# Setting Expectations
Before beginning the campaign, you should establish the following expectations with your players:
* ***Tone***. This will be a heroic fantasy adventure in a dark fantasy/gothic horror setting. Your character should be a hero, or have the potential to swiftly become a hero when faced with a life-or-death situation. Be prepared to cooperate and collaborate with the other players in order to succeed.
* ***Theme***. While this campaign will not explore or focus upon your character's personal backstory, you should allow the campaign's characters and setting to inspire your character to confront their own regrets, traumas, flaws, and fears.
* ***Engagement***. This campaign takes place in a setting with a deep history, including complex relationships between several dozen non-player characters. You should expect to notes and take a sincere interest in the lore of this world.
* ***Tactics & Difficulty.***. This campaign has been balanced to present a challenging, but fair gameplay experience. However, to succeed, you will often need to recruit additional allies while avoiding alienating potential enemies. Consider the consequences of your actions carefully, and avoid taking actions without careful consideration.
* ***Roleplay***. This campaign is primarily driven by the stories of its non-player characters, and their relationships to the party. Be prepared to form meaningful relationships with the characters you encounter, and allow yourself to emotionally invest in those characters' success.
* ***Rewards***. Treasure, magic items, and other material rewards will be far more scarce than in an ordinary fantasy campaign. Instead, most rewards will take the form of allies, information, and new story hooks, with experience points awarded for narrative milestones you achieve as you proceed through the campaign.
* ***Narrative***. The campaign begins with a linear structure, but soon evolves into a more expansive sandbox. Be prepared to balance and prioritize multiple quests, including many with clear deadlines.
# Triggers & Accommodations
Our aim is to create a memorable and enjoyable gothic horror experience for everyone involved. To that end, it's essential to address any potentially uncomfortable or controversial topics before beginning your *Curse of Strahd* adventure. During Session Zero, we encourage open and honest communication with your players about their personal boundaries and any elements of the campaign that may require modification or removal.
A list of potentially uncomfortable topics you might want to discuss with your players before beginning the campaign includes:
* Child abuse and death (e.g., the Durst children)
* Torture and mutilation (e.g., Kasimir's severed ears)
* Mind control (e.g., Strahd's ***charm*** ability)
* (Implied) incest (e.g., the Belviews)
* Stalking and (symbolic) sexual assault (e.g., Strahd's obsession with Ireena)
* Suicide (e.g., Tatyana's death)
* Drug addiction (e.g., the dream pastries)
* Body horror (e.g., the vestiges' dark gifts)
* Racism (e.g., Barovian views of the Vistani)
# Campaign Contract
To ensure all players are on the same page when beginning the campaign, consider having each player review and/or sign the following "campaign contract" during Session Zero:
<div class="description">
<p>I, <strong>____________________________________</strong>, understand and agree to the following expectations:</p>
<ul>
<li>I will make and play a character who is—while potentially flawed—either (a) actively heroic; or (b) a sociable, cooperative character who inevitably and actively begins growing towards heroism within the first five sessions.</li>
<li>I will allow my character to feel true, powerless fear when faced with an overwhelming threat, and allow that fear to impact my character's actions, growth, and development.</li>
<li>I will make every reasonable effort to build meaningful short- and long-term relationships with NPCs, and allow myself to become emotionally invested in their lives and goals.</li>
<li>This campaign requires alliances and cooperation with NPCs and other players, rather than paranoia or antisocial behavior.</li>
<li>The DM will not try to trick me, and will give me a fair chance to avoid bad situations through clear foreshadowing. However, NPCs will withhold nonessential lore and character information unless specifically requested.</li>
<li>This campaign will largely focus on social encounters, investigations, and exploration, and combat may occur as infrequently as once every two or three sessions.</li>
<li>Treasure, magic items, and expensive spell components will be rare and infrequently obtained, with most rewards taking the form of relationships and alliances with friendly NPCs.</li>
<li>This campaign will take place in a "fish-out-of-water" setting, and elements from my character's backstory will not directly appear or be referenced in the campaign.</li>
<li>It is my sole responsibility to collaborate with the DM and other players to provide my character with an internal emotional character arc if desired.</li>
<li>Some powerful enemies will be impossible to defeat through combat, and that we will need to either gain levels, allies, or resources in order to do so.</li>
<li>Creature alignments and morality will not always be determined by their species or type. Some monsters can be neutral, or even friendly, while some humanoids can be monstrously irredeemable.</li>
<li>The DM has balanced any expected combat encounters to make a TPK unlikely unless we make poor decisions; should a TPK occur, the party may have an opportunity to "fail forward" and continue the campaign, albeit with severe consequences.</li>
<li>This campaign has altered the statistics for many official D&D 5e monsters, and has introduced additional mechanics or altered statistics for other enemies to create a balanced, high-tension combat experience that may differ from the <em>Monster Manual</em> and other official supplements.</li>
<li>I will not seek out any information, artwork, videos, or other media relevant to Curse of Strahd, or any characters, locations, or lore within the campaign.</li>
</ul>
</div>
> [!warning]+ **Breaking the Fourth Wall**
> Sometimes, a player will act in a way that seems to break the [[#Campaign Contract]]. (For example, a frustrated, trigger-happy, or mistrustful player might plot to attack and kill an NPC that can be allied or befriended.) When this happens, don't hesitate to pause the game, remind the player of the relevant provision of the campaign contract, and ensure everyone is on the same page before resuming play.