Image by Jasper Francis Cropsey, "The Spirit of War" (detail), 1851
BIWEEKLY From the Ashes: Rebuild civilization, explore the Waste
D&D in a magic-blasted wasteland with twisted creatures, apocalyptic cults and sparks of hope for you to nurture.
TYPE
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$27.00
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Friday - 11:00 PM UTC
Mar 13 / Session 13
Session Duration / 3 hours
2 / 5 Seats Filled
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
Schedule
Meet your party members
2/5
About the adventure
"The town of Promise ain't much to look at. 236 of us. Was 237 yesterday, before Gristle got snatched by a leatherwing. Fool shoulda knowed better. When a leatherwing wants your sheep, you let it have the sheep. But we've come a long way in the past year. We've got a proper well now, no more hauling from the river. A high wood stockade with a gate, and a watchtower. We run a wagon to Firecliff once a month now, trading vegetables for worked metal and ceramics. We eat pretty regular, not enough to feel full but enough to get by, except sometimes near end of winter. And I reckon things are about to get a lot better. See, we got us some proper Scavengers now. With armor and weapons and even some magic. Brave folks who can dig into the old mage sites and bring back real treasures. Things Promise needs. Maybe something that can take down the next leatherwing that tries for our sheep, or a cure for zombie rot." From the Ashes is a campaign for Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition and Tales of the Valiant (the two rulesets are compatible; we'll use the best parts of each). Its focus is on rebuilding and reclaiming what was lost from a magic-blasted, monster-infested wasteland. You are the most powerful people you know; there are no bigger heroes you can call in. You and your community must rely on one another. Crafting, downtime activities, bastions, and modified rest and recovery rules will help to immerse you in the harsh yet hopeful world that the mage war left behind.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(96)
5 years on StartPlaying
1225 games hosted
Highly rated for: Knows the Rules, Teacher, Inclusive
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
What I provide: A game that fits your group. A laid-back, friendly approach that welcomes new players. Organization, focus, and online tools to help you tell your story. My intro to d&d was three beige books in a little white box , in 1978. My first hobbit thief was trampled to death by a herd of were-elk. Despite that setback, I persevered and have been DMing, and occasionally playing, ever since. I launched ColoradoGamemaster.com in 2019 to GM professionally in person, just in time for the Great Plague to make that impossible. StartPlaying and online platforms came along at just the right time, allowing me to bring my games to people around the globe.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Due to the unique setting as well as the blending of options from Tales of the Valiant with player options from both the 2024 and 2014 versions of D&D, it's best to make characters either together during session zero or, if you're joining the game after it's begun, in a scheduled session with me. We'll make them directly in Fantasy Grounds.
The party (2 people so far) is level 4; cleric and rogue. Investigating a portal that's been the source of mechanical monsters, they've just captured a burrowing war machine and plan to use it to sneak past the constructs guarding the portal. A mechanist (ToV) or artificer (D&D), or a front line warrior, or a spellcaster - really, anyone - would help fill out this team!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You'll need a computer (not a phone or a tablet) and a microphone. Download and install the free/ demo version of Fantasy Grounds at fantasygrounds.com and make a Discord account if you don't have one. When you join the game you'll get an email with invites to the game table and the discord channel.
What Keith brings to the table
This is an original campaign (that will string together some modified published content as well). Expect to set your own goals and make choices and decisions that will affect the flow of the story.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Keith creates a safe table
My tables are always safe and welcoming to players of every gender, race, identity, age, orientation, experience level and ability. If you find this difficult, this is not the game for you. We'll have an opportunity before starting play to anonymously inform the table of any lines (things we don't want in our game at all) and veils (content that should be "fade to black" rather than described or played out).
Content warnings
Safety tools used