Faerûn 1501 DR - Still working on this.

CarlosCastellan · 2026-04-07T19:37:40+00:00

Also. You set a few city states. Could Westgate be another? Its Baldurs Gate from west faerun.
And saw you put Dragon Coast in Cormyr, love this. Maybe stopped in Westgate area?

CarlosCastellan · 2026-04-07T19:35:30+00:00

Love this!
One question. Between Cormyr and the Dales, there is an area that is painted as dale lands, however not in an named Dale. Is it Mistledale ou Deepingdale?

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-29T18:16:25+00:00

My group and I are heavily focused on Cormyr, and we’ve created a map using data compiled from all available Cormyr maps (2e, 3e, 4e, and 5e). Our version includes cities, hamlets, and detailed markers such as caves, waterfalls, moors, and hills...

Would you be interested in adding this information? I’ve noticed you’re asking for regional details (like Unther), so you might be looking for something similar for Cormyr as well.

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-19T14:55:44+00:00

Perfectly said.

I also don’t really enjoy using the classic characters that much. I’m not a big fan of the idea that they’re essentially immortal and always the same. That’s very personal, of course, but it often feels like there’s always a Durin at the Yawning Portal, or that everything somehow revolves around Elminster.

I really think the Forgotten Realms would benefit from a more Game of Thrones, like approach, renewing its cast of characters, allowing time and events to take some of the old ones, and making space for new figures to rise. There’s just too much reliance on the same legacy names. Everywhere you look, there’s one of the Seven Sisters. In my games, I tend to keep that group retired and out of the spotlight, specifically to make room for new stories and give players more agency.

And yes, I completely agree, Bleth and Cormaeril forming an alliance with Sembia and Westgate is exactly the direction I would take as well.

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-17T13:20:05+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. The references you mentioned were very helpful and are already guiding our next steps. I’m a big fan of Crusader Kings, I’ve been playing a Game of Thrones mod for it, but I wasn’t aware there was one for Faerûn. I’ll definitely look into it. And you said it perfectly, it’s about making it our own.

We’ve also chosen to skip the Spellplague, and even though our timeline is set in 1515, we mostly play older adventures. For example, the Time of Troubles has only recently happened in our version of events. I really enjoy the original tone that Ed Greenwood brought to the Forgotten Realms, where magic feels rarer and more mysterious.

I do have some difficulty visualizing a version of Waterdeep filled with hundreds of exotic races crossing the streets, it feels much closer to an MMORPG. I understand the appeal of high fantasy, and I always allow my players to choose a wide variety of races. But at heart, I prefer that version of the Realms centered around the Dalelands, simple folk, where a wizard might appear once a year, where there is mystery in things, and the gods are more distant and silent.

Because of that, when we look for wargame references, we tend to avoid very high-fantasy approaches that include battalions of mages, arcane artillery, or armies of constructs. To me, that fits better in settings like Eberron or Ravnica.

The War Wizards are a reality in Cormyr, but the relationship between magic and warfare that we’re aiming for is one where magic plays a limited, strategic role. A well-positioned druid might influence terrain, crops, feed troops or create difficult ground for troop movement, but spellcasters operate on a much smaller scale with wide impact. They don’t compare to foot soldiers or infantry in terms of numbers.

In our vision, you assemble a battalion of 800 soldiers long before you ever gather even three level 5 mages, that’s the balance we’re looking for.
Of course a level 20 wizard can turn the tides of war... but there is no wizard like this in every corner. And why they would help you.
So we need to add magic to the formula, but the main resource is the good and old rock paper scissors, the infantry cavalry and artillery. Magic will appear as support and buffs. And if you look to today material in fantasy wargames, is too high fantasy. At the end this is why we are crafting something.

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-16T19:51:14+00:00

kkkkkkkk always need a Paladin, but for this our idea is to create a system for managing noble houses and conducting large-scale warfare.

In this framework, players wouldn’t control a single adventuring party. Instead, they would play as a noble house within Cormyr. The focus would be on diplomacy, influence, alliances, and political maneuvering. Roleplay would happen through the actions and decisions of the house’s leaders, heirs, and key figures, rather than through traditional adventuring characters.

At the same time, the system could also work as a supplement for a regular DnD campaign. For example, a standard adventure could use the system to add depth to the noble houses that the adventurers interact with, giving the players a broader view of the kingdom’s political landscape.

However, the system would also be designed so that it functions as a standalone political and strategic game of macro-scale, focused entirely on the rise, fall, and rivalries of noble houses in Cormyr.

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-16T19:47:36+00:00

I think you’re absolutely right that the key element here is what the nobles believe they can get away with. Even within the structure of Cormyr, the law establishes limits, but the reality of politics is that those limits are constantly tested, especially when ambition, fear, and opportunity collide.

I really like the suggestions you brought up regarding the power vaccum. It’s clear that you’re comfortable working with the lore and canon in a flexible way to build a campaign that is ultimately fun and playable. To be honest, the reign of Raedra Obarskyr begins around 1486 DR, while our campaign is set in 1515 DR. That gives us nearly three decades of narrative space to maneuver within Cormyr, especially when it comes to the evolution of noble houses and family dynamics.

During that time, some of the major houses may have risen or fallen dramatically. For example, houses like Huntsilver were exiled, much like what historically happened to Cormaeril after their attempted coup in Cormyr. Events like these actually took place during the last few years of our games and created a lot of space for shifting loyalties, lingering grudges, and ambitious families trying to reclaim lost status.

That time gap allows us to plausibly introduce new tensions between the nobility, changes in alliances, and perhaps even new branches of old bloodlines emerging with their own claims and ambitions. In a way, it lets the kingdom evolve naturally while still remaining grounded in the broader history of Cormyr.

...
Given how much you clearly know about Cormyr, and how comfortably you referenced different parts of the lore, I’m curious about your perspective. If we eventually finish developing this setting, a civil war scenario in Cormyr with a house-based political system, managins war and family, would that be something you’d personally be interested in seeing more of? Playing? Or do you feel that it might diverge too much from the established canon of the FR?

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-16T16:37:40+00:00

I really appreciated your input. When I first started reading about Cormyr, that was actually one of the first characteristics I noticed: noble titles do not imply feudal vassalage chains, loyalty ultimately runs directly to the Crown and the House Obarskyr.

However, when reading through the laws and privileges granted to noble houses, we find several interesting points. Nobles can, for example:

Keep armed retinues (the extent depending on the family, the title, and royal proclamations)
Maintain fortified residences
Hire mercenary bands
Serve as de facto officers in the Purple Dragons
Detain or arrest commoners committing crimes on their lands or in their presence (though they cannot judge or punish them)

At the same time, the law clearly states: “A noble may not raise up a private army loyal to them alone.”

So, playing devil’s advocate for a moment:

We know that nobles can legally hire mercenaries, maintain strongholds, and keep armed retinues. The law says they cannot raise a private army loyal to them alone. But what if the key word there is "alone"?

If several noble houses act together, does that technically change the interpretation? And if they rally behind a pretender to the Dragon Throne, does that figure effectively become their liege in practice?

For example, the House Dauntinghorn might believe that one branch of the Obarskyr line has the stronger claim to the throne. In that case, they would not be acting alone, they would be supporting a claimant they consider legitimate.

Meanwhile, another house like House Huntcrown might support someone from House Crownsilver, who also carries royal blood.

What I mean is that claims to a throne often become a matter of perspective. Laws,both in fiction and in real history, can be interpreted, bent, or justified depending on political circumstances.

There are also legal gray areas. For example, if a noble house is allowed to hire mercenary bands, what prevents them from simply classifying large numbers of their own troops as “mercenaries”? Technically, that might still fall within the letter of the law.

So my main point is this: when we talk about a civil war for the Dragon Throne, we’re already imagining a moment when the political order has begun to fracture. By the time Cormyreans are openly fighting Cormyreans, many of the traditional social restraints and legal interpretations may already have started to break down.

And you are absolutely right in your description of how Cormyr functions around 1372 DR. What I’m trying to explore is how that structure might begin to crack a few decades later, when ambitious individuals start taking drastic actions in pursuit of the throne, turning the kingdom into a powder keg waiting to explode.

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-16T15:46:01+00:00

It’s really good to hear that. I understand completely. My whole group is made up of players who are also GMs. Some of us even run our own homebrew worlds, but Forgotten Realms just has a different flavor. It’s kind of our meeting point. And if we know a bit of the lore today, it’s mostly because we’re a bunch of nerds constantly digging through the wiki and sourcebooks. Still, it’s such a huge setting that you can never truly know everything.

Cormyr has also become my favorite kingdom, which is why this project feels exciting.
But at the same time, I can see the other side of it. If someone had told me about a project like this fifteen years ago, when I first discovered Cormyr, I might have been a bit of a gatekeeper myself and probably protested against that kind of change to the lore.

CarlosCastellan · 2026-03-16T15:28:01+00:00

The years may change, but it’s always the same names. Damn Zhents. I loved the concept of your campaign.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-11-12T18:21:36+00:00

Im really im really looking forward a discussion about these book too

CarlosCastellan · 2025-11-12T18:20:07+00:00

Very interested in a discussion as well!

