Shadows Over Barovia
A desperate letter from a distant land draws you into a valley shrouded in mist—and a nightmare with no escape.
$10.00
/ Session
Details
3 players following this game
Weekly / Tuesday - 6:30 AM UTC
Oct 20 / Session 4
Session Duration / 4–5 hours
4 / 5 Seats Filled
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Schedule
Meet your party members
4/5
About the adventure
The mists take you without warning. One moment you walk a familiar road; the next, you stand in a land that has never known the sun. This is Barovia—a valley of perpetual gloom, crooked trees clawing at a bleeding sky. The villagers are hollow, the wolves are hungry, and a castle looms over it all like a tombstone. The Lord of this land is ancient, powerful, and has taken an interest in you. His invitation is not a request. Barovia is a prison with walls of mist. You can run. You can fight. You cannot leave—until the Devil permits it. Survival requires more than courage; it demands cunning, sacrifice, and the willingness to make impossible choices. The land itself is watchful, hungry, and patient. Every ally you make is a lifeline. Every enemy you create could be your end. This is a game for players who love roleplay over combat. Social encounters drive the story—negotiating with desperate villagers, bargaining with enigmatic wanderers, and facing the Lord himself in words before blades. Combat is rare, dangerous, and often a mistake. Your choices echo—lives saved or lost, souls redeemed or damned. Your backstory is a part of the foundation of the plot. Your growth is the narrative. The world does not care if you live or die. But the light you carry into the darkness—that might just be enough to break the curse.
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Tactical / Crunchy
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(8)
2 years on StartPlaying
14 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, World Builder, Creativity
Average response time: Under 1 hour
Response rate: 50%
About me
I’ve been a GM for 13 years, running everything from fantasy like The Witcher to the grim dark future of Warhammer 40k. I’ve ran many systems, but my heart lives in worlds that don’t care if you live or die. My games are not for the faint of heart—expect bleak choices, rare but brutal combat, and a focus on social encounters. I will never just throw you into the dark. In and out of game, I’ll help you build your character, navigate the world, and find your place in it so you can push your limits without breaking. You will be challenged. You will not be abandoned.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
We'll handle everything during Session 0—no pressure to arrive with a finished character. Stats will be generated using heroic rolls (4d6, drop the lowest, assign as you like), so expect characters who feel capable but not invincible. Starting level is 1, as the module recommends. We'll build characters together on Roll20, where we'll also be playing. I'm open to official published content—core books, Xanathar's, Tasha's, etc.—but please avoid homebrew or unearthed arcana without checking with me first. I'm happy to work with you on backstory integration; the more you give me, the more I'll weave into the plot. If you have questions before Session 0, reach out anytime. I'm here to help.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
We will play on roll20 so an account for that is necessary, we will communicate via google meets (cameras are appreciated but not necessary) and we will use Watch2Gather for music and ambiance
What Cray brings to the table
Combat is intense, tactical, and unforgiving. Enemies fight smart—they flank, they exploit weaknesses, they do not pull punches. But I am always on your side. I'll offer tactical advice when asked and ensure you have the information needed to make informed choices. I want you to win—but I want you to earn it. I bring the world to life. Every NPC gets a voice, every scene has thematic music, every location breathes with atmosphere. I work closely with you on backstory integration—your past isn't decoration, it's the foundation of the plot. Lost family, old debts, buried trauma—I will weave it all into the narrative. I embrace the Rules as Written for consistency and fairness, except when the story demands otherwise. The Rule of Cool has its place—but only when it serves the moment, not when it breaks the world. This is a game where choices echo. Your growth is the narrative. And when you sit around that campfire, sharing your struggles—that's where the real magic lives.
Homebrew rules
I don't have many hard homebrew rules and all of those i use we always have to all agree to them. The caveat being if you can do it so can the enemies, so if you the barbarian wants to carry the parties gnome wizard in the backpack to let the wizard fire magic missiles in safety, we all agree to it but don't be surprised if the enemies get their own "pocket archers" soon enough.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Cray creates a safe table
On session 0 we will talk about topics we would rather avoid or things that should not be mentioned or even hinted at under no circumstance. Outside of that at the end of every session i take feedback on what went well and what didn't land as well as it could have. My DMs are always open if anyone is uncomfortable with what is happening right now and i do not mind taking a break and moving on from the scene.
Content warnings
Safety tools used