Barovia - the nature of this DND world
Curse of Strahd is a classic gothic horror module. By its nature, it runs differently than standard DnD campaigns. It will focus more heavily on role-play, mystery, investigation, and storytelling, and it will be less of a clearcut “delve dungeons, kill monsters, collect treasure” game. (Although there will be some epic examples of those, if you survive long enough!)
My intent is to lean into this part of the game, which will mean that this may not feel like “normal DND” much of the time. Your intent should be to design a character that really interacts with this world, a character with fears and flaws and traumas that are as prominent (or more so) than their hopes, dreams, and class abilities.
One complaint that is often leveled against Curse of Strahd the presence of lose-lose situations, of unwinnable fights, of curses and tragedies and let-downs that can accumulate and make it into a slog. Imagine your PC navigating a world of terrors, with objectives ending in tragedy or failure as often as in resolution or satisfaction.
Another complaint is the lack of treasure and other rewards written into the module. I believe the land is written with resources being rare intentionally, to take the focus off easy fixes to difficult problems. Expect (especially at low levels) relatively few magic items, little treasure, and precious few ways to acquire or purchase things.
But this can be a feature, not a bug, as long as expectations are set right! The long term satisfaction of building the story arc of a PC that overcomes the horrors of this land, or succumbs to them, can be very intense. “Failures” in dnd aren’t really failures if they help explore characters more deeply, if they provide inspiration and motivation toward higher goals.
This kind of DND isn’t for everyone. By the end, yes, you will be playing a powerful badass hero. But, by the end, there should be a litany of chips on the shoulder, a long story of losses and heartbreaks, and the motives driving you will be more complicated than “kill bigbad, get treasure horde!”
Also - I don’t intend for this to be read as “super serious dnd table only” … We use humor to dissolve situations and provide much needed breaks to balance the intensity of the horror. That is normal and we should lean into that as well: find ways to bring moments of light, love, and laughter to this dark land.
I understand that there are many topics that may cause a player discomfort or recall past trauma. In this event, any player is empowered to inform me, either verbally or via private message, that they are uncomfortable with the events that are currently transcribing or the way a current scene is being described, and I will immediately do my best to remove the source of that discomfort.
Here is a short list of things to prepare yourself for. If any of these will make you uncomfortable, you should absolutely reach out as soon as possible and ask me about removing them from the campaign.
Graphic body horror
children in all stages of distress
cannibalism
racism and genocide
suicide
addiction and dependence
gaslighting and other abusive behaviors
The history of Vampire stories, at least in Victorian literature, was often a way of telling of abusive sexual predators without being too explicit. I do not want any explicit sexual harassment or assault in the game, and we should be careful as a group to navigate such undertones in a conscious way.
CoS isn’t really a campaign you can “win”. I mean, sure, I guess you could play it where you wander around grinding XP until you are powerful enough to attempt to kill Strahd… but that isn’t the point. There are an infinite number of ways that each PC and NPC can relate to Strahd and his dark domain of Barovia. Believe it or not, they don’t all involve killing the BBEG at the end!
Be prepared for a long campaign that will subject your character to many changes, many of them negative. Corruption, decay, and trauma are major themes in this campaign, and a character who succumbs to those ideas can make just as good of a story as one who transcends those ideas.
One way to bring all of the detail and subtleties of a horror campaign to life is through thoughtful character creation (See the separate “character creation” document). Another way is to develop these characters through role play.
I aspire to run games that are mostly role play, and doing this will require a lot of participation from all players. Nearly every part of the game is an opportunity for characters to create a “scene”.
This goes beyond having conversations with NPCs when you meet them, or describing the acrobatics of your actions in combat, this includes things like:
Not everyone is comfortable being an “actor” during a whole DnD session, but that isn’t really necessary. Give it what you got, and always feel free to describe what your PC would be doing, instead of going for the full-submersion effect.
It is important to note that good horror is not 100% terrifying. The moments of fear, tension, anxiety, horror, and trauma must be balanced out with plenty of “down time” where PCs can rest and just be normal people. This gives them a chance to reset before going back into the next terrifying scenario. Make time for some fun, comedy, or affection so that your characters aren’t just suffering the whole time!
Due to the nature of this campaign, it is highly likely, and even encouraged, that intra-party conflict will appear. However, if either the instigator or recipient of a conflict is uncomfortable with the circumstances, you can make your discomfort known to the other players and DM, and I will work to ensure that the situation is resolved agreeably and fairly. If any inter-player conflicts involve a “victim” and an “aggressor” (e.g., a thief stealing another character’s belongings), the “victim” can retract consent at any time and without providing justification, immediately and retroactively preventing the scene from taking place.
In general, monsters and intelligent enemies will behave in accordance with natural instincts, strategies, and priorities. As such, enemies will not tend to target unconscious characters with additional attacks unless they (1) understand that the party is likely to revive that character using healing magic or similar means, or (2) are compelled to consume or otherwise destroy the unconscious character through instinct or compulsion.
(or 3, if we don’t do the Durst Manor intro)
Clutch those torches, fellas!
I can totally be talked out of this. But it does have some appeal…
I’d rather avoid flying PCs. I don’t know much about exotic races.
Go ahead, make a case for your special little critter’s exception…
When building a character, take one free low tier feat.
