Image by Mohamed “Aggi” Bellafquih
Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt
A plague twists citizens into abominations, while zealous hunters and crazed scientists vie for control of forbidden knowledge. Will you survive?
About the adventure
Welcome to the Radiant City—now under siege from within. In the not-to-distant past, Luyarnha stood triumphant but scarred, having survived both civil war and invasion. In the aftermath, the Church stepped into the void of power, guiding the city through a period of reconstruction. The once-ruined Spired District rose anew as the New Bridge District, restored by the Scions, an academy of scientific and alchemical researchers, and their tireless Manikin creations. The Obitus Scholare, occult scholars of great renown, took residence within the Grand Cathedral, funded by the Church to pursue knowledge that might better the lives of all citizens. Trade blossomed, railways were laid, and commerce linked Luyarnha with distant lands. Yet with progress came loss—arcane knowledge faded, replaced by technology's steady rise. Magic, once revered, became feared, especially after the Civil War's catastrophic “Great Unchaining,” which left death and horror in its wake. The Church was forced to purge the monstrosities left behind, and the city braced itself for an uncertain future. But no wall, no hunter, no prayer could stop what followed. From the heart of the Ruby District, a new horror emerged—twisted beasts that stalked the streets after sunset, their origin unknown. At first dismissed as rumor, these creatures soon left undeniable marks: torn bodies, bloodied streets, and missing loved ones. The Church responded with force, initiating night curfews and unleashing their hunters to stem the tide. Despite these efforts, the terror spread. The Church named the phenomenon the Scourge. Then came the Blood Moons. These unpredictable events, nights bathed in an unnatural crimson glow, brought unimaginable frenzy to the beasts. Alchemically mutated hunters, zealous warriors created by the Scions and funded by the Church, were released to carve back the city from the beasts' onslaught. But it could not last. On the 33rd Hunt, the Ruby District was considered lost and sealed off from the rest of the city. Luyarnha locked itself down, sealing its borders and reinforcing its walls as even foreign nations threatened to raze the city if the plague wasn’t contained. The Church, desperate and overburdened, now recruits any able soul willing join the Hunts. Now, under the ominous glow of the 34th Hunt, Luyarnha teeters on the edge of annihilation. The Scourge spreads, the moon waxes cruel, and no cure has been found. The people whisper of an eternal night, of forbidden knowledge unearthed from delving too deep, and of a future where no hope remains. Yet hope flickers in the dark. Hunters still roam. Resistance holds. Will you join the struggle, or be consumed by the nightmare?
Game style
Combat Heavy
Rules as Written (RaW)
Game themes
$10.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday – 6:00 PM UTC
Campaign Length / 18–28 Sessions
2.75–3.25 Hour Duration
0 / 5 Seats Filled
GAME MASTER
SpaceTear
he/him
4.8
(6)
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Meet the Game Master
4.8
(6)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, Rule of Cool, Creativity
About me
I love building worlds for others to play in, creating moral dilemmas, and being all the bad guys! I have a wide variety of interests and resources. I do, in fact, have my own homebrew world that has been growing over the past 5 years with new PCs and new locations. I also own many pre-written adventure modules, both WotC official and unofficial 3rd party, that I would love to adjudicate! The choice is yours! Feel free to message me with questions or requests. My schedule is flexible!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Characters will be created together as a group during session Zero. Players are encouraged to come with prepared concepts and desired traits, but with the knowledge that the GM will be introducing additional options specific to the campaign setting that are not available on Roll20. PCs will begin at level 2, stats will be decided using the point-buy system, HP maximum increases will be the average of each player's hit die rounded up. The setting is populated mainly by humanoids, though exotic races are not unknown. Few, if any, WotC-official options will be prohibited, but be prepared to have a narrative explanation for how and why your exotic race finds themself in a conflict between humanoid countries. Players are encouraged to research beyond just the 2014 Player's Handbook (though sticking with the basic options is also perfectly acceptable). As previously stated, the GM will have a selection of additional options for PC races, backgrounds (with an emphasis on character Bonds that tie to the story), and subclasses, and an entirely new class with 6 subclass options that will be introduced during session Zero character creation.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Speakers/headphones and microphone are required, webcam is optional. The GM will not be using webcam video regularly. Players must have an existing Roll20 account. Discord is encouraged for communications outside of scheduled game sessions, but not required. A working knowledge of D&D 5e from the SRD and/or PHB 5e/2014 is required. This is not an introductory campaign for players new to the game. Players need not be experts, but they are responsible for knowing their own character's abilities, spells, checks, and saves.
