Image by Cool Boy Shane
(Thu, 8pm EST) Cool5e๐ Curse of Strahd: The Complete Adventure
Lost in strange mists, you emerge into a gloomy land. Joined by others, you search for answers, power, or an escape from the dark lord of Barovia.
About the adventure
"Mists have mysteriously appeared... and a small number of adventurers have each become lost within them. They emerge to find themselves trapped together in the dreary, gray mountain valley of Barovia... with no clear way back home. Worst of all, something about Barovia feels... wrong. The mostly human populace appear listless and crestfallen, or worse - unhinged and violent; darkness blankets every corner of the valley, its deep shadows hiding evils long forgotten; nightmares plague those that hope for restful slumber; and overlooking this awful land is a dark, imposing castle said to be home to "the devil". Can these adventurers brave the terrors of this hostile domain and find some means of escape? Or will they succumb to the many horrors that exist within?" Hello, friends! My name is Cool Boy Shane! โ๐ I'm an artist, music producer, long-time nerd, and I specialize in running ๐ฆCurse of Strahd๐งโโ๏ธ! Curse of Strahd is the beloved retelling of "Ravenloft", the classic gothic-horror adventure module from AD&D, adapted for 5th edition and expanded into a full campaign! I've played and DMed it numerous times, and I've loved it every time. This adventure inspired me to get into animation and music, and to tell the story of my first time playing it on Youtube. Since then, I've dived headlong into the setting of Ravenloft, reading and studying the original material from older editions for personal enjoyment. After much trial and error, I've ironed out many of the mechanical and story wrinkles from the original book. I've also incorporated more material that helps enrich the world of Barovia for players, both from the older books and from the experiences of myself and other DMs. To clarify - this adventure is what's in the 5e book AND MORE! The complete experience! It's only missing one thing... a motley crew of one-of-a-kind protagonists to star in this story! What to Expect: ใฐ ๐ฅ 4 - 6 players ใฐ ๐ช Level 2 to 10 ใฐ โฑ 3 hour sessions ใฐ ๐ Session 0 is only $10 ใฐ ๐ฒ Roll20 and ๐ฎ Discord (microphone required, camera optional) ใฐ ๐จโ๐จ I will HAND-DRAW your character tokens! ใฐ ๐จ High quality custom art assets! ใฐ ๐ถ MUSIC sets the mood during game! ใฐ ๐ฃ Story/Roleplay Focused ใฐ โ Lethal Encounters ใฐ ๐ Mature Themes (CW: consent, abuse, violence towards minors and animals, unfair treatment of minorities)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
About me
Hello fellow nerds!!! I'm Cool Boy Shane! โ๐ I'm an artist, animator, and music producer with a decade of experience playing and DMing 5e D&D! I specialize in running a particular adventure: ๐งโโ๏ธCURSE OF STRAHD!๐ฆ My primary goal for any game I run is to give my players a one-of-kind experience that's immersive, fair, and fun! I put a *ton* of effort into the polish of my games to help make them even more immersive. Aside from doing my best acting to make NPCs feel real and alive, I also make comprehensive music playlists that play during our sessions, create customized art for the tokens, and use high-quality battle maps! Most importantly though, I work WITH my players, not against them. I want us all to tell a story that's engaging and fulfilling for everyone at the table. If you place your trust in me, I will give it my all to give you the best experience I can!
View Profile โReviews (9)
Proficiencies
Players say this GM is great at:
Sets the Mood
Visual Aid
Voices
Shane is a great DM. He is able to suck you into a story/charector. With great art, npc theme music, and a filled out charector creation full of alternative hombrew options. He also has a willingness to work with you if you need help or have an idea you always wanted to implement. All around great DM๐!!
Everything always feels fresh, new and exciting! Unique & interesting NPCs, monsters, and challenges every week. This game is a safe space and the GM works hard to make the game more inclusive. Integrating technology with his natural talents raises the quality of the game to new levels. In addition, his mechanical knowledge of the game system is unmatched. Also more than willing to work with a player whose character is a little bit weird and/or has a complicated backstory.
The GM knows his stuff with the rules, and bends them enough so that it doesn't feel like no creativity is allowed. His hombrew content is extremely captivating and fresh, and his house rules only serve to enhance the existing rules and the players experience. He's basically a good GM.
I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the game run by Shane. They have an excellent understanding of the rules and mechanics, and they always keep things engaging and fun for the players. I appreciate the effort they put into adding depth and flavor to the story, making it feel like a true adventure. I would highly recommend Shane as a game master for anyone.
I've played a few sessions with Shane by now and even booked him to GM a one-shot for me as a result. Shane is a deeply dedicated GM who cares very much about crafting a rich, thrilling experience in his games. His devotion to highly polished materials, crafted with love and cohesion makes playing in his worlds deeply satisfying. Playing with Shane, you can expect customized art for scenes and all of his NPCs. Places and people in his worlds feel deep, rich and thoughtful. He facilitates both striking combat and puzzle scenarios as well as giving room in the flow of the campaign for roleplaying and character bonding. People, places and individual player characters in Shane's world have customized music and his soundscapes always really carry the moods of a scene for me, be it through emotional cues or the amazing voice changers he uses. Shane is a GM to appreciate deeply as a player and I would play at his table any day!
