The Crucible of Nightmares - Mini Campaign

Creating your character

We will do a session 0 to go over general rules and expectations. We will also go over characters. I am doing standard 5e character creation on DnD Beyond. Starting level will be 5 and will remain level 5 in this mini campaign. We will used fixed hit points, don't worry about weight, standard array for points. Keep it simple and stick to 5e player handbook. Possible exceptions if discussed beforehand. When creating characters, I will need a bit of a background on your character, and something they fear the most.

Preparing for the session

We will use Discord for communication, character creation on DnD beyond, and Roll20 for the VTT. The first step is to join the Discord server I will have the links for the campaign in the server.

What Elias brings to the table

The Rule of Cool & Rewarding Creativity: I lean heavily into the Rule of Cool. Ultimately, this is a game, and the primary goal is for everyone to have fun. You will face complex, homebrew monstrosities designed to push your tactical limits, but if you come up with a clever, out-of-the-box solution, your creativity will be rewarded. Brutal, Unforgiving Combat: Fair warning: this is a highly difficult campaign, and I am a brutal DM. I do not fudge dice to save characters, and I will not hand out hints. I believe in complete player autonomy, which means you have the absolute freedom to make your own choices—even if those choices lead directly to your demise. Death is Only the Beginning: There is a high chance your character will die down in the vault. If they do, there is an even higher chance I will twist their demise to create a new psychological nightmare for the surviving party. However, you will always be able to roll a new character and continue the descent with the group. Communication & Adaptability: Your enjoyment is my priority. If the relentless difficulty crosses the line from challenging into frustrating, please talk to me. I am always willing to work with the group and adjust the mechanics to elevate your experience. Safety & Consent First: Because this is a heavy psychological horror campaign, we will go over an RPG Consent Checklist during Session Zero. It is paramount that we respect everyone's boundaries and keep the table a safe space to explore dark themes. Zero Tolerance: I do not tolerate any form of bullying, harassment, or bigotry out-of-character. This is a strict, zero-tolerance rule. Violating it will result in being immediately kicked from the game.

Homebrew rules

Homebrew Mechanics & Labyrinth Rules: The Oppressive Dark (Vision & Navigation) Exploration Blindness: The labyrinth actively suppresses magical and natural sight. While navigating the corridors out of combat, your Darkvision, Blindsight, and Truesight are completely discarded. The 20-Foot Bubble: Every character will emit exactly 20 feet of 360-degree dim light in Roll20. Whatever horrors lurk beyond that tight radius will remain completely unseen. No Breadcrumbs: Roll20's "Explorer Mode" is turned off. Once you leave a room or hallway, the map plunges back into total darkness behind you. You must rely on memory or draw your own maps. Combat Adrenaline: The moment initiative is rolled, the labyrinth's visual suppression temporarily lifts. All your normal racial and magical vision rules return for the duration of the battle, allowing you to fight at full capacity. Uncovering Secrets (The Two-Check System) Perception & Investigation: Finding a secret door or hidden path requires two distinct successes: one Wisdom (Perception) check to notice the anomaly, and one Intelligence (Investigation) check to figure out how it works. The Approach: When checking an area, the party must choose one of two options. Option A: A single character takes point, rolling both checks with Advantage. Option B: Two characters work together, with one rolling Perception and the other rolling Investigation (both rolling straight, no Advantage). Rotating the Vanguard: I do not allow skill dogpiling (where all five players roll to guarantee an 85% success rate), nor can you rely on the same high-stat character for every room. Once you or your duo searches an area, you must step back. The next time the party searches a new area, different characters must step up to make the rolls. Survival Tactics Bonus Action Potions: In the heat of combat, you can drink a healing potion as a Bonus Action. (Administering a potion to an unconscious ally still requires a full Action).

How Elias creates a safe table

Player Safety & Comfort Because we are diving deep into a brutal campaign focused on psychological horror, sensory deprivation, and paranoia, establishing a foundation of trust is my absolute highest priority. We can only enjoy the nightmare if everyone feels secure in the real world. Here is how we will keep the table safe: Session Zero & The Consent Checklist: Before the campaign begins, every player will fill out an RPG Consent Checklist. We will explicitly map out the table's "Lines" (topics that will never appear in the game) and "Veils" (topics that might exist in the world but will "fade to black" rather than being explicitly described). Active Table Safety (The X-Card / Pause system): Horror can sometimes hit closer to home than we anticipate. Anyone can pause the game at any time, for any reason, no questions asked. If a scene crosses a line or becomes genuinely distressing, we will stop, rewind, and adjust the narrative to keep everyone comfortable. Zero Tolerance Policy: I do not tolerate bullying, harassment, bigotry, or hostility of any kind between players. The monsters are the enemies, not the people sitting at the virtual table. If you violate this rule, you will be immediately and permanently kicked from the game. Open Door Communication: If you are feeling overwhelmed, frustrated by the difficulty, or uncomfortable with a developing storyline, my virtual door is always open. You can message me privately between sessions or ask for a quick breather during a game. I will always work with you to adjust the experience so that the game remains fun and engaging, rather than genuinely stressful. Player vs. Character Trauma: Your characters are going to go through a meat grinder. They will be frightened, manipulated, and possibly killed. We will actively work together to ensure that the terror stays strictly in-character, checking in with each other after heavy sessions to decompress.