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Murder in Arabel - One crime. Six heroes. Endless tangled paths.

A family is slaughtered. The killers are caught. Case closed? Not quite. A hidden message, a missing body, suspicious guards-that's where you come in.

TYPE

Campaign

LEVELS

1–5

EXPERIENCE

Intermediate

AGE

18+
About the adventure

You’re about to dive into the most immersive roleplaying experience of your life: 🎭 A character-driven short campaign for fans of roleplaying & storytelling 🔍 A murder mystery single-plot sandbox 🧙 Six highly customizable pre-gen characters, each intricately tied to the plot 📅 12 game sessions (levels 1–5) 🎲 2024 rules –– You’re one of six rookie adventurers unexpectedly drawn into a violent murder investigation that has rocked the city of Arabel. Salvador Ortega and his two sisters were killed in their manor, leaving their fortune and merchant house without an heir. Two days later, the suspected killers were found dead in a warehouse—surrounded by stolen Ortega jewelry and valuables. Case closed? Not quite. An unsigned letter reaches Lord Commander Karin Lhal, prompting him to secretly recruit adventurers to uncover the truth. Now, you must race against time, tracking leads and interrogating suspects through Arabel’s dark alleys—only to discover you may be more entangled in the crime than you thought. As you unearth secrets from the city’s underworld, a larger conspiracy unfolds–along with mysteries surrounding the Ortegas. Whispers of undead and lycanthrope sightings fill the city’s bitter winter nights. Could they be connected to the crime? –– This isn’t just another D&D adventure. Murder in Arabel is packed with innovations to deliver a remarkable experience: 🧭 A Single-Plot Sandbox Freely explore the city’s open world, choosing your path according to your leads. Encounter order shifts based on your decisions, allowing for countless ways the adventure may unfold. 🕵️‍♂️ A Murder Mystery for Mature Players Unveil a clever plot of greed, love, jealousy, and revenge–with layered characters, situations, and relationships. Inspired by Knives Out, Glass Onion, and Sherlock Holmes, this adventure is rich in suspense, twists, red herrings, and dramatic tension. 🧠 Choices That Matter Encounters offer multiple approaches—stealth, deception, ingenuity, or brute force. Your actions make your path forward easier or harder, rewarding attentive and creative play. 🧬 Character-Driven Storytelling The plot revolves around the player characters. Each has a backstory tightly woven into the mystery. You’ll develop your character arc alongside the main story, with recurring NPCs from your past and personal stakes that make you a true protagonist. 🛠️ Customizable Pre-Gen Characters Choose from six backstories and customize class, species, stats, and skills. Or select one of twelve unique builds (two per backstory). –– I’ll publish Murder in Arabel on Dungeon Masters Guild in Aug 2025. This Alpha Test is your exclusive chance to experience it first—directly from the creator. 🎁 Players who complete the full campaign will receive free copies of all three release formats: 📖 Hardcover color book 🧑‍💻 Roll20 🗂️ PDF Seats are limited—join our Alpha Sessions now!

Game style

Roleplay Heavy

Rules as Written (RaW)

Game themes
3 SEATS LEFT
$24.50

/ Session

Details

Bi-weekly / Saturday – 2:00 PM UTC

Aug 2 / Session 4

Campaign Length / 12–14 Sessions

3–3.5 Hour Duration

3 / 6 Seats Filled

GAME MASTER

The Deep Dice

he/him

5.0

(22)

Schedule

Sat, Aug 02 | 2:00 PM – Session 4

Sat, Aug 09 | 2:00 PM – Session 5

Sat, Aug 23 | 2:00 PM – Session 6

Each player will be charged when a session starts.

Meet the Game Master
DMs Guild Writer
Podcaster
Game Designer

Less than a year on StartPlaying

6 games hosted

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, World Builder

About me

Hi there, folks! My name is Bruno, and I'll be your guide on a thrilling journey we're about to embark on!

View Profile →
Character creation
Creating your character

Instead of character creation, Murder in Arabel features a character selection step, followed by an optional character customization. I’ll support you in both of those takes before our adventure starts.

The current party

Come and join us! We're still in the beginning of the campaign, and it's the perfect time to join. Our party currently has a paladin, a warlock, and a sorcerer. 💨 MISTY STEP ENJOYMENT GUARANTEE: If, after your first two sessions, you choose not to continue for any reason, you will receive a full refund with no questions asked.

What to expect
Preparing for the session

• Headset, Microphone, and Camera • Free Roll20 Account • Free Discord Account

What The Deep Dice brings to the table

• Six pre-generated character backstories that tie seamlessly into the main campaign plots. • 12 pre-generated character sheets (two per pre-gen backstory, one per core class) for your selection or customization on Roll20. • 62 gorgeous illustrations (like the cover above), specially commissioned for our campaign. • 13 tactical maps specially commissioned for our campaign, set up with dynamic lighting on Roll20. • Several cool and practical handouts. • Roll20 shared access to the 2024 D&D core rulebooks.

Equipment needed to play

Computer

Headphones

Internet

Microphone

Webcam

Platforms used
Safety
How The Deep Dice creates a safe table

Before our campaign begins, we'll have a short SESSION ZERO covering the following topics: • Get to know each other and share our expectations about the campaign. • Select and customize pre-gen characters. • Discuss a few campaign special rules and features. • Discuss campaign content and safety tools. • Introduce the campaign setting. • Review our schedule and agree on preferred channels for communication between sessions.

Content warnings
Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions