Curse of Strahd nightmare sand box! Strahd empowered!
You know Barovia, But what if Strahd was competent? What if you could become a dark lord yourself? What if you could shape the realms of dread?
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Saturday - 12:00 AM UTC
Jun 13 / Session 0
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Barovia is not a haunted house ride. It is a prison ruled by an intelligent predator. This campaign expands Curse of Strahd into a long-form gothic horror sandbox where you rise from frightened survivors to rulers, conquerors, or Darklords themselves. What to Expect: 🩸 Grim Hollow Transformations: Become a vampire, lich, fiend, or aberration. 🏰 Domain Management: Build strongholds, command factions, and carve your legacy. ⚔️ Intelligent Tactics: Strahd will not wait in his castle; he exploits weaknesses early. 🎭 50/50 Balance: Deep character roleplay meets gritty, dangerous tactical combat.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(6)
4 years on StartPlaying
3 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Rule of Cool
Average response time: 2 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
I’m a published RPG writer, veteran, and longtime GM who runs cinematic, high-energy campaigns where player choices matter. My games often deal with dark subject matter: war, horror, survival, corruption, betrayal, desperate odds, and broken worlds. But the table itself is not doom and gloom. We laugh a lot. We joke, scheme, improvise, celebrate terrible ideas, and keep the energy alive. The darkness matters more when the players are actually having fun. I build games around sandbox freedom, tactical danger, strong character moments, chaos, dark humor, and hard-earned victories. You can talk your way through trouble, kick the door in, plan the perfect operation, betray the mission, save the wrong person, or burn the whole thing sideways. The world will react. I’ve published RPG material on DMs Guild and DriveThruRPG, including Swamp of Sorrows: Blood Purge Village, an Electrum Bestseller originally written for a convention, and Neo Tokyo 2100, a Savage Worlds setting and Copper Bestseller. I’ve also written adventures through Menagerie Press, and I’ve run D&D 5e, Fallout 2d20, Lancer, Cyberpunk RED, Battle Century G, and other indie systems. I’m best for players who want teamwork, roleplay, danger, cinematic action, big laughs, and a campaign that feels alive. New players are welcome, but I do not run passive theme-park rides. Your choices matter here.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We will build characters together in Session 0! Stats will be rolled using a heroic method. If your two allotted rolls are still terrible, I will give you access to a beefed-up point buy so you stand a fighting chance. What rules are we using? You do not need to buy anything to play. We will be utilizing the D&D 2024 rules for this campaign.If you only know the classic 2014 rules, don't worry! I will guide you through the updates, and all homebrew Grim Hollow transformation mechanics will be fully provided by me.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
have a discord, a working mic and a good team player attitude! Also mentally prepare yourself for the adventure itself. Strahd is a bastard, the people that live in Barovia aren't shining beacons of hope and morality. Almost every bad thing you can think of happens in this game. That being said we will discuss in session 0 what is ok and not ok for our table. Also we can adjust on the fly as we go.
What mac brings to the table
I will bring a highly skilled/ tailored gm experience for you to enjoy. I have animated battle maps, an active sound board, custom music to fit the scene. I can also build custom tokens or character portraits for you and your character if you give me a heads up. I will challenge you, i will push your characters, but you will feel like more of a badass for surviving the odds and accumulating your power. Though just because its a horror game doesnt mean we cant have a great time, have laughs and enjoy each others company! very much looking forward to meeting you! Oh yeah, and yes tactical combat, but rule of cool if its even kind of plausible!
Homebrew rules
Potions are a bonus action, if i get a rule wrong i apologize, but my ruling stands until after session when you can show me the appropriate rule. Unless said mistake would result in a character death then we can look it up on the spot. you are allowed to narrate your characters thoughts, so the other players at the table can see your motivations BUT keeping character and player knowledge separate is important! this is mostly for storytelling and so everyone understands the story.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How mac creates a safe table
Barovia features heavy gothic horror themes, including body horror, psychological peril, and dark fantasy violence. We will strictly use Lines and Veils in Session 0 to establish boundaries, ensuring the game remains challenging and dark without crossing into personal discomfort. I also have an open door policy and very much want to ensure that my players are having fun, feeling safe and comfortable.
Content warnings
Safety tools used