Tales of Acaridian: Moth to a Flame

Hello folks and welcome to my adventurer recruitment! Let’s begin with a quick introduction and summary of my post. You should gain a brief overview of what I’m looking for/offering from the first two sections. I am a bit of a yapper, so the overall post may get a little long, but if you are interested, please read it all. (I will be putting more information on the Discord Server I’ve made for this.) I am reopening recruitment for this considering I currently need to fill one or two vacancies. Unless there are any delays in the sessions yet to come, I need to fill at least one slot for the sessions on the 25th of October and the 1st of November. Games will run on Sundays in the later afternoon based on CET time.  Me: My name is Shay (He/Her/Theirs (any pronouns)). I’m 22 years old and have always been a storyteller. That said, English is not my first language. I do my best and would say I’m fluent, though. I am queer and neurodivergent and a nerd, which is sort of obvious considering this is a ttrpg recruitment site lol. I got some DnD experience recently after years of never having the proper friend group for it. I’ve loved tabletop content for years, and now that I’ve played some, I know I love it. Although playing itself is very fun, I’ve always known the mantle of the DM calls to me. Therefore, I am now a beginner DM, currently working on my own DnD setting.  What I’m looking for: I am looking for players of any skill level that would be interested in connecting, and possibly eventually embarking on a campaign with me. I do not currently have any dming experience, which is why this recruitment is primarily for a One Shot I have written. It is fairly straight forward and should cover the various aspects of DnD (roleplaying, exploring, combat, looting etc). I want to write more One Shots, and through running them, find a group for a campaign. However, you don’t have to be interested in a campaign to play my One Shot :) Rules and Requirements: You must be 18+ to join. You must have a decent microphone and stable Internet. You do not need any prior DnD experiences. Joining the One Shot is not a guarantee of getting into the Campaign: The Campaign will have four players just like each group of the One Shot will. I'm hoping to run the One Shot three times. One Campaign Slot is already filled.  You may make your character sheet on sites such as DnDBeyond or Dicecloud, but you may also make one on paper. Just be sure to send it to me if it’s not through my Campaign link in DnDBeyond. You may roll in any form you want, even with real dice. I will work under the assumptions that you do not alter the results of any rolls I cannot immediately see. You must not use any AI to generate writing or characters. Ideally, you should not use it at all (ever). You may not use preexisting AI art for your character art. I urge you to critically assess any piece of art you use for your characters. (I will provide resources to find non-AI character art). If you use someone else’s art for your character, you must provide credits. Do not be bigoted, hateful or discriminatory in any way. Racism, Ableism, Misogyny, Queerphobia and bullying will not be tolerated. This may sound a little odd, but you must be willing to use non-conventional and/or shifting pronouns. You don’t need to be perfect, but be respectful and willing to learn. (This is also fairly important in game, since I will include genderqueer or genderneutral characters/npcs.) ERP is not allowed in the One Shots and likely won’t be allowed in the Campaign (depends largely on players). While playing, please pay attention, even if it isn’t your turn. More Info on the One Shot: The One Shot has a fairly clear storyline and isn’t set up to have too much room for improvisation as for it’s plot points. Improvisation is an aspect I want to also eventually explore, but for now this is more of a “tutorial” type experience. The various paths and options are prewritten and have a clear line of progression, although what exactly happens and what you chose to do is open! Unfortunately, I can’t let you not accept the quest I have prepared and go explore somewhere else, sorry ^^ Depending on interest, I will probably run the One Shot multiple times, and/or offer up another one if there are people that are interested in being part of a DnD group longterm. This lore of my world isn’t relevant to the One Shot, which does take place in the same world, but approximately 1600 years in the past. This is so the One Shot can already happen while I’m still putting the lore and everything else to paper! All you need to know is in the pitch; although it basically summarizes to “Every kingdom is at war, but that’s not really your problem. You just need to get by.” There is also some information about geography and the overall world on my Server. More Info on a possible Campaign: I will eventually put out some lore of my world on the Discord Server. It will include informations about pretty much everything you need to know: gods, territories, people and everything else I cook up ^^’ As I mentioned before, none of the Campaign lore/information