The Dungeon

       "You begin to wake and find yourself alone in darkness. You feel the cold, wet floor underneath your chest and hear the slow trickle of water. As you begin to stand up, your nostrils begin to flare with the smell of something foul…"

That is the beginning of my Play-by-Post homebrew game called "The Dungeon". Where the story goes from there...will be up to you.

A Bit About Me...

I started playing D&D with the red box Basic set years ago and ran a multiyear campaign with some friends. More recently, I reconnected to D&D during the pandemic and have DM’ed and played more than 2000+ hours online.

I bring that experience into my first foray into a Play by Post game.

About the Game…
I am looking for one player to join myself and three other players in a existing game.

You will have the opportunity to delve into the secrets of a mega dungeon in a challenging roleplay exploration survival campaign which has been inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, and classic old school dungeons such as Tomb of Horrors.

Since surprise and mystery are integral part of this campaign and I do not want to provide any spoilers, I will leave the narrative description there.

The Rules
• We will be using old school BECMI edition rules - which have been consolidated in the Rules Cyclopedia. There will be some homebrew modifications. You absolutely do not need any experience with this system to play – just an interest in exploring the system and the world.
• Roleplay and Exploration are the two most emphasized aspects of D&D in The Dungeon – and there are opportunities for combat.
• We will be using Discord for Play by Post and Roll20 for rolls, character sheets and supporting visuals and ambiance.

Posting
• I am looking for players who want to post daily or at least 24 hours following a description prompt from the DM. i.e. If I post a narrative description, then ask “what do you do?” on Monday night you have until Tuesday night to respond.

• Play by Post tempo is a “slow burn” – so, take your time with descriptions and enjoy the unfolding of a remarkable story!

Mature Themes & Limits

• The Dungeon features a dark atmospheric gritty realism and should be assumed to be rated as “R” under the Motion Picture Association. If fantasy suspense and horror movies such as Aliens Romulus, Constantine or Pan’s Labyrinth make you feel squeamish – then this game is not for you.
• Romance, though unlikely, will NOT feature any graphic detail in the game. Anything along these lines is handled by “fade to black”.
• Likewise, the game is limited to adults and your characters must be adults.

Safety Tools
I have DM’ed about six campaigns in the last two years, and I nor the players have had to use these tools in any of my games. Nevertheless, I do have four tools available:
1) Open Door. If you are in any way uncomfortable you can exit the game with zero pressure from me or the other players.
2) Communication. You can always reach out to me on Discord, and we can chat about any concern you may have with the game. (Again, please note the “R” rating in the above description.)
3) Boot Privileges. I reserve the right to remove anyone out of the game who is consistently making myself or others uncomfortable.
4) Social Lines. While social tension and negative attitudes might exist among fantasy species (goblins and dwarves as one example)– homophobic, sexist, and racist communication out of character around the virtual table will not be tolerated.
Again, despite DMing about six games in the last two years, I have never had an issue where these safety tools were needed.

Those who are interested in safety tools for your own games, I highly recommend Monte Crook Games free download “Consent in Gaming”

More About the Game…
Ok Whew! Now that that is out of the way – I would like to share with you a little more about the game:
To dramatically expand your options for character creation, you will have access to all traditional BECMI classes - including optional classes such as Druids and Mystics.

In addition, you can make characters from ANY of the Creature Crucible series. Wanna play as Nagpa? You got it! A Gremlin? Sure! Hsaio? You’re in!

You also have access to Rockhome, Northern Reaches, Five Shires, and Dawn of Emperors Gazetteer classes and Rage of the Rakasta and Hollow World classes. Cleric of Loki? Yep. Master Halfling from the Shire? Ok!

You can also make characters from 1st and 5th edition classes which I have converted using the Rules Encyclopedia including AD&D optional Gnomes, Samurai and Ninja, Warlocks, Bards, Sorcerers, Rangers, Barbarians and Psionics. (1st edition versions).

Finally, I will also consider custom classes from any non-chaotic, Material Plane humanoid in official BECMI, 1st or 2nd edition Monster Manuals, or Creature Catalogues. For example, Atomies and Azers are out - however a Buckawn might work. Keep in mind for ALL classes you must use the Prime Requisites and meet the minimum ability score requirements, if any.

So, while in some BECMI games there can be as few as 7 classes, this game has more than 47+ classes to choose from!

Leveling is XP based. Because experience requirements are not equal among classes in BECMI – you will likely be at different levels than your companions. XP is not always earned equally either. If you have read this far, please put the word “Huma” in your application, so I know. You earn XP and gain new levels and skills based on how you perform, roleplay, and make decisions in The Dungeon.

Finally, The Dungeon itself is not “out to get you” – it is worse - it does not care about your character’s existence at all! It is a dark and gritty place - which will challenge your wit, skills, and perseverance.

So does that sound like a challenge to you? Does an old school game with grit sound fun? Can you dig deep into yourself and pull out your best and survive The Dungeon?

If so, I invite you to apply below!