C2E0 – Welcome to Campaign 2

Last updated on January 14, 2020

Welcome to campaign 2. An open-world adventure set in the magical world of Exandria. While campaign 1 was all about learning the rules and discovering what Dungeons & Dragons is all about, Campaign 2 is about exploration. Exploring the world and the fantastic characters the players have created.

Exandria 634 P.D.

It is the year six hundred and thirty-four, post divergence. War rages in Wildemount. The Julous Dominion is falling and the Dwendalian Empire is now the dominant power in Western Wynandir. Refugees clog the streets of the cities on the Menagerie Coast. Some are simply looking to start over on the shore of the Lucidian Ocean, while others intend to cross it. Merchant ships leaving the port cities of the Clovis Concord are now carrying more people than cargo. Amid this chaos, six strangers meet on the main deck of the sailing ship Windbourne as she slips from the docks of Port Damali.

Campaign Summary

This campaign takes place roughly two hundred years prior to the events of Critical Role’s own campaign 2. It begins in Wildemount, but only for a moment. The party is on their way to Tal’Dorei and that will be where the majority of this campaign takes place.

I chose the year 634 P.D. very carefully for this campaign. It gives me a lot of freedom in crafting the world and events of the campaign while simultaneously allowing me to steep the game in Exandrian lore. It is far enough back in time to avoid issues with canon events but still lets me play with some familiar NPCs. In other words, the world is still familiar to the Critters in the group, without the worry of straying into “fan-fic” territory.

Meet the Characters

In campaign 1, the players were all new to Dungeons & Dragons. Some had played before, but never more than a session or two. Rather than overwhelm them, we decided to play Lost Mine of Phandelver with pre-generated characters. We had a great time with the adventure, but the characters were not their own. For campaign 2, the training wheels came off and they had full access to all the races, classes, and backgrounds in the Player’s Handbook, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, and the Ghosts of Saltmarsh. These are the characters they came up with.

Allix Windchaser

Halfling (Stout), Barbarian, Marine

Born in Emon, Allix grew up on the water. She learned to sail shortly after she learned to walk. Her parents owned .a small boat and worked out of the Port of Emon. When they died at sea, she went to live with human friends of the family.

Growing up on the docks and with three human “brothers”, made Allix one tough halfling. She went on to sail with a number of different crews over the years and has just gotten that much tougher.

Depth of Night (Night)

Tabaxi, Rogue, Sailor

Night grew up among her tribe in the eastern Rifenmist Jungle. Like many young members of Tabaxi tribes, she decided the simple life of a nomadic fisher and hunter was not for her. She wanted to see the world and explore.

When a ship anchored off the coast and came ashore near her home, she jumped at the chance. That they were pirates mattered not at the time. It was just a way for her to get out of the jungle and see the world. 

Rowan Kazuin

Aasimar (Protector), Paladin, Acolyte

When the priests of the Changebringer found young Rowan on their doorstep on the morning of New Dawn, they took it as a sign. He was raised to become one of them, a priest at the Changebringer’s Temple in Port Damali. Rowan, however, had other ideas.

Visited in a dream, Rowan heard the call of the road. He would travel the world in Avandra’s name and help those who could not help themselves.

Tibalt

Tiefling of Fierna, Druid of the Moon, Noble

Born to a wealthy, human, family in Deastock, Tibalt was not the heir they were expecting. Largely ignored, Tibalt grew closer to the servants than to his family.

Fascinated with nature, he grew very close to the estate’s groundskeeper, a retired adventurer turned gardener. She was his mentor and taught him how to harness the power of the natural world around him. When she died, he turned into a bird and flew away.

Zaptuse “Zap” Terentius Varro

Dragonborn (Bronze), Warlock of the Fiend, Soldier

Born in Draconia, Zap was a child of wealth and power. He excelled at the Academy and joined the Knights of Draconia. He was destined for greatness.

Zap’s fall was fast and hard. Caught up in events beyond his control, he was exiled. He began plotting his revenge at once. He wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or awake when the offer of help came, but he agreed readily.

Where to from here?

As the campaign progresses, I will plan to post recaps of each session here on a regular basis. In them, I’ll talk about the story and share links to any and all resources I used during the session. Battle maps, online tools, adventures, etc.

I hope you find them entertaining and informative.