Sessions
Mondays 7:00 to 11:00 PM PST: 4/6
Sundays 4:00 to 8:00 PM PST: 2/6
The Campaign
The game is a completely custom and unique homebrewed world and campaign designed with 3.5E, 5E, and associated books. There is no supporting adventure modules utilized in this game. All 5E books and associated material are supported within this game for character creation. Homebrewed classes, races, feats, etc. are potentially allowed after a review and discussion.
The campaign and world currently consist of over 700 pages of notes and about 200 custom maps. I add, edit, and review material in the campaign and the world as we progress. Eventually, I will be pursuing publication with the world and campaign.
The campaign has been undertaken by over a dozen groups both in person and virtually. The campaign ranges from over 2 to 2.5 years running 4 hour sessions every week. These groups have all had a minimum of 4 players and a maximum of 7 players.
As a 10+ veteran DM, I have had the pleasure and experience seeing individuals of all experiences and ages grow into exceptional players. My game is a growing experience and I do not discourage any levels of experience or age from applying. With that said, the game is LGBTQ+ friendly .
The game is about coming together and achieving a common goal. It does not matter who or what you are, all that matters is that you are passionate and committed to the game.
My goal is to stream and/or record sessions if the groups would like to.
Prologue
The wind crashes beneath your ship known as The Striker. You have boarded the vessel for a variety of reasons be it adventure, treasure, new beginnings, or to find a new home. Each of you have become familiar while traveling on this ship for over two months. Interestingly, you seem to all carry a unique gemstone that was provided as a family heirloom.
Elathin, a large port city in the Ghorn Valley within Cedric Bay, was the Striker’s destination. Word has been spread over the past month that the Aurtherian ports have been closed by a royal decree. However, Tamaria’s ports are open and rumors have said that they are sending ships to Aurtheria through Myrlindar. It is unclear who or what can board these elvish ships, but your captain, Kelut Yon, is hopeful. The crew received the message when making port a couple of weeks ago to refill the ship’s supplies. Passengers, including yourselves, have been notified of the change. Many onboard are concerned that they may not make it home.
Your sister vessel, the Wrecker, currently leads in the front about half a mile away as you traverse the Forgotten Sea nearby the Frosthorn, the frosty tundra region in Aurtheria’s far north. The temperature is cold and the weather is a mix of rain and snow. The massive Frosthorn Mountains crawl into the Forgotten Sea from both the north and south ranges about 20 miles to the east. These mountains can reach elevations of 20,000 ft. and are notorious for hideous and large monsters. Only the most daring adventurers would venture into them.
Both the Wrecker and the Striker are galleon like transport vessels. They consist of three levels. The main deck, quarter deck, and hold. The ship’s are roughly 150 ft. long and equipped with three masts and a lateen fore-and-aft rig on the rear masts. They are both owned by a small transport company out of Elathin known as the Farwater Company. The company transports people and cargo across the world.
The large continent of Aurtheria spans over one thousand miles from North to South. It is filled with all manners of ecosystems and creatures. It is a place known to have been ruled and shaped by dragons long ago. After the dragons, High Elves from Tamaria and Dwarves coming from distant lands colonized Aurtheria. The Dwarves found homes and more importantly gold in the Frosthorn Mountains in the North. The High Elves discovered rich magic in the jungles and forests of the South. The history states that gnomes and halflings originated in Aurtheria coming from distant planes of existence such as the Feywild. They were believed to be drawn to the magic of the land and the dragons that ruled. It is not known how goblinoid races came to be in Aurtheria, however, they either despise or worship dragons. A belief that seems to have evolved over many centuries. Giant races arrived on the shores of Aurtheria tens of thousands of years ago in hopes to achieve glory and conquest over the dragons that conquered the land. Now that dragons no longer dominate, they live in peace and seclusion in various high-altitude or subterranean regions throughout the continent.
Humans were the latest arrival. Nomadic tribes from distant lands inhabited the Eastern continent and flourished within a region that is no longer. They were known as the First People and spread throughout the continent rapidly. They uncovered rich and fertile soil suitable for agriculture and their worshipping of Pelor, the Sun God, had a profound impact on the monastic traditions of the land. The separation of humans into different cultures arose from a dramatic event between two dragons. It shaped and changed the land forever segregating human tribes that had been in contact for centuries. Over time, they became distant and secluded. Each adapting and learning to their new environments.
