The Devil of Barovia // Beginner's Curse of Strahd
Heroes must liberate a land plagued by the foul rule of despot Countess Strahd. In her realm of despair, heroes fight folkloric creatures and dismay
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Monday - 10:30 PM UTC
Session Duration / 2.5–3 hours
Campaign Length / 15–40 Sessions
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
This game will be welcoming of newcomers to TTRPGs. Increasing and encouraging comfortability in roleplay is a goal. If you have ever been too shy to jump into roleplay, this game is a perfect way to stretch your legs and run with your character's goals in a safe environment. Combat will also be a major part of the game, but I will make all efforts to make rulings and rules as smooth at the table as possible especially for newcomers to dnd 5e. That being said, Barovia is not a nice place... Barovia is a land of folk-horror fantasy. Evil plots and dark intentions abound, and the magic of the land overflows with an inescapable sense of doom and gloom. Despite this sorry state of affairs in Countess Strahd's iron grip, heroes have oft made their way into the depths of the mists of Barovia. Legend tells that no hero has ever returned. Will the intrepid few who plunge into the mist be the first to emerge from them without having lost things most precious?
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Combat Heavy
Dungeon Crawl
Hexcrawl / Exploration
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(5)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Inclusive, World Builder
About me
I've been in love with storytelling since I was a little kid. It's my favorite part about table top RPGs since I value the collective and unexpected stories that emerge in play because of a story's heartfelt impact. I've been DM-ing TTRPGs for about 5 years and have been playing for about 7 years. I cannot stop world-building and I am a chronic daydreamer when it comes to the worlds I've built in my head. TTRPGs are one of my creative outlets. I also make music, write short stories, and occasionally draw when I'm feeling adventurous.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will happen at session zero with all the party together crafting characters that are intertwined with the main plot of Curse of Strahd, its general environs, or another source of common motivation. Players are also encouraged to build interpersonal connections at session 0 as well. Players can ideate about characters but nothing should be set in stone until session 0 is over. Characters will begin at level 2. All officially published WOTC material for the 2014 5e version of Dnd rules is fair game to use in character creation. Any homebrew needs to be run by the game master at or before session 0.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need: 1) A discord account, joining the campaign discord 2) microphone and camera capabilities for sessions through discord 3) A roll20 account
What Nate brings to the table
Players can expect: 1) Character voices and characterizations from NPCs 2) Visuals when appropriate to set the scene for battles, scenes, and NPCs 3) Intense cinematic description of battles with an eye toward the rules but flexible to stretch them when plausible and effectual for fun at the table 4) Understanding GM-ing to ensure that the story of the characters is always the most engaging and fulfilling within the game's constraints
Homebrew rules
1) Drinking a potion is a bonus action, administering one is a full action 2) Critical on initiative means you get to pick where to go in initiative 3) PC death saves are secret rolls to the GM 4) PC Grit Saves- If a player character fails a saving throw which would impose any condition, they can instead choose to suffer damage equal to 1/3 of their maximum HP total and succeed on the aforementioned saving throw. 5) Massive Criticals- For critical hits, roll damage and add max damage based on dice amount.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Webcam
Platforms used
Safety
How Nate creates a safe table
A Lines and Veils document will be shared prior to Session 0. Such limits will be discussed by the GM at session 0. Requesting to move on from a particular subject in-game can be addressed privately to the GM in the moment they are happening and GM will promptly usher players forward past the triggering moment or circumstance. GM may inquire further with player to ascertain how to avoid triggers in the future.
Content warnings
Safety tools used