Nevermore Mysteries (Gothic Fantasy Steampunk in Waterdeep)
Magic and technology collide in the city of Waterdeep, as the detectives of Nevermore Investigations solve mysteries and navigate faction intrigue.
TYPE
SYSTEM
LEVELS
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$15.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Tuesday - 6:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
About the adventure
Waterdeep, 1888. The City of Splendors is the hub of a new age that’s sweeping across Faerun, where magic and technology blend in ways that will change the Realms forever. The Age of Æther is part steampunk, part high fantasy, part Industrial Revolution, part Victorian Gothic. Based on the DM's Guild supplements, Æthereal Gaslight and Splendors & Shadows, the setting takes the Forgotten Realms into a new age of wonder, danger, and adventure. Nevermore Mysteries is a mashup of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and Candlekeep Mysteries, re-framed and re-skinned for the new age. Player characters are employees, contractors, informants, or allies of Nevermore Investigations, a private consulting detective firm that operates in and around the City of Waterdeep. Players who are familiar with either of those sources will no doubt recognize elements of each, but they will be able to enjoy the mystery anew, as the changing times have replaced many factions, individuals, and locations. The campaign blends elements of Dracula (gothic horror), Sherlock Holmes (mystery & intrigue), Grimm's Fairytales (eerie & surreal folklore), and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (pulp steampunk adventure), for steampunk high fantasy with a surreal fairytale twist and a dark flare of gothic style. The D&D system lends itself to over-the-top action and cinematic combat, and those will certainly be part of the game ... but there will also be situations and threats which can't be overcome by combat or spell-slinging alone. Many challenges could be solved in a variety of different ways, including approaches that the DM doesn't expect!
Game style
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Roleplay Heavy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
Less than a year on StartPlaying
About me
It all started with a red cardboard box, a gift for my 13th birthday. I failed my first saving throw, got charmed by a chaotic magic-user, and my fate was sealed. A few months later, I was sketching knights and wizards in the margins of my homework, reading the Dragonlance Chronicles during lunch, and planning fantastic adventures for my friends. My role-playing career started with Dungeons & Dragons, and I still love epic high fantasy, but I quickly found so many other worlds to explore ... the gritty near-future nightmare of Cyberpunk, the sweeping space opera of Star Frontiers, the gothic horror of Vampire: the Masquerade, the boundless possibilities of Mage: the Ascension ... and through it all, I found my passion for sharing great stories with interesting and imaginative people. Decades later, that passion has only grown. I've run scores of campaigns and chronicles, made lifelong friends, written new systems, tested the experimental, tuned the tried and true.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Player characters are residents or visitors to the city of Waterdeep, in the year 1888. The setting is a steampunk / Victorian Gothic version of the Forgotten Realms, which includes steam-age technology, firearms, and technomancy. I will provide a short guide that assists players in character creation (https://quaintandcurious5e.wixsite.com/nevermore-mysteries), as well as a selection of pre-generated characters for those who prefer them. Briefly... * Character creation will take place between Session 0 (character concept brainstorming and approval) and Session 1 (first adventure session). * Starting ability scores will use the D&D 5e "standard spread" (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8). * Characters will begin play at 3rd level (900 XP). * Characters may be built using options from the D&D 5e Player's Handbook (2014), Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Volo's Guide to Monsters, and the DM's Guild steampunk supplement, Æthereal Gaslight.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need a Discord account, in order to join the game's Discord server (https://discord.gg/8zgesV8zyj), where game sessions and between-session communication will take place. Players will also need an email account that's capable of accessing a Google Drive folder, in order to access character sheets.
What Lex brings to the table
I'm always looking for new ways to help bring the players into the story we're telling. Theater of the Mind is the basis of all good games, and everything is built upon that foundation. First and foremost, I like to set the stage with vivid descriptions and dynamic NPCs. Each location has its own feel, each character has a unique personality. I try to find places where elements like ambient soundscapes and character voices will flow seamlessly into the game; like a strong spice, a little goes a long way. Exciting combat and action set-pieces are often the most memorable elements of a game, so I try to set up unique scenes which make full use of the rules ... but I also think it's important to know when the rules need to bend a little, especially in situations where the characters are trying to do unique and heroic things which might not be covered in the books.
Homebrew rules
This game will use D&D 5e (2014) rules, with the Steampunk add-on presented in the DM's Guild supplement, Æthereal Gaslight. Specifically: * Expanded firearms rules, including rules for aiming and critical hits with firearms. * New class (Engineer), and several new subclasses for the steampunk setting. * A few new feats, several new spells and magical items.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Lex creates a safe table
I'm a big fan of Session 0, to go over everyone's expectations, what they do and don't like in a game, and what sorts of things to expect in a campaign. I also use Monte Cook's RP Consent Checklist, to make sure that players have a chance to list off things that they'd rather not be part of. As a rule, I run games which stop at "PG-13" content, avoiding or "off-screening" things that would trigger a hard R-rating, simply because those kinds of things don't add much to a game in my experience.
Content warnings
Safety tools used