Barovia - Session 0
Nothing wrong with a little mist...
Session 0 – Setting the Stage for a New Adventure
After wrapping up the Get Bargle storyline, I found myself at a crossroads. I toyed with the idea of starting a brand-new campaign—something fresh, something different. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to Fleetwood, Clarion, Greegan, Silverleaf, and Felonious. I had grown attached to them, and with my growing comfort in the Grimwild system, I decided they deserved a bigger challenge, something truly epic to sink their teeth into.
Enter Koriszegy Keep and the Gothic Touch
Way back when I first picked up the red box and stepped into the Known World (later Mystara), I was fascinated by the eerie mentions of Koriszegy Keep, hidden deep in the Radlebb Woods of Karameikos. The published adventure for the Keep, when it finally arrived, didn’t quite live up to the mystique it had built up in my imagination. At the same time, I had long loved the haunting, gothic atmosphere of Ravenloft, the iconic vampire adventure. Over the years, it’s been revamped several times—even spun off into its own campaign setting. But I have my hands on the 5th Edition version, an independent module packed with old-school vampire goodness. So, I thought—why not combine them?
My Solo Play Setup
This new adventure will be Curse of Strahd by Christopher Perkins, itself inspired by the original TSR Module I6: Ravenloft by Tracy and Laura Hickman.
Thanks also to Dragnacarta, author of Curse of Strahd Reloaded: A DM's Guide to Curse of Strahd - Curse of Strahd: Reloaded for making this a bit more accessible for solo play.
For mechanics, I’ll be using:
Grimwild Free Edition from Oddity Press
Mythic Game Master Emulator 2nd Edition
The Adventure Crafter and The Location Crafter (from Wordmill Games) as my game oracle
And to add an extra layer of depth, I’ll be supplementing everything with conversations with the Bing chatbot—because why not bring a bit of AI magic into my game?
Meet the Party
Of course, no great adventure is complete without the heroes at its heart:
Hawk Fleetwood – A former soldier in Duke Stefan Karameikos’ army, Fleetwood turned his talents toward defending Threshold from the vile Bargle the Infamous. While Bargle managed to slink away, Fleetwood and his party recovered the Orb of Gygar, derailing—at least temporarily—the wizard’s dark ambitions.
Clarion Fleetwood – Hawk’s wife, a devoted cleric of Chardastes, the god of healing and renewal. With statuesque grace and unwavering faith, Clarion’s healing touch is a beacon of light for her party.
Felonious Blackepool – A mage and merchant prince hailing from Glantri, Felonious appreciates fine living almost as much as the mysteries of magic. His vast arcane knowledge makes him a powerful ally against dark forces.
Greegan Mikov – A rogue from Fogor Isle, Greegan knows the underbelly of Karameikos like the back of his hand. As a member of the Kingdom of Thieves, he’s more of a Robin Hood than a mere bandit—using his cunning to hinder the Iron Ring slavers as much as to line his own pockets.
Shael Silverleaf – A Calarii elf ranger, equally skilled with sword and spell. She protects the forests of Karameikos from encroaching corruption. With an almost mischievous air, she’s a close friend of Clarion and a constant enigma to the rest of the party.
Spoiler Alert:
Spoilers for Curse of Strahd of course, and Dragnacarta's "Curse of Strahd Reloaded"