Curse of Strahd - Shadowdark
Take on one of the most iconic villains from any role playing game but using the ShadowDark rules.
$10.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Tuesday - 11:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
1 / 6 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/6
About the adventure
**Barovia is dying for new blood. Will it be yours?** **Campaign**: Curse of Strahd, reforged for **Shadowdark RPG** **Platform**: Foundry VTT — fully automated, immersive, and dangerous **Tone**: Grim horror, gothic dread, player-driven desperation **System**: Shadowdark — fast, lethal, torch-flickering OSR terror --- ### **The Land Calls to You...** The mists have parted. The gates of Castle Ravenloft creak open once more, but this Barovia is not what you remember. Stripped to its fangs and shadows, we're running **Curse of Strahd** through the blood-slick lens of **Shadowdark RPG**. No skill lists. No safety net. Just your torch, your luck, and the growing certainty that the dark is watching you back. **Real-time darkness** consumes your vision beyond the torchlight. **Real-time combat** means hesitation kills. **Real-death consequences** mean every roll of the dice could be your last. And somewhere, beyond the fog, **Strahd von Zarovich** is smiling. ### **What We Offer** - **Foundry VTT**: Custom Shadowdark integration with dynamic lighting, ambient soundscapes, animated maps, and automated crawls. When your torch dies, *your screen goes dark too*. - **Shadowdark Rules**: Fast character creation, d20-down mechanics, spellcasting with consequences. Censers replace components. Corruption replaces pretension. - **Curse of Strahd, Rebuilt**: Classic locations and NPCs, but tuned for Shadowdark’s lethality. Sanity is fragile. Allies are scarce. The Devil plays by OSR rules now. - **Mature, Horror-Focused Storytelling**: This is gothic horror, not superhero fantasy. Expect dread, moral dilemmas, and sessions that linger after we fade to black. ### **Who We're Looking For** - **4-6 players** | Level 1 | Will probably die - **Availability**: Tuesdays 7pm-10pm EST | Weekly | Campaign length ∼6-9 months - **Experience**: Shadowdark/5e/OSR welcome. New to Foundry? We’ll teach you. New to watching your PC get dragged into the mists? You’ll learn fast. - **Vibes**: You love emergent story, you track your own torches, you understand “run” is a valid tactic, and you don’t mind when the dice say it’s time to roll up someone new. ### **Technical Needs** - Mic with no heavy background noise - Foundry VTT runs in-browser — no purchase needed - Discord for voice, scheduling, and weeping between sessions - Session 0 (Free) includes Shadowdark crash course + safety tools --- **“I am the ancient. I am the land.”** **Strahd awaits. The dice are hungry. Are you?** Reply with your name, RPG experience, favorite horror trope, and what your character’s epitaph would read. Bonus points if you tell me how your last PC died. *We are the fortunate ones. The light only dies if you let it.*
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rules as Written (RaW)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(21)
5 years on StartPlaying
24 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Teacher, Visual Aid
Average response time: 9 hours
Response rate: 71%
About me
Hello and well met! I have been playing one version of D&D to the next (except 4th edition) since 1982 when I fell in love with this game while getting my first experience playing with a friend in the back of a station wagon on a road trip. I fell into the role of Dungeon Master with my friends at the time the way that most do (no one else wanted to do it). I immediately fell in love with that role. The directing of a shared story narrative with a table full of friends hit my sweet spot. I believe that EVERYONE at the table should have their voice heard. This is what creates that shared experience of the game (whether a one shot or long term campaign). When starting up a new game players will often ask me it (fill in the blank here) is acceptable. My usual reply is yes and that it is my job as a DM to make it work. I usually prefer a pretty even mix of role playing to combat scenarios. I feel like both compliment each other very well. Bringing new players into the game is a joy. There is nothing else like bringing someone into a hobby which has been a part of my life for the past 4 decades!
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation shall be done during a free Session Zero. Players can feel free to use the character sheets in Foundry VTT or Shadowdarklings.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
The game will be using Foundry VTT for maps and visuals and will be using Discord for voice. Players will need an account (free) on Discord. No Foundry VTT account necessary to play. A link will be provided.
What Ray DM brings to the table
This game will use high quality maps and artwork designed to help bring the players into the Valley of Barovia and it's various locations. Background ambient music specific to the scene, theme will also be used.
Homebrew rules
The game will be played "Rules as Written" but the GM is always open to any new and cool ideas.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Ray DM creates a safe table
Any and all concerns can be brought up the Game Master either during the Session Zero or privately at any time during the game.
Content warnings
Safety tools used