Game: D&D 5th Edition 2014 rules
Group type: Online on Roll20 for maps and rolls; Discord for voice
Experience: Veteran DM of 20+ years
Location/Timezone: EDT
Schedule (separate campaigns): Tuesdays 8:50pm-11:50pm EST | Thursdays 8:15pm-11:15pm | Saturdays 9am-12pm
Roles sought: 7 Players for Tuesdays, 6 Players for Thursdays, 7 Players for Saturdays
Game style: Balanced between roleplaying, combat, and exploration, with a bit higher emphasis on roleplaying and combat

The haunted lands of Barovia suffocate beneath an ephemeral shroud of creeping mist, unable to flee its clutches.  Its people huddle within their feeble homes and settlements at night, trembling at the thought the pitiless beasts stalking the dark might finally come for them, or worse yet, that they might suffer a visitation from their ruler: the master of Castle Ravenloft, whose jagged spires and midnight battlements loom over them atop cliffs on high.  They say the prowling wolves of the woods serve him.  They say the blackened skies are his to command.  They say witches, mad druids, and even dread hags worship him.  And foremost, they say he is Vampyr.  He is Count Strahd Von Zarovich, and in Barovia all creatures live or die upon his whim.
Brimming with potential, yet untested, you find yourself trapped in these wretched lands along with a small cadre of others, caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with an ancient evil.  Will you die as so many before you, or will you and yours finally break The Curse of Strahd?

If interested, please follow the link below to the relevant Roll20 page to check out the house rules and fill out an application :)
Tuesdays 8:50pm-11:50pm EST ($19/game attended): https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/422883/curse-of-strahd
Thursdays 8:15pm-11:15pm EST ($20/game attended): https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/422101/the-curse-of-strahd
Saturdays 9am-12pm EDT ($21/game attended): https://app.roll20.net/lfg/listing/422100/curse-of-strahd

Join this game if you would love…

• Gothic horror, dark fantasy, and things that go bump in the night.
• A solid balance between roleplaying, tense tactical combat, and exploration of creepy environments.
• Contributing to the cinematic aspect of the story with descriptions of your character’s actions.
• A hand-picked soundtrack to go along with it all.

About the Dungeon Master

Well met, I’m Julian, a.k.a. Cthulian.  Been playing TTRPGs about 30 years and running games nearly non-stop for over 20 of those.  Have had a passion for all manner of narrative fantasy and horror since a young age and love all forms of it, whether in this medium, books, or video games.  Some of my favorites related to Curse of Strahd include Brotherhood of the Wolf, Interview With A Vampire, Castlevania, Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust, Bloodborne, and most recently the remake of Nosferatu.  I’m also an aspiring game designer; been developing a TTRPG system and setting for seven years and currently run playtests for it twice per week. 

Running Style

• I focus on working with players to create immersion in the game world. Players are addressed by their character’s names rather than their own/handles unless bringing up an out-of-game topic. You won’t hear “You see five orcs,” rather something more along the lines of “Advancing over the windswept hilltop are five hulking humanoids with tangled manes of hair.  They’re brandishing broad, wicked blades, their forest green skin rife with scars and swathed in pale leathers.  The frigid breeze wafts a coppery scent from the brutes as they bellow at you in a guttural tongue.”  You are encouraged to describe your character’s actions, whether in or out of battle, and mechanically rewarded for doing so.  When in roleplaying situations, you are encouraged to share your character’s internal monologues as well as interact with other PCs and NPCs.
• Adaptable to surprise actions and creative problem solving; more likely to say yes than no to your ideas, so long as they wouldn’t detract from the rest of the party’s fun.
• Time and space is given to come up with ideas and roleplay regularly. With that said, if there’s a vibe that the pace needs to be picked up, I move things along.
• Happy to work together to integrate your backstory subplot into the campaign, but it’s by no means mandatory if that’s not your thing.

Odds and Ends

• Voice chat in Discord server; maps and rolls made in Roll20/Roll20 as a Discord activity
• DM will use video in Discord as well. Players are welcome to follow suit, but it’s not required.
• Dungeons and Dragons 5 Edition, 2014 rules set
• New players and old hands alike welcome!
• LGBTIQA+ friendly
• Content Advisory: This game is morbid, grim, and at times outright grotesque.
• Sessions are roughly 3 hours
• First game will be a Session Zero, and is free. As a heads up, the listed start date depends on how many players can be recruited before then; it will be pushed back if it’s slow going.
• Characters start at Level 1 and may rise as high as Level 10 if thorough enough in their explorations.
• (Thursdays & Saturdays Only) Players have access to Character Creation content from the Player’s Handbook, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, Monsters of the Multiverse, Xanathar’s Guide To Everything, and Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, via the Roll20 character builder. Other official Wizards of the Coast content is also allowed, pending approval.