from this eternal torment, so I may find the death denied of me by the gods! Fail, and you shall become sand, wasted upon the dunes of Har'Akir." - Pharaoh Ankhtepot, Darklord of Har'Akir Welcome adventurers! The Shifting Sands of Har'Akir is an adventure great for those looking to get into the game for their first time, while equally catering to veterans who want to see all what the game has to offer. This adventure is custom-built using a handful of D&D sourcebooks, taking apart adventures from various books and cooking them together into a Ravenloft adventure. Going from levels 1-13, you'll find yourself pitted against a Darklord on an adventure akin to Curse of Strahd! This adventure will feature various themes, such as: • Ancient Egyptian mythologies, warped and corrupted by a Darklord to fit a Ravenloft style adventure. • Classic fantasy Egyptian horror such as burials, mummies, deranged cultists of false gods, and pyramids as dungeons. • Inspired NPCs and quests all designed around finding the means of Ankhtepot's Ka, his soul, to allow the Darklord a final death. • Despotic systems and the means to combat and even dismantle them, if only for a time. • Survival against the burning sun, the scarcity of water, and the means to find shelter when the lands try to sear you with sandstorms. Adventurers seeking a long format adventure where your decisions and actions play a part in a grand, dark scheme will find their home here! Work with each other and those who seek to end the dread Pharaoh Lord's designs to eventually find escape from his desolate sands. Enjoy various adventures from modules like Candlekeep Mysteries, Quests from the Infinite Staircase and more! Struggle, fight, and survive to either bring peace or ruin to the lands of Har'Akir!
Game themes
$30.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Monday – 7:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
1 / 6 Seats Filled
GAME MASTER
Riko
he/him
5.0
(28)
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Report Adventure
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(28)
5 years on StartPlaying
608 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Knows the Rules, World Builder
Average response time: 24+ hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
• Hello and welcome! I’m Robert, but everyone calls me Riko. It’s great to have you here, and I’d like to go over a bit of who I am and what you can expect from me as a Dungeon Master. To note, I am a CST time zone Dungeon Master, and am available typically from 12 PM CST to 8 PM CST, but I often make time for my players when need be! • Who is Riko? I’ve been running D&D games professionally for about four years, and have been a DM for the past decade now, since 5th edition of D&D released and a bit before with 3.5 edition. Ever since I learned there was a game you could be a powerful necromancer, master of armies and magister supreme, I’ve had a love for the game on a personal level, and once learning of all the stories you can tell with D&D, I fell in love with all of it as a whole. I run modules of 5th edition professionally, but each one of them is heavily changed with enough spice that it feels like a whole new meal to sink your teeth into. Having run adventures from first to twentieth level, I consider myself well informed on the balance and concepts of D&D from head to toe! My adventures are typically high fantasy and with some adventures dark horror, but I find the darkest places are where lights shine brightest, a theme that always holds a place in my heart as a DM. Personally, my favorite part of D&D is our collaborative storytelling. Each character you bring to my table has some fate to unfold, for better or worse, and it’s my job to make sure we get there together! I bring the verisimilitude, and you bring the excitement. Laughing and going over the details of what dangers and excitement we encounter together is what I love most about D&D, and it’s hard to pick a most favorite part! I want to bring you into the worlds and live in them for the time I have you, and get lost somewhere along the way in it all. • What to expect? - Access to most sourcebooks of D&D available on roll20, as well as tools to create exactly the kind of character you’re hoping to bring to life. - Introductory lessons on how to build characters, and tailored pacing of adventuring to ensure maximum chances of success. - Custom made maps designed through Dungeondraft and Inkarnate, to bring the various world crafted to life. - A welcoming space for new players, and for veterans, to co-mingle and take on the challenges of Wizards of the Coast, including hours of expanded, homebrew content to enhance every experience. Players ask me why I do what I do, and I have one simple answer: I love Dungeons and Dragons. I genuinely hope to have you at my tables, and to share that dedication and love I have for the game for a long time to come!
View Profile →Reviews (28)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Storytelling
Knows the Rules
World Builder
Trunkerunk
Played 205 sessions
I'm fairly new to DnD but Riko is a the best DM I've found for players (wether they're new or have been playing for a while) who are looking to create and develop a character and have that character interact with a wide range of other interesting characters, situations, and dangers all serving as part of a bigger overarching story. He breathes a ton of life into the NPCs with their voices, mannerisms, and motivations, and is able to carry out great conversions as them on the fly, and makes the story and the characters in the world react and change based on the decisions the party makes to really make the whole thing feel like a tied-together epic that the players and the DM are both steering together. When it comes to the numbers side of the game he's also really familiar and knowledgeable with the rules and balancing in order to keep everything fair and working as intended, and quickly answer any rule questions newer players might have, while still staying fun and not bogged down or restrictive.
