Thrashers: Black River | Twilight: 2000 Survival Horror Campaign
A black river, a failed bioweapon, and a flamethrower boat. Save the uninfected before command burns the map.
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EXPERIENCE
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$25.00
/ Session
Details
1 player following this game
Bi-weekly / Sunday - 12:00 AM UTC
Jul 26 / Session 2
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
Campaign Length / 10–13 Sessions
2 / 7 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
2/7
About the adventure
🔖 50% off your first session — no experience needed “They gave us vaccine cases, flamethrowers, and a route upriver. Said it was simple: stick the clean ones, burn the dead ones, keep the boat moving. Said the hard part would be telling infected from clean. Not in the least. Hard is knowing exactly who’s clean and still leaving them behind because the boat’s taking rounds, bingo fuel, and Thrashers already in the water. Like hitting Mercer’s Ferry, clean folks begging us not to leave, dead not dead, and Ramirez had the torch lit before anybody gave the order. I keep telling myself we saved who we could.” THE RIVER RUNS BLACK. In the alternative-history year 2000, the Cold War went hot, World War III is still burning, and the nuclear exchange has not happened yet—but everyone can feel the world sliding toward something worse. Roads are broken, fuel is scarce, and rivers have become lifelines again: routes for trade, refugees, soldiers, raiders, and worse. Somewhere upriver, at Kestrel Research Station, a classified military program called HARDSPINE failed. It was meant to create stronger, faster, more aggressive soldiers. Instead, it created the Thrashers: infected human beings driven into violent, animalistic frenzy. You are part of a desperate riverine mission sent into the containment zone with vaccine samples, limited fuel, portable flamethrowers, and a battered boat that may be your only way in or out. Your orders are direct: inoculate the uninfected, burn the infected dead, recover what intelligence you can, and keep the outbreak from spreading downriver. But simple orders do not survive starving refugees, contaminated villages, panicked soldiers, bad intel, broken radios, and command openly debating whether a B-52 strike with MK-77 firebombs is the only way left to contain the river. This is not a cartoon zombie game. The Thrashers were people. Some still look like people. Some may have been people you were sent to save. Every session begins in motion: a burning dock, a screaming radio call, a refugee boat in the fog, a failing engine, a contaminated checkpoint, or Thrashers already in the reeds. Your boat is your lifeline, your weapon platform, your shelter, and maybe your coffin. The question is not just whether you can reach Kestrel Research Station—it is what you will become before you get there. ⚠️ Twilight: 2000 – 4th Edition is a tactical survival RPG using step dice. When the outcome is uncertain, you usually roll one die for your attribute and one die for your skill. Each 6 or higher is a success, and extra successes can mean more damage, faster work, better positioning, or other special results. No experience is required; rules will be taught during play. All experience levels welcome. Questions before you book? Send me a message — happy to talk through it.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Roleplay Heavy
Tactical / Crunchy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(25)
3 years on StartPlaying
65 games hosted
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Knows the Rules, Creativity
Average response time: 11 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Like a lot of people, I grew up at the table — high school, college, and the years after — both as a player and a GM. Then life happened, and the dice went quiet for a while. When I found my way back in 2022, I knew exactly what kind of table I wanted to build, and I have been building it ever since. I run Free League Publishing and Year Zero Engine games almost exclusively, and for good reason: they nail what I care about most as a GM. Tension. Consequence. A world that feels real and pushes back. Whether we are surviving the ruins of Twilight: 2000, chasing the edge of the galaxy in Coriolis: The Third Horizon or The Great Dark, hunting xenomorphs in Alien, or uncovering old horrors in Vaesen, every session is built around atmosphere, player choice, and consequences that feel earned. I also run Dragonbane, Blade Runner, Tales From the Loop, Tales of the Old West, and Invincible: Superhero Roleplaying, so if a corner of Free League or the Year Zero Engine has caught your attention, there is a good chance we can make it happen. My tables are beginner-friendly and LGBTQ+ friendly, full stop. If you have never touched a Year Zero Engine game — or any tabletop roleplaying game — I will help you get comfortable before we roll. If you already know the systems, you will feel right at home. My Information Technology background helps keep Foundry VTT and Discord organized and accessible, and when tech hiccups happen, we sort them out together. With fifteen years of tabletop experience across science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, superhero, and post-apocalyptic games — and several years of dedicated online GMing since returning in 2022 — I know how to keep scenes moving, help new players feel capable, and give veteran players room to be surprised. What I am after is a table where your choices shape the world, the atmosphere pulls you in, and you leave with a story worth retelling. The best thing I hear after a session is not “great GM” — it is players recounting what we built together, like they can hardly believe it happened. If that sounds like your kind of game, let’s play.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Pre-generated characters are available and a character creation website link is provided for those players wishing to create their own characters. We can discuss questions/concern online via my Discord server to go over character ideas, rules, and expectations. Players can also schedule time with me to finalize details in a voice chat if preferred. Backup characters are recommended due to the game’s lethality. Late joiners will be supported with character creation, but if setup isn’t completed by session start, a pre-gen or temporary NPC will be used. Please sign up at least 24 hours in advance to ensure everything’s ready.
