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Up for some D&D?

This Sunday, we’ll be kicking off a new game. Broadly, it’ll be an episodic multi-edition ensemble cast old school kitchen sink sandbox campaign of doom. Or something like that, anyway - perhaps roughly in the same category as what’s become known as Western Marches games.

Dungeoncrawling. Hexcrawling. Sandbox. Iconic scenarios. Hidden gems. Original stuff. Low level. High level. Basic. Advanced. Kitchen sink. You name it. All you have to do is find it.

Set your own goals, choose your own path.

Not exactly a campaign, but an evolving world to explore.

Each session will be a complete, stand-alone adventure within a greater whole.

Emergent stories within an overarching plot.

Rotating cast of players and characters.

Quasi-real time.

Sound fun?

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So, what does this look like in practice?

Let’s say you’re at a Keep (just to pick an entirely random example), and you’ve heard about some nearby caves. Oo, famous scenario! And with 5 players, you might even stand a chance! Then again, perhaps you’d like to spend more time at the Keep itself, get to know its inhabitants a bit, and get some more information about the surroundings. Maybe you’ll even find a lead on that lost tomb you heard about but haven’t been able to find. Or maybe you’d just like to explore off to the northwest and see what you might discover.

What you decide will depend upon your goals and capabilities, along with the information you have uncovered, not to mention the other characters at the table. After each session, you’ll return to saftey, ready to set out again next time, possibly with new companions and new goals to achieve. Meanwhile, time will pass - in real time - and the world will evolve.

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Sounds like a really exciting concept, I‘m definitely interested!

Can you elaborate a little bit more on the following subjects:
location (online/offline), dates (every second week, etc.), usable dnd books for character creation, revolving cast of players/characters,…

My discord handle is dnlbrgr#5233

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Sorry, got interrupted by that real life thing earlier …

Unlike a traditional campaign, you won’t be playing with the same people every session. Whoever shows up on game day, that’s the party. Drop by regularly or once in a blue moon, whatever you like. Ideally, this would lead to players taking the initiative in scheduling. “Hey all, I found a map to the lost tomb of Nyug the Exasperated - who wants to go check it out? We’ll need a clever thief, let’s see if X can join …” We’ll see how things turn out. At the very least, it should allow us to dodge most scheduling nightmares.

Since this is an old school game, we won’t be using 5th ed. Instead, we’ll be playing an AD&D/Basic hybrid. Roughly speaking: AD&D with the tedious bits removed, or Basic with more options. Players will need neither experience nor rulebooks, and characters will be created right at the table.

That might be a frequent occurrence, because the game will be challenging. Characters will perish, and not all prizes will be won. Hopefully, this will make victories that much sweeter.

This Sunday’s session will be a prologue of sorts. Like most things in this game, the open world will have to be earned, and this will be a first step. It’ll be an introductory scenario, quite literally, but we’ll be using a seldom-encountered variant that should hopefully keep things interesting for players new and veteran alike.

Lastly, this entire thing is a bit of an experiment. It might fizzle out, or blow up spectacularly. But there’s only one way to find out …

2 pm Sunday, Türkenschanzpark. Still a seat or two open at the table - drop me a line or post here if interested. Paper and pencil, dice if you’ve got 'em. Bring your own snacks. Looking forward to seeing everybody!

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No worries!

If different people play together every time, how does level progression work exactly?
Will some characters be underleveled if they don´t have time to attend every session?

I only have experience in 5th edition Dnd and I still would call myself a beginner, but I am motivated to learn new rule sets. :wink:

I probably won´t have time this Sunday unfortunately, but I hope I can join next time!

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with @H as DM, those select few who reach level 2 wil be revered and the 1 or 2 people who might be able to reach the epic levels (aka 3) will be almost as legendary as @Neil !

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To clarify a bit: this is going to be an in-person game. No guarantees because of covid, and who knows what autumn will bring, but that’s the intention and the hope. There may be occasional minor online elements, though, if it saves time, such as bookkeeping or whatever.

The one thing I would like to have happen online is for the players to agree on a general plan for the next session, simply to make my life easier. If I know that the players are most likely heading to the Halls of the Bugbear Duke, that’s a lot simpler to prepare than the entire game world.

Dates will be roughly “whenever enough of us feel like it.” We’ll see what happens, but bi-weekly seems like a reasonable guess.

The books I’ll be using, at least initially, will be Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide only, with a smattering of Basic et al. No Unearthed Arcana or anything afterwards. Straight up, undiluted, as it were.

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That’s a good question, and I’m not sure I can say how exactly this will play out. I’m guessing it won’t be an issue for some time. Also, the game should work for a fairly wide range of levels simultaneously since there’s no expectation of balance in the first place. Some players have also already asked about running multiple characters, which is fine by me.

But yes, this is definitely something to keep an eye on.

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Again: SPOILERS!!!

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Pfft. Lies and slander. Nothing but daisies and fluffy bunnies in this game. There were even a couple survivors …

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how many limbs did your survivor(s) still have attached on average? :slight_smile:

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Depends. Are we counting hooks and peglegs as limbs here?

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if they were part of the survivors original arrangement of limbs, are still unrboken and have not been replaced at the end of the session? sure

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He forgot to mention, all players were pirates

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arrrrrrrr :pirate_flag:

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Summon spells are the best spells.

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Hi! I‘d love to come, just wanted to know where the Meet up was? I‘m like 73% sure i didn’t just overread it, but you never know ;-;

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We’ve been playing in Türkenschanzpark in the 19th. Shady spot, picnic benches. Très bucolic.

Next game’s this Sunday. Drop me a line if you want to drop by.