Dungeon of the Mad Mage - Apprenticeship Scheme Open - Lvl 5-20
Legendary Wizard Seeks Capable Apprentices. Must be able to traverse the dungeon by their own means, free tuition for surviving adventurers.
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday - 5:00 PM UTC
Oct 15 / Session 9
Session Duration / 2.5–3.5 hours
Campaign Length / 10–100 Sessions
4 / 5 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Schedule
Meet your party members
4/5
About the adventure
Legendary Wizard Seeks Capable Apprentices Do you or your familiar find magic intriguing? Do you wish for more challenge and treasure in your life? Or are you simply sick of Waterdeep's cold winters? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should consider becoming an apprentice of the legendary wizard Halaster Blackcloak (known as the Mad Mage by certain fake news outlets). Dweomercore Academy, located on the Ninth Level of Undermountain, invites all promising adventurers seeking greatness to enrol. With tutelage from many famous spellcasters and daily oversight from Professor Blackcloak himself, you're bound to achieve greatness, whatever your alignment! No tuition fees for those who reach Dweomercore by their own means. Please supply your own weapons and spellcasting focuses, and leave the dungeon as you wish to find it as you descend from the Yawning Portal. Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a D&D 5e campaign that takes players on an epic dungeon crawl from the Yawning Portal to the deepest reaches of Undermountain. Beginning at level 5, persistent adventurers may eventually achieve level 20, gaining incredible powers and uncovering legendary treasures along the way. This campaign features plenty of combat, but I place equal emphasis on roleplay and character development. Before the adventure begins, we'll work together on your character's backstory, goals, and reasons for delving into Undermountain, followed by a Session Zero to unite the party before their descent. If this sounds like your ideal campaign, please sign up or send me a message!
Game style
Combat Heavy
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Dungeon Crawl
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
4.9
(67)
2 years on StartPlaying
312 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Rule of Cool, Beginner Friendly
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hi, I’m Chris — and I have a serious addiction to D&D. Since I first started playing around 2010, I’ve never looked back. I began GM-ing in 2017, and it quickly became my passion. With my friends, I helped grow our group to about 10 players, rotating GMs every week. One of my favorite traditions was hosting an annual awards evening where all the GMs ran mini-adventures — a night full of fun, surprises, and great memories. Originally from the UK, I married a South African and now run immersive D&D Weekends out in the wilds of South Africa. Check out what it’s all about at https://waterberg-dnd.co.za. I’m all about the rule of cool over strict rules, crafting epic, player-driven stories that really bring the adventure to life. My greatest strength? Off-the-cuff improvisation — but don’t worry, my worlds are rich in detail with pages of notes for every session. I can’t wait to share some unforgettable adventures with you!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
After signing up we will discuss what character you'd like to bring to the party, considering backstory, adventurer hooks and party connections. We'll use D&D Beyond for the digital character sheet, under sources please select 5.5e Core Rules, 5.5e Expanded Rules & 5e Expanded Rules, also please use point buy/standard array for stats and standard starting equipment or gold equivelent. Please check with me about any 3rd party content.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Join the D&D Beyond Campaign, Roll20 Game & Discord Server, create your character and make sure you're internet and mic is working!
What Chris brings to the table
I'll bring D&D Beyond for character creation, a fun game, maps and potentially some voices.
Homebrew rules
My playstyle leans toward Rules as Fun - I value creating an engaging experience over strict rule adherence. I'm always open to bending the rules if it makes the game more enjoyable. That said, here are a few common homebrew rules I use: - You can use a bonus action in place of a regular action. - Each time a character reaches death saving throws they have one less failed death saving throw (4 downs is auto death). - When unsure if something should work, I'll often roll odds/evens to decide.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Chris creates a safe table
My play style is very lighthearted and fun in general, though Icewind Dale is a survival adventure. If at any point someone feels uncomfortable it is best to highlight (whether publicly or privately) and we'll resolve the issue quickly and get back to enjoying the game! I'll also be available and very receptive before, during and after game play incase there is any content or themes you'd like to discuss.
Content warnings
Safety tools used