Hi, everybody! I’m Bryce and I am the DM for this up and coming campaign. I have DMed for five different campaigns before this. We will be playing a Curse of Strahd campaign set in the gothic horror-themed Magic: The Gathering world of Innistrad. Enclosed below is a link to the public and free Innistrad campaign setting guide so that you can get a feel for it if you are unfamiliar with it. Before running Curse of Strahd, we plan on first running a small mini-campaign that is 3 - 5 sessions long to ensure both you and I are a good fit for the main game that everyone wants to play before jumping in. This way we can work out any issues or differences before beginning play. I need two more players for the game. Each point below is organized in order of importance. I try to keep everything brief, but there is a lot to go over! If you have any questions, feel free to DM me! :-) Things to Know: When and Where - We can arrange to start play anywhere from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Central Time on Saturdays every week. Usually we play for around 4 - 5 hours, sometimes a little bit longer in special circumstances. We use discord for scheduling, communication, and voice chat. Otherwise, we use Roll20 for gaming and to play music and sound effects. A stable internet connection, mic, and little to no background noise will all be required. We intend for the game to be played for awhile. My best guess is that it will take a little less than a year, give or take, to finish the campaign. Please ensure that you will likely be able to continue playing for the foreseeable future. Even when the campaign is finished, if the players all want to, it would be possible to extend the campaign past the end of the module. Attendance - We played with our last group for quite a while before it flopped due to players not prioritizing the game and not making it. Attendance, prioritization of the game, and taking other people’s schedules seriously is extremely necessary. Game Style - The module is geared toward a more sandbox style game with a gothic horror feel to the world. This will not be a fantasy game where you watch your character grow strong, rather this is a low-fantasy game where you watch your character survive in a dark world. Combat encounters will be difficult, encouraging indirect methods to circumvent them, such as diplomacy, retreat, or stealth. Occasional parts of the campaign will include investigative or mystery adventures To reinforce the gritty and horror filled world, character progression will be extremely slow. Adjustments to the module will be made to accomodate lower levels, but do not expect your character to be leveling up very quickly. This campaign takes place in the horror and dread filled campaign setting of Innistrad/Barovia. Because of the nature of the campaign setting, it may include uncomfortable or unsavory topics and themes such as: Body Horror Vivid Descriptions of Gore Cannibalism Fantasy Madness and Insanity Murder Alcohol and Fantasy Drug Abuse If you are uncomfortable with these specific topics and themes, then the dark and gritty nature of this game will likely not be a good fit for you. Playstyle - We play with a serious tone (in the sense that we try to stay in character and describe things in character as much as possible), however, there are usually moments of in-world comic relief. Despite this, we try to keep jokes from influencing any in-game actions that occur, and undermining the roleplay experience. In addition, fourth-wall breaks that also undermine the roleplay experience are also discouraged. The style of play can vary from combat, exploration, or roleplay. Usually though, we greatly emphasize the role play aspect of the game, and I try to nurture that within players. There may be very rare situations in which you temporarily lose control of your character, or your character gains a debilitating and temporary new flaw or setback. These situations may arise from curses, going mad to eldritch horrors, or a lingering injury. DMing Style - I consider myself a lawful DM and like to adhere to the rules as much as possible. I interpret almost all spells and abilities as written, with a few minor changes if the entire group agrees to it. Otherwise, I try to run a very open game with a world that reacts realistically to the players actions. I will play villains or rivals to the party as if they are player characters of my own, coming up with complex strategies using the resources available to them to thwart the players. I play any adversaries to the players as intelligent as possible, without using metagame knowledge. Enemies may come up with devilish plans to thwart the players. As a DM, I do not want to punish or kill any of my player’s characters, but the enemies will. I don’t hold back at all. I consider the games I run to be difficult, not just in combat, but also circumventing social or political traps, defamation, swaying loyalties, etc. Homebrew - I have a long list of approved homebrew sources that I allow. I do not allow any homebrew besides what is on the list. I do allow and encourage players to reflavor classes and subclasses. We also have some house rules that were implemented for quicker play, more interesting combat, and better storytelling. In addition, some house rules are being added to better fit the dark atmosphere of Innistrad, including the Sanity ability and slower leveling progression as outlined in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. What do we Look for in a Player? - Consistent attendance and prioritizing the game is a must. We want a player that is at least willing to try their best at roleplaying, even if they are not a star actor. We would like the player to be engaged in the game by consistently contributing to the group instead of just being along for the ride. Because of the nature of the campaign, although it will infrequently come up, it is also preferable for you to enjoy roleplaying situations where your character is brought low by a debilitating effect. This can include fantasy madness, a curse, or a lingering injury. This usually manifests as a negative flaw to your character. Any knowledge of the world of Innistrad or Magic: The Gathering as both a game and setting will be very helpful, but not necessary. All players will be expected to put some work within reason to make their characters better for play. This includes writing fleshed out backstories, meeting with the DM to have private discussions to help flesh out characters, and other similar things. Questionnaire: If you are interested in playing in their group, please fill out the following questions with whatever length you deem appropriate. I’ll take several days to review the applications with the other players. If you fit the group I will PM you after about 10 days. I plan on jumping into the game as soon as we all meet and get everyone situated. Thanks for your time, and have a great day! :-) What type of player would you say you are? Describe your ideal D&D session, and what could a DM do to make that session a reality? If a fellow player thought you had done something offensive (regarding anything), how would you react and how would you prefer it be addressed? What kind of character do you/would you like to play? Do you have a preferred class, role, or personality? Innistrad Campaign Setting Link: <a href="https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/Plane_Shift_Innistrad.pdf" rel="nofollow">https://media.wizards.com/2016/dnd/downloads/Plane_Shift_Innistrad.pdf</a>