Wow. We've received so many wonderful applications. We'll be reviewing them and getting back to you later this week
Thank you!
Key Points… Kicking off a new campaign with an existing DM team/players and looking for 10-15 more players to join in the fun. D&D 5e, Online, Roll20, Discord (text and voice, no video), Reddit. Multi-DM persistent world (West Marches style). All our current players are NA, but a few DMs enjoy running weekend afternoon games that could work well for EU timezone folks. Game sessions run approximately 4-5 hours. Game sessions tend to be more combat/exploration focused, with very active text RP in the discord server during downtime. You do not need to commit to playing every week. The West Marches format allows for drop-in play. 18+ players only. PG-13 content only. Our community ranges from 20+ year veterans to players for whom this was their very first game. New to D&D? No problem! We love new players and would be thrilled to help you learn the ropes. Hello Everyone. I am one of the DMs over at the Wayfarer Inn community. We run a West Marches style D&D Fifth Edition campaign over Discord, Reddit, and Roll20. We have had a steady group of 15-35 players and 6 DMs that run multiple games a week, depending on scheduling. We’ve been running the game for almost two years and are now rebooting for our third campaign. It’s the perfect time to add some new players. A little background on the game style West Marches was a sandbox style of D&D campaign originally written about by Ben Robbins ( <a href="http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/" rel="nofollow">http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/</a> ). His premise was to organize a campaign that facilitated player agency, reduce the 'mindless plot following' that sometimes occurs, and deal with the ever-present difficulty of scheduling games around the complex and often busy lives of adults. In this original experiment there was no regular party of 4-6 players - instead there was a pool of 10-14 players. Players were responsible for gathering a team, deciding where they wanted to go/what they wanted to do, and scheduling a time with the DM to do it in. The DM provided the sandbox - a detailed world to explore - but there was no overarching plot or story thread. Ad hoc scheduling and a flexible roster meant (ideally) people got to play when they could but didn’t hold up the game for everyone else if they couldn’t - or feel left behind in the story. Needless to say, what we are currently doing has changed a fair bit over time from this original game concept. Running a D&D game with multiple DMs and a large player base is, by its very nature, an experiment. Some things work, and others do not. As we've moved forward we've learned from the past attempts and tried to improve on the systems. This is a constant, and we continue to adapt as necessary. A little background on our game The original online west marches game this group was involved in began in early 2017. This ran for almost a year before there was a decision to reboot. That game (West Marches 2) started up in late 2017, and wound down last year. During this time, the size of the game ranged from 4 DMs / 25 Players and 10 DMs / 70 players. Our game, called Project Red, splintered off from this original game in late 2018. A number of people wanted to go in a different direction/try something new, so we started a campaign of our own. We began with 5 DMs and ~25 active players. After a year, that campaign wound down and we started again as the Wayfarer Inn (6 DMs and ~30 active players). Now that campaign is ending and we’re starting up yet again as the Wayfaring Company. As always with this sort of experiment, some of what we wanted to try worked very well, and some of it really did not. We're taking what we learned and trying again with some new mechanics and design ideas. It's an exciting time for D&D. About the setting You are one of many other ‘scouts’ who have signed on to take part in a reclamation effort which travels around the world. Most of these people are filled with hopes of taking back the regions of this world to make it safe for you and your families, while others perhaps seek lost treasures left behind by civilizations of our past to amass wealth and fortune. As a scout, you may see lands that range from tropical islands to frozen tundras, from volcanic wastelands to the depths of an unexplored jungle, all, depending on where your regiment is being sent. Though don’t expect to stay for too long, as the mission is ever continuing. Once a sufficient enough foothold has been established or the mission parameters have been met, the Company will often ship out and look towards the horizon for where you’ll begin the next fight. And a fight it will be… This time we’re experimenting with a homebrew E-6 system, so characters will start at level 2 and stop at 6, with the ability to continue to improve their characters in other ways after that. Milestone levelling rather than XP. What applications are used? We use a series of platforms to organize and run games. - The main hub is most definitely our Discord server. This is the home of almost all player conversation, both about the game and just social chatter. This is also the home of our out-of-game RP. It's a fantastic place to find out what is happening in the world and get to know your fellow players - both in character and out. We also run our in-game voice chat through this discord server. - Secondly is our Reddit subforum. This is where the weekly megathread (which contains news from the DM team, updates on what we are working on, requests for commentary on various proposals, responses to player questions and suggestions, the weekly weather report for the game, new rulings, and other info) is posted, as well as LFGs (Looking For Group - scheduled games looking for players), and AARs (After-Action Reports - player written updates on what happened in game so others can stay in the loop). - Also important is Roll20. This is the virtual tabletop where games are hosted and run. - Finally, Google Calendar is where the DM team posts their availability for players looking to book games. How are games scheduled/run? This is quite different from a usual homegame, where the struggle is finding a time the whole group can play. The general sequence is as follows: 1. A player decides where they want to go/what they want to do, and then looks at the DM calendar to find a DM timeslot that suits their needs. 2. The player contacts the DM via a Discord message to ask them if they are able to run said content at said time. 3. Once the DM gives the thumbs-up, the player creates an LFG on the reddit subforum with the game time and the planned adventure synopsis. (We have a template for you to use to make this easy). 4. Other players apply to the game. 5. The player who posted the LFG (game-owner), selects the players from the applicants. We currently have a maximum of four players per game (five with DM permission). 6. Before the game, players ensure they have an up-to-date character sheet exported to the DM's Roll20 lobby. 7. At the scheduled game time, players log in to discord (for voice) and Roll20 (for the tabletop), and we play the game. 8. Once the game has finished, the DM will post an AAR thread on the subreddit. Players will then comment with their reports on what happened during the game to keep the rest of the player-base up to speed. Some players prefer to do a group report (usually a shared google doc written during the game) and then post that. As an alternative, players can simply apply for a posted LFG in the subreddit rather than booking their own game. You can apply to as many games as you want, but once you are accepted, you must retract all other applications for that week. We will also sometimes have DMLFGs when a DM wants to run particular content (and also in the beginning of the new region to introduce you to the world). In this case the DM will post the LFG, and players can apply as usual. Currently, we restrict players to one scheduled game per week (i.e. a game they book with a DM, or on they applied and were accepted to). This is to ensure that all players have a better chance of playing, rather than some players playing multiple games and others getting left out. To help with scheduling issues where a game might not otherwise fill up, or where someone has had to drop out last minute, we also have ASAP applications. These don't count towards scheduled game count, but are also restricted to one a week (again to spread out who gets games amongst the player base). In the event a game *still* does not fill up, it can be opened to free for all (where anyone can apply) - so far, we've never had to go to this third step. Players are not required to play every week, and can join in as and when they have time. Player responsibilities A microphone/headset and the ability to use Discord, Roll20, and Reddit, as well as an internet connection that can support voice chat. Abide by the code of conduct (PG-13 content only and other rules regarding harassment, discrimination, etc. Basically boils down to 'don't be a jerk'). Willingness to work with the DMs to create characters that fit within the campaign setting. Interested? If this sounds like something you would be interested in, fantastic! Feel free to comment with questions if you have any, or drop me a private message. How to Apply: Complete the application form here: <a href="https://forms.gle/cr3wHeKdHZ76DmDz9" rel="nofollow">https://forms.gle/cr3wHeKdHZ76DmDz9</a> Applications will close at noon EST on Friday, October 16th. We will review them and reply by Thursday, October 22nd. The new campaign kicks off November 2nd with 6 weeks of server RP as the company travels to a new land (and while the DM team finishes worldbuilding). Which means we expect games to begin the week of December 14th.