Candlekeep Mysteries: The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces
The mage who can save your home has gone missing within the halls of Candlekeep. Can you rescue him from danger, or will you become trapped as well?
$24.00
/ Session
Details
Once / Friday - 11:00 PM UTC
Feb 13
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
This is a great adventure for people new to D&D or in search of a level 1 character game. We will start already having arrived at Candlekeep and jump right into a game that is half mystery, half dungeon crawl. Our adventurers have been sent by a village struggling under a curse to locate Matreous, a powerful mage. The village's crops have withered, livestock have dropped dead, and the rain won't come. The local sage believes Matreous would be capable of saving this town from the brink of famine. He is known to frequent Candlekeep Library, and so here you are. There's just one problem - Matreous has gone missing, and no one saw him leave. Your first mystery to unravel is what has happened to this mage. However, that's only half the battle; once you find him, you will have to save not only him, but yourselves from the danger that has trapped him in these halls. This adventure is set up a bit like a "bottle episode". There is a defined space the players must navigate, but they get to choose the path they take and can pursue whatever parts of the story are most interesting to them. There are opportunities for combat, social encounters, and puzzles.
Game style
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Rules as Written (RaW)
Dungeon Crawl
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
3 years on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Knows the Rules
About me
I've been running games of D&D for five years, and it's safe to say I found my "thing". DMing is my absolute favorite thing to do, and I've now run dozens (upon dozens) of sessions. In 2024, I completed a four month D&D Dungeon Master course run by Amy Vorpahl, and came out of it with an amazing toolbox to pull from! I learned a lot about improv, adventure writing, and running engaging sessions from that course. Amy Vorpahl gave me the nickname "sassy suspense creator" at the end of the course. She also had this to say: "I love Jackie because her storylines are full of twists and her NPCs are so grounded in their points of view, giving the player characters a ton of friction to create a quest that feels unique to the decisions that they make." While I have mostly run games of Dungeons & Dragons, I have also tried many other systems, and really enjoy more "rules lite" one page TTRPGs as well. I currently produce (and appear in) a video an actual play anthology series called Nomads of the Multiverse, in which a rotating cast plays a different TTRPG every month. It's a ton of fun, and trying so many different systems has really strengthened my skills as a game master! While I've run games for plenty of experienced players, I've also "onboarded" a LOT of newbies. I really, really love teaching new players. I also offer one-on-one onboarding sessions to build a character and get familiar with the rules if you're a newbie who feels like you need some extra prep before your first gaming session! I write a majority of my own adventures, although I love a good module! Be warned, though - I will inevitably modify the module to fit the specific characters at the table. What's the point of that juicy backstory if you don't even get a dramatic reveal out of it? I also like shaking off some of the more restrictive aspects of species, like assigning moral alignment to a PC or NPC based on species/race. No room for that here! Also - queer people exist at my table, both in the story and out of it. I've run one-shots and campaigns in Forgotten Realms, in Exandria (of Critical Role), and in many one-shot homebrew worlds of my own. I'm very happy to brew something up or adopt a setting that fits exactly the vibe you're looking for. In general, I lean a bit more RAW than "rule of cool". That said, sometimes applying a rule as written straight up breaks the logic of our silly fantasy world! In that case, we modify the rule until it makes sense again in whatever ridiculous context we're in. Everybody who plays at my table fills out a Google form with lines/veils, and the "rating" they're okay with at the table. Sex doesn't happen "on screen" at my tables - that's one of my own "lines". We use the stoplight system (red/yellow) to check in with each other during the game. Racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, or any other hateful behavior from player to player, or player to DM, will never be tolerated. The offender gets one warning, and is immediately booted upon a repeat offense. I also reserve the right to boot someone immediately if their behavior is egregious. I run games via Discord or Zoom. For games of D&D, I use the DnDBeyond built-in battle map system, and I ask my players to build out their character in DnDBeyond. I typically draw my own maps for homebrew adventures. Let's play!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
I use DnDBeyond to run games, so please create a free account and make your character there before the session. If you are new and need help, I will have a few pre-generated characters available to choose from. Create a level 1 character using 2024 rules, and you may use any sourcebooks on DnDBeyond, including partnered content. Please use the standard array for your ability scores. Take the standard equipment, plus one common or uncommon magic item of your choosing.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
If you don't have one, please make a free account on DnDBeyond. We will use that site to manage characters and run combat. You will need decent wifi, a camera, and a microphone. Your built in webcam is fine - we just need to see and hear you clearly. We will play over Zoom. Slower wifi or computers sometimes struggle with the DnDBeyond integrated virtual dice, so you may want to have physical dice available if that is the case.
What Jackie Williams brings to the table
My games are story forward! That said, I lean toward rules as written, and prefer to make a ruling and stick with it rather than getting pulled into a long debate. I am also very in favor of creative solutions to problems (within logical reason), and tend to reward out of the box thinking! I am objectively bad at voices but I do them anyway. I also use ambient music! There are always opportunities for combat, but generally I like combat to have a story-driven reason behind it rather than just for the sake of hacking and slashing. I also like to provide different avenues to resolve combat. Try something weird! Maybe it will work! I have a paid DnDBeyond account and quite a few sourcebooks, which I can share access to if requested. I will also come with a few pre-generated characters, but feel free to make the level 1 character of your dreams.
Homebrew rules
I have no standard house rules, but you're welcome to try and talk me into something.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Webcam
Platforms used
Safety
How Jackie Williams creates a safe table
I will send out a Google form ahead of the game where you can indicate your lines, veils, reds, yellows, etc. It is anonymous, but you can choose to identify yourself if you want me to contact you to clarify something. I share a summary of everyone's boundaries at the top of the game without identifying anyone. During the session, you can say "x-card", put an X in chat, or hold up two crossed fingers to immediately pause the game. I will check in with you and we will adjust however we need to in order to make sure everyone gets to have fun and feel comfortable.
Content warnings
Safety tools used