# The Court of Nightmares & Shadows

##### 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 toward the village of Barovia. 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.

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##### Table Of Contents - **[1 The Court of Nightmares & Shadows](#p1)** - **[2 So You Want to Play Curse of Strahd: A Player's Primer on Enjoying the Game](#p3)** - [2.1 ](#p3) - [2.1.1 You should play Curse of Strahd if you:](#p3) - **[3 Through the Mists](#p4)** - [3.1 ](#p4) - [3.1.1 Character Creation](#p4) - [3.1.2 Character Ban and Restriction List](#p4) - [3.1.3 Additional Campaign Rules](#p4) - **[4 Story Setting](#p5)** - [4.1 ](#p5) - [4.1.1 And Night Fell Upon the Dread Realms Through the Mists](#p5) - [4.1.2 Soul Points](#p5) - **[5 Lunar Spells List](#p6)** - **[6 Gaming](#p7)** - [6.1 ](#p7) - [6.1.1 Table Rules](#p7) - [6.1.2 After Each Play Session](#p7) - [6.1.3 More Resources](#p7)

Curse of Strahd | Players Guide

\page # So You Want to Play Curse of Strahd: A Player's Primer on Enjoying the Game Curse of Strahd is an exciting, tense, fast-paced adventure. It is a vivid exploration of classic gothic horror tropes and monsters, from werewolves to vampires, ghosts, and more. It is a true sandbox, providing players with the freedom to make their own choices and build the kind of adventure they enjoy. It is an unabashedly character-driven campaign, giving your player character an incredible chance to shine and make their mark on the story your group tells. However, Curse of Strahd is also a brutal, stressful, and alienating experience. Your character will be trapped in a bleak, gothic land quite different from the world they know. The adventure contains several encounters and areas that will likely be far beyond your capabilities when you first encounter them. It does not provide routine or readily-available loot or magical items. For a player who’s not expecting it, Curse of Strahd can suck. Really suck. Let me put it this way: if you want the freedom to engage in combat and exploration without worrying about the potential risks, this is very possibly not the campaign for you. Likewise, if you are potentially triggered by gruesome depictions of horror or psychologically disturbing relationships, or if you prefer a D&D campaign that features only victories or setbacks (rather than the potential for outright defeat), you might want to try a different module. Now, if you’re still around, stick with me - because there are reasons to play this (excellent, engaging, incredibly memorable) campaign. ### You should play Curse of Strahd if you: * Love gothic horror tropes and themes * Want to engage with a character-driven story that pushes you to develop relationships with multiple vivid NPCs and factions * Prefer roleplay, investigation, and relationship-building to combat or dungeon-delving * Enjoy setting your own goals and pursuing means of achieving them * Enjoy facing an active, powerful, and personally antagonizing villain * Want to participate in a tense, adrenaline-fueled experience that will create memories to last a lifetime If, after reading this far, you think Curse of Strahd may be the campaign for you, awesome! You’re in for a fantastic time. #### With that said, here are a few protips to succeeding in the course of this campaign: * Intrepid adventurers and sadistic murderhobos don’t last long in Barovia. Don’t tread from the beaten path unless you have good reason to, and don’t alienate or antagonize NPCs if you can avoid it. Make more friends than enemies. Don’t go searching for treasure, fortune, or fame - because you will probably die a horrible death. * Remember that you are not your character, and invest real time in developing their thoughts, personality, and motivation. Externalize failure, and use setbacks or defeat as an opportunity to explore your character’s perspective and personal growth. * **Play smart.** Many of the enemies in this adventure cannot be overcome easily in direct combat. Use guile, preparation, subterfuge, diplomacy, and research to achieve your goals. * Spend time engaging with the other characters, even when not discussing plans, tactics, or objectives. Learn about their fears, their perspectives, and their experiences. Build meaningful relationships, not apathetic battle teams. * Outside goals are hard (if not impossible) to achieve in Barovia. It's worth working with your DM to create a character driven to Barovia for some purpose that can only be fulfilled within its borders. Make sure to speak with your DM about how to shape your backstory into something that can be relevant in the world of Barovia. * Try to remove yourself from the “XP and loot” model of progression in traditional campaigns and video games, and instead try to enjoy the narrative progression of winning allies, fulfilling objectives, and advancing the story of the campaign and player characters. * Don't try to play an apathetic or evil player character unless you are 100% sure that you can pull it off while being a supportive team player and engaging the story like a normal PC. Seriously. You'll make this adventure a lot more difficult and unenjoyable for your DM, and you'll be cheating yourself out of a fun experience. You don't need to play a knight in shining armor, but you definitely shouldn't play a villain. * Curse of Strahd, as-written, is full of disturbing and graphic content. If you are potentially triggered by elements of child abuse, murder, stalking, gaslighting, racism, torture, mind control, cannibalism, situations paralleling sexual assault, child death, references to stillbirth/miscarriage, abuse of those with disabilities or mental illness, animal cruelty, body horror, child abandonment, portrayals of alcoholism or drug abuse, potential incest, implied necrophilia, or suicide, **speak with your DM** about potentially working around or entirely avoiding these elements. **Oh - and don’t Google anything related to the campaign.** **The Web, after all, is dark, and full of spoilers.**

