Curse of Strahd is a very tense and emotional adventure. In-game time, it is exceptionally fast paced, but at the table we tend to drill down into - and explore - complex interactions. It is the gold standard of classic gothic horror. Strahd stands proudly beside Dracula and Blade and was originally published in 1978. With some modernization and customization on my part, the campaign explores gothic horror tropes and monsters such as vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and the evil within us all.
Curse of Strahd explores what is under the mask of heroism within the adventurers, what lies below the mask of civility within a society; what depravity lurks among us? The campaign is a true sandbox - within the walls of Barovia players and their characters have the freedom to make their own choices and pursue objectives in the order of their choosing. The game does not apologize for being character-driven and provides ample opportunities for each character to make their mark on the story.
While light-hearted moments are appreciated, Curse of Strahd is overall brutal, alienating, and stressful for the characters. A sandbox is still a box and characters are trapped within the bleak and dreary landscape with only a slim hope of ever escaping. Many encounters and areas are significantly beyond what characters can hope to overcome upon their first meeting. Magic items and loot are scarce. Money is even more so.
With all of that in mind, Curse of Strahd can suck. It can suck a lot. The campaign is designed to beat the heroes into despair so that the daylight at the end of the journey is all the more sweet, and at my table we will lean into that rather heavily.
If you're still reading this, there's a few assumptions I can probably make about you.
You love gothic horror tropes. You're excited to develop relationships with NPCs and player characters. You prefer roleplay and investigation to combat or dungeon-delving, but aren't opposed to those options either. You enjoy setting your own goals within a constrained environment. You enjoy meeting or learning about monsters and villains without killing them. And you want to face the ultimate darkness - that which is within each of us - and come out as a better person on the far side of it after creating memories to last a lifetime. Payments made via Startplaying.games Please @ me on discord! exiethebestie Players can expect Combat/Tactics: Medium Roleplay: High Puzzles: Low Your Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate