absolutely love the other mother vibes, that "i knew you would disappoint me" line is just so perfectly encapsulating!

@corkboardsandcuriosities

7 ай бұрын

yeah haha, ngl at this point I can't imagine myself running strahd any other way. As much as I love the original Strahd and his Dracula vibes, this matron version is way too fun to roleplay.

I've not played or run Curse of Strahd... but this video makes me want to do so. Using Carmilla as the model fiction for the campaign is incredibly intriguing.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

Haa that absolutely delights me, curse of strahd is a lovely campaign. And the community has done awesome work adding wonderful things to it. If you ever end up running it, I strongly recommend Mandymod's guide, it's perfecttt

@sablephoenix

Жыл бұрын

@@corkboardsandcuriosities I'll look it up, thanks! Careful, if you keep this up you're going to find yourself quickly becoming my favorite RPG KZreadr.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

@@sablephoenix Yesss! There are some amazing ideas out there, and to be perfectly honest, there are a lot of things that I ended up changing from the campaign as written. And aaaaaahhhh you are too nice!! Really all of this is hyping me up so much to get more going hahaha

I love that idea for a vampire in general and it fits so well into the setting of fear and terror.

Holy crap. Is this the best D&D video on KZread? Certainly feels like it... I can't imagine how much more terrifying this version would be.

Ho. Lee. Shit. I am so glad I found this channel right before I start running CoS. This is fuckin gold.

Love it, love it, love it! My players have slogged through CoS and had a blast. But now I'm going to steal these ideas for my upcoming Mafia Matrona. Thank you for the inspiration!

I love your work! I’m also a teacher (high school) and I run the DnD club there. I’m just starting to run my brew of Curse of Strahd for the kids (while running a version for adult friends). Your teaching techniques and DMing video was amazing! I love your take on female Strahd!

Immediate subscribe!! I absolutely adore this motherly take on Strahd and will definitely be using that creepy bit about forcing a player to be “soothed” like a child by the Matron >:) Love the video-thank you for your two coppers on CoS!!

Yes, at this point I'm watching all three videos in a row, haha. This one is amazing as well! I might implement this in my homebrew campaign, as we already played Curse of Strahd!

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

your binging flatters me hahahha

@dylandraper7859

Жыл бұрын

Hell yeah me too! These are really good videos. Snappy and funny and informative.

I love this idea for a villain. I wouldn't run this version as the actual module, but as a second playthrough for thsoe who have already expereienced the original module its great. Personally I will be using this concept as a villain in a city based campaign. Up until now I hadn't had a major undead villain.

Cool video! Good insight here!

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

aaaah thank you! i'm happy you're finding this interesting! I've definitely gone on too many gothic rabbit holes on that one haha, which no lie, is always a pleasure.

Looking to run this for my friends and my brother (he sort of has run this one before) so I love this alternative and can’t wait to surprise them if I can make this work

I see deconstruction of gothic horror tropes in D&D, I subscribe.

This is gooooood stuff! Am def taking notes. Thank you!

I used a female Strahd. My bi and lesbian players were all simping for her 😂. DM’ing her as a man was a bit awkward, but she made my players happy, so it was a good time 😊.

This is awesome!! If I ever run this module, I might do exactly this 😁

this was soooo good omg, I don't even play dnd but this is something I could picture myself enjoying thoroughly

@corkboardsandcuriosities

9 ай бұрын

this is your sign to start playing 😉

Great video! I think this is an excellent take on the character, and you can even take it further with the character of Bab Lysaga, a twisted figure that Strahd herself is trying to please maybe there is another master manipulator in town

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

wow, i kinda love that idea, how it's all a cycle that keeps feeding itself, it's an opportunity to portray how the different generations impacted each other (and you can bet that imma flavour one of strahd's spawns in that same vein. hehe, get it? vein).

Great video- I love this take!

Oh, this is even BETTER than the Count. Creepier, players feel more powerless, tragic, horrific. Fatal Attraction meets Mommy Dearest

I did my own customized Strahd which worked realy well but left him male. The possibility of a female "motherly" Strahd and the personaility and themes you have suggested would play really well and get away from some of the tired dominating male noble tropes. Great video! Hope you keep them coming...

Your channel is excellent and the presentation of your ideas is really nicely done too. You must be a great GM!

@corkboardsandcuriosities

4 ай бұрын

aaaaah thank you!!! oops, don't say that to my players, I'm the kind of GM who always procrastinates running games hahaha

@Wendelvendel

4 ай бұрын

@@corkboardsandcuriosities I ran a session on Sunday. Our last session was December... I'm sure you're doing great!

