completely untested milestone + xp levelling system for d&d 5e curse of strahd. make 4 premade level 1 characters and let the players play death house and get a tpk like the cold open to a horror film. then do a starter adventure to take the characters they rolled up to level 3 before starting curse of strahd in earnest (House of Lament from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft works very well tonally/setting-wise). this should take the pcs to level 10 right before the crypts of castle ravenloft and to level 11 for defeating strahd.

don't ever make the players roll or search for these cards. these are meta rewards so the players get a visual aid to track their progress. fudge as much as you can so players get every single card, especially in vallaki. i use "clear" and "defeat" as shorthand but non-violent solutions are encouraged always.

Tarokka Card = XP Player Level Requirements
The Horseman 🃏 50 3 Meet Arrigal for plot hook
The Executioner 🃛 100 3 Complete Death House
The Innocent 🂽 150 3 Ireena travels with party
The Thief 🃇 200 3 Reach River Ivlis Crossroads
The Diviner 🃒 300 level up! Get a Tarokka reading from Madam Eva
The Charlatan 🂷 1000 4 Old Bonegrinder
The Beggar 🃆 450 4 Meet Kasimir Velikov
The Tax Collector 🃈 500 4 Win Luvash's favor
The Rogue 🃊 550 4 Arrive at Blue Water Inn
The Illusionist 🃗 600 4 Meet Rictavio
The Artefact 🃏 700 level up! Investigate Rictavio's Wagon & find The Tome of Strahd
The Torturer 🂩 900 5 Defeat Izek Strazni
The Traitor 🂹 1000 5 Defeat Fiona Wachter
The Donjon 🃞 1500 5 Resolve Vallaki somehow? Burgomaster Blinsky?
The Healer 🂳 2000 5 Bring Ireena to Krezk Pool
The Missionary 🂲 1000 5 Reach Gardens of St. Markovia
The Monk 🂱 1000 level up! Meet the Abbot
The Marionette 🂻 1000 6 Meet Clovis Belview
The Philanthropist 🃂 1000 6 Reach Abbey Nursery
The Mists 🂭 1000 6 Meet Ezmerelda D'Avenir
The Tempter 🃍 1500 6 Defeat or marry Vasilka
The Trader 🃃 1500 6 Clear Wizard of Wines Winery
The Druid 🂵 3000 level up! Clear Yester Hill & retrieve the first "Seed"
The Wizard 🃚 1200 7 Explore Khazan's Tower
The Broken One 🃎 1300 7 Aid Mordenkainen
The Beast 🃋 1500 7 Clear Werewolf Den
The Myrmidon 🂥 2000 7 Retrieve second "Seed" from Night Mother shrine
The Ghost 🂾 1500 7 Enlist the aid of Sir Godfrey Gwilym
The Abjurer 🃔 1500 7 Light the Beacon of Argynvostholt
The Avenger 🂮 2000 level up! Reunite Godfrey & Vladimir
The Enchanter 🃓 1500 8 Find Marina's Monument in Berez
The Conjurer 🃙 2000 8 Defeat Baba Lysaga & retrieve the third "Seed"
The Raven 🃝 1500 8 Trade 3 Seeds to Davian for The Symbol of Ravenkind
The Soldier 🂣 1500 8 Clear Tsolenka Pass
The Hooded One 🂧 1500 8 Reach the statue in Amber Temple
The Elementalist 🃕 1500 8 Find the model of Castle Ravenloft in Amber Temple
The Bishop 🂸 1500 8 Find Amber Temple treasury & retrieve the Sunsword
The Seer 🃛 3000 level up! Kasimir communes with Zhudun
The Priest 🂺 1500 9 Reach the Chapel in Castle Ravenloft (K15)
The Transmuter 🃑 7000 9 Defeat the Heart of Sorrow (K20)
The Dictator 🂨 1500 9 Reach the Audience Hall (K25)
The Necromancer 🃘 1500 9 Reach the Study (K37)
The Miser 🃉 1500 9 Reach the Treasury (K41)
The Merchant 🃄 1500 9 Reach the Wine Cellar (K63)
The Anarchist 🂶 1500 level up! Reach the Ossuary (K67)
The Guild Member 🃅 1500 10 Reach the Crypt of Artank Swilovich (#5)
The Swashbuckler 🃁 1500 10 Reach the Crypt of Endorovich the Terrible (#7)
The Mercenary 🂤 1500 10 Reach the empty crypt (#31)
The Evoker 🃖 1500 10 Reach the Crypt of Gralmore Nimblenobs (#37)
The Berserker 🂦 1500 10 Reach the Crypt of Kroval Grislek (#38)
The Paladin 🂢 1500 10 Reach the Tomb of Sergei von Zarovich (#85)
The Shepherd 🂴 1500 10 Reach the Tomb of King Barov & Queen Ravenovia (#88)
The Warrior 🂪 1500 10 Reach the Tomb of Strahd (#86)
The Darklord 🂡 9000 LEVEL UP! Destroy Strahd von Zarovich

i hope this is a useful framework for your campaign! award players inspiration points for making characters based on captain kronos or professor grost and for wearing wolf shirts IRL