Grim Hollow: Nocturne - Build your Crime Empire (D&D 5E 2024)
The sun is dead. Vampires rule. You are the next crime family clawing for power in Ostoya’s haunted underworld.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Friday - 11:00 PM UTC
Mar 6 / Session 6
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 30–40 Sessions
4 / 6 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
4/6
About the adventure
The sun hasn't risen in five centuries. Vampires rule the Ostoyan Empire, keeping the skies dark and the people terrified. Forests are full of monsters, cities choke on fear, and power is the only thing that keeps you alive. Five years ago, the vampire elite wiped out every major criminal organization in the empire. Entire families executed, safe houses burned, anyone who stood against them destroyed. They thought they'd eliminated the underworld for good. You're proving them wrong. You're starting fresh, a new crew built from criminals, smugglers, outcasts, people with nothing left to lose and everything to gain. This is your chance to build a criminal empire in a city ruled by monsters. What you'll do: Decide what kind of syndicate you want to run. Elite thieves pulling impossible heists? Feared assassins taking contracts? Smugglers moving forbidden goods? Information brokers controlling secrets that could topple the powerful? It's your empire. Establish your operations: safe houses in the undercity, front businesses in respectable districts, informant networks, alliances with corrupt guards and desperate nobles. Every move expands your influence and makes you a bigger target. Claim territory. The docks, the undercity tunnels, the market districts. Every street you control is power. Every rival you displace sends a message. Navigate the politics: The vampire lords rule absolutely, but they have rivals and secrets. Other gangs are fighting over the scraps of what came before. The Church preaches order while hiding its own corruption. Noble houses scheme against each other while bleeding commoners dry. You'll run heists into vampire manors and noble estates. Make desperate deals with people you shouldn't trust. Face choices with no good answers, betray your contacts for advantage, burn down districts to send a message, spare enemies who might come back to kill you. Your backstory matters here. That mentor who betrayed you? They're operating in this city. The vampire who destroyed your family? They might be sitting on the ruling council.
Game style
Combat Lite
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Roleplay Heavy
Sandbox / Open World
Meet the Game Master
4.9
(14)
2 years on StartPlaying
15 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, World Builder
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 50%
About me
I'm Davi from Bristol, been running D&D for 7 years because I genuinely love this stuff. Designing NPCs with proper personalities, building locations players actually remember, weaving plot hooks that pay off sessions later, that's what gets me excited about GMing. I play and GM at my local game club too, so I know what makes a good session from both sides of the screen. As a voice actor and educator, I've got a knack for bringing characters to life and explaining mechanics in ways that click. My games lean dark fantasy with character-driven stories where your backstory becomes the plot, not just background flavour.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation happens one-on-one with the GM before Session 1, using D&D Beyond. We’ll work together to weave your backstory into the living world of Ostoya. Level: 5 System: D&D 5e (2024 Ruleset) Allowed Content: Core Rules + Grim Hollow materials Stats: Point Buy or Standard Array Species & Class: Any, as long as it fits the grim, morally gray tone of the setting Bring me a concept: criminal, revolutionary, monster, or victim and together we’ll forge a legend in the dark.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Before playing, please ensure you have: 1. A Discord account (for voice chat and coordination) 2. A D&D Beyond account (for character creation and management) 3. Access to Foundry VTT (our virtual tabletop for maps and combat) Once accepted, you’ll receive links to the campaign Discord and Foundry server. A Session 0 will confirm boundaries, tone, and character hooks.
What Davi brings to the table
Professional production that immerses you in the world: - Custom Foundry VTT with dynamic lighting that shifts with danger - Atmospheric soundscapes, blood taverns hum with whispered deals, vampire courts echo with ancient dread - Character voices for every major NPC, you'll remember the blood merchant's rasp, the vampire lord's cold authority, the desperate informant's trembling words - Session recaps within 24 hours so you never lose the thread Character-driven storytelling where you matter: - 1-on-1 character creation calls, we build your criminal together Your backstory woven directly into the campaign, your mentor, your enemies, your debts all become real - Custom homebrew items tied to your character's journey - Between-session RP in Discord where schemes develop and alliances form My GM style, what to expect at the table: 70% roleplay and investigation, 30% brutal tactical combat. I balance cinematic storytelling with mechanical depth. Expect intense negotiations where reading your opponent matters as much as your Persuasion roll. Heists where planning determines success. Combat where terrain, positioning, and tactics decide who lives. I embrace the Rule of Cool when it fits the tone, your wild idea to swing from the chandelier while dual-wielding? Let's make it legendary. But consequences are real. Fail that Athletics check and you're crashing into guards. Make enemies and they remember. Burn bridges and allies turn cold. NPCs feel alive. They have goals, secrets, and agendas that don't revolve around you. Cross a blood merchant and they'll sabotage your next deal. Help a desperate noble and they'll owe you, but their gratitude comes with strings attached. Rival gangs adapt to your tactics. The Crimson Court watches those who rise too quickly. Your choices reshape the world. There's no predetermined path. Betray an ally? The underworld hears about it. Spare a rival? They might save you later, or stab you when you're weak. Burn a district? The ashes linger for sessions. The atmosphere is everything. Dread and beauty intertwined. Gas-lit streets where shadows move wrong. Blood taverns thick with smoke and conspiracy. Vampire courts dripping with ancient cruelty. Gothic architecture that feels alive and watching. Safety and comfort matter. Lines & Veils in Session 0. X-N-O Cards during play. Breaks every 90 minutes. Open door policy. This is dark fantasy, but your boundaries are sacred. If you've ever wanted to feel like you're living inside a gothic crime drama where every choice is yours and every consequence matters, this is that story.
Homebrew rules
Potions: Can be drunk as a Bonus Action Critical Hits: Maximize base damage, then roll and add the dice Grievous Wounds & Permanent Wounds Alternate Resting Rule
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How Davi creates a safe table
Your comfort and agency matter as much as the story. We use: 1. X-Card, Open Door, and Lines & Veils to set clear boundaries 2. Session 0 to discuss tone, expectations, and any content to avoid 3. Private check-ins after intense sessions for debrief and aftercare 4. Digital X/N/O system (via Discord or VTT) to signal in real time if something feels unsafe or if you’d like more or less intensity Nocturne is a dark world, but the table itself will always be a safe and respectful space for every player. That is my goal.
Content warnings
Safety tools used