Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down towards the village of Barovia.
Far below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd's face forms the barest hint of a smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they came- all according to his plan.
A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited.
Greetings everyone, I'm looking for 6 people for a Domains of Dread based campaign. We'll be starting off at level 3. Please note that each domain has different elements of horror involved. That being said there is a vast difference between fun horror and upsetting horror, and I'll be avoiding the more triggering subjects that might come up. {If you have any triggers that you would like me to avoid PM them to me so I know what to avoid to make sure that the campaign can be enjoyable for everyone playing.}
{Additional information}
- All sourcebook material is welcome, homebrew and UA/Unearthed Arcana will require review.
- It's always a good idea to have a backup character ready just in case your initial character meets their untimely demise and can't be revived/resurrected. If you want you can add the second character to your submission. { If you do... just a Name, Ability Scores, Race/Subrace, Class/Subclass and background will be okay. Although if you want to do the full application for both I'm okay with that as well }
- Stats can be rolled here, point buy or standard array
- Leveling up with be done through milestones
- I created a special opener just for this in which the characters are tasked by a professor to locate a mysterious relic in the Misty Forest which leads to them arriving in Barovia.
Character Application-
Name:
Ability Scores: {Standard Array, Point Buy or Roll here (4d6 drop the lowest, reroll 1's always)}
Race/Subrace:
Class/Subclass:
Alignment:
Background:
Backstory: {Include how your character came into contact with Professor Victor Shadowgrave.}
Horror Trinket |Tear of the Celestial Sea | An item of silvery fliud kept by Kaelith which properties are unknown
Backstory | See below
Kaelith Thorne was born under a celestial alignment, a rare event that marked him as an Aasimar, a child of divine heritage. His early years were spent in a small village nestled in the shadow of the towering Graypeak Mountains, where tales of heroes and ancient evils were woven into the fabric of daily life. Kaelith's parents were devout followers of a benevolent deity, instilling in him a sense of duty and righteousness. However, the tranquility of his childhood was shattered when a dark cult, seeking to awaken an ancient evil imprisoned deep within the mountains, descended upon the village. Despite the villagers' attempts to fend off the attackers, the cult unleashed a wave of horror, leading to the death of many, including Kaelith's parents. In the chaos, Kaelith witnessed the brutalities of the cult and the suffering of his friends and neighbors. This traumatic event awakened something within him—a burning desire for justice and a commitment to protect the innocent from the darkness that had taken everything from him. In the aftermath, Kaelith was taken in by a wandering Blood Hunter named Seraphis, who recognized the potential within the young Aasimar. Seraphis trained Kaelith in the ways of the Blood Hunters, teaching him to harness his celestial heritage and channel his blood magic to combat the forces of evil. Under Seraphis's tutelage, Kaelith learned to blend martial prowess with arcane abilities, becoming a formidable protector of the innocent. As time progressed a secret society member (Wrath of the Old) approached Kaelith with the suggestion he join them as a Specialist Investigator. Investigating those who brought the dead back from the grave, death cults, and vampiric influences dealing death to the innocent. Upon returning from a gruelling investigation a letter was awaiting Kaelith's attention, a letter from a Professor Victor Shadowgrave .....
Class/Subclass: Artificer (planning alchemist but can change to suit party if needed)
Alignment: chaotic neutral
Background: hermit
Backstory: {Look just because a girl took a liking to the mayor's daughter didn't mean she was gonna do something about it! They just...got along really well. Anyway, blah blah ran Eletis out of down cause, reasons ya know. So she picked up her COOL THINGS (i.e. junk) and headed off to solitude mostly, waiting for the feelings to pass so she could move on. At least she had her ideas, lots of them in fact. Just one problem, the same problem every goblin has, maybe. She needed gold. Stealing a few scraps here and there was one thing, but to make her dreams a reality it was gonna take cold hard cash. So she packed up her COOL THINGS again (it's still junk) and went looking for (mostly) legit work. When she heard about this job retrieving some thingamajig, she signed up. How hard could it be, right?}
Fears: Failure, existential dread
Horror Trinket: A wolf’s head wrought in silver that is also a whistle.
