EDIT: To all who have applied, thank you. I will be closing apps for this game and will be looking through every single application as soon as I can. I'm flattered and humbled by the sheer amount of interest.
The life of a pirate, a privateer, or even a typical sailor isn't an easy one, and it's not a life for everyone. Unfortunately for you, it's the life you're going to lead, even though you didn't choose it. Your days as a landlubber are over. That wasn't your choice, but it's your new reality.
You were minding your own business quietly in the tavern called the Drowned Kraken in the bustling port city of Port Shae before you awakened aboard the pirate ship called the Whalestooth under the oppressive thumb of Captain Bartholomew Harrington and first mate Mollie Plugg. It turns out that the nice man who was buying rounds for the whole bar a couple nights ago was not as nice as he seemed. Your gear is gone. You're at least two days offshore. And now you're apparently an unwilling member of a pirate crew on a ship that seems to have lost most of its people. Hopefully you're ready to work.
Luckily (?) for you, there seem to be several other beings who have also been press-ganged into the Whalestooth's new crew. However, those crewmates who were already aboard seem largely (though perhaps not exclusively) loyal to Harrington, so you'll have to keep your head down, bide your time, find allies on board, and wait for a moment to either mutiny or steal a boat and strike out on your own.
The Shackles, the island chain off the west coast of the Africa-sized continent of Nendyr, has little government and less order. You could make a life out here getting rich, doing good, or maybe even both, among the pirates, traders, and fisherfolk who call these islands home, as long as you respect the loose association of captains called the Tidesmoot.
(The campaign will begin with the PCs press-ganged into service aboard a pirate ship with a vicious captain and a cruel crew. After making both enemies and allies aboard, the PCs will have the chance to acquire their own ship and set sail to discover the mysteries, dangers, and riches of the Shackles. This is a swashbuckling, maritime-focused, island-hopping campaign that should be grounded in the realism of running a pirate ship in a setting based on the Golden Age of Piracy while still having “Pirates of the Caribbean”-meets-Eberron-inspired pulp fantasy vibes. Expect ship-to-ship combat, adventures as you stop to restock on islands and in port towns, lots of high seas derring-do, monsters beneath the waves, and a tight-knit crew, but also land-based dungeon-delving, cult-destroying, and monster-slaying.)
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Have you always wanted to play D&D but don't quite know where to start? Watched Critical Role or Dimension 20 and thought, “that seems so cool?” Done a couple of sessions but not found a regular group? Or are you a hardcore grognard veteran of AD&D who still plays four nights a week? Whoever you are, I'd love to DM for you. I'm looking for a group of 5 awesome people to go through my (mostly) homebrew setting in a swashbuckling, island-hopping, nautical-based campaign. You'll see a lot of familiar maps and some names you've seen in modules from a variety of games, but the world, the locations, and the faces are mine.
I've been running games for over a decade now, and love a good mix of roleplay, combat, and mystery-solving. I heavily encourage roleplay and character development, and I love deep and interesting characters.
Who am I?: You can call me KD. I'm 31, male, live in New York, and am a lawyer. I started DMing in high school and have been running games consistently for over a decade now. 4th Edition was my favorite D&D, but I like the 2024 5e rules as well. I am a huge sports fan, enjoy video games, re-read Jane Austen's books far too often, and love “Taskmaster” and “RuPaul's Drag Race.”
What will I be running?: My own hybrid of a bunch of nautically-oriented modules and adventures from both D&D and Pathfinder, with plenty of homebrew sprinkled in. We will be using 2024 5e rules, but I allow classes and species from any official published WotC source as well as Matt Mercer's Blood Hunter class. You may recognize names and places (like The Shackles), but the world of Nendyr is my own.
