Under raging storm clouds, a lone figure stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of

Castle Ravenloft. 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. Lighting 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 he knew they were
coming, and he knows why they have come.
Another lightning flash rips through the darkness, its thunder echoing through the
castle's towers, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling wind, or perhaps a lone wolf fills the
midnight air. The master of Ravenloft is having guests for dinner, and you are invited!
What is Curse of Strahd
Curse of Strahd is a campaign redone for 5th edition D&D harkening back to its original
version from 1983 for 1st edition Advanced D&D by Tracy & Laura Hickman that
changed D&D campaigns forever. Characters will be starting at level 3 and
adventuring up to level 10 or beyond depending on what events transpire. It's
important to note that Curse of Strahd is first and foremost a horror campaign in a
strange new land, if I do my job as DM correctly, and though it has its bright moments, it
also has many dark parts.

Curse of Strahd is a campaign where players will have to work together to accomplish
their goals, and one players failing will likely result in the group suffering as a whole. The
group will encounter all sorts of gothic horror and traditional D&D monsters that one
might expect in a fantasy game, and though it will have more of a gothic horror type of
feel, it will still be a fantasy-like game with what you would expect in a D&D game as far
as weapons, attire, races and classes of PCs and NPCs, etc.
Moreover, players may find that their spells work slightly differently in Barovia/Ravenloft,
though sometimes subtle, they can still be disturbing. Despite the underlying horror
theme, my overall goal is always to entertain and hope everyone has fun around the
table, so welcome to Barovia, and Strahd hopes you enjoy your stay!

Creating a character for Curse of Strahd

Ideally characters would have already been a group doing a few adventures together
and they would be camping in the Misty Forest just east of Daggerford in Faerun as the
campaign starts. Shortly into the first session the group will find themselves confused and
lost in a new land that they will be forced to explore and investigate.
Player characters will start at level 3 and any 5th edition race and class is fair game
using starting equipment and gold based on your race, class, background, etc.
Feel free to buy anything you can afford, or if the group is already together at the start
of the campaign, you could pool your gold to buy someone something a little nicer if
they can't afford it on their own such as a silvered weapon, etc.
For stats roll 4d6 7 times, drop the lowest roll, and re-roll ones.

Variant human traits on page 31 of the PHB are fair game to use.
Please try to create unique personalities for your characters as it only creates more
enjoyment for the game. Maybe you are a tiefling sorcerer that is afraid of everything
always worried something or someone is out to get you, or maybe you are a halfling
bard that paints and draws instead of sings, etc.
Please no evil characters for this campaign and preference is on good alignments, but
neutral is acceptable also.
Please try to send me a copy of your character sheet when you are done so that I have
a record of it and can reference it as we go through the campaign.
When creating your character try to keep in mind what others might be playing as a
range of characters would be advised for this campaign. A cleric or paladin is highly
recommended along with a rogue if possible, as well as your other typical characters,
i.e. spell caster meat shield, etc.
How often will we play
Ideally I'd like to play at least once a month and could do as much as every other week
or about 2 games a month. I could start the campaign anytime now as I have been
working on it for awhile now, and would definitely like to start the game before
Halloween given it fits nicely. As for how long the campaign will last it is hard to say as it
really depends on what the group does, but I would imagine it will last at least 10
sessions, probably more if we are only gaming for 3 hours a session.
If you have any questions feel free to email or call/text me at kenboie@gmail.com or
847-638-0039.