Welcome to Barovia
An Introduction to The Curse of Strahd
Curse of Strahd is a story of gothic horror, Dungeons & Dragons 5e adventure for a party of four to six adventurers of levels 1–10 (though, we'll be playing this from levels 5-13ish). A balance of character classes is helpful since the party will face a variety of challenges. Each character class will certainly have its moment to shine. At times in the campaign you may have one or more NPCs traveling with you.
The Adventure
We will be playing Curse of Strahd. It is known as one of the best adventure modules for Dungeons and Dragons 5e. CoS is structured around gothic and survival horror themes and is based on famous horror stories such as Dracula. Expect a darker, more serious tone. We will try to stay loyal to this, but not to the extent where we can't have fun with it. Don't be afraid to be goofy to lighten the heavy tone (especially when a Twist-of-Fate roll happens). As this is a prewritten module, please try to not look up spoilers/guides/etc. for Curse of Strahd until the campaign is over. Also, don't expect all of the things you read, both about the adventure and about general tropes, to be true in our campaign.Many spread rumours as to what may befall travellers as they camp in the wilds. "If you go too far within the trees," they say, "You may never return..." There are countless stories of people who never returned from the forests that surround civilization. Some blame the denizens of the forest, from wild beasts to tribes of elves or orcs. But then, why are their bodies never found? Others tell tall tales of colourful wagons whisking people away, ancient cities swallowed by mists, devilish creatures who hunt for blood... But tales is all they are, of course. Stories to frighten children from going into the woods at night. None of it can possibly be true. You, adventurer, have heard some of these rumours before. Perhaps overly superstitious parents or neighbours warned you of them, or maybe you sought out as much information as you could find about what lies beyond the borders of civilization. Whether you believed the stories or not, for some, the mists are inevitable.
The General Setting
Tone.
This will be a heroic fantasy adventure in a dark fantasy/gothic horror setting. Your character should be a hero, or have the potential to swiftly become a hero when faced with a life-or-death situation. Be prepared to cooperate and collaborate with the other players in order to succeed.Theme.
While this campaign will not explore or focus upon your character's personal backstory, you should allow the campaign's characters and setting to inspire your character to confront their own regrets, traumas, flaws, and fears.Engagement.
This campaign takes place in a setting with a deep history, including complex relationships between several dozen non-player characters. You should expect to notes and take a sincere interest in the lore of this world.Tactics & Difficulty.
This campaign has been balanced to present a challenging, but fair gameplay experience. However, to succeed, you will often need to recruit additional allies while avoiding alienating potential enemies. Consider the consequences of your actions carefully, and avoid taking actions without careful consideration. If you fuck around, you will swiftly find out.Roleplay.
This campaign is primarily driven by the stories of its non-player characters, and their relationships to the party. Be prepared to form meaningful relationships with the characters you encounter, and allow yourself to emotionally invest in those characters' success.Rewards.
Treasure, magic items, and other material rewards will be far more scarce than in an ordinary fantasy campaign. Instead, most rewards will take the form of allies, information, and new story hooks, we will continue to use milestone leveling as you proceed through the campaign.Narrative.
The campaign has moments with a linear structure, but can evolve into a more expansive sandbox. Be prepared to balance and prioritise multiple quests, including many with clear deadlines, some with dire consequences if you neglect them.Trigger Warnings
A brief (though not comprehensive) list of potential triggers in this module (as written) includes:- Child endangerment/abuse/incest
- Addiction and other mental health related stuff
- Murder
- Including the murder of children
- Kidnapping/imprisionment
- Death
- Including the potential for PC death/s, deaths of NPC (including self-harm related deaths) and the death/stillbirth of children/infants
- Gaslighting/deception/mind control/torture
- Racism
- Sexism
- Cannibalism/Body Horror
- Themes of sexual assault and/or coercion (or general loss of autonomy)
- Nothing graphic though, but it can be likened to SA
- Mental illness/suicide/drug addiction/alcoholism
- Animal cruelty/abuse
- Themes of Genocide
- Religious imagery/cult stuff
- Undeath