Nice, I have yet to have the opportunity to play this setting.
Ability scores 14 11 15 14 15 17
Name: Erxik Paladin of Kelemvor
Ability Scores: 18 11 15 14 14 17 - after bonuses
Race/Subrace: tiefling
Class/Subclass: paladin oath of devotion
Alignment: lawful good
Background: acolyte
Backstory: As a loyal paladin in service to Kelvemor, my service has peaked the interest of the Knights of the Eternal Order. A rep from the order has come to the Temple of Kelemvrr in Baldur's Gate which I'm stationed at. He and cleric Nerys have met with me and given a special quest to test my metal for possible entry into the knighthood. I am to meet with a professor Victor Shadowgrave about recovering a certain relic.
Fears: sending someone to the grave before their time
Horror Trinket:A black wooden pipe that creates puffs of smoke that look like skulls
Placeholder for now. Always wanted to do a Ravenloft campaign.
Ability Scores: Ability scores: 121510161613
When are you planning on closing recruitment? I want to know how much time I have to send in an application
Edit: Another thing: if I was to not include a class in my application, so as to keep my character flexible, allowing me to fill in whatever roles the party needs
I see that you're willing to at least consider homebrew. If you're familiar with KibblesTasty or Griffon's Saddlebag, there's a Druid Circle of Dragons I would like to try: https://www.kthomebrew.com/s/CircleOfDragons_1-1.pdf. Thoughts?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Race/Subrace: Umbral Human (Gifted) [Book of Ebon Tides]
Class/Subclass: Druid (Circle of Dragons) [The Griffon's Saddlebag]
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Background: Ruined
Backstory:Some within Barovia had not given up hope of escaping their prison. For generations, a powerful hag experimented on several lines of human prisoners, forcing them into the deadly mists surrounding the region, using fey magic and vile experiments to try and breed servants that were resistant to the mist’s effects. Against all odds, one prisoner - a pregnant woman - made it through the mists just before going to labor. It was a hag’s hand that had sent the woman into the mists, but it was a deity’s hand that put her in the path of a silver dragon. Even with the dragon’s magic, the woman could only hang on long enough to give birth before passing away, leaving her shadow-cursed newborn in the care of the dragon.
The dragon - Skadsurreir - kept a close eye on Waldrym, unsure if the child was safe to release to the rest of the world. Skadsurreir educated Waldrym, teaching him how to survive and respect the mountainous wilds around their home. At seventeen, Skadsurreir felt his charge was not a threat, and sent him into the world of humans and elves. The dragon then vacated his lair without another word to Waldrym. Waldrym, for his part, has taken on a number of small jobs, especially for small frontier towns in conflict with wild animals. It was one of these small jobs that he first met Professor Shadowgrave, acquiring humanely sourced owlbear feathers. The Professor is Waldrym's first close acquaintance since Skadsurreir, and he is fond of the old man. However. Waldrym's 23rd birthday approaches, however, and Barovia will soon reclaim what it has lost.
Fears: Waldrym knows that his mother was running from someone, and has occasional nightmares of being dragged away by a shadowy entity. He would also hate for something to happen to the Professor and lose the lone, tenuous relationship he's finally forged.
Horror Trinket: A shred of a bloodstained dress - the only connection he has to his mother. Sometimes after a nightmare he finds it clutched in his hands.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
I've decided to withdraw my application. Pay this no heed.
Thank you for the answers!
