In the Shadow of the Empire

Image by Gamble

In the Shadow of the Empire

The Empire has endured for a 1000 years by measuring all things, even people. The routine posting proves the system work; wait, are the numbers wrong?

TYPE

Campaign

LEVELS

1–12

LANGUAGE

English

EXPERIENCE

Advanced

AGE

18+
4 NEEDED TO START
$20.00

/ Session

Details

Monthly / Sunday - 12:30 AM UTC

Session Duration / 3–4 hours

0 / 5 Seats Filled

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This game will begin once 4 players have joined
About the adventure

For over a thousand years, the Empire has endured. It endured famine by measuring grain. It endured war by measuring soldiers. It endured uprisings by measuring people. Every spring, Imperial scouts cross the land to perform the Accounting. The annual recording of births, deaths, aptitude, and service. From this, the Empire assigns purpose. No chaos. No waste. No uncertainty. You are part of this system. Some of you serve the Empire directly. Whether through the military, the census, the academies, or the trades that keep it moving. Others were born beneath it, raised to obey its rhythms, counted before you could speak. Different places, same ledger. The Empire does not ask for loyalty. It assumes it. You have been assigned to a routine spring posting. A stable district with low variance and minimal risk. The kind of work that proves the Empire is right to trust its methods. Nothing about this assignment is supposed to change you, but the Empire only survives by anticipating the future. And somewhere in its calculations, something has already gone wrong.

Game style

Roleplay Heavy

Theater of the Mind

Puzzle / Mystery Focused

Rule of Cool (RoC)

Meet the Game Master

5.0

(5)

Neurodivergent
Teacher/Educator
Game Designer

Less than a year on StartPlaying

Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, World Builder

About me

Hi I'm Gamble! I have been playing Dungeons & Dragons since end of 2nd Edition, my favorite being 3.5, though I almost exclusively play 5e currently. I have been a Forever DM for more than 15 years and in that time have built my own immersive world complete with pantheons, organizations, cultures and more. The most important thing for me are players who are looking to be part of a collaborative experience. While I am familiar with many versions of TTRPG platforms, you might call me a DnD specialist. I may run some one-shots here and there with various systems, but when working with my preferred VTT (Shard Tabletop), it only supports DnD 5e currently. If I am not currently offering something you're interested in, feel free to DM me with special requests.

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Character creation

Creating your character

Character creation will happen before the game starts. Stats will be Standard Array. Starting level will be 1, but should get to level 3 within the first couple sessions. Character creation will have class/subclass/race limitations.

What to expect

Preparing for the session

Shardtabletop will be used for the VTT ass well as Discord. All rules and character creation based lore will be given prior to Session 0 so everyone can plan their character accordingly.

What Gamble brings to the table

I will provide custom maps where necessary, character voices, player handouts and ambient music. This is a game meant for advanced players, so both roleplay and combat will be fairly sandboxed, allowing for the creativity of the players to push the story forward. I prefer the Rule of Cool so long as it does not break the game as the I feel the story is best pushed by players creative investment.

Homebrew rules

There will be class, racial, and subclass limitations in this setting. There are homebrewed abilities specific to player choices. I utilize party hero points per the DMG. Resurrection is mythologized and spells that unable that will not be available until very late in the game.

Equipment needed to play

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Webcam

Safety

How Gamble creates a safe table

Each player will be required to fill out a safety sheet prior to Session 0. During Session 0 we will discuss what those limitations are based on those assembled. Players should expect violence and political intrigue.

Content warnings

Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions