[LFP] [Tuesday 7pm CST] Curse of Strahd - Start at lvl 11!

Salutations! I am a DM that runs only Curse of Strahd. I have run this campaign a total of 5 times now. TL;DR: Drop your discord name down below and we can get you set up for a trial session. If all goes well, we will invite you to join the remainder of this campaign. First trial session will be tonight! Tuesdays 7pm CST (3-5 hour length). Starting Lvl: 11. About Me: Being a DM can be exhausting but also so rewarding whenever I see my players genuinely have a good time. I put a lot of time and work into it, and seem to do a decent job according to my past players.  My experience is about 3 years now for 5e. I started as a DM for a group of friends and my passion grew since then. I have yet to play an actual PC myself. One day I plan too, it’s just hard to find a group. So why not make one and provide you with what I hope will be an enthralling experience! Everything below you are about to read will give you insight on how my sessions will run, what to expect, and the application process! Enjoy!  The Problem In The Past: The main deterrent when it comes to running a campaign online with a group of new people boils down to this: Compatibility. I always get at least one person that leaves and another that constantly puts the party in danger due to rush acting/thinking. I am hoping this new system will be great for getting a batch of awesome players who will work great together and enjoy each other as much as they enjoy the story. When Are These Sessions?: ❌The time is Tuesday - 7:00 pm CST. Session run time will be 3-4 hours. A New Approach: Curse of Strahd is known to be a grim and dark campaign. It also holds great notoriety for being a TPK and unforgiving campaign. I have included several, and I mean several modifications, tweaks, and adjustments to the original module. While the original module itself is beautiful, some art lacks completion, some plot has vast holes, and some TPKS are just.. Wow. With my new homebrewed adjustments as well as pull-aways from awesome online resources from the community, I have remastered Strahd. This means TPKS are still in the game but they have a “gimmick” to them now. No need to fight a creature that is a CR 12 higher than your party and hope the luck of the die will help you (also remember running away is an option). Instead, you can still beat a dangerous encounter by thinking cleverly and coordinating together. Here is what I mean: Witchifying The Encounters: I have taken the foes of this land and modified them to all have vulnerabilities, a weakness, or a unique strategy they uphold that can be outwitted. This is the key when it comes to defeating those TPKS and deadly encounters. How I choose an applicant         (1) Tell me about yourself. General information is a common factor when it comes to knowing an applicant.       (2) The real application. In order for you to understand me as a DM, for me to better know you as a player, and to see how you work with others.. The final application will be a 1-shot with you and the current party and me as your DM. My hope is that these 1-shots will give me better insight on each applicant's style of play so I can better select the party based on who I believe is most compatible. The 1-shot will be involved directly in the campaign. You will be playing a guest star role and if all goes well - we can invite you to stay permanently!   Here are the following general rules I have when I make a campaign for CoS. -You will have access to my compendium which entails several of the books for making your epic character in the charactermancer. This also includes crazy new monsters, spells, and magic items- -Lots of fun twists for experienced players! Instead of fighting a dozen wolves with all the same stat block and skills... I instead made a variation of different wolves. Ex: Alpha, Beta, Runts, New Dire wolves, Shadow wolves, Dark Wolves, Crimson Hounds, and many more! This means more token art, figure art, and variation in skills, capabilities, tactics, health, all the good stuff- -Speaking of epic characters.. Your character level starts at lvl 11!! -Can you uphold a high attendance? ( 80% or more). If a majority of the players show up to a session and want to play, we will play without you. I will make sure your character does not die. If I am the one that can't make it (which might happen sometimes but not often) then we will skip that week or schedule for a different day. I know that sounds a little unfair but I am the DM and that's just how it has to be :\- -This campaign runs custom mods and API scripts. I am no master, but I have put a good few hours into the art of code- -This campaign has several mods (homebrew of my own design and from friends/online resources) which will level your character further than normal and allow more content. I mean a lot more freakin content- -A party will be between 4 + you- -Dynamic lighting! In dungeons and at night time, your character will have a 120 (or sometimes 360) degree field of vision. You will only see what's directly in front of you. During daytime or already explored areas, you will have full 360 vision- -Are you up for a campaign that can last a decent while?- -Have you played CoS before? I reserve spots for those who have not been spoiled by this module's amazing story- -No characters can be on the "Evil" alignment. This is negotiable but also refrained. However, a character can have their alignment shift throughout the campaign- -You can die in this campaign easily. It is very "dark souls"- -This campaign is Roleplay heavy. (That doesn't mean you have to be In Character all the time. I cater to the style of the PCs but due to the nature of this campaign, no overboard, absurd, silly characters) I tend to use music through discord, soundboard, and sometimes a voice modifier to try and maximize your experience- -Reminder: Heavy RP! There is lots of combat and action and even some good puzzles. Also, lots and lots of twists and mystery. But with all that said, heavy RP is a big thing in this campaign. I will focus more on applicants who are immersed into their character. Because it's not a lot of fun when you are playing a good alignment character and your buddies decided to rob the store merchant and beat up anyone who gets in the way just because they can. Basically, if you are playing it like a video game - grand theft auto kind of game - then this campaign is not for you- -CoS is a dangerous campaign. If not played strategically and well minded, you will die. I promise I am rooting for you but also understand that death to your PC is something I am not afraid to do. If you choose to slap a creature that is 10ish levels over you (true story) then that creature will likely eat you and you're done. I know this rule is kind of already stated earlier but I just want to be absolutely clear. You can DIE. Play smart, run when you must, think outside the box, and coordinate with your team!- -No RP sex. Not my thing. Just making sure we are clear on that- -This campaign is designed for experienced players. I don't mind new players, it's just that more experienced players tend to play smarter- -Taking lead is okay! Just be cognizant of other players and make sure you are not forcing them to be your shadow- -If you have a problem with another PC or myself please communicate about it. If you want to counter a point with a DM's decision you may do so. I will consider what you say, but whatever I choose you cannot contest. Respect the DM please- *1on1 or smaller group sessions can occur due to special circumstances. These sessions are meant to add more flavor and mystery to the campaign. You are never required to attend a branch off session, it's up to you to strike the opportunity, if it arises* Group 1: Died at lvl 3's. (group of 6) Group 2: Died at lvl 9’s. (group of 5) Group 3: Died at lvl 6's (group of 4) Group 4: Died at lvl 7's (group of 4) Group 5: Currently still playing (group of 6. *2 died*) I promise I don't aim to TPK you guys. I am very much on your side. People just tend to vastly underestimate this module and I don't show much grace when they do. It's an unforgiving campaign. For real guys, I love CoS. I can't tell you how many hours I have put into this campaign trying to master it. From homebrew content to making my own custom battlemaps for legendary encounters, I have done so much. I do hope you all appreciate it and I only plan to make it bigger and better!  Do you think you have what it takes to beat Strahd? Because if this is anything like dark souls... it just got a whole lot darker

Kitsch#7978 General information, eh? I'd say I'm a well-adjusted God-fearing man, 26 years of age. I'm passionate about creative writing and tabletop gaming, both as a player and GM. I've been playing for about 5 years at this point, started off as a DM for friends, much like yourself. I've learned a lot since becoming a player, about 1.5 years in, and am just now finishing up a PF1e campaign called Demon Lords (you can guess what kind of games I like). I have a love for Dark Souls, but I'm one of those snobby, gate-keeping elitists who holds Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1 in high regard, doesn't consider Dark Souls 2 to exist, and thinks Dark Souls 3 was mediocre. Bloodborne was pretty great, too. Ludwig traumatized me. I'm well-rounded as a player. My games are all capital R Roleplay-focused. I think favorite moments helps illustrate what kind of player I am. I once played a psychic amnesiac mother looking for her lost family and when she finally found her son, who thought she had died, my character was pulled into a mindscape to confront the angel spirit which had essentially downloaded all of my character's feelings towards her son. My character essentially had to determine who "should" be her son's mother: the angel spirit which had the strength to protect him and had been with him all his life or her, who may be the actual human who gave life to him but didn't raise him. I tend to think of tabletops as having 4 elements: Story, RP, Mechanics, and Presentation. I focus on those, in that order. I'm always thinking about the big picture (Story), I'm always conscious of what my character wants (RP), I look at my character sheet as opportunities to roleplay (Mechanics), and I've been trying to get better at narrating little details, like what my character's doing when they're addressed by another PC or an NPC (Presentation). I don't want to make this too long, but if there's anything more you'd like to know, feel free to ask. Thank you for your time. -Tom P.S. - I've played CoS before. I don't really like power-fantasy, so I'm not the type to meta-game, and any foreknowledge I do have doesn't ruin it for me as each campaign is it's own experience based on how the PCs tackle it (and what the DM changes). I mean, we fought and teamed up with dark gods in the game I played, so I don't think we were playing by the book. To me, it's like playing Dark Souls over a second time. I know where it's going, but it's less about the destination and more about the journey.