is relevant to the One Shot(s). When it comes to the eventual Campaign, I have a few reference points and ideas what an overarching story could be, but I do also want to have a big focus on the characters in the adventuring party. So what the actual plot of the campaign will be also depends heavily on the groups wants. I am looking to write a more serious story, but there will be room for whimsy and tomfoolery. I will include more existential themes and don’t shy away from things getting dark. However, ahead of a campaign, triggers, topics to avoid and such will be discussed in depth! Once a group has emerged for a campaign, I want to hold a sort of early Session 0 where we all discuss ideas, early character concepts, opinions on possible plot arcs and I will obviously also be there to answer questions! We would probably have a second session 0 to discuss characters, backstories and such closer to when the actual campaign would start. With all this information put out there, I’m hoping the sessions can be weekly or biweekly. I know that is a fairly big commitment, but that’s also why the process before the Campaign is a little longer. I’m not just looking for future players, I’m looking for future friends! Now, onto the actual One Shot Pitch: Short Version: In a world where war rages constantly, you are just a mere commoner wanting to survive. They’re not your battles to be fought, yet in a world where the kingdoms never seizes to be at odds with one another, survival isn’t guaranteed. A local guild offers work for those considering themselves adventurers. You are hire to retrieve a family heirloom from a village that was decimated by a recent battle. While there is no eminent threat or any indications of more battles to happen there, venturing there will still be perilous. Will you find what you’re looking for? Long Version: Keocorra was once a land of peace, or so the elders teach to the youth to give them hope. They have never witnessed such an age. Even among the most long-living species, no one is alive to remember. Not even the Gods recall a time where there was peace. Perhaps it had never existed, alas the world burning was just as constant as the rise and fall of the sun. Like most of Keocorra’s people, you could not be further from the people declaring wars and sending their people to their deaths. No, you are as much of a bystander is your own world as the squirrels who bury their nuts on the battlefield and the birds endlessly fleeing from the sounds of battle. Perhaps, like them, you only wish to survive. Or perhaps you wish to help those around you; The fellow bystanders hoping not to end as collateral damage. The Plunderers Guild offers such opportunities. It is perhaps the lands first ever legal criminal organization, based on a technicality of local law no one has the time to adjust: Stealing isn’t legal in any of the kingdoms, of course. That’s clear enough, yet it doesn’t account for a technicality. While a conflict between two kingdoms is in effect, the disputed area, and wherever battles are fought, seizes to belong to anyone. You cannot steal something that doesn’t belong to anyone. “Plundering” describes the act of taking things from battlefields, yet it doesn’t actually qualify as stealing. The things you’re taking don’t legally belong to anyone. Now, it is illegal to be on these battlefields without a valid reason. Aside from being there for battle, there have never been valid reasons…until now. Timore, a kingdom towards the center of the continent, has been steadily losing land as they are fighting battles with kingdoms all around them. While treaties are being drafted, people are still losing their homes in order to have more space to battle. Under pressure from its people, the crown declared that any of its citizens may enter the battlefield if their former homes are now in the no-mans-land. This is where a very witty band of former criminals founded the Plunderer’s guild. Most common folk don’t have the courage or skill to enter the battlefield and return alive, yet, if they have the coin, they can pay someone to go in their place. The guild has strict guidelines and code of conduct, although not everyone follows those rules and how much they are enforced depends on which hub you are hired through. You are hired by the Plunderer’s Guild closest to the Eastern Border of Timore where battle rages with the Elven empire of Turve. Located in the town of Dolion, this hub of the guild is run by a Goliath know as “Ghun”. You are summoned to receive further instructions for your retrieval quest from him at the “Plunderer’s Tavern” at noon. How to join: Now that you have read everything, please message me directly on Discord @ “jaycy336”. Wherever you message me, please include your name, age, pronouns, experience level and what sparked your interest. I will then ask you some more questions and possibly request to briefly call so I can check your microphone.

Free-to-Play each Session Newbie friendly. Snacks and Drink cost are divided evenly amongst present player on each session. Though Free Snacks from a player are highly appreciated but not required.

