Dungeons & Dragons 5e | She is the Ancient | A Gothic Horror Curse of Strahd Campaign (Free Session 0, LGBTQIA+ Friendly)

About the adventure

Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Countess Strahdanya von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Far below, a party of adventurers has just entered her domain. She knew they were coming, and she knows why they came. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited. Curse of Strahd is D&D 5e's premiere gothic horror campaign, and arguably the best official module in the system. Improved with community content like Beth the Bard's "She is the Ancient" and DragnaCarta's "Curse of Strahd: Reloaded", this campaign will see players from level 3 to level 11 as they navigate the valley of Barovia, contend with its beasts both monstrous and human, and save the land from the vampire lord that holds it in her iron fist. Hello! My name is Dakota, and I would love to have the pleasure of being your GM. I've run this module (in different iterations) three times over the course of my GMing career and every time, I've fallen in love again with the land of Barovia and the incredible players that have made every game a blast for the entire table. I hope to give you all a memorable experience, whether you're familiar with the Countess and her valley or if it is your very first time delving into the mists. Can't wait to play with you! This game will take place on a weekly basis on Thursdays at 7pm EST. I would encourage you to check out this player primer that informs you of how I operate as a GM, the themes of the campaign, expectations, and other important information. If you vibe with what you find in the primer, then this campaign will more than likely be a great fit for you! (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/y19sZmDcDNjh)

Additional Details

How to prepare

Sessions will be held over Discord, with FoundryVTT as the tabletop, both free. Players will need a mic, but webcams are not required (unless you'd like to!). A good computer and internet set-up will be necessary to support Foundry, but everything else will be provided through Foundry. We will be using the Forge's hosting service for the game. The only thing players need to bring to session 0 is a free login to https://forge-vtt.com/. Character creation will happen during session 0, as will a walkthrough of Foundry and Discord.

What I provide

I will bring: - A welcoming and inclusive tabletop environment and campaign Discord server - An engaging, complex storyline driven by player choice and action, cast in the light of the gothic horror genre - Tense roleplay situations with political intrigue and memorable NPCs - Tactical combat with automated attacks & spells - An interactive Foundry virtual tabletop including dynamic lighting, automatic levels, ambience & music, sound effects, and handouts - A full compendium of 5e source material integrated and automated in Foundry - Integrated safety tools for a horror experience that is scary, but most importantly safe for players

Gameplay details

As soon as you're accepted, you'll receive a copy of Monte Cook Game's RPG Consent Checklist, and contacted about Discord. On Discord, a private conversation about Lines & Veils, as well as any other concerns, will be had. There will be additional safety tools including X, N, and O cards, used in FoundryVTT (per the Safety Tools module by Max Cerrina and Daniel Solano Gomez). A free Session 0 will be held before the campaign including all players that will cover the Safety Tools, themes and content warnings of the campaign, character creation, and Foundry integration.

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

Breaks
Debriefing
Lines and Veils
Luxton Technique
Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist
Session 0
X, N, and O Cards

How will character creation work

All the details of character creation, both mechanical and narrative, will be covered in-depth during Session 0, and the process of mechanical creation will begin then on FoundryVTT. Characters will begin at level 3 using Point Buy or the Standard Array, with either their starting equipment or starting gold. They will also begin with a free feat. All published material is allowed.

Players can expect

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