Fabled Folklore presents Curse of Strahd (Guest copies of Tabletop Sim available)

About the adventure

The rain is incessant. Oppressive. Weary, footsore, and soaked to the bone, a small group of travelers passes through the threshold of a weathered stonework gateway. As they trudge through the muddy streets of the small town beyond, what few souls are out in this weather greet them only with stares. Distrust—perhaps disdain, even—lingers in their eyes. A flash of lightning illuminates the place: ramshackle homes in disrepair, a sagging church building up the hill, and beyond—far beyond—a precariously-built castle looms over all from its clifftop perch. A single wolf's howl cuts through the pitter-patter of raindrops—then another, and another, and soon an entire canine chorus rings through the streets. The rest of the locals retreat inside their various dwellings. Lovely place this time of year. This is a classic adventure of gothic folk horror, and considered by some the best official adventure published by Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition. I'm Carson, and I'll be your guide as you explore the twisted sandbox domain of the vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich. Find allies and make enemies in your quest to... well, that's up to you. Just remember, the trees have eyes, and the devil in the castle is always watching. This game will be played on beautiful three-dimensional maps powered by Tabletop Simulator. Don't have a copy? No worries—I have guest copies for anyone to join with, so there's no cost to you to get the software. If you’ve never played an RPG through TTS before, you’ll be glad you gave it a try!

Additional Details

How to prepare

The only hardware players need are a decent microphone and a Windows or Macintosh computer that can render 3D graphics. YOU DO NOT NEED TO OWN YOUR OWN COPY OF TABLETOP SIMULATOR! If you do own the game, fantastic—but if not, I have guest copies you can join with. Voice and text communication will be handled through Discord. Beyond that, just bring your character sheet and a good attitude. New to StartPlaying? You can also get a $10 credit to play in this adventure by signing up for your website account using this link! https://startplaying.games/referral/60cacd9cc01e2400076180af

What I provide

I will provide guest copies of the Tabletop Simulator software for anyone who doesn't own the game to use. I also have the character creation materials on D&D Beyond, and a Google Drive folder full of official references and some curated third-party publications to use as you like.

Gameplay details

As written, Curse of Strahd contains themes that some players may find unpleasant. Violence and death are an inescapable element of fantasy horror—especially horror so inspired by Eastern European folklore as this—and I fully intend to create an unnerving atmosphere. However, the module is also written to include incidences of callous cruelty and even harm directed towards children, among other potentially distressing themes. With this in mind, a major part of this campaign's session zero will involve discussion for how we want to handle such story elements. I typically employ lines and veils as a general safety tool for such things, and I intend to periodically check in over the course of the campaign to make sure everyone is still feeling OK. Additionally, you may have heard some things about the hurtful negative Romani stereotypes this module employs. I am endeavoring to revise this presentation to make the relevant characters more nuanced, retaining their rich and interesting qualities while trimming out the historically harmful clichés. I am not a cultural expert in this topic, but I'll ask my players to join in a good-faith effort to try to avoid these tropes.

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

Breaks
Lines and Veils
Open Door
Session 0
X, N, and O Cards

How will character creation work

Characters are level 12 and approaching the endgame. We'll hash out how your character fits in and introduce them, and you can make a 3D model of them on Hero Forge that we'll import into the game as your 3D token.

Players can expect

• Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
• Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
• If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.