Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus

The first session begins June 11th.

The War of Dragons ended five years ago and yet its legacy still remains. Having uprooted the corruption of Lord Degault Neverember and recovered half a million embezzled gold dragons from the supporters of Tiamat, the leaders of the Lords Alliance argue about how best to redistribute the stolen money to the towns that seek it. A gathering has been called for in the holy city of Elturel, east of the larger port city of Baldur’s Gate. Three leaders and their retinue soon arrive at the city to discuss the redistribution of the Dragon Cult’s stolen funds and the growing concern over the rumors of the rise of the Cults of the Dead Three. You and your fellow adventurers join with your liege as they arrive at the city of Elturel, where you live, and begin the negotiations.

Hell Is Coming…

Darkness shrouds the Sword Coast. The nearly successful summoning of Tiamat, the Queen of Dragons, into the world and the vast theft of millions of gold pieces from the cities, towns, and villages of the Sword Coast has changed the lives of everyone. Now new forces seem to fill the vacuum as the Cult of the Dead Three rise in blood-soaked cellars, abandoned farmhouses, and twisted groves deep in the woods. What darkness the characters find in these shadowed lairs are nothing compared what they will find in the days to come.

And You are the Hellriders

Each of your characters is a fledgling Hellrider, seeking to prove themselves. Also known as the Riders of Elturel, you are an elite cavalry unit who acted as the primary armed force of the city of Elturel. The Hellriders helped Elturel establish and maintain civilization in the harsh lands of the Sword Coast. They are one of the most renowned and well-regarded military forces in the Realms. It was said that a company of Riders had once ridden into the Hells themselves, led by an angel of the heavens, and from this story, the Hellriders were named.

Sessions

Sessions will be Monday evenings at 5:30pm Central. Each session will average three hours.

Roll20's required payment disclaimer: "This game will require payment to the Game Master at a rate of $10 per session via PayPal paid monthly. Roll20 is not responsible for any payment transactions and cannot enforce any private arrangements."

Tech Specs

I use Roll20 for tabletop and Discord for audio. I highly recommend creating your character with DndBeyond and using Beyond20 to roll in the virtual tabletop. The combination of these two tools makes character creation, maintenance, and play very easy. I have purchased all official sourcebooks and have them available to you for use in DndBeyond.

Character Creation

• Characters will be created using the standard array or 4d6, drop one, with a minimum combined total of 70. You will begin at level one and, by the end of the campaign, you will have reached level thirteen.
  
• Starting gear will be done by the book although you may sell back items at cost and use the money to buy other things. Armor is the exception and may only be sold back at half cost.
  
• For this campaign you can select character options that are consistent with a campaign on the Sword Coast. Options from Ravnica, Eberron, Strixhaven, Theros, and Acquisition's Incorporated are not allowed. No evil alignments.
• Optional class features and origins from Tasha's are permitted.
• We will not be using encumbrance.

Table Rules

• There will be a good mix of roleplaying, combat, and exploration. Be prepared to do all three.
• Please arrive on time and prepared for the day's session. Do your best to stay focused.
• Pay attention to events as they unfold. Use other players' turns to plan the actions you will take when it comes to you. If your turn takes an excessive amount of time, the DM reserves the right to skip you.
• Be constructive with other players. Never belittle other players for their choices (except, perhaps, in character and in a light-hearted manner). Remember, failures can be as interesting as successes.
• Work together. Assume your characters want to be in a party together and will work together towards common goals. This is a cooperative game. No PvP.
• Stay in character. make every effort to speak and behave as your character would. Feel free to make funny accents or sound effects. Don't describe the rolls or stats on your sheet but rather describe what your character is doing or seeing.
• Rules and game mechanics are just guidelines and exist to provide a framework. The DM has the ultimate say in what happens but will attempt to be consistent.
  

About the Dungeon Master

My name is Josh and I am passionate about storytelling and creating a unique space where we can share a narrative together. I customize each campaign I run and insert new elements to help flesh out the characters and bring them to life within the story. You will find that, even if you are familiar with the printed material, you will often find something distinctive about my games that isn't found anywhere else. I reward creative storytelling, encourage roleplaying, and welcome players of all experience levels. My goal is to lead a fun and rewarding adventure that you just can't get out of your head between play sessions