Curse of Strahd - Wednesday

Introduction:

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 wind's 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's 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.

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Testimonials

"As a player, there isn’t much that I need to say about Arthur’s games. I could simply mention that I’m currently in THREE of his campaigns because I enjoy the experience he provides. And for many that would be enough. But I don’t feel it would be a fair representation of what Arthur’s games provide.
While playing, it’s easy to see the passion that Arthur puts into his games. To him, it isn’t about showing up and reading from a pre-determined script. He comes into the game prepared with custom content that will challenge and excite a group. Each game has its own story that involves the players and their actions, so you feel immersed and invested to the world around you.
I find his games have a great mix of direction and difficulty. He does a great job of making sure the party doesn’t get lost along the way. But he also doesn’t hold their hand and point them in the right direction. The story choices are driven by the players, so don’t be surprised if that choice you made earlier has consequences down the road! And as for difficulty, he cares about the players and their investment in their character. So he doesn’t go out of his way to kill them off. But make no mistake, poor choices can and have led to an early demise!
He also goes beyond just ‘being the DM.’ Yes, it’s a job. Yes, its pay-to-play. But he goes further than that. He cares for the group members. Not just the characters but the players themselves. He does everything he can to ensure they’re having an enjoyable experience. And its sincere. He takes time to discuss things openly and privately with the players as needed. He creates a comfortable environment for players to log on, break away from the real world for a few hours and just enjoy the experience.
I’ve personally enjoyed my time in Arthur’s games for several months now. If you’re finding it difficult to find a game with a great mix of fun, uniqueness and enjoyment, then look no further! And don’t be surprised if I’m there as well…"

- Jaelis (Jaelis the Necromancer / Aerun the Wildfire Druid / Shelter the Celestial Sorcerer)

"First and Foremost, Arthur curates his groups with great care. Everyone is respectful, eager to let others be in the spotlight and all carry themselves in a relaxed but attentive manner. I believe this is largely due to the approach Arthur utilizes while running his game. He conducts every session in a professional manner, is always prepared and takes advantage of all of the tools available in Roll20. Arthur also allows the players to grow their characters organically within each session. One example of how this is achieved is by having the players write recap sessions “in character”. This allows each player the freedom to refine their character’s personality and grants other players a window into the thoughts, motivations and actions of the other characters.

Whether you are a beginner or a vet, you needn’t worry. He treats all players with care for their experience regardless of their knowledge of the game. The name of the game is fun and that is always what motivates his narrative, decisions, etc."

- Mike S. (Tilton the Wizard & Cleric / Villaindraxxis the Barbarian)

"Arthur is an extraordinary DM: extremely creative, very fair and collaborative, creates challenging encounters and campaigns but most immortally - he wants all his players to have a blast. I’ve played with dozens of DMs on Roll20 and Arthur has that extra bit of magic (compared to the average DM out there) that has kept me looking forward to our weekly game for almost a year now!"

- Daymon B. (Zeph the Paladin and Lornna the Hexblade Ranger)

"Arthur is a flexible and considerate DM. He makes every player feel included with individual stories and missions that also impact the entire group. I’m sad when each session ends, but count down the days until our next adventure!"

- Josh D. (Lt. Rondaadim the Fighter Barbarian and Rexes (Grit) the Fiend Warlock)

"I have had the chance to play in two of Arthur's DnD campaigns and I have been thoroughly enjoying them both. Arthur is dedicated to helping the players tell an epic story with music, images, puzzles, and tactical combat. He has always made me as a player feel welcome in his games, and made my character feel important, while still letting everyone get a chance to shine in the game. I look forward to playing in Arthur's games every time."

- Kemen (Lucky the Hexblade Rogue and Yaromir the Celestial Warlock)

"Arthur is a knowledgeable and experienced DM who sets the in-game mood with ease. For roleplay and character design, Arthur works with you to make sure your character is unique and personalized to what you envision your character to be. He fosters a culture of inter-player roleplay which gives you not only time to explore your character through dialogue but also experience everyone else's characters. His combat encounters are never an easy win, they are challenging to new and veterans players alike. Natural 20 out of 20, would play with again."

- Jason N. (Ildryn the Hexblade and Oren the Spores Druid)

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Warnings:
- There will be mature themes on the game.
- We are all here to have fun, so please have common sense.
- Be polite and respectful.
- New players and veteran players will receive the same amount of respect and attention. So, have patience. We all started somewhere.
- This is a pay-to-play game.
- Meta-gaming is not okay. I understand this is an “older” adventure. So, if you have played it, do not spoil it for the newer players.

