Thistle’s Thorn: A City on the Brink
A violent attack shatters a grand celebration, thrusting you into a unfolding conspiracy threatening the heart of Thistle. Can you stop what’s coming?
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Friday - 3:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
Campaign Length / 12–24 Sessions
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Welcome to Thistle’s Thorn, a beginner friendly Dungeons & Dragons adventure for players of all experience levels! You are adventurers in the city of Thistle: A place that prides itself on order, tradition, and civic virtue, all while quietly rotting beneath the surface. Fear and suspicion ignite when a single shocking incident exposes just how deeply crime, corruption, and forbidden magic are woven into the city’s foundations. Caught in the fallout, you will navigate dangerous political games and confront threats both monstrous and human, descending into the places where the city’s secrets have been buried. Combat is brutal and meaningful, but many of the most important battles you will fight will be with words. This campaign pulls no punches. Failure has consequences, foes adapt, and the city responds to your choices. There are no easy answers and no guarantee that justice comes cleanly… or at all. For players who enjoy gritty urban fantasy, Thistle’s Thorn offers a cinematic ride where every choice shapes the fate of a city on the brink.
Game style
Organized Play
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Tactical / Crunchy
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(9)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
2 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, World Builder, Visual Aid
Average response time: 3 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
(Booking availability: Weekends only. Systems: 5e 2014, Pathfinder 1e, Vampire the masquerade 1st or 2nd. Mage the awakening 2e.) I have over 17 years of experience with D&D and other tabletop RPGs, and I’ve spent more time as a DM than as a player(forever DM). I love building worlds and bringing them to life! I hand-make my own battle maps from foam and add extra flair to my sessions with props, music, and sound boards. I’ve also acted at the renaissance festival for 10 years, so I’m no stranger to improvisation or stepping into character. TTRPGs, and D&D in particular, have been a passion of mine since a young age. It’s always been a big part of my life, and I still get excited every time I sit down at the table. I especially love getting new players involved and watching them come back wanting more! My goal is to make my games interesting enough to draw you in, and freeing enough to let you play the way you want. The point of playing this game is to have fun and share stories with friends old or new. We’re all here for the same reason, so let’s make the best of it!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will have a session 0 where in we will all create and discus our characters together. If this is your first time playing then do not worry, I will help you step by step or you may simply choose a pre-made character from a selection. If you are a veteran player, then you are more than welcome to create you're own character beforehand. 📖 ───────────────────────────── 🏰 Character Creation Rules (5e, 2014 Core Rules) 📖 ───────────────────────────── 🧝 Races: - Core races are allowed. - Supplement races may be used with GM approval. ⚔️ Starting Level: - All characters start at level 1. 📜 Backgrounds: - All official backgrounds are allowed. - Custom backgrounds may be used with GM approval. 🔮 Multiclassing: - Allowed; recommended for veteran players. - GM approval may be required. 🗡️ Feats: - Optional feats may be chosen instead of Ability Score Improvements (ASI) when leveling. 🎲 Ability Scores: - You may use Point Buy or Roll for stats. - All rolls must be recorded or done via video during Session 0. 📈 Leveling & Death: - Level progression is story-based, not experience points. - Death is permanent only if agreed upon by the group at Session 0. 🏕️ House Rules / Custom Rules: - Leveling happens only during downtime. - Some realism applies (e.g., basic survival needs like food and water). - Critical hit rules will follow Critical confirmation. 🤝 Behavior & Etiquette: - Respect other players. - Avoid meta-gaming. 📜 Character Submission: - Characters may be completed before the game or during Session 0. - Any format is acceptable (physical or digital). -Players must fill out the GM’s Player Character (PC) cheat sheet.
This campaign is designed for a table of 4-5 players and welcomes adventurers of all experience levels, including complete beginners. Players should expect a mix of narrative scenes and approachable combat rather than constant deadly encounters. Mid-campaign sign ups are welcome, but all new players joining an already running game are required to complete a paid one on one Session 0 before entering play. This session is charged at the normal session rate and is mandatory. Session 0 is part on boarding, part character workshop. We’ll go over the tone and themes of the campaign, talk through character ideas, set expectations, and make sure you’re comfortable with the rules.These sessions usually take about 1-2 hours. Please review the original game listing and any shared campaign notes ahead of time so we can use the session efficiently. Once Session 0 is complete, you’ll have a character made and be ready to start the campaign!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
📖 ───────────────────────────── 📝 Player Preparation Guide 📖 ───────────────────────────── We will be playing over a video call, so Discord is the required application. Showing your face is not required but encouraged to make the table feel more friendly and personal. As far as game resources, you are free to use any websites you feel relevant. Additionally, I will provide you with any links and/or PDFs for character sheets and other relevant campaign materials. What you need: 🌐 Stable Internet connection 💻 Discord account 🎤 Microphone 🎧 Headphones or speakers 📄 Access to Google Docs 📑 Applications to read PDFs ─────────────────────────────
What GM Avrey brings to the table
📖 ───────────────────────────── 🎲 What I’ll Provide You 📖 ───────────────────────────── 💻 We will be playing our games over a video call. 🎥 On my end the camera will be set on a moving arm that is facing a table. 🏰 The table will be set with: 🗺️ Battle mat 🧙♂️ Miniatures 🏗️ Custom map pieces and decorations I’ve made 🎬 During the sessions I will move the camera around the battle map to offer: 🔹 Different points of view for tactical planning 🔹 Cinematic effect 🎵 I will accompany the campaign with: 🎶 Music 🔊 Some occasional soundboard use 📜 For the most part we will stick to Rules as Written, but when the rules start to become unrealistic or overly complicated, we will revert to the Rule of Cool. 🎭 When not using the playsets, we will be mostly using the theatre of the mind. 🗣️ I will "attempt" voices and characters, but do not expect a world-class act! 💧 Player comfort: ⏸️ I will make us take water, bathroom, and stretch breaks at least once a session. 🎯 I won’t let dehydration and bad posture ruin our game!
Homebrew rules
I like to use "Hero Points" or "Cool Points" or "Inspiration Points". These points are given out to players who do something "cool" or "Heroic" within the game session. This could be playing your character really well and making a hard Role Play decision. Or perhaps you risk your life by saving someone from eminent doom in a spectacular way. You may have a max of 3 points saved up at any time. Using one of these points all but guarantees your next dice roll by adding a +8 to whatever it is you're doing. I will be using elements of other games and rules to fill in some of the gaps for the more grey area aspects of the game. I will have semi-custom rules on travel, survival, and economy. However if we encounter something that halts the game progression, I'll make an on the spot ruling on it so we can move forwards.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How GM Avrey creates a safe table
During session 0 I will give anyone and everyone the chance to bring up anything or any topic they wish to not see in any sessions. You will also be free to privately list your concerns to me if you so wish. There will always be a direct line to me if any concerns arise. After every session we will convene and the floor will be open for any criticism or concerns. At the end of the day I try to keep real life race, sex, religion, and politics out of my games and general conversation. In some small ways these subjects may appear in the game but only ever as background to fit a narrative. Never will there be a reference to any current real life situation.
Content warnings
Safety tools used