She Is the Ancient (Strahd Reimagined) | D&D2024 | Free S.0
A cursed land shrouded in mist. A grieving vampire queen. Barovia calls to you—will you break the curse or become part of her story?
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 7:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
0 / 6 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
Barovia is dying. Choked by mist, ruled by fear, and haunted by the broken heart of Countess Strahd von Zarovich, a once-great warlord who traded her soul for eternal power and lost everything. Now she reigns from the heights of Castle Ravenloft, her land a prison of regret and obsession. And somehow, the mists have chosen you. She is the Ancient is a full Curse of Strahd campaign, reimagined through a darker and more nuanced lens. Strahd is still a monster, but no longer a caricature of patriarchal evil. Instead, she’s a commanding, tragic figure. She's calculating, seductive, and devastatingly human. Expect politics, betrayal, and personal horror more than hack-and-slash. You’re not just adventurers. You’re pawns in her game or are you the ones who’ll rewrite the rules? This game leans into gothic horror, character-driven storytelling, and complex roleplay. Combat is meaningful but not constant. You’ll explore doomed villages, cursed forests, and haunted halls, piecing together what happened here and what part you play in it. The tone is intense but not edgy-for-edgy’s-sake: mature, immersive, and emotionally grounded. Whether you’re a veteran player or returning to the table after a long break, this campaign rewards engagement and curiosity. We use World Anvil to track lore, secrets, and character arcs that make your choices feel like they matter. If you’re looking for something deeper than the usual dungeon crawl, welcome to Barovia.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Sandbox / Open World
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(10)
1 year on StartPlaying
5 games hosted
Highly rated for: Teacher, Creativity, Knows the Rules
About me
Hello! My name is David (Evil Penguin). I've been playing D&D since 1985 with the original red box, i.e. I'm old. I went to college for creative writing. Then got a job in the film industry. So, I've pretty much built my whole life around the creative pursuits. Which makes me well suited for telling stories... my sessions that I have vary in type, but I try to mix elements of the big three: role-playing, exploration, and combat. Players will have an opportunity to at each of these at various times throughout a game. My general philosophy is that I, as a DM, have more fun when my players are having fun. Therefore, I try my best to give everyone at the table a chance to be the hero/anti-hero. Giving everyone a chance to shine... not just the OP fighter who min/maxed to be a killing machine... but also to the bard who just doesn't do that much in combat because their too busy talking their way out of most potentially hostile encounters. If you really want to get a sense of my GMing style, you can check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@EvilPenguinRPG New players to experienced are welcomed. I believe in a diverse, LGBTQ+ friendly, and INCLUSIVE table. If you are a nazi, racist, homophobe, transphobe, or any other sort of bigot, please stay away from my table. I have a zero tolerance policy for that at my table. Any of that and you will be dropped immediately. If you have to ask whether this statement is about you, it is.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
FREE Session 0 for character creation - We'll get together on discord to discuss characters and get to know each other. Character Creation Guidelines - We'll be using the rules from 2024 ruleset - To make a character, roll for stats in chat (4d6 drop the lowest * 6). You may opt for Standard Array if you dislike your rolls. - You can build your character in Roll20 (+ D&D Beyond if desired) using the Charactermancer, before the game. We'll review characters in Session 0. - You can choose a feat at lvl 1 for a flaw. - If using D&D Beyond character sheet, you'll need to install Beyond 20 in a chrome browser so you can roll on Roll20. - You MUST include a backstory and at least one relation to another character. - You can send me character art and I'll make a token for your character - If you require a familiar or Wild Shape forms or Summon creatures, please let me know.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
🐧 Each player will need to have a Discord with working audio input and output. A webcam is nice, but not required. 🐧 Each player will have to have internet access and a supported web browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari) 🐧 A free roll20 account
What EvilPenguin brings to the table
🐧 A dedicated campaign website for session notes and MORE 🐧 24/7 access to your character, the world, NPCs, maps, and everything your character knows 🐧 The ability to keep your own notes on anything you like and share those with others in the campaign 🐧 Personalized tokens 🐧 Voice acting roleplaying 🐧 Curated soundscapes to set the mood 🐧 Chat with me or others on in a discord community specifically for the campaign
Homebrew rules
House Rules: 🐧 Potions are a bonus action if using it for yourself, per 2024 rules, however, each character may only have two potions equipped at a time. Every other potion is considered "stored" and takes a full action to dig out of your bag and use. 🐧 Death saves are private rolls 🐧 During character creation, you'll roll for a random fear that your character has. This is not the same as a flaw. Mostly the fear is roleplay, but might occasionally come up for very specific circumstances.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How EvilPenguin creates a safe table
Safety is critical to everyone's enjoyment. In addition to session 0, where we will cover house rules and discuss boundaries, I will have a system of XNO. These can be messaged to me privately. Also, I'll provide one break per session and aftercare/debriefing to discuss anything that's on your mind. In between sessions, I'll be available via discord to discuss anything related to the campaign, personal or otherwise. I guarantee that any problem brought to me are important and will be addressed in a thoughtful manner. I have zero tolerance for racism, homophobia, transphobia, or bigotry of any kind. One strike and you're out for the safety and comfort of all players at one of my tables. **IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ** Curse of Strahd is a dark and brutal campaign adventure where character death or permanent injury is possible. This world is gritty and very much the stuff of psychological horror films. Please be prepared.
Content warnings
Safety tools used