The story continues.

It began with strangers in brightly colored wagons — music, laughter, and the scent of exotic spices drifting through the air. They called themselves Vistani, travelers from a distant, hidden land. One evening, they camped just outside Daggerford, their firelight casting strange, dancing shadows. Duchess Morwen of Daggerford has invited you to dinner as she discusses with you these strangers. Why are they here? When do they leave?

Going over to investigate your are welcomed as they mean no harm. They have a story to tell, if you listen to their story, they agree to leave Daggerford behind them. So you join arround their dancing flames and listen intently. As the fire dances to picture the story being told.

“A curse has befallen our noble prince, turning him into a tyrant. We alone have the power to leave his domain. We’ve traveled far and wide to find heroes such as yourselves to end our dread lord’s curse and put his troubled soul to rest. Our leader, Madam Eva, knows all. Will you return to Barovia with us and speak with her?”

They also hand you a sealed letter — the beginning of a journey that may end in glory… or death.

Welcome to Curse of Strahd, a gothic horror Dungeons & Dragons campaign hosted at GameForce Eindhoven. Step into a land where the sun no longer rises, where werewolves howl in the woods, and the vampire lord watches from his castle high above.

You are not just invited.
You are expected.

Welcome to the Mental Hospital! 🏥

You are a psychology/medical student, and together with a handful of fellow students, you're about to begin your internship at the local psychiatric hospital.
A chance to gain some hands-on experience, put your theoretical and practical knowledge to the test, and perhaps learn a thing or two about the mind. 🧠

What could possibly go wrong? 🤯

A note on DSM-5
The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) is a classification manual published by the American Psychiatric Association. It provides standardised criteria for diagnosing mental disorders and is widely used by mental health professionals.
Not to be confused with the DMG-5: the Dungeon Master Guide 5th edition.
Of course, the DM made a mistake and used the DSM-5 for this one-shot. Silly bugger! 🔀

The following is applicable when making a character:

• Level 5.
• Use Legacy / 2014 rules. (of course 5th edition in this one-shot)
• All official content is allowed.
• No homebrew & No Unearth Arcana.
• For ability scores use Standard Array or Point Buy.
• For HP use average.
• Custom Lineage / Races etc. from Tasha's are allowed.
• Every player character has a particular condition, typically inspired by a diagnosis or phobia. You can come up with one yourself (it doesn't necessarily have to be an officially recognised DSM-5 diagnosis), or pick one from the list below.

Not familiar with a particular condition? A quick search should help you understand what it entails.

A small but important note: All of these conditions are experienced by real people in the real world and can have a significant impact on their lives. The intention here is to use them as inspiration for interesting, unusual and occasionally humorous characters, not to ridicule or stereotype people who live with them. At my table, we're here to have fun, but we also play respectfully. Please keep that in mind when creating and portraying your character. 

1. Agoraphobia – Fear of situations where escape is difficult. 🏃
2. Aichmophobia – Fear of sharp or pointed objects. ⚔️
3. Amnesia – Loss of memory. 🤔🤷
4. Athazagoraphobia – Fear of being forgotten or ignored. 🤷🫥
5. Claustrophobia – Fear of confined or enclosed spaces. 🤏
6. Haphephobia – Fear of being touched. 🫂
7. Hoarding Disorder – Persistent difficulty discarding possessions. 🪎
8. Kleptomania – Compulsive urge to steal (unnecessary) items. 🦝
9. Mazeophobia – Fear of getting lost. 🧭
10. Mysophobia – Fear of germs or contamination. 🦠 
11. Narcissistic Personality Disorder – Grandiosity and excessive need for admiration. 🤩
12. Narcolepsy – Excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden sleep episodes. 😴
13. Nosophobia – Fear of developing a serious disease. 🤒
14. Nyctophobia – Fear of darkness. 🌚
15. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – Intrusive thoughts and repetitive compulsive behaviours. 💭
16. Paranoid Personality Disorder – Persistent distrust and suspicion of others. 🫥
17. Pica – Compulsive consumption of non-food substances. 😋
18. Pyromania – Recurrent compulsive fire-setting. 🔥
19. Social Anxiety Disorder – Fear of social scrutiny or judgement. ⚖️
20. Teraphobia – Fear of monsters. 🧌
21. Tourette's Disorder – Multiple motor and/or vocal tics. 🤬