Malterra, Land Between the Mountains
A land without answers. A history with missing pages. The truth is waiting to be uncovered.
$10.00
/ Session
Details
1 player following this game
Weekly / Monday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 30+ Sessions
0 / 7 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Malterra is the only world anyone has ever known. Surrounded on all sides by mountains so tall their peaks disappear beyond the clouds, generations have lived their entire lives beneath their shadow. Vast frozen lakes, endless grasslands, towering magical forests, and thriving cities make up the whole of civilization. History stretches back only three centuries, yet no one finds that strange. It has simply always been this way. Life continues, seasons change, and the people of Malterra carry on as they always have. But something has begun to disturb that quiet certainty. Strange creatures have started emerging from beneath the frozen lake outside Frostkeep. Scholars have uncovered discoveries that don't fit within the accepted understanding of history. Rumors spread faster than answers, and for the first time in living memory, people are beginning to question things that were once considered unquestionable. This is a long-term homebrew campaign built around exploration, mystery, and player-driven storytelling. Combat is meaningful, roleplay is encouraged, and your choices will shape both the people around you and the future of Malterra itself. Rather than following a predetermined path, your party will decide what mysteries to pursue, who to trust, and what risks are worth taking. Whether you're an experienced adventurer or relatively new to D&D, if you enjoy uncovering hidden truths, making impactful decisions, and exploring a world whose secrets are revealed piece by piece, you'll feel right at home in Malterra.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Sandbox / Open World
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Combat Heavy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(5)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, World Builder, Beginner Friendly
About me
I'm an aerospace engineering student entering my senior year who loves storytelling, music, creative writing, and tabletop games. My passion for RPGs comes from a lifelong love of creating worlds, characters, and stories that bring people together. I began writing D&D campaigns before I even had a regular group to play with. Since then, I've run multiple long-form campaigns for friends, international students, and study-abroad groups in both the United States and Ireland. I have experience GMing for players from a variety of backgrounds, including using D&D as part of English-language practice sessions for international students. My first campaign was a classic high-fantasy adventure that ran for roughly 20 sessions. After that, I created an original isekai-inspired horror campaign, followed by several completely original settings and stories. Across five campaigns and four homebrew worlds, I've spent well over 80 hours designing settings, lore, encounters, and character-driven narratives. As a GM, I focus on immersive storytelling, memorable NPCs, player agency, and strong roleplay. My background in vocal percussion and singing has also helped me develop a wide range of character voices and accents, which I enjoy bringing to the table. I take great pride in creating worlds that feel alive and reactive to player choices. More than anything, I want my players to experience the same sense of wonder and excitement that made me fall in love with tabletop RPGs in the first place.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will be rather sporadic most likely. Basically what will happen is I will provide history and information about all of the locations of Malterra, and everything else about the land that the average humanoid would know. From there, players will decide the general background they'd like to have. For example: scholar, farmer, adventurer, noble, etc. Once we have that information, I would then provide some ideas as to how you could play that out and then allow you to expand on that. If you picked an adventuring background, for example, I could give you several ideas. Maybe you have always lived in Frostkeep and want to help keep the land safe so you take all of the monster hunting and criminal search jobs, or maybe your father was a legendary adventurer to whom you look up, or maybe both! Once that general idea is made, I'll allow the player to write their own connections. Maybe list the family members you have, some close friends, where you live and who you live with, how you make money, etc. From there I'll write a little bit more to add on and connect with important story elements that your character might not be aware of just yet. As for where characters could be created, I am not picky. Use whatever website or customization that you want, as long as I am able to look at your general stats, it is fair game. On that same note, I am ok with homebrew classes and characters as long as I can approve them prior to sessions. If you're referencing a homebrew character from a third party, just let me see the source and I'm happy to accommodate.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
All communication, stream screening, and whatever else will be completed through discord, so that is the only thing I'd say is required.
What Caleb Burks brings to the table
I love to do different character voices, and I will also be using ambient noise and music as necessary. When there is combat it will be intense and challenging, and I will usually add some sort of puzzle or a twist to make it more interesting. Generally speaking I stick to RaW, but I can live for the Rule of Cool when it seems important.
Homebrew rules
I don't have many homebrew rules, but drinking a potion as a bonus action is one. Rules will be updated as necessary and any that make the game the proper level of interesting for the party will be put into play.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Caleb Burks creates a safe table
Session zero there will be a link for a Lines and Veils document to keep the players safe. This will always be available, so if things come up in games that need to be addressed then they can be anonymously uploaded to me.
Content warnings
Safety tools used