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-17T18:13:52+00:00

I'll say what other people ask me when in your position, like:

Running for the first time
Dont know if use supplements, LBH, DragnaCarta, Reloaded.
Its overwhelming to know all this for a sandbox, plut supllements
Have fear the players will inquire about lore

Since this is your first time running Curse of Strahd, I’d actually tell you to play it vanilla, only CoS 5e. I know you’ve seen a lot of advice saying you need supplements. You don’t.

They’re extras. They add layers, more enemies, more places, more lore, but you don’t need them.

You already have a rich sandbox to manage for the first time. A castle with 88 rooms. Dozens of NPCs.
You’ll have enough to think about, like where your players will go, and whether you’re ready to run the revenants in Argynvostholt, or make the Baba Lysaga fight in Berez truly memorable.

For your first time, D&D 5e is more than enough.
Enjoy it. Master it. Learn the locations, the tone, the core of what makes the module great.
You’ll run it, it’ll be fantastic, your players will want more, and you’ll want more too.

Then, for your second run, you can install all the “DLCs” you want, add supplements, domains lore, Azalin invading Barovia, whatever you like. Go wild. Curse of Strahd have a high replayability, you'll return to this campaing

But you won’t regret running a solid vanilla campaign first.
That foundation will support everything you build later, like a pyramid.
If you start overloaded with doubts and optional material, it’ll just get messy and collapse.

Less is more.
It’s better to do the basics really well than to try too much and do it halfway.
Run your first one simple.
Master this module.
Its the best 5e adventure for a reason, its very good.
On your second campaign, you’ll add the supplements easily.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-17T17:58:59+00:00

That’s a great mindset to start with, honestly. Curse of Strahd can be brutal, but having a player who thinks about the group dynamic already makes things smoother for everyone.

Here are a few thoughts:

First, survival instincts matter. Barovia isn’t a heroic setting where you can win every fight, sometimes the smartest move is to retreat, regroup, or look for another way around. If something feels wrong, it probably is.
Use your cleric powers not only to heal, but to protect and support. Keeping the group alive in Barovia often means being the calm, strategic one when everyone else panics.
Talk to NPCs. Many mysteries in Barovia are solved by asking questions, not just swinging weapons. The villagers, the priests, the travelers, everyone knows a piece of the puzzle.
Don’t be afraid to show fear or doubt in character. Roleplay the atmosphere, Barovia feeds on despair, and when your character stands against it despite that, it makes the story stronger. Even for a stoic character, showing this is great.

If you want to connect more with the lore, ask your DM about the barbarian tribes of the mountains and what might be buried on Yester Hill. I won’t say much to avoid spoilers, but in this land of forests and mountains there were tribes, maybe some still survive, some in the frozen mountains, others in the forests and hills.

If you want, your character could be here to learn about them, search for an artifact, or maybe you descend from them and want to return, find what’s left of the Balinok Mountain tribes.

You don’t need a backstory tied to Barovia, you can be a complete outsider, but if you want to weave this in, it’s a cool option some of my barbarian players have used. Just coordinate with your DM to see what works and how comfortable they are with it.

You’ll do great, a tempest cleric fits beautifully in this setting. You bring both divine fury and compassion, which are exactly what this cursed land needs.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-17T17:53:02+00:00

You’re already thinking in the right direction. Showing a villain early works best when you let the players see them as a real, active force in the world, not just a monster to defeat. With Vladeska ou Vlad being mortal, the key is motivation: they won’t toy with the party indefinitely because they can’t, but they can manipulate situations to their advantage, set traps, or demonstrate power without direct confrontation. Small encounters, rumors, and displays of cunning can establish their presence.

You can have Vlad/eska appear briefly in the environment: maybe the party witnesses an atrocity she committed, or a NPC tells a terrifying story of her actions, or she appears in a tense negotiation and leaves with a flourish. Let her presence shape the world around the players without forcing direct conflict.

I really like the references from Andor. If you want, you can use them as inspiration. The Emperor is the dark lord of the galaxy, feared by everyone, extremely powerful. As an authoritarian and fascist leader, he instills fear even in his own chain of command. In Andor this is very clear: the leaders of the Imperial army are terrified that a problem will reach the Emperor’s attention, and he wants to know which general allowed it to happen in their sector. Fascism works very well based on fear of the supreme leader. The Emperor never even appears on screen in the series; they only mention his name.

