Curse of Strahd (5e) | Lvl 1-10
A land trapped in mist, a tyrant vampire who hungers for your soul. Enter Barovia, face Strahd, and survive the gothic nightmare!
$30.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Thursday - 3:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
Campaign Length / 16+ Sessions
2 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
2/5
About the adventure
This is D&D like you've never experienced before... You’re trapped in Barovia, a cursed valley ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich, and every step draws you deeper into his web! Expect haunted villages, misty forests, crumbling ruins, and secrets that tie directly into your fight against Strahd. The world is moody, atmospheric, and stuffed full of danger and mystery. At this table, player choice shapes everything! YOU decide where to go, who to trust, and how to confront Barovia’s curse. The world reacts to your actions, and Strahd himself adapts to your decisions. This campaign welcomes beginners and seasoned players. You’ll learn the game through exploration and roleplay while diving into one of the most gripping stories ever told in D&D 5e. All of Barovia waits to see what kind of hero/hero you turn out to be!
Game style
Combat Heavy
Sandbox / Open World
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
3 years on StartPlaying
376 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Storytelling, Teacher
Average response time: 24+ hours
Response rate: 67%
About me
Greetings and well met, fearless traveler! From the dark caves of the Sword Coast, to the shimmering shores of Otari; from the depths of cyberpunk dystopia, to a Galaxy Far Far Away, I've been the companion of countless adventurers on their journey to greatness! My campaigns continue to thrill players in game stores, online via VTT, and even within the confines of their own living rooms. All walks of life can safely come together at my games and forget the real world for a few hours. TTRPGs are about hanging out and having collaborative fun; that's exactly what you'll find us doing at my table. Come prepared for one of the most dynamic, interactive roleplay experiences you've ever had! You WILL have a large hand at creating the narrative, with freedom to build and play the character you always wished you could! WHY HIRE ME?: Family Discounts!!! - I'm a family man, so I know it can be hard to separate personal time from family time, but with my family discount you no longer have to! ENOURMOUS Library - I'm truly a GAME master, fluent in over a dozen different systems including: DND 5e, Pathfinder 2e, Call of Cthulu, Cyberpunk RED, Dungeon Crawl Classics, Classic Traveller, Fallout the RPG, The Dishonored RPG, The Dresden Files RPG, Ironsworn, and the list just keeps going! Shoot me a message to inquire about a game I haven't listed. Full Immersion - My worlds are complete sandboxes that you can live in, potentially for years. There are endless possibilities during a campaign, and even once you've beaten it, you may continue questing in that same world, dealing with the consequences of the previous campaign! Solo and Duo Mode! - Have you ever wanted to TRULY be the main character? To play in a story fully centered on YOU? At MOST tables, your character will be just one of 4-6 other powerful heroes, but in single player or two-player mode, it's only YOU and your choices that decide the outcomes. You have my FULL attention as the game master, allowing me to tailor-make your experience, but you also get to play a much more powerful character than typical. If you want to feel as immersed as possible, then hop in solo or with a friend, and see what unfolds! Youtuber - Subscribers to my Youtube channel, "Encounter - Mastering Dungeons", receive a discount, so come check out the channel! Tucsonan - I live in the Tucson area, and am frequently found at the Isle of Games, where I run live games OFTEN!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation is simple and welcoming for all players. We use DnD Beyond for building characters, and you can optionally pair it with the Beyond20 extension if you like. Roll20 is also available, though limited to the Player’s Handbook options. We begin with a session zero where you can build your character on the spot or bring a premade one. Either way, every character is reviewed by the DM and introduced to the party before the adventure begins. If we finish early, we dive straight into the opening of the campaign. Everyone starts at level 1, and you may use any officially published 5e options as long as they come entirely from either the 2014 or the 2024 ruleset without mixing the two.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Firstly, join the discord! https://discord.gg/fxTnDZxefT Next, create a free Roll20.net account! And that's it! You'll receive your link to the VTT the day before game time.
What Malcolm The Brewmaster brings to the table
I provide the entire contents of the game within the Roll20 virtual tabletop. This includes the entire adventure, including maps, tokens, art, handouts, curated sound effects, visual effects, and music.
Homebrew rules
Encounter - Mastering Dungeons designs and releases supplemental 5e content on drivethrurpg.com . Players at our tables can request to use any of our 3rd party content, and we'll inject it into the game for free. Aside from that, we run it RAW.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Malcolm The Brewmaster creates a safe table
My tables are all-inclusive. Bullying of any kind is not allowed. In terms of content, this module is light hearted. If any issues arise, I use the X-card, as well as aftercare if necessary. During session 0, we'll go over Lines and veils as well, making sure everyone is on the same page before we start. For the sake of fostering a positive environment, any player found to be harassing other players at the table, or who breaks any of Startplaying's behavior policies, will be removed from the campaign and banned from participating in all of my future games.
Content warnings
Safety tools used