The first session will begin with a "Session Zero": a quick table setup where we review expectations, communication/safety tools, campaign tone, character/game basics, and player input on the kind of campaign everyone wants. After that, we will transition into regular play with the time remaining.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
◆ To play, you'll need a computer (not a phone/tablet) capable of running Foundry VTT, a free Discord account, headphones, a decent mic (headset mics are okay but standalone mics are preferred), a stable internet connection (1mbps+), and a quiet environment. ◆ A webcam is optional but highly recommended. ◆ A good attitude, respect for others, and focus are essential. Join my Discord server after booking, prepare your mic and space, and if you're new, feel free to review the Foundry tutorial [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jfRtmuwxU ] and the YZE rules [ https://freeleaguepublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/YZE-Standard-Reference-Document.pdf ]. Join my Discord server, FreeVerse Studio: https://discord.gg/Y3cRVPRZSd I’m happy to assist new or returning players with rules and setup!
What FatherJ brings to the table
I provide a prepared, immersive online tabletop experience using Foundry Virtual Tabletop and Discord. Foundry VTT is free for players and runs in a web browser. It includes the game system when available, character sheets, battlemaps, handouts, tokens, dice tools, music, and sound effects. Discord is used for voice and between-session communication, with dedicated channels for game information and group chat. I also provide a large library of maps, tokens, artwork, music, soundscapes, and visual aids to support each game’s tone. Depending on the campaign, this may include tactical maps, atmospheric scene art, faction handouts, custom NPC portraits, themed soundscapes, and player character tokens made from art you provide whenever possible. My GM style is collaborative, player-focused, and cinematic. I run games with strong story foundations, meaningful player agency, and a reactive world that changes based on your choices. I enjoy character voices, recurring NPCs, faction consequences, dramatic set pieces, and moments where player decisions reshape the campaign. At the table, I balance roleplay, combat, and exploration based on the group’s preferences, the game system, and the needs of the session. Roleplay and character choices matter, but when a game calls for tactical danger, investigation, survival pressure, mystery, or exploration, those elements will have real weight. I aim to be a storyteller, impartial referee, and facilitator. I respect the rules, but I also support creative problem-solving and the Rule of Cool when it fits the situation and does not undermine the danger, tone, or fairness of the game. I work to give every player time in the spotlight and encourage the party to operate as a team. Details, links, and setup instructions will be provided after signup.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How FatherJ creates a safe table
Player comfort and trust are important parts of how I run games. I enjoy tense stories, hard choices, dramatic conflict, and immersive worlds, but the goal is always shared fun—not pushing players past their comfort zones. I strive to keep my games as close to PG-13 as possible in presentation, especially around graphic detail and player comfort. That said, some game themes can occasionally drift into R-rated territory through violence, horror, trauma, war, crime, or other mature subject matter. When that happens, I aim to handle it with care, avoid gratuitous detail, and respect the boundaries established by the group. The first session begins with a Session 0 before transitioning into play with the remaining time. During Session 0, we review campaign tone, table expectations, character concepts, party connections, safety tools, and any topics players want included, avoided, or handled carefully. I use the Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist before or during Session 0 so players can clearly mark lines, veils, and caution areas. I also use an Open Door policy: players may step away, take a break, or leave a session if needed, no explanation required. Breaks are built into the session flow, and additional breaks can always be requested. After sessions, I use Stars and Wishes as a simple aftercare and feedback tool. Stars highlight what players enjoyed, while Wishes give space for pacing, tone, comfort, or story adjustments going forward. Players are also welcome to message me privately at any time if something did not land well or if they want something handled differently in future sessions. My table is collaborative, respectful, and player-focused. I want everyone to feel heard, included, and able to contribute to the story.
Content warnings
Safety tools used