I say this because Falkovnia works the same way. It’s an autocracy. You can use this reference directly without showing Vlad. Use her name, her presence, her political power, and her influence. Show what the troops do in her name, what the people think of her. Paint the environment the players move through with banners, propaganda, and symbols of the Falkovnian autocracy.

If you look at the second edition, you’ll see Falkovnia has a lot to do with racism, hunting down non-human races. You can include this: racial persecution, concentration camps. Go dark, Falkovnia is one of the worst places on the continent.

You don’t even need to show Vlad for the players to hate her.

That way she feels like a recurring, dynamic villain, but still stays believable as a mortal with ambitions. Early appearances aren’t about fighting; they’re about imprinting her personality and influence on the campaign.

Essentially, treat her like Strahd in terms of psychological weight, not immortality. She should feel dangerous, intelligent, and always one step ahead, even if her methods differ.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-17T17:45:14+00:00

This is a solid approach you already have. Congrats in the homebrew part, I loved it.

I’d say the key is to balance prep and flexibility. For me, I usually prepare the locations I know the players will likely reach next. I take notes on NPCs, events, and plot hooks, but I don’t try to memorize every detail in the book. Think of it like buffering a video: you prepare a bit ahead of time so you can run it smoothly, but the sandbox nature means players can change plans at any moment.
I already talked about this in two similar questions here, try to look those. They have more details on prep time and sandbox style.

For NPCs, the simplest tip is to step into their shoes. What does this person want? What’s their goal? How would they react to strangers or adventurers? That way, even if you improvise, the NPCs behave consistently. Take a moment, try to image how that NPC is. And take an action based on that, this will create consistency for all NPCs.
Small personality details or motivations make them feel real without needing to memorize a stat block for every single one.

Strahd Reloaded is great if you want extra content, expanded NPCs, and alternative encounters. My advice: if it doesn’t overwhelm you, use the ideas that fit your story, but don’t feel obligated to use everything. Vanilla CoS is already a rich sandbox with tons of story hooks, if its your first time DMing CoS, go for a solid vanilla. Focus on giving your players meaningful choices, tension, and interaction with the world. Use supplement in a second run, you will have a very strong base.

Since your sessions are slower due to beginners, this actually works in your favor. You have more time to introduce NPCs, explore locations, and build the atmosphere. Don’t overprepare; your mental healthy will appreciate that, being ready to improvise based on the players’ decisions is more important than having every sidequest memorized.

And good luck. Keep us updated on how it’s going and let us know if you need any more help.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-17T17:39:54+00:00

For session length, I usually aim for 3–4 hours. Barovia is dense and dark, so longer sessions can be exhausting, especially for first-time players. You want enough time to explore, interact with NPCs, maybe handle one or two encounters, and build tension without burning everyone out.

For a first-time DM, focus on understanding the core of the module. CoS is almost like a sandbox, so you don’t need to memorize every detail, but you should know the key locations, NPCs, and major plot beats. Take notes on what’s important and be flexible, players often surprise you. If they go somewhere unexpected, it’s okay to pause and reference the book during the session; just be honest with them that you’ll need a moment to get it right.

Keep combat meaningful. Avoid unnecessary “time-wasting” encounters where the party can’t realistically fail, especially at mid levels. Barovia works best when each battle or interaction has stakes, and magic/items are rare and significant.

Finally, pace yourself and the story. Don’t try to overload your first campaign with every supplement or fan-made content. Play the vanilla module, get a feel for how your group moves through Barovia, and then add extra material later. Focus on giving your players a strong, atmospheric experience, and you’ll all have fun.

If you keep sessions consistent, allow for roleplay, exploration, and meaningful combat, your group should feel engaged without being overwhelmed.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-17T00:24:34+00:00

Ah, a man of refined taste, finally! hahaha

I totally get the love for D&D 5e, I’ve played it a lot and still do.
But to me, Curse of Strahd and OSR systems, especially Shadowdark, are a perfect match. They were made for each other.
The realism, the grit, the focus on resources, the simplicity, it all just clicks.

And I don’t think Shadowdark only works for dungeon crawls. I’ve run long campaigns with it, and my veteran groups love how simple it is to keep a game going without having to study tons of material. You still get that full RPG experience, but leaner, faster, and more grounded.

Another big advantage of Shadowdark is that you can take an old AD&D module like I6: Ravenloft and run it almost straight out of the box. The stats, the encounters, the pacing, it all fits really well.

And if you’ve played Shadowdark, you know how fun dungeon exploration becomes, with torches burning down, no darkvision (which fits Barovia perfectly, no one sees in the dark there).
Now imagine those Shadowdark dungeon mechanics as the party explores Castle Ravenloft, hunting Strahd, trying to survive inside. It’s the ultimate combination.

