So I've been doing some planning for a 5e Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It occurred to me I should get an idea of what my players would like to see in game before we get started so it is a fun adventure for all. If you're interested in playing the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons whether you're new or a seasoned player please fill out the information below. I plan to have the game start by the weekend.

Please break down into % points how much time you want to spend:
a) Fighting monsters
b) Exploring new places
c) Solving complex riddles

Are there specific elements or ideas your character would like to see a lot of? Examples: undead, thieves’ guilds, sailing the seas, a power struggle between church and state, and “zero to hero.”

What is the pantheon of Gods? Would you prefer an original pantheon or a pantheon determined by the GM?

How do our players know each other? Have they had adventures together in the past, and are they working toward a common cause?

Are you excited about playing a certain type of character? For example: Do you want to use unearthed arcana and play as an elf who is more accustomed to cold mountain climates than their traditional counterparts?

A)35%
B)35%
C)30%
I already have a character concept in mind. A halfling celestial warlock( from Xanathar's) who has made a pact with some kind of celestial who has a nature akin to God in the old testament of the bible. Before he made this pact he used to be a thief so I would interested in there being content devoted to him hunting down the rascals who betrayed him in the first place.

A)45%
B)50%
C)5%

As you can probably tell, I'm not that big on puzzles, mostly because it takes me too long before I figure out the response, but if there will be some, then I won't mind them that much. As for examples of what we would want, well, I'm not sure myself what I want to see as of yet, though the power struggle between church and state would work a bit since one of the characters I have in mind is a monk.

As for a pantheon, I don't mind a GM made pantheon, though I will have a request regarding the gods as my character will be the monk of a more warlike god, not brutal or evil, just warlike. It shall be explained more in detail...

Well, for this one, I'm not sure on how it will work, mostly because of my character is basically the monk of a god the represents war and all it's sides, the good, the bad and the ugly, so I'm not sure who exactly will trust someone like him.

Well, my character is most likely going to be a red dragonborn monk, who as I've already said, is the monk of a deity that represents war itself, all of it's sides, so while there can be good followers of this god, most of them are evil, or simply warmongering fools. My character is someone who thinks that war(and fighting in general) is something that is natural to all living beings, no matter what they might reason it as and while he will not go out of his way to start a fight, he will rarely try to solve a imminent fight with diplomacy.

If this one doesn't work, I think I might have another character in mind.

1. 33%
2. 34%
3. 33%

If everyone's fine with it, seeing our characters follow a certain theme would be interesting, as far as backgrounds go. I would like to see an original pantheon in place, as I've always been interested in learning more about the lore of each deity. And as far as Unearthed Arcana is certain, I'd be open to utilizing them. In fact, I actually have a few D&D Beyond exclusive UA created by the game devs, if you would like to utilize them.

As far as my character goes, I'm thinking of making a Wizard of sorts. Perhaps an Alchemist Transmuter.

A)40%
B)20%
C)40%

I don't hate it, but I'm not too fussed about going from place to place. I'm more than happy to explore dungeons and whatnot, though travelling to different lands isn't something I tend to do unless it's fleshed out. It can be rough creating so much detail for areas, but if you feel confident in your own abilities then I have no quarrels ^-^

Church and state and zero-to-hero both sound interesting. I've also been interested in civil war and/or revolution, if you're looking for suggestions :3 I'm not all about large-scale conflict though. Usually I like things on a personal level, so whatever we go with I believe it would be nice to keep our group connected where possible. Depending on the character I go with I could say different things about what might be good for them though, so it might be best to establish the setting first.

I like the idea of an original pantheon, though I couldn't give any for the life of me. And having our characters connected in some way sounds interesting, though that would require some discussion on backgrounds between us all.

@Delta44@Cu Chulainn@Claw2k11@CaptainCorwin

I will post the lore as I've got it polished up. As for tonight I'm hoping to get part of the world map up. It's only a partial view of the continent we will be starting on. I'll try to get the pantheon tonight even if it's just bare bones. I am going to request players choose to have hailed from a country that is only currently on the map unless a strong argument can be persuaded otherwise. I want to provide in depth background in the beginning for as few countries as possible but if there is a specific plot you have in mind for your character I am usually happy to oblige.

I know this is tagged as small group, but I don't suppose I could talk you into taking 1 more player?

Greetings @Caitimus,

I am certainly interested in your proposal and to answer your questions in order as so requested, I would prefer, in a game, to spend roughly the following amount of time as so:

a) 50% Combat and Conflict
b) 45% Adventuring or Exploration
c) 5% Riddle Solving

As you can tell, I am not so partial to riddles and puzzles, the vast majority of them I have encountered I admit left nothing but a sour taste in my mouth. If you do intend on including them frequently, all I ask is that they do not require something extremely obscure, let alone metagame knowledge. I much prefer the puzzles where one needs find a pattern or equate a philosophical statement with its meaning or purpose.

With regard to specific elements and how they so go? I am very fond of the themes of fighting the undead, a power struggle of church and state, and of course the "zero to hero" as you so put it. The former because it allows use to fight hordes of enemies who are, by and large, unambiguously evil and makes interacting with other characters another flavor; an undead plague is always a great theme to crusade against. A battle of church and state, if done well, can provide a fair amount of decision points for characters and who they really wish to, if at all, ally with and ultimately help legitimize. Rising from the bottom to the pinnacle is a sort of fantasy fulfillment, especially if the characters all share some relation, even if tangential at best.

I tend not to play characters who have any allegiances to deities, but I would be much more curious to see an original pantheon than the default ones crafted by the Dungeon Master. It at least would be new, refreshed content. Granted I haven't seen many stereotypical "Clerics of Pelor" or "Druids of Obad-Hai", but it is sort of a superior experience, I think, to have something different than what is known there, even if I myself decline to use it; I like having the option and not just for me, but for the party.