Hi, my name is Jay, I'm in my early 20s  and I've been playing dnd for 5 years now. I love reading, writing, drawing, and playing videogames. Some of my favorite videogames are Resident Evil, Little Nightmares, Borderlands, Persona and Devil May Cry. I'm very interested in this campaign because I hear that it is Gothic horror and Gothic horror is my favorite genre of horror. I am very invested in the themes of good and evil and how good and evil are defined based on the author's beliefs and values. I also like to be scared because of the adrenaline. Additionally I enjoy examining the deeper meanings they convey, like how Frankenstein is a subversive analogy of the creation of man in the book of genesis, conveying how man should not play God, because there will be irreparable consequences. They allow the audience to explore a different type of world through their imagination and the writers imagination showing hidden desires or curiosity. It's interesting how gothic horror combines both horror and romance so gives a very different twist to the usual romance story. I find it fascinating how gothic horror plays with minds and causes the audience to question reality. I also like the atmospheric settings which invoke a sense of danger but also freedom.  Lastly, I like how gothic horrors can be a constant battle of beauty vs. grotesque, highlighting the juxtaposition of those subjects. My favorite aspect of dnd is roleplaying. I love being able to create my own character from scratch and be able to have an active role in the events that unfold in this interactive story. It's such an immersive and enjoyable experience that grants me complete agency over my own actions in a game . I feel as though I am an active writer in a shared interactive story that can be heavily influenced based on my own decisions. But, I also appreciate how despite the high fantasy there is a sense of realism in how events unfold based on my decisions. There are consequences to my decisions so I have to be careful in the choices I make in order to achieve the results I desire. Another aspect of dnd that I admire is the endless possibilities of outcomes that can be achieved through proper roleplaying. For example, if I am a strength weak rogue who wants to destroy a wall that contains secret treasure, but the team's strength character is a paladin who is disinterested in material things, I can just used deceit to convince them that behind the walls are important documents regarding the mission that are written in an arcane language. If the check works then I have accomplished my task easily. However, this will like cause tension between both players. Which goes to my next topic. I love being able to create unique character dynamics among playable characters as that adds a whole new dimension to the interactive experience. Having complex character dynamics between playable characters is fascinating to me because it can directly affect how well the party intermingled amongst themselves as well as the stability of the party itself. It can also be a great way of the intricacies of human relationships in the sense that I partake in different character relationships and directly effect how they change and grow with my own actions. I'm an amateur writer and my stories tend to be more character driven so I'm very invested in the examination of relationships and personalities from a psychological perspective. Roleplaying is my favorite part of dnd because it gives me an opportunity to escape reality and use my imagination to create a wide variety of characters while engaging in storytelling with other players in an entertaining fantasy environment with endless possibilities of how I choose to play a role in the plot.I am a player who is heavily into roleplay. I'll spend time out of sessions researching  formulating how to make my characters more engaging and complex. I usually play very eccentric characters that possess a unique way of thinking that is hard to grasp. I also try to make creative backstories that provide context into the personality and motivations of my characters. I am very into psychology and philosophy so I am sure to incorporate that into my character creation. When I play I try to really make sure that my characters actions are believeable and match what someone with their personality would do to make the game more immersive and enjoyable. I also make sure to choose my words wisely so that way they can leave a great impact in both the other players and the dm. I want my character to be profund in how others in the game view them so that way they have a lasting impression on them. I want people to enjoy playing with my character and find them interesting.I look for an thrilling game that has a decent amount of lore and world-building. I want the world the game to be an enriching experience in terms of story and I want it to be engaging as I play. I want the npcs and pcs to feel multifaceted  and three dimensional with their own in depth personalities, backstories, quirks and faults. I also prefer a game where I feel as though I have real agency in my choices. What I mean is that, I want a world that allows for me to have free reign to give it that open world feel. Naturally, I expect that world to have consequences, both negative and positive for certain actions to add to the realism. If I am intelligent and or cunning in my decision making then I like to be rewarded. Likewise, if I do something brash and careless, I expect to suffer the consequences. I want a world where I feel as though my agency has great influence in plot advancement and provides me with many opportunities for character development. Essentially, I want a game with great verisimilitude that I can fully immerse my character in.  I don't want to give up too much right now, but my character concept is a dhampir grave domain cleric. My discord is CrazyEightJ#6890. 

hi I'm Jeremy 24 he/him I've been playing since 2015 and dming since 2016. I've been a heavy role-player since i started. i understand the chance of death is every session. i plan on playing every session if I'm picked. i plan on playing a human cleric of twilight if I'm picked. sorry not the best at writing an application.