Curse of Strahd | Players Guide

\page # Through the Mists Welcome traveler from an antique land. These guidelines and rules are set in the Dread Domains campaign the Curse of Strahd. All players must understand the guidelines, campaign setting and table rules; players are free to reference this sheet at any time. As in any game rules are always subject to change and amendments will be added to this living document. ### Character Creation Level one charaters will be made using *Point Buy* or *Standard Array*. Character race, background and class will be picked from the approved D&D content below. Starting equipment will be standard selection based off class and background chosen as per approved content. Backstories must be limited to 10 pages and 1 summary page. This summary page will be the main key points that highlight your character in case the Dungeon Master is unable to read all 10 pages right away. Please include what your character's Birthmoon is, this would be the phase of the moon your character was born under. ### Character Ban and Restriction List There are three lists for this setting, the restricted list, the ban list and the story only list. The restricted list will require speaking to the game Dungeon Master. The ban list is not playable in this campaign setting. The story only list will require approval from the Dungeon Master. #### Ban List * **Alignment Ban**- CE, LE & NE * **Race Ban**- Simic Hybrid, Verdan, Vedalken, Bugbear, Hobgoblin, Kobold, Goblins, Goblinkin, Orcs,Half-Orcs, Dragonborn, Warforged, Night Faelings, Triton, Fairy, Lizardfolk, Tortle, Duergar and Gith. * **Archetype Ban**- Warlocks with Patrons of Evil Alignment, Oath Breaker Paladins. * **Class Bans**-Artificers * **Banned Spells**- All from *Acquisitions Incorporated*. * **General Ban**- No Dragonmarks from *Eberron Rising from the Last War*. #### Restricted List * **Restricted Alignment**- CN * **Restricted Races**- Kenku,Owlin, Aarakocra, Tabaxi, Tieflings, Leonin, Satyr, Centaur, Loxodon, Minotaur, Harengon, Krampus. * **Restricted Classes**- Vampire. * **Restricted Languages**- Exotic Languages * **Restricted Hirelings**- Side Kicks must be approved of prior to in game use. * **Restricted Spells**- Dunamancy Spells and Remove Curse. * **Restricted Books**- The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, Mythic Odysseys of Theros and Tal'dorei Campaign Setting *because your Dungeon Master doesn't own a copy to review*. * **General Restriction**- Guilds from *Guild Masters' Guide to Ravnica* or Factions from *Acquisitions Incorporated*. #### Story Only List Infernal contracts, Reborn, Hollow One, Revenant, The Lingering Soul, archdevil charms, boons, oathbreatkers, artifacts, multi-classing, deep speech, divine intervention (other than immediate use), and the Wish spell. Group Patrons as depicted in Tasha's. Death in this campaign will involve a special experience. Sometimes death is not the end, sometimes it is only the beginning. >##### Approved D&D 5e Content > The below is a list of books printed by Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition. These books can be used for character creation. > > * Player's Handbook > * Dungeon Master's Guide > * Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide > * Xanathar's Guide to Everything > * Volo's Guide to Monsters > * Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes > * Guild Masters' Guide to Ravnica > * Acquisitions Incorporated > * Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft > * Explorer's Guide to Wildemount > * Tasha's Cauldron of Everything > * Strixhaven A Curriculum of Chaos > * Nightfell- A Horror Fantasy Setting > * Liber Sanguinis > > Please read the entirety of **Through the Mists** as there will be restrictions to classes, races and backgrounds that may affect character creation. ### Additional Campaign Rules * Sanity Scores (DMG Chapter 9) * Madness (DMG Chapter 8) * Downtime Activities (As listed in the Approved Content) * Slow Natural Healing (DMG Chapter 9) * Fear and Horror (DMG Chapter 9) * Gritty Realism (DMG Chapter 9) * Action Options (DMG Chapter 9) * Lingering Injuries (DMG Chapter 9) * Morale (DMG Chapter 9) * Milestones vs Experience Points * Parleying with Monsters (Tasha's pg148) * Supernatural Regions- Haunted (Tasha's pg154) * Dark Gifts (Van Richten's pg22) * Horror Trinkets (Van Richten's pg36) * Soul Points (Nightfell pg148) * Possession (Nightfell pg151) * Grim Weapons (Nightfell pg153) * The Moon (Nightfell pg155) * Herbalism Kit (Homebrew) * Resurection Madness (DDAL4)

