Heirs of the Forgotten Dale
Reclaim lost Teshendale from Zhent ruins! Survive Snowmantle, claim your Council seat, and answer the ancient forest's call amid unimaginable horrors.
$15.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Tuesday - 11:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 4 hours
Campaign Length / 20+ Sessions
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Dalelands Reborn – A 1–20 Custom Epic of Blood, Frost, and Defiance Teshendale is dead. The Zhentarim salted its fields, razed its towns, and left only ghosts. But the river remembers. Jerana Fisher — fisher, farmer, matriarch — has sold everything to bring her kin home. Fifty souls follow her north to reclaim the lost dale, beginning with the haunted logging camp of Snowmantle. You are their shield. This is a 1–20 campaign about rebuilding what was murdered. You will carve a home from frozen ruins, raise walls with your own hands, and teach a dead land how to live again. Every settler you save, every alliance you forge, every song sung around the fire becomes the legend that will one day stand against the darkness gathering in the deep forest. Expect gritty frontier survival, desperate sieges under starless skies, heartbreaking choices, and the slow, glorious miracle of watching a handful of exiles become the heart of a new nation. This game is for players who want their characters’ names carved into history — who want to feel the weight of every life they protect and every grave they dig. The river is calling. Will you answer? (5–6 players, levels 1–20, D&D 2024 rules, heavy roleplay + tactical combat, long-term campaign with real consequences. Tone is hopeful defiance amid tragedy: every settler saved builds your Legacy Score, unlocking mythic boons. New players welcome — the Dalelands were made for heroes who are willing to bleed for a home.)
Game style
Dungeon Crawl
Theater of the Mind
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(5)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Teacher, Knows the Rules, Storytelling
About me
I'm GM Jason. By day I teach mathematics. By night I build worlds. It started in middle school when a friend handed me the Player’s Handbook. I read it cover to cover, bought the DMG and the three-ring Monstrous Compendium, and devoured every page. That summer I pulled my childhood friends into the game and we played dawn until dusk for years — some of the deepest friendships and best stories I’ve ever known. Thirty years later I’m still running the same sprawling campaigns for the same groups, watching 1st-level nobodies become legends who rewrote the history of the world we built together. My games are about story, heart, and consequences that stay with you. Classic D&D — core rules, iconic classes and races — served with deep flavor, high drama, and real emotional weight. I want you to feel every choice, the rush when a desperate plan works, the ache of loss, and the triumph when cleverness or sacrifice saves the day. I run epic long campaigns and self-contained adventures. Same goal either way: sessions so memorable you’ll talk about them years later. My tables prioritize: Immersive role-play Genuine teamwork Emotional stakes Heroic moments earned through smart, bold play Whether this is your first session ever or your thousandth, you are welcome. I’m especially good at helping nervous beginners fall in love with the game and giving veterans the depth they crave. If you want stories that stay with you, come sit at my table. I can’t wait to see what we create together.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
How to Create Your Character: -We have a completely free Session 0 dedicated to character creation (no charge, no pressure). Everything happens there together so we can weave your backstories into the reborn Teshendale from day one. Rules: D&D 2024 Player’s Handbook only (core 12 classes, all species in the book). Starting at level 1. Standard point-buy (no rolling — everyone starts equal). Starting equipment exactly as class/background gives you (no extra gold). Backgrounds from the 2024 PHB are perfect as are new Forgotten Realms backgrounds. Tone & Concept You are ordinary people (or half-elves, dwarves, etc.) of the Dales who heard Jerana Fisher’s call and chose to leave everything behind to rebuild a lost homeland. You do NOT need to be from Teshendale — most of the caravan isn’t. You might be: a Shadowdale farmhand who lost family to Zhents a Daggerdale miner seeking a new start a Battledale veteran tired of Sembian taxes a Harper agent sent to watch or literally anyone with a reason to gamble everything on a dream. Bring a character who wants a home worth fighting for. No Evil Characters. That’s all the campaign asks of you. Session 0 is relaxed, collaborative, and fun — we’ll build characters, tie backstories together, and end with everyone ready to step off the wagons into Shadowdale on session 1.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Will need Discord for communication. Roll20 is our VTT so you will need to create a free account. D&D Beyond is our character Generator. I will meet with you to plan our Free Session 0 by developing your: -Character concept -Rules basics -Beginner Reference guide -Character history. I'm here to help make this easy for you. D&D is absolutely accessible and you can not only learn how to play, but master your character and tell amazing stories by doing so!
What CyLynk (Jason) brings to the table
As your Game Master, I'll deliver high-octane, immersive D&D sessions packed with epic storytelling, brutal challenges, and player-driven chaos that hits home. With years running gritty campaigns in D&D 5e, I bring my absolute best every time: razor-sharp prep, custom worlds that react to your wild choices, and NPCs with depth that'll stick with you long after the dice stop rolling. Expect top-shelf production value. I run on Roll20 with dynamic maps, token fog-of-war, animated effects, and handouts that pull you into Faerûn. Ambient soundscapes and curated playlists set the mood—thundering war drums for abyssal demon incursions, shadowy whispers for undead intrigue—without stealing focus from the action. Voices? Hell yes. I voice gravel-throated dragon cultists, sly drow sorcerers, and bloodthirsty vampires with flair, making every encounter pop. If it's not your jam, say the word. Combat is intense and tactical: grid-based showdowns with flanking, terrain hazards, and foes that fight smart to keep you on your toes. But I live for the Rule of Cool—if your Rogue wants to assassinate from the rafters with chandelier drop, Roll It. Rules as Written form the backbone, but creative badassery gets the green light to fuel those "holy shit" moments everyone talks about for weeks. We kick off with a no-BS Free session zero to align on house rules, campaign vibe, and what fires you up—straight talk, adult expectations. New to D&D? I'll hook you up with quick-start guides, mechanic breakdowns, and tips to unleash your character's full potential. Veterans get the deep cuts: layered plots, moral gray areas, and consequences that hit hard. Between games, hit me on Discord for tweaks, lore dumps, or plotting your next power move—I'm always game. My style? Player agency reigns. Your decisions forge the saga, from soul-crushing betrayals to world-shattering wars. We dive into mature themes—vengeance, forbidden necromancy, carnal temptations—delivering laughs, thrills, and triumphs that bond the table. No fluff, just pure, unfiltered adventure where adults roll big and live larger. Join me, and we'll carve legends into the Forgotten Realms that'll have you counting down to the next session. Let's get bloody!
Homebrew rules
House Rulesfor the Dalelands Campaign These rules draw from gritty realism, Critical Role inspirations, and excursion-style adventuring to heighten stakes, reward clever play, and evoke a living, dangerous Forgotten Realms region. -Potions represent a significant investment and provide substantial aid. They are scarcer and more costly than standard, but heal for maximum hit points when consumed. -Critical Hits – Gritty Realism Critical hits strike with greater force. On a critical hit: Tally the maximum value of all damage dice rolled and add that total as a flat bonus to the normal hit. Modifiers are not doubled. This applies to player characters and monsters. Example A greataxe crit (2d12) rolls normal damage + 24 (max dice total). A dragon’s bite crit adds its full max dice value on top. -Minions (DM Mechanic) Use standard minion rules for low-HP fodder enemies: 1 HP (any damage kills). No death saves or lingering effects. Streamlines large combats. -Lingering Injuries – Escalating Exhaustion A character gains one level of exhaustion when any of these occur: They suffer a critical hit. They drop to 0 hit points (but are not killed outright). They fail a death saving throw by 5 or more (roll 10 or lower). Recovery: A long rest reduces exhaustion by 1 level. Other causes: environmental extremes, starvation, certain spells/monsters. -Resurrection Matt Mercer’s “Fading Spirit” Rules (Critical Role / Tal’Dorei). Death carries lasting weight. The soul must be free and willing to return. Spells with >1 Action (raise dead, resurrection, reincarnate) 1. Up to 3 party members make skill checks (DM chooses skill & sets DC: easy/medium/hard). Advantage/disadvantage possible. 2. Final DC = 10 + number of prior successful resurrections for this character. Success → –3 to final DC Failure → +1 to final DC 3. DM rolls straight d20 vs. final DC. Result Outcome Success Revival succeeds (if willing). Failure Soul lost forever (only true resurrection or wish bypass). 1-Action Spells (revivify) Caster rolls d20 + spellcasting modifier vs. DC 10 + prior resurrections. Result Outcome Success Revival. Failure Fails; +1 to all future DCs for this character. No more 1- action revives until a full ritual succeeds. Bypasses True Resurrection or Wish — auto-succeed. Divine intervention — instant (DM discretion). -Resting Short Rest Taken anywhere over the course of 8 hours. Requires 6 hours of sleep + up to 2 hours light activity. Interrupted and reset by: Rolling initiative (entering combat) Casting a spell using a spell slot (cantrips/ritualsallowed) Taking any damage Long Rest Achieved in one of two ways: Three consecutive short rests In the same location, no interruptions Safe haven - Single night in a player built/earned/taken base of operations (e.g., bastion)
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How CyLynk (Jason) creates a safe table
If you are even a little bit uncomfortable with anything or anyone in this server (including the GM), DO NOT HESITATE to message in the support channel if it's a public concern, or Private Message the GM if it's a private matter, EVEN IF your issue is with a member of staff or the GM. Your issue WILL be taken seriously, and handled professionally and respectfully. With that in mind please do not PUBLICLY argue with members of staff. Once again, if you have an issue with a staff member, please open a ticket.
Content warnings
Safety tools used