Dark Gospel - Cultic Horror for D&D 5e
A mysterious siege. A cult with reach no one expected. The kingdom's darkest threat may be hiding in plain sight.
$18.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 10:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 20–25 Sessions
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Dark Gospel is a D&D 5e campaign for 4–6 players, levels 3–12, set in the mountain kingdom of Artaxarta — a proud, isolated realm built on the bones of a fallen Empire that once spanned the continent. Artaxarta is a kingdom defined by its military might, its traditions, and its certainty that the old threats are long behind it. The Cult of Umgul is a historical footnote, a suppressed heresy from a darker age. The powerful and well organized army pushes back invaders time and time again. The Magisterium keeps order. The Twelve Divines watch over the faithful. In a time of chaos and war across the continent, the kingdom endures. Then a siege breaks out a week before the Jinsoona, Artaxarta's great midsummer festival. The players are drawn into the response — and begin pulling on a thread that unravels faster than anyone expects. Dark Gospel is a campaign about institutional corruption, slow-burning conspiracy, and what it costs to fight a war that was lost before you knew it started. It moves through three acts: Act I drops players into an active crisis — a siege with murky origins, a city in chaos, and mounting evidence that the Cult of Umgul is not the minor, scattered thing the crown believed it to be. Investigation and survival in equal measure. Act II is a turn-based intelligence operation where the players run missions across Artaxarta — gathering allies, disrupting supply lines, extracting assets, and building toward a single window of opportunity to try retake what was lost. Time is the enemy. Not every mission can be completed. Choices have consequences. Act III features a multi-stage assault on an occupied city. The cult's true nature — and the mysterious entity behind it — come fully into the light. How the campaign ends depends on decisions the players make throughout, with no guarantee of victory and real consequences for failure. This campaign rewards players who engage with politics, information gathering, and aren't afraid of hard tradeoffs. Combat is present and punishing, but the best outcomes belong to those who play the long game. Expect difficult decisions, NPC relationships that matter, and an antagonist whose plan has been decades in the making. System: D&D 5e (2014) | Levels: 3–12 | Sessions: ~20–25 | Tone: Dark fantasy. Political intrigue & espionage. Slow-burn horror.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Tactical / Crunchy
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(6)
1 year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, World Builder, Inclusive
About me
I got a copy of the original D&D Rules Cyclopedia for my 12th birthday and I've been hooked ever since. In the more than 30 years between now and then I've run and played in hundreds of games across dozens of systems, and loved them all. At heart I am a storyteller and believe than any good story should be told together. I am very excited to finally bring my decades of experience to the virtual table top environment. Having played in multiple campaigns over the past few years I've been very excited to see how technology has had such a huge and positive impact on the world of gaming. In addition to my TTRPG chops I also bring years of professional technology experience to the table and aim to create a fully immersive environment for everyone to enjoy.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Dark Gospel uses a human-only setting. Rather than selecting a standard race, players choose from twelve ethnic backgrounds — each with distinct ability bonuses, a skill proficiency, and a unique feature. Custom Subclasses Four campaign-specific subclasses are available alongside all standard options: Lancer (Fighter): Artaxarta's peerless Kataphractoi are the best lancers in the known world. Built around mounted combat, shock charges, and controlling the battlefield from horseback. Oath of Purity (Paladin): Brotherhood of Light tradition. Anti-fiend, anti-undead, and anti-aberration focus with powerful aura abilities and a social mandate to fight the enemies of the Goddess. Kryptea Operative (Rogue): An intelligence operative working for the state. Gives you access to a network of contacts, cover identities, dead drop mechanics, and secret protocols that keep you operational when things go wrong. Guild Mage (Wizard): Imperial Mage's Guild tradition. Institutional magic — methodical, defensible, with strong counterspell support. Arcane Magic is suspect in this deeply religious kingdom, but official sanction makes it socially acceptable. Background Matters Three campaign-specific backgrounds are available: Royal Guard, Kryptea Operative, and Child of the Uplands. Each ties your character directly to Artaxarta's institutions and opens access to social infrastructure that carries mechanical weight in play. Standard PHB backgrounds work with this campaign as well. This campaign rewards characters with institutional ties and a reason to care what happens to Artaxarta. The best-positioned characters are those with something to lose. Magic and Social Position The source of your magic has a strong social impact in Artaxarta. Clerics and paladins carry direct divine sanction — this is culturally transformative, not just a character trait. Guild-certified wizards are licensed professionals, and those who working outside this system operate outside the law. Sorcerers face genuine danger as the kingdom's history of dealing with ancient cults has made spontaneous magic a mark of suspicion. Warlocks have no legitimate institutional framework. If you're playing a caster, think carefully about how your character explains who and what they are. ----- You can create your character prior to the start of the campaign if you choose to do so - use the standard array for ability scores. We will be working through character creation as a group during Session 0 as well. The player's guide specific to this campaign contains specific options for character creations including racial paths, character class options, and custom backgrounds. It is highly recommended that all players review the guide prior to Session 0. Player's Guide: https://bit.ly/4cHKepA
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Make sure you have a Discord, a Zoom, and a Roll20 account prior to Session 0. Friendly reminder that these are all free to use software, so don't believe anyone who tries to charge you for them.
What Nicky Perfect brings to the table
We will be meeting via Zoom and playing on Roll20. Music, images, tokens, and animations will be provided for an immersive experience. I'm very happy to help with creating your character and using the Roll20 character sheet, including customizations. I create a custom Discord server for each of my games - you will receive an invite to this and Roll20 once you join.
Homebrew rules
- Note that I use the optional attack of opportunity rule for spellcasting when within reach of enemy creatures. - Any other house rules that the group decides on or special rules specific to the campaign will be discussed in Session 0 and posted to the Discord prior to Session 1.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Nicky Perfect creates a safe table
A document including agreed upon lines and veils along with a safety checklist will be sent to all players after Session 0, and before Session 1. Discussion of safety features will be a main focus of session 0. I will provide players with digital safety cards to use in the VTT environment. We will take a scheduled 10 minute break at the halfway mark of each session. Additional breaks can be provided if required and/or agreed upon as part of our campaign planning. I will also be checking in regularly with players outside of sessions via Discord for Stars and Wishes discussions, both individually and as a group.
Content warnings
Safety tools used