Ash & Steel: A Candela Obscura Campaign (Beginner Friendly)
A dark force spreads through steel corridors and shadowed alleys of Newfaire. Do you have what it takes to face the nightmares?
About the adventure
A beginner-friendly Candela Obscura campaign through several interconnected stories. Learn to play the game or return to the haunted streets of Newfaire to face new challenges. A strange sickness seeps through the veins of the city. Workers vanish from construction sites. Miners descend into madness. Children age overnight. Somewhere deep within the hum of generators and the flicker of gaslight, something otherworldly is awakening. In this interconnected campaign, your Circle of Candela Obscura investigators will confront a growing pattern of occult phenomena tied to the rise of industrial expansion. Each assignment draws you deeper into a conspiracy where human ambition has pierced the veil between worlds and something has started to bleed through. You’ll explore haunted mines, decaying tenements, secret laboratories, and the heart of a city trying to forget its sins. The clock is ticking. The lights are flickering. Will you rise to the call?
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
$15.00
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Sunday – 6:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2.75–3.25 hours
Campaign Length / 5–20 Sessions
2 / 5 Seats Filled
GAME MASTER
GM David
he/him
5.0
(3)
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Report Adventure
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(3)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Rule of Cool, Teacher
About me
How long have I been in love with RPGs? I watched the '80s D&D cartoon when it was airing, I spent my childhood wearing the print off my dad's Dragon Magazines, and some of my core memories are getting to stay up late on Friday nights, watching my parents and their friends play D&D and Traveller and falling deeply in love with collaborative storytelling. I played a bunch as a kid and then life got in the way for many years, but I started playing regularly a year or two before COVID and I've been running my own campaigns -- first monthly, then weekly, then a few overlapping -- for five years now. I love these games, I love the community, and I love offering up a welcoming table for people of all experience levels to learn and play. On the DM spectrum, I'm probably closer to Matt Mercer than Brendan Lee Mulligan but I love them both. If you like dark fantasy, weird magic, moral complexity, and the feeling that you’re the main character in a great novel or TV series, I think we’ll get along just fine.
View Profile →Reviews (3)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Inclusive
Rule of Cool
Teacher
Robert Dillon Marsh
David has been an amazing GM in 2 campaigns I have played in since 2020. He has made a world that each one of us has been able to truly flesh out unique characters that seem more like family members than characters in a story.
Celevwyn
I'm so grateful to David, I tried to get into TTRPGs for years and honestly had some pretty bad experiences with specifically guys (in the D&D world) being gatekeepy or kind of creeps. David was the first DM I experienced that felt truly inclusive and happy to teach me the basics of D&D. If you are new to D&D or TTRPGs in general, you can't ask for a more patient or kind DM to learn from.
Bo Nash
I've played in various games run by David spanning several years. The best thing about his style is that he is highly adaptable to the situation. Whether you're playing a well-known module, something from the player community, or something totally homebrewed, David is great at anticipating needs and making the adventure work for the table. Do you have someone in the party who has played Lost Mine of Phandelver a dozen times? David will be able to adjust the story with new twists to keep that player on their toes. Do you have someone with an erratic work schedule that forces them to miss every third game, but is a cherished member who you want to include when possible? David can find creative ways to work their absence into the plotline. In the same game he can be gentle with the beginners and challenging to the experts. He can set a stage for your creative performers and can coax beautiful moments out of your wallflowers. Everyone belongs at David's table.
Character creation
Creating your character
We will create characters together during our session zero or pre-game discussions on Discord. Players will not need anything more than the free Candela Obscura quickstart guide and character sheets, both of which I will provide.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need an internet connection and mic. Webcams are preferred but not required if players prefer to stay "cams off." We will use Discord for video/voice chat and pre-game discussions and Owlbear Rodeo (a Virtual Tabletop) for maps, handouts, and music where needed. I will provide the Quickstart Guide and character sheets, but minimal prep will be needed beforehand. We'll create our characters and Circle together during the Session Zero and the game is best learned by jumping in and playing it!
What GM David brings to the table
We'll dive into a beginner-friendly adventure that will move at a slower pace so we can answer questions as we go, then increase to a brisker pace as everyone learns the game and the story's tension increases. We'll be focused on a mostly "theater of the mind" role-play focused experience enhanced by music and visual handouts to help immerse you in the world of Newfaire.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How GM David creates a safe table
We will discuss lines and veils either in session zero or privately via chat. I will share the Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist. XNOs can be spoken aloud or you will be able to drop a color-coded card onto the VTT screen. We will debrief after to discuss stars and wishes. We will run an open door table, so if you need to step away, just let me know -- we can also pause for a brief break if needed.
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