Bedlam in the Badlands

X Add worldbuilding credits now!

Bedlam in the Badlands is Quelmar’s 6th community campaign. Based in central PA, Bedlam in the Badlands takes place in the western badlands of Pteris, beginning September 13th 2025.

About

In the year 136 PR...

Player Characters

• Player characters for Bedlam in the Badlands are made using the D&D 5th Edition (2014) ruleset and start at 3rd level with 900 XP and normal starting equipment.
• If a player whose Bedlam in the Badlands character has reached 5th/6th/7th level creates a new character, that character can start at 5th/6th/7th level.
• This campaign requires the use of the latest version of any published material. No Unearthed Arcana material is permitted due to potential balancing issues.
• Stat generation options include Standard Array; Point Buy; and roll 4d6, drop the lowest (as per PHB pg 13.) If you roll a stat below 8, that stat becomes 8.
• The world Quelmar includes unique races, some of which are playable in this campaign. See List_of_Races for links.
• All official backgrounds are permitted, but any if a PC has a background that normally provides a feat, they don't automatically get that feat.
• No child characters are permitted.

NPCs

The badlands of Pteris are home to a wide variety of individuals the players characters may encounter across their adventures, ranging from the kindest of allies to the most vile of villains.

The Story So Far

To keep apprised of the adventures the PCs have had during the campaign, follow the above link.

Player Session Recaps

Players can write out their own record of each adventure at the above page.

Player Resources

See the above page to answer any question you might have regarding the campaign and to find any relevant google forms.

House Rules

• Moving in any direction including diagonally costs 5 feet of movement.
• Taking a critical hit while making death saving throws causes 1 automatic failure, not the standard 2.
• Mundane ammunition is not tracked, nor are spell components without a listed cost. Carrying Capacity restrictions are not strictly followed, but players will be asked to keep their inventories realistic.
• An inspiration point can be used to force a hostile creature to reroll an attack, saving throw, or ability check.
• Creatures of medium size or smaller do not provide half-cover against ranged attacks by default, although the standard rule for cover may be applied on a case-by-case basis.
• The Flanking variant rule is in play, allowing creatures to gain advantage if they attack an enemy from two opposing sides.
• Casting a spell as a bonus action does not impose the standard restriction that any other spell cast that turn must be a cantrip.
• Any character can use a spell scroll, but casting any spell this way that the character does not normally have access to (such as from a class spell list) requires an Arcana check with a DC equal to 10 plus the spell level of the spell. A failure uses the character's action or bonus action as appropriate but does not consume the scroll.

Code of Conduct

All participants (players, DMs, and organizers) are automatically expected to adhere to the following Code of Conduct, and consent to the use of the X-Card, when playing a Bedlam in the Badlands community table.

1. All community campaign participants are here to have fun and should feel safe and included at all times. Fun at others’ expense is no fun at all.  
2. Participants must conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to the enjoyment and safety of others at the event. Bedlam in the Badlands is a public, community campaign open to all Pennsylvania players ages 18 and up. Please avoid excessively vulgar, sexual, or overly mature themes when requested.
3. Follow the DM’s lead, try to avoid extended arguments with the DM or other players over rules, as time is limited at these events. The Dungeon Master has the right to remove a disruptive player from the table. Disruptive behavior includes (but is not limited to):
   • Speaking over other players
   • Excessive cross-talk that is not relevant to the adventure being played
   • Not sharing the spotlight with other players
4. No tolerance is given for aggressive behavior, and are grounds for immediate removal from the game.
   • Aggressive behavior includes threats of or actual physical aggression against another player, disrespecting pronouns, using slurs, and otherwise harassing participants.
5. Any player who oversteps a boundary, whether explicitly set or not, should be held accountable with the use of the X-Card. X-Carded behaviors will immediately be halted and discontinued at the present table.
6. If a participant feels uncomfortable bringing an issue to the attention of the table via X-Card, the participant should notify a Dungeon Master or Quelmar representative as soon as comfortably possible.

Location	Campaigns
MD	Ciphers and Stamps, Pirates of Quelmar, Uncharted, OathWielders, Chronepsis Campaign, Atla Campaign, Untitled Podcast Campaign, SotS Inc, The Underdungeon, Towson Tabletop, Sick of this Shit
Online	Sonrise, The Paragon Protocol, The Court of Bloom and Blade, Troubles in Alanya, Knowledge, Lost and Found, Aw Heckna!, Qandela Obscura, Infernal Invasion, Painted Sands of Pteris, Assassins of Q-Synara, Within the Wicked Wilds, Quelmarch, Trial of Dreams, Deadly Diaspora, Cirque de la Fey, Reckondary Characters, Icewind Dale, Queljammer, Sparrow's Point, The Beggar's Bodega, Quelmar Goes to Space, Secondary Characters, Realmtrotter's Guide to Zobeck, The Neighbours, For the Love of Gold
PA	Bedlam in the Badlands, The Court of Bloom and Blade, The Backhalls 2, Within the Wicked Wilds, Alien Colonial Marines, The Iron Sea, Teatime Adventures, Into the Greedy Green, The Backhalls, The Beggar's Bodega, Brightwater Campaign, Realmtrotter's Guide to Zobeck, Ancients Alive
International	The Cola Bears Saving the World, Queljammer
Twitch	Blood Wood, Depths of the Druma, Just the Q of Us, CyberpunQ, Untitled Mafia Project, System Agnostic, First Class, Once Upon a Town, The Rocklin Clinic Job, Not Strahd, Another One Bites the Dice, Rule Benders, Metagame, King for a Day, Operation Verdant Pyramid, Playtest Tuesday, ⮞Get Submodule, Tails of Quelmar, It Came From Kiston