The Valley of Barovia
Category: Atlas • Campaign: Curse of Strahd
Shrouded in perpetual choking mists, the secluded valley of Barovia rests beyond the mortal material plane, locked within the Demiplane of Dread. The sun never shines with full brilliance here; it appears as a cold, pale disc through thick clouds.
Key Landmarks: Castle Ravenloft, Village of Barovia, Town of Vallaki, The Wizard of Wines Winery, Mount Baratok.
Wolves, dire bats, and undead wander the ancient Svalich Woods. The resident population lives in quiet, subdued terror, many born without souls—empty vessels reflecting the sorrow of the valley.
The Amber Temple
Category: Atlas • Campaign: Curse of Strahd
Carved into the sheer icy rock face of Mount Ghakis, the Amber Temple was once an enclave for good mages who sought to seal away the most dangerous, malevolent cosmic entities known to existence.
Over millennia, the corruption of these trapped vestiges seeped outward, driving the guardians mad and turning the sanctuary into a dark vault where forbidden powers and dark gifts can be bargained for at terrible spiritual cost.
The Five Metaphysical Fear Dimensions
Category: Atlas • Campaign: The Architecture of Dread
These non-Euclidean strata represent hyper-spatial constructs engineered by an incomprehensible entity known only as the Architect. Each dimension embodies a primal human anxiety:
- The Claustrum: Compacting stone, crushing pressure, and acoustic deprivation.
- The Void Abyss: Absolute zero gravity, endless fall, and vacuum cold.
- The Eye Unblinking: Panoptic psychic surveillance where private thoughts trigger kinetic retaliation.
- The Rotting Flesh: Biological architecture made of bone, marrow, and living walls.
- The Chrono-Fracture: Time loops, shattered timelines, and causality feedback.
The Keepers of the Feather
Category: Factions • Campaign: Curse of Strahd
A clandestine order of wereravens dedicated to resisting Strahd's tyranny. Centered around the Martikov family at the Blue Water Inn in Vallaki, they utilize avian scouts to gather intelligence and deliver covert assistance to promising adventurers.
Alignment: Lawful Good • Sigil: A single black feather bound with silver thread.
The Vistani Caravans
Category: Factions • Campaign: Curse of Strahd
Nomadic wanderers blessed with the unique ability to safely traverse the deadly mists that hem Barovia from the rest of the multiverse. Renowned for their colorful wagons, fortune-telling Tarokka cards, and potent ancient curses.
The Inquisitorial Scribes
Category: Factions • Campaign: The Architecture of Dread
An elite cadre of scholar-investigators tasked by the Imperial Academy with classifying eldritch breaches. Equipped with runic compasses, arcane lanterns, and tether lines, their mission is containment at all costs.
The Morninglord
Category: Deities • Domain: Life, Light
The solar deity worshipped throughout Barovia. Though his presence feels distant beneath the overcast skies, his radiant light remains the primary weapon of hope against the creeping shadows and creatures of the night.
The Dark Powers
Category: Cosmology • Domain: Mystery, Dread
Unknowable entity-forces that govern the Demiplane of Dread. They do not accept worship or grant standard clerical spells; instead, they curate torment, trapping villains in personalized domains where absolute power is paired with eternal longing.
House Codices & Table Rules
Category: Table Rules • System: D&D 5e
1. Gritty Realism Resting (Wilderness)
While exploring hostile territory, a Short Rest takes 8 hours (a good night's sleep). A Long Rest requires 24–48 hours of uninterrupted rest in a safe, fortified sanctuary (e.g. an inn, consecrated ground, or allied stronghold).
2. Drinking Potions as a Bonus Action
Administering or drinking a healing potion yourself requires a Bonus Action. Feeding a potion to an unconscious ally still takes a full Action.
3. Sanity & Dread Thresholds
When exposed to supernatural horrors or traumatic cosmic entities, characters may be called upon to roll a Sanity Save (d20 + Sanity modifier) to avoid gaining short-term delusions or phobias.
Foundry VTT Player Connection Guide
Category: Technical • Foundry VTT
To ensure optimal frame rates, visual effects, and audio synchronization during sessions:
- Recommended Browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, or Mozilla Firefox. Avoid Safari due to WebGL limitations.
- Enable Hardware Acceleration: Check your browser settings to verify that "Use hardware acceleration when available" is turned ON.
- Clipboard & Audio: Allow permissions when prompted so you can paste images directly into your character sheet bio and hear ambient soundscapes.
- Server Address: Always access the game via your secure link:
https://foundry.yourdomain.com.