Curse of Strahd | Players Guide

\page # Story Setting The setting of this tale is through the mists in the Domains of Dread, where adventurer's are trapped from outside realms and local inhabbitants live in fear of the Dark Powers and the Dread Lords of the domains. Due to the uniqueness of this campaign setting custom content has been provided for character creation and is highly encouraged! > ##### I also highly recommend looking at the Character Creation options provided in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. **Race Recommendations** The Following Races are recommendations that the Dungeon Master think would be fun: * Shifter (Ebberon) * Shadar-kai (Mordenkainen's) * Kenku (Volo's) * Dhampir (Van Richten's) **Class Recommendations** The Following Classes are recommendations that the Dungeon Master think would be fun: * Cleric of Twilight * Druid of Stars * Phantom Rogue * Ranger Dreamstrider ### And Night Fell Upon the Dread Realms Through the Mists Your Dungeon Master has fallen to the dark sway of the tempting night and become a Night Master! That is to say this version of Curse of Strahd is more than Revamped; influences have been taken from Nightfell & Liber Sanguinis a 5e supplement set in a realm of terror and horror. You will find new **Races**, new **Classes**, new **Mechanics**, new **Monsters**, new **Backgrounds** and new **Spells** pulled from the collection that is Nightfell. In the section that follows will be a brief summary of those things highlighted above that will be most relevant. As your Night Master, I have dubbed this Nightmare Mode. Here there be Monsters, with that please note that the Dread Realms you interact with could have varying reactions to more monstrous appearing races. While complicated I do not discourage you from playing such and encourage it for a grittier experience. This game is meant to challenge you as players, think of this game as part of the early history of the acclaimed *Witcher's* from the series. A world full of monsters and danger, but is everything always as it appears to be? ##### New Races/Ethnicities * Anireth- Corrupted First Humans * Ejre- Primevals * Garnar- Descendants of Giants, Beast People * Gray Folk- High Human * Ishdrim- The Arcane * Krampus- Yes, that one. * Lyvar- Night Faelings * Rizadrin- Moon Satyrs ##### New Archetypes * Barbarian- Path of the Unholy & Path of Dark Heritage * Bard- College of Hexes & The Nocturnal College * Cleric- Domain of Creation & Blood Domain * Druid- Circle of Masciari & Circle of the Night * Fighter- Warden of the Dead & Revenant * Monk- Way of the Four Truths & Way of the Inner Beast * Paladin- Oath of Rahidra & Oath of Darkness and Blood * Ranger- Dreamstrider & Vampire Hunter * Rogue- Night Agent & Blood Drinker * Sorcerer- Origin: Legacy of the World Below & Blood of the Dracul * Warlock- Patrons: Four New Sources of Arcane Power * Wizard- School of the Moon & Blood Weaver ##### New Classes * Lunar Cultist * Master of Tradition * Medium * Vampire ##### New Backgrounds * Adept of a Circle * Ancient Lineage * Apostate * Drifter * Enclave Dweller * Exile * Legends' Scholar * Night Nomad * Raised by Witches * Seeker of Hope * Touched by Evil * Virtuous in Spirit * Vampire Neophyte * Cattle * Thrall ### Soul Points Soul Points represent a character’s psychological and spiritual fortitude in the face of soul-consuming decay. Characters will lose their precious Soul Points every time they deal with supernatural events, dread manifestations and when attacked by creatures of the dark.

##### Calculate Soul Points Soul Points = [(5 + Wisdom Modifier) x character level] + spell slots

A character’s spiritual fortitude can be regained by meditating or simply committing to small things and earthly matters, to rediscover life’s bright side and momentarily forget about the looming darkness. After they complete a short rest, a character regains 1 + Wisdom modifier (to a minimum of 1) Soul Points for every spent Hit Dice.

