Shadows of New Hades: A Noir 5e Detective Campaign
Magic is outlawed, syndicates rule, and it always rains. Grab your trench coat and tommy gun; New Hades needs a new kind of detective.
$10.00
/ Session
Details
2 players following this game
Weekly / Sunday - 8:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
Campaign Length / 15–20 Sessions
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Welcome to New Hades, a sprawling 1920s metropolis where high fantasy crashes headfirst into the gritty underworld. In this world, the 18th Edict made Unlicensed Arcana completely illegal. Now, the government’s Silver Registry cracks down on street mages, while the city's criminal syndicates led by polymorphed dragons, Archfey mobsters, and Drow warlocks run a thriving black market of illicit potions, enchanted speakeasies, and deadly elemental technology. You aren't playing shining knights on horseback; you're hard-boiled private eyes, rogue street-wizards, mob enforcers, and bootleg artificers just trying to make rent and stay alive. The morality is gray, the shadows are deep, and the mysteries will plunge you into a massive web of corruption. Ideal for players who love deep roleplay, complex investigations, and tactical, high-stakes combat. Expect moral dilemmas, double-crosses, and the thrill of uncovering dark conspiracies in a city where magic is a dangerous, outlawed currency.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(3)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Creativity, World Builder, Inclusive
About me
Hi! I’m Cole I'm in my 20s, I'm a passionate Dungeon Master who loves telling character-driven stories and building immersive worlds alongside my players. I’ve been DM-ing tabletop RPGs for several years, primarily in Dungeons & Dragons 5e, with experience running both one-shots and long-form campaigns. My style blends strong roleplay, meaningful character arcs, exciting combat, and mystery-driven storytelling, aiming for a balance where every player has a chance to shine. I’m especially inspired by stories like Percy Jackson, Atla, Lord of the Rings, and Dimension 20, which influences how I mix epic fantasy with humor, emotional moments, and a touch of the strange or whimsical. I enjoy creating living worlds with factions, secrets, and consequences, where player choices genuinely matter. Whether you’re negotiating with powerful guild leaders, unraveling ancient mysteries, or facing supernatural threats, I strive to make the world feel responsive and alive. As a DM, I value collaboration, creativity, and player comfort. I work hard to create a welcoming table for both new and experienced players, and I’m always happy to help with character creation, roleplay support, or learning the rules. My goal is simple: to make sure everyone leaves the table feeling excited, invested, and eager for the next session.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation We will hold a dedicated free Session 0/1 to build our characters together and establish your party's dynamic (Are you an independent detective agency? A mob crew? Renegade cops?). - Starting Level: 3 (so you have access to your subclass). - Stats: Standard Array or Point Buy. - Allowed Books: All official Wizards of the Coast books are allowed. Flavoring: I highly encourage reflavoring standard D&D weapons and spells to fit the 1920s noir setting. A heavy crossbow becomes a "Chicago Typewriter" (Tommy Gun), a wand becomes a snub-nosed revolver, and a mount becomes an artificer-built motorcar. Location: Characters will be created and hosted on D&D Beyond. Preparation - Before Session 0, players will need to: - Create a free Discord account for voice and out-of-game text chat. - Create a free D&D Beyond account for character sheets. - Create a free Roll20 account (our Virtual Tabletop for maps and rolling). Join the provided Discord server, where you will find the "New Hades Primer" document detailing the city's factions, laws, and history. Think of a rough character concept and how they might fit into a gritty, 1920s-style metropolis!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
- Before Session 0, players will need to: - Create a free Discord account for voice and out-of-game text chat. - Create a free D&D Beyond account for character sheets. - Create a free Roll20 account (our Virtual Tabletop for maps and rolling). Join the provided Discord server, where you will find the "New Hades Primer" document detailing the city's factions, laws, and history. Think of a rough character concept and how they might fit into a gritty, 1920s-style metropolis!
What Cole L. brings to the table
As your GM, my goal is to fully immerse you in the rain-slicked streets of New Hades. I provide: - Atmosphere: Curated ambient jazz, rain soundtracks, and battle music piped directly through our Discord audio bot. - Custom VTT Assets: High-quality maps tailored for urban exploration and tactical combat on Roll20, complete with dynamic lighting. - Immersive Roleplay: Distinct NPC voices, complex villains whose motives go beyond "evil," and a living city that reacts to your choices. - Rule of Cool: While I stick to Rules as Written (RAW) for the foundation to keep things fair, I heavily embrace the Rule of Cool when it enhances the cinematic noir feel of our story. - Integration: I weave your character backstories directly into the main plot. Your debts, rivals, and lost loves will show up.
Homebrew rules
- Bonus Action Potions: Drinking a healing potion yourself is a Bonus Action. Administering one to an unconscious ally requires a full Action. - Gritty Firearms: Crossbows and firearms (reflavored) have a +1 to damage when fired within 10 feet to simulate deadly close-quarters gunfights. - Hidden Death Saves: Death saving throws are rolled privately to the GM to increase tension and prevent meta-gaming.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Cole L. creates a safe table
Safety Player safety and comfort are my top priorities. Noir and grim settings can touch on dark themes, but the table must always remain a safe space for the players behind the characters. - We will have a comprehensive Session 0/1 where we collaboratively fill out our Lines and Veils document to establish strict boundaries. - I utilize an "Open Door" policy: if you ever feel uncomfortable, you can leave the session at any time without question or penalty. - We will use digital X, N, and O cards via direct message in Discord or through the VTT macro buttons. - At the end of every session, we spend 10-15 minutes doing "Stars and Wishes" to decompress, celebrate great moments, and communicate what we want to see moving forward.
Content warnings
Safety tools used