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Curses and Kindnesses | The Curse of Strahd
Countess Strahd has ruled Barovia for centuries. Barovia’s fate may rest in the faint flicker of hope you still dare to carry.
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Saturday - 7:00 PM UTC
Dec 20 / Session 49
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 45–55 Sessions
5 / 5 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
5/5
About the adventure
You’re newly arrived adventurers in a land that does not want you, where hope has long since withered beneath the seductive, terrifying gaze of Countess Strahd von Zarovich. A vampiric femme fatale whose beauty is only matched by her cruelty, Strahd has ruled Barovia for centuries, and she will do whatever it takes to snuff out the flicker of hope you carry. A hope the people here have long since lost. You’ll navigate twisted forests, explore haunted villages, and face the horrors that lurk within the crumbling walls of Castle Ravenloft. The land itself seems to conspire against you. Every shadow, every whisper, every broken road pulls you deeper into Barovia’s despair, and deeper into Strahd’s grasp. But this isn’t a world that punishes creativity. It thrives on it. Your boldest ideas and most unexpected solutions won’t just be allowed, they’ll be the heart of the adventure! Want to rally the werewolf packs for a moonlit rebellion? Infiltrate Ravenloft as traveling merchants delivering pizza? Want to twist the tale in ways even Strahd didn’t see coming? As your GM, I’ll build the world around your choices, ensuring that the story’s most unforgettable moments belong to you. Strahd may rule with beauty, charm, and terrifying power, but you hold something she can’t control: choice. Together, you’ll decide whether Barovia’s curse is one that can finally be broken. Will you overcome the darkness that seeks to consume you? Will you strike at the heart of this stunning yet cruel tyrant, or will the curse of the land claim you first?
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
4.9
(65)
2 years on StartPlaying
395 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Teacher, Inclusive
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hi there! I'm Joe aka Phoenix! I'm a seasoned GM with many years of experience running all kinds of different TTRPGs! I'm very supportive of my fellow LGBTQ+ community. I enjoy crafting unique character driven stories where your silly ideas shape the world around you.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will be using 2024 rules and your characters will start at level 1, you can make a character before Session 0 if you like but character creation will be handled in session 0.That way I am there if you need help. I will also help tailor your character to the campaign and setting.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players should have the following: - access to a webcam/mic - a dndbyond account (for building characters and accessing the campaign and map/VTT) - a discord account (for playing the game)
What Joe (Phoenix) brings to the table
I will provide the dndbeyond campaign which has content sharing available so anything I own you can have access to as well, a discord server where we will play the game. I have a music bot in the server that will provide some nice background music and the occasional sound effect. I also have the Curse of Strahd adventure module, She is the Ancient, and the Wedding of Ravenloft supplements. She is the Ancient is a Curse of Strahd supplement that makes a few changes to encounters, characters, their motivations, and the base story notably genderbending Strahd and other NPCs. I am a big believer and practitioner of the Rule of Cool and the "yes and" philosophy. Players can expect a rules light, roleplay heavy experience that focus on telling a good story.
Homebrew rules
- Drinking a potion can be either a bonus action or a full action. - On a critical hit in combat (Nat 20) you double the damage dice. One die is automatically the highest number on the die. Reroll 1's on the damage die - A Natural 20 on initiative gives you advantage on your first hit. A Natural 1 on initiative gives you disadvantage on your first hit. - When a dying character fails their third death saving throw, they can immediately take any single action Those are the Big Ones. A list of all these house rules and more that I use are listed in my discord server
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Joe (Phoenix) creates a safe table
Session Zero will go over personal rules, guidelines, safety tools and where to find and access them in the discord.
Content warnings
Safety tools used