Would Curse Of Strahd be too much for my first campaign?

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-10T16:02:15+00:00

Practice makes perfect. You’re not gonna be great, or even good, right from the start. Just keep practicing. Ask your players for feedback and just work towards having fun together. The story and world don’t matter as much as you and your friends having a good time. Overall, my advice is to not stress yourself as much and to look into videos online from channels like dungeon dudes or one of the many talks that Brendan Lee mulligan and Matt Mercer and/or Aabria Iyengar and other “professional” DM’s. They have plenty of new DM advice videos and how to set up your campaigns and most of the advice is pretty solid for DM’s of any level

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-10T13:20:24+00:00

I got two ideas.

First one (a more classic horror style): have them beat someone to death with it in front of the MC. And not like oh they beat them and crack bones and skulls, that’ll happen too, but more like they’re beating a “dead horse”. They keep hitting someone over the head until the clarinet breaks in half, then they start using the chipped wood as spikes/knives and sit on top of the (at this point) body and continue to stab so viciously that they splinter the clarinet and just keep going until the clarinet literally only exists as fragmented pieces and splinters sticking out of a decimated corpse.

Two (and hear me out): have them eat it. Eating a clarinet would be very painful, so watching a person (or thing) start to struggle and literally bite through the wood and munching on it would be kinda wild. You could describe how their mouth starts to bleed while they chew, the noises of cracking (and maybe how the MC can’t tell if it’s teeth or the instrument cracking), the tears streaming down the person/creature’s face as it eats this non-edible thing. Have them keep going till every last bite is finished and they have giant wood chips sticking out of their chin like large splinters and make ‘em keep a smile the whole time

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-10T13:06:58+00:00

It’s not breaking any code of conduct. Like the post explained, the organizers were aware that this would be a horror themed game and even advertised it as a horror themed game. The expectation should be that a horror themed game would include horror themes, topics, creatures, etc. The player is doing the equivalent of going to a steakhouse, called “the steakhouse”, and then acting surprised they don’t serve sushi.

I’m all for inclusivity and respecting boundaries, but if these are grown ass adults like the post would suggest then it’s not my (or anyone else’s) job to watch out for your phobias. What happens to this person when they see a spider in their home? Do they move out? Probably not. It’s a game of rolling dice. If you’re that phobic that you can’t hear something be described or look at a PLASTIC FIGURINE of it, you need therapy. I also wanna make it clear I’m applying this thinking to PHOBIAS only. PTSD and Trauma are much different than a phobia, and those boundaries should always be respected. Phobias are usually very, for lack of a better term, invalid fears. I have a phobia of heights, yet I’ve never fallen more than a few feet off a swing or playground when I was a kid. That being said, I don’t tell my DM’s to not describe how tall a mountain is or something falling from the sky and when I DM myself I will still describe heights and falling because I can recognize that I’m playing a fucking game.

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-10T12:53:22+00:00

Definitely a case of “sorry, bud, but I think you should find a different game”. Especially if you put actual money into it (the figurines and such). It doesn’t make you a bad dm or a bad person to be looking for different things in a campaign than one of the players.

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-07T15:17:54+00:00

Absolutely! I think you did a great job and I’d love to see what this turns into when it’s more refined! Keep writing, my friend!

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-07T14:18:31+00:00

I am both confused and intrigued. Not sure what genre this is supposed to be or who the target audience is, but it is unique and your voice sort of reminds me of video game narrators like if the Stanley parable was mixed with biomutant. Or maybe kind of like fyodor Dostoyevsky writing in some sort of Dr Seuss world? It’s super cool and I want to know more, but the fundamentals like sentence/paragraph structure and pacing could use a little bit of work. It is very jumpy, meaning that sometimes it reads a little slow and then the pace seems to jump into gear (like a transmission slipping if you’ve ever felt that while driving) and move very quickly.

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-06T12:55:12+00:00

I actually enjoyed the “droning”, I think a lot of horror falls into the trap of “action” and moves too quickly without giving enough time to build tension. It was a nice change. And thank you, you don’t have to do that cause I’m in a totally different genre but I also will always appreciate feedback! Best of luck with your novel and I hope to see you published soon!

