Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus

PLEASE READ TO THE END! IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

Two cities built on the River Chionthar couldn’t be more different from each other. Crime and opportunity walk hand in hand in Baldur’s Gate, a port city bustling with commerce where even hardened adventurers watch their step. Further inland lies the holy city of Elturel, a beacon of hope which radiates with the divine light of its second sun, the Companion. But all light casts shadows, and it is in the darkness that evil whispers of grim tidings for the Sword Coast.

Adventure Background

This campaign begins in the city of Elturel, capital of the holy land of Elturgard, and quickly moves to the city of Baldur's Gate on the Sword Coast in the Forgotten Realms setting. It then moves to Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells and remains there for the final two-thirds of the campaign. If you are unfamiliar with the setting, don't worry. I have a document of setting information I will be sending out to selected players. Please be aware that this campaign will occasionally deal with some pretty dark themes. With that, this is an 18+ game.

Character Creation

First and foremost, we will be creating characters together during session 0. Not only because of the increased character balance and possibility for character connections, but also because it will be important to the start of the campaign that we have certain character tie-ins (see Backstory below). Definitely have a few rough concepts for what you would like to play, but understand that it won't be final until Session 0. During Session 0, we will discuss in detail the specific environment and challenges characters will face.

Races: Any official WoTC published material is acceptable.

Classes: Again, all published material is up for grabs.

Backgrounds: Same as above. This includes backgrounds from Acquisitions Incorporated and The Sword Coast Adventurers Guide. In addition, the campaign has includes a new background, Faceless, for a character that has an alternate public persona. It also provides new features for the standard PHB backgrounds to better incorporate them into the city of Baldur's Gate. Finally, I am including three new backgrounds based on our custom Elturel introduction: Hellrider, Order of the Gauntlet, and Flaming Fist.

Stats: Point Buy or Standard Array, though rolling is fine as long as everyone agrees.

Equipment: You may choose starting equipment or starting gold.

Backstory: Characters in this campaign can come from anywhere in Faerun, but need strong connections to either Baldur's Gate, Elturel, or both. Session 1 will start in Elturel and the surrounding area of Elturgard. Your character will be a representative of either the Order of the Gauntlet, the Flaming Fist, or the Hellriders, but don't necessarily have to be members of those organizations. Further information will be provided during character creation.

Expectations

DM: My goal as a DM is to run games that are fun and fair for everyone involved. I work hard to make sure every PC has the opportunity to shine and that every player feels comfortable in the group. I am always available outside of scheduled game time to discuss any issues that anyone may have and will always try to reach an amicable solution. Unfortunately, sometimes that solution can result in a person being removed from the group. This will ALWAYS be a VERY LAST RESORT and hopefully will never have to happen. I tend to be a pretty relaxed DM, definitely a "rule of cool" type, but the rules do exist for a reason!

Player: Above all, I expect fairness and courtesy. We are all here to play a game and have fun with other people who want to do the same. I have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy towards any negative or hateful comments or actions. I also expect punctuality and good communication. If you can't make a session, please make that known with as much notice as possible. I understand things happen, and there may be a time or two when emergencies come up, but keeping everyone in the loop is important. Also, everyone is expected to have a functioning mic of decent quality. This game is listed as Video and Voice, but if the group decides they are more comfortable with voice only, that is the way we will go.

This will be a pretty balanced campaign in terms of roleplay and combat. It is possible that a session without combat could happen, from time to time, based on character decisions. There will be lots of relationship building, both with NPCs and your fellow players. With that, it is VITAL that you know your character. You should be familiar with your characters abilities as well as their personality. Know their thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes, their story, and be prepared to play that.

Why pay? As stated above, I work very hard on the games that I run. I try to make sure that every Player is comfortable and getting the experience they desire. The fee helps to ensure that those involved WANT to be there and will be taking the game seriously. It also helps to ensure I can consistently provide a premium experience with Pro membership tools such as advanced API scripts and access to nearly all of the published material for all of my players. I am also aware that there are cheaper options available to you, but many of those games try to pack in 8+ players. I prefer a smaller, more intimate group of 5 max. This allows me to, again, really focus on each character and make sure they have a chance to shine.

The price for this game is set at $15 per player, per session. Session 0 is free, to make sure you feel the group is a good fit. After that, payment is due 24 hours before the start of each session and can be paid via PayPal, Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle. Roll20 is not responsible for any payment transactions and cannot enforce any private arrangements.

The scheduled time is when we will be playing. I run several games and keep a pretty tight schedule. Each session will run about 4 hours, with a 10 minute break at the halfway point. If you have even the slightest doubt that the scheduled time doesn't work for you, please find another game. We will be using Discord for audio and depending on if we choose to use video, we can decide if we prefer Roll20 or Discord. I have used both, and Discord is a bit stronger, though it requires a bit of extra screen real estate.

To apply, submit your information in the Applications Here! topic in the provided format. DO NOT CREATE NEW TOPICS! If you have a question, post it in the Questions Here! topic.

Whew! That was a lot. Thank you for sticking with me through it all. I look forward to meeting you!