🩸Face Him in the Mist🩸| 🦇Curse of Strahd🦇

Creating your character

All characters will be created on D&D Beyond. I have a Master Tier subscription and share my content with players. We will use the 2024 ruleset (5.5e) for character creation. Partnered content on D&D Beyond, including Critical Role material, is not allowed. You start at Level 3. 📜 Use only official 5.5e / 2024 content; no partnered content! 🧬 Species: Player’s Handbook (5.5e / 2024) 🎲 Ability Scores: Point Buy 🧾 Backgrounds: Player’s Handbook (5.5e / 2024) & Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn 🧙 Classes/Subclasses: Player’s Handbook (5.5e / 2024) & Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn 🔫 No guns!! 😈 I prefer not having evil aligned PCs in my campaigns. But, let's talk about it some more during Session 0 🫠 No AI images & backstories 📈 Level advancement: Milestones Starting equipment: Take your normal class starting equipment. Take your background equipment, do not take the 50 GP alternative. You will have a maximum of 5 GP in personal wealth. Each character will also receive a personal Dark Secret that will tie them to the campaign’s themes and story. We will go over character creation in more detail during Session 0, but please come with a rough idea of the kind of character you would like to play. Characters will be finalized between Session 0 and Session 1. Keep your backstory short and focused. One page maximum; two to three paragraphs is ideal. Focus on who your character is at the start of the story, and leave room for development through play.

Preparing for the session

Please come with a rough character idea for a dark gothic horror campaign. It can be more than one! Think about: • who your character is • two or three classes & backgrounds that fit them • a past loss, regret, failure, or mistake that left a mark • a happy memory or what inspires them Your character should start grounded, vulnerable, and not yet fully formed. This is a campaign about growth, pressure, and transformation. Tech and accounts: • Free accounts on The Forge, Discord, and D&D Beyond • Chrome Browser • Laptop or desktop PC with stable internet • Headset and a good microphone - clean audio is very important! If you want to know how you sound, check this link and test your mic: https://webcammictest.com/check-mic.html • A webcam (optional, but strongly recommended!)

What Sam brings to the table

I will provide you with a private space on my Discord server where our campaign will be hosted. You will have dedicated channels for NPC information and images, session recaps, potential quests and points of interest, rumors, and handouts. There will also be a general chat channel where you can discuss the adventure, share theories, and ask questions. This space can be tailored and adapted to your needs as the campaign progresses. Sessions are run on Foundry VTT, and I will give a short introduction to the VTT during Session 0. I provide beautiful maps by DMAndy, complete with dynamic lighting, as well as animated scenes by JamesRPGArt, music, and soundscapes to help bring the world to life. NPCs are played with distinct voices and mannerisms. I will also create a unique Dark Secret for each character which ties them directly to the setting and story. You provide a portrait, with no AI-generated content, and I will take care of token creation and sheet import.

Homebrew rules

Remove Curse Remove Curse is not available to player characters in this campaign. If your class or subclass would grant it when you level up, talk to me and choose a different spell instead. The power to break curses exists in the story as something you can discover through the adventure, not as a spell on your list. Daylight and Sunlight Any spell or feature that creates sunlight (such as the 3rd-level Daylight spell) is unavailable to player characters. Light and darkness are central to the mood of Barovia, and the scarcity of true light has shaped its society. Effects that create sunlight exist in the setting as story elements or special magic you may encounter, but not as spell or feature options for your character. If a spell that produces such an effect would normally be granted automatically when you level up (for example, as a Light Domain cleric or a celestial patron warlock), we will choose a different spell together. Leveling up All level ups happen after a long rest, even if you reached a milestone during the session. Flanking We will not use the optional flanking rule. You and your enemies will need to find other ways to gain advantage. (not hombrew, but good to keep in mind) Spell components If a spell requires components with a monetary cost, you must find or produce those components in game before you can cast it.

How Sam creates a safe table

This module is meant to be played and enjoyed comfortably by everyone. It is gothic horror and can touch on intense material, but the goal is shared fun and a story we remember fondly. Some content is flexible and negotiable. Please review the content warning tags on the listing and bring any concerns to Session Zero. Session Zero sets expectations, calibrates tone, and confirms the safety tools we will use. Lines and Veils We define boundaries together. Lines are hard limits. Content placed behind a line will not appear in play, will not be referenced, and will not be hinted at. Veils are soft limits. When veiled content arises, it may be acknowledged briefly without description, or we cut away with a fade to black. Breaks We play for about 2.5 to 3 hours with one 10 minute break around the halfway point. If anyone needs a quick break outside of that but does not want to miss important moments, just say so and we can take another short 5 minute break. If you need to step away for any reason, simply do it and rejoin when you can. This is an open door table. Open Door Anyone may step away at any time for any reason. No explanation is required and your well being comes first. Stars and Wishes At the end of each session I invite you to share stars and wishes. Stars are the moments you enjoyed: a scene that landed well, a fun bit of roleplay, a ruling that felt good, a cool combat beat, or anything that made you smile. Wishes are the things you would like to see handled differently next time. This can be pacing, spotlight, tone, themes, rules clarity, amount of combat, intensity of horror, or any content that did not quite work for you. You can share your stars and wishes in two private Discord channels just for our group, or send them to me directly via Discord DM if that feels safer or easier. I use this feedback to gently adjust the game so it keeps feeling right for the table.