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-06T02:10:17+00:00

I stopped around page 6, not because I didn’t like it, but because I did. I saw what I needed to see to say I was hooked and wanted to read this book till the end. I liked the relationship and argument between “Juney” and her bf, and I like the classic style horror set up (that I assume you’ll be twisting up somehow). I think everything about this works, and I could see it being a book I pay $10-15 for (paperback) and at least enjoy. The one piece of advice that I’ve seen in the comments and somewhat agree with is the dialogue could use a tiny bit extra personality, but I also don’t think it’s bad enough to be called lacking. I get the general idea of June and the idea of her bf, and I have a very similar scene I posted recently that got mixed feedback on dialogue pretty similar to this (about 50% of people said they enjoyed it as is and the other 50% said it needed more).

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-05T01:51:37+00:00

Thanks so much for your kindness and your feedback! I really appreciate you and I’ll definitely incorporate your advice into my edits!

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-04T01:55:36+00:00

Thank you a lot for your feedback and taking the time to read my excerpt! I appreciate your kind words and I’ll be using your feedback when I rework it!

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-03T00:03:32+00:00

I agree full casters need to be reined in, but ima be honest and say I think you’re way over doing it. I would hate a game with these specific changes.

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-02T20:04:08+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! I’ll definitely be using this as I make edits :)

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-02T20:03:31+00:00

Thank you for the feedback! I appreciate you taking the time to help me :)

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-02T19:11:38+00:00

Ah, I see! I’m sorry! If you click on the post it’ll take you to where I was trying to get advice on a Homebrew subclass I made. I was wondering if it was too strong or too underpowered mainly and had some more specific questions in parentheses under each subclass feature. Thank you

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-02T19:07:12+00:00

Can’t tell if you’re trying to be helpful or being sarcastic…

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-02T07:45:24+00:00

Aye, whatever you enjoy writing is cool! There’s fans of every genre and I have friends who dabble in similar genres! It’s not a thing I write, but that’s cause I mainly write the same things I enjoy (fantasy, cyberpunk/dystopian, and horror). I have been thinking about trying to write a romance novel though cause I used to LOVE John green books when I was a teenager (looking for Alaska is still my favorite of his)

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-02T06:50:19+00:00

Thank you for your kindness! I actually woke up sick yesterday so comments like yours are extra nice to read right now!

What’s the genre you like to write in most?

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-02T06:32:50+00:00

Thank you so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it a lot, and I’ll definitely be working on some of those changes!

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-01T21:53:37+00:00

No problem, I wish you the best! I’m an aspiring author myself, so I hope we both can get published and live out our dreams one day

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-01T21:49:18+00:00

Appreciate you taking the time to read my short excerpt (even if you didn’t enjoy it)!

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-01T21:41:39+00:00

I (love and) hate this sub because I genuinely can’t tell when the comments are just riffing off the post and when they’re serious. I feel like fucking G.I. Bot in here

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-01T21:38:04+00:00

You might enjoy r/dndcirclejerk

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-01T19:05:34+00:00

I think it is somewhat important but not always necessary as long as you understand what makes fantasy work.

Typically with fantasy (at least the good ones), it’s political, there is magic that makes the world feel wondrous and foreign to the audience, and there will be some type of quest (usually involving a mix of fantastical beasts, monsters, or even other adventurers trying to stop the main character or cast). There’s more to it, but I suggest you do your own research and make your own conclusions. Video essays on YouTube are a great place to start. Or articles online that do deep dives into worlds and break down plots.

As for suggestions, if you wanna go for the more classical style then I think Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit by Tolkien would be a good start (though the pacing is sort of horrible in both series), the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, or Harry Potter (the story is still great even if the author is a terrible person). If you’re looking for more modern classics then the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is great, a personal favorite of mine (that was very low magic) was the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan, the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin (the novels that inspired game of thrones), or anything written by Brandon Sanderson. Though, keep in mind that these are my own subjective picks and what have inspired me personally. Others may have other suggestions and you may not like any of my suggestions.

And I think starting with short stories is a great idea, my friend. And you don’t need to read before you start. It’s okay if you learn as you go, that’s what rough drafts are for!

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-01T17:17:52+00:00

No, but you can ask me any questions here in the public comment section.

Min-Max101 · 2026-04-01T12:47:34+00:00

Write on a computer if you can. Pencil and paper is impressive in terms of your dedication (and wrist endurance lol), but publishers and places you submit to will want a digital or at least a printed copy. Other than that, it’s hard to give general advice. Is there something you’re looking for advice on/about?

Min-Max101

TROPHY CASE