The Secret of Blood & Thorns | Combat, Roleplay, Adventure!

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The Secret of Blood & Thorns | Combat, Roleplay, Adventure!

Deep beneath the hills lies the Sunless Citadel — a shattered fortress where glory, gold, and terrifying secrets await bold adventurers.

TYPE

Campaign

LEVELS

1–4

LANGUAGE

English

EXPERIENCE

Beginner

AGE

All Ages
2 NEEDED TO START
$15.00

/ Session

Details

4 players following this game

Weekly / Sunday - 6:00 PM UTC

Session Duration / 2–2.5 hours

Campaign Length / 8–12 Sessions

2 / 6 Seats Filled

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This game will begin once 4 players have joined

Meet your party members

2/6

About the adventure

Deep in the rolling hills near the village of Oakhurst, a mysterious citadel once stood proud upon a rocky outcrop. One night, without warning, the earth opened and swallowed it whole — leaving only a yawning chasm where a proud fortress once stood. Now, years later, strange happenings and dark rumors have begun to emerge from the chasm. The village elders are offering gold and glory to any brave adventurers willing to descend into the Sunless Citadel and uncover what evil has taken root in its forgotten halls. This is a classic, atmospheric 3.5 adventure, revamped into a 5e dungeon delve full of exploration, moral choices, clever traps, and dangerous combat. Perfect for players who love old-school D&D vibes with rich roleplay opportunities and memorable encounters. Level Range: 1–4 (perfect for starting characters) Tone: Dark fantasy, mystery, roleplaying, horror-tinged adventure Style: City and battle maps, tokens + theatre of the mind Pacing: Excellent mix of roleplay, exploration, and combat Session Count: 8 – 12 sessions (flexible) Come write your own legend in one of the most beloved old school adventures.

Game style

Combat Heavy

Roleplay Heavy

Rules as Written (RaW)

Meet the Game Master
Streamer

Less than a year on StartPlaying

34 games hosted

Highly rated for: Teacher, Creativity, Storytelling

About me

Hello! I'm an old school gamer who's a husband and father of two, along with two dogs and a cat! Family and God are my everything, but after that we game! I've played everything from 2nd edition D&D and up! I'm 45 now and have been playing RPGs since I was about 12 years old. My majority of time with RPGs has been me as a Gamemaster, but I still love taking a seat as a player! I've loved writing, storytelling, acting, and entertaining for just about as long as I can remember! Fantasy is my key genre, but I love a great tale from any time and place. I love a great story with heroes, villains, plot twists, drama, and action! I focus on the main story as much as individual storylines. I make sure to rotate and give every player their time in the spotlight, and am always first in line to help them with any issues, in-game or out. I enjoy good, friendly games that are fair and organized and respectful. I have specific rules, lines, and veils I adhere to, and I expect others to follow the same. I am fair, I love to entertain others, and have a great time creating lasting memories and stories together. Let's game!

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Character creation

Creating your character

During (Session) Episode 0 we will meet, talk mechanics and storytelling for the game, and build characters. Creating a D&D character in Roll20 is quick and easy, using the Charactermancer, and is designed to get players adventuring fast. The Charactermancer will take you step by step through character building Race/Class: Any Race and Class that is in Roll20 is approved to use. Assign Attributes: There are six core attributes — Strength, Constitution, Agility, Intelligence, Willpower, and Charisma — we will use the Point Buy System in Roll20, which will give everyone equal starting power in the game. We will utilize the Roll20 platform, not only for the character builds, but the game itself. All rules will be covered, the builds are easy, and everything is provided!

The current party

The party will consist of 4-6 characters that will work as a team to explore, adventure, fight villains, get loot, and solve mysteries! As well as find and have faithful NPC companions and possible reoccurring villains.

What to expect

Preparing for the session

You will need a Roll20 account to access the game. Once you are signed up for this game via StartPlaying, I will send you an invite into the Roll20 game. Additionally, we will be using Discord for our communication purposes both during and in-between sessions. Once you are signed up for this game via StartPlaying, I will send you an invite to my Discord server. I will assign you the #Start Playing Cast Member role and invite you into the private room we will use for the game. You will need your PC and internet along with a mic and camera. Having your camera on is preferable so we may see each other an better act the dramatics of the game. Being able to see each other's facial expressions and body language are extremely valuable when you have a back-and-forth narrative. It is the essence of the game!

What Lucas G Variety brings to the table

I run games through the Roll20 platform for character prep and play, and Discord for in-between and during game play. Additionally, our video call will be done through Discord for both mics and cameras. I will be recording the sessions for my records, notes, and safety. I have no intention of live streaming these episodes. Additionally, Episode #0 is FREE! Expect a balance of heavy roleplay and intense, tactical combat, with a healthy dose of mirth added into the mixture. I sometimes use music to heighten tension and atmosphere, but not always. I rely on the immersion of the players in stressful, meaningful situations where their decisions shape the story. I like to get into character for all my characters, using gentle accents and vivid descriptions to bring many races, cultures, and personalities to life. I follow Rules as Written most of the time, but I’m not afraid to lean into the Rule of Cool when the moment calls for it. My goal is to create a cinematic experience where roleplay and mechanics work hand-in-hand, giving you the feeling of living inside the story rather than just playing a game. If the mechanics interfere with that, especially at a crucial moment, we may just roll a die and see what happens!

Homebrew rules

I stick as closely to the rules as I can. However, in the spirit of the moment, if it's better for the narrative, we could just toss a die and let it decide. I am open to home brewing certain rules as we learn about how we all best learn the game and make homebrew rules decisions together.

Equipment needed to play

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Headphones

Webcam

Safety

How Lucas G Variety creates a safe table

I'll set clear guidelines with Lines and Veils clearly beforehand and during our Episode 0. I will also use Aftercare, Debriefing, Breaks, and the X, N, & O cards. The X, N, & O cards will done during a session as a private, direct message to me (or the group) in Discord.

Content warnings

Alcohol Use
Animal Death
Blood
Character Death
Cults
Death
Deep or Large Bodies of Water
Extreme Violence
Fire
Illness
Insects
Language/Cursing
Mass Death
Murder
Nightmares about Traumatic Events
Scars
Snakes
Spiders
Violence

Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions