What player characters dont know is that, like them, Strahd von Zarovich is trapped by the Dark Powers in his Domain of Dread. Lets also assume that his preferred actions include unarmed strike, fireball, and bite (-1 CR); that his preferred legendary actions include unarmed strike and bite (-2 CR); that Strahd doesnt use charm; that he primarily uses his conjure specter lair action; that he prefers to isolate characters through defenestration; that he does not prepare between consecutive combats; and that his responses to provocation are wrathful. This gothic horror adventure takes the players on a course through Barovia that culminates with a vampire hunt inside Castle Ravenloft. The coffin maker (at least under my interpretation) is being kept as an unwilling servant/hostage of these vampires. This scenario most closely resembles that run by novice DMs encountering Strahds statblock for the first time. If you use this option on at least one-third of Strahds turns in combat, increase Strahds CR by 2 if Strahd is employing Hit-and-Run Phasing (see above), and reduce Strahds CR by 2 if not. [3] Charlie Hall, for Polygon, explained that "Instead of reinventing the wheel, principle [sic] designer Chris Perkins brought in the module's original writers the husband and wife team of Tracy and Laura Hickman to create the very best version of the famous module yet. It's fairly easy to tweak encounters, although as a warning it is also not too hard for the PCs to wander off-track and bite off more than they can chew! Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. [] Reading through The Curse of Strahd was a thrilling visit to the tortured land of Barovia. Image of minimal degree representation of quasisimple group unique up to conjugacy. I realized later one of the other problems is a lot of the "warnings" are probably just waived off as flavor text, considering the campaign setting. Use this option if you want to deal a decent amount of damage to a number of PCs simultaneously, punishing them for grouping up, forcing them to separate, and reducing their resources. The story is set in the pocket dimension of Barovia, a nightmarish domain of dread ruled by a powerful vampire: Count Strahd Von Zarovich. It then attacked them back. If run deficiently, Strahds CR effectively craters to 5; if run optimally, his CR easily surmounts 20. Imprisonment. Execution. I played my first tabletop RPG (Pathfinder 1e, specifically) in college. Polymorph (Sperm Whale or Killer Whale). I've only run it once so far, but that did end in a TPK. I defeated the big story foe in the area, gain a level. Which ability is most related to insanity: Wisdom, Charisma, Constitution, or Intelligence? Sometimes massively so. The party is his new toy, he does not want to break it too soon. Here is the final theme of the CoS soundtrack ! So here's our top four tips for DM's running Curse of Strahd! For more information, please see our Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? Strahd casts the polymorph spell to turn a PC or NPC into a frog. Use this option if you want to lure one of your players toward a particular door or window where Strahd is lying in wait, or away from a pending ambush. Curse of Strahd. I am however following the setup/plot within the actual setting exactly. Their image didn't match the Bela Legosi [sic] vampire quite so much. In Vallaki, the party has the opportunity to run into a nest of vampire spawn whilst investigating a coffin maker's shop. I tried to give further hints - letting them spot many footsteps around large body sized crates in the dust of the storage room. Curse of Strahd Dragon of Icespire Peak Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen Dragons of Stormwreck Isle . The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Dynamic lighting and the Jukebox are your best friends in a horror game. The Ravenloft Setting and Setting Expectations, Icovered the Tarokka reading in another article. Is it safe to publish research papers in cooperation with Russian academics? The ghasts and the mound are tough, but certainly doable if the characters play smart. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is 15, meaning that a party of 15th-level PCs attuned to the Sunsword and Holy Symbol will likely face a challenging, resource-intensive final encounter. 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. It's worth noting that the book's illustrations of the Vistani still evoke Romani culture, and some players may still associate certain abilities (such as their ability to cast curses or hypnotize players using an 'Evil Eye') with outdated cultural stereotypes".[9]. They tend to go [] in the hundreds of dollars. The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. [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. The following options refer to Strahds preferred means of isolating and subsequently eliminating a grappled (via Strahds unarmed strike attack) or incapacitated (e.g., via polymorph or sleep) PC. Follow her on Twitter @ashtonnduncan for video game deep lore and pictures of her dog. [] In fact, there really are no pre-scripted Strahd moments in the early stages of the adventureonly various opportunities for him to appear and test the partys mettle. I rocked up late to the first session with an unread rulebook and a human bard called Nick Jugger. 