Rusty_Steele
Played 156 sessions
Been playing with this DM for a few years now, each game is fun and engaging, highly recommend.
Tungsten
Played 154 sessions
Wow. Wow. WOW! Riko is an amazing DM! We play as a family with Riko and I feel so lucky to have found him. I played D&D in the 80s as a kid and it's now our son's turn to experience the fun. As a family, we have played through an entire campaign with another DM and I watch various D&D streams. I think Riko is exceptional. First and what I like most about Riko is that he is a kind soul. You can tell he is a good person. Salt of the earth. Playing with Riko is like playing with a friend you've known for years. His personality is so nice, joyful, and humorous. He has built a very detailed world and it is clear he knows it very well. I am amazed at how Riko can narrate people, places, and descriptions without having to look anything up. His narration is superb. He creates a ton of suspense through his words, music, and setting in dungeon crawls. His maps for his world are excellent. I highly recommend Riko as a DM for his personality, world building, atmosphere, and overall pure fun.
Mytherceria
Played 148 sessions
Riko is one of the best gamemasters I have played with. He goes above and beyond in every game I have played with him in and I keep signing up for more. He is a fantastic storyteller who prioritizes story and role-play, but he is also proficient at creating some of the most intense combats I have experienced. Most importantly, Riko is kind, patient, and genuinely cares about his players. He takes an interest in character backgrounds and makes an effort to include them as an active part of his stories, and keeps them going. I have always felt nothing but respect from him as an important part of a team. I highly recommend Riko and hope you get the chance to experience one or more of his tales.
Shane
Played 111 sessions
Riko is a great DM, and provides emissive experience with brilliant opportunities for role playing with great stories and plots.
Ethan
Played 72 sessions
First time playing with Riko and really enjoying his DM style. He's very good at setting the stage for in game role playing and meaningful adventuring. He makes all aspects of the game come to life and enjoyable, which, as a new adventurer, has been a great experience.
Character creation
Creating your character
Characters will be created with the following rulesets: • Characters are created at level 1, and new characters will be created at the level of the rest of the party. • Characters are expected to be willing to work as a team. You character must have a reason to adventure, and if they're reticent, must be willing to work on going on the adventure. • Characters are created using Point Buy or Standard Array. Characters will not roll for stats. • All printed rule-sets for characters are permitted, including Custom Lineage so long as the race is Humanoid. No joke books, such as the Rick and Morty expansion, Acquisitions Incorporated, or the Wendy's module, are permitted. All Critical Role content is not permissible to use. Any third party content such as Grim Hollow or the Griffon's Saddlebag are not permitted. • All official species, classes, and backgrounds which are official are permitted. The rules for creating custom backgrounds is also permitted.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players should have access to the following tools: • Access to Discord. • Access to Roll20. • Access to a working microphone. • The 2024 Player's Handbook will be available on Roll20, and should be read at least once by participating players. • Characters will be created by players, but pre-generated characters will be readily available for anyone wishing to get right to the adventure. • Home rules will be available through Discord, but are not a requirement to read, as your DM will explain them in the moment if need be. • Be comfortable reaching out to your DM about any and all questions, or for help acquiring any of the required tools or knowledge listed above.
What Riko brings to the table
The game will be run through Roll20, with voice chat held through Discord. A webcam is not required, but is recommended, and your DM will be on webcam for easy accessibility. Various features from your DM include: • All sourcebooks required on Roll20 to make your character through the 5.5e Charactermancer. A character through D&D Beyond is acceptable, but books are not provided for the service, and Beyond 20 must be used to connect sheets. • Customized and hand-crafted maps will be provided by your DM, including maps constructed through Dungeondraft with the Forgotten Adventures add-ons. • Voiced NPCs by your DM, who is an introductory voice actor. Expect most characters to have individual voices, and your DM can and will have NPCs talk to each other! • Music is hand-picked for both leisure, combat, dungeons, and intense scenes. Expect some music choices to help guide the scenes in the right direction; when a spooky tune comes on, you'll know it's time for horror! • Combat is fair-handed and follows the rules of the game tightly, for those who like D&D's wargaming experience. However, your DM wants you to win, so you will be assisted in knowing what should help carve out a victory! • Whatever rules have been modified for smoother gameplay will be clearly explained and available to all attending.
Equipment needed to play
Microphone
Internet
Computer
Platforms used
Safety
How Riko creates a safe table
Session 0 will be done by gathering all players together and covering three basic concepts: • Introductions of your game master and safety rules of what will and won't be covered in the game. • A rundown of various themes of the adventure, and learning from players what are lines and veils. • A tutorial on how to build characters that fit within comfort zones and which fit into the setting in particular. Aftercare is typically done post-session in chat, or done through messages sent to the DM, whichever a player prefers.
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