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Abnninja's Dungeons & Dragons 5e Campaign Review

I have been working on a Dungeons & Dragons 5E adventure. I have an ancient Greece and Europe setting that I would like to give a try. Six to eight players, and the theme requires mature players. I always place an emphasis on role playing, character development, and interaction with each other as well as your surroundings. But expect a fair amount of combat and opportunities to use magic, and not just combat magic. I expect players who will read all other players' posts and post every day. I understand life happens but this should be the exception not the norm.

This adventure will start on a local level in and around the Polis (Greek for city) of Sparta. Sparta won the Peloponnesian War just two decades ago and now reigns supreme over all of Hellas (Greece) and the broader Hellenic world. Her soldiers are feared and even the vast Persian Empire will not challenge her might.

But for the past ten years something strange has been happening. Magic now works. At least for some. And what's more, there have been strange creatures roaming the Earth, creatures not seen since the time of Heracles. Mount Olympus has awoken as well, though the fires seen there keep any from daring to go there.

Pausanias, the King of Sparta, has called a council and invited representatives from all over Hellas and the Hellenic world, which includes Sicily with the city of Syracuse and most of western Turkey. He has also invited foreign representatives from as far away as far Persia, Aegyptus, and a small Italian town with growing influence named Rome.

Players will design their characters to have a reason to be part of their country's delegation to this great meeting. They could be guards or soldiers, low-level ambassadors, spies, guides, or even a low level member of the royal family. Depending on where they come from will determine what race they can be… although they will all be human. I'll explain that further later.

Characters will start at level 3 and the game will continue through a series of adventures as part of an ongoing campaign. XP will not apply; characters will level up when I deem it appropriate… although I will be keeping track of XP to a degree. There are some class/racial restrictions and requirements. We need at least one Ranger or someone with healthy survival skills. The campaign will be largely outdoors, but there will be some underground activity. Classes and races are restricted to those found in the Player's Handbook, except Ranger and we will be using the Revised Ranger. Let me emphasize, this will be a serious epic quest… but I'm not averse to fun or the occasional comic situation happening, as in real life. Starting characters may not know or trust each other to start, but that will grow and it must if you are to survive. It is quite possible characters will die in this campaign. Working together will limit this, working at cross purposes will ensure it.

All players are human, but some people have been taking on the non-physical aspects of the other races since these strange happenings started. Let me emphasize here, they still look human, but they have been taking all other aspects of the other race. So, if you pick a Drow, Half orc, etc. Expect not to be trusted as you present an aura that makes people think you are evil or not deserving of trust… even if your character is good. A Dwarf will move slower, have Darkvision, resilience, Dwarven combat training, etc. But they will all appear human. There are limited languages in this campaign.

Everyone will speak Greek and either the language of the society they come from if other than Hellenic or pick one. Since I am limiting languages everyone will get one additional skill proficiency that they can choose and one tool. Alternately, you can choose to gain expertise in one skill rather than gaining an additional skill. Those that already have expertise, such as a 3rd level Bard can gain double expertise, making your character truly a master of one skill. Choose this option wisely.

Here is a list of possible starting locations, the races that could come from them, and the preferred classes.

Sparta: Human, Dragonborn, Dwarf, Half Orc, High Elf - Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Rogue, Warlock
Athens: Human, Halfling, High Elf, Half Elf - Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Rogue, Wizard
Thebes: Human, Halfling, Gnome, Half Elf, Tiefling - Cleric, Fighter, Monk, Rogue, Sorcerer
Macedonia: Human, Dwarf, Half Orc, High Elf, Gnome - Barbarian, Cleric, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer
Celtic Tribes: Human, Wood Elf, Half Elf, Gnome, Halfling - Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Ranger, Warlock
Germanic Tribes: Human, Wood Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling - Barbarian, Bard, Druid, Ranger, Rogue
Persia: Human, Drow Elf, Tiefling, Half Elf - Bard, Cleric, Monk, Paladin, Wizard
Aegyptus: Human, Elf (Any), Dragonborn, Tiefling - Cleric, Fighter, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Rome: Human, Wood Elf, Dwarf, Half orc - Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer
Syracuse/Sicily: Human, Tiefling, Dragonborn, Gnome, Elf (Any) - Bard, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock
Greek Asia Minor: Human, Half Elf, Elf (Any), Gnome, Halfling - Cleric, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer
Crete: Human, Half Orc, Dragonborn, Drow, Tiefling - Barbarian, Monk, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock
Thrace: Human, Half Orc, Dragonborn, Dwarf, Half Elf - Barbarian, Bard, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock
Amazons: Human, High Elf, Dragonborn, Tiefling, Half Elf - Bard, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Wizard

Any other city/civilization from this time you can convince me to add and why and this will not be an easy task considering how much work I put into the list above.

Since this is a (Mostly) historical setting, women fighters would not be allowed in many options above. But they can be Persian, Theban, or Amazonian. Most also restrict women's freedom. The exceptions being Sparta, Thebes, Macedonia, Celt and Germanic tribes, Aegyptus, and of course the Amazon which are a Hellenic matriarchal society located in the Crimea. Athens and Rome tend to be the most restrictive.

Equipment will be restricted to what was available in antiquity. No long bows, no cross bows. Long bows equate to short bows and cross bows to slings. If a class or race provides a bonus in one it is now transferred to its replacement. Only Celtic tribes and Thracians get swords longer than short swords. Spears were the normal weapon in this time. Proficiency with the longsword is now the spear and there are two kinds, short spear (D6 damage) and long spear (D8 damage d10 if two handed).

There will be more specifics once I ascertain if enough people want to join.

To begin: Abnninja's Dungeons & Dragons 5e Greek Campaign Character Creation

Review Campaign e Dragons and Dungeons Abnninjas

Count me in with this game. I will be bringing in a Spartan (Dwarf) paladin if that is ok with you.

Abnninja's Dungeons & Dragons 5e Campaign Review Reviews RPG & Card Board

Count me in as well. I'm looking at playing either an Amazon or Persian fighter. I'm open to playing a ranger if no one else plays one. This game looks intriguing Ninja!

Review Campaign e Dragons and Dungeons Abnninjas

Kyrroeth/KN,

You are both good to go with your choices. Let's see if anyone else decides to join in…

Review Campaign e Dragons and Dungeons Abnninjas

Interested. I think I shall 'reforge' a long running character of mine for this one, the wizard Elymas

I am considering a 1 level dip in Knowledge devotion Cleric, not least for expertise in certain knowledge skills.

With or without that, I'm thinking of working him in as a philosopher of Athens, who threw himself into the study of these new phenomenon, and was called to Sparta to speak on the basis of that study.

Abnninja's Dungeons & Dragons 5e Campaign Review

Daishain,

This sounds like an interesting character and Athens would be a perfect choice. Good starting background notes. With Paul also saying he is going to join we are at four players. A respectable number to start.

Abnninja's Dungeons & Dragons 5e Campaign Review

I would like to join, and will wait until everyone else selects a character class. Ninja, what will the player count be? I have a few ideas… one possible bard, I always love rogues and play all sorts of different kinds, and front line fighters never go amiss, eh?

Abnninja's Dungeons & Dragons 5e Campaign Review Board Card & RPG Reviews

I think that I will go with the Celtic Tribes, a character using the Wood Elf as a base, as either Druid or perhaps even a Ranger since that is needed. One more attuned with nature and perhaps sent by whichever leader or council are in charge where she comes from, perhaps chosen by one of its spiritual leaders.

Edited: Thomaslee on 28th Aug, 2017 - 4:22pm