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Rise of the Drow | Delve Into the Underdark | Beginner Friendly!
Darkness rises beneath the frontier. Explore the Underworld, battle the drow, and uncover ancient secrets in an epic underground campaign.
$40.00
/ Session
Details
4 players following this game
Weekly / Friday - 10:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2.5–3 hours
Campaign Length / 75–150 Sessions
4 / 6 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Meet your party members
4/6
About the adventure
[SOMETHING IS CRAWLING UP FROM BELOW] •At first, the frontier hears only rumors. •Miners disappear. •Raiders strike after dark. •Pale figures move beneath the mountains. •Then the attacks reach your home. [HOLD THE FRONTIER] •Protect isolated villages. •Cross old forests. •Search ruins where something has begun to stir. •Watch the enemy draw closer each night. [GO BELOW] •Leave the sun behind. •Enter broken kingdoms and buried cities. •Meet nations hidden deep underground. •Find those who waited centuries for the surface to forget them. [FACE THE DROW] •Hunt the scouts already walking among you. •Learn how far their plans reach. •Survive the raids. •Stop the war that follows. [CHOOSE YOUR ALLIES] •Work beside old enemies. •Question the goals of new friends. •Decide which groups deserve your help. •Pay the price for every deal you make. [LEAVE YOUR MARK] •Decide which settlements survive. •Change the lives of the people you meet. •Live with those you could not save. •Shape the future of the frontier. [THE CAMPAIGN] •Exploration •Survival •War •Secrets buried far beneath the world •The road begins on the frontier. •It ends in the dark. [[Beginner & LGBTQIA2S+ Friendly]] -------------------------- 📣See what Tony has to say about my DM'ing: ⭐"Wow, what to say, 101 sessions in. Leland has been a fantastic GM, He's patient, kind, and knowledgeable about the system we're playing. I look forward to the days I get to "sit" at his table. He's become a fast friend as well. I knew from the first session when I joined his Saltmarsh campaign that I was in for a ride, and here I am 100+ sessions in now. Cheers to many more to come! Of you're having doubts about joining one of his games, know that you're going to have a fantastic time and maybe make some lifelong friends as well."
Game style
Combat Heavy
Rules as Written (RaW)
Sandbox / Open World
Hexcrawl / Exploration
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(143)
4 years on StartPlaying
1411 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Beginner Friendly
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 71%
About me
Hey everyone, I’m Leland. Some of y’all probably know me online as Leopold the Just. I’ve been obsessed with tabletop RPGs since the early 2000s and somehow still love this hobby just as much now as I did back then. Outside of GMing, I’m usually at concerts, playing board games, getting lost in strategy games and RPGs, camping, traveling, trying good food, wandering through museums and aquariums, or planning my next tattoo. As a GM, I lean hard into strange mysteries, creepy places, emotional roleplay, and NPCs that stick with people long after the session ends. Some games feel cozy. Some feel awful in the best way possible. Sometimes both happen in the same night. If you like character-driven stories and worlds that react to what you do, you’ll probably fit in just fine at my table. --- What to expect at my table and in the community: • Story-first sessions with a big focus on character growth and roleplay • Fast, cinematic combat that stays tense and easy to picture • A world that reacts to what you say and do • Group storytelling and shared worldbuilding where your choices leave marks behind • A relaxed, inclusive space where people can show up as themselves • $5 community one-shots for active members that mix players from different campaigns together • Community hangouts outside the games too: video game streams, board game nights, watch parties, and more! So pull up a virtual chair and let’s tell some stories together!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will create characters together during session 0, but here are some of the upcoming parameters. -Standard Array ability scores -Starting equipment (not starting gold) -Milestone leveling -Maximum HP at 1st level, fixed average thereafter -If your background does not grant an Origin Feat, choose one that fits your character (from a google doc I will send you) -Complete your personality traits, ideals, bonds, flaws, and biography. They'll matter during the campaign. -Turn off Ignore Gold Weight. Coin weight is tracked. -All classes and species are available. Have fun and make something you'll enjoy playing.
We will create characters together during session 0, but here are some of the upcoming parameters. -Standard Array ability scores -Starting equipment (not starting gold) -Milestone leveling -Maximum HP at 1st level, fixed average thereafter -If your background does not grant an Origin Feat, choose one that fits your character (from a google doc I will send you) -Complete your personality traits, ideals, bonds, flaws, and biography. They'll matter during the campaign. -Turn off Ignore Gold Weight. Coin weight is tracked. -All classes and species are available. Have fun and make something you'll enjoy playing. ------- Note: I am moving out of the country on October 18th, so we will need 2 weeks off, very early on in the campaign. My apologies in advance!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
⚔️ Download the zoom desktop client here: https://us05web.zoom.us/download#client_4meeting (This is where we will host our games during live play. Video is completely optional.) ⚔️ Join the Discord community and connect with fellow adventurers. ⚔️ I will also provide a Roll20 link for the campaign. Sign up or log in to Roll20 and join the campaign using the provided link. ⚔️ If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to Leopold or fellow players in the Discord community. ----------------- New to StartPlaying? You can also get $10 off your first session by signing up for your account using this link! https://startplaying.games/referral/cl4q1psp46euhbopk07tp42dx
What Leland H. (Vacation: 10/18-11/3) brings to the table
🎲 Access to a Discord server to chat with other players and stay connected between games 🎲 Roll20 link for virtual play, including maps, character sheets, and chat 🎲 Connections with affordable character artists who can render your character exactly how you imagine it 🎲 Detailed maps to help you track the world and your place in it 🎲 Help with character creation, whether you’re new or just want a second opinion 🎲 Storytelling that focuses on choices, consequences, and moments that stick 🎲 Roleplay and voice work to bring NPCs and scenes to life 🎲 Balanced challenges built for smart choices, not just strong stats 🎲 A space where everyone is welcome and treated with respect 🎲 Support for new players and space for veterans to dig deep into the story 🎲 Music, sound, and visuals to set the mood and build the world 🎲 A table where everyone gets time to act, react, and shape the session 🎲 Sessions that aim to tell stories worth remembering, together
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Leland H. (Vacation: 10/18-11/3) creates a safe table
I'll have everyone submit lines/veils/interests via DMs, then I will distribute a pdf document for the other players to have on hand or have it as a handout in the VTT of choice. Then we'll go over them during session 0, along with making characters and doing some collaborative storytelling to establish relationships between said characters. I typically post a custom agenda the day before session 0 begins.
Content warnings
Safety tools used