[D&D 5E] The Crash

Life on the flying metropolis of Zatta was good, for the most part. With a little science and a lot of magic, it stayed self-sufficient for hundreds of years. If you were fortunate enough to have a little money, endless learning and piles of magical gadgets were easy to find. So who cared if nobody knew what was actually down below?

There were always more important things to worry about. The endless maze of exams and bureaucracy, where you stood in the cliques, whether you had a chance of ever living in the upper spires… Or maybe you shunned those things, making your way as one of those who fell through the cracks. Yes, there were a multitude of cultures and ways of life on Zatta, and they tolerated - that is, tried to ignore - each other.

But all of that is gone now. The streets shook and the sky wailed, and in a matter of seconds the entire city fell to the unknown ground below. The impact destroyed practically everything, and in those last moments your life flashed before your eyes. You got one more glimpse of what really mattered to you, before it was all over.

Yet somehow, you're alive. Thrown clear of the worst of the damage, you wake up in a place you’ve never seen before. What awaits you is a savage, brutish world, where you can only hope someone - something - understands your language enough to help you survive. Because for now, surviving is all you can do.

So band together, and get moving.

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The Crash is a D&D 5E campaign about forcing some unlikely folks to survive in the wilderness and explore the secrets of a world they know nothing about. More than that, it’s about losing their old life and discovering strength they didn’t know they had. Will any part of the old world remain? Will they still need it? I don’t have any answers in mind - we’ll see where it goes.

As a relatively new GM, I'm hopeful for characters that we can fall in love with, until it hurts a little to see them struggle in the cruel world ahead. I'll leave the details of the mechanics secondary to that goal, partly because I'm not a huge expert on them just yet. That said, there's a lot of room for you guys to shape the world and the direction of the game - I want to be surprised sometimes too!

If you feel you're up to this, I'm looking for at least 3, perhaps up to 5, promising characters. Try to commit to posting around 3 times a week or more - I will try to be responsive every single day, but may sit back if it's party interaction. I'll also make sure to have some OoC threads where we can bond.

One last thing - I haven't decided whether to use a private or public forum for this, so please share any strong feelings one way or another.

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Before applying to the game forum, please write me a post below with the following:

1. Basic character info - name, race, background and a short idea of their personality.
2. Only AFTER establishing that stuff should we worry about their class and anything that will go with it, gameplay-wise. Due to the nature of the story, I suspect things like Ranger, Druid and Barbarian might be hard to explain (you can try if you really want to) while Artificer is fair game. Keep in mind you’ll be starting at 1st level, but if you have plans for future decisions you can note them here.
3. What sort of life was your character preoccupied with before all of this? How might that subtly leak into their new situation?
4. Where was your character when the island began to fall? While knocked unconscious by the impact, what important memory did they relive?
5. How might your character relate with others in this new situation? If others have already posted you might offer examples related to them, otherwise it’s okay to generalize.

I realize this is basically asking for an essay right from the beginning, but hopefully those ready to commit to a game like this won’t mind too much. I’ll be taking applications all week and then hopefully be picking the best fits over the weekend. Thanks for your interest!

This sounds like a lot of fun to me, so I'll throw my hat in the ring. My idea is for a Human named Albrin, of the cloistered scholar background. He will be woefully unprepared for anything outside of his standard lifestyle, but rather than the usual 'whiny and expecting things to change to suit him', his innate combination of pluck and curiosity will have him enthralled with the sudden changes, maybe to the point where he doesn't show quite the amount of fear of the unknown as would be healthy in such a situation. Someone who rather than seeing the glass half full or half empty, wonders what the glass is half full of.

We're talking maybe "I was raised in a library" kind of scholar, used to things being controlled and scheduled and structured... and somewhat bored by it at the same time. An orphan conveniently adopted to more or less provide staffing for a grand library, getting to actually read the books was more of a fringe benefit than an actual intended outcome. He just happened to be someone who likes to immerse themselves in knowledge.

Twieth Never had much money, and he'd begun to accept that fact, not he never quite was happy with what he had always wanting more Once he'd considered jumping off the edge of the world he heard it was a sport for some mages they enjoyed the freefall but he realized that would mean death as he could never afford to be teleported back up, in his late teens when he'd actually began making a living as a Smuggler. It wasn't long after that though that He helped Zilly escape the law in and fell deeply in love, the two of them settled down and for a while it didn't matter how much money he had.

It didn't take Twieth long though before he grew restless again as did Zilly the two of them began to travel again bringing goods back and forth as he had before by doing such he was taking lots of risks but that was what he enjoyed, Zilly and him got split however just before Zatta began to fall they were almost caught and had to split up, as Zatta fell Twieth looked up at the sky and Wished they'd never gone back to the life of adventure, memories of the most peaceful time in his life time without the thrill he thought he longed for.

