Dance of the Dead | Ravenloft Horror Campaign | LGBTQ+ Friendly
Explore a southern Gothic inspired realm of vast swamps, voodoo magic, fey creatures, and the ever-present threat of the walking dead!
$35.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Monday - 1:00 AM UTC
Feb 16 / Session 21
Session Duration / 2.5–3.5 hours
Campaign Length / 40–50 Sessions
4 / 5 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
4/5
About the adventure
🐊 Explore a realm of vast swamps, voodoo magic, fey creatures, and the ever-present threat of the walking dead 🧟♂️ Unravel the mysteries at the heart of the southern gothic domain of Souragne 💀 Experience a Ravenloft campaign beyond Barovia and beyond Curse of Strahd Condemned for crimes real or imagined, you were sent to waste away in a castle-like prison at the heart of a cursed swamp. Now you're been released, only to discover you've traded one prison for another. The domain of Souragne has been sealed by a supernatural mist; no one enters, no one leaves. The feral undead who roam the swamps have become more numerous and more aggressive and the fey spirits who once protected the land are disappearing. To survive this wretched land, you must band together to uncover the source of the darkness consuming Souragne and delve the blackest depths of the prison of the damned. --- "Dance of the Dead" is a full-length, fantasy/horror campaign set in the world of Ravenloft. Player characters begin at 3rd level and may advance to 12th level by the end of the campaign. The campaign offers a diverse cast of tormented characters, a self-contained world to explore, and the thrill of deadly combat as you struggle to withstand the hungry darkness.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(85)
4 years on StartPlaying
1139 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Storytelling
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
😄 Thanks for stopping by! My name is Meaghan, I'm a trans woman from southern California who specializes in providing a safe, inclusive table for all players to enjoy cinematic storytelling together. I've been a TTRPG player and GM since before the turn of the century. My passion is running TTRPG games within the genres of gothic and cosmic horror, as well as high and dark fantasy. My favorite official D&D settings are Ravenloft (for playing) and Dragonlance (for creating). I am the host of the Dragonlance Canticle podcast and the author of the DM's Guild Gold Medal adventure "Shadow of the Black Rose". My favorite non-D&D game is Alien RPG. As of March 2024, I have been running games professionally for two years. I have logged nearly 500 sessions on StartPlaying, most of which were run using Foundry VTT. Join one of my campaigns if you're looking for a consistent game run by an enthusiastic and experienced GM with a strong belief in professional ethics as well as creating a welcoming environment for female players, queer players, trans players, and neurodivergent players. Listen to what one of my players said about her experience playing Curse of Strahd with me: 💻 https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLJpXrUQ/ 💻 Here are a few reviews from some of my long-term players: 🎭 "Meaghan is a fantastic DM and storyteller who consistently delivers a great gaming experience. She's very good at improvising and rolling with the punches when we get off track. She rewards and encourages player creativity, even when creative solutions may throw a wrench in her plans or completely sidestep encounters. She breathes life into the game world and makes each and every area unique and memorable, and allows us to take our time to explore and discover the game world. This has overall been a positive gaming experience and I'm excited to keep playing with her!" - Ben, 100 sessions with me 💡 "Meaghan has been an amazing GM throughout our Into the Mists session every week. She sets the stage and utilizes tools that make engagement all that much better. She has even reached out to make sure I felt comfortable with my place and the dynamic between players (which I reassured her I very much do). She allows us to explore solutions and not be afraid to try our ideas out within the framework she sets." - Christine, 71 sessions with me ❓ "Meaghan is very helpful and patient, knowing that she had new players in her group she answered all questions but more importantly, went over things before hand and made sure we were all comfortable and didn't get hung up on any general "noobiness" and actually need to ask the questions. Very good storyteller, her passion for the material is evident and I very much look forward to the next session!" - Tav, 86 sessions with me 🤗 "I can't say enough great things about Meaghan! She's an amazing DM and you can tell she puts a lot of time and effort into planning her sessions. Her maps and sounds really set the mood and it's easy to get lost in the story telling and atmosphere of the game. Especially with the variety of NPC's she brings to life. Not only that, but she truly creates a safe environment for players to learn, feel heard, and overall just feel included and welcome in session. I appreciate her patience too. I'm a new-ish player and sometimes have to ask obvious questions but I never feel bad about asking for clarification on anything. She definitely makes things fun and challenging for all levels of players though, not just beginners. Overall, I highly recommend Meaghan if you are looking for a safe, inclusive, well balanced gaming experience of which you want to immerse yourself and get lost in the environment. 10/10" - Jess, 68 sessions with me
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will begin with discussions on Discord before the first session. I will offer third party resources to choose from a number of sources beyond Wizards of the Coast's official Dungeons and Dragons books, all of which are compatible with Tales of the Valiant. If the character options which interest you are available on D&D Beyond, you may use it to help you develop your concept, but the real work of character creation will happen on Foundry VTT during the first session.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Ideally, you would purchase a copy of the "Tales of the Valiant Player's Guide" although if you are familiar with Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, it is optional. You will also need an account on Discord and an account on Forge-VTT.com where the game is cloud-hosted.
What Meaghan brings to the table
- 25 years of experience as a devoted Ravenloft reader, player, and adventure writer (Lamordia: The God Engine). - Access to all the materials I own on D&D Beyond. - Modules, maps, art, and music for Foundry VTT. - Extensive subclass options from Grim Hollow, Sebastian Crowe's Guide to Drakkenheim, Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, and Kobold Press's Tome of Heroes
Homebrew rules
• I do not use the optional flanking rule. • I am not a stickler about movement. I would rather you move where you need to move, even if it violates rules as written rather than waste your turn. • I don’t do surprise rounds. If one group is surprised, everyone rolls initiative like normal. The surprised creatures or characters cannot move or do anything except take the Dodge action on their turns. • Players who have Heroic inspiration (and bardic inspiration) can choose to apply them after seeing the results of their roll. • Features that allow you to force a reroll by your DM (such as the Lucky feat) will not work against critical hits. • If your character has the appropriate training and there is no time pressure or danger, I won’t ask you to roll a skill check, you will automatically succeed. Likewise, you may leverage your background, backstory, or contacts to grant yourself advantage on relevant rolls. • I don’t use critical fumbles. • You don’t need to keep track of food, water, normal ammunition, or trivial expenses like meals or lodgings. • No instant death. • After character creation, every player can choose to change the ability associated with a single skill with which they are proficient (example: a barbarian who is proficient in Intimidation can use their Strength score rather than their Charisma score).
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Meaghan creates a safe table
During our Session 0, we will discuss our Lines & Veils for the campaign. You will also be invited to anonymously submit additional Lines & Veils. My personal lines are: TRASH (transphobia, racism, ableism, sexism, and homophobia); cold-blooded homicide committed by PCs; torture committed by PCs My personal veils are: Murder and torture committed by NPCs; harm to children; sexual intimacy. The Foundry system we will be using includes an X card module which allows players to anonymously stop play in case of uncomfortable/triggering events. After each session, we will share Stars & Wishes to provide each other with constructive, positive feedback.
Content warnings
Safety tools used