Trapped in Ravenloft: A Curse of Strahd Campaign
A character-driven Gothic horror sandbox where every choice has consequences, and every hero becomes part of the legend.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
1 player following this game
Weekly / Wednesday - 12:30 AM UTC
Jun 10 / Session 5
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
Campaign Length / 15–60 Sessions
4 / 5 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
Report Adventure
StartPlaying Money Back Guarantee
If your game doesn't happen, we guarantee a refund. Just reach out to StartPlaying Support. Refund Policy
Schedule
Meet your party members
4/5
About the adventure
Barovia is a land of ancient curses, forgotten dreams, and stories that refuse to die. Beyond the choking mists lies a realm trapped in an endless tragedy, ruled by the immortal Count Strahd von Zarovich. Villages cling desperately to hope, monsters stalk the wilderness, and the towering halls of Castle Ravenloft cast their shadow across every corner of the valley. This is a character-driven adaptation of Curse of Strahd that expands upon the original adventure while remaining true to its Gothic horror roots. Your character's goals, fears, relationships, and flaws will become part of the story itself. The choices you make, the allies you trust, and the sacrifices you're willing to make will shape not only your fate, but the fate of Barovia. Expect a living sandbox filled with mystery, exploration, political intrigue, moral dilemmas, dark humor, and moments of genuine horror. Combat can be deadly and tactical, but many of the greatest threats in Barovia cannot be solved with steel alone. The land remembers every choice, and every victory carries a cost. This game is ideal for players who enjoy immersive roleplay, meaningful character development, difficult decisions, and collaborative storytelling. Whether your story ends in triumph, tragedy, redemption, or damnation, your character will leave their mark upon the Devil's Gallery.
Game style
Sandbox / Open World
Roleplay Heavy
Hexcrawl / Exploration
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
4.9
(22)
4 years on StartPlaying
254 games hosted
Highly rated for: Creativity, Knows the Rules, Storytelling
Average response time: 7 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hey, I'm Cosmic. I run character-driven campaigns where player choices matter, consequences are real, and stories grow far beyond what was originally planned. My favorite moments in D&D happen when players take the narrative in unexpected directions and the world reacts around them. Since 2020, I've run over 1,000 sessions of D&D across West Marches communities, long-form campaigns, published adventures, and homebrew settings. Along the way I've developed a flexible, improvisational style that adapts to the energy of the table while keeping the world active, responsive, and alive. My games blend drama, exploration, humor, meaningful roleplay, and tactical challenges when the story calls for them. Whether you're uncovering ancient secrets, navigating dangerous politics, building relationships with NPCs, or making impossible decisions, your actions will have lasting consequences. I believe the best campaigns aren't stories told to players—they're stories built with them. Players who enjoy agency, collaborative storytelling, memorable characters, and a world that genuinely responds to their choices will feel right at home at my table. Let's tell a story worth remembering.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
27 Point buy Free Background Feat (Skilled, Tough, Magic Initiate, Racial Feats) Standard Equipment 2014 Content only Homebrew on Approval, subject to revision, No Twilight Cleric
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need: Discord (Free) is a voice and video chat software, making an account is free and you can use the app or the browser application to join the game. Roll20 (Free) is where we make sheets, move tokens and experience the visuals of the game, including useul handouts and images to keep you in pace with the game. Once you jon my server, get: - A personal channel to help prepare your character - 1-to-1 voice chat session to integrate yourself into the game and server - Build and play advice for your character concept - Sheet building help
What DM Cosmic brings to the table
The Module - Curse of Strahd, customized specially for you Ambiance and battle tracks - Ranging from heart wrenching to action packed Maps and Spell tokens - For that extra visual immersion Voices and Impressions - Every NPC needs a personality and voice, I love giving them celebrity voices like Sean Connery, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and of course Dracula. Fast paced Combat - I know every encounter and statblock like the back of my hand, enjoy the world come alive during every fight for your life!
Homebrew rules
Cover stacks on my table - multiple sources of half cover creates 3/4 cover and multiple sources of 3/4 cover gives disadvantage on the attack roll. Visibility is unaffected. Smaller creatures don’t grant cover to larger creatures. Shove action can also be used to shove people to the side. Ranged non-lethal attack rolls are made at disadvantage Non-lethal Magic is possible with cantrips only. Cantrips with spell saves are still always lethal. Dead/Knocked out creatures count as difficult terrain. You may move through an enemy’s space with a contested Athletics/Acrobatics check as a bonus action or an action. A creature does not take fall damage from a distance equal to its strength score, unless it is knocked prone. Verbal Spell Components are audible up to 60ft. away at minimum during combat for counterspell purposes, unless some other effect prevents it. If your passive arcana is not equal to or greater than 8+ (2*spell level) of the spell being cast - it requires a reaction to make an arcana check to identify the spell. You may counterspell as part of this reaction. Once a spell has been identified, you do not need to use your reaction to identify the spell once more as long as it is the same spell cast at the same level by the same creature/type of creature.
Equipment needed to play
Microphone
Headphones
Computer
Internet
Platforms used
Safety
How DM Cosmic creates a safe table
Safety is a priority at my table, having learnt to DM on westmarches for large groups of people, I have developed several tools to make sure everyone has a good experience at the table. -X card is available to be pulled out to pause gameplay at any time if something is making you uncomfortable. -Clarification of the social contract on my discord server is apparent and easy to access. -Several moderators are available to make sure that minimum drama occurs on the server and you have someone to help you out if you need it. I also make myself available to you as often as possible, I pride myself on being a great listner and being able to solve problems effectively, so be open with me and I'll always do my best!
Content warnings
Safety tools used