Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Curse of Strahd

Enter the Demiplane of Dread

The old-school feel, however, doesn’t stop with the adventure itself. The book is jammed full of copiable handouts, and even comes with a poster-sized map that, on one side, shows the land of Barovia in all its gloomy glory and, on the other, shows a detailed and in-depth map of the castle. Curse of Strahd does not hold back for a second when it comes to providing opportunities for immersion, and these little inclusions go a long way. It feels good to hold out a pre-written note from the Burgomaster of Barovia written in a slanting cursive hand, or to show my players a life-size version of the map that they were looking at in a Vistani caravan. To have this kind of stuff on hand actually lends a sense of believability to the world,and gives my players a lot more time to react and think about the world on its own terms. There’s even a series of Tarokka cards that can be copied out of the back and then cut out to use in the game’s fortune-telling sequences.

As if that weren’t enough, each area features its own laundry list of random encounters, many of which are simple story events that underscore the themes of the campaign, rather than droll monster battles. Even the monsters hide themselves well in the dark lands of Barovia, whether as silhouettes in the mist or as friendly-seeming strangers. The options are functionally limitless, and provide room for creatively combining or adapting them to your own purposes.

Honestly, though, one of the coolest sections of the whole book occurs right before Chapter 1. “Marks of Horror” gives the DM a wealth of ideas and options for amplifying the horror of the setting—tips that have served me well so far. These can help you to psych out your players when they reach an encounter that is a little less threatening, or can make a difficult encounter seem like a full unveiling of sheer, unbridled terror. They also give some good advice on table talk, which, as many D&D players know, can often run contrary to the serious themes expressed herein. Instead of shutting down humor, the guide suggests using it as a way to break the tension just before a major scare. After all, the whole business can’t just be one long, lugubrious ordeal.

Curse of Strahd

Ultimately, Curse of Strahd isn’t breaking new ground or creating a new IP in the Dungeons & Dragons universe—although, rumor has it that new things are on the horizon. Instead, it’s a faithful, straight-ahead love-letter to the original Ravenloft. However, as all of these revisitations have shown, there’s plenty of room to explore in these legendary settings, and if nothing else, they’re giving a new generation of roleplayers a chance to explore these storied locales.

Curse of Strahd continues a pattern of seriously strong offerings from Wizards of the Coast, and it’s easily worth the $50 cover price. In fact, if you had to get one of the last three that have been released so far, this is the one to get. Not only is its 10-level span a lot easier to manage for a newer DM, it’s also just a lot simpler and easier to comprehend than the intense free-approach style of Princes of the Apocalypse or the zany, otherworldly madness of Out of the Abyss.

If you’re in the mood to seriously shake up your D&D group or just want a chance to explore one of the greatest pre-made worlds in the history of the game, Curse of Strahd is your jam, and you owe it to yourself—and your players—to pick it up and give it a try.

Curse of Strahd hit hobby shop shelves on Mar. 15!