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 (63)
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This module is fantastic; so much lore and history within D&D. It might not be the best module for new players or a new DM. But for veteran players with an experienced DM, it can be a wonderful game experience. The only thing holding me back from giving it 5 stars is replay-ability. Other than the card reading the module plays the same each time. (I’ve played it 4 times with different groups.) I have never run the module as a DM, but it may be the next one I run for my long-time group of players.
This is one of the most legendary D&D modules ever written! You can take different parts of this and add it to your Homebrew game when you want to throw in a little Gothic horror. But the most fun I've had as a dungeon master was taking a group of four through the entire adventure! This has it all, vampires, ghouls, ghosts, and insane angels! I have thoroughly enjoyed this adventure several times and never the same twice!
Curse of Strahd is the best of all of the D&D 5th Editions campaigns but not because it is well written, or a good campaign as is. It is the best because of the community of DMs who have and are running it and the righ history surrounding the Ravenloft setting as a whole from previous editions which those DMs can pull from. In fact, while the premise of Curse of Strahd is great, so much 3rd party 5E supplemental content around the Ravenloft setting benefits from just how poorly organized, written, structured and depicted in art, that this campaign module is inside its pages. It's a true testament to the love the DnD community has for Ravenloft as a setting that they are willing to create so much 3rd party content just to make this module make sense and enrich it for what it truly could be. Throughout the book there are problematic pieces of art which immediately spoil important plot twists in the book, there is a confusion of details about Barovia and how it even functions, and worse, Strahd himself is an underwhelming villain stat block unless he is doing battle in his Castle and even then this requires the smart planning of a talented DM. I don't say any of this to discourage DMs or players from playing in this module but rather to point out that if you do dare to cross into the mists of Barovia, just know that your DM has and will put in a lot of work to give you the amazing Ravenloft experience you deserve and for both sides it will be worth it. Look to the Reddit and Discord Curse of Strahd communities as well because the wealth of knowledge, resources and outright rewriting of this module are essential to making it work.
My halfling wizard wants to save the people..and Strahd..I mean her is cursed ..so what will it take to lift that curse. It is a different feel..I mean does it always rain? And how do people raise crops with no sunlight.. She is starting to wonder if there are any "good" people in the Realm.. since all those in any position of authority are just out of themselves. If you go down to the woods today you can be sure of a big surprise
Stepping into Curse of Strahd feels like walking into a gothic nightmare. The atmosphere is thick with dread—fog-choked forests, and a looming vampire lord watching your every move from his dark castle. The tension is constant, and every decision feels heavy with consequence. It’s not just about fighting monsters; it’s about surviving a world that seems designed to crush hope. The story is rich, the setting is immersive, and Strahd himself is one of the most compelling villains in D&D. If you enjoy horror, moral dilemmas, and dark fantasy, this module delivers an unforgettable experience.
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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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