Living World Campaign: The Monster Slayer's Guild

Living World Campaign: The Monster Slayer's Guild

Dungeons & Dragons 5e on Foundry VTT

Price per player-session

You will be charged when a session starts

$40.00

Information

  • Duration: 4 to 5 hours

  • Number of players: 2 to 6 players

  • Experience required: Open to all

Price per player-session

$40.00

About the adventure

A good, consistent, long-running game of D&D can be hard to find. Life is chaotic and so are schedules. But I’ve come up with a style of scheduling that’s solved this problem. Instead of playing on a weekly basis, we play on any night that people are available. We have a large roster of players, but only 3-5 players will be playing at any given time. This means the party composition is always changing: one night you may adventure with a cleric, fighter, and warlock, and another night you may be with a druid, rogue, and wizard. This also means that your adventures take place in the context of a larger community, giving your achievements more meaning. I structure the adventures so that every session is either a one-shot or a distinct chapter in a quest series. We play 3-4 times a week(!), so you’ll always be able to find a time that works for you. I have developed this homebrew setting organically over the course of hundreds of sessions. This is my third campaign that I’ve run in this world, and the content is very refined as a result. I’ve made hand-drawn maps to achieve the precise look and feel that I want. And over the months that this game has been run, my players have left their mark on the world, having a profound impact on its politics and history. It’s a living fantasy world, and it’s developed at an exciting pace. Here’s why this campaign is far above what you’d expect from your average paid D&D game: >I bring a staggering amount of experience to the table. I have over 4,700 hours of experience in Roll20, 1,000 hours in Foundry, and I’ve been a dungeon master for 20 years. >I practice proactive and flexible scheduling to make sure games ALWAYS happen, even when all of my players are busy adults. >I source high-quality maps and tokens for every encounter and adventure, making it a visually appealing experience. >I always have an epic soundtrack that I mix live, drawing from video game soundtracks to create atmosphere. >I run tightly designed adventures that are fast-paced and dynamic, and always encourage creative solutions. >I’ve developed an original homebrew world with lore that revolves around the party’s achievements and goals. >I create a welcoming, supportive atmosphere of curiosity and adventure. (View screenshots and video clips of live play at https://vincentmarocco.com/ ) If you’re interested in becoming part of this ever-evolving fantasy world, send me a join request. Here is the thematic introduction to the campaign. —------------------------------ A year ago, the Drake Isles suffered an apocalyptic event: the Dragon War. All the dragons on the continent joined forces to launch an assault on civilization, vanquishing the humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes, and dragonborn in a campaign of total destruction. When they secured their victory, they then fell into a civil war that further devastated the land. At the end of it all, the continent was nothing short of post-apocalyptic, with only a handful of survivors scrounging out a living among the ruins of the old world. Then from the ashes there rose a stalwart, courageous group of adventurers known only as the Monster Slayer’s Guild. Working from the bottom up, they endeavored to rid the Drake Isles of the many monsters which now plagued it. They explored ruins, vanquished demons, and carved a path through the hordes of enemies that beset them at all sides. They built up a city from ruins, and gave the people hope again. But their work is far from done. The Drake Isles are still a wild place, full of mystery and peril. There are many threats to be quelled, many lands to be discovered, and many dungeons to explore. These include: >A metropolis of drow who executed their spider-goddess Lolth to pursue democracy and technological innovation, which is at war with a civilization of mind flayers >A dinosaur-infested swamp teeming with undead warriors risen from the dead by a scheming dracolich >A floating river-city of snakepeople ruled by powerful sorcerers, where assassination is legal >A parallel dimension ruled by the fey that is a distorted version of the normal world >An island of continuous volcanic eruptions, with lava-rivers and gigantic monsters that wander the land and do battle with each other Join forces with the Monster Slayer’s Guild and venture out into this dangerous land, shaping its history with bold deeds and daring plans!

Streamer
LGBTQ+
Queer
Artist
Game Designer

3 years on StartPlaying

171 games hosted

Highly rated for: World Builder, Creativity, Storytelling

Additional Details

How to prepare

I use virtual tabletop software to make D&D more visually engaging and accessible. We will be using Foundry, which you can run in your browser (I recommend Firefox), so no need to download anything. The program is pretty simple for players to run, but there are a few tricks to know that will make your life easier. I’m also available to walk you through the basics (especially character creation). Also, if you’re totally new to D&D altogether, I would be happy to bring you up to speed on the rules. I’m used to walking new folks through playing, so you will be able to participate and have fun even if you’ve never played before.

What I provide

I will be bringing a curated selection of maps and original adventures that have been my most successful from the past year of intense DMing that I’ve done. I have over 5000 hours in experience with various virtual tabletops, and have mastered my prep process to the point that I can improvise meaningfully on any riffs the players give me. You don’t need to bring anything but a desire to have a good time.

Gameplay details

I always want my games to make BIPOC and LGBT people feel welcome in the hobby of D&D (I’m also bi). I think that there are many good reasons to scrutinize racist, queerphobic, sexist, and colonialist tropes in the high fantasy genre and in D&D culture. I have made my OC campaign setting with a critical eye towards such tropes. In terms of content warnings, my campaigns typically include the kind of content you might expect from an M-rated fantasy video game like Skyrim or Dark Souls. There will be violence and gore, but I steer clear of stuff like sexual violence, slavery, and other things that are uncomfortably close to reality. I also avoid putting your characters in ethical dilemmas where they are required to do something awful. My games are escapist in nature. Heroes are heroes and villains are villains. In terms of safety tools, I tend to go the Lines and Veils route. Meaning, I get a sense from my players what themes are completely unacceptable to them (like slavery), and what themes are just too uncomfortable to describe in detail (like a giant tarantula). But normally I try and keep things pretty tame and lighthearted, and the violence in my games isn’t graphic or realistic. I don’t want anyone to feel bummed out because of my games, it’s supposed to be fun. I don’t go for cheap shocks or pointless edginess.

Content warnings

    (none)

Safety tools used

    (none)

How will character creation work

Characters start at level 8, with some basic magic items. The campaign is focused around mid-level adventures.

Players can expect

  • Combat/Tactics: High

  • Roleplay: Medium

  • Puzzles: Medium

  • Experience Level: Open to all

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