Image by and courtesy of Lyla Reznik depicts Alenka, Mirabel and Sorvia owners of Blood of the Vine Tavern
Enter the mists. Survive Barovia. Defeat the vampire Strahd.
People are vanishing from the city, lured away by mysterious merchants, fortune tellers and travelers. Those who follow them are never seen again.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
2 players following this game
Weekly / Thursday - 1:00 PM UTC
Sep 24 / Session 4
Session Duration / 3–4 hours
3 / 6 Seats Filled
Top Game Master
One of StartPlaying's top-rated GMs, a player favorite and highly recommended.
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Schedule
Meet your party members
3/6
About the adventure
A darker, deadlier vision of Barovia awaits. This reimagined and expanded Curse of Strahd features exclusive content, new horrors, and unexpected twists. Even for those who think they know the adventure. This campaign is ideal for players who enjoy gothic horror, roleplay, combat, exploration and discovery and watching their characters grow over the course of a long-running adventure. Veterans and beginners are welcome. The Game The adventure begins as soon as two players are ready. Additional players can join the campaign as the story progresses. Groups typically range from 2–6 players. Sessions are approximately: 40% Roleplay 30% Combat 30% Exploration Expect tactical battles, dangerous dungeons, memorable NPCs, occasional puzzles and riddles, and a living world that reacts to your decisions. Between sessions, players can pursue downtime activities such as crafting, research, training, gathering information, and developing their characters while the story continues to unfold. Current Content Dungeons & Dragons 2024 rules. 2024 Player's Handbook classes. Artificer available. Characters may choose subclasses from either the 2024 or 2014 rules where appropriate (latest version). Primarily Rules as Written and Rules as Intended with limited homebrew.
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Roleplay Heavy
Combat Heavy
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(20)
3 years on StartPlaying
246 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Creativity, Beginner Friendly
Average response time: 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
I am seasoned East Coast Dungeon Master and recognized as a Top GM on StartPlaying who specializes in running long-term campaigns for both new and veteran players, both in person around New York City and online. My goal is to build campaigns that last far beyond a few sessions, where characters grow, relationships develop and player decisions leave lasting marks on the world. 🧙🏾 My games feature significant tactical combat, exploration and roleplay in a persistent world that reacts to the choices your party makes. My campaigns feature professional-quality maps, custom encounters, expansive lore, and challenges to create adventures that feel alive. ⚔️ Between sessions, the adventure doesn't stop. Players have the opportunity to pursue downtime activities, claim and manage treasure, craft potions and scrolls, train, research ancient lore, and continue developing their characters between sessions. These ongoing story elements allow you to build up your character and also help keep players engaged and make the campaign feel like a living world rather than a series of disconnected sessions. 🗺️ My background in horror screenwriting and film production influences the pacing, atmosphere, and dramatic tension of my games. Whether you're exploring ancient ruins, negotiating with powerful factions, or surviving desperate battles, I aim to create memorable moments that players talk about long after the session ends.🏺 All of my campaigns take place in the Forgotten Realms and are loosely interconnected. The actions of powerful characters and world events in one campaign may subtly influence another. For example, the Death Curse from Tomb of Annihilation may have repercussions far beyond Chult. 🎭 I run D&D 5E primarily rules-as-written and rules-as-intended with only limited homebrew. Creativity is always encouraged, clever ideas are rewarded, and while the world has genuine consequences, every challenge is designed to be fair. I also have a list of table rules to help keep play light and fun (see below). If you're looking for a reliable weekly group, a dedicated Game Master, and a campaign you can invest in for the long term, I'd love to have you at my table.