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Aethercombe Taverns [WestMarches Style World] [Drop In/Drop Out]
The small logger village tavern is run by four retired bandits. They have claimed they are reformed for years, but recent attacks seem too familiar.
$10.00
/ Session
Details
3 players following this game
Once / Friday - 1:30 AM UTC
Jul 17
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
2 / 6 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
2/6
About the adventure
Play on your schedule. Grow your character. Explore a living world. Welcome to Aethercombe, a persistent, drop-in world full of unique nations, from the steampunk style military power of Volkovia that rivals the arcane mastery of Eldoria to the estranged continent of West Kulos and its uncharted counterpart, East Kulos, one thing remains constant, there are Taverns filled with tales of daring adventures. Whether you are joining for a single night of high-stakes action or looking to become a legend of Aethercombe, traveling the world and leveling up as your hero becomes a recurring member in these tavern tales, your seat is waiting. What to Expect: This is a one-shot series for beginners, veterans, and all those in between. Each session both stands alone, as well as, builds on prior experiences by other adventuring parties. Experienced players will have a chance to impart knowledge and demonstrate their skills, while newer players will have a safe and fun introduction to the game from a patient DM with years of experience and veteran players that act as mentors during the session. Genres: Wilderness Fantasy, High-Stakes Negotiation, Steampunk Fantasy, Under the Table Dealings, Tactical Exploration and of course, Combat. The Vibe: A fun and inclusive world where choices matter and the nations are diverse as the people inside a tavern on a given night. Gameplay Balance: 40% Roleplay & Investigation, 40% Tactical Combat, 20% Exploration. Frictionless Entry: Includes access to a persistent Discord community, dedicated digital maps, and optimization help for your Level 3 character. Newcomers to D&D 5e and Startplaying are completely welcome. Grab your dice and enjoy the ride! Today's Mission: The Second Chance tavern is a quaint little tavern in the logger's village of Oakhaven. The tavern's owners, Grimly Oakskin, Trueshot, Mika Junes, and Vesper are a retired group of bandits, known as The Gamblers. Years ago, they terrorized the road along the Whispering River, the same road they now serve with drinks and food. They were captured, sentenced, and released. Afterwards they opened Second Chance, swore they had given up their past life, and began earning the trust of the community. Today, they are local legends, loved by all, and willingly and often talk to patrons of the tavern about their past lives. However, recently, attacks along the Whispering River Road have began again. The garb, tactics, and frequency of these attacks all resemble how The Gamblers used to operate. Yet, the humble tavern owners maintain their innocence. Can you find the truth behind the attacks? Did someone learn enough to copy the legendary bandits, or does someone in the tavern miss who they once were?
Game style
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Realm Building
Rule of Cool (RoC)
West Marches
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(10)
1 year on StartPlaying
5 games hosted
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Storytelling, Inclusive
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
I am a D&D loving person that plays any chance that I can. I enjoy running creative, fun, sandbox style games and often invoke the rule of cool. Communication and fun for everyone at the table are my top priorities whether I am DMing here, for my friends at our monthly game, or at the DM club that I started for the students at the High School I teach at. I have a homebrew world, Aethercombe, that most of my campaigns take place in, but I'm always looking for additions to it that stem from my players in-game.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
1) Once booked into the game, you'll be invited to the game discord and Dndbeyond campaign. 2) You will create your level 3 character on dndbeyond using any of the official published books or my own shared homebrew. Any other homebrew must be sent to me for approval. 3) Stats will be either Standard Array or Point Buy. 4) Please Select the XP leveling option 5) You can choose either starting equipmentn or starting gold. Either way, you may use any gold you have to purchase items listed under "5.5e Rules" and "5.5e Expanded Rules." Items that do not have a cost (i.e. magic items) must be purchased in-game. 6) I will stay available throughout the whole process for support and collaboration if needed. You're free to knock it out yourself as well. 7) If you have a character from a previous Aethercombe Taverns one shot of mine, you are welcome to use that character as is or purchase items in the same manner as detailed above. 6) New characters will start out with 900 xp (3rd level base) and 120 gold beyond their starting gold option. This extra gold can also be used to purchase items as detailed above
What to expect
Preparing for the session
-All players will need a Discord and dndbeyond account. -We will use dndbeyond VTT and Discord Voice during the session, so ability to use both simultaneously is a must.
What Alan brings to the table
-I try my best to use character voices, but I'm not the best. -I love when players come up with creative solutions. If you can dream it up, I can assign dice rolls to it. - This is a persistent/sandbox world. There's no one clear path through the session. Players are encouraged to explore knowing that their choices can and probably will affect this session, as well as, future sessions. -I have over 7 years experience of teaching the game to new players. All experiences are welcome at my table. - After the conclusion of the session, a heroic recap put to music and fully downloadable, as well as, select memorable quotes from the session will be created and posted to the session discord to serve as a souvenir of the adventure.
Homebrew rules
-Critical hits deal extra damage equal to max damage of all dice involved instead of rolling extra dice. - Being knocked unconscious and stabilized in combat does not stop the chance that you recover naturally. On each of your turns, you roll a d20. On a result of 20, you regain consciousness with 1 hp and may act normally on that turn. All other results cause no change. -Creatures partially or completely submerged in water gain vulnerability to lightning damage. -If you wish to use a full action to drink a healing potion, it does max healing.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Alan creates a safe table
We will hold a brief discussion of expectations before starting the adventure. If a topic arises that is uncomfortable for you, please message me or the group a capital X and we will immediately change course and/or fade to black. Players are encouraged to prioritize mental health. An open door and no questions asked policy is understood. If at any point, a player needs to step away for a moment, they will be allowed to, judgement free.
Content warnings
Safety tools used