[Closed] Gilded Cage (5E)

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Abrahms

One Thousand Club
Title: Gilded Cage
Game: D&D 5E, Discord
Player Count: 4-6
Description:

In the land of Negrastir, the nobles of the country don't understand the phrase "born with a silver spoon in your mouth" because, well, all of their silverware -was- silver. As were their plates, their goblets, the handles on their windows and doors. What wasn't silver, was gold of course. You see, Negrastir is perhaps the wealthiest country in the world, but a more quietly said phrase, in the dark corners of alleys, is Negrastir is a gilded country -- a faint layer of gold covering what lies underneath: nothing but blood.

Status is not just shown by objects, but also by ownership -- the most powerful people in Negrastir are the royal family and their favored nobles, all humans. Anything non-human is expected to serve, either by choice, or by force. If they're unique enough however, they may be kept closer to nobles as personal servants. If they're powerful enough, they're put in the military. If they're both, they're given as gifts to the royal family. This is where elves, aasimar, tabaxi, dragonborn, firbolgs, genasi, half-elves and even unique looking tieflings find themselves. Other, "lesser" races, such as dwarves, gnomes, halflings, half-orcs -- those are the workers. Expected to tend to the forges, the farms, the mines -- away from the soft hands and delicate fabrics of cities and especially the capital.

Wealth and lineage are major factors in where you rank within Negrastir with very few ways to improve your station: magical ability, or join the military. The Empire is willing to grant a small pinch of freedom to those that help it maintain its power and reach out across the other continents.

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So what is this game? Well, it's a magical school, with a twist. I'm looking for an even amount of players with the idea of people being paired -- a Noble of some sort with a servant, sent with them to reflect their family's position and wealth, while also looking for any potential ways to aid the one they're with. I am not going to enforce players to pair up, but do note that to be one of the more unique races, you'd likely be a servant. Even if players do not pair up, I will generate someone to be their servant.

Now, some people may not want to help encourage the mindset of Negrastir -- you're not alone! There is an underground group attempting to spark a rebellion of Negrastir's Imperial family and their way of running things. You could be a part of that group, sneaking yourself and someone else inside the magic academy, looking for new recruits or potential secrets to pass to the rebellion.

Gameplay:

Classes will be restricted -- considering everyone is going to a magic academy, it doesn't entirely make sense to have a barbarian show up at the front door. This means that allowed classes for Nobles are: Wizard, Sorcerer, Warlock, and bard (if you're not going to be a servant type). Servant types are allowed the martial classes -- Rogue, Monk, Fighter, Barbarian.

If you're a Noble, your race is restricted to human (including Variant), if you're a servant, you're a little more varied, but it's easier to narrow options from what someone might be considering than fully listing races.

The Nobles will technically have the same backgrounds (unless you're going rebellion route), but I will allow swapping skills depending on how the character's respective family gained their position or may be trying to raise their position (since magic is a route to such). Basically, backgrounds are likely to be very custom, with their base formed from typical backgrounds (like the features and items).

The game will start at 3rd so everyone can for sure have their subclasses picked.

In general I expect this game to be far more social and plot-y than combat heavy, so it'd likely be good to base spell choices and subclasses off thinking more poltics and utility than murder. If you're a servant, well, murder is potentially in your job description.


Any questions feel free to ask, and know I don't pick based off first come first served.
 
I'm very interested in this, and I know you to be an amazing DM. I've played in a magic school type game before, but this one already sounds much more...fully formed. I have an idea for a noble girl already, and the pairing system sounds like it'll be a lot of fun.
 
Abrahms, you always have the freakin coolest ideas for campaigns, I’m very interested in this. I would be totally fine being a servant or a noble, but I love the idea of being paired up with another PC.
 
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