Curse of Strahd — A Daily PbP for New Adventurers

Creating your character

🌙 Welcome, Future Bastion Hero! 🌙 Prepare to Enter the Mists of Barovia You’ve been chosen by the Lucky Bastion—an adventuring guild known across the realms for gathering new heroes, teaching them the ropes, and throwing them directly into trouble with enthusiasm, encouragement, and mild concern. Your first mission? A land swallowed by fog. A village trapped in fear. A tyrant watching from his castle. Barovia awaits—and the Bastion believes you’re the hero who can survive it. Your journey begins now. ⭐ PLAYER PREP STEPS Step 1 — Join the Discord 👉 https://discord.gg/dZYw6NuDnu Click the green checkmark under Server Rules to gain access. Friend & DM IceKing (me) and let me know you’re here for the game. We’ll schedule Session 0 (short, friendly VC), but you can begin character creation right away. ⭐ CHARACTER CREATION RULES We use D&D Beyond (DDB) for character sheets. All content is shared—no books required. Starting Level: Level 1 Each new hero begins with: 1 Common Magic Item 1 Uncommon Magic Item 1 Free Feat Feats and ASIs at levels where both are granted (You never choose between them—you get both.) Perfect for new players who want cool toys early. ⭐ Step 2 — Roll Your Stats In the bot-spam channel, type: !randchar Roll twice → choose the better set. If both are bad, you can use: 32-Point Buy Max 18 before racial bonuses Min 8 You may use Chicken Dinner’s point-buy calculator if needed. Once happy with your stats, build your character in D&D Beyond. ⭐ Step 3 — Create Your Token Make a Hero Forge token for your character (free version is fine). If you’re unsure how, or want a custom look, I can help create one for you. ⭐ Step 4 — Send Your Token to the DM Send me your Hero Forge link, and I’ll generate the tokens needed for maps and combat images. ⭐ Step 5 — You’re Ready! Once your character is on D&D Beyond and your token is submitted, you’re officially ready to step into Curse of Strahd with the Lucky Bastion. 🦇 Welcome to the Bastion Your journey will take you through: Haunted villages Shadowed forests Mist-shrouded ruins Ancient secrets And eventually… Castle Ravenloft itself Every choice matters. Every ally you make could save your life. Every mistake might draw Strahd’s attention. Sharpen your blade. Ready your spells. Heroes don’t escape Barovia—they survive it.

Preparing for the session

Any device that runs Discord (computer, tablet, or phone). A free D&D Beyond account to make your character. When you join my DDB campaign, you’ll instantly get access to my full library of books, so you don’t need to buy anything.

What Grim "The Lucky Bastion" brings to the table

⭐ What I Provide — The Lucky Bastion Advantage When you join one of the Lucky Bastion’s campaigns, you’re not just entering a game— you’re joining a guild built to support new heroes from their very first step into the mists. Here’s what you’ll have at your side: 🛡 The Bastion Library (D&D Beyond) Your character gains access to the full might of my entire D&D Beyond collection: every book, every option, every spell, every subclass. No purchasing required. No barriers. Just open the pages and build the hero you want. 🏰 The Bastion Discord Hall A clean, organized Discord server designed specifically for Play-By-Post: Roleplay channels Combat channels with maps Dice bots Character journals One-on-one help threads A friendly community of fellow recruits Everything is arranged to keep the game moving smoothly and make posting effortless—even for beginners. ⚔️ The Bastion’s Mentorship You’re not expected to know the rules. Or how to build a character. Or how PbP works. That’s why the Bastion exists. I bring years of DM experience, teaching skills, and an “ask anything, anytime” approach to help you learn the game at your own pace. I’m here to guide, clarify, support, and cheer you on—whether this is your first adventure or your fiftieth. 🔮 Atmosphere & Storycraft Expect: Character voices Cinematic descriptions Spooky ambiance (light horror, lots of humor) Daily storytelling Rule-of-Cool rulings Encouraging, player-first DMing The goal is simple: to make you feel like a hero in a world built around your choices. 🦇 The Lucky Bastion Promise You bring your imagination. I bring the tools, the world, the support, and the story. Together, we carve a path through Barovia.

Homebrew rules

⭐ CHARACTER CREATION — SIMPLE & FUN 1. Roll Your Stats In bot-spam, roll: !randchar twice → pick the better set. If you dislike both, use 32-point buy (min 8, max 18 before racial traits). 2. Build Your Character Use D&D Beyond. Ask XxGrim(IceKing)xX for the campaign link. All official 5e content allowed at DM discretion. 3. Starting Level & Goodies Level 1. or join at party level. Every character begins with: • 1 free feat (in addition to origin) • 1 common magic item • 1 uncommon magic item At every ASI level: ➡️ You receive BOTH the ASI AND a feat. 4. Leveling & Progression All advancement uses XP, earned through: • Roleplay • Exploration • Creativity • Combat 5. Additional Rules • Fixed or rolled HP—your choice • Encumbrance ON • Coin weight OFF 🖥️ VTT OPTIONS • Roll20 — PM for link • Discord PBP — https://discord.gg/7hR8kqtMbd 💎 MAGIC ITEM & SCROLL COSTS Scroll Price Formula: (30 gp × cumulative spell levels) × rarity modifier Rarity multipliers: Common ×1 • Uncommon ×1.5 • Rare ×2 • Very Rare ×3 • Legendary ×5 Magic Item Prices Common 150–300 gp Uncommon 250–1500 gp Rare 1500–3000 gp Very Rare 3000–5000 gp Legendary 5000+ (DM approval) Artifacts (DM approval) ⚔️ APPROVED HOMEBREW RULES Gameplay Quality-of-Life • Standing/mounting costs 15 ft, not half • Enemies can crit fail • Start every session with DM Inspiration (regain on nat 20 or nat 1) • Medicine checks revive to 1 HP outside combat • Potions: Action = max heal, Bonus action = rolled heal Magic Rules • Arcana uses your spellcasting modifier (martials choose any mental stat) • Hex affects saving throws as well • Spellcasting focus covers all non-costly components • Two spells per turn allowed (Action + Bonus Action) Creatures & Companions • All creatures have 3 attunement slots (must reasonably use items) • Animal armor costs 2×, and must be recovered if the creature dies • Mending heals Warforged (Autognome-style HD recovery) 💬 COMMUNITY PHILOSOPHY The Lucky Bastion is built on: • Friendship • Inclusivity • Fun-first play • Creative freedom • Player loyalty & support I run an open-door table—come to me anytime. This community exists so we can laugh, unwind, make memories, and play the game we love. Welcome to the Bastion. Let's roll dice and tell epic stories together. 🎲✨

How Grim "The Lucky Bastion" creates a safe table

🛡️ PLAYER SAFETY MATTERS — ALWAYS A welcoming, supportive D&D community where your comfort comes first. At The Lucky Bastion, fun and adventure are the goal— but player safety is the foundation. Before we roll a single die, every player is heard, respected, and supported. 🧭 SESSION 0 — Your Comfort, Your Boundaries When you join, we begin with a Session 0 to: • Discuss your character • Explore your goals • Set expectations for tone and playstyle • Identify topics you’d like me to avoid If something is triggering, upsetting, or simply not fun— we remove it. No pressure. No judgment. 🛑 DURING PLAY — Your Voice Matters If anything in a session makes you uncomfortable: • Tell me • I will immediately shift the scene, change the subject, or remove the element You never have to explain why. Your comfort is enough. ⏸️ BREAKS & INTERMISSIONS Need a breather? Just ask. We take short breaks on request, whether you need a moment to reset, decompress, or grab a drink. This is a game—not a pressure cooker. 🎴 THE DECK OF PLAYER SAFETY We use the Deck of Player Safety, a tool that lets players anonymously flag topics they’d like excluded. It includes “hot-button” topic cards and “Anything Goes” cards to quickly signal comfort levels without singling anyone out. Learn more: 🔗 https://app.demiplane.com/dops?srsltid=AfmBOopPZ7jdC4DpzBEwcxGDY2_mhTFsUUTgqMnwh1qg6-BUcIIFV3MG This empowers everyone to communicate boundaries quietly, safely, and without interruption. 💬 OPEN COMMUNICATION — Before & After Sessions Whenever I’m free, I try to: • Check in before games • Debrief after games • Make sure everyone feels good about the story and group • Adjust pacing, tone, or intensity based on feedback Your experience matters—and I’m here to support it. 🌟 A SAFE SPACE FOR ADVENTURE The Lucky Bastion is built to be: • Friendly • Inclusive • Low-stress • Welcoming • Supportive for new & veteran players alike Because D&D should be a place to: ✨ Relax ✨ Laugh ✨ Escape ✨ Play pretend ✨ And slay epic monsters—without real-world discomfort ❤️ YOU DESERVE A SAFE, COMFORTABLE TABLE If you want a DM who listens, a group that respects boundaries, and a campaign where safety tools are built in from the start— Welcome to the Bastion. Your adventure begins where you feel safe.