![Curse of Strahd: Death of the First Vampire [lvl 3-10]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fspg-images.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com%2F301df5f6-e70c-4667-80e2-4d844cdcc031&w=3840&q=75)
Curse of Strahd: Death of the First Vampire [lvl 3-10]
Escape the haunted lands of Barovia and their vampire master, Strahd von Zarovich. Fight for your freedom, your friends, and your very soul.
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Saturday - 12:30 AM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
Campaign Length / 50–60 Sessions
0 / 4 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
You wake in the fog. Your surroundings are dark and unfamiliar. Danger comes from all sides, creatures and spirits you have never before encountered. The people here fear you almost as much as the enemies at their door, trapped as much as you are. And over all, the specter of their Lord looms overhead, tormenting his subjects for his own petty amusement. And through it all, the fog laps at the edges of your awareness, promising a twisted release through utter madness... -- This game is intended for new to intermediate players who have a good grasp of the basic mechanics of D&D but maybe have not participated in long-running campaigns before or haven't had the chance to develop in-depth characters in the past. While I expect participants to have an understanding of things like skills checks, combat mechanics, and saving throws, I don't expect you to necessarily know exactly how to put together a compelling character or to be confident about roleplaying. This game is meant to push players outside of their comfort zones so they can gain a deeper understanding of D&D and so that they can gain skills in improvisation and storytelling. Curse of Strahd is a darker campaign set in the Shadowfell, a plane filled with monsters and spirits. It is an adult game with adult themes, so be prepared to encounter the kinds of subjects typically explored in horror films. That said, the content will generally be PG-13 unless otherwise specified. As a level 3 through 10 campaign, I expect to run about 50-60 sessions each at around 3 hours long. While I will use the Curse of Strahd module as the foundation for the game, I will also add custom elements as we go to beef up sections that I feel are lacking in the published materials, adjust pacing, and provide tailored content that is specific to the characters you create and the story you build. Character backstories and actions are not just set dressing, but will have a real impact on the trajectory of the story.
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(7)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
5 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Teacher, Creativity
Average response time: 4 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
When I first became obsessed with tabletop roleplaying games (ttrpgs), it was 2015 and the D&D renaissance was only just starting to take off. No one in my university town was hosting open games, so I proceeded to indoctrinate friends, family, and strangers on my quest to play the kind of games I enjoyed. In 2016 I helped found a ttrpg club in my hometown, and I have spent the last ten years since constantly playing and GMing in games both in person and virtually. Though I have GMed several long-running campaigns over the years, I've found that I get the most satisfaction from bringing new players into the fold and helping them gain confidence through their gameplay. My focus is on one-shots and mini-campaigns that introduce new players to the world of ttrpgs and teach both the mechanics of new systems as well as the often more elusive skills of roleplaying, character building, and immersion. If you are new to tabletop gaming or you just feel like you've never been able to fully settle into a character, my games might be the right space for you. My goal as a GM is to create a welcoming, fun, and low-stress environment that rewards risk taking and embraces failure as part of the journey.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Players should come prepared with a fleshed-out character concept, including species, class, and backstory. We will build out character sheets in Roll20 during our (free) session zero, with characters starting at level 3. If you have played through the Death House module with me, bringing over the character you made during that session is perfectly acceptable, but not required. Any published 5e materials are fine to use during character creation. No homebrew content will be allowed unless cleared by myself first; contact me over Discord to discuss further details. After session zero, I will reach out to players one-on-one to discuss their character backstory and ensure that they feel well integrated into the world. Anyone who joins the campaign after the first session will also have a one-on-one discussion before they join to make sure their character can be seamlessly slotted into the story.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
We will play via Discord and Roll20, so you will need to have accounts for both sites to play. Most of the resources you will need for any of my games can be found on my Discord server, so join that first and you should be able to get all set up!
What Maddie brings to the table
When you play with me, you receive: - A GM with a deep understanding of the rules of 5e, who will help familiarize you with the game in a judgement-free environment - A bespoke game complete with immersive roleplay, music, and art - Dynamic combat where players are encouraged to think outside the box and find interesting ways to tackle problems - Unique, custom-made art of your character, created by the GM - Access to a growing Discord server of players who have participated in my games in the past, giving you first dibs on future games hosted by me. This Discord offers a community where you can continue learning about ttrpg, find other people to play with, and maybe even make a game of your own! Details: My aim is always to provide my players with an immersive experience. To that end, every character in the game will be uniquely voiced by me, and I will provide ambient music to set the tone (this is done through Discord, so if you find background noise distracting, it is easy to mute!). I will also provide unique, custom character art for any player who commits to three or more sessions. This art is made by me and involves absolutely no use of AI. These character portraits are full body, full color artworks, valued at $60 a piece, but free for consistent players! This art will be used in Roll20 for player icons and will be attached to character sheets, as well as sent in high resolution to the player. You can see examples of previous works on my ArtStation: https://newqacola.artstation.com
Homebrew rules
I allow characters to drink potions as a bonus action, but feeding another person a potion is still a full action.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How Maddie creates a safe table
When players join my Discord Server, they will immediately gain access to my "Lines and Veils" document, which details all of the subjects that I regularly avoid or gloss in all of my games. Before Session 0, I will send a new version of this document to the campaign players to fill out together, so that we have a running list to refer back to of topics to avoid. Before the first session with me, players will also receive a survey that will allow them to tell me more about the kind of game they're looking for. There is also a post-game survey that is live at all time, which anyone in my server can access whenever they like, even weeks after their game is finished. This survey allows players to let me know what they think went well in their game as well as what could be done better in the future. I also have an open door policy and everyone in my server can feel free to message me privately at any time to talk about specific concerns. All of these are optional, but I highly encourage players to take advantage of opportunities for feedback, as it helps make me a better DM and allows me to tailor the experience for individual groups!
Content warnings
Safety tools used