I'm starting the campaign this weekend and was going to use a female Strahd to subvert my player's expectations. This is a way more interesting and believable take than just a 1-to-1 gender swap. The domineering narcissistic mother makes so much sense, quite genius really! You should find a way to get Wizards to cut you a paycheck! Thanks for the video.

Just found this channel and am currently bingeing. Hopefully you feel it appropriate to make longer videos someday

@corkboardsandcuriosities

7 ай бұрын

haaaa thank you so much! perhaps someday! for now i have very limited time after work to piece these together, and shorter videos seem to be the easiest! but I'm also a very new channel, and I can see the process getting easier each time, perhaps as i move forward and it becomes quicker to make these, i'll be able to take on longer stuff!

Great video! I've not had the chance to play CoS, but this vid sure makes me want to. Also I've learned a new word today, 'motherlogue' and I'm going to incorporate this into my vocabulary forever. THANK YOU, MOTHER.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

lol that was just my bad pronunciation, but i'm also delighted that this word exists and imma start spreading the word

Damn, that evil matron take hit a spot I didn't know I had. I am currently DMing CoS and having a blast playing the manipulative narcissistic lying b*stard that is the Count, but ironically I feel like playing the Matron would actually reach way too deep into personnal territory for me xD Some of the worst people I know are just her with less immortality and more blood craving. Would love to be a player and live my dreams of cutting the old hag down though.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

7 ай бұрын

hahaha I'm glad you like her, she's definitely a lot of fun to work on. Although I absolutely love the dracula figure too. Strahd is such a good villain. I mostly made mine female initially just because i was spooked about roleplaying some deep voice intimidating dude haha, I was still a beginner GM back then and thought somehow voice acting was a necessary part of everything... A few years later in the end i'm really glad the matron of barovia idea grew into that !

I'm very impressed, I never would have thought to genderbend Strahd**, but it gives an entirely different perspective, not surprisingly, but extremely pleasingly. This video alone is worth the subscription

I saw this and my eyes got so big

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

in a good way or in a "I got possessed by a vengeful lemur" kind of way?

The psychological quality of the horror you inspire with this character is something that is really quite terrifying! It cuts down to a very primitive level and therefore engenders a very primitive and powerful fear. Mommy is supposed to be good and loving. Mommy is supposed to protect me from the monster. OMG mommy is the monster!?!?!

@corkboardsandcuriosities

7 ай бұрын

hahaha i see comments from you on different vids, and am quite flattered that you went to check out more haha So happy you like her! that's one of my favourite types of fear haha, taking something that's familiar and comforting and messing with it to make it spooky hahah

@Astartes36

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, I have been making my way through your videos. I really think they are excellent and your methods are quite advanced. You definitely set the bar high for something to shoot for. Your videos remind me of my favorite college lit classes, where the professors would push my appreciation and understanding of a scene and story to a whole other level.

Really like the take on Strauhd....

Hey I saw your previous videos, great job with the lighting and ambiance as well as your voice and the pacing of it but this video I could not finish because of the audio quality. Your content is original and enjoyable just little note on that so you are aware.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

I promise i'm working on it! The audio on the next video should be a lot less distracting :) Be patient haha because I'm terrible with technology and a complete beginner with mics but it should already be an improvement I hope and until then... well, i'll add captions and all to the other vids haha Really happy you are enjoying the content though!

I'm working on a historical game based on Romania in 1450s. I'll use these personality traits for the mayor of the starting village, Arefu.

Well...I am not into DnD. Curse of Strahd was one of the modules I looked into and now I am stuck in a game of Strahd with a "pure" DnD GM who has no idea how to create drama or horror...besides letting us count rations and throwing gridded combat random encounters at us. I love your idea of a female Strahd, it gives the character so much more understandability, yet remebers me of the frustration of being a child and "hating" my mother for having to do things I didn't understand back then. This is AMAZING. (= I love it. I think I will convert CoS into an other RPG system and run it with Mother Strahd as the main villain. Besides that, I am very curious what that board on the background is, with all the sticky notes, index cards and strings. Is this a tool you use for your games? If so, would you make a video about it?

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

I can understand that haha, I tend to prefer DnD games that are less around the math and strategy, and more narrative oriented and character driven than anything. Horror and ambience is not impossible in DnD, but there are definitely better suited systems out there. I've seen a bunch of people online talking about running CoS with Call of Cthulhu? although i'm not sure exactly how they go about it, but that might be something to look into! And the board.. I love corkboards so much that it had to be part of the channel name haha, I use them not during games but as a brainstorming tools when writing scenarios, it helps me structure thoughts a bit better before i actually get to writing. I think I would like to make a video about it someday if people are interested! This one is the biggest board, though it's been on hiatus for a bit. it's for an Edwardian era lil horror mystery, which i should probably get back to someday haha, when i'm done with the one i'm currently working on.

Amazing stuff. ... I am terrified of this Strahd.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

6 ай бұрын

mission accomplished!

Ow wow! Amazing! Brilliant! How can I join the party??

"It hurts me to see you suffer, I hate that YOU make me do this to you, can't you see the agony your pain brings to your mother, I don't know why you keep putting me threw this, putting US threw this, you could at lest hold it together little better for me, I can't take any more of this, Count Rugen turn the Pit of Despair up to level 10 till he learns to quit crying. I am too distraught and mommy needs her cream puffs, and Count Rugen cover up that Six Finger no one wants to see that, something only a mother could love. Remember that you no one else NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU not the way I do, I am all you have we only have each other it's mommy and you forever. so keep mommy happy why is it not already at level 11 like I TOLD YOU quit dragging your feet, honestly both of you quite a pair of rascals, (with love): mommy's little rascals."

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

oh my, i never expected myself to feel sympathy for count Rugen, but here we are hahahahah

Damn... that's dark. Love it! 😁

@corkboardsandcuriosities

10 ай бұрын

"that's dark. Love it" I am honored

Awesome ideas here, and I love the channel so far! Is it weird that I keep hearing "Strahd is a woman" sung to Ariana Grande's "God is a Woman?" 😂

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

🎵 You, you'll feel when I drain you you'll feel it when I end you, my one when blood is spilled and gone you'll believe Strahd is a woman 🎵

@Yosherful

Жыл бұрын

Canon

Consider me inspired for a campaign using OSR systems as well as 5e. And subscribed 😊

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

👀 oooh are you thinking of running curse of strahd OSR style?

@MrSteveK1138

Жыл бұрын

@@corkboardsandcuriosities Yes. Thinking of using Old School Essentials or Dungeon Crawl Classics as the game of choice.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

oh wow, I played DCC only once and though it was super far from my usual it was fun (the funnel was for sure a new experience!), running CoS in an OSR game sounds real intriguing ngl, if you do it please let me know how it went and how you went about it !

Fantastic idea. I've been looking at the game Vaesen. It looks really interesting to me. And taking your idea as jumping off point, it'd be neat to have a Mother Strahd figure (changing her name) that wouldn't immediately have the players know that she is the big threat and the one pulling the strings. But also not trying too hard to hide it. Rather, it starts off with her almost seeming like _their_ matron. A confidant and potential wealthy backer as they find themselves stuck in some dreary countryside and then becoming embattled with creatures of folklore and an oppressive atmosphere and all the while she's there to "help" ... but quickly making it apparent that she is quite dangerous and as the Baroness or Lady of the land she isn't just someone hoping for them to help with all the problems... they discover that the darkness and maladies and hopelessness has been woven by her hand. And they are not safe around her. And when they confront her about this (though powerless to really do anything just yet) she may just laugh in a pitying manner or scold with practiced motherly concern for their confusion about the whole thing. And make it clear that they are powerless to stand against her. She may allow them to leave while accusing -- in a manner that causes the heart to thump and the skin to prickle -- that they are breaking her heart by turning on her while she offers such gracious hospitality and dear love. I wouldn't have her be a vampire, at least not of the traditional sense. Maybe more like a witch of immense power? I just don't see the blood-sucking working for me, thematically. Although, maybe she does indeed bathe in it. While draining a person's spirit.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

ooooh yeah, i like the idea of her being a matron, questgiver or handler, little by little wrapping herself around them so much that by the time they understand what she is, they're already so intertwined and she has already a lot of cards in her hand

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

coming back to this comment after a while because it piqued my interest into Vaesen and coincidentally, a friend offered to run it so now it's happening haha, loving the vibe of it, and yeah I could totally see this happening in Vaesen !!

In my campaign I plan on making my fem!strahd to become the Raven Queen after shes killed

uhul, great content

Where is your ascent from? I am having a hard time understanding you.

@corkboardsandcuriosities

11 ай бұрын

omg i'm so sorry hahaha, I was supposed to make subtitles for this video but it totally slipped my mind, i'll try to get it done tonight or tomorrow, I know my accent isn't the easiest haha I'm from france! But I moved around a bunch, and my accent keeps fluctuating out of my control hahaha, I think I need to make it a point to systematically make subtitles whenever I post a vid, this isn't the first time it comes up hahah

Jeez this channel is just hit after hit, I keep coming back every time I need to recalibrate my dramatic skills as a GM! Fingers crossed my matronly mafiosa delivers half as well as you do it!

