Campaign Pitch: Curse of Strahd - mezdef/DND5e GitHub Wiki

  • System: D&D 5e.
  • Schedule: Weekly on Thursdays, 7pm-11pm EST (4hr sessions)
  • Location: Online.
  • Players: 4

I will be running the Curse of Strahd campaign. This is a Gothic Horror setting for D&D with an Eastern European flavor. I plan to modify the campaign module as I see fit to suit the group.

  • Campaign Length: 6+ Months. This is likely optimistic, but I will do my best to keep things running and prevent any bog down, the goal is to achieve a satisfying conclusion.

These are my ball-park assumptions for this campaign:

Realism 1 2 3 4 5 Fantasy
Low Magic x High Magic
Grim x Light Hearted
Gritty Realism x Heroic Fantasy
Deadly Difficult x Easy Street
Official Adventure x Homebrew Campaign
Linear Story x Open World
GM Driven x Player Driven
Role Playing x Meta Gaming\

Tone

Curse of Strahd is a fantasy adventure with a Gothic Horror dressing. The GM will do their best to reinforce that feeling through roleplay, story, and mechanics. Some of the below are related to GM and group preference, some are related to the Curse of Strahd module (without getting into spoilers).

Any good horror content needs to be punctuated by humor and levity to make the more serious parts land and keep the campaign enjoyable. The GM is sure the players won't fail to deliver (at appropriate moments).

Issues Not in this game (1) It exists in the world, but will not feature during play (2) It may feature during play, but the GM will not narrate it (3) It may feature during play and the GM will narrate if appropriate (4)
Racial Issues x
Slavery x
Sex x
Sexual Violence x
Suicide and Depression x
Physical Violence x
Violence Against Children x

Campaign Specifics

Character Races

This campaign is set in the Raveloft campaign setting (a demiplane). Ravenloft is a homogenous setting and doesn't feature a lot of the more wild races normally found on Toril (forgotten realms); Barovia is rife with terrors and visitors are rare, so the populace will be weary and superstitious of anything vaguely threatening. It is recommended you choose form the following races:

  • Human (most common, default)

  • Dwarf

  • Elf

  • Gnome

  • Half-Elf

  • Halfling

These races will be met with at least some additional difficulty when interacting with the populace of Brovia. Some of this can be mitigated by downplaying your more outlandish appearance (e.g. Aasimar without glowing eyes or other odd glowing attributes, Half Orcs hiding their tusks) and some good persuasion checks.

  • Half-Orc
  • Dragonborn
  • Aasimar
  • Tiefling

Character Backgrounds

Characters made for this campaign should be from (or have been residing in for some time in) a region of the Ravenloft setting, The Core (Barovia can be found in the South of this map). The DM will be happy to help you out with selecting somewhere, but this should be easily workable with whatever backstory you choose. Remember that your character's personality is more important than your backstory—particularly in the initial stages—and the two will be a collaborative effort between you and the DM as the campaign progresses, so don't stress about it too much.

The GM encourages you to consider hidden tragedies, impossible goals, and regrets in your character past. PCs don’t need to be “dark and edgy” (you should definitely have some light aspects to balance the character out), but some great desire informed by a past mistake, loss, or failure is an easy and thematic wrinkle to add. Consider these three broad categories:

  • The PC is a broken creature searching for healing or redemption.
  • The PC is a lost soul searching for kinship or purpose.
  • The PC has lost or been abandoned by someone or something important to them, and are attempting to regain it.

Campaign Mechanics

This campaign will employ a homebrew version of the PHB Madness mechanics. These are intended to add another layer of stress and doom to the proceedings while providing outlets for interesting role play:

Stress: Terror, Horror, and Anguish

Stress represents the psychological toll the experience of adventuring amongst monsters and monstrous things.

  • Terror: induced by frightening sights, unknown threats, and Shocks; it induces feelings of unease, dread, and panic
  • Horror: induced by sights beyond a character’s comprehension, unnatural phenomena, and unthinkable events; it induces feelings of incomprehension, bewilderment, hysteria
  • Anguish: induced by revolting sights or smells, experience of great loss, Events anathema to a character’s beliefs or morals; it induces feelings of unease, dread, and panic

Stress

  • A Stress save is made by rolling a d20 and adding the ability bonus of the character's lowest mental attribute (Wis, Int, or Cha)
  • Failing a Stress Save:
    • The Stress Track is advanced 1 point
    • If at level 2 or greater a d12 is rolled to determine if the character suffers an Affliction on the Stress table
  • Succeeding a Stress Save:
    • If at level 2 or greater a d12 is rolled to determine if the character suffers an Affliction on the Callous table
  • The Stress Track
    • The Stress Track total is equal to six times the number of party members
    • The GM will keep track of and make sure the current Stress Level is visible and looms over the party
    • At certain levels, the party will suffer certain effects (revealed to the players upon suffering)
    • Can be reduced by:
      • Any time that a level of Exhaustion would be removed (Long Rest, Greater Restoration, etc)
      • Casting Calm Emotions
      • Casting Heroes Feast
      • Significant events, or acts by PCs
  • The Affliction table
    • Roll a d6 to determine the nature of the Affliction; the player may choose either the type of affliction associated with the type of Stress they failed, or their lowest mental ability score (their choice)
    • Note: Afflictions on the Stress and Callous tables are optional, and are left up the interpretation of the player—they are simply suggestions for developing character and role play. Resolving an Affliction should be thought of as a Personal Bond (similar to a Pair or Party Bond), and as such, is rewarded with Inspiration when developed or resolved
Stress Level x Party Members (4) Affliction Range (d12) Effect
1 (4) NA
2 (8) 1 ??
3 (12) 1-2 ??
4 (16) 1-3 ??
5 (20) 1-5 ??
6 (24) 1-8 ??

Stress

d6 Affliction (gain) Terror (Wis) Horror (Int) Anguish (Cha)
1 Addiction Alcohol Drugs Food
2 Obsession Security Knowledge Hygiene
3 Superstition Objects Numbers Events
4 Phobia Creatures Phenomena Sensations
5 Amnesia Trauma Failures Successes
6 Confusion Sight/Touch Hearing Taste/Smell

Callous

d6 Affliction (loss) Terror (Wis) Horror (Int) Anguish (Cha)
1 Morality Ends and Means Good and Evil Human Nature
2 Excitement Amazement Wonder Whimsy
3 Passion Depth Speed Volume
4 Empathy Needs Feelings Desires
5 Consequence Short Term Long Term Cumulative
6 Joy Anticipation Discovery Accomplishment