The Black Mire Covenant | Dark Swamp Cult Adventure (5 Sessions)

Creating your character

Players will create standard D&D 5e characters starting at Level 3. You can expect to advance to approximately Level 5 by the end of this adventure. You may build your character using Point Buy, Standard Array, or rolled stats (by-the-book rules). Please use official D&D 5e content (2014 ruleset): all published species/races and classes are welcome. If you’d like to use any third-party or homebrew content, just run it by me first so I can give it a quick look-over. Characters can be created before Session 1, and I’m happy to help with builds, backstories, or mechanical questions to make sure everyone starts strong and connected to the setting. Come with a hero ready to brave cursed bogs, face moral choices, and stand against draconic corruption. 🐉 I don't really care how your character sheet is created, as long as I can see a copy of it before we start to rule out big mistakes. Starting equipment should be: Default starting gear, plus an extra 100 gold pieces worth of gear (or you can keep the gold), plus one common or uncommon magic item (pending GM approval).

Preparing for the session

If you plan to play in this game, then please join my Discord: https://discord.gg/RDBV9eA3Ay Then, message me here on StartPlaying with your Discord name, and I'll add you to the private chat for the one-shot on Discord. See my lines and veils document here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zz8iK-Ox2gExZNBvwlCLcOp4hul6U7uuoHswvdus7SE/edit?usp=sharing See my basic player agreement here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14KZp3R4lzNivr9Pb_RrZY9sxLXURMEuct4eTeDY4tvM/edit?usp=sharing (please note that the 'campaign' voting and player-of-the-game stuff won't apply to this as it is a one-shot, not a full campaign).

What The GM Philosopher brings to the table

I will be hosting voice chat on Discord, we will be using Owlbear Rodeo for visuals/VTT/map tracking, and I will be playing music via discord with a bot in the voice chat. I do a lot of roleplaying, with different voices and stuff. Expect the combat to be fast paced and high action. Expect for me to move the story along from scene to scene relatively quickly to keep us on track for timeline. Also be ready for some zoom-in, meaningful roleplay as we move through the adventure. I run tight sessions with minimal distractions, and I expect the same from my players. Turn down the lights, grab your headphones, bring your snacks, and get ready to enter a shared world where every choice matters and the stakes are real. This is collaborative storytelling at full power.

Homebrew rules

Tone & Purpose I run with a set of gritty, cinematic house rules that make the world feel real, dangerous, and alive. These aren't about punishing players—they’re about making your choices matter and giving weight to the story you’re helping tell. Flanking Flanking grants advantage—for everyone. If you and an ally outmaneuver a foe, you’ll be rewarded. But enemies can flank too, so watch your positioning. Potions Drinking a potion takes a full action. No quick sips mid-sword swing. Use them wisely or lean on your team. Critical Hits Critical hits mean double the dice rolled—not just double the total damage. If your attack lands, you roll all the damage dice again. It’s more dramatic, more fun, and just feels better. Lingering Injuries Lingering injuries are real. If a crit hits you above half HP, it might break a bone. If you’re below half HP, it could sever a limb. Broken bones won’t heal from a Cure Wounds, short rest, or even one long rest. You’ll need at least Lesser Restoration. Severed limbs require Regenerate. A severed head means instant death—no saving throws. A severed torso equals instant death with saving throws. (The head and torso are included on my 'limb' chart.) Death & Spirits Death isn’t always the end. If your character dies, you can choose for their spirit to linger. Coming back will be possible—but difficult. It may require a long quest, a costly ritual, or the mercy of something old and powerful. If you’re willing to walk the long road back, the story will make room for you. Failing Forward Fail forward is possible. If you miss an attack or flub a check but come up with a creative, logical idea that would still impact the situation (like granting an ally advantage), I may allow it. Not guaranteed—but cleverness earns chances. Inventory Precise inventory is expected. Track your gear—arrows, rations, coins, spell components. If it’s on your sheet, it exists. If not, it doesn’t. Passive Perception Passive Perception only matters when I call for a check. When I do, you can choose to use your passive score instead of what you rolled (whichever is better). Otherwise, if no check is called, you don’t notice anything—stay alert. Philosophy These rules aren’t about crunch—they’re about consequence. This world is brutal, but it rewards creativity, teamwork, and guts. If you’re ready to play bold, play smart, and play for keeps, you’ll thrive here.

How The GM Philosopher creates a safe table

Player safety and emotional comfort are key pillars at my table. This campaign explores dark, intense, and morally complex themes, but it should never do so at the cost of anyone’s real-world well-being. That’s why we’ll be using a Lines and Veils document—shared via Google Docs and pinned in our game’s Discord channel. It’ll be pre-filled with my baseline boundaries, and we’ll go over it together during pre-game chat. You’re encouraged to suggest additions or changes, and anything added will be honored without question. We also use X, N, and O tools during play. These are handled in the main discord thread, and are encouraged at any point. You're also encouraged to speak them out loud at any point. Those tools are always active, and I’ll always respond to them without question or delay. After heavier sessions, I’ll do check-ins via Discord or private message to make sure everyone’s doing okay. We’re here to tell a powerful story together—but real people always come first. To set clear expectations from the start, here are some of my non-negotiable boundaries: Hard Lines (Always Forbidden): - Sexual violence of any kind. This includes non-consensual acts or threats, even thematically. - Sexual content involving children, in any form. - Out-of-game harassment, bullying, or bigotry of any kind—racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise. - In-game bullying by players. Targeting another PC with lethal violence, manipulation, or harassment is not allowed, even in-character, unless fully pre-discussed and agreed upon by all involved. Veils (Handled Off-Screen or With Caution): - Sexual or romantic scenes will be veiled (fade to black) when they occur. - Torture may be roleplayed if it serves a story purpose, but if it crosses into gratuitously cruel or overly graphic territory, we fade to black. - Graphic Gore & “Gore-Core” Content: Descriptions of violence, blood, and injury are present (e.g., severed limbs, broken bones, blood-soaked floors), but they stop short of torture-porn or “gore-core” levels of detail. Think R-rated action or horror, not Saw or Hostel. We fade to black before it becomes gratuitously gruesome. - Other heavy themes such as loss, trauma, grief, and corruption may appear—but we’ll always prioritize emotional safety and pull back when needed. If something comes up during play that you weren’t expecting and it feels off, uncomfortable, or upsetting, speak up. You never need to explain or justify why. My job as GM is to build trust, protect that trust, and create a space where everyone can be brave, vulnerable, and immersed—without ever feeling unsafe.