Ravenloft: Bleak Tide ( D&D 5e, Lesbian )

[Dhi]

Somewhere, lurking deep within the ethereal mists, a dark dimension is ruled by dreadful and nameless powers. Some say it is a prison for the damned; some say it is a crucible to test the virtuous. Others simply call it home. It is a land of mist and shadow, love and death, sacrifice and seduction, beauty and horror. It is a land of whispered fears made manifest. It is the Realm of Dread, Ravenloft.

Bleak Tide is a Gothic horror adventure set in the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Ravenloft. While the Barovia of Curse of Strahd fame is mired in medieval superstition, Ravenloft's renaissance-level west coast regions of Darkon, Lamordia, and Dementileu have largely given up on faith in pursuit of science. As higher learning turns a lens of examination on the dismal mists, madness follows.

Madness will be a central theme of the story. Your character should not be insane, but she will encounter horrors which will challenge her, and may change her.

As part of character creation, each player will provide a short list of secret, unspeakable erotic desires appropriate to the character. When a horror check is failed, you'll choose one to be the madness which temporarily overtakes her. Some examples might be Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove achieves climax from reckless danger, becomes attracted to monsters, or must put something sinister inside her.

Will this be system or freeform?
We'll be using the 5th edition D&D rules, tweaked by some optional rules. In addition to the optional rules everyone uses (point buy, human variant, feats), we'll be using Fear/Horror Checks, Healer's Kit Dependency, and Firearms (muskets only).

I'm not familiar with 5e/Ravenloft, can I play?
Yes. The 5e basic rules are available for free online, and there are character generators to automate no-frills characters. Most of what you'll do as a player is roll 1d20, add a bonus from your character sheet, and tell me the result.
Characters can be native to the core domains of Ravenloft. If you're unfamiliar with Ravenloft, you have recently been pulled through the mists into this dark dimension from elsewhere- perhaps the Forgotten Realms, Eberron, or somewhere of your own imagining.

Who will this be open to?
Characters should please be women open to intimacy with women. Players can be of any gender.

Can I play a kenku warlock in a Gothic horror game?
No. All characters will be subject to approval. Characters who could be disruptive to the tone will be turned away.

How much sexual content will we encounter?
Quite a bit. We'll be using Ravenloft's staples of fear and horror with an erotic element. Distressing and sexually charged situations abound, with an atmosphere of repressed tension finding release through madness. There will be explicit scenes in the main thread.

Ravenloft Inspirations

Fiction

Dracula
The Fall of the House of Usher
Frankenstein
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Monkey's Paw
Phantom of the Opera
Wuthering Heights
additionally
Dr. Faustus
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Secret Books of Paradys IV: The Book of the Mad
1984

Film

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Nosferatu (1922)
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
An American Werewolf In London
The Shining
additionally
The Witch
Eyes Without a Face

Television

American Horror Story: Asylum
The Prisoner

Video Games

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Silent Hill 2

[Drowdeviant]

*sneaks in and sits down to save a spot as a player*

So how are we supposed to generate our characters and what things are allowed in terms of races, classes and backgrounds? xD

[clonkertink]

Ooh. I've had a bit of an erotic horror itch lately. Maybe I'll whip up a wizard who's a little too interested in dark knowledge.

[Nicolae]

I'd love to break out my lesbian Dread Necromancer character after far too long without getting to play her. Time to port her over to 5e from 3.5e.

[Dhi]

*sneaks in and sits down to save a spot as a player*

So how are we supposed to generate our characters and what things are allowed in terms of races, classes and backgrounds? xD

First I want to gauge interest, how much there is, and whether it's faithful to the tone of Gothic horror, or just players game hopping to scratch a kenku warlock itch.

[Drowdeviant]

First I want to gauge interest, how much there is, and whether it's faithful to the tone of Gothic horror, or just players game hopping to scratch a kenku warlock itch.

I at most would play an tiefling...Though half elves are my usual favorite. xD

[HopeFox]

This looks like it could be a lot of fun! If it's set in one of the realms with a Renaissance level of science and exploration, would an artificer be suitable? A lady scientist performing risky experiments, constructing novel and dangerous apparatus, and delving into knowledge that should be left alone could be very interesting!

[MdG]

Definitely interested !

[Dhi]

This looks like it could be a lot of fun! If it's set in one of the realms with a Renaissance level of science and exploration, would an artificer be suitable? A lady scientist performing risky experiments, constructing novel and dangerous apparatus, and delving into knowledge that should be left alone could be very interesting!

Artificers and muskets are appropriate to the technology level of the west Core.

I'd love to break out my lesbian Dread Necromancer character after far too long without getting to play her. Time to port her over to 5e from 3.5e.

Finding an ordinary dead body in an unexpected place is often grounds for a horror check, so a character whose ultimate goal is to animate undead minions would be disruptive.