Name: Lexin "Lexy" Prongheart
Race/Subrace: Half-Elf
Alignment: Neutral Good
Background: Noble
Backstory: Lexin was born the son of a noble family in a wooded elven city. Her father, a human hero who saved the city from demons, Her mother an elven maiden, the daughter of a respected elvish nobleman. From a young age, her father was invested in his life, making sure Lexin knew all there was to know about fighting monsters and other manly pursuits. But, Lexin preferred to spend their time reading stories, telling tales, and charming all those around her. Despite this, her father kept trying, growing more and more frustrated that his son would not become the man he was raising her to be me.
Now, you might be wondering why I'm referring to Lexin as a 'her' while simultaneously saying she is the son of her parents. You see, Lexin had a secret. A secret she had only confided into her mother: the spirit of Corellon was within her, and as such she bore their blessing. (Basically, she can change her sex at will and is a girl instead of a guy). The tension between her and her father grew greater, until one day, the tension exploded in a catastrophic fight that saw Lexin banished from her homeland.
For months, she wandered the forest, her only belongings the adventuring gear her father bought her (even if she didn't like to use it, she knew it would be useful and brought it along) and the books of her youth, the tales of fabulous heroes. One day, she wandered into a city, and through a run in with Professor Victor Shadowgrave (literally, she ran into him on the street because she accidentally knocked him over while her nose was buried in a book), she met the professor and befriended him. When he founded out about her blessing, he became fascinated and asked to study it. She was hesitant (If you think about it some, you can see why), but he convinced her eventually. On one condition: he would hook her up with some jobs to make money. Now, she has taken this job to retrieve this artifact, and hopes it will bring in enough money to rent her own apartment and move out of the Professor's house.
Fears: While Lexy is intended to be the character in the horror group that always looks on the bright side of things, she still has fears. A few include large animals, alcohol (she's never tried it and irrationally fears one sip will turn her into a raging drunk), the savage humanoid races (which was imprinted on her by her parents), and bugs. Bugs is the big one. Combine it with the large animals fear and she will most likely pass out or be frozen. She hates them. Oh yeah, she's also deathly afraid of the spirits of the dead. That one might be a problem.
Horror Trinket: I'll roll on the table and see what I get: 13. Looks like a wineskin that refills when entered with a dead person foer a night. Creepy. Maybe something she found in the Professor's house? Who knows? I'll work it in somehow.
Edit: Here's a hero forge of her in normal clothes, since I don't know what armor she wears yet: https://www.heroforge.com/load_config=48790341/ (this is subject to change. Haven't really decided on a final appearance yet)
Baller trans character with good backstory real???
Thank you! Elves are the perfect race for genderfluid characters since all the lore about Corellon's blessing (basically, elves were once nature spirits with no set gender or form. Then they changed. But those who Corellon blesses can still change their gender) It was all in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, which is sad, but I get why the archived it (*cough* the drow lore *cough*)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brorminthe Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner;Theathe Rebellious Beauty;
Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down towards the village of Barovia.
Far below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd's face forms the barest hint of a smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they came- all according to his plan.
A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited.
Greetings everyone, I'm looking for 6 people for a Domains of Dread based campaign. We'll be starting off at level 3. Please note that each domain has different elements of horror involved. That being said there is a vast difference between fun horror and upsetting horror, and I'll be avoiding the more triggering subjects that might come up. {If you have any triggers that you would like me to avoid PM them to me so I know what to avoid to make sure that the campaign can be enjoyable for everyone playing.}
{Additional information}
- All sourcebook material is welcome, homebrew and UA/Unearthed Arcana will require review.
- It's always a good idea to have a backup character ready just in case your initial character meets their untimely demise and can't be revived/resurrected. If you want you can add the second character to your submission. { If you do... just a Name, Ability Scores, Race/Subrace, Class/Subclass and background will be okay. Although if you want to do the full application for both I'm okay with that as well }
- Stats can be rolled here, point buy or standard array
- Leveling up with be done through milestones
- I created a special opener just for this in which the characters are tasked by a professor to locate a mysterious relic in the Misty Forest which leads to them arriving in Barovia.