Character creation
Creating your character
Please wait to create your character until AFTER you gain access to the full "Character Creation" document! There are some specific limitations, reworks, and new material! ๐Key Points: - Point Buy (with a twist)! - Bonus proficiencies based on Intelligence score! - 1 Common Magic Item OR 1 Advanced Weapon (eligible item lists provided)! - 1 free feat at 1st level (that isn't "Lucky")! - Characters start at 2nd level! - New and reworked lineages, classes, subclasses, spells, and feats to choose from! - Characters MUST be made and updated in Roll20! Please read the full document for more details! ๐ซNot Allowed: - Murder-hobos, lone wolves, and "joke" characters (These playstyles are overtly disruptive and undermine the experience for others.) - Multiclassing into or out of Hexblade or Twilight/Peace Cleric (Twilight and Peace domains are too powerful as multiclasses, and I don't wish to roleplay 6 sentient weapons across my different games.) - Artificers (Curse of Strahd is not designed to accommodate this class.) - Critical Role content (Classes, subclasses, spells - most are setting-specific, and almost none of them are balanced well.) - Unearthed Arcana (Or any play-test/homebrew material I haven't reviewed first, for that matter.)
What to expect
Preparing for the session
~ NEED ~ ๐ฅ Computer with internet access ๐ค Working microphone ๐ฎ Discord account ๐ฒ Roll20 account ๐งพ Fill out Consent Sheet and return to me ~ HELPFUL ~ ๐น Webcam (optional, but I think it can add a lot to roleplay) ๐ Reviewing my house rules and homebrew options ๐ก Character design and/or backstory ideas ๐ Trust in me! Strahd is scary, but Shane comes in peace! โ
What Cool Boy Shane brings to the table
๐จโ๐จ HAND-DRAWN character tokens! (tokens will be made after your 2nd session with me) ๐บ High-quality regional and battle maps! Some with dynamic lighting! ๐ Item and Lore handouts within Roll20! ๐จ A plethora of hand-drawn NPCs! (these seriously took me months to make) ๐ถ Curated playlists of music that play during our sessions! (plays in browser tab, volume adjustable) ๐ PHB, XGtE, and TCoE digital books available on Roll20! ๐ Expectations, house rules, and homebrew options made available as Google Docs! ๐คฉ The excitement of DMing my favorite published D&D adventure for you!
Homebrew rules
We play using a variation of the 2014 5e rules called... Cool 5e. ๐ The idea is that it is just like the game you probably already know how to play, but cooler! Most of the core rules are the same, with minor tweaks and additions to make gameplay more balanced or fun. The biggest changes are updates and fixes to character classes/subclasses, spells, and feats. All of these changes can be found in the google docs below! ~ Player's Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_MiZP4_HnXMORQtr9b7_GpZ9BBKXVHjKA-5nZxRvla0/edit?usp=drive_link ~ Spells & Feats: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uj7FOxOJWyKt1UYcoZU32bdw7ShCgNQxRD6HPS2Sf88/edit?usp=drive_link ~ Gear & Crafting: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cTuo_9J3Cb6z0cvzIlea4-v1_Oz7MLwBYLrFmpRbGM4/edit?usp=drive_link
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Cool Boy Shane creates a safe table
When you join this game, you'll get access to a google drive link with the following documents: ๐งพ Consent Checklist (Please fill out the checklist first, and send it back to me.) ๐ญ Game Expectations ๐ Rules ๐งโโ๏ธ Character Creation ๐ฅ Spells ๐น Weapons ๐ง Crafting Session 0 is only $10 instead of full-price, and we go over these documents together. This game is LGBTQIA+, PoC, Disabled, and Neuro-Divergent FRIENDLY! If there are any conflicts with your checklist and this game's expectations, we can discuss whether or not continuing is advisable. Afterwards, we'll use the rest of Session 0 to discuss character creation and backstories more in-depth, and have them made in Roll20. One-on-one calls can be had to better define your backstory details and fill out character mechanics. Sessions will go for 3 hours (give or take 30 minutes). There will usually be at least one 5-10 minute break, typically after the first hour or two. I have an Open Door policy as well, in case someone needs to take their own break at any time. If this adventure affects your emotional state outside of the game, and you wish to talk about it after the session ends, I have provided a group chat on Discord for that purpose, and my DMs are always open. While this may be a horror game and thus will have its share of frightening and intense moments, at the end of the day I want you to be having fun and looking forward to each new session - not dreading them (that's for your character, not you!) โฐ Please prioritize our sessions when scheduling, and let me know as soon as you can if you are running late, or unable to make it to a session altogether. ๐จ I draw character tokens for players some time after the second session! So stick with the game and you'll have art of your character that matches the aesthetic of the world! ๐ถ I use RPGsounds to play music live during our games. I find it enhances the experience, and you can adjust the volume to your liking!
Content warnings
Safety tools used
Additional tables
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