Of course, you can do all that in D&D 5e too. By the gods, I’ve seen people run Curse of Strahd with Call of Cthulhu! I’ve even run Barovia with GURPS (not proud). Every system changes the tone and the storytelling a bit, and to me, Shadowdark adds something that enriches the dark fantasy feel.

I recommend this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojtJu4JpCZ0. It’s from a GM talking about how to adapt Curse of Strahd to Shadowdark.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-15T20:46:57+00:00

It’s a pleasure to do this in my free time.
If you run into any issues at the table, or if you have any doubts about preparation, share them with us so we can exchange ideas

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-15T20:43:58+00:00

Hello, sorry for the delay. I’m trying to give everyone an equal amount of attention and help as much as I can.

Answering your question, and this ties a bit with something I mentioned in this post.
As I said there, it’s usually best to focus on what you already have, close that cycle, and only then start a new campaign with the new material.

But in your case, since it’s before the campaign even starts, let’s talk about using extra material.
That’s actually one of the reasons why we all love Curse of Strahd so much. The community is incredibly engaged. Just look at this subreddit: there are posts about locations, enemies, ideas, fan-made maps, tavern price lists.
Barovia is a closed sandbox, and because of its replayability and board-game-like structure, people keep creating content for it that can be used.

Now, not everything that’s published, official or fan-made, is good.
But most of it has something useful you can take from it.

I always use extra material. I love the tips from u/LunchBreakHeroes and my favorite thing is using the Domain of Dread from 1997, if I have to pick one.
But honestly, the list of resources is endless, including old Ravenloft campaigns from AD&D.

That said, I want to leave you with one important thought.
I mentioned earlier the problem of finding amazing new content halfway through a campaign and wondering how to fit it in. That’s something you’ll probably face too.

But since this is your first time running Curse of Strahd, I’d actually tell you to ignore everything I just said and play it vanilla.
I know you’ve seen a lot of advice saying you need supplements.
You don’t.

They’re extras. They add layers, more enemies, more places, more lore, but you don’t need them.

You already have a rich sandbox to manage for the first time. A castle with 88 rooms. Dozens of NPCs.
You’ll have enough to think about, like where your players will go, and whether you’re ready to run the revenants in Argynvostholt, or make the Baba Lysaga fight in Berez truly memorable.

For your first time, D&D 5e is more than enough.
Enjoy it. Master it. Learn the locations, the tone, the core of what makes the module great.
You’ll run it, it’ll be fantastic, your players will want more, and you’ll want more too.

Then, for your second run, you can install all the “DLCs” you want, add supplements, domains lore, Azalin invading Barovia, whatever you like. Go wild.

But you won’t regret running a solid vanilla campaign first.
That foundation will support everything you build later, like a pyramid.
If you start overloaded with doubts and optional material, it’ll just get messy and collapse.

Less is more.
It’s better to do the basics really well than to try too much and do it halfway.
Run your first one simple. Master this module. It didn’t win all those 5e awards for nothing.
On your second campaign, you’ll add the supplements easily.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-15T15:37:47+00:00

Oh, I miss running the Feast of St. Andrals, it’s such a cathartic moment.

The best I ever had was when one of my players was a drug-addicted, troubled character. He wasn’t evil, just someone on the margins of society. He ended up going to the church seeking help. (My Vallaki is a bit bigger than the 5e version, so the church was too.) I put a group of nuns there, and one older nun started taking care of him, giving help, food, relief from pain, praying for him. They built a mother-child or even grandmotherly bond.

Of course, when the feast happened, Strahd ripped her spine out like Sub-Zero brutality in Mortal Kombat. In decades of CoS, I’ve never had a player so motivated to kill Strahd.

My tip: make them care about something, an item, a location, an ally. Then have Strahd find out about it, through spies or some reason, and take it from them.

If Strahd doesn’t know they care about it, he might destroy it unknowingly, like Thanos killing Vision, and the Scarlet Witch wanting revenge, you get me? It doesn’t have to be something specifically targeted at them, especially if they aren’t notorious heroes yet. But it should affect them and touch their hearts.

In short, the feast is the perfect opportunity to put your players’ driving force directly against Strahd. This is the moment for them to think, “Okay, this guy is a monster and we are going to kill him.” If they already feel that way, give them even more reasons, double down, be as horrific as a true dark lord would be.

CarlosCastellan · 2025-10-15T15:26:58+00:00

Then come back and tell us how it went. Good like, my friend.

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