RavenLoft: The Horrors Within

Creating your character

Character creation begins before the adventure does. During Session 0, you’ll create your character together with the DM and the other players at the table. Your character isn’t simply being dropped into an existing story—they are one of the foundations that the story and the world are built around. Together, we’ll establish who your heroes are, what brought them together, and what connects them to one another and the world around them. Your characters share a common purpose and a reason to stand together. You are heroes. The heroes are the most important part of the story. The world, mysteries, encounters, and adventures are built to give your characters something to discover, challenge, and change.

Preparing for the session

A private Discord server will be given when you join. You will need a free Roll20 account that is connected through your discord.

What Justin brings to the table

My games are a collaborative storytelling experience. I compose the world, adventure, mysteries, NPCs, locations, and encounters; you are the heroes who navigate that world and make the choices that shape what happens. Everyone at the table contributes to creating the story, and everyone has a distinct role in shaping the world. Come ready to participate. Know your character, engage with the other players, ask questions, investigate the world, and give yourself opportunities to interact with the story. You don't need to be an experienced roleplayer or performer—your character doesn't need a perfect voice or an elaborate backstory. What matters is being willing to play, contribute, and let your character become part of the group. Build with the table, not against it. Characters should have reasons to work together, relationships with the other heroes, and a shared reason to pursue the adventure. You are encouraged to develop your character's personal goals and conflicts, while creating opportunities for the group rather than constantly pulling the party apart. Your choices matter. I don’t expect you to follow a predetermined solution to a problem. If you come up with a plan, pursue an unexpected lead, make a difficult choice, or take the story somewhere I didn't anticipate, I'll work with it. The world will respond to what you do, and consequences—both good and bad—are part of the adventure. At the same time, collaboration doesn't mean everyone gets to control everything. I am responsible for the world, its inhabitants, its challenges, and the situations I put in front of you. You are responsible for your character and their choices. We will work together within those roles to create a story that none of us could create alone. Bring your character to the table. I'll bring the world. We'll discover the story together.

Homebrew rules

The Rules are meant to support the story and vibe. I always reward players’ creativity, and encourage bending the mechanics to fit the story and moment. This doesn't always mean success, and failure doesn't always mean death. I will never shoot down an idea; I want you to succeed. Tell me you want to cut the rope holding the chandelier and zip line to the second floor as the glass crashes on your enemies, because that's COOL AF and I want that too. You don't have to ask how the room is lit first, because I might say torches when a chandelier is MUCH BETTER.

How Justin creates a safe table

Horror works best when everyone at the table feels safe. Ravenloft can explore dark themes, frightening situations, violence, death, and difficult subjects, but the game content should never come at the expense of a player's comfort. We will establish boundaries before play and maintain open communication throughout the campaign so everyone has a clear way to speak up, step away, or change direction when necessary. Session 0 is where we establish those expectations together. We'll discuss the themes of the adventure, identify Lines and Veils, and talk about anything players would prefer to keep out of the game or handle off-screen. We'll also establish how the table's safety tools work, so nobody has to figure them out in the middle of an intense scene. During gameplay, I use several tools to help everyone communicate comfortably: Lines & Veils: Lines are subjects that do not appear in our game. Veils are subjects that may exist in the story but will fade to black rather than being described in detail. Deck of Player Safety: Players can use safety cards to communicate boundaries without having to interrupt the game with an explanation. X, N, O Cards: These provide simple, immediate ways to communicate. X means stop or remove what is happening, N signals that something needs to change or be adjusted, and O indicates that the player is comfortable continuing. Open Door: You never need permission to step away from the table. Take a break, get some air, grab a drink, or simply step away whenever you need to. You do not have to explain why. Breaks: We'll take regular breaks during longer sessions with additional breaks available whenever the table needs one. Stars & Wishes: At the end of sessions, players can share what they enjoyed and what they would like to see more of. This gives me direct feedback about what's working and helps shape future adventures around the table's interests. These tools aren't just for emergencies. You can use them at any point, for any reason, and you never need to justify using them. If something makes you uncomfortable, we can pause, rewind, change the scene, skip it, or move on. My responsibility is to create an engaging and frightening world—not to make anyone at the table genuinely uncomfortable. The horror belongs in the story; safety belongs at the table.