Curse Of Strahd|Beginner Friendly|Level 1-10
On a rain soaked evening, a stranger approaches your group with a peculiar revelation: one of your group has inherited an estate in distant Barovia...
$10.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Monday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 2–3 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
A mysterious inheritance draws you toward the mist-shrouded Valley of Barovia. One among you has been named heir to Argynvostholt, a ruined estate with a forgotten history—and claiming it will mean crossing into a land where roads vanish, the dead do not rest, and Count Strahd von Zarovich watches from the shadows. This is a gameplay-focused Curse of Strahd campaign built around tactical combat, puzzles, exploration, investigation, and gothic mystery. Expect haunted ruins, dangerous wilderness, hidden chambers, strange relics, environmental hazards, and encounters that reward clever planning as much as strong character builds. Barovia is full of clues and secrets, and players who explore carefully and connect the pieces will uncover advantages that can make the difference between survival and disaster. The campaign still delivers a strong, cohesive narrative, but you will not need to be an actor or spend long stretches performing in character to enjoy it. Role-play is present when it serves the story, while the focus stays on making decisions, solving problems, exploring dangerous locations, and overcoming challenging encounters. Creative solutions are encouraged, and combat will often offer more possibilities than simply reducing enemies to zero hit points. This game is ideal for players who enjoy dungeon crawling, tactical encounters, puzzles, mysteries, hidden lore, and a darker fantasy atmosphere. New players are welcome, experienced players will have plenty to sink their teeth into, and no prior knowledge of Curse of Strahd is required. Enter the mists, uncover the truth behind your inheritance, and see whether you can survive long enough to claim what waits at Argynvostholt.
Game style
Dungeon Crawl
Combat Heavy
Roleplay Lite
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
3 years on StartPlaying
About me
I have been on the site a while as a player but just now trying my hand at online GMing. Here is a little about me: I’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons for about 20 years, starting all the way back in high school. Over the years, my love for tabletop RPGs has only grown, and more recently I’ve stepped behind the screen as a Dungeon Master. For me, TTRPGs are about more than rules, dice, and character sheets—they’re about bringing people together to tell memorable stories. I genuinely enjoy introducing new players to the hobby and making tabletop gaming feel welcoming, accessible, and far less intimidating. Whether you’re brand new to D&D or a longtime player looking for a new group, my goal is to create a table where everyone feels comfortable contributing, learning, roleplaying, and having fun. Most of my experience is with Dungeons & Dragons, particularly 5th Edition, though I also have experience with 3.0 and 3.5. I’m also interested in exploring and running other systems, including Shadowrun, World of Darkness, and plenty of others. If you’re interested in setting up a game, assembling a group, or just want to talk about what kind of adventure you’re looking for, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to open up a conversation and see what kind of game we can build together. join my discord here and lets chat:https://discord.gg/rSSXzA6vHY
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character creation will be handled as follows: Characters will be created using only options to be found in the players handbook (2024). Players are encouraged to create human characters, as the racial make up of Barovia is roughly 98 percent human. Other races will be regarded with suspicion at best, unbridled hostility at worst. Any standard options are available. Creation will be done at session 0.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Players will need free accounts on Roll20 and D&D beyond. I will share all relevant books, there should be nothing needed to purchase. Comms will be done on Discord, and I use the Beyond20 extension to allow for rolling in the VTT from your D&D beyond character sheet. Once all those free accounts are set, you will be ready to join the campaign JOIN MY DISCORD HERE: https://discord.gg/Yp2XbYCj6J😅
What The Crusty DM brings to the table
I provide a fully prepared virtual tabletop experience designed to keep the game moving and make Barovia feel like a place worth exploring. Players can expect detailed battle maps, atmospheric location art, tokens for important NPCs and monsters, handouts, visual clues, and other supporting materials that help bring locations like the Village of Barovia and Argynvostholt to life. Whenever possible, I use visual aids so you are not forced to imagine an entire dungeon from a blank screen. I also provide guidance with character creation, rules, leveling, and learning the game. Newer players are welcome, and I am happy to help you build a character that is both effective and appropriate for the campaign without requiring you to memorize a rulebook first. During play, I handle the mechanical side as smoothly as possible so you can focus on making decisions, solving problems, exploring dangerous places, and surviving whatever Barovia puts in your path. Most importantly, I provide a prepared and responsive game rather than simply reading the adventure straight from the book. Encounters, mysteries, exploration, puzzles, and combat are presented with room for player creativity, and your choices can influence how events unfold. **Curse of Strahd** provides the foundation, but the goal is for this version of Barovia to become *your party's* story—complete with discoveries, victories, terrible mistakes, and consequences that carry forward from session to session.
Homebrew rules
I offer in depth home brew rules for herbalism and potion making as well as cooking and baking for those players interested in making a living as they play.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How The Crusty DM creates a safe table
My door is always open. Players will fill out a Monty Cook check list prior to session zero, hard limits will be stated, and during session zero, all players will have one on one time with me in a private voice chat to discuss any concerns, comments, or questions inividually
Content warnings
Safety tools used