I am a long-time gamer. Like some of the folks around here, I started with the original D&D red box and then advanced to 2e. I've run and played a lot of old school games including TORG, RIFTS, VtG, and Twilight 2000. More recently, I've gotten into game design and indie games -- Riddle of Steel, Universalis, Dogs in the Vineyard. But all that seems like a life-time ago. I haven't done much since 2007.
But! I've recently discovered my old books and an itch to play that I haven't felt since...well, 2007.
I'm poking around D&D Next and I must admit that I am more than a little intrigued. So, I'm curious if anyone has any interest in trying a few sessions in a custom world I've built.
I'll take up to 5 players. You're quintuplets -- very unusual. Brothers (and possibly sisters) who live in the town of Limthyre. Their father is a fisherman and the mother died in childbirth. They generally help out with the business, but business has been slow lately, so they have been taking other odd jobs around the city. I'll pre-gen the characters, but you can suggest alterations once you claim one of the siblings as your own.
We can start with a couple of sessions and then expand it to tackle a larger campaign if there is interest. Here's the pitch:
The characters live in the great City-State of Limthyre at a critical turning point in the nation's history. Thousands of refugees threaten to riot, rumors of the Dark Plague are taking hold in the city, and the deep catacombs beneath the city are, once again, active.
The City-State is run by the Academy of Saint Ignatius. It's a university-church whose reach stretches beyond the City State of Limthyre, but Limthyre is its home -- where Saint Ignatius actually lives.
The refugee camp has been around for years, but the last three months have seen its size nearly tripled. The Academy has done what they can to help. Some claim they are not doing enough -- others too much. Others, still, want to see the camp torched and all refugees killed on sight.
Within the city walls, death is virtually unheard of. The understanding of human biology combined with the power of magical healing, the Academy has learned many ways to cure people of many illnesses, including regrowing lost limbs and even reversing the aging process -- for the right tithe, of course.
The rumors of the Black Plague are spreading like wildfire. People know people who saw a refugee with the plague. Someone even claims to know someone who knows an actually Citizen with the plague. And many are starting to believe that the Academy is powerless to stop the spread of the Plague.
To make matters worse, the catacombs beneath the city, are showing signs of life. For hundreds of years, various wards and protection spells have kept evil at bay, but more than a few people have gone missing in the last few weeks. Howling can be heard echoing through the sewers and tunnels beneath the city.
And this is where our adventure starts: Five fishmonger sons return home one evening to find their father taken to bed, his day's work undone. He is coughing up a black, oily substance. Is it the Dark Plague? Something worse? Can the Academy Hospital help? Do you dare tell the Academy?
If you're interested, respond here or email me at <a href="mailto:rickcecil@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">rickcecil@gmail.com</a>. We'll do this on roll20.net and will try it with video+voice.
I'm thinking we'll game one night a week (I'll throw out Mondays or Tuesdays as a suggestion, but feel free to suggest other days.) We'll start around 7:30 or 8p Central Standard Time. I can go until about 11:30 or midnight.
Thanks!
Rick