The Countess of Shadow and Blood: She is the Ancient (CoS)
Dungeons & Dragons 5e | Campaign
About the adventure
For the past fortnight or more, mist has swirled at the edges of your dreams. From the mist, you have seen a castle’s spires reach up towards the clouds. The sun is nowhere to be seen, and it feels like it hasn’t shone in many years. The sounds are always different, but they are variations on a theme: one night’s wailing woman gives way to another’s howling wolf and another’s whimpering dove. All fades away as a face overtakes your dream’s vision, the face of a beautiful woman. Her eyes, though black as coal, hold the intensity of a glowing ember. Her hair, swept away from a thin pale face, is as dark as her eyes. Her voice beckons you, summons you from the core of your body: “come to me. Come to Barovia.” Something just as deep within you wonders if you would survive what awaits you there. Curse of Strahd is one of the most famous modules in Dungeons and Dragons history, with its origins tracing back to some of the game’s earliest days. This, however, is not your forebear’s Curse of Strahd. She is the Ancient is a reimagining of the classic vampire story that revolves around one particular question: how would this story change if the central characters’ gender identities were a bit different? What works against the Count may not prevail against the Countess. I suppose there’s only one way to find out! Over the course of this campaign, you will level up by milestone from level 1 to level 10 as you uncover the pieces of the Countess’ demise. You will fight the children of the night in all of their forms, from the smallest mosquito to the largest wolf. You will reckon with madness, magic, and might both mental and muscular. You will have the opportunity to protect those who still cling to hope, and will deal with the consequences should you fail to do so. LGBTQIA+ folks and neurodivergent folks are absolutely welcome, so long as you’re over 18. If you’re ready to step into a collaborative story experience, I welcome you to my table! Femme Strahd image: credit to Yorsy Hernandez (https://yorsyh.artstation.com/)
Character creation tips: I'm open to multiclassing and feat usage, but strive for party balance, which is why I like for parties to build their characters together. Basically, when in doubt about a character building choice, run it by me so we can work it out together!
1 year on StartPlaying
31 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Teacher
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
Additional details
How to prepare
A free account on D&D Beyond (for your character sheet), a free account on Roll20, a Discord account, and a working mic (one integrated into a device is perfectly fine) are all I require. If you're not comfortable sharing your voice for whatever reason, we can absolutely work with that. I would just like to know ahead of time so that there are no surprises on my end. Before session 0, you'll need to fill out the Consent in Gaming form linked in the Discord server. That way, if you have any questions or follow-up that need to happen, that can be our first step!
What I provide
- A dedicated Discord server that will host our games - Roll20 for maps and ambience - D&D Beyond Master-tier subscription - So. Many. Character voices! - Flexibility on the rules in order to let a cool thing happen (though within reason, of course - no game-breaking plans, please!) - A tendency to weave the characters into the world we're creating together (even if it's a premade world that we're merely inhabiting).
Gameplay details
I've got a link to the fillable checklist available in a channel in the Discord, and you're free to either post it in the same channel or send it to me directly. I also have my consent checklist available for folks to see what I'm uncomfortable with in order to ensure that the whole table has a fun and safe time. I would ask that folks fill out their checklist prior to session 0, so that if there are any elements of the checklist that we want/need to go over with the group we can do so at that time. We will be taking breaks, because it's a long session time and I, for one, will need at least one bio break. If things get too intense, feel free to call for a break at any time, or let us know you're stepping away. I'll give you the highlights of what you missed, and if the break was to deal with an unknown trigger, I'll let you know when it's safe to return. We can then talk after about how we can avoid/work through the triggering element in future sessions. Stars and Wishes are a great way to focus on the important things in a campaign: how did we have fun and how can we have more fun next time? Everyone will have the opportunity to share one of each, and then the floor will be open to any "seconds," so to speak. Just remember not to yuck anyone else's yum. A situation that's a star for one person may be your wish to never see it again, but we'll keep our sharing civil. In addition to the official safety tools, I have a channel on the Discord specifically to help us remember that we're playing a game, and that's the memes and reactions channel. Any time the mood strikes, if you're reminded of a joke or have something funny/off-topic to say, you can chuck it in there so we can all share the laugh!
Content warnings
Safety tools used
• Breaks
• Debriefing
• Monte Cook RPG Consent Checklist
• Session 0
• Stars and Wishes
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
Feel free to have a character concept in mind, but I would like us to do the big character creation work together in Session 0. That way, we know how our party will harmonize and work together, if you're meeting for the first time or an established crew, etc. Also, this will give me a chance to gauge what all I need to prepare for. After all, as a wiser GM than I said recently, "a campaign pre-Legend Lore and post-Legend Lore cannot be the same campaign (Brennan Lee Mulligan, Dimension 20). If there are spells you want to take or magic items you want to bring in with your character, I just need to know so that I can adequately prepare for them! If you're familiar with Curse of Strahd already, then you'll know the basics of what you're in for. However I would encourage you not to read the adventure before this so that you have some surprises left in store. Absolutely take a look at vanRichten's Guide to Ravenloft, as character concepts from there would be *very* effective in this campaign.
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
High
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
Medium
Experience level
Intermediate
Platforms used
• Roll20
• Discord
• D&D Beyond
$10.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 11:00 PM UTC
Jun 18 / Session 30
3-4 Hour Duration
4 / 5 Seats Filled
Schedule
Requirements
Experience required: Intermediate
Age: 18+