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In the City Watch of Waterdeep, the Fifth Shift carried with it a certain infamy. The pre-dawners and the yawners. Usually appointed as a weeklong punishment - a baneful motivator - to the guards previously caught slantward on the post. It was always a matter of sighs and groans to see oneself appointed unto it, for the stirring streets now yawned with a foreboding dew and every inn and tavern was about to shut. Therefore, of course, ousting all those who expressed a great distress of being thrown onto the street. Fists or worse weapons were often employed in such unhappiness. To each other in generous helpings and the general surroundings and, often being particularly unlucky, to a sleep-deprived and not-too-patient Watchman.

This, however, is not a tale of such mundane and janitorial bouts. It is a tale of something greater - of daggers in the mist and breastplates hiding hearts of even greater steel. Of white lilies and the black wings of ravens. A certain band of guards - indeed, the Fifth Shift of that rueful month - shall find themselves enveloped in a plot far too great for the liking of a sleep-deprived eye. But then, one should never underestimate the heart of a true Waterdhavian. The city stirs and oft swallows those who fall within its many machinations. Women and men and imps great and small. Ink-blotters and evil grins in the dark.

We will see if these helmet-heads have what it takes.

• • •

Hi. As you might have already concluded, this is a 5e game taking place in the city of Waterdeep in the Forgotten realms setting, in which a shift of city guards get into delicious trouble. Past my little flavour-blurb, I’ll highlight a few requirements as well as how the game works as to not waste your time in reading further:

• Ages 25-35 are a good fit with the general vibe and my own range. Being LGBTQ affirming is a must; the game will be a safe and fun space for all participants. It is also a necessity to be from a GMT-centric time-zone. Americans, you have enough games to apply to!

• We will roleplay in voice chat over Discord, and use the roll20 interface & sheets. There are no tactical (grid) maps - it's mostly theatre of the mind with a variety of artwork for reference. DM rolls are usually hidden and communicated with narrative. There is a generally heavy emphasis on aesthetic and flavor. Often times there are long moments dedicated for RP and it is possible to have sessions without any combat at all. If you’re looking for an optimization-heavy game, there are many available, but this is not it.

• New players and curious people who got into D&D from something like BG3 are very welcome to apply. In saying the games is rules-lite, I try to avoid lengthy discussions on rules especially during the combat, but 5e rules are still followed even if we skim over some things. They create stakes and consequence, after all. The requirement I have for everyone is to learn and know your own character sheet beforehand and complete level-ups and such during the week of downtime so as to not be confused when the session starts. For newer players, of course, help can be offered!

• Currently, the game is planned to happen weekly, on Saturday evenings. Most likely is around 20:00 GMT 3, but an hour onward or behind is fine as well. It'll be usually be around 4 hours long with a 15-minute break in the middle.

• This isn't just a jump in and roll type of game with random players picked by pure chance. Ideally, we'll all make fun connections and friends out-of-character, too. I'm looking to put together a group with long-term potential with other campaigns, and I like people that have something to say to the world in how they express themselves.

The start will be at level 2 - a fairly humble beginning in which the players are thrown into a whirlwind of unfolding events, and whether or not they clutch glory or leave behind a trail of death will be their own doing.

I'm intending to recruit 2-4 people. If you're applying with a friend, I'll hear you out.

I intend to have the session 0 on this weekend and maybe kick off the game on the weekend after that, but I'm not totally sure yet.

So! You got through my long-winded mawk? Well done! As for your 'application', I would like it if you told me a little about yourself in a free-form kind of way. Perhaps in relation to the information covered in this post. Yeah, I know it's difficult. Consider it a test. Also, write your favorite pizza topping in the message so I know you read it. However, please also consider that DM'd games in this subreddit usually get flooded with interest, so it might take me a bit to get back to you.