As far as characters knowing one another goes, I would rather one of two routes; either the party all knows one another from the same region, having at least heard of their names or at minimum seen their face, or even lived in the same town or thorp. While this will not always work out for them all, someone can at least say, "I've seen him before! He cast a few drunken ruffians out of the tavern. He's probably an okay fellow - haven't heard bad about him and he can fight, too." The second option is, is that they were all called together, or worked together, in a previous and far more minor adventure and are now allies.

Of all the classes and races I am considering, I am probably looking to play, at this moment an older human, half-elf, or half-orc paladin who is a noble. Someone sort of declining in their years and has decided they spent too much time aside and far from being involved in their own homeland; a name people might be sort of familiar with, but sort of surprised to hear and see in the flesh, let alone gallivanting across the realm. If we are starting at a lower level, as in 1st, I will probably play the same race and class, but a novice paladin who's on their quest to adhere to their title and status, to make a name for themselves and a cause.

I am entirely fine with all books and supplements, to include Unearthed Arcana, but my recommendation is, whatever the newest version of something is, that is used.

@rush99999It's tagged as small or large group...or should have been....

Well in that case.

A) 60%
B) 40%
C) 0%

Dwarves.

I don't mind either way.

Same as above.

I have a dwarven fighter in my collection that would like to see some action.

I'm going to post the map in a few minutes but I'm going to hide it. I recommend not opening on a mobile device as to make it legible it was sized 18x24. The map when zoomed in reveals cities and points of interest but not all. Below you will find a short description of all the nations on the continent the game will be starting on.

Shuklub Uhumudum
Culture: Gnomes
Population: 838,544

Shuklub Uhumudum is a technological marvel, advancement of the sciences is exalted above all else – at least by those in power if not by the common man. Shuklub Uhumudum is welcoming to all travelers, especially if they seek to share their knowledge. They are a wealthy nation thanks to their pursuit of the sciences.

Bassia
Culture: Halflings
Population: 173,266

Bassia is a heavily forested nation. The country is sparsely populated and most cities despite being on a map are difficult to find as they are built into the forest better than even some of the elven cities. Secretive by nature Bassians make up a great deal of the population of minstrels and spies.

Combedean
Culture: Humans
Population: 773,523
Combedean is neither rich nor poor, and while a human nation it is a melting pot of many races and cultures. There is civil unrest as many feel the decline in the Monarchy’s ability to aptly guide the nation. Rumors abound of civil war brewing, but the church tries hard to squelch these rumors, even by force some say.

Mawtry
Culture: Humans
Population: 38,875

Mawtry broke away from Combedean twenty-five years ago, they still harbor resentment towards their parent nation but are not strong enough to do anything about it – especially since Comebedean makes it difficult for the small, young country to trade with anyone.

Eireamhonii
Culture: Elves
Population: 142,247

Not much is known about the Eireamhonii, they are wary of strangers and prefer to stay secluded in their frozen forests unlike their warmer cousins.

Scadanlia
Culture: Humans
Population: 3,505,345

Scadanlia is one of the richest nations in the world thanks in no small part to its massive military and high taxes. Scandanlians serve a minimum of five years serving in the military (with the occasional deserter trying to skate by). The crime rate is considerably low for a nation so densely populated – no one wants to rob people who are almost certainly seasoned warriors. Scadanlia is a very aggressive nation and has conquered a few nations in its time – its bloody history gives other nations healthy pause when thinking on how best to deal with Scadanlia.

Flugasil
Culture: Dwarves
Population: 263,958

Many people go their whole lives without ever seeing a dwarf. They tend to stay in the mountains, mining the gem and ore filled caverns of their homeland – making them the richest nation on the planet. When dwarves do travel it’s usually from wanderlust or because they’ve been exiled for some crime or another.

Haya
Culture: Halflings
Population: 2,096,854

Haya while a large nation does not have the same penchant for war and conquest as Combedean. They are heavily mired in international politics and trade. They have a complicated nobility, there are over 700 noble houses, all vying for power.

Gilchristi
Culture: Elves
Population: 5,106,277

Gilchristi is the largest elven nation, renown for the beauty of its cities and its peoples. The elves rule by a council, two councilors represent each city in the nation. Unfortunately, this has recently caused a lot of strife as there are too many opinions on the floor.

Sceirby
Culture: Elves
Population: 254,991
The elves here are regarded as strange by the rest of the world, though beautiful like their counterparts they have adapted their society to the desert landscape they call home.

@rush99999@The Harbinger of Ferocity@Delta44@Cu Chulainn@Claw2k11@CaptainCorwin

It seems we have a group that does not care for puzzles, which I'm fine with as they're a pain in the butt to write. How do you guys feel about starting at level 3?

I would have no issue with starting at 3rd level, characters have quite a few more powers and abilities then and are better defined, a bit more heroic as well. My vote is all for starting there if possible, @Caitimus.

I wonder if anyone lives on that spider's back.

I wonder if anyone lives on that spider's back.

Only one way to find out.

I'm thinking it will be easier to use dice cloud for keeping the character sheets updated.

I got no problem at starting on 3rd level :3 Mawtry I think interests me the most. I like the idea of having a character that hates a specific group of people.

Level 3 sounds gud. rip puzzles, I always had fun with those, but I see why others wouldn’t. Might do either a Wizard or a Rogue after having more time to contemplate. Either way, I may make my character a Tiefling, for fun and profit.

No problem with starting in level three, as for a starting place, again we should all start in the same nation, either Combedean or Mawtry.