Stonetop: Defend the Hearth
Stonetop is a fragile haven in a vast, strange world. Can you feed your neighbors, protect your home, and solve the mysteries of a dying age?
TYPE
SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$25.00
/ Session
Details
8 players following this game
Custom / Wednesday - 4:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 10–20 Sessions
2 / 6 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Meet your party members
2/6
About the adventure
Stonetop is not a dungeon crawl. It's not a heroic power fantasy. It's a love letter to small places, stubborn people, and the difficult work of keeping a community alive. You belong to Stonetop, a dusty, muddy, fiercely independent village perched at the edge of known maps. You know every creaking gate, every suspicious neighbor, every field that floods when the rains come too hard. And you know what lies beyond the walls: barrow-wights in the old burial mounds, iron-rich soil that draws strange creatures, ancient stonework that predates memory, and winters that don't always end. This is hearth fantasy. Your goal isn't to save THE world. It's to save YOUR world. You'll forge bonds with your neighbors, expand your village's reach, and confront dangers that threaten everything you've built. WHO THIS GAME IS FOR This game is for players who love deep roleplay, proactive decision-making, and emotional investment in a shared community. Active participation is the heartbeat of this game. Because Stonetop is about community and relationships, I am looking for players who want to dive deep into character interactions and take initiative. If you prefer to sit back and just watch the story happen, this might not be the right fit. I'm looking for players who are ready to speak up, contribute ideas, and help build the world with me. Your character’s choices and presence matter very much for the story and for to the rest of the group. THE VIBE CHECK Because Stonetop is a long-term commitment, I want to make sure we're a good fit. Anyone interested in joining will receive a super short vibe check survey about playstyle and expectations. No pressure, just a few quick questions to help us start on the same page. ---- This game is not meant for one shots, but for longer arcs and for a Stonetop campaign, a realistic range is about 10–20+ sessions. Minimum 10 sessions = We'll just start scratching the surface: introduce the village, run a few threats, and see one season change. 15–20 sessions = A satisfying arc. You'll develop the community, resolve a major danger, and feel real growth. 20+ sessions = Full, deep campaign. Multiple threats, generational shifts, expanded village, and a legendary conclusion. Expect 10–20 sessions, depending on player choices and the pace of the story. This is a long-term commitment, but I will be transparent if the campaign naturally reaches a stopping point earlier or later.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(23)
3 years on StartPlaying
60 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Sets the Mood, Storytelling
Average response time: 15 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hey I'm Maia (my-ee-uh), a storyteller, actual play producer, and longtime lover of narrative-driven games. I found TTRPGS a few years ago and immediately fell in love with how collaborative, emotional, and unpredictable they can be. I've been GMing ever since-building immersive worlds, guiding personal arcs, and chasing those unforgettable table moments that happen when a group really clicks. In addition to private campaigns, I also create and publish actual plays, both live streamed and edited, on Twitch, YouTube, and podcast platforms. Producing those shows has sharpened my sense of pacing, tone, and scene work, and I bring that same care to every table I run, whether we're recording or just playing for fun privately.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will handle character creation together during our first meeting, which will serve as our Session 0. This is a collaborative process where we build your heroes and their connections to the village of Stonetop at the same time. We will use the official playbooks for this system. I will have all the digital sheets and reference materials ready for you. Please do not bring a pre-made character to the table. We want to make sure the group feels like a real community that fits together naturally.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
1. Ensure you have a Discord account. 2. Browse the playbooks. I will provide a link to the Stonetop hero playbooks.
What Maia (my-ee-uh) brings to the table
We will use a VTT, there will be music/ambience, theatre of the mind background imagery. My style is grounded in structure, which provides a solid foundation for us to explore. While I come to the table with a well-defined framework, I value your agency above all else. The story will pivot and evolve based on the choices you make. For example, if you decide to broker a peace treaty with a rival faction instead of following a combat lead, the world will react logically to that shift. You can expect a game that is organized, immersive, and highly responsive to your actions.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Maia (my-ee-uh) creates a safe table
I will send a digital Lines and Veils document to everyone before we begin. This allows us to establish boundaries and content warnings privately. There is also a Star and Wishes section after every session. This is a short period to decompress, talk about the events of the game as players, and check in with one another before we log off.
Content warnings
Safety tools used