I at most would play an tiefling...Though half elves are my usual favorite. xD

Tieflings are similarly problematic. One of the myths of the Vistani warn of creatures called dukkar which are born of the union between Vistani and one of fiendish blood. These creatures are supposed to bring about the downfall of the Vistani race. While the myth is mainly there to help explain why Vistani are so distrustful of strangers, it goes some way to establish setting attitudes.

Ravenloft is not a fantasy hodgepodge and isn't meant to accommodate all the flavors of the D&D rainbow. It suits a particular style of story, and to enjoy it players need to be on board for playing underdogs in a world lorded by insurmountable evil. That's what I want to ascertain with this interest check.

[Drowdeviant]

Ravenloft is not a fantasy hodgepodge and isn't meant to accommodate all the flavors of the D&D rainbow. It suits a particular style of story, and to enjoy it players need to be on board for playing underdogs in a world lorded by insurmountable evil. That's what I want to ascertain with this interest check.

Well then I'll play a half elf. :3

[Nicolae]

Finding an ordinary dead body in an unexpected place is often grounds for a horror check, so a character whose ultimate goal is to animate undead minions would be disruptive.

No problem. I don't think Dread Necromancer was brought into 5e, so I'm thinking about going with a Rogue instead.

[Marie Reynolds]

I am interested as well if there is still room!

[Dhi]

Yes, there's plenty of room.

[Marie Reynolds]

Excellent, so I just wanted to be sure if I read this correctly you are accepting character concepts for native born characters to Ravenloft?

[HopeFox]

Sounds good!

What races are common and generally accepted in the western region? Human is just fine, of course (and will probably make it easier for me to find a character picture).

Where would you want PCs to sit in terms of alignment? Are we heroes making a stand against the evil horrors of the unknown? Average people doing their own thing and getting caught up in danger? Or morally questionable individuals being exposed to horrors that they kind of deserve?

[Dhi]

Yes, characters can be Ravenloft natives, or drawn from elsewhere through the mists.

[AndyZ]

I've played Curse of Strahd.  Should I avoid this?  Is it going to be the same story?

[Nicolae]

Yes, characters can be Ravenloft natives, or drawn from elsewhere through the mists.

Would you allow Vistani characters? I know that 3.0 didn't recommend it, but I don't know if 5e is as strict.

[Dhi]

I've played Curse of Strahd.  Should I avoid this?  Is it going to be the same story?

Absolutely nothing to do with Curse of Strahd.

Sounds good!

What races are common and generally accepted in the western region? Human is just fine, of course (and will probably make it easier for me to find a character picture).

Where would you want PCs to sit in terms of alignment? Are we heroes making a stand against the evil horrors of the unknown? Average people doing their own thing and getting caught up in danger? Or morally questionable individuals being exposed to horrors that they kind of deserve?

Humans are by far the most common. Darkon especially is a little more cosmopolitan with elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and half-elves making up about 1 in 4 citizens.
Characters in Ravenloft can generally be said to be good, or at least not evil. The descent into evil enslaves one to the dark powers of the setting, and anyone who skirts that line may be one bad day away from becoming an NPC. I'd prefer for PCs to be typical or virtuous people of the time and place in which they live, a renaissance colonialism, certainly with darker sides that can justify human exploitation, mistreatment of the deformed or mentally ill, and vindictive puritanical ethos.

Would you allow Vistani characters? I know that 3.0 didn't recommend it, but I don't know if 5e is as strict.

Full Vistani aren't playable, but half-vistani are fine.

[Drowdeviant]

Question: What sort of cleric domains and sorcerer origins would be you advise?

[Dhi]

The options that heroic player characters normally have access to should be fine. The main difference between this and any other game that disallows evil characters is that we're also trying to adhere to a Gothic horror tone which would be shattered by a flying humanoid elephant with machine gun hands.

[tangerine]

I'm interested in trying this!  I like the idea of playing vulnerable, inexperienced underdogs.

Though I'm not familiar at all with the Ravenloft setting.  Is there somewhere I can get some sort of overview, so I'd have a better idea of what it means to be a native of the place, or "drawn from the mists"?

[clonkertink]

@tangerine:

Here’s a video on the “Demiplanes of Dread” as explained by Chris Perkins. I think it’s a nice litle intro to the general themes of the setting.

https://youtu.be/IeNwsRiA_Vg

[HopeFox]

Characters in Ravenloft can generally be said to be good, or at least not evil. The descent into evil enslaves one to the dark powers of the setting, and anyone who skirts that line may be one bad day away from becoming an NPC. I'd prefer for PCs to be typical or virtuous people of the time and place in which they live, a renaissance colonialism, certainly with darker sides that can justify human exploitation, mistreatment of the deformed or mentally ill, and vindictive puritanical ethos.

Cool! I'm getting an idea about a human noblewoman scientist who is exploring ways in which machinery, electricity and magic can be combined to promote the welfare of the common man and aid in the defence of the realm. A bit condescending and self-assured of her noble privilege, but good at heart.

[Nicolae]

I've got a level 1 human Rogue ready to go. I just need to come up with the list of erotic desires and I'll be ready to submit the character. (I know this is just an interest check. I just wanted to go ahead and make the character.)