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.

The Curse of Strahd is a campaign written for Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition based on the original Ravenloft adventure published in 1983 by TSR, Inc. The campaign will take players through Level 1 to Level 10.

About the Campaign

Who
-A DM with only 1 year of experience running my first 5th Edition campaign on Roll20. I mostly run things as by-the-book as possible, but will be reasonable regarding out-of-the-box thinking and creativity. I do not fudge my rolls and will do majority of my rolls publicly in roll20.

What
-A very challenging campaign with a gothic theme and a sandbox style.
-Majority of the maps for the campaign are provided and scanned in from the book leading to high quality content.
-Maps not provided by the book will be created with my best effort using resources from the internet.

When
-Tuesday at 7pm EDT, starting May 3rd. Each session will be planned to run from 7pm-11pm (4 hours).
-This campaign's length varies based upon what you, the players, decide to do and how well you can deduce details about the plot.
-Games will be run with 1 DM and 4 PCs. If we do not have at least 3 PCs present that session will be postponed.

What I am looking for in potential players

-High-effort players that are willing to both get into the intensity of the adventure, but the ability to laugh at your misfortunes (especially your character's death).
-You haven't read, played, or watched this current iteration of the adventure. I understand the possibility of having played the previous versions of the adventure.
-The ability and intention to show up for the sessions at the agreed upon time. As previously stated the length of this campaign varies based upon the players' decisions. This means you should be in it for the long haul. Your real life should always take priority over this game, so if you do not antipicate your schedule remaining open and/or flexible during the agreed-upon time, please do not sign up.
-You have a working headset microphone and the ability to use Skype for communication purposes. Skype is merely a backup, with roll20 provided voice chat being the go-to method of communication. No webcams required.
-You possess a welcoming and positive attitude towards your DM and your fellow players.
-You are willing to speak up and play your character, but take a backseat when necessary to allow your other players to shine. Also be welcoming of my terribly voiced NPCs.
-You have read and agreed to the posted character creation rules.
-I do not require my players to have any experience with D&D 5th Edition, or D&D in general. New players are more than welcome! That being said I do expect new players to have access to the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Player Handbook.

If this game interests you:

-Please spend a few moments filling out the application found in the "Applications Go Here!" thread below. I will not be considering any applications sent to me via private message.
-If you have any questions about this game, please post them in the "Questions for the DM" thread.
-Applications will be open from the time of posting until 11:59 pm EDT on April 25th. After that time I will select applications that will form a fun group.

This campaign does contain some slightly adult themes, but no gruesome or explicit content. Please do not apply if you are not comfortable with slight adult themes OR if you are looking for a game more explicit.