The Stygian City (Seassion zero is free)

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The Stygian City (Seassion zero is free)

An dorment city, carved in the walls of a concentric chasm. Though there is no sign of the ancient architects, their secrets still lie in its depths

TYPE

Campaign

LEVELS

1–5

EXPERIENCE

Open to all

AGE

18+
3 NEEDED TO START
$17.00

/ Session

Details

Weekly / Saturday - 6:30 PM UTC

Session Duration / 3–5 hours

Campaign Length / 5–15 Sessions

0 / 5 Seats Filled

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About the adventure

Perched upon the rim of a vast, circular chasm lies the village of Ekersfield, a quiet settlement that clings to the edge of an abyss older than memory. Far below, carved into the walls of that endless pit, the ancient Stygian city spirals downward, circle by circle. This is a dungeon-delving adventure for a fledgling party of adventurers. You will descend into the venerable halls of the Stygian city, uncover its buried history, and confront the remnants of its lost architects, as well as those who have since made it their lair. Expect a fast-paced game: roughly two or three encounters per session. Not all will be fought with steel, some will test your wit, resolve, or sanity. Each challenge will draw you deeper into the mysteries of this sunken world. As time goes on, you will grow familiar with the city’s twisting corridors and shadowed plazas, learning of the factions that scheme within its depths — and the scavengers who seek to plunder its ancient riches. Perhaps, in time, you’ll even learn to turn that knowledge to your own advantage… if the darkness doesn’t claim you first.

Game style

Dungeon Crawl

Rule of Cool (RoC)

Tactical / Crunchy

Meet the Game Master

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, World Builder

About me

Hey there! I work at a bookstore here in Germany, which means I’m surrounded by stories every day — just the way I like it. I’m an avid reader of all things sci-fi, fantasy, and speculative fiction. I started GMing about ten years ago while studying literature at university, and I’ve been hooked ever since. If I could build my ideal book series from pieces of my favorites, it would have: the dark political intrigue of The First Law by Joe Abercrombie, the wit and humor of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, and the vivid world-building of Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora. If that blend sounds like your cup of tea, we’ll probably get along just fine. When I’m not running games or reading, you’ll usually find me deep in a complex board or card game. My current favorite (and mild obsession) is Arkham Horror: The Card Game. I love exploring its clever mechanics — but what really draws me in is losing myself in its rich, interconnected storytelling.

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Character creation

Creating your character

We are starting at first level. We’ll be playing using the D&D 2024 ruleset. All official content is fair game (except Aarakocra). Published third-party content that can be found on 5etools or D&D Beyond is also fine. As for stats, you can use either point buy or the standard array. If you’d like to roll for stats, we can do that together before the game. More than mechanics, it’s important to me that the group feels coherent — that the characters know each other and share meaningful bonds. We’ll work together in a relaxed Session Zero to create a truly memorable team of outstanding heroes, villains, or something in between. The world around Ekersfield is an established setting from my home game. However, this is our campaign — your characters’ backstories take precedence. There’s plenty of room to incorporate your ideas, concepts, and personal touches into the world.

What to expect

Preparing for the session

A good quality microphone (preferably a headset) is required to use Discord. I also strongly encourage players to use video during games. Games using video conferencing are usually more enjoyable for all parties, as video prevents misunderstandings and miscommunication. In addition you will need (free) accounts for Discord and Roll20

What Shepherd-of-Ulthar brings to the table

We will be playing on a premium roll20 account with teh 2024 rule books perchest. I will prepare the campange with Maps, Art and Handouts. there i will also have ambient music fittet to different locations and scenes.

Equipment needed to play

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Webcam

Safety

How Shepherd-of-Ulthar creates a safe table

Session 0 will be used for Character Creation and to help determine the Hard Lines for the Table that won't be crossed. If you are uncomfortable declaring your Hard Lines publicly you may send them to me directly and privately and I will include it without mentioning who sent me the message. For information on what content may be in the game before we begin see the Content Warnings, I have tried to be as thorough as possible with detailing the potential themes and occurrences of this adventure.

Content warnings

Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions