Curse of Strahd | Gothic Horror Storytelling | Learn to Play D&D
Dungeons & Dragons 5e | Campaign
About the adventure
Step into the mists. Barovia’s waiting—cold, cursed, & very much aware that you’ve arrived. This is gothic horror. The kind where love rots, hope flickers, & every choice pulls you deeper into the dark. 🌑 Explore a land that never forgets – Haunted forests. Crumbling villages. Forgotten ruins with eyes. 🖤 Face what follows you – Old wounds. Unspoken regrets. Shadows that know your name. ⚔️ Fight the nightmare – Beasts, ghosts, cursed things… & Strahd, who always seems one step ahead. 👑 Change the ending – Will you break the cycle? Or become part of the curse? Barovia doesn’t want heroes. It wants you. So—how’s your story going to end? [[Beginner & LGBTQIA2S+ Friendly]] ------------------------------------------- 📣See what Chaz has to say about my GM'ing: "So nice I signed up twice! Leland is so great I had not played 5e before and he was so helpful and friendly answering any questions I had before our campaign. Best new player GM I’ve seen, and he provides so many DnD resources it makes your possibilities seem endless! Great voice actor too! I am always looking forward to my campaign day to come around so much that I had to sign up for a second one."
5.0
(110)
2 years on StartPlaying
642 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Teacher
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 80%
Game Master Reviews (110)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Creativity
Inclusive
Teacher
Melpsy
New review
Played 7 sessions
Leland is the best GM I've had in my few years of playing ttrpgs! The games are always fun and inclusive. He's incredibly kind and fantastic at making sure that each and every player in his group gets their time to shine, which is something rare to come across. I couldn't recommend signing up for his games more.
Jacob
Played 11 sessions
Leland is incredibly kindg, beginner friendly, and engaging!
Ethan Huffman
I had tons of fun in the one-shot I played with Leland! It was really enjoyable and just the perfect amount chaotic. I would definitely recommend Leland to new and veteran players alike.
Katie
Played 10 sessions
I haven’t played TTRPGs in years and was nervous to step back into it but Leland made me feel so welcome and really knows how to help relax new players into the game. They take the time to explain where everything is and how the game mechanics work, even when I was struggling with figuring out what buttons to press they were happy to talk me through it and just overall gave a really welcoming and fun environment. The immersive quality to their games is so fun! With different backgrounds and music as well as each character having such a unique personality and even voice to go along with them, it really brings the story to life and makes it feel like so much more! I cannot recommend these games enough and can’t wait for the next session!
Tavis
Played 14 sessions
Leland is an incredible Game Master who creates a fun environment in his sessions and with his campaigns. There's a lot to experience and its all great. He is willing and able to help players create characters, as well as play those characters to their fullest.
Lilem
Played 19 sessions
Leland is a great DM, very accomodating and open to player ideas. He's perfectly comfortable in both running things by the book and coming with stuff up on the spot. I was immediately blown away by the visual and audio aids he produced for the game we started playing: custom tokens for every player character, a "map" establishing character connections, a full playlist of music to set the scenes, a portrait for each and every NPC players might encounter. He's also great at doing voices: every character we encountered had a distinct voice and manner of speaking. All this really helps immerse yourself into the game. I'd also like to add that Leland knows the rules very well, but also follows the rule of cool. At Leland's table, everyone gets their time to shine. He's friendly, patient and very welcoming — great for both experienced players and beginners alike. Several players in my current group are fairly new to D&D and I can see that Leland is excited to get them acquainted with D&D and help them flesh out their character. If I could select more than 3 tags to describe Leland as a DM, I'd happily do so. If you're looking to join a fun game with a great DM, look no further!
Additional details
How to prepare
🎲 Download the zoom desktop client here: https://us05web.zoom.us/download#client_4meeting (This is where we will host our games during live play. Video is completely optional.) 🎲 Join the Discord community and connect with fellow adventurers. 🎲 I will also provide a Roll20 link for the campaign. Sign up or log in to Roll20 and join the campaign using the provided link. 🎲 If you have any questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to reach out to Leopold or fellow players in the Discord community. ----------------- New to StartPlaying? You can also get $10 off your first session by signing up for your account using this link! https://startplaying.games/referral/cl4q1psp46euhbopk07tp42dx
What I provide
🎲 Access to a Discord community where you can connect with other players and engage in discussions. 🎲 Roll20 link for the campaign, allowing you to join the virtual tabletop and participate in immersive gameplay. 🎲 Optional: Custom pixel art of your characters from the Reroll app, or custom machine generated images of your character prompted by me. 🎲 Beautiful maps to aid in strategizing and visualizing your character's surroundings. 🎲 Guidance and assistance in creating your character, ensuring a seamless integration into the campaign. 🎲 An engaging and immersive storytelling that brings the world and its characters to life. 🎲 Voice acting and roleplaying to enhance the atmosphere and make the story come alive. 🎲 Expertly crafted encounters and challenges that will test your strategic thinking and decision-making. 🎲 An inclusive and welcoming environment, ensuring that everyone feels safe, seen, and comfortable throughout the campaign. 🎲 Flexibility and adaptability to cater to both beginner and experienced players, providing guidance and support as needed. 🎲 Music, sound effects, and visuals to further enhance immersion. 🎲 Collaboration and a focus on allowing every player to shine, ensuring that everyone has fun and feels involved. 🎲 A commitment to providing a memorable and enjoyable campaign that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next session.
Gameplay details
I'll have everyone submit lines/veils/interests via DMs, then I will distribute a pdf document for the other players to have on hand or have it as a handout in the VTT of choice. Then we'll go over them during session 0, along with making characters and doing some collaborative storytelling to establish relationships between said characters. I typically post a custom agenda the day before session 0 begins.
Content warnings
• Child Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Murder
• Child Death
• Character Death
• Child Abandonment
• Racism
• Mutilation
• Mind Control
• Mutilation of Corpses
• Cannibalism
• Sexual Assault
• Sexual Content
• Miscarriages/Abortion
• Mind alteration
• Mental Illness
• Ableism
• Abuse
• Suicide Ideation
• Suicide
• Animal Cruelty
• Animal Death
• Body Horror
• Insects
• Alcohol Use
• Alcoholism
• Animal abuse
• Blood
• Language/Cursing
• Death
• Drugs (addiction, use, withdrawal)
• Extreme Violence
• Violence
• Self-Harm
• Sexism
• Torture
• Kidnapping
• Devils / Demons / Fiends
• Execution
• Fire
• Forced Blood Draining
• Hangings
• Real World Religion
• Snakes
• Spiders
• Slavery
Safety tools used
• Breaks
• Lines and Veils
• Open Door
• Session 0
• Stars and Wishes
• X, N, and O Cards
How will character creation work
If you'd like to make a character in advance, the parameters are as follows. It must be made on Roll20 OR on DndBeyond + the Beyond20 extension if you're wanting to use the 2024 material exclusively, which is allowed, just not suggested: -Lvl (current campaign level, please ask) -Standard array ability scores -Starting equipment -Max HP at 1st level, average after that (fixed) -a bonus feat based on your background, using this guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ofgtj4c46M7hBe2eAViKh3ssXaXfhMdzZRgEe46Qolc/edit?usp=sharing -All WOTC content available in my roll20 library is available to make a character with, including 3rd party classes, subclasses, races, & spells from: Midgard Worldbook, Rise of the Drow, Chains of Asmodeus, Sebastian Crowe's guide to Drakkenheim, Dungeons of Drakkenheim, Southlands Player's Guide & Worldbook, Creature Codex, Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, Deep Magic Vol. 1 & 2, The Beastheart & Monstrous Companions, The Illrigger, Empire of the Ghouls, Tome of Beasts 1, 2, & 3, Tome of Heroes, Flee Mortals, Underworld Player's Guide, Valda's Spire of Secrets, Vault of Magic, Wanderer's Guide to Enchanted Emporiums, Wanderer's Guide to Merchants and Magic, Wastes of Chaos, Where Evil Lives, Book of Ebon Tides, & Xanathar's Lost Notes to Everything Else. 127+ races. 41+ classes. Otherwise, I can personally get with anyone and help them in advance. I'd like to use session 0 to discuss safety, do some collaborative storytelling to establish relationships between PC's, and maybe even get intros to said characters. However, we will make it work!
Players can expect
Combat / Tactics
Medium
Roleplay
High
Puzzles
Low
Experience level
Open to all
Platforms used
• Roll20
• Discord
• Zoom
• D&D Beyond
$35.00
/ Session
Each player will be charged when a session starts.
Details
Weekly / Tuesday - 10:00 PM UTC
3 Hour Duration
0 / 7 Seats Filled
Requirements
Experience required: Open to all
Age: 18+