Requirements:
- All communication will be done via Discord.
- All music and sound effects will be done via Watch2gether.com

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About the DM & What I expect from the players:

Hello there! (General Kenobi!)
My name is Arthur, 28 y/o, and happily married. I have been playing D&D for about 9 years now, and I have been DMing for just as many years. I am not the most experienced DM on roll20 yet, I am however, very dedicated to DMing and to creating a story alongside each and every player that amuses and is memorable to all. Communication is key. This is not my show, it is ours. All constructive criticism will be welcomed with open arms. I would love to have a mix of RP and Combat. But I quite fancy having some RP driven combat. (i.e. You have a reason to fight… you are not just being random murderhobos.)

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About the Game:

• I am running the module of Curse of Strahd, by Wizards of the Coast. However, I do take my liberties while DMing so I added a few different things to hopefully spice it up. I LOVE backstories, and I am looking forward to crafting one alongside you. So, do not have anything set on stone. We are in this together. I will be tying at least one of the features from the Haunted One onto your backstory. Why? Well... you will know when you know.

• The game will run for about 3 hours with a break of 15min around the middle.

• The campaign will run from levels 1 to 10+ (Depends on what the PCs accomplish).

• This game will be weekly.

• This game is for a group from 4 to 6 players.

• This is a Pay-to-Play game.

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Why Pay-to-Play?
It is often asked why one should pay to play. Well, here are some of the reasons:
- The Dungeon Master has a monetary commitment to show up and give their best.
- The Players also have a monetary commitment and so to not waste their money.
- Opportunity. There are too many people fighting for a limited number of spots on a game, and there aren't enough games to be played. Here is your opportunity.
- Preparation. You are not only paying for the time you spend in-front of the screen. You are paying for the resources I must continue to acquire and the time I spend preparing the game prior to a session.
- A Tailor-Made Experience. How often have you crafted a story for your character that was never touched upon? Here the whole group will have a tailor-made experience. The module may be the same yes, but if you play it a 100x with 100 different characters the experience will be unique every single time.

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Terms & Conditions.

• Session Zero is FREE.
• Cost: $12.00 USD per session or $43.00 USD per month of gaming.
• All games must be paid in advance through Pay-Pal and a copy or a Screen Shot of the receipt must be sent to me privately prior to the game through our discord channel.
• There must be a minimum of 3 people per Main Campaign session.
• If there are at least 3 people in a full group of 6 a One Shot Session will be offered, which costs the same amount as a regular session. (If what is planned for the day is doable with just 3 players - adjusting a campaign is possible, but requires time to be done)
• If there are 2 or less people there will be no game that week and no refunds will be given.
• If you cancel with less than 24 hours of the game, you are still expected to pay in case you are paying weekly.
• There are very few instances where a refund will be given. The first being if you let me know in advance (7 days prior a game) that you cannot participate on the coming game. The second instance is if I cancel the session.
• If the game ends, either because you - the party - completed the game or there was a Total Party Kill and you - as a person - do not want to continue with the group, no refunds will be given. That is the nature of RPGs, your actions - as a party - have consequences, and they are yours to bear.
• I reserve the right to cancel any session at any point. I will try my very best to avoid such situations. But, life some times happens and such cases become unavoidable. If this happens you are entitled to a refund for any sessions you have paid for that were or will be missed.
• If you do not pay for 2 sessions in a row without a proper explanation you will be removed from the game and your place will be offered to other people.
• If you behave in anyway that is harmful to the experience of the other players or to the quality of my games in general, you will be kicked and no refunds will be given.
• If you practice racism, bigotry, homophobia, xenophobia, bullying or any other kind of discrimination or harassment you will be kicked out of the game and no refunds will be given.

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PC creation:

• Starting Level: 1st.
• Stats: Standard Array; Point Buy; or Rolling.
• Allowed Races: Most Official Races (Just keep in mind, monstrous races and monstrous looking races will be treated differently and suffer from prejudice from the people in whatever towns you visit – Not everyone sees a goblin and thinks “Ohh look it’s a cute goblin..”).
• Allowed Classes & Sub-Classes: Official Classes & Official Sub-Classes.
• UA will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
  
• Mystics - NOT Allowed.
• No evil PCs allowed.
• Come to the table with at least two Player Characters you would be equally happy playing (Make them different). This way it is easier for me to make up the party composition.
• Create “Yes Characters.” (“Yes Characters” are characters that are eager to adventure, characters that would likely say “Yes” to quests and the like).

I hope we can have a lot of fun and grow together as both players and DM.

Thank you all for reading. I hope we get to play soon. If you still have any questions about the game please write them down on the Game Questions thread.

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All Applications must be put under the PC Application Thread, all other forms of applications will be overlooked.

Application Format:

Player Info.
Player Name:
Player Age:
Player Gender & Pronouns:
Player Experience with Roll20:
Player Experience with D&D:

PC Info.
Everything will be discussed during the Session 0 to see what best fits the narrative and the party. Do not worry about it so far. We are all going to have some fun.

General Questions.
Why do you play D&D:
What do you expect from the game:
What do you expect from the other players:
Can you commit to the game time schedule?: