🦇Curse of Strahdanya 5e 2024🦇| A Play-by-Post Horror Adventure

Creating your character

Creating your character is an important part of our adventure, and I want to make sure you’re happy with your hero! That’s why I’m offering to sit down with each of you to help you build your character. We’ll go through everything together, from choosing a race and class to developing your backstory and motivations. You’re welcome to bring your own concept — or step into the role of one of the setting’s iconic characters: ✨ Ireena Kolyana — courageous, compassionate, and tied to a destiny she never chose. Will you challenge it… or fulfill it? ✨ Rictavio — a mysterious half-elf bard with a wagon, a past, and more secrets than songs. ✨ Ezmerelda d’Avenir — a razor-sharp monster hunter and apprentice to a legendary vampire slayer. Brilliant, deadly, and fiercely independent. ✨ Ismark Kolyanovich — loyal, determined, and ready to defend his sister and his homeland at any cost. Strength and heart in equal measure. This session is all about setting the stage for our campaign and making sure your character fits into the world of Barovia! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Preparing for the session

🌑 Join the Discord Server — Our Barovia Play-by-Post Home! https://discord.gg/eTxscXnA5V As we prepare to step into the mist-drenched valleys of Barovia, here’s everything you need to get ready for our Play-by-Post Gothic Horror campaign ruled by Strahdanya: 🔹 1. Understand the Setting • Gothic Horror Barovia thrives on dread — haunted landscapes, tragic souls, and supernatural shadows moving just out of sight. • Strahdanya’s Domain The vampiric queen Strahdanya von Zarovich reigns with beauty, terror, and absolute control. Her presence shapes the land, its people, and your fate. 🔹 2. Tools & Setup (PBP-Friendly) Everything happens through: • Discord — All in-character posts, OOC chat, announcements, and dice rolls are here. • D&D Beyond — Character sheets, leveling, inventory, and rules references. • Avrae (Discord Bot) — For dice rolls, attacks, ability checks, and auto-pulling stats from your D&D Beyond sheet. ➡️ Create accounts here if needed: https://www.dndbeyond.com/ https://discord.com/ 🔹 3. Character Creation • Session Zero: We’ll build characters together, clarify expectations, and establish tone through text and a short voice check-in. • Backstory: Consider your character’s story: What drew them into Barovia? What fears or flaws haunt them? What might fascinate or tempt Strahdanya? • Survivor Mindset: Characters should be capable yet flawed, vulnerable yet determined — perfect for a gothic tale. 🔹 4. Gear & Equipment • Essentials: Prepare food, weapons, water, and adventuring basics. • Anti-Undead Gear: Holy water, silvered weapons, charms of faith — all potentially useful… though never guaranteed. 🔹 5. Mental Preparation • Embrace the Darkness: Expect eerie themes, emotional depth, and intense moments of suspense. • Teamwork: Barovia isolates and tests you. Cooperation is survival. 🔹 6. Roleplaying in PBP • Deep Roleplay: Thoughtful, descriptive posts help build tension and character depth. • Voices Optional: Use character voices if you enjoy them — never required. 🔹 7. Rules Knowledge (No Experience Required) You do NOT need to know the rules beforehand. Even complete beginners are welcome. We will learn: Attacks Skill checks Saving throws Spells Combat flow together, step-by-step, at a comfortable pace. This is a guided experience — you won’t be left guessing. 🔹 8. Communication • Safety First: If anything makes you uncomfortable, message me immediately. We’ll adjust right away. • Feedback Welcome: If you want something to run smoother or differently, just say so. 🌫️ Barovia is a realm shaped by shadow, secrets, and the will of its queen. Prepare for mystery, danger, romance, terror — and unforgettable stories woven through the mists. If you dare enter… Strahdanya awaits.

What Nox Arcana brings to the table

💻 • Visual & Narrative Enhancements (No VTT Needed) Since this is a Play-by-Post adventure, we won’t be using a virtual tabletop. Instead, I’ll be providing a rich visual experience through: 🖼️ Character Art – Portraits, expressions, and mood pieces for NPCs and important moments 🗺️ Custom Maps – High-quality maps with clear annotations for locations and encounters 🎞️ GIFs & Cinematic Moments – Atmospheric visuals to heighten tension and drama 🎶 Curated Music & Ambience – Playlists and soundscapes to immerse you in Barovia even through text These elements will help build atmosphere and compensate beautifully for the lack of live VTT tools. 🐉 • D&D Beyond Content You’ll have full access to my D&D Beyond content, making character creation, leveling, and rules reference effortless throughout the campaign. My GM Style (Optimized for Play-by-Post immersive storytelling) 📝 • Immersive, Gothic Storytelling I focus on evocative writing that captures Barovia’s melancholy, mystery, and dread. Every post is designed to pull you deeper into Strahdanya’s shadowed world. 🎭 • Deep Character Roleplay Your characters’ motivations, insecurities, and relationships shape the narrative. Backstories matter — and the mists notice everything. 🎬 • Distinctive NPC Presentation While PBP limits live voices, I still bring NPCs to life through: Unique writing styles Distinct speech patterns Flavored accents represented through dialogue Expressive character art & gifs Every NPC is memorable, whether a haunting Vistani seer or a predatory servant of Strahdanya. 🎶 • Atmosphere Through Sound Links to ambient tracks, curated playlists, and scene-specific music will accompany key moments. Expect: distant thunder soft organ notes howling wind the heartbeat of Barovia itself 😎 • Rule of Cool If your idea is awesome, dramatic, or cinematic, I will almost always find a way to make it work. PBP thrives on creativity — let’s make unforgettable moments together. 🤝 • Patience, Flexibility & Support I welcome new and veteran players alike. I’m here to help guide rules, clarify mechanics, and ensure the story flows smoothly for everyone. Play-by-Post is about collaboration, not pressure.

Homebrew rules

🔹 Critical Hits: Roll all damage dice twice; creative descriptions may add extra effects. 🔹 Critical Failures: Natural 1s can trigger setbacks or mishaps. 🔹 Flanking & Tactics: Flanking gives advantage; clever positioning or environmental use is rewarded. 🔹 Creativity & Roleplay: Cinematic actions and great roleplay can grant advantage, bonus damage, or inspiration. 🔹 Healing & Potions: Full Action Potion: Heals full roll. Bonus Action Potion: Heals half roll.

How Nox Arcana creates a safe table

📜 • Lines and Veils Document Before we begin, I’ll send our Lines and Veils form. This helps everyone set boundaries around sensitive topics so the story stays immersive and safe for all players. 🤝 • Session Zero Discussion During Session Zero (text-based plus a short voice check-in), we will: 🛡️Review Lines and Veils 🛡️Discuss potential triggers 🛡️Establish the safety tools we’ll be using throughout the campaign This ensures we’re all entering Barovia with clarity, comfort, and shared expectations. 🫂 • Open-Door Policy & Weekly Check-Ins I maintain an open-door policy at all times — you can message me privately or in the proper channel whenever you need support, clarification, or to voice concerns. We will also have one weekly group check-in to make sure everyone feels good, aligned, and supported throughout the Play-by-Post experience.