A passing mention of a same-sex couple might be enough to assert that queer sexuality is a natural part of the D&D universe. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Curse of Strahd Revamped | Dungeons & Dragons [7] Wizards of the Coast stated that "the adventure includes the latest errata and a revised depiction of the Vistani" who are based on stereotypes about the Romani people. Using a deck of tarokka cards, the Dungeon Master can randomize parts of the adventure such as the identity of a powerful ally, the placement of important magic items across Barovia, and Strahd's location within Castle Ravenloft. Session zero: Let players know there are things that go bump in the night that can kill them without breaking a sweat. First of all, the Roll20 Curse of Strahd conversion includes the Castle Ravenloft maps and Tarokka deck addon, so no need to buy them separately. In this case, you can have your player characters meet in the mist or camping together, but I would caution against starting in Barovia near Krezk. Copy the n-largest files from a certain directory to the current one. Important to preface that the party was pretty beat up after the boss fight in the House of Lament, so they decided to rest at the Vistani Encampment (at approximately 2pm, when the sun was heavily . The specter and the animated armor might seem obvious threats, but the shadows that surround characters, the ghouls in maze-like corridors, the mimic door that prevents escape, and the ghasts guarding needed supplies are even more deadly. I picked Barbarian because I wanted to be the tank for the group. Now, I realize there was some obvious deficiencies on these monsters that make them slightly easier in general - for instance the first boss fight, they could have easily kited him around the room and never given it the chance to attack (his movement was only 20ft per round). All encounters are done exactly as-is. Taunting works well on my playersget that grudge match on. This week I tell the tale of when I ran 'Death House' from 'Curse of Strahd' several years ago. March 15, 2016. Van Richtens Guide to Ravenloft, which expands the Domains of Dread for fifth edition, has an excellent sidebar on the importance of cultivating hope in your Ravenloft games. Vengeful. Cookie Notice In Vallaki, the party has the opportunity to run into a nest of vampire spawn whilst investigating a coffin maker's shop. I've only run it once so far, but that did end in a TPK. For more information, please see our Virtual Tabletop Journey all Demongund patrons presents the iconic Curse of Strahd - Baba Lysaga's Walking Hut recreated for use in TaleSpire! Curse of Strahd, one of the most popular Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game products of all time, split into three parts: a 224-page perfect-bound adventure for characters of levels 1-10, a 20-page Creatures of Horror booklet of new monsters that appear in the adventure, and an 8-page Tarokka Deck booklet. With Roll20 as your virtual tabletop, your adventures are limitless. Mirror Image. Here is a hint: If you DON'T want your players to investigate something, do not describe it in details. Strahd uses his lair action to open and unlock one or more doors and windows. Thats good advice - I'v been slowly working through the book to make sure I get all the connections correct. View Cover Art Contents Foreword Introduction Running the Adventure Marks of Horror Ch. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot? If you use this option twice or more per round on at least one-third of all combat rounds, reduce Strahds CR by 2; otherwise, use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to isolate a grappled PC or keep Strahd away from sources.of sunlight, out of sight of hostile spellcasters, and/or out of range of hostile melee enemies. and our Much of their threat depends on the party composition and their ability to output magical damage. Sometimes massively so. I'd also love to put some bosses in there that mimic Strahd's tactics (retreating, summoning minions etc) so that when they finally face him, they have some form of believable tactics so it feels like their characters have improved tactically. They should have a sense of progress and "next time we'll get em". Some things to keep in mind to make this work well: (*) I roll my dice in the open (when I can), my players know my monsters may kill the characters and I don't fudge the die for or against them. Curse of Strahd - Curse of Strahd - Sources - D&D Beyond If you expect to successfully use this option at least five times while employing Advanced Phasing or Hit-and-Run Phasing (see above), increase Strahds CR by 1. Let me start off by saying that Curse of Strahd certainly has some very challenging encounters, many of which can be