This is Twieth's first time experiencing anything he would consider a loss and he can't Imagine that anyone else could be experiencing such great a loss however he doesn't stop people from complaining.
Twieth never looked down on those with lots of money knowing one day they would get what they deserve however he can truly empathize for those who have little though as he has spent do long this way, if it weren't for meeting Zilly Twieth might have been happy with the fall, but now he's worried she's dead.

I plan to start Rouge but also plan to take some levels of spellcasting classes most likely Bard and Sorcerer.
Race Options: Satyr, Kobold, Or Half-Orc.

Gamelyn Grayhorn wasn't always among the posh. She started out a dwarven beggar child, trying to do what she could to scrape together enough with her parents to feed them and her 3 other siblings. As the oldest of the Grayhorn siblings, she was expected to provide when her father died of the grayheart sickness from the mines. Her mother worked as a farriers assistant for a lesser lord.

When one of the horses broke loose from a carriage, it was bearing down on the first-born son of the lord, who froze up and didn't move. Gamelyn, who was working at a forge nearby on a fresh set of tongs, saw this and pushed him out of the way. She was lightly trampled and kicked, but was given the best care the lord's money could buy as payment for saving his son. He also offered her a spot training for his guard.

In training, she quickly picked up techniques required and trained harder than journal recruits ever did. She wanted to make sure this gift wasn't wasted and she could lift her family from the life they were living. She was on her way to take her oath of fealty when the city fell. When it crashed, she thought of nothing but her family. Waking up, she knew it would take all her training to find them and keep them safe, if that was even still possible.

Gamelyn is a dwarf who falls mostly lawful good, but follows her ideals more than the strict alignment. Above all, she wants to find her family, but isn't sure yet what lengths she will go to find them. Living in both the lower levels of society and the upper for a short time, she has seen how evil can manifest in misguided attempts at good. She holds no ill will against others, but harbors resentment for those who think themselves above others due to their social status.

Varen Lebethron had never seen the trees that his line was named for except in books and rare scrolls. Elves tended to from their own enclaves on the city of Zatta but his sect was insular even to other elves. They remembered the old ways you see; they knew there was a time of forests and ancient magics that they left behind, lost to living memory. The Sect of the Backwards Eye attempted to find evidence of that past through historical research, meditation and communion with deity or demon that might hold memories older than that of the elves of Zatta. Varen was born into this world. His parents, Liliana and Theril, were high in the sect hierarchy and Varen was being groomed to take his place in the group's seeking of truth. For the most part, Varen enjoyed this but could not help but want to experience live beyond the walls of their complex. His parents soon learned that letting Varen accompany the senior members when leaving on errands or research missions stopped him from attempting to sneak out.

At the time of the fall, Varen was in the chapel in the tallest tower of the sect's complex. It was a polyglot chapel with an alter to any and every deity that might hear a prayer from their order. Varen had been sent there to meditate on his latest lesson. When his life passed before his eyes, he beheld a memory that he did not know he had. Varen was in his nursery at an age where adults think kids can't understand them and so talk freely. His father and mother had finished their latest attempt at divination and came out of it with ecstatic smiles. "They exist! If she spoke truly, the ancient forests and their magics still exist! We might one day return to our homelands!"

As far as relating to others, Varen sees other people with curiosity more than anything else. He got to meet so few of them and looked at such interactions as a treat. With normalcy stripped away, I think Varen will cling to whoever he finds.

This sounds like a great idea for a game. No wonder you already have a lot of applications.
I'm even tempted to join myself and if it was a different system, I would definitely apply.

If you do end up making this public, let me know and I'd love to read along.

That sounds like a wonderful campaign idea. I would love to have joined, but I think I'm the game capacity

Abercrombie Place

Female, Half-Elf, Entertainer

Abercrombie doesn't remember much about her life before the fall, but it's slowly coming back to her. She has amnesia from a severe blow to the head. Someone, possibly in the group, pulled her out of the rubble of that tavern/night club. She was dressed in the garb of a stage performer when found, with an instrument.

She was very glad to have been saved from death in the wreckage and the horrible nightmare...or was it a memory, of a small child being abducted in a dark dismal street by unknown persons wearing hooded cloaks? Glimpses of their faces revealed ghoulish unnatural faces, like fleshy masks to hide their true countenances.

Abercrombie would graciously and thankfully join with the survivors, while she attempts to uncover the lost memories of her self. Only then can she make a true assessment of who and what she will decide to pursue for any future the new world holds for her. Along the way, she will do her best to keep up the spirits of her companions with her music.

"Ah," Ethan exhaled as he took a seat on his eloquent marble chair on the balcony. "Darling," he said to the servant present in the background as he picked up a grape from a fruit tray on the table beside his chair, "do be so kind and pour us a glass of wine," he pleasantly demanded. Although the High Lords of Zatta weren't royalty per se, they certainly acted and spoke of themselves as such, carefree in their lack of struggles. And carefree was exactly what Ethan Silverport was. As the youngest son of High Lord Silverport, almost none of the duties, but all of the freedom of his status was at his disposal. As one of his servants diligently poured him wine, with two other servants standing ready in the back - one with a meal and another with a violin, Ethan peered into the spired cityscape before him. Above him, the sky; in front of him, the other high spires and the far horizon; below him... Below him nothing. From his vantage, you weren't even able to see the ground level of the city. The only time he cared for what was beneath him was when he needed something, either from scholars or lesser craftsmen - or for some of his unsavoury escapades or wild impulses or adventures.

Yes, yes, of course, he was always able to get the finest scholars and instructors, or the brightest minds whether scientific, arcane, or divine to teach him at home any time. And Spires forbid, his father would force him to do these things as often as he could, he mused as he sipped his wine. He paused his train of thought and concentrated on the rich flavor in his mouth. He rolled the wine over his tongue and nodded pleased. His retainers knew precisely what vintage Ethan wanted. He could respect that, and for their diligence and adequacy, he would treat them respectfully in return. Wine, Ethan thought. Now that was where his main interest was. Wine and good company. He and his other noble friends could spend days at ends finding and attending the best balls, shows and festivities in the High Spires, or exploring - exploiting, rather - the hospitality of lesser nobility, or more exotic places. But this vintage was special, and the result of one of his many past times. Tracing down or ordering rare wines were not as exciting as spire racing, duels - whether magical or martial, daring commoners for coins, or other thrillseeking, daredevilish, or demeaning escapades and entertainment. But it led to what mattered the most in the end: Good times with good wine.

Ethan took another sip of his wine and squinted into the afternoon sun. He smiled for himself and turned ever so slightly and glanced beyond his servants into his chambers. His finest attire and gear stood ready on a mannequin by his bed for later tonight. Returning his attention to the view and his wine he fished up a timepiece from his pocket. Its gears and hands told him how long he had been sipping his wine. "Five minutes," he uttered, "should be temperate now," he said and waved his hand in a 'bring it' motion without turning back again, "let's see what you have for us this afternoon, chef," Ethan said as he took in the meal being placed before him. It was a huge platter adorned with grilled vegetables, and a multitude of various steaks, meats and fowl - all in all, an oversized meal for any man. "Come now, please our ears and heart with a merry tune, maestro," he demanded of his third servant as he dug into his meal. But just as the first tone left the instrument, disaster struck.

It was as if the whole world suddenly fell eerily silent. In the blink of an eye, the city stopped completely, then crumbled and fell. At that moment, right before his death, Ethan saw his friends fade, giving way to his family, the spires and city, and finally a vision of himself before a large crowd filled with a feeling of pride. Events that could, would, or would never happen; people that were and suddenly weren't. His being and ego sought what solace it could find before darkness.

But Ethan hadn't died; toppled atop of him was his massive marble chair. Cracked, but it had somehow sheltered him. Covered in dust, Ethan coughed and scrambled to his feet through the rubble, still clutching a fork and his wine chalice. Disoriented and confused, he could barely make out his surroundings in the cloud of dust, but he shuffled towards what had been his chambers in search of his gear. His servants were nowhere to be seen. Even so, he had to find out what had happened, he demanded to know who was responsible for ruining his life, his city!

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Ethan Silverport is a (Variant) Human with the Noble background, who - depending on how he deems the overall hierarchy of his family or the city to have fared - may or may not claim titles such as Lord or High Lord Silverport (legitimate), the Last High Lord, Prince, King, Heir to Zatta, et cetera. These, and any titles or lore I put in the presentation above is, of course, pending GM approval and open to editing. For now, I simply took the liberty of crafting this particular part of the society from the information provided.

I know that Ethan isn't necessarily all that... pleasant for commoners always, and I've sort of created a high-strung playboy of sorts. Although it originally hadn't occurred to me, as that wasn't the inspiration, he has the potential of a sort of Tony Stark-type evolution from a bit of a turd, to someone more likeable. Conversely, Artificer or other class combination resulting in Iron Man also wasn't front and center for the concept, but I also wouldn't be opposed to such a concept (although I'm not that fan of "make your character into this superhero" builds or concepts, so it's not the first choice unless it gets outside traction, it's a quirky and entertaining enough option - I've never played an artificer, and I would probably be partial to an armored variant if I were to).

On a more serious note I left his "studies" vague, as I envisioned him as either a Warlock, Sorcerer, Bard, or Paladin, tieing in with his noble and most likely charismatic background. The exact class is open to fit better with the group (or in the case of the Paladin, also a little dependant on stats, as I assume we're rolling). I'm a flexible player, and other classes such as the Cleric, Fighter and Rogue (and the mentioned Artificer) could well fit the concept, too.

I'm going to have my homework to do, huh? Glad to see all this interest! For those just tuning in, feel free to keep your applications coming still. You never know what I might end up deciding on.