The Journey Begins: A Dark Adventure into the Cursed Lands of Barovia

Session One Recap: October 19

Players:

• Sean: Donohue (Valen’eir - Elf/Wizard)
• Chris: Radley (Human/Fighter)
• Carey: Skalt (Elf/Monk)

Setting:
Our campaign begins in the late summer on the Sword Coast of Faerûn, in the city of Daggerford. The Sword Coast is a storied region full of conflict, trade, and intrigue, stretching from the city of Waterdeep to Baldur’s Gate and beyond. Daggerford itself is a modest but strategically important settlement that acts as a gateway to the wider regions of the Coast.

Day 1:

The adventurers, each from different walks of life, are attending a festival in Daggerford. Amidst the festivities, they are invited by Baroness Morwen, a noblewoman of the region, to her private pavilion. The jovial mood quickly sours when a messenger delivers disturbing news to the Baroness: wolves are attacking local farms, and there are rumors of a werewolf kidnapping children. The adventurers are asked to investigate these claims in exchange for ten gold pieces each and a letter granting them authority to act in the Baroness's name.

Radley, demonstrating surprising knowledge about werewolves, explains their weaknesses: they can only be killed by silver weapons and are allergic to wolfsbane. With this new information, the party requests silvered weapons, though the Baroness's chamberlain hesitates to provide them immediately, suggesting the expense may be reconsidered after their initial investigation.

Day 2:

The party travels to the hamlet on the outskirts of Daggerford, arriving in the late afternoon. They investigate the wolf attacks, finding large tracks in the soil near the treeline. As night falls, they set up camp, and Valen’eir digs a pitfall trap to capture one of the wolves. However, as the night progresses, they hear the howls of wolves gathering into a pack and see fleeting shapes in the dark forest.

Despite initial hesitation, the party enters the woods to confront the wolves. As they delve deeper into the forest, it becomes eerily quiet. The moon is nearly full, but it becomes obscured by clouds, and an unseasonable chill sets in. They stumble upon a camp of Vistani, a group of nomadic people known for their enigmatic ways and deep connection to fate and prophecy.

The Vistani welcome the adventurers with wine and song. The party is introduced to Grigori and his companions, and later to Stanimir, the Vistani patriarch. After a toast with the potent spirit rakia, Stanimir shares a tale of a cursed prince his people once saved. This prince has since become a tyrant, and the Vistani seek heroes to end his curse and free their homeland. Though the adventurers do not formally agree, their lack of refusal seems enough for the Vistani, who resume their revelry.

Day 3:

The party awakens in the Vistani wagons, finding themselves far from where they started. The weather is unseasonably cold, and the forest they now traverse feels foreign. The Vistani explain that they are heading to Barovia, the cursed land of their lord. Upon arriving at an ancient gate flanked by fallen guardian statues, the adventurers disembark, and the Vistani wagons disappear into the fog. A creeping mist closes in behind them, and Valen’eir notices a sinister change in his magic—a summoned Mage Hand takes on a skeletal form, an ominous sign of the dark forces at work in Barovia.

The party presses forward, passing through the gate, which slams shut behind them. They are now fully within the land of Barovia, a gloomy, fog-shrouded region known for its tyrant lord, Count Strahd von Zarovich. They find a letter on the body of a villager warning them of the vampiric curse that has fallen upon Barovia and urging them to flee while they still can.

Soon, the adventurers encounter the imposing figure of Strahd von Zarovich himself, riding a flame-wreathed horse. Strahd introduces himself as the ruler of Barovia and informs the party that they have been brought here for his amusement. He promises that they will suffer and perish for his entertainment before disappearing into the mists.

Moments later, two corpses fall from nearby windows and begin to attack the party. The ensuing battle is brief but brutal. Valen’eir is severely injured and falls unconscious, but the party manages to dispatch the undead creatures. As the session ends, Valen’eir is stabilized, but the haunting stillness of Barovia settles over them once more.

Lore and Context

The setting of this campaign takes place in the Forgotten Realms, specifically on the Sword Coast, a region known for its rich history and constant conflict. The characters' journey leads them into Barovia, a demiplane cut off from the rest of the world, ruled by the vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich. Strahd is a central figure in the Curse of Strahd campaign, a gothic horror adventure where adventurers are trapped in Barovia and must confront Strahd to escape.

Barovia is a land where the sun never shines, and its people live in constant fear of Strahd's minions. The mists surrounding Barovia make it impossible to leave, except for the enigmatic Vistani, who serve as guides and messengers within this cursed realm.

