The Mists Have Chosen You — Curse of Strahd (2024)

Creating your character

Character Creation Characters begin at 1st level — fragile, mortal, and exactly as scared as they should be. You'll grow into heroes. If you survive. Characters can be built one of two ways: D&D Beyond — once you join the campaign, you'll get access to my content sharing with all official sourcebooks unlocked (2024 rules), or Directly in Foundry VTT — build your character right on our virtual tabletop, where we'll be playing. You don't have to build alone. We'll hold a free Session Zero before the adventure begins — no charge, just the group coming together to set expectations, talk safety tools, and build characters with anyone who'd rather create alongside the party. Once you join our Discord, the table is open: brainstorm concepts, coordinate party roles, and scheme together freely. However you build, share your character concept and backstory with me — I'll be putting them to use. (So will Strahd.) The Basics: Ability scores: Standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) or point buy. Species, class, and background: Any official 2024 source — including the new options in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. Backstory: Bring one! Your character will be drawn into Barovia from another world, and what (or who) they left behind matters. The Mists choose their prisoners carefully — and so do I. STORY FIRST, BUILDS SECOND: Make no mistake — there's plenty of combat in Barovia, and a well-built character will serve you well. Build smart! But this is not a min-max table. If your character is a damage formula with a name attached, this isn't your game. I want characters with fears, flaws, and reasons to fight — those are the heroes Barovia remembers (and the ones Strahd finds interesting enough to keep alive). Bring me a person, not a spreadsheet. Heroes Only. Barovia is dark enough without the party fighting itself. No evil-aligned characters — your character can be grumpy, broken, scared, or skeptical, but at their core they're someone who'll stand against the darkness when it counts. (Exception: if the entire table wants an evil campaign, we can discuss it at Session Zero — but it's all or none. Half-and-half parties aren't fun for anyone.) Likewise, no PvP — Barovia will test your bonds plenty without players turning blades on each other. On Dark Gifts: The Horrors Within introduces Dark Gift feats — sinister bargains with the powers that rule this land. Taking one doesn't make your character evil... but the Dark Powers don't give without taking, and accepting their gifts invites attention. Choose wisely. Or don't — that's fun too. A practical tip: Heroes die in Barovia. Having a backup character concept sketched out isn't pessimism — it's good planning. New souls arrive through the Mists, and the story goes on. Questions before Session Zero? Reach out anytime — and then the Mists take us.

Preparing for the session

Before the Mists take you, make sure you're ready: Accounts & Software: -Discord account and app installed — this is our table's home base: scheduling, character talk, and between-session scheming. You'll get an invite when you join. -D&D Beyond account (free) — only needed if you're building your character there. You'll get access to my sourcebooks once you join the campaign. Your Character: -Build a 1st-level character via D&D Beyond or directly in Foundry VTT — or wait and create with the group at our free Session Zero. Either way, have your character ready before Session One. -Send me your concept and backstory early. The more you give me, the more Barovia will know you when you arrive. (That's a promise, not a warning. Mostly.) Hardware: - A computer — and the better, the better. I run Foundry with graphical mods (dynamic lighting, animated effects, weather), so a reasonably modern machine gives you the full atmospheric experience. A potato with a keyboard will technically connect, but Barovia deserves better. (Tablets and phones won't cut it for this one.) - A working microphone (headphones strongly recommended — your party will thank you) - A stable internet connection Foundry VTT: - No download needed — Foundry runs in a modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge recommended) - Never used it? Watch this quick tutorial before we play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jfRtmuwxU - If Foundry runs choppy at Session Zero, we'll troubleshoot together — browser choice and hardware acceleration settings fix most issues. That's it. Bring your character, your courage, and a healthy distrust of hospitality.

What Gabe brings to the table

Step into Barovia — fully realized. As your DM, my job is to make you forget you're looking at a screen. Here's what that looks like at my table: -Foundry VTT, fully loaded: custom maps, dynamic lighting, fog of war, and animated effects. When your torch gutters in Death House, your vision shrinks with it. -A living soundscape: curated music and ambient audio for every region of Barovia — howling wind on Old Svalich Road, distant church bells in the village, and silences that mean something is wrong. -A blend of tactical combat and theatre of the mind: crunchy, strategic battles on the grid when it counts; fluid cinematic storytelling when it flows. -NPCs with voices, wants, and secrets: Barovia's people are survivors, schemers, and broken souls — and every one of them knows more than they're telling. (Well I try :)) -Rule of Cool, within reason: I reward creative problem-solving. The 2024 rules are our foundation, but a brilliant, dramatic idea will always get its moment. - Your story, center stage: backstories, bonds, and flaws aren't homework — they're the raw material Strahd and I will both be working with. A note on AI: I use AI tools as part of my prep kit — primarily for visual aids (NPC portraits, location art) that deepen immersion at the table. The storytelling, the voices, the scheming Strahd across from you? That's all me. If AI-assisted art is a dealbreaker for you, no hard feelings — but this table may not be the right fit. Challenging but fair. Atmospheric but fun. Deadly but never cheap. That's the table I run — and Barovia is waiting.

Homebrew rules

THE LEVEL ROLL — my signature house rule: At the end of every session, the table rolls off — and one player levels up that night. No one can level twice until everyone has leveled once, so the party stays within one level of each other. Same pace as leveling together, but piecemeal — and it makes the end of every session a moment everyone's invested in. NO LEVEL CAP: We play until the story is done. My last Ravenloft table reached level 18. Barovia will decide how strong you need to become. THE PERKINS CRIT: Critical hits roll damage once and ADD the dice maximum (2d6+3 becomes roll + 12 + 3). Crits never feel weak at this table. NAT 20 / NAT 1 ON SKILL CHECKS: A natural 20 succeeds, a natural 1 fails — every roll matters, every roll has drama. DESPERATE MEASURES: When you're bloodied (half HP or less), you can pre-mark death-save failures to fuel heroic surges — extra actions, max damage, recovered spell slots. Power at a price. Very Barovian. COUNTDOWN TIMERS: Some dangers don't wait for your turn. A visible die ticks down on the table — when it hits zero, something happens. Flooding crypts, unstable magic, approaching footsteps... FLANKING: Flanking grants advantage — positioning matters, so think tactically. (Enemies use it too. You've been warned.) CHAMPIONS CRIT ON 18: Champion Fighters crit on 18–20 from the moment they take the subclass. Champions deserve to feel champion-y early. IDENTIFY CONSUMES THE PEARL: That 100 gp pearl is spent with each casting. Knowledge has a price in Barovia — everything does.

How Gabe creates a safe table

Barovia is a dark place — but the table never should be. Here's how we keep the horror fun: SESSION ZERO (FREE): Before the adventure begins, we'll hold a free Session Zero to set expectations, discuss the campaign's themes and content warnings, and talk through anyone's hard limits or concerns. This is where we calibrate the horror to the table — what's thrilling for one group is too much for another, and Session Zero is where we find our line. DECK OF PLAYER SAFETY: We use the Deck of Player Safety during play. It gives every player a clear, low-pressure way to flag content in the moment — no explanation required, no spotlight on you. I'll walk everyone through how it works at Session Zero. BREAKS: Sessions run 3 hours, and we'll take breaks — both scheduled and whenever anyone needs one. Horror works best with room to breathe. Need a minute? Take it, no questions asked. OPEN COMMUNICATION: My door is always open. Reach out during the game, after the session, or anytime by PM on Discord. If something didn't sit right, I want to know — adjusting the game is easy; un-ruining someone's night is not. Concerns raised privately stay private. The goal is simple: dread for your characters, fun for you. Those are not the same thing, and I never confuse them.