Graveworks of Despair- Free Monthly Campaign
Dungeons & Dragons 5e | Campaign
About the adventure
A monthly meatgrinder dungeon crawl set in a high-magic, early-industrial fantasy world. Death is permanent. The machine does not stop. The Graveworks once powered an empire. A towering necro-industrial factory that forged undead soldiers for the Armies of Despair, it was abandoned after it's destrucrion during the war—or so everyone believed. Now, its smokestacks belch smoke once more, and deep within its iron halls, the gears of death grind back into motion. Andrek Kara, heir to a fallen house of war profiteers, has reclaimed the Graveworks and restarted its soul-fueled furnaces. He’s reawakened the Foreman, a mechanical horror stitched from bone, brass, and memory, to oversee a new generation of undead labor. This is a lethal, exploration-driven dungeon crawl in the spirit of Tomb of Annihilation and Tomb of Horrors, filled with environmental dangers, brutal traps, and moral rot. Every room serves a purpose. Every hallway hides a trap. Death is expected. When a character dies—and they will—the next player from the waiting list joins the game, looting their still-warm corpse and pressing forward into the depths of the factory. Graveworks of Despair is for players who enjoy gritty, high-stakes adventuring, dangerous exploration, and creative problem solving. The factory is always hiring. Just don’t expect to make it out whole.
4.8
(20)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
54 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Rule of Cool
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 83%
Additional tables
1 available
Bi-weekly / Friday - 3:00 AM UTC
1 / 5 Seats Filled
Additional details
How to prepare
You'll need a dndbeyond account & a discord account. A mic is necessary, webcams encouraged but optional. A rudimentary understanding of the rules is helpful but not necessary.
What I provide
In Graveworks of Despair, expect a different kind of table. This is not a story of destined heroes or guaranteed survival—this is a grim, brutal descent into a death-fueled machine that chews through the unprepared. But even here, there's room for flair, chaos, and unforgettable moments. Here's what I bring to the factory floor: Creative Carnage: Every encounter is handcrafted to challenge both your character and your creativity. Traps, hazards, and enemies won’t play fair—and neither should you. Smart tactics, clever ideas, and cooperative decision-making will be your best tools for survival. High-Risk Roleplay: NPCs are rare, strange, and dangerous. Expect interactions with unsettling constructs, broken minds, and war criminals reborn in brass and bone. Choices matter—but here, the consequences are often permanent. D&D Beyond Support: Full access to my digital content library to help you build your best (and possibly last) character. Go wild with class, race, and feat options before the factory gets its claws on you. Homebrew That Bites Back: The Graveworks is built on a foundation of brutal homebrew traps, creatures, and mechanics designed to challenge veteran players. If you’ve got a wild character concept or custom subclass, I’m all ears—just know the factory doesn’t care what’s on your character sheet. Rotating Cast, Real Stakes: This is a monthly game with permadeath. When your character dies, they’re gone—and the next adventurer loots their still-smoking corpse and dives deeper. No resurrection. No do-overs. Just cold steel, necromantic smoke, and the next shift bell ringing.
Gameplay details
We'll go over triggers and safety tools during session 0. As there's going to be a lot of turnover for this one, If you have any triggers/concerns, please reach out
Content warnings
Safety tools used
• Breaks
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
Any official or partnered content is fair game. If there's homebrew you want to try out, just run it by me and I'll make sure we can make it work. Rolled stats, rerolling ALL 1's
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
High
Roleplay
Medium
Puzzles
High
Experience level
Open to all
Platforms used
• Discord
• D&D Beyond Maps
Free
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Custom / Saturday - 3:00 AM UTC
Jun 28 / Session 1
2.5-4 Hour Duration
7 / 10 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Open to all
Age: 18+