What SpaceTear brings to the table
I am a big fan of immersion and do my best to incorporate as many different sensory descriptions as possible. This may include, but is not limited to: ambient music, non-/combat sound effects, animated screen effects, in-character NPC roleplay/voices, battlefield/map effects and animations. I do my best to play enemies intelligently, using (or not, if the enemy has low WIS!) group tactics and environmental traps/advantages. Flanking is NOT available to all combatants, only if they have an ability that specifically grants that trait. I prefer realism, crunch and grit, and mainly stick to RAW...but I do love to reward creativity and inspired strategies. I also embrace absolute success/failure of natural 20/1 rolls, regardless of how ridiculous the context might be.
Homebrew rules
All characters have a pool called Ego Points, which represents your sanity and sense of self. This pool is equal to 5+WIS mod per character level. Spellcasters gain 1 additional point for each Spell Slot they have, regardless of the slot's level. Exceptionally, Warlocks gain 3 points for each Spell Slot. Ego Points = [(5+WIS Modifier) x character level] + #spell slots Characters slowly lose their Ego over time as they deal with supernatural events and assaults by creatures outside of comprehension. Spellcasting: To perform magic is to twist the laws of reality to your intent. Whenever a character casts a leveled spell, they lose 1 Ego Point. Mind Over Matter: As a bonus action, a character may sacrifice a number of Ego Points, minimum of 1 to a maximum equal to character level + CHA modifier, to obtain an equal amount of Temporary Hit Points; however, a character cannot willingly sacrifice all remaining Ego Points with this ability. Let's Get A Little Crazy: Whenever a character makes any type of d20 roll (attack, ability check, saving throw) and gets an unfavorable result, they may petition the GM to simply have the roll become a success. The GM may then require a number of Ego Points to be lost in order to achieve the success, depending on the difficulty of the task, the context, and the closeness of the original failure to the desired DC, becoming a conversation between the player and GM. Both reserve the right to end negotiations at any time, defaulting to the original result. Too Insane To Die: When brought to 0 hit points but before making any Death Saving Throws, a character may use their last moments of clarity to simply reject current reality and substitute their own. The character loses Ego Points equal to their character level to remain at 1 hit point rather than proceeding to 0. This option may only be used once per Long or Short Rest. Narrative Sanity Loss: From time to time, the GM will be required to inflict Ego Point loss to represent the characters' encounters with creatures and events beyond their minds' ability to comprehend. Narrative Soul Point losses per day do not exceed 2 + PC level. A character's mental stability may be regained by meditating or focusing on small things and earthly matters, to rediscover life's bright side and momentarily set aside about the looming chaos. At the end of a Short Rest, each character regains 1 + WIS modifier for each Hit Die that character expended. If a character is already at Max HP, they may expend any number of Hit Dice without regaining Hit Points in order to regain Ego. At the end of a Long Rest, a character regains an amount of Ego Points equal to their highest 'mental' ability score (WIS, INT, or CHA), representing how different characters recover from trauma.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How SpaceTear creates a safe table
There is a zero tolerance policy for above-the-table bigotry, racism, homophobia, transphobia, religious prejudices, and discrimination of any kind. During session Zero, a Google Doc poll concerning Lines and Veils will be shared with all players, the results of which will be delivered to the GM only and will be considered and respected throughout the campaign. The GM reserves the right to contact each player individually to discuss any further details as needed to insure that all players are comfortable and know what to expect going forward. The GM also reserves the right to initiate discussion with the entire group about any issue that needs further detail/discussion while maintaining player/issue anonymity. No player will ever be publicly singled out for any Line or Veil they designate for themself. During gaming sessions, a virtual Deck of Player Safety will be made available to each player, which will allow any player to privately message the GM with a card indicating 'Stop (red),' 'Caution (yellow),' or 'Go (green)' as needed during the game. Players are encouraged to use this deck as needed. The GM may also periodically ask for all players to PM a card to him prior to a scene or situation known to contain possible triggers.