Hey there fellow DMs and D&D enthusiasts,

I've been DMing for youth in my community, Spoopy Season is upon us and I've decided to embark on the journey of running the Curse of Strahd campaign for my kids. I have never run it before and would appreciate any tips. I'll be running it for a group of younger players, aged around 12-17. I want to make sure they have a positive and age-appropriate experience.

Now, I'm well aware that Curse of Strahd is known for its dark and gothic themes, which might not be the typical fare for younger adventurers. So, I'm reaching out to the community for advice and tips on how to adapt this campaign for my younger players while maintaining the essence of the story.

Here are a few questions I have:

1. Tone and Atmosphere: How can I maintain the creepy and mysterious atmosphere of Barovia without making it too scary for young players? Any tips on balancing the darkness with age-appropriate content?

2. Content Editing: Are there specific parts of the campaign that I should consider editing or omitting entirely? I want to avoid any overly graphic or disturbing elements.

3. Role-Playing: How can I encourage my young players to immerse themselves in their characters and the world of Barovia? Any advice for helping them navigate complex moral dilemmas and interactions?

4. Alternative Rewards: Instead of using traditional rewards like gold or powerful magic items, are there alternative ways to motivate and engage younger players in the story?

5. Additional Resources: Are there any pre-written adventures, modules, or supplements that could be helpful for running a kid-friendly Curse of Strahd?

I want this campaign to be a memorable and enjoyable experience for my young players, and I'm open to any suggestions or insights you might have. Whether you've run Curse of Strahd for younger players or have general advice on adapting darker themes for a younger audience, please share your wisdom!

Thanks in advance for your help. I'm eager to hear your thoughts and experiences. Let's make this adventure in Barovia a fantastic one for our young heroes!

First make your players aware that this whole thing is in a place that is supposed to be scary. Halloween all the time.

You would have to balance out what is creepy and scary with gross and gory. There are examples built into the campaign like ghostly figures that gesture in the myst, corpses with faces of the party. Stay away from dead animals though. Kids can handle zombies with flesh hanging off better than they can handle a sacrificed cat.

For rewards, you just named all of the things that are usually rewards. Minor magic items can be fun or actual physical props - like a luck coin that can be used up for an inspiration roll. Role playing rewards like a villagers heartfelt thanks or a child sharing a toy might work.

Role playing will happen or it won't. You can't force it. What you can do to help it along is address the players by their character names and ask 'What do you do?'

Aside from the thematics and contents, which can be ham washed by tonally going for Hammer Horror at its most schlocky, Curse of Strahd is a long campaign.  I don't know how often your group meets, but it'd probably require a few marathon sessions if you want to do it as written, with a fitting end inside a month of playing.  

That said, there are a number of folks who've produced "abridged" Strahds, that give a Strahd experience without having to run through the whole campaign.  There's one, "One Night at Strahd's" available on DMsGuild that's quite popular and might've won some awards.  Also here you have a few efforts at it as free content made here by D&D Beyond.:

Strahd Must Die Tonight

Strahd Must Die, Again

and the most zany:

Strahd Must Die ... IN SPACE!

Do Tomb of Annihilation instead. 😈😈😈