This first session sets the tone for a dark, mysterious adventure where the line between life and death is blurred, and the players are mere pawns in a game of power played by forces beyond their comprehension. As the players delve deeper into the horrors of Barovia, they will uncover the tragic history of Strahd, face the dangers of the undead, and ultimately confront the evil that has gripped this land for centuries.

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop role-playing game (RPG) where players take on the roles of characters in a fantasy world, embarking on quests, battling monsters, and solving intricate challenges. Since its creation by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974, D&D has evolved through multiple editions, each refining and expanding the game's rules. Today, the game is more accessible than ever, with platforms like D&D Beyond and Discord enabling players to come together virtually, no matter where they are in the world.

In our campaign, technology plays a central role in uniting players spread across vast distances. Sean (our Dungeon Master or DM) is located in Alexandria, Virginia, while Chris is in Arlington, Virginia, Cary is in Maryland, and Sean (Donohue, a player) is in Frankfurt, Germany. Through D&D Beyond, a digital platform that allows players to manage characters, access rulebooks, and roll dice, and Discord, a voice chat service perfect for real-time collaboration, this group of adventurers meets virtually. Last Saturday, we played from 12 PM to 5 PM Eastern, immersing ourselves in a dynamic, remote D&D session.

A Short History of Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons was first published in 1974 and quickly grew into a cultural phenomenon. The game's core mechanics focus on storytelling, with dice rolls determining success or failure in combat, skill checks, and other situations. Over the decades, the game has evolved from its first edition into what is now D&D 5th Edition, released in 2014, which streamlined many rules to be more accessible to new players while retaining depth for veterans. A newer 2024 revision will introduce even more updates, focusing on inclusivity, balanced character creation, and refined gameplay mechanics.

The Virtual Campaign: Races, Classes, Levels, and Skills

In this campaign, each player controls a character with distinct abilities, strengths, and personalities:

1. Sean: Playing Donohue, an Elf Wizard. Wizards are masters of arcane magic, with spellbooks that allow them to cast powerful spells. As a wizard, Donohue has skills in Arcana, History, and Investigation, focusing on intelligence-based tasks. His elven heritage gives him keen senses and agility, making him an invaluable party member.

2. Chris: Playing Radley, a Human Fighter. Fighters are versatile warriors trained in combat, excelling with weapons and armor. Radley is the group's frontline defender, specializing in melee combat. He has proficiency in Athletics, Perception, and Survival, ensuring he's always prepared for physical challenges and tactical decisions.

3. Cary: Playing Skalt, an Elf Monk. Monks channel their inner energy to perform extraordinary feats of agility, strength, and martial prowess. Skalt's elven agility, combined with monk training, gives him mastery in Acrobatics, Stealth, and Insight, making him a deadly and elusive combatant with a spiritual connection to the world around him.

At the start of this campaign, all characters are at Level 3, having developed significant skills but still growing in power and experience.

Running the Campaign: Tools and Challenges

Using D&D Beyond has been a game-changer for running a virtual campaign. The platform allows players to easily access their character sheets, roll dice with digital precision, and keep track of stats, spells, and equipment. For a Dungeon Master like Sean, D&D Beyond provides easy access to campaign management tools, allowing him to manage encounters, monsters, and the storyline efficiently.

Discord serves as the central communication hub, allowing voice chat during the game. As players describe their actions, Sean narrates the unfolding events, and everyone communicates in real-time, overcoming the geographical distance. The combination of D&D Beyond and Discord ensures that gameplay remains fluid and immersive, whether Sean is weaving a complex narrative from Alexandria or Chris is strategizing from Arlington.

What Makes D&D Special?

At its heart, Dungeons & Dragons is about collaborative storytelling. The DM creates the world, setting, and overarching plot, while the players influence the direction of the story through their actions. This balance between structure and freedom is what has captivated generations of players. Each game session is unique, shaped by the creativity, problem-solving, and camaraderie of the group.

For this campaign, we’re blending classic D&D elements (like the Sword Coast setting and Faerûn's rich lore) with the personal dynamics of each player’s character. The decision to play virtually allows the group to maintain regular sessions despite being spread across multiple time zones and continents.

By relying on the tools that modern technology provides, we’re able to recreate the rich, imaginative experience of D&D in a virtual setting, making every session as engaging and immersive as if we were sitting around the same physical table.

This past Saturday, the session ran from 12 PM to 5 PM Eastern, with each player fully engaged in an epic story of werewolves, mysterious curses, and perilous encounters. As we continue our journey, the party will face new challenges, both in-game and as a remote team of adventurers navigating the mists and dangers of Barovia.

At the start of the campaign, Sean (Donohue) and Cary (Skalt) began their journey at Level 1, just starting to develop their abilities and explore their potential in their respective classes. Meanwhile, Chris (Radley) had already advanced to Level 2, providing him with slightly more experience and a broader set of combat skills. This level difference gave the group a balanced dynamic, where Radley took on more of a leadership role in battle, while the others began honing their abilities as they encountered early challenges.

This approach added an extra layer of immersion, as the party’s varied levels reflected the characters’ differing backgrounds and levels of experience in the dangerous world of Faerûn.

The Role of the Dungeon Master (DM)

In this campaign, Sean, located in Alexandria, VA, plays the critical role of Dungeon Master (DM). As the DM, Sean is responsible for crafting the world, controlling all non-player characters (NPCs), and ensuring that the story unfolds in a way that engages all players. The DM’s role is not only to narrate the events and set the scene but also to create challenges, manage encounters, and ensure that every decision made by the players has meaningful consequences. Whether it’s controlling the wolves haunting the farms or portraying the enigmatic Vistani, Sean’s role shapes the story and experience. This allows Sean to orchestrate a dynamic and immersive campaign for the players, weaving their choices and actions into the greater narrative.

2014 vs. 2024 D&D Rules

The campaign runs on the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (2014), which has been widely praised for simplifying mechanics while maintaining enough depth for long-time players. D&D Beyond makes it easier to manage these rules, character sheets, and dice rolls in a virtual setting.

As D&D prepares to release its 2024 update, the game will introduce refinements such as increased inclusivity, greater character customization, and smoother gameplay experiences. One of the great things about D&D Beyond is its ability to keep everything up to date. This ensures that players can seamlessly transition between rules, without needing to learn entirely new systems from scratch. While the campaign still runs on 5E, these tools ensure it will be easy to integrate new rules when the 2024 update is fully released.

Collaborative Storytelling

In Dungeons & Dragons, the campaign is built on collaborative storytelling. While Sean, the DM, guides the world, the plot itself is driven by the players' choices. For instance, in the last session, the players were tasked with investigating mysterious wolf attacks. As the characters made choices (like Valen’eir attempting to dig a wolf trap or the group venturing into the forest), the story unfolded in real-time, shaped by those decisions. When the party encountered the Vistani and was offered rakia, Valen’eir chose to abstain and engage with the music instead. Such actions show how each player’s decisions contribute to the development of the campaign, creating a story that no single person controls entirely. This type of storytelling emphasizes improvisation, quick thinking, and teamwork, as everyone has a say in where the narrative goes next.

Campaign Objective

While the campaign is still in its early stages, the primary objective seems to center around investigating the increasing presence of wolves—and the possibility of a werewolf—near the hamlet outside Daggerford. The party’s task, assigned by Baroness Morwen, is to uncover the truth behind these attacks and discover whether or not a werewolf is truly responsible for the killings and kidnappings. Along the way, they have encountered the Vistani, a nomadic people connected to the mysterious land of Barovia, which hints at larger, more dangerous forces at play, like Strahd von Zarovich, the vampire lord of Barovia. This is likely to be the larger story arc, pushing the characters into a dark, cursed land where their strength and resolve will be tested.

Curse of Strahd is a gothic horror campaign set in the dark, mist-shrouded land of Barovia. It is one of the most popular and atmospheric campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons, with a strong focus on storytelling, exploration, and character development.

The central figure in Barovia is Count Strahd von Zarovich, a powerful vampire lord who rules the land with an iron grip. Barovia is a place of perpetual gloom, where the sun rarely shines, and the inhabitants live in fear of Strahd’s undead minions and other lurking horrors. The land is cut off from the rest of the world by a mystical fog, and those who enter often find themselves unable to leave.

Adventurers are drawn to Barovia for various reasons, often manipulated into entering by mysterious forces. Once inside, they must contend with the strange and terrifying denizens of the land while unraveling the dark history of Strahd, his cursed reign, and his connection to the land itself. Along the way, they will meet both friends and foes, face supernatural threats, and uncover secrets that might help them survive and escape.

The campaign is known for its rich lore, complex characters, and morally ambiguous choices. Players can expect intense encounters with undead creatures, werewolves, and other monsters. But more than just combat, Curse of Strahd is about investigation, survival, and navigating a world steeped in dread and mystery. Strahd himself is a tragic and deeply compelling villain, whose presence casts a shadow over every part of the story.

