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Durst Manor (D&D 2014)
Lost in the mist, you encounter two tear-stricken children begging for help — can you save their brother from the evils inside the Manor?
Free
Details
Weekly / Wednesday - 11:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–4 hours
Campaign Length / 1–3 Sessions
3 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
3/5
About the adventure
You have stepped into the Mists of Ravenloft, the sun is a myth and the shadows have teeth. You stand before Durst Manor, a towering, Victorian nightmare that has swallowed countless adventurers before you. Is it your turn? This is the intro to Curse of Strahd, played as a one shot in Durst Manor—a gothic horror dungeon crawl, built specifically for new players who aren't afraid of a challenge. If you love the aesthetic of Castlevania, the dread of Edgar Allan Poe, and the high-stakes tension of a "dungeon crawl" where every silver platter could be a mimic, this is your table. We aren't here for a sunny stroll; we’re here to see if you can survive the most infamous haunted house in D&D history. I aim to play atmospheric and lethal. Expect a "Meat Grinder" experience: resources are scarce, the monsters are mean, and your wits are more important than your character sheet. I love to lean into the spooky descriptions and jump-scares, but I’ll always ensure you know the rules as we go. D&D isn't exactly built for horror, but you can expect a lengthy paragraph describing the curtains. For some reason, everything is always covered in dust. The house is hungry, and it’s time to see if you’re the heroes or the appetizers.
Game style
Rules as Written (RaW)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
4.8
(5)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, Teacher, Inclusive
Average response time: 24+ hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
I've been dming for about a year or two now — I am fond of creating handouts, incorporating puzzles and minigames, and finding ways to play that aren't just the standard: throw dice. How about a gambling session where we bet our gold at a Vistani camp on marbles and card games?
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We are going to use roll20. RAW classes, abilities, etc., only players dmg, handbook 2014, Tashas. I'm not gunning for your characters, the house is; forewarning: death is likely, especially at level 1.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Roll20 characters. We will do a discord server. Cheating in a game of imagination and storytelling is ridiculous. You ruin your own experience doing this. However, unless for dramatic effect, digital dice rolls will not be necessary; we are using the honor system. I will also be using physical dice (unless I get fed up rolling for initiative).
What Gabriel Ruiz brings to the table
Ambient music, aim to be as RAW as possible.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Physical Dice
Platforms used
Safety
How Gabriel Ruiz creates a safe table
Before the game, during the character creation and set up, we will be discussing the potential triggers, XNOs can be sent via message.
Content warnings
Safety tools used