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Blood Empire of Strahd Play by Post
In a Victorian London in which magic and the creatures of Pathfinder are part of daily life, private investigators search for a missing woman.
Free
Details
Bi-weekly / Thursday - 11:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 1–2 hours
4 / 4 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
4/4
About the adventure
Welcome to Victorian Europe - but not as history remembers it. Here, elven nobles host elaborate balls in their ancestral manors, dwarven engineers push the boundaries of the Industrial Revolution, and in the shadows of gaslit streets, monsters prowl among mortals. But something far more sinister lurks behind the facade of civilization. You are those rare souls who dare to peek behind society's curtain - perhaps a halfling street detective with a knack for the supernatural, a human monster hunter carrying ancient weapons, or an elven scholar expelled from your noble house for asking too many dangerous questions. Together, you form an unlikely band of investigators drawn into a web of horror that spans the continent. This reimagining of the classic Curse of Strahd weaves together: * Victorian-era political intrigue and social manipulation * Gothic horror and supernatural investigation * A vast conspiracy that threatens to engulf all of Europe * Ancient secrets hidden within noble bloodlines * The looming shadow of a coming war that could tear the world apart Your adventures will take you: * Through fog-shrouded streets of great European capitals * Into decadent balls where nobles dance while plotting humanity's doom. * Across haunted countrysides where ancient evils stir * Through crumbling castles hiding centuries of dark secrets Into the heart of a vampire lord's domain This campaign offers: * A unique blend of historical and fantasy elements * Complex social interaction and investigation * Horror that ranges from subtle psychological tension to outright supernatural terror * Political intrigue spanning multiple nations * Character-driven storytelling where your choices shape the fate of Europe * Deep exploration of vampire society and politics Perfect for players who enjoy: * Gothic horror and supernatural mystery * Social intrigue and political maneuvering * Investigation and detective work * Character-focused storytelling * Historical fantasy settings * Uncovering vast conspiracies Will you expose the darkness at the heart of Europe's elite, or will you become another shadow in the vampires' grand game of power? Note: This campaign uses modified Pathfinder 1e rules to accommodate its unique setting and themes, drawing inspiration from Curse of Strahd, Carrion Crown, and Masque of the Red Death. Players should be prepared for both social intrigue and supernatural horror, where combat is often the least of their concerns.
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(18)
4 years on StartPlaying
121 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Teacher
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
G'day! My name is Chris and I have been DMing games of Dungeons & Dragons for 26 years. I am a professional GameMaster running 40+ hours of PF1e and PF2e every week, with more than 50 paying customers spread across ten weekly campaigns. Not only do I have a pro subscription on Roll20, but I also own every available Roll20 resource for D&D 5e. I also own five Foundry VTT licenses with Forge hosting. Additionally, I have an extensive collection of tokens, a massive collection of high-quality battle maps, custom status tokens, a Syrinscape subscription, a private Discord server with a thriving community of more than 70 players, and a truly colossal collection of third-party reference materials (over 1,000 titles).
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
A full character creation guide will be made available closer to the campaign's start. As this is a gothic horror themed setting in a more advanced world, we will be using more accessible firearms, elements of Ultimate Horror, Ultimate Intrigue, and Ultimate Campaign, and some homebrew rules to bring the Pathfinder 1e ruleset up to a Victorian steampunk level of power. We will also be making use of a popular homebrew talents system for a greater degree of character customisation.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
In addition to access to Discurd, you will need to submit a character brief using the below template. Character Name: Race: Class & Archetype (if any): Traits: Nationality: Reason for Being in London: Character Concept: (2-3 sentences about your character's core concept) Views on the Elvish Nobility: Religious/Philosophical Views: (if any) Motivations: (What drives them to adventure?) Personal Demons: (Internal struggles or past burdens) Relationships: (Important connections to people, places, or organizations) Unique Quirk: (Something memorable about their personality or behaviour)
What Chris brings to the table
As this is a play-by-post game, there will be minimal bells and whistles beyond art and visual representations of scenes and handouts. We will not be using a VTT or voice chat. I am a story-first kind of DM, and while I do like to challenge my players and death is a very real risk, I do not go out of my way to compete with players or kill them. We are telling a collaborative story, and you are its main characters. I will never kill a character out of hand, but I do not reward recklessness or stupidity with narrative-breaking leniency, either.
Homebrew rules
We are using the Unchained Action Economy and Wound Threshold rules, as well as an in-house Talent system inspired by DDO's Enhancements system. Full details available upon joining.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Internet
Platforms used
Safety
How Chris creates a safe table
A full discussion of lines and veils, content warnings, and safety tools will be had ahead of the campaign's beginning.
Content warnings
Safety tools used