The Marvelous Maximo’s Spectacular Traveling Circus
A West Marches–style D&D campaign set in a traveling circus of outcasts, journeying from town to town in search of wonder, belonging, and adventure.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Tuesday - 10:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
Campaign Length / 100+ Sessions
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Welcome to The Marvelous Maximo’s Spectacular Traveling Circus! A place where the lost and the broken, the daring and the dreamers, all find a home beneath crimson and gold. The circus travels from town to town, bringing wonder to the world and leaving behind more questions than answers. It’s a place of laughter and chaos, magic and mystery, heart and heartbreak. Every performer has a story. Every show hides a secret. You’ll play as one of these performers or maybe someone who just couldn’t resist the pull of the tents and the promise of a new life. You might be a washed-up soldier looking for redemption, a runaway noble craving freedom, an escaped convict hiding from the law, a musician who tires of small-town life, or a strange magician who wants applause instead of fear. Whatever brought you here, the circus doesn’t ask questions. It only asks that you work hard, play your part, and remember one rule above all others: the show must go on. This is a West Marches–style D&D campaign, meaning the story unfolds across many towns and stages, with a rotating cast of players. Each session is a self-contained adventure that expands the shared world that grows with every choice you make. Some weeks you might tame wild beasts or fend off bandits trying to rob the circus. Other weeks you might perform before nobles, investigate strange happenings in the audience, or navigate the tangled drama of life on the road. You can join as often as you like whenever the circus comes to town. The tone balances whimsical fun with dramatic depth. Expect colorful characters, hilarious show-day disasters, and moments that tug at your heart. It’s a game about performance and identity. About people who put on masks to survive, and what happens when those masks start to crack. The circus is full of laughter, found family, and danger. You’ll share in its triumphs and tragedies, and maybe even discover why it seems to attract both miracles and misfortune wherever it goes. If you love character-driven stories, roleplay-heavy sessions, and worlds that feel alive between games, this is for you. Whether you’re a first-time adventurer or a seasoned performer, you’ll fit right in among the misfits, wanderers, and outcasts who call the circus home. So, grab your costume, take your cue, and step into the ring. The lights are bright. The drums are rolling. And somewhere beyond the curtain, the next act is waiting for you.
Game style
West Marches
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
I am a former award-winning stage actor, writer, and director who has been playing Dungeons & Dragons since 1998 and GMing since 2001. Over the years I’ve run Advanced D&D 2nd Edition, 3.0/3.5, GURPS, Star Wars, Rifts, Vampire, Marvel Multiverse, DC Universe, Wheel of Time, and many many more, before finding my home again in 5th Edition. At the table, I specialize in immersive storytelling, cinematic voice acting, and character-driven narratives. I create living worlds filled with complex NPCs where player choices matter — shaping the story and weaving backstories into a larger campaign arc. My goal is to give players the chance to grow their characters into legends in ways that feel personal and memorable. When I’m not running games, I stream on YouTube and Twitch or gather my family around the table to share the joy of roleplay.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
When players join my game, they will be sent a link to my official Discord server where they can find game information and rules as well as being able to discuss character creation in depth before the game has even starts. Character creation can be done on Roll20 or DnDBeyond using the Beyond20 extension that links the two accounts together on the Roll20 platform. That sounded fancy, it's not. Takes 30 seconds. Anyone can do it. Characters will start at level 3. You're open to using just about any official DnD publication for classes, subclasses and races except perhaps Spelljammer, but even then, exception can be made if we talk it out. Unfortunately, I do not allow Homebrew, just for game balance reasons, as I am unable to play test in advance.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need a Discord account as well as a Roll20 account. You will need to have a functioning microphone (please do a soundcheck prior to playing a session to make sure there is no interference for other players). Webcams are not required, but highly encouraged as it helps with player interaction, immersion, and aids in overall conversation. If you do have a webcam, you get session bonuses for dressing up in character to a game!!!
What The Chaos Shaman brings to the table
You can expect a multitude of voices and characters throughout the game due to my past background in theatre. In addition, be prepared for in-depth, descriptive storytelling. There will be a fantastic blend of fun comedic adventure as well as moments of heartbreak. I run the games Rules As Written, unless the rule sucks and then I'll change it to better suit our game. Example: Pets use their own action instead of your bonus action.
Homebrew rules
All House Rules are listed in the Discord for everyone to reference. Some of the highlights are: -Chris Perkins Crits -Bonus Action Healing Potions -Full Action Healing Potion for Max Healing -All players receive at least average hit points -People don't sleep in their armor
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How The Chaos Shaman creates a safe table
At any point whatsoever a player can DM me through Discord without any other players knowing if they wish to keep it private. I will read the message and take action on their behalf. This can be during a game or outside of a game. You can expect the same sort of audience rating as a Deadpool movie. So, it's a pretty hard R rating. There's harsh language, drug use, alcohol, gore and violence. Any adult matters are dealt with "behind the veil" to keep things appropriate. I'm not going to be DMing your brothel experience in detail... All this being said, I will discuss with each player individually before they join a game and take notes of any content they are adamant about not being a part of, as well as routinely checking in with players to see how they are enjoying their experience and if I can do anything to improve their time.
Content warnings
Safety tools used