Great idea. Have you considered changing Strahd's first name for the female variant?

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

Hi! I have… kinda??? In the campaign, we still refer to her as Strahd (it seemed to me that it wasn’t necessarily a masculine name, and that it was iconic enough that I wanted to preserve the name for my players), but the tome of Strahd bears her birth name “Stasya Randinka Von Zarovich”. She simply took on the name Strahd taking the first syllabes of her names (ST-RAD) when she got turned and became the Matron. I’ve heard of other people running a female strahd that changed the name though, but I can’t recall what name they used haha

It's kinda hilarious that a gender flipped Strahd boils down to the most obnoxious kind of "Gaslighting Girlboss" imaginable.

The _"Evil Mother"_ concept is, at least in my opinion, WAY more terrifying than the _"Egomaniacal Incel"_ thing that standard-Strahd has going on. Frankly this vampire-mother is good enough and different enough to stand on her own as an original villain for a campaign. Either way, VERY well done!

@corkboardsandcuriosities

Жыл бұрын

haha i'm happy you think so. Very different concepts, dracula-esque strahd will always be a classic. The reason I decided to run a female strahd originally was really just... a voice acting cop out hahahah, but she grew a lot from that and i'm delighted that people are liking it.

Funny accent lady!

@corkboardsandcuriosities

15 күн бұрын

this shall be my new title

@CrossfadeD7

15 күн бұрын

@@corkboardsandcuriosities Haha, glad you like it. In all seriousness, I do like your accent a lot. And your content is insightful as well.

Dommy mommy vampire Gothel??? Don't threaten me with a good time

this was wonderful. being a man women always fascinated me. a lot of times id feel impulses stemming from a masculing urge/desire and it always made me wonder what a feminine personality would do. where a man is paternal how would a woman be maternal. where a tank takes damage for the team how would a healer heal the team. when i fantasise being the chief of a tribe i do it as a man, but i wonder in this fantasy if i were married what would my chieftess do, or if i was a warrior or a shaman of a tribe with a metriarch how would i be led. thank you for offering me the female strahd. in my darkness i could find hints of the male strahd. but thank you for personifying your feminine darkness. :) keep up the good work. this is going to be a great chennel. much love - pandeyjibalwaan

I'm getting ready to run CoS for my friends and genderbending Strahd will be such a good twist

what about femcel strahd ? I image it would take less readaptation work, just a gender bending This comment was posted to provide activity for the algorithm

This is great stuff. Just please, (please please please) don't use Gothic horror sources as a model for Romani and Roma-adjacent characters (cough Vistani cough). Even the newer, revised CoS leans on some deeply racist tropes about us.

Sounds like the Disney-MCU version of Ravenloft. Seriously, you didn't even change the name "Strahd"? And of course... she's also a lesbian. After all, having her lust after a man would somehow make her not as much of a girl-boss, and require actual storytelling talent from the DM to make the plot fit. You could have just as easily used Ivana Boritsi, and move the campaign to Borca, or used one of the many other (pre-gender swapped) female dark lords of Ravenloft. Before 5e, good female antagonists and heroes actually existed.

@Outrighttomcat5

Жыл бұрын

Well she did say she was using a Carmilla style vampire, who was a lesbian. Though I will admit I will be using a female strahd (new name though) and not using the lesbian thing. But at least it does makes sense in that way. However I do use the 2e version of the strahd and the lands surrounding. I love the idea more of a full land instead of 'islands in the mists.

@fleetcenturion

Жыл бұрын

@@Outrighttomcat5 - At this point in time, all gender-swapping is cliché. Even with the best intentions, it is, hands-down, the laziest attempt one can make to insert a plot twist, and it insults any audience with half a brain. But you are definitely right in using the 2e setting. Ravenloft didn't need a makeover, or even a 5e update. The WotC addition was a blatant cash grab, by hack writers, completely out of their depth, and obsessed with inserting their own nonsensical beliefs into the material.

@Outrighttomcat5

11 ай бұрын

@@fleetcenturion I do agree with the gender swap being a little too cliche. Though I like the idea of a devouring mother type character trope (Ala the pyscho movie). I will admit Wotc definitely scrapes the bottom of the barrel looking for paying content. Edit: the 2e full continent style setting with available travel is far better than misty 'islands' in a magical nonsense dark plane