Sword Coast & the North | D&D 5.5e | Beginner Friendly Campaign
Begin with Dragon of Icespire Peak, then face an elemental apocalypse in a full 1–18 level campaign.
$18.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 3 hours
Campaign Length / 30+ Sessions
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
From the frozen peaks of the Sword Mountains to the depths of forgotten elemental temples, your story begins in the frontier town of Phandalin. What starts as a desperate defense against a marauding white dragon quickly reveals something far more dangerous—an ancient balance breaking across the world, and forces older than kingdoms beginning to stir. This is a long-term, character-driven D&D 5.5e campaign beginning with Dragon of Icespire Peak and continuing into Princes of the Apocalypse (levels 1–18). Expect a blend of open-world exploration, hex crawl travel, and classic dungeon delving. We use milestone leveling, so your growth is tied to story progress rather than grind. This table is welcoming to both new and experienced players. New players will be guided through rules and mechanics in a supportive, low-pressure environment, while veteran players will find a structured long-term campaign with meaningful progression and tactical encounters. This is an inclusive, LGBTQ+ friendly table with a strong emphasis on collaborative storytelling. Respect, teamwork, and shared spotlight matter more than optimization or “main character” behavior. Everyone at the table helps build the story together. First session is free—come step into the North, and see what awakens beneath the frost.
Game style
Hexcrawl / Exploration
Dungeon Crawl
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(8)
2 years on StartPlaying
22 games hosted
Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, Voices, Knows the Rules
About me
I’ve been running tabletop RPGs for 30 years, starting with AD&D and continuing through every major edition of Dungeons & Dragons, alongside systems like Call of Cthulhu, Shadowrun, World of Darkness, Traveller, and more. Across that time, I’ve learned what makes a campaign work long-term: consistent pacing, meaningful character integration, and a table where players feel comfortable engaging both roleplay and tactical play. My games are structured, well-prepared, and run at a steady pace. I enjoy doing character voices, building immersive NPCs, and weaving player backstories directly into the world and plot. While I appreciate tactical combat, I prioritize storytelling, momentum, and keeping the table engaged over strict optimization or rules-lawyering.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Characters begin at 1st Level and will Advance to 18th Level by the end. The following material will be used for character creation: Player's Handbook 2024 Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants Fizban's Treasury of Dragons Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Xanathar's Guide to Everything Forgotten Realms Heroes of Faerun The newest reprint of any game material takes precedence. 2024 Player's Handbook on top. Anything reprinted in newer material consider overwritten. I do not generally allow homebrew or unearthed arcana material, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Just know that this is my preference. For ability scores, player's have the choice of choosing the standard array or rolling. If you choose to roll you roll 4d6, dropping the lowest result and totaling the other three. Do this six times. If the average result of the scores are 12 or less you may reroll. Whatever you end up in the reroll is what you'll have to stick with.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You do not need an active subscription with Roll20 to participate, but you will need a free account. You will also need a discord ID. This is a voice only game, no webcams are required, but a decent mic is. Players are expected to be considerate of other players and the DM. There is zero tolerance when it comes to this expectation.
What Spider brings to the table
I will provide maps, images, music, voices, and more. You can expect combat every session, but plenty of room for RP and exploration besides this (this is why I go for a longer 4 - 5 hour session time). I like to stick to RAW and generally don't allow 3rd party or Unearthed Arcana material in my games.
Homebrew rules
Minimal to None
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Spider creates a safe table
I make use of a Lines and Veils document and we cover this in Session 0. Zero tolerance for the following items: Homophobia Racism Real-World Religion Sexism Torture Transphobia Self-Harm Romance that is Explicitly Described
Content warnings
Safety tools used