Character Application-
Name:
Ability Scores: {Standard Array, Point Buy or Roll here (4d6 drop the lowest, reroll 1's always)}
Race/Subrace:
Class/Subclass:
Alignment:
Background:
Backstory: {Include how your character came into contact with Professor Victor Shadowgrave.}
Fears:
Horror Trinket:
Character Sheet Link:
Sounds great! Here I go: Ability scores: 11 14 9 12 12 11
Agree... interesting, character pending dice rolls :-)
Ability scores: 13 13 12 17 17 16
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/130536009/JTnT4j
Kaelith Thorne was born under a celestial alignment, a rare event that marked him as an Aasimar, a child of divine heritage. His early years were spent in a small village nestled in the shadow of the towering Graypeak Mountains, where tales of heroes and ancient evils were woven into the fabric of daily life. Kaelith's parents were devout followers of a benevolent deity, instilling in him a sense of duty and righteousness. However, the tranquility of his childhood was shattered when a dark cult, seeking to awaken an ancient evil imprisoned deep within the mountains, descended upon the village. Despite the villagers' attempts to fend off the attackers, the cult unleashed a wave of horror, leading to the death of many, including Kaelith's parents. In the chaos, Kaelith witnessed the brutalities of the cult and the suffering of his friends and neighbors. This traumatic event awakened something within him—a burning desire for justice and a commitment to protect the innocent from the darkness that had taken everything from him. In the aftermath, Kaelith was taken in by a wandering Blood Hunter named Seraphis, who recognized the potential within the young Aasimar. Seraphis trained Kaelith in the ways of the Blood Hunters, teaching him to harness his celestial heritage and channel his blood magic to combat the forces of evil. Under Seraphis's tutelage, Kaelith learned to blend martial prowess with arcane abilities, becoming a formidable protector of the innocent. As time progressed a secret society member (Wrath of the Old) approached Kaelith with the suggestion he join them as a Specialist Investigator. Investigating those who brought the dead back from the grave, death cults, and vampiric influences dealing death to the innocent. Upon returning from a gruelling investigation a letter was awaiting Kaelith's attention, a letter from a Professor Victor Shadowgrave .....
Name: Eletis
Ability Scores: {Standard Array}
Race/Subrace: Goblin
Class/Subclass: Artificer (planning alchemist but can change to suit party if needed)
Alignment: chaotic neutral
Background: hermit
Backstory: {Look just because a girl took a liking to the mayor's daughter didn't mean she was gonna do something about it! They just...got along really well. Anyway, blah blah ran Eletis out of down cause, reasons ya know. So she picked up her COOL THINGS (i.e. junk) and headed off to solitude mostly, waiting for the feelings to pass so she could move on. At least she had her ideas, lots of them in fact. Just one problem, the same problem every goblin has, maybe. She needed gold. Stealing a few scraps here and there was one thing, but to make her dreams a reality it was gonna take cold hard cash. So she packed up her COOL THINGS again (it's still junk) and went looking for (mostly) legit work. When she heard about this job retrieving some thingamajig, she signed up. How hard could it be, right?}
Fears: Failure, existential dread
Horror Trinket: A wolf’s head wrought in silver that is also a whistle.
Character Sheet Link: https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/130477199/wxl5p6
Backup character:
Saleana, (standard array), Eladrin (spring), Druid, circle of wildfire and folk hero
Race: Kobold
class: Fighter
subcalss: homebrew, please ask more
alignment: CG
background: homebrew again
backstory: willing to workshop with DM!
fears: thalassaphobia, believes too much in folklore
horror trinket: a small vial with fog in it. The fog randomly changes to a face that everybody sees differently
name: Sniss
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sheet-pdfs/rafflmandel_130545241.pdf
Are you using standard initiative rules or the group block?
Be right back...
**This Space for Rent**
Nice, I have yet to have the opportunity to play this setting.
