What happened to Mercedes Santiago? | Learn to Play D&D 5.5e

Little Mercedes Santiago has disappeared, leaving her aunt distraught. She needs you to find her before the girl's parents return from a trip.

TYPE

One-Shot

LEVELS

1

LANGUAGE

English

EXPERIENCE

Open to all

AGE

All Ages
2 NEEDED TO START
$20.00

/ Session

Details

Once / Sunday - 10:00 PM UTC

Oct 11

Session Duration / 2.5–3 hours

0 / 6 Seats Filled

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This game will begin once 2 players have joined
About the adventure

The tweenage daughter of an up-and-coming family has disappeared. Her aunt, who was left in charge while her parents were ennobled in the capital, needs you to find the girl before anything bad happens to her, and especially before her parents return home. Did she run away? Was she abducted? Or did she just get lost? What, if anything, are the Santiagos hiding? Is the local carnival mixed up in this? Is the aunt more concerned about her niece or pleasing her newly-noble sister? And who is this family friend, Mr. Gallant? For beginners and experts alike, this all-ages adventure mixes combat, role-playing, and investigation as you hunt for Mercedes Santiago. Time is of the essence.

Game style

Rule of Cool (RoC)

Puzzle / Mystery Focused

Game themes

Meet the Game Master
Queer
Neurodivergent
Published Writer
Educator
Game Designer
No Gen AI

Less than a year on StartPlaying

4 games hosted

Highly rated for: Inclusive, Storytelling, World Builder

Average response time: 16 hours

Response rate: 100%

About me

I'm a long-time DM, starting back in '83, and have played and run a variety of systems, including GURPS, Star Frontiers, Call of Cthulhu, TMNT/Rifts, and a bunch of others, but my focus has been D&D, from Basic to 5.5. I've been in the education industry since the early 90s, and taught for almost two decades. For the last twenty-odd years, I've been an editor at the family educational simulation company. I've written several books and edited a few anthologies. My work tends to be character-focused as well as grounded in history as well as science. After traveling all over the country, I'm currently back in my hometown, where I live with my nationally recognized wife, a locally recognized son, a good dog and a mediocre cat.

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Character creation

Creating your character

Feel free to message me or check out the discord for pre-gens, but feel free to make your own character, with the Standard Array or Point Buy, using officially published WotC D&D books. Your character should be level 5. No PCs should be Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil, or Chaotic Evil. In addition to normal gear, you start with two common magic items and one uncommon one.

The current party

I can adapt the adventure for most any party confirmation. Bear in mind there will be both roleplaying and combat, so plan accordingly.

What to expect

Preparing for the session

If you are interested, please check out the discord at https://discord.gg/zMDQZykxG There, you should find #table-rules and #pregen-characters , amongst other things.

What Joseph Cadotte brings to the table

I strive to bring engaging stories, with some twists and turns, grounded in myth, fable, and history, both modern and ancient. I want my players to feel comfortable at the table, able to express themselves and enjoy the game and each other. Hopefully, they experience a gaming experience that sticks with them long after the final die is rolled.

Homebrew rules

On a d20 test, 1 always fails, and a 20 always succeeds, if success is possible. Paladins can smite with ranged attacks. Characters proficient in bows/crossbows can use firearms of a similar damage type.

Equipment needed to play

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Safety

How Joseph Cadotte creates a safe table

I encourage regular breaks, open discussion, and debriefing as well as one-on-one or group discussion (such as the Luxton technique) as needed.

Content warnings

Controlling Parents
Kidnapping
Mind Control
Violence

Safety tools used

Frequently asked questions