Image by StartPlaying Game Art (Fantasy)
The Children of Aros - A Dinosaur Fantasy Campaign in D&D5e!
Far beneath the earth lie the ruins of lost civilizations. Within their halls await ancient artifacts that herald the return of a terrible threat.
$25.00
/ Session
Details
2 players following this game
Bi-weekly / Thursday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
About the adventure
In the land of Aros, there is wonder and intrigue. Forty-six years ago, refugees from the Eastern Continent fled across the sea and found the land of Aros filled with abundant life and scaled civilization. These refugees were the first mammalian species to populate Aros, as its denizens were reptilian in nature. Many are distant descendants of their animal compatriots: Dinosaurs. With saurian neighbors of all shapes and sizes, the land of Aros welcomed the refugee Humans and Goliaths from across the sea. They were shown how to live alongside the great beasts that fill the land, and how to mystically bond to them to create what is known as a Behemoth. They are smarter and faster than their mundane counterparts, and capable of constant evolution that mirrors the growth and strengths of their humanoid companion. There is magic involved with their bonding and creation, turning an infant reptilian dinosaur into a titan of magic and mayhem. After nearly five decades, the refugees from the east became citizens of Aros, their tale told only by those who have survived what befell their homeland. A dark and terrible threat whose description is always vague yet horrifying. Most of the Arosian people welcomed them, though there are many who hate or fear what they represent. You are members of the adventurer's guild the Iron Vanguard - "The First to the Fray, the Last to Fall!" - a guild renowned for their skill, diplomacy, and tendency to be the first into a fight. Powerful warriors, skilled diplomats, and some of the bravest people around. Normally, their jobs tend to focus on defending caravans, stopping rampaging dinosaurs, mediating between rival organizations, or speaking on behalf of those hurt or scorned. The Vanguard received a quest to protect archaeologists at a dig site at an Imperial Ruin, the name for the ancient civilization that dots the Arosian landscape. Your team accepted the quest, heading off into the western mountain range near the edge of the Coalition border. With enough rations and mounts to get you there, whether they are your Behemoth comrades or some other animal, and with recommended tools for the job. This is a narrative-driven campaign that starts at level 1 and progresses towards levels 13 - 15. Each main quest is bracketed with points of downtime and roleplay to learn more about the fellow PCs, grow relationships, build trust with the team's NPCs, and create stories between the big jobs. The main missions progress the story that reveals ancient secrets, unveils terrible foes, retrieves powerful artifacts that grow in power with the team, and offers deep insights into the world's lore.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(27)
4 years on StartPlaying
503 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Rule of Cool, World Builder
About me
I have been running TTRPG campaigns since 2015. Started as a player, then moved up to running a session once every couple weeks. Now I'm doing it weekly, and I can't get enough. I love to write and build worlds, and this lets me be every character I've ever written. I'm happy as the Forever DM, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my worlds with others!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
There is a limited list of available races to choose from for this campaign. We have access to Dr. Dhrolin's Dictionary of Dinosaurs which offers a large list of available dinosaur critters, related races, subclasses, and backgrounds. Other races available from the standard list of races is Human and Goliath, as they are the only non-reptile races in the campaign. Characters will start at level 1 and will choose a dinosaur from the Dictionary's list of available dinosaurs - with more on the way once their next book is released as a module - as their bonded companion. An infant version of the chosen dinosaur will be made available, which will grow at certain times in the campaign alongside the player character. Stats will be rolled using the Avrae Discord bot. Characters will be created either in Foundry or in D&DBeyond and imported if the character meets the standards of being either Human or Goliath (if you have Dr. Dhrolin's Dictionary of Dinosaurs on D&DB, feel free to import a character using the available character choices from it).
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need an account with Discord and a suitable webbrowser to connect to Foundry. Chrome, Firefox, and Opera seem to work ok with it.
What CryptMaster brings to the table
I will be providing the Foundry compendium, monsters, maps, and token options alongside hosting the VTT to be available during and a bit before each session. I really love roleplay and getting to know each other's characters, hearing about backgrounds and stories and beliefs while resting at camp or between missions. I like to employ voices for characters though sometimes the voice doesn't work, and I enjoy finding music to help with ambience and immersion. I embrace Rule of Cool, as the rules are there to set a baseline and can be bent or ignored in favor of the enjoyment of the group. All we need is that it makes sense, is something the character can do, and the rolls prove it!
Homebrew rules
Session-based Inspiration (start each sesssion with 3 Heroic Inspiration, any extras beyond the starting 3 roll-over between sessions), Multi-Use Healing Potions (each has 4 charges - BA to consume 1 charge, or an Action to consume all charges for greater healing), Brutal Criticals (extra critical damage die are treated as rolling maximum), and Behemoth Companions (magic dinosaur friends who understand Common and evolve based on experiences and their role in the party).
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How CryptMaster creates a safe table
Session 0 will cover both character creation and any limits or triggers for players who wish to participate. These can either be covered through the Discord voice chat or via direct messaging. Breaks can be taken when needed or at the session's halfway mark. The content warnings provided in this listing may be changed based on player needs, as content may be removed to make it more comfortable for the group. I have a zero-tolerance policy for the mistreatment of fellow players, and actions that cause a fellow player to no longer have fun due to disagreeable character actions or statements will be met with a warning, with further such acts leading to removal. Phobic statements and toxic acts (such as "it's what my character would do" to disguise a toxic action) are not welcome and will cause removal from the game. We're here to have fun and escape from reality for a bit.
Content warnings
Safety tools used