stumbled into at points when the party is woefully under-levelled. If you use this option at least twice per 10 rounds, leave Strahds CR unchanged if employing No Phasing (see above), and decrease Strahds CR by 2 if not. However, part of running a module is accepting a loss of control. Move. Welcome to the orphanage. [4] On the development process, Perkins said: "Without the Hickmans, this project would've died on the vine" and that "the Hickmans envisioned Strahd differently than he's depicted in the original Ravenloft adventure. ISBN. Barbarian Tank Curse of Strahd - giantitp.com Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, Richard Whitters. Given that I've now completed all the official maps for the Curse of Strahd adventure, I thought it might be helpful to provide a list of the maps and links! [17] Christian Hoffer, for Comicbook, wrote "while it doesn't have enough extra material to justify a second purchase, Curse of Strahd Revamped is a great box set for the DM/player group that hasn't traveled to Ravenloft and wants to commit to the campaign with a grim flourish. So, Strahd has Polymorph. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. I tried to give further hints - letting them spot many footsteps around large body sized crates in the dust of the storage room. 978-0786965984. The party is his new toy, he does not want to break it too soon. What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? Otherwise, use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Lets assume that his preferred actions include unarmed strike, fireball, and polymorph (sperm whale or killer whale), which he expects to successfully wield against a low-Wisdom rogue in order to incapacitate the Sunsword (+2 CR). This guide aims to fill that gap, providing a comprehensive suite of options to allow Dungeon Masters to precisely customize the outcome and experience of their final boss fightas if customizing a statblockbefore initiative is even rolled. I wanted them to talk to one turning into a spider, who will eventually disappear, and on their way to the Amber Temple they will be followed by hordes of little spiders, webs appearing on their tents at night etc, until eventually they face off with the spider boss and spider minions. Bite. and our That said, since I want to be a tank in the more traditional sense of supporting the group by enticing enemies to attack me instead, I am leaning toward Ancestral Guardian more than Bear. 10 Defenestration. Note that this list assumes that Strahd will always save at least one legendary action use after for the turn immediately preceding his own in order to move out of sunlight before the start of his turn and ensure his continued regeneration. If Strahd ever takes more than 21 damage in a single round, or if Strahd ever takes radiant damage, he immediately retreats to a safe location in order to fully regenerate his hit points. Encourage and reward creative problem-solving. Fireball. If you use this option, increase Strahds CR by 1 if you expect the battle to largely range between the first and second floors of Castle Ravenloft, and leave Strahds CR unchanged if not. It is intended for 4 players, taking them from level 1 to 10. They add so much to the atmosphere of creeping down a hallway or a climactic trek to a forbidden mountain temple. The book does suggest that milestone-based leveling might be best, but only throws out a few examples of appropriate milestones, leaving the DM to really have to do a lot of thinking about how to award for various things. Ireena Kolyana, who remains the most divisive character in the module for players. This is what I have so far https: . He repeats this process each time the character returns to consciousness until the max hit point reduction kills them, then directs Cyrus or another of his servants to bury the body in the courtyard to ensure it becomes a vampire spawn. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if employing No Phasing*, and increase Strahds CR by 1 if not*. I defeated the big story foe in the area, gain a level. Players should be made aware of this when starting the campaign and they should note that often discretion will be the better part of valor. Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI. The module contains everything you need to run Curse of Strahd. Their image didn't match the Bela Legosi [sic] vampire quite so much. If you use this option at least twice per 10 rounds, increase Strahds CR by 1 if employing No Phasing (see above), and decrease Strahds CR by 2 if not. A few miscellaneous notes on locations, things to remember, and further suggestions: Castle Ravenloft is a massive dungeon crawl that will drain your characters resources, but they may never need to go there. No content creator has published a comprehensive guide to customize Strahds Rules-As-Written tactics to perfectly suit a partys preferred play experience and skill leveluntil now. 1: Into the Mists Strahd von Zarovich Fortunes of Ravenloft Adventure Hooks Ch. So far, my players have been most impressed/engaged when fighting a "boss," just a unique enemy they had not seen before who had enough health and hit super hard so they had to really consider their tactics as individuals and as a group. Best Race/Class to play Curse of Strahd!! - D&D Beyond Werewolves in the Mist is excellent for player characters built for Adventurers League and for uniting characters with disparate faction allegiances. I Changed the Final Boss in Death House - Curse of Strahd Story [7], Chris Perkins, Dungeon & Dragons Principal Narrative Designer, in an interview with IGN said, "We don't do a tremendous number of box sets. Use this option if you would like to allow your players to turn a difficult fight into an easy one by properly provoking Strahd. They haven't yet been to the werewolf cave, the Amber Temple, Ravenloft, or Yester Hill. Unarmed Strike. By contrast, a party of 10th-level PCs will likely slaughter Strahd within two rounds. What happens to Sergei and Ireena after Curse of Strahd? When Perkins asked for their input, they flew out to meet with the team. A party of adventurers can begin the adventure either at 1st level (beginning with the notoriously lethal starter adventure. Strahd uses his Unarmed Strike attack against an adjacent PC. Knowing a few of my players had been through it before, I dec. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. [] Punctuate your horror tales with moments of relief, comedy, and fortuitous consequences. Use this option if you desperately need to deal a tiny bit of damage to an isolated, low-AC, low-HP PC outside of sunlight, or if you want Strahd to waste his lair action. The daylight spell produces light that is not considered sunlight. Curse of Strahd has a specific leveling style all its own. Most player characters know they are trapped, and the Mists of Ravenloft are an omnipresent reminder of the stakes of their adventure and the challenges they must overcome. With delightfully macabre props and thoughtful changes, Curse of Strahd Revamped is the definitive version of a classic. Use this option if you want to isolate a single PC in a place where Strahd can easily attack them and/or drag them away. All rights reserved. The module also includes the Tarokka card decks using the Roll20 interface to shuffle and deal, as well as the deck of illusions, which appears in the adventure. Do you have any memorable stories, comments, questions, or critiques? There was not much room for exploring, they simply followed the road and noted that this was one of the places they were recommended to visit. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Set in the Ravenloft campaign setting, the module revolves around the vampire Strahd von Zarovich and the Demiplane of Dread that serves as his prison. Lured to Barovia by the lands dark master and trapped there by a supernatural mist, the players are forced to travel throughout the realm gaining knowledge and experience before finally confronting the vampire Strahd himself. Strahd constantly lures the PCs to new locations throughout the castle, moving the scene of battle to monster- or trap-filled chambers (e.g., the gargoyles in K7 or the elevator trap in K61), while reserving multiple safe spaces to regenerate his health fully before returning to the fray. These include changes like undead familiars and steeds as well as alarm screams and ominous telepathic eavesdropping. Strahd flees combat as soon as a PC casts a powerful Concentration spellsuch as Haste or Polymorphand returns only once those spells have ended, even if that takes multiple minutes or an hour. Strahd fails to use his Charm ability, either because the players have the Icon of Ravenloft, the party includes a Paladin with the Oath of Devotion, or the DM has chosen not to use the ability. Curse of Strahd - Wikipedia Dynamic lighting is included for Plus and Pro subscribers with the Curse of Strahd module, and youre able to add your own Jukebox tracks in the VTT sidebar. 28. Here's a list of preparations a DM should consider when preparing the final battle with Strahd in the D&D 5e Curse of Strahd adventure module: Review the adventure material: Read through the Curse of Strahd book (or review this article to review the information in one place). 4. Dancing With The Wolves (Combat Theme) - Curse Of Strahd Soundtrack By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. [9], Publishers Weekly included the book in their "Best-selling Books Week Ending March 28, 2016", in which Curse of Strahd was #6 in "Hardcover Fiction". The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. Although the ZIP files are now outdated (I have released . Kill, some day, but not today. Conjure Specter. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. Role playing epic skill fails and wins can be fun. This adventure hook leads into the Tarokka deck reading with Madam Eva very well, but not "Death House.". So far, the "bosses" they've fought have been Baba Lysaga, a suped alpha werewolf, and a beast at the Abbey of Saint Markovia I shamelessly stole from Bloodborne. Reading it you get the impression that the adventure without extra pre-work anticipates a leveling structure based on milestones. Use this option if you want to incapacitate an isolated, low-Wisdom PC or NPC for easy transport to the dungeons. Looking at the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind's description in Appendix C (p. 222), it looks like something that a group of adventures wanting to take down a powerful vampire would want to have. Strahd limits himself to a small number of adjoining rooms, using his phasing ability only to pass through minor walls or other obstructions. The master of Castle Ravenloft is having guests for dinner, Adrian Martikov Alenka Alexei Amalthia Anastrasya Karelova Angrath Woodwise Anna Krezkov Arabelle Ariel du Plumette Arik Lorensk Arrigal Aziana Baba Lysaga Bella Sunbane Beucephalus Bianca Bildrath Cantemir Bluto Krogarov Bray Martikova Brom Martikova Carlon Amoffel Clovin Belview Cyrus Belview Dag Tomescu Damia Danika Dorakova Davanka Davian Martikov Davra Jassur Dmitri Krezkov Donavich Doru Elvir Martikov Emil Toranescu Endorovich Eravien Haund Ernst Larnak Escher Exethanter Ezmerelda d'Avenir Fiona Wachter Freek Gadof Blinsky Gertruda Godfrey Gwilym Gunther Arasek Haliq Helga Ruvak Henrik van der Voort Ireena Kolyana Ismark Kolyanovich Izek Strazni Karl Wachter Kasimir Velikov Kellen Kiril Stoyanovich Klutz Tripalotsky Kolya Kolyan Indirovich Kretyana Dolof Lanniver Strayl Lars Kjurls Lazlo Ulrich Lief Lipsiege Lucian Jarov Lucian Petrovich Ludmilla Vilisevic Luvash Lydia Pertrovna Mad Mary Madalena Madam Eva Majesto Marzena Belview Milivoj Mirabel Mishka Belview Mordenkainen Morgantha Morwen Daggerford Muriel Vinshaw Myrtle Neferon Nikolai Wachter Norganas Offalia Wormwiggle Otto Belview Parpol Cantemir Patrina Velikovna Piccolo Pidlwick II Rahadin Ratka Rudolph van Richten Sangzor Savid Sasha Ivliskova Selvek Serelim Skennis Sorvia Strahd von Zarovich Stefania Martikov Stella Wachter Stanimir Szoldar Szoldarovich Udo Lukovich Urwin Martikov Vargas Vallakovich Varushka Vasilka Victor Vallakovich Vilnius Vladimir Horngaard Volenta Popofsky Wencensia Wintersplinter Yelena Arasek Yeska Yevgeni Krushkin Zelraun Roaringhorn Zuleika Toranescu Zygfrek Belview, Animated object Arcanaloth Baboon Banshee Bat Barovian Black pudding Blue dragon Cat Clay golem Crawling claw Death slaad Deer Deva Dire wolf Dretch Elf Flameskull Flesh golem Gargoyle Ghast Ghoul Ghost Giant goat Giant spider Goat Gray ooze Grick Hell hound Horse Human Imp Invisible stalker Iron golem Lich Mongrelfolk Needle blight Night hag Nightmare Nothic Phantom Quasit Rat Raven Red dragon Revenant Roc Saber-toothed tiger Scarecrow Shadow Shadow demon Shambling mound Shield guardian Skeleton Smoke mephit Spectre Strahd's animated armor Stirge Stone golem Toad Tree blight Troglodyte Twig blight Vampire Vampire spawn Vine blight Vistani Vrock Wereraven Werewolf Wight Will-o'-wisp Wolf Wraith Zombie. Curse of Strahd: Chapter-by-Chapter Guides The best part of running a campaign a year or two after its release is the wealth of information out there from other DM's who have already been in your shoes. Here is the final theme of the CoS soundtrack ! My L4 party is doing Death House, and I do not have to scale original stuff meant for L1-3 much. The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. The r/CurseOfStrahd subreddit is a community-based resource aimed to help Dungeon Masters run their Curse of Strahd games. The events of this module are referenced in the novel Death Masks by Ed Greenwood. Support me on Patreon! Strahd always focuses his damage on a single target at a time, and prefers to target wounded enemies over healthy ones. Locations in Barovia include. While completing the introductory section, "Death House" they were suspicious of the pile of refuse in the corner and attacked it to be sure. They haven't yet been to the werewolf cave, the Amber Temple, Ravenloft, or Yester Hill. :). Curse of Strahd / YMMV - TV Tropes They were a party of four level 2's at this point - fighting a CR5 monster, Shambling Mound). The following options refer to Strahds preferred means of preparation before entering combat. Strahd's face forms the barest hint of a smle as his dark plan unfolds. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Even if they survive to the final basement battle and reveal, the chase upstairs and the houses own mechanisms may well kill them. [] It was always my wish that at some point we could put a version of the adventure together that actually had the cards with it, and it's out of that idea that this boxed set emerged. Passing negative parameters to a wolframscript, one or more moons orbitting around a double planet system. The second fight, the majority of their spells are not terribly bad, and can be resisted if lucky. If you use this option twice or more per round on at least one-third of all combat rounds, reduce Strahds CR by 2 if Strahd is employing No Phasing (see above), and leave Strahds CR unchanged if not. If you dont have a healer (or they dont have that ability yet, like paladins or rangers), consider adding a potion of healing or two to the hidden room in the library. Both the possibilities and the choices are out of the DM's control, resulting in a process akin more to guiding a passenger boat down a stream. The following options refer to the attacks and spells that Strahd might employ using his action on his turn in combat. Is Curse of Strahd really hard, or am I DMing it wrong? Use this option if you want to destroy player agency and create an unsatisfying, doomed final battle. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Use this option if you want to make your players, one-by-one, rip up their character sheets in the middle of the session. Once in Barovia, the PCs are free to explore the entire region in search of aid in their battle against Strahd as well as several powerful relics strewn throughout the land. [15], In a review of Curse of Strahd in Black Gate, Andrew Zimmerman Jones said "Curse of Strahd is really a mix of setting manual and adventure module in one, with a storyline that is extremely open-ended, with endings that (assuming the players survive) allow for continued adventures centered around the consequences of the players' actions in Castle Ravenloft. "Death House" will run your player characters through levels 1-3 if they survive. This article is for first-time Curse of Strahd dungeon masters to act as a sort of Barovia for Beginners to help you build immersion and enable fun for your players in Ravenloft. Tabletop Audio has Barovian Castle, Vampires Castle, and Barovian Village available for free through the Roll20 Jukebox. Hence, assuming the party did head in and end up in fight against the three hags, having the raven summon help in the form of a swarm or a wereraven may be one solution to avoiding a TPK. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Use this option if you want to run an unsatisfying, torturous fight. The following points apply to any final battle with Strahd, notwithstanding any alterations made by specific tactics below: Strahd prioritizes targets in the following order: the PCs foretold ally; the holder of the Tome of Strahd (if known); wizards, warlocks, and sorcerers; bards, clerics, druids, and artificers; monks, rangers and rogues; fighters, paladins, and barbarians. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for D&D 5e that is heavily inspired by gothic and pulp horror. (Note that, if swallowed by the sperm whale, Strahd has protection from sunlight and can escape through the blowhole by changing into mist). Use this option if you want to separate the character from their allies and tax their health and/or resources before they can reunite with the others. [19], Jon Ryan, for IGN, wrote "the updates to the adventure itself mostly consist of previously-published amendments to the book, such as tweaks to an additional character option or corrections of printing errors, but the most notable updates are to some items that were deemed insensitive or offensive after the original publishing []. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Curse of Strahd: Chapter-by-Chapter Guides - Dorky Dungeoneer Not to mention Strahd's summons, legendary actions, etc. Curse of Strahd DnD 5e Summary and DM's Quickstart Guide [13], Rory Bristol, for GeekDad, wrote "Fair warning: the book features a lot of death, blood, and general horror. I tried to give as many hints as possible that the coffin maker was scared of something in the shop - he was glancing over his shoulder, refused to let them in, would only speak in a whisper and asked the party to meet him later 'somewhere safe' suggesting the inn. Cant Use Charm. Reading it you get the impression that the adventure without extra pre-work anticipates a leveling structure based on milestones. The REAL real boss of Curse of Strahd is finding a way to get Strahd to abandon his tactical bullshit and fight you blindly like a man. 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