Astarion: Blood at Rat’s Run

Creating your character

This is a level 3 one-shot. Pregenerated characters will be available and are the easiest way to join quickly. If you prefer to bring your own character, create a level 3 character in D&D Beyond using point buy. We will primarily use D&D 5.5 / 2024 rules, with 5e material allowed where needed for compatibility and character options. Good fits include monster hunters, wary travelers, frightened villagers, failed heroes, wandering priests, sellswords, occult scholars, or anyone desperate enough to follow the last road toward Barovia. Your character should be able to cooperate with the party and engage with gothic horror. Dark, haunted, reluctant, or morally complicated characters are welcome, but they still need a reason to help the group when the Mists close in. No Ravenloft or Curse of Strahd knowledge is required. If you are newer to D&D or unsure what to build, use a pregen or bring a rough concept and I will help you get ready before the session.

Preparing for the session

After you join, you will receive the Discord invite, Foundry VTT information, D&D Beyond guidance, and pregenerated character options. You will need: • A free Discord account • A free D&D Beyond account • A working microphone • A stable internet connection • A computer or laptop that can run Foundry VTT in a modern browser No Foundry experience is required. I will help with the basics before play begins. Please join Discord before the session, choose or prepare your character, and arrive a few minutes early so we can check audio, answer questions, and start on time. This one-shot is designed to be easy to join. Pregens are available, rules help is expected, and newer players are welcome.

What Bauric brings to the table

I will provide a complete gothic horror one-shot designed to be easy to join and satisfying to finish in one session. You can expect clear onboarding, pregenerated character options, Foundry VTT support, atmospheric maps and visuals, ambient music where appropriate, and a prepared adventure with a beginning, middle, and ending. My GM style is cinematic, patient, and player-focused. I use description, tension, mystery, and consequences to create atmosphere without making the table feel confusing or punishing. Combat will be dangerous but fair, with clear stakes and room for smart choices. I welcome newer players and will explain rules as they come up. I follow the rules closely enough to keep the game fair, but I will make clear rulings when pacing matters more than stopping the session for edge-case debates. Expect gothic horror, eerie choices, strange clues, and a table where your character’s decisions matter.

Homebrew rules

This game uses D&D 5.5 / 2024 rules as the baseline, with 5e material allowed where needed for compatibility and character options. Homebrew / table mechanics: - Drinking a potion yourself can be done as a bonus action. - Administering a potion to another character uses an action. - Critical hits use the standard rules unless stated otherwise. - Flanking is not used by default. - Inspiration may be awarded for strong roleplay, clever problem-solving, memorable teamwork, or leaning into the horror in a way that improves the table. - Rules questions are welcome, but I may make a quick ruling during play and revisit it after the session if needed. For this one-shot, the goal is clean pacing, fair rulings, and cinematic gothic horror without getting bogged down in edge-case rules debates.

How Bauric creates a safe table

This is a gothic horror one-shot, so safety and comfort matter. Before play begins, I will review the tone of the session, expected themes, and any content warnings. Players are welcome to message me privately before the game with topics they want avoided or handled carefully. During the session, we will use simple safety tools: - Pause or fade to black if a scene becomes uncomfortable. - Message me privately if you do not want to interrupt the table. - Say “pause” at any time if something needs to be adjusted. - No one has to explain or justify a boundary in the moment. The goal is tense, atmospheric horror, not shock value, humiliation, or pushing players past their comfort zone. After the session, I am available for questions, feedback, or a quick check-in if anything needs to be clarified.