At its core, the campaign is an open-world exploration where players can choose how to navigate the threats and mysteries of Barovia. There are multiple paths they can take, and each decision shapes the unfolding narrative. Success in Curse of Strahd requires more than just martial prowess—it calls for wit, strategy, and teamwork.

Conclusion

Our adventurers are now deep within the cursed land of Barovia, entangled in a dark story involving wolves, werewolves, and the ever-present threat of the vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich. From the mysterious forests near Daggerford to the eerie fog of Barovia, the party has been tested both physically and mentally, facing undead horrors and unsettling encounters with enigmatic figures like the Vistani. With Valen’eir barely surviving the session’s final skirmish, the stakes have been set high, and the party must now strategize and prepare for the horrors that await them.

This campaign, blending classic D&D elements with modern technology, has already set a dark and engaging tone. As the story unfolds, the adventurers must rely on their skills, knowledge, and teamwork to navigate the perilous lands ahead, knowing that Strahd is watching their every move.

Glossary of Terms

• Daggerford: A small city located on the Sword Coast of Faerûn, known for its strategic location and proximity to Waterdeep and Baldur’s Gate.
• Faerûn: The primary continent in the Forgotten Realms, a world rich with magic, adventure, and danger.
• Sword Coast: A coastal region in Faerûn known for its political intrigue, trade routes, and frequent conflicts.
• Baroness Morwen: A noblewoman of Daggerford who tasks the adventurers with investigating the strange wolf attacks.
• Werewolf: A humanoid cursed with lycanthropy, which causes them to transform into a wolf-like creature, often during a full moon. Werewolves are vulnerable to silver weapons.
• Vistani: A mysterious and nomadic people with ties to prophecy and fate. They are the only ones who can freely travel in and out of Barovia.
• Rakia: A potent spirit traditionally consumed by the Vistani during important toasts and storytelling.
• Count Strahd von Zarovich: The vampire lord and ruler of Barovia, a land cursed under his tyrannical rule for centuries.
• Barovia: A cursed land ruled by Strahd von Zarovich, cut off from the rest of Faerûn by magical mists. It is a dark, foreboding place filled with undead creatures and horrors.
• Mage Hand: A cantrip spell that allows the caster to summon a spectral hand to perform simple tasks at a distance.

FAQ

1. What is the campaign setting?
The campaign takes place in the Forgotten Realms, specifically along the Sword Coast of Faerûn, beginning in the city of Daggerford. The adventurers later find themselves transported to the cursed land of Barovia, ruled by the vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich.

2. Who are the players and their characters?

• Sean Donohue plays Valen’eir, an Elf Wizard skilled in arcane magic.
• Chris plays Radley, a Human Fighter who excels in combat and defense.
• Cary plays Skalt, an Elf Monk known for agility, martial arts, and spiritual focus.

3. How is the campaign played virtually?
The campaign is run through D&D Beyond and Discord. D&D Beyond allows players to manage their character sheets, dice rolls, and campaign details digitally. Discord serves as the voice communication platform, enabling players and the DM to collaborate in real-time despite being geographically distant.

4. What is Barovia?
Barovia is a dark, fog-shrouded land that is cut off from the rest of Faerûn. It is ruled by the vampire Strahd von Zarovich, who uses his power to torment the land's inhabitants. The mists surrounding Barovia make it impossible for most people to leave, except for the mysterious Vistani.

5. Who is Count Strahd von Zarovich?
Strahd von Zarovich is the vampire lord of Barovia and the central antagonist in the Curse of Strahd campaign. He is a complex villain, both tragic and terrifying, whose presence looms over every part of the story.

6. What challenges did the adventurers face in the first session?
In the first session, the party was tasked with investigating wolf attacks on local farms. As they ventured deeper into the forest, they encountered the nomadic Vistani and learned of a mysterious curse. The session ended with an intense confrontation with Strahd himself, followed by an attack by undead creatures that left Valen’eir gravely injured.

7. What is the objective of the campaign?
While the immediate goal is to investigate the wolf attacks and the growing presence of a werewolf, the overarching objective is to confront the dark forces in Barovia, particularly the curse that binds the land under Strahd's tyrannical rule.

8. How does D&D Beyond enhance gameplay?
D&D Beyond offers a seamless way to manage character stats, spells, and dice rolls digitally, ensuring that the virtual campaign runs smoothly. Players can easily access campaign details, roll dice, and make in-game decisions using the platform, making it especially helpful for long-distance sessions.

This first session set the stage for what promises to be an exciting and dangerous journey. Stay tuned as the party continues to delve deeper into the mysteries of Barovia and confront the terrifying forces that control it!