The World of Gaian is a world of destructive cycles. Long ago, before any can remember, humanity came to Gaian after their previous world was lost to a long forgotten enemy. While Gaian seemed like a good world to rebuild their home, the humans quickly discovered that it was plagued by cycles of destruction. The flows of the cataclysm magics caused the surface of the world to erupt in flames every two-thousand years forcing those who lived there to retreat underground to the caves and tunnels of the Deep. This cataclysm cycle has claimed many great empires since the beginning, leaving very little standing in its wake. The old remains of long-lost societies can often be found dotting the old landscapes, guarded by magical creatures who have made these old ruins their homes. For the brave, venturing into these old places is a deadly gambit, but can bring about great fame and fortune as the old magics and technologies are highly coveted by the rich patrons of the Terruvian empire. So what’s your story? Do you come for riches, fame and glory? Or perhaps you just wish to do some good in an uncaring and dangerous world. Whatever the case might be, together we can explore a world rich with history as many before you have walked it. And perhaps with your skills, resources, and a little bit of luck, you can transcend what anyone thought was possible to make a name for yourself and become a legend in the ever-changing and ever dangerous world of Gaian. The World of Gaian has existed for over twenty years of real time, with many passing through it and making their marks during the various cycles of history. The world is currently on its thirteenth cycle (each cycle is 2000 years and players have been playing in it every since the first cycle.) The world has been shaped by player choice (sometimes good and sometimes bad) and will continue to evolve based on how you decide to approach the challenges it holds. The campaign storylines follow a narrative that the players can heavily impact with their decisions, dictating how the story plays out and what NPCs might live or die. More information about the world and various storylines can be found on my Discord. About Me I’m a professional game designer that’s been playing D&D for close to thirty years, primarily as a Dungeon Master. For most of that time, I’ve designed and run my own world on a weekly basis. I’ve been running games professionally for over three years and I run nine weekly games of varying storylines. Roll20 is my platform of choice and I’ve been working with it for about eight years. In addition to D&D (2nd through 5th), I’ve run Pathfinder, Dungeon World, Gurps, Star Wars, Shadowrun, White Wolf, and Amber (though admittedly, my knowledge and experience running these is much more limited compared to D&D). I’ve also worked in the video game industry for around fifteen years, five of those spent working at Wizards of the Coast on D&D and Magic the Gathering projects. I love storytelling and game design, often trying to come up with new and unique mechanics to make the games I’m running more enjoyable and immersive. I love both the storytelling and game design aspects of D&D and find the best games are the ones where these aspects are both utilized to their fullest. My philosophy towards game design is to create challenging but enjoyable experiences where players can express themselves but still be constrained by the dangers of an immersive world. I believe in not just empowering individuals, but encouraging teamwork where skills are combined to creatively overcome challenges. I believe a good D&D game is facilitated best through teamwork and friendship, employing skills that can often carry over into the real world. At the end of the day, my job is to provide a fun experience for each player and the table as a whole. My Style I like to define my style as “structured sandbox.” I have events taking place in the world which I insert players into to see how they change things. I don't believe in creating set solutions to obstacles, rather, I create the obstacles and let players approach them using their skills and abilities. For me, D&D is a game about problem-solving using resources, skills, and creativity to find effective solutions to problems. Creativity and teamwork are key to not only overcoming obstacles, but overcoming them in a way where you can change the world for the better (or fill your pockets with gold). Suspension of disbelief is important to me, so I'm constantly trying to balance a believable world with fun gameplay. I want my players to feel immersed by the world and their RP, but I also want them to feel challenged by the gameplay aspects. When designing, I'm constantly balancing these factors against one another to try to create an immersive, challenging experience that players will enjoy in the moment and talk about later. Combat is important in my games, but there is also value to skills and RP ability as those can have a huge impact on the story. I try to reward creativity, as long as what is being attempted is something a character can do given their skill set. I feel it’s important to balance gameplay aspects and abilities with the “rule of cool” outlook. I want players to be creative with their abilities and resources, but what they’re attempting should also make sense given the skills and resources of their character. At the end of the day, I think players feel better about overcoming obstacles if the victory is achieved through their own abilities rather than just being handed to them. Game Info This game will require a payment be made to the Game Master through Paypal and payments are collected on a monthly basis. Games start at $21 per session (4 sessions in a month) and go as high as $25 per session depending on the time slot and demand for that campaign. For more information on payments and available games, check the information section of my discord. Roll20 is not responsible for any payment transactions and cannot enforce any private arrangements. LFG Listing: <a href="https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/220938/trouble-at-chaur-base-game" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/220938/trouble-at-chaur-base-game</a> Contact Me To sign up for a game or get more information on the World of Gaian, send a Discord friend request to (DMRaven#2692). It usually takes me a few hours to a day to respond depending on the time of the request. I’m also happy to answer questions as well as get you registered for a game. Finally, you can message me directly on this site, though that method could take me longer to get back to you.