High tier feats should be tied into some kind of quest or story arc for each PC. Tell me if you are eyeing one of the more powerful feats, and we can work it in so that it becomes a mid-game payoff that feels earned.
This also allows using Ability Score Increases as usual at 4th level, etc.
Keep it simple: double dice.
This spell does not exist in this campaign.
If you want to cure someone from the standard curses, like Lycanthropy or a Vistani Curse, then you will have to find an in-world way to enact this ritual. This is an opportunity to get creative! I am open to many, many ideas, but in general they should involve more than just a 3rd level spell slot.
Drinking a potion is a bonus action.
Administering a potion to an unconscious creature is an action.
Eating one (1) Goodberry is a bonus action.
Administering a Goodberry to an unconscious creature is an action.
Let’s not.
Holy cats - a surprising amount to unpack with this one. Let’s talk if you plan on going a Gloomstalker route, or having other invisibility options, or using Hide action regularly.
You may stow a weapon, arcane focus, holy symbol, shield, or similar item using the same free environmental interaction that you use to draw a new item. When you use your free environmental interaction to draw a weapon, you may also choose to equip a shield, arcane focus, or holy symbol, or draw a second weapon.
When you are making a skill check, another player will occasionally be able to assist you in doing so. Generally, I do not allow assisted knowledge skill checks, or assisted skill checks involving an activity that only a single person can perform (e.g., picking a lock).
In the event that you are looking to sell an object to a prospective buyer, the buyer will likely offer only 25 percent of the item’s true value if the item in question is a weapon, tool, or other usable item (e.g., not "loot," such as gems, artwork, or jewelry). Additionally, buyers are usually limited in what they can afford to buy. A merchant in Vallaki likely can only afford to spend 50 gold pieces to purchase an item they are interested in, whereas a merchant in Barovia or Krezk will likely have only 10 gold pieces to spare.
Damage normally leaves no lingering effects. This option introduces the potential for long-term injuries.
The following criteria trigger a chance of suffering a lingering injury:
-Getting hit by a crit that deals more half your max HP
-Dropping to zero hit points
IF ANY OF THESE OCCUR, Roll 1d20.
On a roll of 1-10, you receive a lingering injury.
On a roll of 11-20, you do not.
To determine a lingering injury, roll 1d20 and consult the tables on this website (depending on what kind of damage you receive)
http://farlandworld.com/injuries.html
Keeping your character sheet secret: Imagine this… all the players sitting at the table have developed interesting characters, with relatable mannerisms, dreams, and fears. But… none of the players knows what the other characters' classes are! A PC doesn’t advertise their “class”, after all, they just tell you about their lives.
Keeping character classes and abilities a secret can be fun - imagine the first time someone applies sneak attack damage (“ohhh they are a rogue!”) or uses a healing spell (“could be a bard, wizard, or cleric… hmmm”). Imagine describing giving someone bardic inspiration without saying “I give you a bardic inspiration die” …
Yes, later on in the campaign you will have a good sense of what each of you can do, and will have ample time to strategize about spells and other class abilities. Still, these things can all be discussed “in character” during role play conversations, instead of comparing stats and character sheets.
That’s my dream anyway… /end imagine this
This campaign, and all the Strahd lore going all the way back to the original 1980s adventures, features a unique element: the Tarokka Deck. Based on tarot, this system is a way for in-game characters (most often seers from the Vistani people) to divine the “threads of fate” and see into the future.
We will use the Tarokka deck in this adventure several times, it will provide an element of randomness and guidance to how things will develop. However, the mysteries of the Tarokka are not always clear - be prepared to interpret these mysteries yourself, and we will see how it steers the campaign!
This is a good campaign to play a character who has ways to interact with the spirit realm, or who can harness divine magic for auguries or prayer, or who has a tendency to listen to those little voices in the back of their head suggesting various paths…
Or, conversely, it is a good campaign for a grouchy humbug who relies on their smarter friends for such divinations. You can take it either way.
I like narrating what my character does in the third person. This helps separate “I, the player” and “I, the character”
For example, instead of, “I’ve got the most hit points in case its a trap, so I walk over to the chest and pry it open”, I would say, “Rolf is pacing the room nervously, he eyes the wounds on Voda and the burn marks on Chucky’s face, and takes a deep breath. He knows this is his job, so he walks over to the chest, and will try to open it.”
For example, instead of simply saying “Why did you just do that, you could have got us killed!”, which, when said directly to another player with emotion behind it, could trigger an intense reaction, I would say, “Rolf is turning red in the face with frustration, and turns to Voda, saying, ‘why did you just do that, you could have got us killed!’’
Taking this approach helps flesh out the character’s actions, mood, and personality, and prevents anyone from confusing my statements with my character’s statements.
What are your character’s “face” traits?
What are your character’s “heart” traits?
What, if anything, goes deeper than that?
What does your character do when they are startled or surprised?
What do they do in moments of great stress?
What do they do in times of relaxation? Around the campfire?
What do they do when meeting someone new?
What do they do when they need some alone time?
What is their greatest fear(s)?
Do they have any nervous tics or quirky mannerisms?
What is their most prized possession?
Something of great importance that they lost?
What is the one person, thing, or idea they would do anything for?
What was the first weapon/spell that you used/learned?
Something from their past that haunts them?
How do they see themselves dying?
Is there an important person from their past that disappeared/died/lost....?
What would be their holy grail? Could be a weapon/spell/money....