The history of dragons in Aurtheria is something that has yet to be documented or explored. Only the most experienced magi have uncovered very little about their origins and why Aurtheria calls to them.
Word has been spread through whisper over dim candlelight that a war has broken out in the Southern parts of the continent eight years ago. Hushed voices speak of the decimation of Uther by dragons leaving the land scorched, fragmented, and barren. The conflict has been slow brewing and kept silent in North, leaving us to wonder… What is truly happening?
About the DM
I have been playing tabletop RPGs for over ten years. I started in a homebrew Rolemaster campaign written and designed by my father. The campaign was written exclusively on paper and pencil. The entirety of the campaign was over 900 pages of notes and maps detailing a rich and vibrant world. After the campaign concluded, I began to DM D&D using adventure modules and 3.5 edition for several years while working on my own world and campaign.
Once the campaign was finished, I started to run in person groups through it to play test and enjoy my creation. Over time, I have perfected the campaign into something truly magical.
More recently, I have moved the campaign to a virtual setting. I began with theater of mind and found it lacking over video and voice chat. As a result, I transitioned to maps and Foundry VTT. I use complex and high-quality maps made with Wonderdraft and Dungeondraft using Forgotten Adventure assets to produce a memorable and breath-taking experience.
DM Style
My goal as a DM is to make the best and most memorable experience for my players. I roleplay in the first-person using body language and voices. I provide descriptions in third-person for both NPCs and players in both exploration and combat. I provide rich lore and depth that is overwhelming but made digestible through the campaign’s novel like feel.
I believe in a structured sandbox environment with over arching story lines to drive players towards common goals while having freedoms to make independent decisions. Each player character is encouraged but not expected to have a well-designed backstory that can be explored further. These unique story arches provide an immersive feel to your characters beyond what is solely provided by the DM. The choices your characters make throughout these story arches have a direct impact on the progression and outcome of the campaign.
Combat is important within the campaign and will have consequences. I have played in many games where combat is random and doesn’t necessarily lead to anything. In my games, this does not happen. Players choices during combat have a direct impact on the outcome of the campaign. Combat encounters are not pre balanced to the players levels. If you decide to venture off to fight a challenging creature then you will be met with that challenge. It is not uncommon for player characters to die. Regarding experience, players will be rewarded with items and experience based on the challenge the creature posed to the party.
Why Pay?
We all have had the experience of purchasing food and drink for the DM. In a virtual setting, there isn’t an opportunity to support the DM in this way. By paying, you are replicating this support for the DM as well as protecting yourselves from a slew of problems that occur in free games.
For example…
- Paid games hold players and the DM accountable to show up and play to the best of their abilities.
- You no longer have to endure aggressive or inappropriate behaviors from players that take advantage of a free game. I can insure that these players are removed promptly and your experience is untarnished.
- Metagaming can be very frustrating. In a paid game, I can intervene and reinforce expectations.
Players are expected to pay $15.00 USD per session through Paypal 48 hours before the session start. Players are more than welcome to prepay, but I do not offer any discounts for prepaying. I treat these games like I am DMing for family and friends, not a business.
Session 0 is free and will be a unique 6-hour personalized character creation session. Each player will log on at separate times for one hour during session 0 to create their characters, backstories, and become familiar with Foundry VTT. At the end of session 0, players are encouraged to intermingle on Discord to discuss their characters and the game with the DM. Characters will be formally introduced on Session 1.
Players are expected to play each week for four hours during the designated time and day. I have a list of available times and days to pick from on the form below.
Notice must be provided 24 hours in advance if you cannot attend the session. Exemptions will be provided for emergencies and uncontrollable factors. If notice is not provided 24 hours in advance or does not meet the exemptions, refunds will not be provided.
Interested?
Please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/q31rkerJTMFtHMih9
The code word is friend.
After submitting the form, you will be sent a direct message over Discord sometime in the week to schedule a video and voice chat interview.
Thanks for reading and your interest in Freshness DND. Have a great day.
All content affiliated and within the campaign created by Freshness DND such as maps, notes, and assets provided by the dungeonmaster are copyrighted. Unpublished Work Copyright 2012 Freshness DND.