![Curse of Strahd🧛[Beginners welcome]📚(A Condensed Campaign)💀](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspg-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com%2F81101784-18f7-4743-969b-8cc8acd4e914&w=3840&q=75)
Curse of Strahd🧛[Beginners welcome]📚(A Condensed Campaign)💀
Trapped in shadow-drenched Barovia. Ancient evil watches from Castle Ravenloft. Unravel the curse or become another lost soul. Dare to enter?
$27.50
/ Session
Details
Monthly / Friday - 5:30 PM UTC
May 15 / Session 6
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
Campaign Length / 10–100 Sessions
3 / 6 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
3/6
About the adventure
I can accommodate players of all ability levels. However, Strahd is a slightly intense game for new players. This shouldn't be a dealbreaker; I invite you to consider some thoughts before signing up. Strahd is a dark fantasy horror game featuring political battles, a land shrouded in a misty depression, and ample violence—a chance for players to take on the roles of heroes, heretics or villains. Okay, so picture this: you're probably just chilling, right? Maybe thinking about what's for dinner, or that weird email you just got. Suddenly… bam! The world tilts. The air gets heavy. And you find yourself in a place that feels like Halloween threw up and then never cleaned it. We're talking spooky forests, villages that look like they haven't seen sunshine in centuries, the whole shebang. This, my friend, is Barovia. Now, don't get it twisted. This isn't some scenic getaway. A palpable dread hangs in the air, a suffocating blanket woven from despair and ancient secrets. Dominating the horizon, a jagged silhouette against the bruised twilight, stands Castle Ravenloft. Within its formidable walls resides Count Strahd von Zarovich, a figure of legend and terror, his influence an insidious poison seeping through the very soil of this forsaken land. Your arrival here was no accident. Whether drawn by a desperate plea carried on mournful winds or ensnared by a fate you could not foresee, you are now caught within Barovia's grim embrace. Escape is not a simple matter; the land itself seems to conspire against those who seek to flee its shadowed valleys. Unravel the enigmas that cling to this cursed domain like the pervasive mists. Seek out the fragile embers of hope that flicker amidst the overwhelming darkness. But be warned: trust is a rare and precious commodity here, and the shadows conceal terrors that will test the very limits of your courage. Whispers abound of forgotten lore, of potent artefacts hidden within crumbling ruins, and of alliances forged in the face of unimaginable horrors. Will you succumb to the encroaching despair, or will you rise to confront the ancient evil that holds Barovia captive? Dare to pierce the veil of illusion. Dare to confront the nightmares that stalk the land. Dare to unearth the truth behind the curse that binds Strahd and his domain. But heed this solemn warning: in Barovia, hope is a flickering flame, and the darkness hungers. Your ordeal commences. Will you survive the descent?
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Meet the Game Master
1 year on StartPlaying
25 games hosted
Highly rated for: Voices, Creativity, Storytelling
About me
The Quick Stuff: I'm a very animated and enthuastic DM of around 5 years. I have experience with online and in-person formats. I've DM'd for the UK Games Expo and have a D&D Discord community I run. The Backstory: I was introduced to TTRPGs via a solo session and some one-shots run by my dear friend who was the DM. He left the country (RUDE) so left with an itch to scratch in 2020 I grabbed the DMG and trapped some people to be my guinea pig players. I've never looked back. I love it! - I do crazy voices. - I get animated acting this out. - I'm accepting of all experience levels at my table. - Whatever your beliefs or identity you have the same chances playing at my table. - I do a lot of homebrew. I hope to give everyone at my table the best experience I possibly can in the time I have! So come and have a play and see what you think!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will be done together in Session 0. However, here are some basic outlines to allow you time to ponder: - 2014 Rules only (Haven't had a chance to re-adjust myself yet). Characters through DnD Beyond. - We will begin at Character Level 2. - HP will be rolled out with the option to accept the average. - Stats will be rolled as a group. - You will start with 2x Common magic items each. - Multiclassing is allowed, provided you can understand your own multiclass. - I won't ban any books, BUT I would prefer no 'Broken Builds'. I'm aware this is subjective, but I will speak individually with anyone who may have one.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need: - Some Sanity (I've lost mine) - a DnD Beyond account - a Roll20 account - a Discord account - A microphone is preferable (Headset mic may be okay if audible) - I use a camera, but this is optional
What Aaron Coates @DecisiveDM brings to the table
> FREE SESSION 0 - My bubbly British self. - I will provide Character voices to NPCs as far as possible. I'm not a professional voice actor, but I'm quite skilled at imitating a variety of voices. - I will provide battle maps where they are planned into the campaign. For this, I will provide tokens unless you have a specific token you would like to use. - I don't pull punches in combat/ There is always a risk of character death. However, there is always the opportunity for redemption as well. - There will be music playing to help set the scene and create suspense. - I have a healthy mix of RAW and Rule of Cool, depending on the situation, but I am flexible (or try to be). - I also have a fair amount of DnD Beyond content that I can share with players who require it. (I don't have EVERY book)
Homebrew rules
- Deal with the Devil (Me) - At any point, a player may exchange a roll of theirs for a Nat20. However, I then gain the ability to do the opposite one time. [May only have one active deal at a time] - Potions are a bonus action to drink yourself, and an action to administer to another. If you use your action to drink it yourself, you gain the maximum effects rather than rolling for them. - Barbarians can use their Strength rather than Charisma for intimidation. - A 10ft difference in height or more offers an advantage or disadvantage in attacking. - If you can cause the desired effect of a spell (i.e. laughter IRL from Tasha's hideous laughter, then you will be awarded a crit). - Inspiration from me is a D12 or a re-roll and can be stacked and hoarded. - If I have any others that I have forgotten to mention, they will be in Session 0.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Headphones
Internet
Microphone
Mobile Phone
Platforms used
Safety
How Aaron Coates @DecisiveDM creates a safe table
The Curse of Strahd has a lot of lore, which can be disturbing to some. It is also a horror-esque game that covers some pretty atrocious themes, along with a few additions of mine to make the environment more scary or unpleasant. As such, I have included, as far as possible, the list of potential triggers. IF any of these put you off, then message me and I can try to find you a lighter game. For those who still wish to play, we will use Session 0 to establish boundaries, expectations and safety notions such as Open Door and Breaks timings.
Content warnings
Safety tools used