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character Creation Point Buy for ability scores Using latest versions of any class, species, background or feat 2014 options may be used if no updated version exists Class: Artificer (EFA) Subclasses Alchemist (EFA) Armorer (EFA) Artillerist (EFA) Battle Smith (EFA) Cartographer (EFA) Reanimator (RHW) Class: Barbarian (PHB24) Subclasses (Paths): Ancestral Guardian (XGE) Battlerager (SCAG) Beast (TCE) Berserker (PHB24) Storm Herald (XGE) Wild Heart (PHB24) Wild Magic (TCE) World Tree (PHB24) Zealot (PHB24) Class: Bard (PHB24) Subclasses (Colleges): Creation (TCE) Dance (PHB24) Eloquence (TCE) Glamour (PHB24) Lore (PHB24) Moon (FRHoF) Spirits (RHW) Swords (XGE) Valor (PHB24) Whispers (XGE) Class: Cleric (PHB24) Subclasses (Domains): Arcana (AU) Death (DMG14) Forge (XGE) Grave (RHW) Knowledge (FRHoF) Life (PHB24) Light (PHB24) Nature (PHB14) Order (TCE) Peace (TCE) Tempest (PHB14) Trickery (PHB24) Twilight (TCE) War (PHB24) Class: Druid (PHB24) Subclasses (Circles): Dreams (XGE) Land (PHB24) Moon (PHB24) Sea (PHB24) Shepherd (XGE) Spores (TCE) Stars (PHB24) Wildfire (TCE) Class: Fighter (PHB24) Subclasses Arcane Archer (AU) Battle Master (PHB24) Cavalier (XGE) Champion (PHB24) Eldritch Knight (PHB24) Psi Warrior (PHB24) Purple Dragon Knight (FRHoF) Rune Knight (TCE) Samurai (XGE) Class: Monk (PHB24) Subclasses (Ways): Ascendant Dragon (FTD) Astral Self (TCE) Drunken Master (XGE) Elements (PHB24) Kensei (XGE) Long Death (SCAG) Mercy (PHB24) Mystic Arts (AU) Open Hand (PHB24) Shadow (PHB24) Sun Soul (SCAG) Class: Paladin (PHB24) Subclasses (Oaths): Ancients (PHB24) Conquest (XGE) Crown (SCAG) Devotion (PHB24) Glory (PHB24) Noble Genies (FRHoF) Oathbreaker (DMG14) Redemption (XGE) Vengeance (PHB24) Watchers (TCE) Class: Ranger (PHB24) Subclasses Beast Master (PHB24) Drakewarden (FTD) Fey Wanderer (PHB24) Gloom Stalker (PHB24) Hollow Warden (RHW) Horizon Walker (XGE) Hunter (PHB24) Monster Slayer (XGE) Swarmkeeper (TCE) Winter Walker (FRHoF) Class: Rogue (PHB24) Subclasses Arcane Trickster (PHB24) Assassin (PHB24) Inquisitive (XGE) Mastermind (SCAG) Phantom (RHW) Scout (XGE) Scion of the Three (FRHoF) Soulknife (PHB24) Swashbuckler (SCAG) Thief (PHB24) Class: Sorcerer (PHB24) Subclasses (Sorcery): Aberrant (PHB24) Clockwork (PHB24) Divine Soul (XGE) Draconic (PHB24) Shadow Magic (RHW) Spellfire (FRHoF) Storm (SCAG) Wild Magic (PHB24) Class: Warlock (PHB24) Subclasses (Patrons): Archfey (PHB24) Celestial (PHB24) Fathomless (TCE) Fiend (PHB24) Genie (TCE) Great Old One (PHB24) Hexblade (XGE) Undead (RHW) Undying (SCAG) Vestige (AU) Class: Wizard (PHB24) Subclasses (Schools): Abjurer (PHB24) Bladesinger (FRHoF) Diviner (PHB24) Evoker (PHB24) Illusionist (PHB24) Order of Scribes (TCE) Conjurer (AU) Enchanter (AU) Necromancer (AU) Transmuter (AU) War Magic (XGE)
Current party (1 joined, cleric joining when they come back from vacation): Liora | 1st Level Abyssal Legacy Tiefling Sorcerer ??? | 1st Level Cleric
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Links provided after approval. You will need microphone and webcam. Characters will be created on D&D Beyond or you can access your premade character on D&D Beyond. We will be speaking to each other using Discord. The game will be played in Roll20. All game rolls will be made here in game.
What Drakeen brings to the table
Most DnD Beyond Content Maps from Heroic Maps and DM Philosophy as well as others
Equipment needed to play
Microphone
Computer
Internet
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How Drakeen creates a safe table
The Dos and Don'ts of Server Etiquette: How to Play Nice and Have Fun 1. Don't be a bully. Unless your dream is to meet the virtual equivalent of the school principal. Trust me, you don't want to meet the principal. 2. Leave politics and real-world religion at the door. The only trolls welcome here are the ones trying to eat your party. Internet trolls will be fed to the owlbears. 3. Treat everyone with respect. Rude adventurers tend to have very low Charisma and almost always fail their saving throw against Banishment. 4. The DM's ruling stands during the session. If you think I've made a mistake, bring it up afterward. I promise I'm human... probably. 5. This is a welcoming table. Don't ruin it by being a jerk. Everyone deserves a chance to enjoy the game. 6. Don't cheat using out-of-game knowledge. Metagaming has an uncanny habit of causing Fireballs to scatter in unfortunate directions. 7. Keep romance PG-13. Flirting is fine. Explicit content isn't. If you're wondering whether something is appropriate... it probably isn't. 8. Don't be malicious. If your goal is making the game less fun for everyone else, your stay here will be very short. 9. Keep public chat on topic. Save controversial debates for somewhere else. This server is for slaying monsters, not each other. 10. No PvP without everyone's enthusiastic agreement. You're a party, not a reality TV show. 11. Follow the rules. Warnings exist, but repeated problems eventually become permanent problems. 12. Rules may evolve. Every campaign gets refined over time. Adaptability is a valuable adventuring skill.
Content warnings
Safety tools used