HOLD BACK THE DEAD & DEADFALL | TAKE IT TO THE ABSOLUTE LIMIT!
Outfox Szass Tam, the bad guy to end all bad guys. Meet up at Level 4, face off against his minions at Level 11, dare to take him down at Level 20!
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Saturday - 7:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3.5–4 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Welcome, agents, to Operation Deadfall. Szass Tam has plans to wreak havoc on Thay and beyond, and we need brave souls, bordering on the foolhardy, to disrupt those plans at any cost. Succeed, and his vile plans will be set back centuries. Fail, and the green-glow of his undead armies will consume the land and the living. No pressure! We'll meet up in the prologue adventure Hold Back the Dead, when your wandering band of adventurers is tasked with holding back wave after wave of Szass Tam's undead invaders. Fast-forward to your more seasoned party arriving in Eltabbar, capital of the lands of Thay. Your timely arrival is not unnoticed, and you are approached by the Thayan Resistance with a mission to undermine and defeat the evil would-be conqueror before his diabolical plan can come to fruition. You'll travel the land, subverting his agents, bolstering the resistance, and taking the battle to Szass Tam himself in his unholy Citadel! Spy thriller meets high fantasy, this seemingly impossible mission is sure to stretch players and characters alike as you take on the biggest of the big, the baddest of the bad, the evillest of the evil, and the … well, the greyest of the guys.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(8)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
1 game hosted
Highly rated for: Beginner Friendly, Inclusive, Storytelling
About me
Hail and well-met, traveller. Welcome to the Tavern of the WildCard. Relax, look around, and prepare for adventure, glory, renown and treasures beyond imagining! I'm Gareth, a Welsh exile in Yorkshire. My love of fantasy brought me to the good old red Basic book back in the 80s, graduating to Expert and then Advanced (yes, I thought that was the progression). Call of Cthulhu, MERP, Shadowrun, Traveller, Runequest - all played (and still play) a part in my development. Life got in the way after uni, but I found my way back to the true path during lockdown and haven't looked back. I've DM'd a ton of one-shots/short adventures, and an expansive level 1-15 campaign. I want to bring the joy of D&D to as many adventurers as I can, from grizzled veterans to fresh-faced newcomers. While I acknowledge and respect the lovely rules, I am always going to advocate for the rule of cool. And I will never let this become a game of me versus you - the only winners are going to be the players and characters (if the dice so ordain!)
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Characters will be level 4 for the prologue adventure, created using standard array or you can risk all by rolling in the Discord server, which contains more information. After the prologue we'll jump to level 11 for the main event, which will take us through to level 20 Probably the easiest option is to create within DnDBeyond although if you are more used to using Roll20's Charactermancer, that's fine too We can discuss your character concept beforehand or at the session zero - I am always happy to help at any and every stage of the creation process Regrettably not all the extra options within DnDBeyond just yet but I'm working on it
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need a computer capable of running web-based programs internet access access to Discord (free sign-up and app/browser-based) decent audio input and optional video access to Roll20 for maps etc (free to create an account) probably access to DnDBeyond (free to create an account) - this is optional for character creation Beyond20 browser add-on if you want to roll from DnDBeyond
What Gareth brings to the table
In game, Rule of Cool is always going to be the watchword. Impress me or make me laugh and earn rewards I bring experience, fairness, and voices There will be access to a Discord server, a DnDBeyond campaign page with a growing collection of extra options, and a Roll20 table with great maps and a blistering soundtrack
Homebrew rules
There's a few homebrew rules: Healing potions - maximum recovery if taken as an action, normal roll if taken as a bonus action. Crits - Natural 20s and 1s only count as auto success or failure on attacks. I use fumble tables and optional crit tables. Grappling etc - old-school contested rolls (Athletics vs Athletics/Acrobatics). Extra 5 ft of movement if it'll be cool and you succeed on your Acrobatics roll. Flanking rule based on number of attacks you or an opponent has. Inspiration - up to 5 insp points at a time, gained for being awesome. Trade them for 1-to-1 buffs, or trade 3 for a reroll. More information available on the Discord server, and I am always available to advise and guide.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Gareth creates a safe table
Inclusivity is important to me, the game will always be a safe place that welcomes all, and is an LGBTQIA+ friendly space. There is a zero tolerance policy for harassment of ANY kind, including breaching Lines and Veils We will discuss Lines and Veils beforehand and at the session zero Roll20 includes access to safety cards that can be deployed to Stop or Slow Down the action if you get uncomfortable Open Door means everyone can step away from the game for a wellness break without judgement
Content warnings
Safety tools used