Ability scores: 18 16 15 15 13 18
Name: Erxik Paladin of Kelemvor
Ability Scores: 18 11 15 14 14 17 - after bonuses
Race/Subrace: tiefling
Class/Subclass: paladin oath of devotion
Alignment: lawful good
Background: acolyte
Backstory: As a loyal paladin in service to Kelvemor, my service has peaked the interest of the Knights of the Eternal Order. A rep from the order has come to the Temple of Kelemvrr in Baldur's Gate which I'm stationed at. He and cleric Nerys have met with me and given a special quest to test my metal for possible entry into the knighthood. I am to meet with a professor Victor Shadowgrave about recovering a certain relic.
Fears: sending someone to the grave before their time
Horror Trinket:A black wooden pipe that creates puffs of smoke that look like skulls
https://www.dndbeyond.com/characters/130461156/87xmQi
Might as well roll Ability scores: 14 11 11 16 10 15
Stats, will go from here:
12 11 16 17 16 13
Ability scores, then a bit of time to consider my character: Ability scores: 16 15 8 15 12 12
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
Placeholder for now. Always wanted to do a Ravenloft campaign.
Ability Scores: Ability scores: 12 15 10 16 16 13
When are you planning on closing recruitment? I want to know how much time I have to send in an application
Edit: Another thing: if I was to not include a class in my application, so as to keep my character flexible, allowing me to fill in whatever roles the party needs
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brormin the Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner; Thea the Rebellious Beauty;
Check out my EXTENDED SIGNATUR and don’t forget to join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
"I don't make sense to you, and I don't make sense to myself. Maybe the only one I make sense to is God" ~ Me, trying to sound smart
I see that you're willing to at least consider homebrew. If you're familiar with KibblesTasty or Griffon's Saddlebag, there's a Druid Circle of Dragons I would like to try: https://www.kthomebrew.com/s/CircleOfDragons_1-1.pdf. Thoughts?
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
I'll be closing recruitment on August 29.
That would be alright.
I like the sounds of it.
Okay then.
Name: Waldrym
Ability Scores: 13 14 14 12 11 16
Race/Subrace: Umbral Human (Gifted) [Book of Ebon Tides]
Class/Subclass: Druid (Circle of Dragons) [The Griffon's Saddlebag]
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Background: Ruined
Backstory: Some within Barovia had not given up hope of escaping their prison. For generations, a powerful hag experimented on several lines of human prisoners, forcing them into the deadly mists surrounding the region, using fey magic and vile experiments to try and breed servants that were resistant to the mist’s effects. Against all odds, one prisoner - a pregnant woman - made it through the mists just before going to labor. It was a hag’s hand that had sent the woman into the mists, but it was a deity’s hand that put her in the path of a silver dragon. Even with the dragon’s magic, the woman could only hang on long enough to give birth before passing away, leaving her shadow-cursed newborn in the care of the dragon.
The dragon - Skadsurreir - kept a close eye on Waldrym, unsure if the child was safe to release to the rest of the world. Skadsurreir educated Waldrym, teaching him how to survive and respect the mountainous wilds around their home. At seventeen, Skadsurreir felt his charge was not a threat, and sent him into the world of humans and elves. The dragon then vacated his lair without another word to Waldrym. Waldrym, for his part, has taken on a number of small jobs, especially for small frontier towns in conflict with wild animals. It was one of these small jobs that he first met Professor Shadowgrave, acquiring humanely sourced owlbear feathers. The Professor is Waldrym's first close acquaintance since Skadsurreir, and he is fond of the old man. However. Waldrym's 23rd birthday approaches, however, and Barovia will soon reclaim what it has lost.
Fears: Waldrym knows that his mother was running from someone, and has occasional nightmares of being dragged away by a shadowy entity. He would also hate for something to happen to the Professor and lose the lone, tenuous relationship he's finally forged.
Horror Trinket: A shred of a bloodstained dress - the only connection he has to his mother. Sometimes after a nightmare he finds it clutched in his hands.
