Lover's Lantern | Beginner-Friendly D&D 5e Cozy Mystery
The Lover's Lantern is stolen right before twilight! Solve a cozy D&D 5.5e mystery and save the festival before the sun sets on romance forever.
Free
Details
1 player following this game
Once / Sunday - 10:00 PM UTC
Jul 19
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
2 / 6 Seats Filled
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
Meet your party members
2/6
About the adventure
Welcome to Roselyne Every year, the beautiful riverside town of Roselyne hosts the Festival of Hearts, a celebration of love, friendship, and destiny. The entire town gathers to see The Lover’s Lantern, a magical artifact that glows at sunset to reveal visions of true love and blesses the region's famous blooming gardens. But this year, disaster strikes on the very eve of the festivities! The town's celebration is suddenly thrown into jeopardy, and if the crisis isn't resolved before the sun sets, the festival will be ruined and Roselyne's legendary magic might fade forever. A Cozy Mystery Perfect for Beginners & Couples If you have never played Dungeons & Dragons before, or if you are looking for a relaxed, welcoming space to try it out, this game is built just for you! There are no complex rules to memorize, and you don’t need any prior experience. This adventure is designed to be a cozy, low-stress introduction to the game. It emphasizes exploring a vibrant festival, talking to a colorful cast of suspicious townspeople, and solving a fun mystery. While there might be danger, you can choose to handle situations with clever thinking and roleplay rather than just fighting.
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(4)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Beginner Friendly, Knows the Rules
About me
Hey there! I’ve been diving deep into D&D for the last few years as a player, and recently made the leap behind the screen to start DMing. My background in journalism gives me a unique perspective on storytelling. I know exactly how to find a good the hook and keep the narrative moving forward. I work hard to ensure every game is an inclusive, safe, and welcoming space where everyone can relax, throw dice, and have a blast. At my table, you and the rest of your party are the main event. My goal is never to force players into a plot or push my own agenda. Instead, my focus is to help tell the story of your characters, bring them to life, and watch them shine. Your choices will shape the world around you, meaning even a familiar module will feel like a unique adventure driven by your decisions. Join me for an adventure, and let's see what story your character writes.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
To get ready for this adventure, please use the following guidelines to build your character before our session begins: Starting Level: Level 3, Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) Allowed Material: Anything from official D&D sourcebooks is completely fine. Feel free to use options from the Player's Handbook, Tasha's, Xanathar's, etc. However, please no homebrew without DM approval.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
To get ready for the adventure, please create a free account on Discord (for voice chat), Roll20 (our digital game board), and DnDBeyond (for your character sheet), and join the game links provided in your StartPlaying dashboard. You will need to create your character on DnDBeyond before our session starts, but don't worry if you are new to the game. I will be fully available on Discord ahead of time to answer your questions.
What Marc brings to the table
To make your adventure as seamless and enjoyable as possible, I provide a dedicated Discord server where we can chat, coordinate, and where I can help answer any character creation questions you have before the game starts. You will also get full access to our digital game board on Roll20, complete with clear maps, character tokens, and visual aids to help you easily navigate the environment. To help set the mood and bring the setting to life, I also utilize background music and ambient soundscapes during our session. My GM Style: What to Expect As your Game Master, my main goal is to ensure everyone at the table has a fun, relaxed, and memorable experience. I focus heavily on collaborative storytelling and prefer to embrace the Rule of Cool over strict, rigid rule-following, meaning I love to reward creative player solutions. While I keep the characters engaging, I don't lean heavily into dramatic voice acting, keeping the focus instead on clear descriptions and smooth gameplay. You can expect a supportive atmosphere with a balanced, narrative pace where exploration and clever problem-solving are highly encouraged, making it a perfect environment for both new and experienced players alike.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Marc creates a safe table
To keep our sessions fun and comfortable, we will establish clear boundaries by discussing our Lines and Veils privately via Discord ahead of time, ensuring we know exactly what content to avoid or gracefully skim over. We will also briefly review these boundaries together right before the session begins. During gameplay, we will use digital X, N, and O safety tools which you can easily signal at any moment either through the Roll20 chat or by direct messaging me on Discord. Whether you need to pause the action, adjust the content, or just let me know you are doing great, these tools ensure you can communicate your comfort level instantly and discreetly to keep the experience enjoyable for all.
Content warnings
Safety tools used