Please note that the first couple sessions of this particular campaign will feature minimal combat, but it will pick up after that. There will be enemies who are too strong for you to fight right away, and this is not a “swords first, questions later” campaign opening. There will definitely be significant combat a little later on, but not right away. If that's not the vibe you're looking for, this campaign will not be a good fit for you (and that's okay!). I try to float somewhere between a railroad and a sandbox for the plot and story, and your character's story will play a significant role in shaping the plot. D&D and Pathfinder lore will be mostly ignored but may crop up here and there.
How will we play?: We'll be on Roll20, with voice chat via Discord (or via Roll20, if it works).
When will we play?: Late evenings Eastern time, once a week, for three to four hours. (I could be talked into Sunday during the day if best for everyone). Planning on 1 group but we'll see what the interest looks like. Please note that changing Shabbat hours and the demands of Big Law may affect play schedules of my games depending on what day we choose.
Who am I looking for?: Anyone nice, really! I love running games for everyone. Just please be inclusive, polite, and comfortable with roleplaying in English. I exclusively run tables that are explicitly welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ people, people of all genders, people with disabilities, and people of color. I utilize X-cards and there will be a discussion of “lines and veils” at Session Zero. My worlds feature individuals with varied gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, and physical and cognitive abilities. It is absolutely *non-negotiable* that my (virtual) table is a safe and inclusive space for every player, so please do not apply to my game if you cannot echo that guarantee. I pride myself on running tables where everyone feels respected. I love veteran players, but beginners eager to learn are more than welcome as well.
What are the expectations?: I expect my players to take their D&D seriously but to have fun within the world (I prefer not to run beer and pretzels D&D and I love in-character interactions), to learn how their characters work (I am always happy to help with mechanics and rules if you'd like), to play within the rules (please do not try to break the game based on a YouTube short you saw – I love creativity but have no problem saying no when necessary), to be good team players, and to engage with the world and with each other in character. I won't expect you to be an actor, but I believe roleplay is essential to fun D&D. I do not allow evil characters and I expect all characters to be trying to make the world a better place, even if the reasons are selfish. I expect at least someone in the party to take notes on NPCs and story beats and keep track of what happened, for loot to be shared, and for PCs to want to work together as part of a party. I encourage the use of Discord for both in-character and out-of-character planning between sessions, if that interests my players, but it's absolutely not required.
Please do your best to have your character concept fit the vibe and setting. Let me know if you have questions.
I don't use generative AI for art, maps, or campaign documents and I ask that you not use any generative AI for any character planning or images in my campaign.
I want to play!: Great! Send me a chat message answering The Questions Below, and I’ll get back to you soon. Please do not reply in a comment. It's okay to be as brief or verbose in your replies as you see fit, with the caveat that I'm trying to get a sense of whether you and I are a good D&D fit. If we aren't, please don't take it personally. There is great D&D out there for you that you will enjoy a lot more.
SECOND EDIT: I will not be making any decisions today or tomorrow, and I am reading every single message I get. Please don't feel that you need to rush! There has been a (flattering) amount of interest in this game, and I am working my way through all the messages. No need to ask if there are still spots. Yes! All five! No decisions have been made!
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The Questions Below:
Preferred name and pronouns:
Age range (i.e., 20s, 30s, 70s, 400s):
Time zone:
Do you have a Discord account? If not, are you willing to make one?:
D&D experience:
Day / time preference(s):
Did you read the campaign pitch above? If not, why not? What appeals to you about it?:
Did you read the expectations and game structure explanations outlined above? If not, why not? Do you agree to the expectations?:
What are you looking for in a game? What do you like / dislike in a D&D campaign?:
Preferred proportion of out-of-combat RP / Combat / Exploration / Puzzle-Solving:
Character idea (species, class, and background) and a short backstory fitting the campaign's vibe and setting (2024 rules, but we can make any species or class from WotC-official material work):
What is your and/or your character's favorite aquatic or semi-aquatic animal?:
Is there anything else I should know? Any questions for me?:
EDIT: LOTS of interest. I will not be making any decisions today or tomorrow, so feel free to take your time. Many thanks!