Curse of Strahd | Players Guide

\page # Lunar Spells List

##### Cantrips (0 Level) - Freezing Snare - Glyph of Mirithlen - Instill Moonlight - Moonlit Captivation - Trifold Goddess’s Amulet - Trifold Goddess’s Gaze - Globe of Eclipse - Silver Droplet - Conjure Wooden Stake ##### 1st Level - Gleam - Horror - Lunar Glamour - Lunar Runes - Mirithlen’s Kiss - Moonrain - Moonstairs - Lunar Beacon - Lunar Blessing - Vampire's Kiss - Sun Bolt - Sanguine Shield - Quick Feast ##### 2nd Level - Blade of the Four Moons - Fare for Memories - Mooncloak - Moonluck - Moonsong of Renewal - Shroud of the New Moon - Nova Luna - Plena Luna - Swarm Step - Knowledge In Blood ##### 3rd Level - Lunar Well - Mirithlen’s Glow - Selenite Litany - Silver Graze - Moonamorphosis - Shield of Eclipse - Sun Burst - Blood Purge - Blood Burst ##### 4th Level - Lunar Fascination - Lunar Mirage - Silver Cloak - Banner of the Moon Goddess - Moon’s Eye - Silver Thunderbolt - Lunar Handcraft - Nocturnal Transport ##### 5th Level - Lunar Fortitude - Lunar Pact - Moondream - Command Lunar Phase - Lunar Rancour - Selenite Weapon - Lunar Meteor ##### 6th Level - Lunar Aegis - Silvery Truth Droplet - Lunar Assault - Lunar Defiance - Lunar Wayfaring - Assault of the Black Moon - Lunar Cage - Selenite Transfiguration ##### 7th Level - Selenite Sight - Mirithlen’s Touch of Life - Temple of the Moon - Weeping of the Goddess - Lunar Regression - Selenite Regeneration - Mark of the Unknowable - Brand of the Unknowable ##### 8th Level - Exile to the Frozen Waste - Obfuscated Mind - Selenite Domination - Selenite Perfection - Lunar Blast - Moon Whispers - Dreadful Eclipse - Lunar Collapse ##### 9th Level - Judgement from Yore - Lunar Marvel - Lunar Nightmare - Lunar Retribution - Selenite Projection - Lunar Meteor - Curse of the Last Moon - Silver Chronosphere

##### DND Wizard Splash Art [Rezan Gungor](https://www.artstation.com/artist/rezzyg)

Curse of Strahd | Players Guide

\page # Gaming ### Table Rules Welcome to my home! Below you will find a list of Rules that are meant to create a safe, fun and open gaming environment for every Adventurer that enters our fine residence! If at any time you feel frustrated or upset about something going on feel free to let the Dungeon Master know! You can also put any comments, questions or concerns in a personal message! D&D is a fun game with lots of problems, puzzles and quests for you to solve. We can always take a breather or pause the game so the whole table can chat about how best to handle the new puzzle and get help from your DM! These rules are subject to change at the discretion of the Dungeon Master at anytime! * Being Kind is always a Free Action and have Fun! * Understand that Character Death happens! Die with Honor, Glory and in an Epic Manner! * Please use caution with drinks! We have lots of paper maps and character sheets on the table and don't want any accidents! * Tabletop gaming can have some very exciting moments! To the best of your ability try to use inside voices to ensure everyone at the table can hear what is going on! * Harassment of any individual, regardless of if they are a member or not, will not be tolerated. PvP should only be between your characters never between friends! * Use teamwork but remember that you can only control your character! Never assume another player can help you or is willing to! * If you need to talk to the Game Master be sure to raise your hand or say *"Excuse Me"* and remember everyone will get a turn! Talking over other players or interrupting is no fun for anyone! ### After Each Play Session At the conclusion of each play session, you can expect the following: * Record the rewards given to you by the DM. You should receive experience points (milestones), gold (gp), downtime days (end of an episode) and possibly other special rewards. Record this information on your adventure logsheet. * Let the DM know if you’d like take part in a downtime activity at the end of an episode or an adventure. * Thank the other players and the Dungeon Master for the game. * Help with cleanup of the play area. ``` ``` ### More Resources Join our Facebook group [Through the Mists](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2886893808306212)! Player's Primer created with help from DragnaCarta on the community board for [r/CurseOfStrahd](https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/) Need Ambience? Check out the [The Court of Nightmares & Shadows](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJDUqJLmc_9W9vnaGq0XmZJU_Sd9SJqgz) playlist, a carefully curated selection of audio sounds for the campaign. Love the Game Introduction formatting and want to create your own? Check out the [Home Brewery](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com)

Curse of Strahd | Players Guide