Descent into Avernus: Chains of the Hellbound City
Baldur’s Gate teeters on the edge as Elturel falls into Hell. Your choices will shape the fate of both cities—and echo through the Nine Hells.
$22.50
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Thursday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
Campaign Length / 30–50 Sessions
5 / 7 Seats Filled
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
Schedule
Meet your party members
5/7
About the adventure
The city of Baldur’s Gate is unraveling. Refugees flee the sky-blazing catastrophe of Elturel, while cults and corruption tighten their grip. As the party uncovers sinister plots, they are drawn into the infernal heart of Avernus—the first layer of the Nine Hells. There, amid war machines, devils, and broken oaths, lies the key to saving a fallen city. Forge deals, defy damnation, and chart your own path through Hell itself. DISCOUNT ON GAME (5$/session) IF YOU BRING A FRIEND OR JOIN MULTIPLE GAMES.
Game style
Theater of the Mind
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(10)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
21 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Rule of Cool
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 88%
About me
Hello! I'm DM Mat, a game master with over 35 years of experience behind the screen. I started with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and have played through every era up to D&D 5e 2024. Over the decades I’ve run countless stories across many worlds — from grim mysteries to wild planar adventures to hilarious improv-driven chaos. I really enjoy a wide cast of pro DMs, but Chris Perkins and Acquisitions Incorporated stand out to me: energetic, improvisational, character-driven, and always adapted to the tone of the table. Sessions can be serious, heroic, comedic, dark, or a mix — whatever brings out the most fun for the group. I run one-shots, long campaigns, play-by-post games, sandbox explorations, West Marches, and reimagined official modules like Curse of Strahd, Storm King’s Thunder, Tomb of Annihilation, Descent into Avernus, Rise of the Runelords, Kingmaker, and Age of Worms. I also love Eberron, Planescape, Faerûn, and fully homebrew worlds. I mostly run games in French or English as suits the current party. In my games, both newcomers and seasoned heroes are equally welcome. I can also run games for your group or a private event — just inquire, we acquire. Above all, my tables are respectful, collaborative, and focused on shared enjoyment. If you love exploration, memorable characters, surprising twists, and a relaxed but immersive atmosphere, I’d be happy to welcome you to the adventure.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Create 2 characters of level 1, so you have a backup if something bad happen. When you level up, level up your backup character at the same time. I have some material on D&DBeyond that I will share, but I don't have all the sourcebooks. I still allow official content I don't have. Buy normal equipement with gold for your level. We will use the 2014 rules, but all new character material is allowed.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need a Discord account for between session communications, and for Voice in session. The game will be run on Foundry VTT, you would need a tablet or desktop for best experience, running Foundry on a mobile is not recommended. D&DBeyond account for character creation and importing into Foundry.
What DM Mat brings to the table
This campaign is mostly Theater of the Mind, with imagery to open your imagination. Some grid might be used for clarity when appropriate. I sometimes use music and ambiant sounds, but from my experience, many players just turn it off on their side as it is often a distraction. I usually don't play with webcam, if all the group prefer to play with webcam, we can turn it on for online sessions.
Homebrew rules
This game will incorporate some special rules to make it more in tune with the tone of the setting. Drinking a potion as a bonus action
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How DM Mat creates a safe table
In session 1 (0) we will go over the safety tools we use and explain how to use each one. We will go throught Lines and Veils for everyone, then in each session, breaks, safety cards and Stars + Wishes will be used. Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected, no exception.
Content warnings
Safety tools used