Character Sheet Link: www.dndbeyond.com/characters/130598529/ezhXLZ
Also, rolling ability scores for the backup character in case I manage to get Waldrym killed in record time: Ability scores: 16 7 10 13 14 15
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
I've decided to withdraw my application. Pay this no heed.
Thank you for the answers!Name: Lexin "Lexy" ProngheartRace/Subrace: Half-ElfAlignment: Neutral GoodBackground: NobleBackstory: Lexin was born the son of a noble family in a wooded elven city. Her father, a human hero who saved the city from demons, Her mother an elven maiden, the daughter of a respected elvish nobleman. From a young age, her father was invested in his life, making sure Lexin knew all there was to know about fighting monsters and other manly pursuits. But, Lexin preferred to spend their time reading stories, telling tales, and charming all those around her. Despite this, her father kept trying, growing more and more frustrated that his son would not become the man he was raising her to be me.Now, you might be wondering why I'm referring to Lexin as a 'her' while simultaneously saying she is the son of her parents. You see, Lexin had a secret. A secret she had only confided into her mother: the spirit of Corellon was within her, and as such she bore their blessing. (Basically, she can change her sex at will and is a girl instead of a guy). The tension between her and her father grew greater, until one day, the tension exploded in a catastrophic fight that saw Lexin banished from her homeland.For months, she wandered the forest, her only belongings the adventuring gear her father bought her (even if she didn't like to use it, she knew it would be useful and brought it along) and the books of her youth, the tales of fabulous heroes. One day, she wandered into a city, and through a run in with Professor Victor Shadowgrave (literally, she ran into him on the street because she accidentally knocked him over while her nose was buried in a book), she met the professor and befriended him. When he founded out about her blessing, he became fascinated and asked to study it. She was hesitant (If you think about it some, you can see why), but he convinced her eventually. On one condition: he would hook her up with some jobs to make money. Now, she has taken this job to retrieve this artifact, and hopes it will bring in enough money to rent her own apartment and move out of the Professor's house.Fears: While Lexy is intended to be the character in the horror group that always looks on the bright side of things, she still has fears. A few include large animals, alcohol (she's never tried it and irrationally fears one sip will turn her into a raging drunk), the savage humanoid races (which was imprinted on her by her parents), and bugs. Bugs is the big one. Combine it with the large animals fear and she will most likely pass out or be frozen. She hates them. Oh yeah, she's also deathly afraid of the spirits of the dead. That one might be a problem.Horror Trinket: I'll roll on the table and see what I get: 13. Looks like a wineskin that refills when entered with a dead person foer a night. Creepy. Maybe something she found in the Professor's house? Who knows? I'll work it in somehow.Edit: Here's a hero forge of her in normal clothes, since I don't know what armor she wears yet: https://www.heroforge.com/load_config=48790341/ (this is subject to change. Haven't really decided on a final appearance yet)Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brormin the Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner; Thea the Rebellious Beauty;
Check out my EXTENDED SIGNATUR and don’t forget to join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
"I don't make sense to you, and I don't make sense to myself. Maybe the only one I make sense to is God" ~ Me, trying to sound smart
Baller trans character with good backstory real???
Thank you! Elves are the perfect race for genderfluid characters since all the lore about Corellon's blessing (basically, elves were once nature spirits with no set gender or form. Then they changed. But those who Corellon blesses can still change their gender) It was all in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, which is sad, but I get why the archived it (*cough* the drow lore *cough*)
Hi, I'm Raccoon_Master, a young genderfluid actor, writer, explorer, and bass vocalist. Pronouns They/Them/Theirs
My Characters: Brormin the Devout Crusher; Morgrom the Cunning Summoner; Thea the Rebellious Beauty;
Check out my EXTENDED SIGNATUR and don’t forget to join the Anything but the OGL 2.0 Thread!
"I don't make sense to you, and I don't make sense to myself. Maybe the only one I make sense to is God" ~ Me, trying to sound smart