Memento Mori: Death Knell
You've been tasked with saving a researcher known as Dursnik Tableau. His estate has been overrun by the undead, but he's still alive...somewhere.
About the adventure
Another mission on the Undead Front, another handful of unfamiliar faces. Wicks had gotten attacked recently and the mist has been encroaching on the area ever since. Many of the town's inhabitants were extracted, but there were still an unfortunate few that lost their lives. By the time adventurers arrived, half the town was already crawling with them. Particularly, the Tableau estate had been overrun. We never thought anyone would have survived that until we received communications a few days later. Apparently the head of the house, Dursnik Tableau, had been able to hide himself away somewhere within the compound. Your task is to get him out as his research on ways to fight these undead is an incredibly valuable asset in the Undead Front. He's one of the very few people that have been able to find some way to detect the presence of one of their "generals" giving us more time to react before its too late. Get him out of there and make sure he's delivered safely back outside of the mist. This adventure is a precursor to a campaign in which the characters used on this adventure may continue this story in the Faedth umbrella of games.
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: World Builder, Knows the Rules, Storytelling
About me
I'm a Dungeon Master and Game Designer who's been playing and running games since 2014. I love roleplaying, encouraging the table to connect with each other and engage more with the world. My combat scenarios are dynamic, often putting the spotlight on the character's abilities and using objectives to shake things up. I've ran for players of all experience levels; from newcomers to fantasy all the way to hardened adventurers and writers. All players are welcome to my table so long as they follow the rules and respect the rest of the table. I make sure to put in the effort to make my games memorable and are held in a safe, welcoming space. Let's work together to make these adventures meaningful and personal as your characters progress through the story, drive the plot, and immerse themselves in the world. Here's a few things to expect from my games: Emotional investment Compelling storytelling Character spotlights Engaging and Dynamic Combat Player choices that matter in the long run
View Profile →Reviews (10)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
World Builder
Knows the Rules
Storytelling
Playing in one of DM Drake’s campaigns is like building a story with someone who remembers everything you do and finds clever ways to use it later—sometimes to help you, often to challenge you. He makes the world feel real without needing maps and figurines and makes sure that your choices always matter. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, he surprises you. If you want a game that feels alive and full of meaning, he’s the DM you want. 10/10 would play again in any of his campaigns.
Storytelling and world-building are top-tier—everything fits the narrative and feels alive. The emotional stakes are real, and the plot always keeps us hooked. He gives us the freedom to be creative and shape the story with our choices. Overall, he's just a fantastic GM. Couldn't ask for better.
Look, playing with Drake as your DM will be difficult and challenging. He's the type of DM that thrives and preys on complex emotions that are usually gleamed over in most games/campaigns. So, if you're looking into some dark, heavy, and questionable yet make you go "What the actual f*ck /pos," get this one!
I've been playing with Drake since before Covid was a thing. He's not just a great DM who knows the rules and paces his games well, he's also an excellent storyteller. A campaign under him is never jsut standard high fantasy fare since he weaves characters' arcs into the campaign's plot so well I can't even tell where the line is sometimes. There's never been a session under him I haven't looked forward to.
I've had a good balance of roleplay and combat under DM Drake's table. He makes you care about player characters and even NPCS. In his homebrew games, he built a world filled with and interesting stories of magic and mystery. If you are a player who likes roleplaying and challenges while still playing in a safe and welcoming environment, then I would highly recommend playing under DM Drake.
Character creation
Creating your character
You will be given a primer and mechanics document to read before you start with creating your character so that you have the context of the world. Once you have your character concept, I'll work with you to integrate that character into the world via their backstory. After that's done, there will be a solo intro session to get your character to where they need to be when the game starts. This may be done with more that one person if your stories align. From there, its just a matter of waiting on your first session. Character creation is expected to be completed before being accepted into the game.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need a mic for discord voice chat, a computer to run Foundry VTT, and access to both the server and the game. I'll work with you in the time leading up to the game to make your character. You'll need to be done with all the prep work stated above to be able to join the game. It is encouraged that you have a snack and beverage with you during the game to keep you engaged in the fiction.
What DM Drake brings to the table
Games will be held through Foundry VTT, all the players need to do is create an account and join the game. All content is available on 5etools, but any 3rd-Party content must be reviewed and approved by me before they make it into the game. Homebrew documents are available for everyone and any comments or suggestions about the systems in the game are welcome as well. I really enjoy bouncing ideas to make the game more fun and immersive. I try to add voices to all the characters if possible but there will be times where exposition may be more important that roleplay when time is a luxury. In these cases the players will be given as much of the important information as possible with less roleplay. Background music will also be applied to these sessions if possible when appropriate. Combat will be intense and players will be expected to look at their sheets and utilize and much of their abilities as possible. This is a team game so the players will be expected to act like a team. Monsters will have varying levels of intelligence where it makes sense and are used as a story telling tool. I am a very RAW/RAI DM, but I also respect Rule of Cool so long as it is in the realm of possibility. If there is an important scene wherein there are low chances of success and a player would want to do something that is not exactly in the rules, an Emphasis roll will be made via the players choice and whatever the outcome of that roll is is what will be followed in that scene. Game audio will be recorded for documentation and worldbuilding purposes.
Homebrew rules
Rules to expect Bonus action to use healing potions Healing potions heal fully (no dice roll) Broken magic system (4th level spells and above) Brutal Crits Combat decision timer (1 min) Modified encumbrance (tracking is integrated into foundry) Physical needs (food, water, sleep) Villainous Boss Actions Minions Hero points (player provided inspiration) Lady Luck (increases the number of hero points) Exhaustion plus (up to 11) Decoctions (dirty potions Proficient Helping (must be proficient to help) Quest to 20 (+5 modifiers require a quest) Hard to cure diseases
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How DM Drake creates a safe table
Players will be given access to a copy of the Monte Bank Consent Form with DM and game theme already applied. Each player will be free to have a conceptualization session with the DM and have a pregame session to freely ask questions and embed their character into the world. Session 0 will also be done during character conceptualization. The following will be discussed during the Session 0: • Player Introduction • Safety Tools • Recordings (if applicable) • Seriousness of Roleplay • Campaign Backgrounds and Rules (if applicable) Events in the game can be discussed after the game to share feelings, thoughts, and comments. If ever there are personal concerns, the DM will always be open to discussing it in private through discord. This game will be dark, difficult, and may possibly even bleed into your life. You are highly encouraged to reach out to the GM about this to alleviate any concerns before they become a problem. Games will be recorded for documentation and worldbuilding purposes.