Call of the Netherdeep: Echoes of the Red Sands Free 1st Session
Beneath the sands, a dormant power awakens from its slumber, and its echoes draw unlikely heroes into the depths, where despair and hope intertwine.
$15.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Sunday - 12:00 AM UTC
Dec 21 / Session 11
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
Campaign Length / 35+ Sessions
4 / 5 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
4/5
About the adventure
Under Exandria’s breathtaking landscapes, deep rooted cultures and legendary tales, lies something far older, darker and hungry to be found, something forgotten long ago, a consequence, by-product of a war between Prime Deities and Selfish Betrayer Gods who scorched the land in their wake. Now, centuries have passed, all knowledge of it has been lost, and two groups of adventurers find themselves being called by silent echoes of a tortured soul waiting and begging for help. This is a tale of friendship, betrayal, discovery, choice and consequence. A tale that begins in celebration, in a land very familiar to Critical Role fans, the Wasteland known as Xhorhas, before taking the group through a race across continents, through sunlit deserts, the depths of water and finally, into the abyss. This campaign is perfect and friendly for both new players and veteran adventurers as an introduction to D&D and Critical Role’s world of Exandria. It is a great adventure that blends epic exploration, deep roleplay and challenging encounters. Along the way, you’ll encounter allies and rivals, twisted monsters, fantastical locations and face choices that ripple across the world to shape your character’s legacy and its place in the world. But don’t worry, I’ll be there every step of the way to help you. Expect a well-written and well-paced adventure with balanced storytelling, combat and roleplay options, with plenty of room to decide how your character fits, grows and responds to the challenges ahead. Whether you’re new to adventuring, or a veteran, and whether you’re excited to swing a sword, cast powerful spells, or talk your way out of trouble, there’s always space at my table for your style of play, as long as it's respectful to everyone playing with you. But most importantly, this is a collaborative journey, you are going to be supported every step of the way and we’ll have a gradual introduction to the gameplay mechanics, a Session Zero for character creation and character dynamics within the group and a rule explanation for new players if applicable. If you’re looking for an accessible, story-driven D&D campaign, with a lot of room for laughter, suspense, memorable moments and comfy vibes, this is the adventure for you. So sign up now and let’s begin. All you need is your imagination; the rest, we’ll discover together.
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Roleplay Heavy
Combat Heavy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(14)
1 year on StartPlaying
22 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Sets the Mood
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Well met, fellow travelers. I’m Sam. Though I’m also known as Valkaza or simply Valk, in many realms. With over 7 and a half years of experience as a Game Master, I love to craft immersive tabletop adventures that blend rich worldbuilding, compelling narratives, and meaningful character arcs. My passion for mythology, legends, funny shenanigans and storytelling shines through in every session, guiding players on journeys where their choices truly matter. I welcome heroes of all skill levels, from first-time adventurers to seasoned veterans, and I strive to create a safe, inclusive, and collaborative table where everyone can embrace their imagination and, specially, have fun. While I’m not a professional voice actor, or anything of the sort, you’ll still catch me diving into character voices, sometimes epic, sometimes ridiculous; because nothing should stand in the way of a great story. Your story is waiting. So what are we waiting for? Let’s roll some dice, laugh out loud and journey together.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We’ll begin with a Session 0 dedicated to building your characters together. I’ll walk you through the process step by step, introducing character creation using the Player’s Handbook 2024. All official Wizards of the Coast and Critical Role classes and subclasses are welcome, and I’m also open to reviewing homebrew options if you’d like to bring something unique to the table. During Session 0, we’ll take the time to discuss your ideas, answer questions, and go through each part of character creation as a group until everyone feels confident and ready. Characters will start at Level 1, and your character sheets will be created and hosted in Foundry VTT (via Forge VTT). Don’t worry if you’re new to the platform, I’ll guide you through setting up your character sheet and show you how to use the tools available during play.
Level 4 Party composed by: Luster, the Drow Trickster Cleric Rolly, the Human Fathomless Warlock Roland, the Wood Elf Rune Knight Fighter Knifer, the Human Thief Rogue After saving the Lorekeeper of Urzin, an old Goblin named Bol'Bara, the party traveled to Jigow and participated in the festival of merit. They won the competition and earned the respect of everyone in town, and in the process, found their fates pulled in a mysterious task. Currently, they are traveling through the wastes of Xhorhas.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
All you’ll need to get started is a free discord.com account for voice chat and a microphone with speakers or a headset so we can hear each other clearly. While Discord does allow video, it’s completely optional. You’ll also need a free account on forge-vtt.com, which is the virtual tabletop we’ll use to roll dice, explore maps, and keep track of character sheets. Most importantly, come ready to have fun, work as a team, and dive into the story we’ll be creating together. A little knowledge of D&D can be helpful, but it’s absolutely not required—I’ll walk you through everything step by step and make sure everyone feels comfortable, whether this is your first game or your fiftieth.
What Valkaza (Sam) brings to the table
You can count on my consistency, I guarantee to run sessions every week and bring a well-written adventure that weaves your character’s backstory into the adventure. As your DM, I aim to be imaginative, approachable and silly, and to encourage you to let your creativity shine, as long as it keeps the game fair and it supports your fellow players. To make the world come alive, I provide quality maps with immersive lightning, detailed tokens for players and monsters, ambient music, and even some animations. I also provide a detailed knowledge of the world and lore of Exandria and last but not least, everything necessary for you to expect laughter, comfy vibes, safety tools and silly/goofy voices (I’m most definitely not a voice actor, but I’ll certainly try!). I believe this is an amazing adventure, a very well constructed story, and I'll make sure beginners feel supported by myself and experienced players at the table. Most importantly, my goal is to create a fun, safe, collaborative and welcoming space where everyone can relax, have fun and build a story together.
Homebrew rules
Well, first of all, drinking potions is a bonus action but administering a potion to others is an action. You can also spend a full action to drink a potion, guaranteeing max healing from it. We will be using 2014 Stealth Rules, and the 2014 Stun condition rules. Death saving throws will be whispered to the DM. Both for players and enemies, flaking will give advantage on attacks.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Valkaza (Sam) creates a safe table
Before the adventure begins, we’ll have a Session 0 where we introduce ourselves, talk about what we want out of the game, and set clear expectations. We’ll use tools like Lines and Veils to make sure certain topics are handled with care or skipped entirely, and I’ll also explain the X, N, and O cards system. These can be used at any time, out loud, in a whisper, or through a private message, to let me know if something feels uncomfortable. No explanations needed; when a card is used, we’ll simply adjust. During our sessions, we’ll take short breaks to relax and recharge, and after each game we’ll have a quick check-in together about what we enjoyed and what could be even better. My goal is always to provide a fun, friendly, and welcoming table where everyone can relax, have fun and build a story together. Respectful behavior is key and non-negotiable, so we can all focus on what matters most: having a great time together telling our story.
Content warnings
Safety tools used