M Corp. Residing in District 13 of the City, and the pinnacle of mental and psychological care. Nowhere else will you find psychologists and therapists more qualified. Whether you're suffering from run-of-the-mill struggles, serious mental health conditions, or something more esoteric, you will find no better treatment than within one of M Corp's mental care institutions. …If you're well off, that is. The Backstreet slums of District 13, as is typical for all districts, doesn't get to taste the fruits of its parent corp's labour. Mental health services in the Backstreets are underfunded, neglected, and ineffective for dealing with the City's ails—with one exception. Moonsetter Clinic, founded by an ex-researcher of M Corp, seeks to bring the cutting edge of mental care to the people who most need it. Since its establishment three months ago, it has become a venerated, almost sacred institution to the Backstreets residents. Dozens of people each day walk into the complex, and walk out changed for the better. Even some of the Five Fingers have taken notice, and gone as far as to enforce it as neutral ground exempt from their bloody turf wars. It is a bona fide miracle. You don't buy it. Oh, you had your suspicions before: nothing that good ever graces the Backstreets without some strings attached. But there's also a personal reason behind your mistrust. You know someone—friend or family, colleague or simple acquaintance—who is a frequent patient of this place, and they recently went for their usual check-up. Maybe you even accompanied them to the lobby. It's been days, and they haven't returned. Your suspicion turned to surety. You quickly came across others who shared your experience, banded together, and decided. There is something rotten about Moonsetter Clinic, and you are all going to get to the bottom of it. Introduction Hi there! I am Nope (22, he/they). I hail from the far-off land of New Zealand, and I've been playing and running TTRPGs for close to 9 years now—mainly D&D 5e and 5.5e, but I've also dabbled in other systems like Pf2e and Lancer as well. I am also, as the title might indicate, a big Project Moon fan! This mini-campaign was made to combine two of the interests nearest to my heart, and is hopefully the start of a larger anthology of adventures set in the City. If you're not aware, Project Moon is a Korean indie game studio that creates games set in The City: a cyberpunk dystopia with fantasy elements. Life is cheap, violence is banal and commonplace, and corporation rule unchecked. In terms of vibes, think office workers in suits or streetwear fighting with store-bought swords and back-alley augmentation procedures, living paycheck to paycheck. Familiarity with this setting is not required for this mini-campaign; the plot will be pretty self-contained and won't make many references to the wider Project Moon canon. Details - System: D&D 5.5e, with some homebrew to adapt it to Project Moon's setting. The necessary homebrew is actually quite light (just 9ish pages) thanks to the City arguably borrowing more from high fantasy than conventional sci-fi in its worldbuilding; thus, the majority of translation is in reflavouring abilities and classes rather than bespoke custom rules. You can take a peek at the homebrew I plan to use here. - Level: Probably around 5-7, to be discussed with players during Session 0. Level-up is unlikely, given that this is a single adventure. - Time: Sunday 2pm fortnightly, GMT+12. Sessions will run from 3-4 hours. - Starting Date: My goal is to hold Session 0 sometime in early-mid October! - Length: 4-6 sessions, as a very rough estimate. More likely to be longer than shorter. - Players Needed: 4-5 - Platform: Foundry for VTT, Discord for communication Requirements - Age 18+ - Have a decent mic and a stable internet connection. - Have some decent experience with D&D 5e or 5.5e, or be willing to learn quickly. - Be willing to be earnestly invested in the campaign, and in each other's characters. - Be prompt and timely in showing up to sessions; give advance notice of a few days if you're not able to make it. - Don't be a bigot or an asshole. - No use of generative AI; I'm not a fan. Further Considerations - This is an LGBTQ+ friendly table! If you're not comfortable with that, go elsewhere. - The following topics will be covered: classism, mental health, medical malpractice, slight body horror. - The campaign will likely have a focus on combat and social interaction, with limited exploration. - This campaign is intended to be serious, but not misery porn! There will be ample space for jokes, light-hearted moments, and goofiness in general. - Combat difficulty will aim for 'challenging but fair'. I'm not interested in playing every encounter absolutely optimally; enemies will act based on their personalities, goals, and the current situation. As a DM, my priority is for combat to be fun and engaging, while still maintaining actual stakes—notably, this means non-zero chances of character death. - The setting of the campaign is not perfectly 1-to-1 with the Project Moon setting, due to D&D's mechanics and structure. The biggest divergence from canon is that magic as it works in D&D exists in the City and is well-understood and utilized as just one of many pathways to gain power, alongside technology, augmentations, and sheer competence. - Project Moon's stories are very character-focused, with emphasis on personal trauma, character growth, and facing your fears to achieve self-actualization. Include the word sun somewhere in your application. While the scope of this mini-campaign means there probably won't be much in the way of formative character arcs and development, I want to keep that focus on character-driven personal stories that Project Moon is known for. - My hope is to run this mini-campaign and others like it (some set in the City, some with their own bespoke settings) to build a community of like-minded players, with whom I hope to establish a long-term TTRPG gaming group! - I am technically a Project Moon larper LMAO (haven't played any of the games, got into it purely through watching playthroughs and wiki-diving) Applying If you want to apply, fill out this form! Once I gather enough respondents, I will shortlist a number of potential players and schedule interviews with them over voice call on Discord. After that, I will select 4-5 players to invite to a Session 0, and hopefully from there the campaign will begin!