Welcome to me Dungeon, you may call me Map. Down below are expectations for both ends of the social contract. If you agree to all of it, then you may message me privately on Discord to apply. Basically just introduce yourself, ask questions, give me your character concepts, etc. I do have prebuilt characters if you want to be surprised. Session 0 is tonight. Short notice, I know, but I'm very excited to start this module! Additional Warning: CoS is a gothic horror game and setting, as such you can expect additional, non module content to add to the horror and sheer terror of Strahd's domain. Things like SCPs, homebrew monsters, minor dungeons, other official content may be thrown in to add more challenge in areas I feel are lacking. What to expect... -I'm running a module from start to finish, and maybe even beyond. For example, the game may continue on to other modules or adventures I've made, by choice of the party. -The Forgotten Realms is expanded on with a bit of homebrew, meaning I'm a bit loose in some areas and more rigid in others. For instance, I may bring things in from other settings or media (books/movies/games), but for the most part, FR is the foundation I'm working with. -Death is very possible, and backup characters is highly recommended. I've had multiple character deaths at level 1 on the first session before, due to a number of different factors. -I'm told I'm overly generous with XP and loot, but at the same time very punishing with encounters. I reward creativity as often as I can, but thinking outside the box is always something you may want to do in order to preserve the life of your character. -Homebrew/UA rules are simple; if its similar to something that already exists in the official material, has more versatility or simply does things better than the base material, then its not allowed. If you can't judge something effectively, then just pass it to me. I have to approve it anyway, and we may be able to come to an accord on balance/flavoring. A few examples: Mystic does things many classes can do, and better. It would be severely nerfed into the ground before I'd allow it. If you want to play a half giant with absurd stat bumps, I'd say no, go with a Goliath. If you just don't want to look like an anthropomorphic cat person (Tabaxi) but still want to be a cat person, you can just take some features (ears, eyes, tail, some fur, mannerisms, etc). These are all things I've encountered with previous players and those were my judgement calls I stand by, and will continue to honor. -I employ the fullest resources the internet allows me without breaking out my wallet, meaning I do not own the module on Roll20 and will not have all the same tokens/maps/handouts a DM with the module will have. But I will not just have it be completely theater of the mind, there will be battle maps, music, monster tokens, etc. -There is an age warning for a reason. If a hag biting a child's finger off, a family of cannibals threatening your group with sharp utensils, or finding out the noble family has been incestuous for generations bothers you (as I've used these in the past to drive a shocking and horrific narrative) then this may not be the game for you. Player discretion is advised. -Other than the UA/Homebrew stuff, all races and classes are allowed. Duly note that monstrous races will surely be attacked/captured on sight. Remember that the goblins and orcs of any traditional D&D setting often pillage/murder villages and towns, so present company excluded, they'll not hesitate to have an attempt on your character's life if they are one of the monstrous races under Volo's Guide to Monsters. You have been warned. -I don't always do accents or dialects, but I do try occasionally. Usually when I do, its because that person/thing is something I want to stand out. -My games are usually mostly serious, with humor used to lighten the mood appropriately. I don't usually do meme games, unless its a meta thing (like the Meta Warlock, with the DM as the patron) or an all Cleric party based off of JoCat's Crap Guide to DnD. -I usually use XP systems, and award very generously with it (as well as loot). -Combat is usually done as fast as possible to reserve the most time possible for roleplaying and other in character activities, but combat is a very big part of the game. Mostly its just mechanical obstacles unable to be solved with roleplay. That being said, you can still fight in character, its encouraged even. You might even get advantages or other bonuses for this. -I try to keep my games as fun as possible for everyone. If there's something that's bothering you, that I haven't outlined in this post, please tell me. Don't just suddenly ghost because you're not having fun. Everyone and everything can be improved, and some of my rules can be shifted or changed in the right circumstances. Bottom line is, just talk to me. I like to think I'm a reasonable undead overlord. Wait...what? What I expect... -Show up for games on time, consistently. If you have other things going on that just pop up, I get it. And I understand if life changes between the time you say "Sign me up" and the weeks following. Just please tell me you can't show up so we're not waiting on you, or if you can't play anymore at all, I can at least fill the slot in the party. -Adults. Don't care about your ethnicity, sexuality, or whatever. Just be a reasonable adult. -Don't be a rules lawyer. This is pretty self explanatory, if I'm not getting rules quite right don't constantly correct me. I'm either implementing Rule 0 (the DM is always right) or I've got a homebrew rule in place. Either way, it disrupts the flow of the game, and every group I've run couldn't stand that one guy who undermines my responsibility. Nobody likes a rules lawyer, not the players, not me. If I need help on a ruling, I'll look it up. If I don't want to do that, then I'll ask a player. Most of the time, I'm going to make a quick judgement call. -Take some notes. There's almost always a party book keeper but having your own notes (bonus points for in character perception) is very useful to you and me. -Always be in character. This helps make the games feel like stuff actually happened even in the dungeon crawls. I'll do my best to engage the players, but its a two way street and I appreciate help, even if it means you just banter with the party or NPCs. -Make sure you ask what to roll before rolling, and make sure you're just being responsible with your rolls. I've had people repeatedly roll Insight on NPCs and not ask before hand, or roll without specifying what the roll is for. Its frustrating for the DM and other players. -Don't record without everyone's permission. I don't really care about being recorded, but some people are really sensitive about that sort of thing. If you want to record for your own amusement or maybe a podcast, make sure everyone is on board. -Please don't just ghost or rage quit, its a waste of everyone's time. If you aren't having fun, or something's come up, please say something. Even if you hate my guts and I'm immovable on something, at least you told me about it and actually tried. When you apply for this game, you agree to all of the above, and resign the right to ignorance. With all of that being said, there shouldn't really be very much else left to clarify, but if you have a question I may have missed, go ahead and let me know. Furthermore, you may apply below or message me on Discord @ Map#9044. And lastly, lets have fun guys!