Curse of Strahd - Sunday

PLEASE READ TO THE END! IMPORTANT INFORMATION!

Under raging storm clouds, a lone figure stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. The vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stares down a sheer cliff at the village below. A cold, bitter wind spins dead leaves about him, billowing his cape in the darkness.

Lightning splits the clouds overhead, casting stark white light across him. Strahd turns to the sky, revealing the angular muscles of his face and hands. He has a look of power—and of madness. His once handsome face is contorted by a tragedy darker than the night itself.

Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The winds howling increases as Strahd turns his gaze back to the village. Far below, yet not beyond his ken, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd’s face forms a twisted smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they were coming, and he knows why they have come all according to his plan. He, the master of Ravenloft, will attend to them.

Another lightning flash rips through the darkness, its thunder echoing through the castle is towers. But Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind—or perhaps a lone wolf—fills the midnight air. The master of Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited.

Adventure Background

This will be an extended and slightly revamped version of Curse of Strahd. The PC's should end the story at level 13-15, depending on how much they choose to take on in the world. Each will start as a level 1 adventurer somewhere on the Sword Coast. Where will be up to you, and can be a part of your backstory (see below). The PCs will be strangers starting out. This campaign will be serious, dark, and deal with themes of mental and emotional abuse. With that, this is an 18+ game. That being said, any serious horror story needs room for humor and I'm sure there will be plenty of it.

Character Creation

Races: Any official WoTC published material is acceptable.

Classes: Again, all published material is up for grabs. I am also allowing the Pugilist class, linked below.

New Background: There is a background featured in this campaign module, The Haunted One. The details will be below.

NO EVIL ALIGNMENTS

Stats: Any of the three "official" methods, Standard Array, Point Buy, or rolling 4d6 drop the lowest, are allowed.

Equipment: You may choose starting equipment or starting gold. Either way, due to the nature of this campaign, we will be paying pretty close attention to inventories and tracking resources. Also, each PC will be allowed to start with 1 Common or Uncommon magic item. This item will be subject to fairly strict DM approval, and should be tied to your backstory.

Backstory: When building your backstory, try to develop hidden tragedies, impossible goals, and/or regrets into your character's past. They don’t necessarily need to be “dark and edgy,” but they should have some great desire informed by past mistakes, losses, or failures. Maybe they are broken in someway, whether mentally, emotionally, or physically, and seek healing or redemption. Perhaps they are lost or have been abandoned by someone or something important to them, and are attempting to regain it. Your choice of Class could (and should) also play into this story. Fallen Paladin looking to redeem themselves? Wild Magic Sorcerer running from some disaster? Druid driven from their forest home by some evil blight? Get creative, the more detail the better. These backstories WILL be worked in to the story.

Expectations

DM: My goal as a DM is to run games that are fun and fair for everyone involved. I work hard to make sure every PC has the opportunity to shine and that every player feels comfortable in the group. I am always available outside of scheduled game time to discuss any issues that anyone may have and will always try to reach an amicable solution. Unfortunately, sometimes that solution can result in a person being removed from the group. This will ALWAYS be a VERY LAST RESORT and hopefully will never have to happen. I tend to be a pretty relaxed DM, definitely a "rule of cool" type, but the rules do exist for a reason!

Player: Above all, I expect fairness and courtesy. We are all here to play a game and have fun with other people who want to do the same. I am only interested in playing with people who can help to foster a positive and inclusive environment. I also expect punctuality and good communication. If you can't make a session, please make that known with as much notice as possible. I understand things happen, and there may be a time or two when emergencies come up, but keeping everyone in the loop is important. Also, everyone is expected to have a functioning mic and webcam, if we choose to use video.

Curse of Strahd is a roleplay heavy campaign and can have 1 or sometimes even multiple sessions without combat, so make sure you are ready for that. There will be lots of relationship building, both with NPC and your fellow players. With that, it is VITAL that you know your character. You should be familiar with your characters abilities as well as their personality. Know their thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes, their story, and be prepared to play that.

Why pay? As stated above, I work very hard on the games that I run. I try to make sure that every Player is comfortable and getting the experience they desire. The fee helps to ensure that those involved WANT to be there and will be taking the game seriously. It also helps to ensure I can consistently provide a premium experience with Pro membership tools such as advanced API scripts and access to nearly all of the published material for all of my players. I am also aware that there are cheaper options available to you, but many of those games try to pack in 8+ players. I prefer a smaller, more intimate group of 4 max. This allows me to, again, really focus on each character and make sure they have a chance to shine.

The price for this game is set at $15 per player, per session. Session 0 is free, to make sure you feel the group is a good fit. After that, payment is due 24 hours before the start of each session and can be paid via PayPal. Roll20 is not responsible for any payment transactions and cannot enforce any private arrangements.

The scheduled time is when we will be playing. I run several games and keep a pretty tight schedule. Each session will run about 4 hours, with a 10 minute break at the halfway point. If you have even the slightest doubt that the scheduled time doesn't work for you, please find another game. We will be using Discord for audio and depending on if we choose to use video, we can decide if we prefer Roll20 or Discord. I have used both, and Discord is a bit stronger, though it requires a bit of extra screen real estate.

To apply, submit your information in the Applications Here! topic in the provided format. DO NOT CREATE NEW TOPICS! If you have a question, post it in the Questions Here! topic.

Whew! That was a lot. Thank you for sticking with me through it all. I look forward to reviewing your application!