Exandria is a D&D setting created by the crew of
Critical Role. There are currently two published campaign setting books set in this world---the
Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting and the
Explorer's Guide to Wildemount. While this game is set in the world of Exandria, it's not based on the stories from Critical Role. While I'm treating Campaign 1 as canon, Campaign 2 will not be since I want to avoid assumptions or overlap about the world based on what's currently going on in Critical Role. I enjoy the setting and want to run a story there, but I don't want to place restrictions upon stories we can tell together because the people on Critical Role are doing certain things in their game.
This game takes place in 835 PD which is the same timeline as presented in Explorer's Guide to Wildemount and 23 years after the events of Campaign 1.
You don't need to have seen Critical Role to join this game. You don't need both of the campaign setting books to join (if you don't own the setting books, you can find much of the world's setting in the
Critical Role wiki). While some rudimentary setting knowledge is good to have in order to better and more comfortably root yourself in the game's canon, I'm happy to work with more general concepts and help the player find a place in the canon as long as they are serious about wanting to join the game, seems like a good person, and is interested in a story- and character-driven narrative.
That last thing is important to point out. I want this to be a story- and character-driven game. I've never enjoyed long dungeon crawls or countless combat encounters. I enjoy games where more focus is placed on roleplay, narrative, and character interactions. When combat occurs, I want it to feel relevant and impactful. If you want a more traditional D&D experience driven by encounters and loot, then you will not enjoy this game. If you're interested in the kind of game I'm looking for, then I urge you to apply. What I'm looking for in players are people who are willing to invest some time and interest in creating a story together. That means that I'm looking for interesting character concepts and not simply blank slates. D&D games usually get a lot of applications, and the majority of them are just a sentence or two. Take your time to write a character concept that gives the character some connection to the world, some ambitions and dreams, as well as some wants and fears. I'm judging you by your application and it's easy to see when someone has put in actual effort and when someone has just tossed one together.
This brings us to the kinds of character concepts I'm looking for. Because this game will be story- and character-driven, I don't have the overarching plot planned out yet. I do have some ideas for potential storylines as well as a starting point, though, and this is a starting point that allows freedom of concept. You can make a character concept from any Exandrian continent. We can then work out the details later of how you get from your origins to where the game begins. The character will start at Level 3, use the standard array, and use the average hit points when leveling up. The characters will have the starting equipment for their class as well as 100 gold to spend on other (non-magical) things. Apart from this, I'm going to let all players choose either a feat or a magic item to start the game with---though this will be at my discretion. Later as the game progresses, I will hand out custom- and tailor-made feats to each player at Level 5, 10, 15, and 20 that somehow ties into the character's individual story. This is something we tried once in a home game to great success because it made each character stand out and feel more unique than what the original class options allow.
Finally, and this should be obvious, I want players who are respectful, mature, abide to the site's rules, and who recognize that roleplay is a social experience (even when it's online). If something bothers you about the game, another player, or about me, then I encourage you to be open about your thoughts and concerns. Communication is vital in order to provide an experience that everyone can enjoy. As a GM, it's also important to get feedback on what works and doesn't work so that the game can be tailored to your interests.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:05, Tue 23 Feb 2021.