Curse of Strahd
The vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich, one of D&D’s most iconic villains, is the undisputed master of his hidden domain of Barovia. While his reign of terror breaks the spirits of his subjects, he himself is a prisoner; Barovia is a demiplane, a pocket dimension which traps both the vampire and his victims, to Strahd to possess, enthrall, or dispose of as he sees fit. Perhaps the heroes who now wander into its mists will slay Strahd and free Barovia once and for all… or perhaps they will simply die, just like all who have come before. Curse of Strahd is a gothic horror adventure module for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Based on the classic Ravenloft by Laura and Tracy Hickman, Strahd revamps the beloved adventure with tons of new NPCs, locations, and a full history of the dark lord Strahd himself. It’s a good example of a “sandbox” or open-world adventure; while Barovia’s borders trap the heroes, there’s nothing stopping them from exploring wherever they like, and deadly danger can appear anywhere. As such, players need to play smart and be cautious, as even the devilish vampire himself can show up whenever he likes to torment them. The adventure begins with a divinatory card reading that can completely randomize the locations of important characters and treasures, so the module can even be replayed without retreading too much old ground. Heroes will need to gather allies, grow in strength, and ultimately know their enemy to resist Strahd’s charms and temptations and put him in the ground for good!
Authors: Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Adam Lee, Chris Perkins, Richard Whitters
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Curse of Strahd Reviews (48)
See what other Game Masters and players are saying about Curse of Strahd
Laura
New review
Played 1 sessions
Strahd benefits most from some of the homebrew components you can find. The game is moody, dark, but can be overwhelming.
Cortney
New review
Played 41 sessions
My favorite campaign so far! Spooky and sandboxy but with an endpoint to move towards.
Nick Grotto
New review
This is a super fun campaign for players but get ready to commit to a long campaign. In my opinion the side quests and exploration aspects make this a great campaign, but the main story is to cliché and drags on the storyline. This is an easy campaign to run for new GMs. I always skip Death House and start players at level 3. Session 0 can be lots of fun with role play elements that end with the mist descending on the party. Alternately, just have players wakeup in the forest together with no idea of how they got their or who the other party members are. Either way, go for the spooky start from the jump.
F Young
New review
I mean, you can't beat the classics. Strahd has been haunting D&D as long as I've played (a long time) and what's no to love about this adorable monster? (Okay, murderous fiend who's trapped you in his domain out of greed and avarice. So not really THAT lovable.) Still, a very different take on fantasy roleplaying you might just hunger for!
Mancer
New review
I've run more instances of Curse of Strahd than any other module, AP or homebrew and while there are some plot holes that need filling and problematic areas for sure. This is one of my favourite stories. The helplessness of the setting, the gothic vibes and the ever-present villain are all incredible. Would and will be happily running more instances of this. He is ancient, He is the land.
Paul
New review
Ran 26 sessions
A campaign that pulls in nearly every horror monster into a single adventure! There are so many possible paths and sympathetic NPC quests that even the replay value is high! Curse of Strahd can be handily conquered within 11 levels or less, which helps to reduce campaign bloat and encourage completion in a reasonable time frame. I personally recommend checking out the Adventurers League Curse of Strahd season as great intro adventures to drop characters into Barovia.
Curse of Strahd map makers
Mike Schley
Over the years, Mike Schley has worked in a variety of positions, including lead designer, art director, and freelance illustrator for top-tier publishers. Their art is well recognized among fans of Dungeons and Dragons, having created art and maps for everywhere from The Sword Coast to Barovia, and countless places in between. Mike says that they "aim to ignite the viewer's imagination in a way that inspires their own creativity" with their illustrations.
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JamesRPGArt
James creates animated background scenes for TTRPGs, and releases new scenes each month. As a concept artist and digital painter, they have a great passion for running and playing a wide variety of role-playing games, creating their art and animations to add atmosphere and immersion to your favorite games.
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