The Portal Under the Stars

The Portal Under the Stars

A supernatural portal opens once every half-century. What will you find inside, guarded by iron men, the living dead, and horrors beyond imagination?

TYPE

One-Shot

LANGUAGE

English

EXPERIENCE

Open to all

AGE

All Ages
2 NEEDED TO START
$10.00

/ Session

Details

Once / Saturday - 1:00 AM UTC

Jul 18

Session Duration / 3–4 hours

1 / 5 Seats Filled

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This game will begin once 3 players have joined

Meet your party members

1/5

About the adventure

Seeking wealth and escape from their peasant lives, a band of desperate souls investigates a supernatural portal that appears only once every half-century—when the stars align just right. Beyond the portal lies the burial tomb of a war-wizard of eons past, filled with ancient treasure and deadly peril. This is a classic Dungeon Crawl Classics funnel adventure, where players begin as a horde of 0-level peasants with nothing but grit and a farming implement. The tomb is packed with iron men, a demonic snake, the living dead, and a variety of strange and murderous statues standing between your characters and glory. DCC funnels are brutal, hilarious, and unforgettable. Most of your characters won't make it—but the ones who do will have earned their place as true adventurers. Expect fast, deadly, old-school play where the dice tell the story and no outcome is guaranteed.

Game style

Dungeon Crawl

Meet the Game Master
LGBTQ+
Neurodivergent
Artist
Game Designer

1 year on StartPlaying

About me

I'm an LA-based software developer, business owner, and musician. I started playing TTRPGs in middle school, starting with Hero Quest and D&D. I fondly remember sitting in class and ignoring the teacher while drawing maps on graph paper and sketching character concepts based on the Lord of the Rings. I've been GMing for a year now, running one Dragonbane campaign and one Pathfinder 2e campaign simultaneously.

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Character creation

Creating your character

Character creation takes place during the first session. This is a DCC funnel, so each player will roll up 3-4 zero-level characters using the standard DCC funnel rules. Characters are generated quickly using the DCC character creation tables—occupation, starting equipment, stats, hit points, and luck. No prior preparation needed; we handle everything at the table together at the start of session one.

What to expect

Preparing for the session

1. Create a free Discord account at discord.com if you don't already have one. 2. Your GM will share a link to access the game directly in your browser. 3. Make sure you have a working microphone and a stable internet connection. 4. No prior DCC experience required. Rules will be explained at the start of the session!

What Nathan brings to the table

I will provide a fully set up Foundry VTT environment with custom maps, tokens, and handouts for the adventure. Atmospheric background music will be playing throughout to set the mood. I use character voices for NPCs and monsters to bring the world to life. All rules will be explained as we go. This is a welcoming table for new players and DCC veterans alike.

Homebrew rules

This game runs by the book using the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG rules as written. No homebrew modifications. DCC's unique mechanics (the dice chain, mighty deeds, spell corruption, and the funnel) are used as intended for a fully authentic old-school experience.

Equipment needed to play

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Headphones

Safety

How Nathan creates a safe table

Player safety is a top priority at my table. Before the game begins, I use a Lines and Veils exercise to establish hard limits and soft limits for all players. The X-card is available throughout the entire session. Any player can invoke it at any time, no questions asked, to skip or adjust content. I encourage open communication before, during, and after each session.

Content warnings

Blood
Classism
Character Death

Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions