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 (50)
See what other Game Masters and players are saying about Curse of Strahd
Ina
New review
Ran 45 sessions
Curse of Strahd is not without reason the most popular and well received module by Wizards of the Coast. For DM's the module provides plenty of lore, interesting non-player characters and of course one of the most iconic villains in D&D history. The tools necessary for a riveting horror experience for your players are there but I always recommend DM's to read through the module at least once before running the game and also read what I consider a companion book to the module, the novel "I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire" which helps you flesh out the most important piece of the story, its villain. Curse of Strahd leans heavily on its story, characters and role-play aspect of D&D with fewer combat encounters throughout the campaign. Thanks to the Tarokka deck and D&D player-choice driven format, no campaign is the same, so there is plenty for players and DM's alike to explore and have fun with.
Meghan
New review
I've played this module something like 6 times now with different groups and I'm still a fan. Curse of Strahd is a fun spooky adventure with lots of gross and unsettling ways to get your character cursed.
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!
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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
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