Al-Qadim: Return to Zakhara

Enter a world of mystery, intrigue and fantasy based off "One Thousand and One Nights," the myriad adventures of "Sinbad" and other fantastical tales drawn from myth and legend using the Al-Qadim AD&D 2E campaign setting converted to D&D 5E with plenty of homebrew strewn throughout. While this campaign will be nostalgic and full of standard fantasy tropes, the intent is to avoid orientalism, racism, fetishism, disrespect, etc... whilst acknowledging and attempting to correct the mistakes made in the original products. Undoubtedly, some problem areas may not be outright eliminated or any misplaced but well-intentioned cultural appropriation may remain, the goal is to run a more enlightened, enjoyable, inclusive campaign for all... Come, join us and see what fate awaits you...

In a deep, story-rich re-imagining of a classic yet obscure setting from AD&D 2nd Edition, join us as we journey back to Zakhara, a region of Faerun set in the Forgotten Realms, a land waiting for adventures such as you.

Discover ancient civilizations, hidden wonders, immense treasure and maybe even romance in this epic campaign in the desert and jungle lands of Zakhara, inspired by classic tales of Djinn, sultans, viziers, and of course... adventurers.

This immense adventure path comprises multiple campaign books, modules and expansions, personally converted to 5E as well as quite a few additions homebrewed from my extensive experience with the original setting and genre.

This campaign has the potential to be long, upwards of a year, depending on your thirst for wealth, power and adventure, and is designed to take your character from levels 1-15+ by the time we finish.

Player Expectations

🌟 Treat other players and the GM with respect and politeness.
🌟 Always be on time. Multiple uncoordinated absences will result in removal from the group -- likely through a horrible character death. Remember, the story and the rest of the party depend upon you.
🌟 Have access to a stable microphone and Discord. If you need help setting up Discord and getting connected to our channel, just message me.
🌟 Please try to eliminate background noise as much as possible. Street noise, relatives, pets, children, etc... cause a significant distraction to immersive play for both you and other players.
🌟 Remember that this is a game, and thus, should be fun for all players. Discriminatory, racist, sexist, homophobic, or similar comments, attitudes and behaviors are not welcome. Everyone deserves to feel as safe as they can... Zakhara is dangerous enough without introducing that to the table.

How to Apply

Please reply to the “Applications” post below with the following information:

Info on your planned character:
🌟 Send me a message on Discord to discuss the campaign in greater detail: Gibby#6370
🌟 This is not accurately based on nor trying to recreate ancient Arabia, Persia, the Middle East, China, India or similar countries, regions, cultures, religions or people, though clearly the inspiration is clear. I have attempted to update, change, modernize, or remove outdated, insensitive, incorrect, or otherwise problematic material in an effort to respect and honor the sources of inspiration. I understand that I am a western outsider and may have missed some things or made a few mistakes. My intent is not to cause any harm or damage in running this campaign.
🌟 Try your best to watch any of the Harryhausen Sinbad movies, "The Thief of Baghdad," or the Hallmark miniseries "Arabian Night" to get into the right mindset and mood. The tone of the campaign will be one of fantastical adventure and exploration interspersed with moments of levity and humor.
🌟 Design a level three hero using WotC Official books and the Character Creation Guide listed below.
🌟 This will be a party of 5 people, and the group will need to work together. When you design your character, understand that the ability to work well with others is of paramount importance.

About you, the player:

🌟 ​What name do you wish to be called, and what pronouns do you prefer?
🌟 ​What aspects of D&D do you enjoy the most?
🌟 What parts of D&D do you prefer to spend less time on?
🌟 What is your experience with tabletop RPGs?
🌟 What is your experience with Roll20?
🌟 Are you familiar with the Al-Qadim setting or products?
🌟 Are you playing in any other games right now?
🌟 I​​​f you are playing in another game, how long has that group played for?
🌟 ​Conflicts between players, including the DM, happen. How do you think disputes at the table should be dealt with?
🌟 What do you want to get out of a game of D&D?
🌟 Will you be able to attend weekly? Are you committed to being part of a long campaign (like this one)? The intent is to play once a week during a 3 to 4-hour session, with the campaign expected to last several months to a year.
🌟 Do you understand this is a paid game?
🌟 What country and time zone are you in?
🌟 Do you have a good internet connection and a good microphone/headset?
🌟 I recognize that some of the legacy content utilized in this campaign does not reflect the values of society and the Dungeons & Dragons franchise today. Some older content may reflect ethnic, racial, and gender prejudice that were commonplace in American society at that time. These depictions were wrong then and are wrong today. While the content is no longer presented as it was originally created, I do not claim that these prejudices never existed. Dungeons & Dragons teaches that diversity is a strength, and I also strive to make my campaigns as welcoming and inclusive as possible. My goal is to first recognize this, address it, and attempt to correct it while still maintaining the setting and feel. This balance is often difficult and if we as a group, stumble, please feel free to course-correct me offline.
🌟 Is there anything else you want to tell me or ask me?

About the GM, me

I generally go by Gibby. Yes... it can sound like the name you'd give a hamster, but I'm used to it. I have been playing D&D since Second Edition (early '90s) and one of my favorite settings was Al-Qadim. Whilst only being in production from 1992-93, the setting has several boxed sets and modules available to it. I have been a Game Master for D&D and other similar tabletop games for the past 15 years, having begun online GMing for the past two.

I am familiar with the 5E ruleset as well as Roll20 and Discord, having completed multiple campaigns utilizing this very setup. I believe telling a compelling and exciting story, in an engaging and immersive environment is one of my top goals as a GM, second only that everybody have fun. My campaigns are generally role-play heavy, though balanced with plenty of combat, loot, and the like... just no murder-hoboing. By no means are you expected to be a professional actor and have a perfected voice or accent for your character. Doing voices is not my strong suit, and I'm only able to manage a few accents that aren't laughable or unrecognizable.

Paid Game Disclaimers

This game will require payment to the Game Master at a rate of $20 per player, per session via a PayPal managed subscription. Any sessions canceled by the DM, including holidays, will be fully refunded.
Roll20 is not responsible for any payment transactions and cannot enforce any private arrangements.

Character Creation

🌟 Start at level 3
🌟 27 point buy method for stats
🌟 Any official approved race is allowed.
🌟 Please do not attempt to Min-Max / power game. There is no "winner" in D&D... build your character in a way that thematically makes sense.
🌟 Backgrounds are also unrestricted.

Classes

🌟 All WotC official published classes/subclasses are allowed.
🌟 UA and homebrew classes/subclasses are NOT allowed in this campaign.
🌟 Multi-class characters are allowed in this campaign, but be aware that this campaign runs 1-15+... Plan accordingly.

Additional Homebrew

🌟 We will be using Critical Hits Revisited. These rolls will apply to you as PCs and to Boss enemies. Mook crits will be standard.
🌟 Flanking will provide only a +2 bonus to attack rolls, not advantage..
🌟 Leveling up will only occur during a long rest and only between sessions so as not to bog down play.
🌟 Leveling up is handled via milestones NOT experience points.