978-0786965984. Then, because the woman he wanted to creepily possess fell in love with his younger (well-adjusted) brother, he murdered his brother, chased his beloved Tatyana off a 1,000-foot cliff, and made a pact with the mysterious Dark Powers to become the unholy terror he is today. there is a passage there that I'm not entirely sure I can repeat here without a copyright issue, but it should solve your problem. In general, Strahds CR cannot go below 5. 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. $41.95 at Amazon $55.99 at Amazon $55.99 Pros + Gorgeous box and DM. This would be a fine and wholly satisfactory answer if the book gave players ways to level up to those challenges. He then drains them to 0 hit points using his bite attack before stabilizing them. If you use this option and expect your players to make strategic use of such tactics, leave Strahds default CR unchanged if employing No Phasing and reduce Strahds default CR to 7 otherwise. Due to his unique phasing ability, low hit point maximum, eccentric spell list, and severe vulnerability to sunlight, Strahds Rules-As-Written statblock is difficult for any Dungeon Master to run in combat. Friendly Reminder: You can get 140+ pages of Curse of Strahd guides for free! By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Use this option if you would like to allow your players to turn a difficult fight into an easy one by properly provoking Strahd. [2] It acts as an adaptation of the original Ravenloft module for the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. Aarakocra and Flying Players 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. When Perkins asked for their input, they flew out to meet with the team. Attending dinner at Strahds invitation can be a fun and unsettling peek at horrors to come, but consider your players stamina and level before encouraging them to explore further. What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? 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. None. Taunting works well on my playersget that grudge match on. But first, a warning to players: youre now treading through the Mists and into spoiler territorybeware! 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. 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. 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. The following options refer to the lair actions that Strahd may select on initiative count 20 of combat while in Castle Ravenloft. From what I remember, if you are simply talking about the leveling guide - they award levels for various in-game events (such as finding artifacts, or completing areas). As a result, they defeated every mini-boss and side quest and advanced to level 11 in the first half of the castle before the final encounter with Strahd. Use this option if you want to make your players, one-by-one, rip up their character sheets in the middle of the session. 1 yr. ago "Pretty cool concept, as if that's going to stop us from burning it to the ground." -my players probably Player shenanigans aside, that's an intriguing take on the villain and Ravenloft in general. The events of this module are referenced in the novel Death Masks by Ed Greenwood. Ashton Duncan started as a Roll20 content conversion contractor with Curse of Strahd five years ago and is now a product manager. Strahd is a bit problematic as a boss because his optimal combat style, while quite dangerous, is generally frustrating instead of fun; just sneak up on the party (Stealth +14), fight for one or two rounds, then use Lair Action (pass . These include changes like undead familiars and steeds as well as alarm screams and ominous telepathic eavesdropping. What's a reasonable Green Hag Coven encounter for a party of 3 level 8 PCs? March 15, 2016. Strahd casts the sleep spell, placing the sphere such that it will only impact a specific wounded target. I'm having the same issue. Combat is unlikely to resolve in 6 rounds or fewer, and may take 10 or more. In Curse of Strahd, who's feeding everyone? Based on the classic Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure, I6 Ravenloft, released in 1983, Curse of Strahd expands the original adventure into an entire region complete with 13 adventuring locations, including the Village of Barovia and Castle Ravenloft. The box set definitely will enhance your Curse of Strahd experience, and the box alone makes for a great display piece on top of your bookshelf or in the D&D corner of your room". Use this option if you want to keep the fight short and sweet, with minimal disruptions or slowdowns. 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. Lets talk a little bit about the things the conversion has that the book doesnt have: The topdown Castle Ravenloft maps in Roll20s conversion were lovingly, painstakingly crafted by Kristin Carlson, andwhile the isometric maps provided in the original content really capture that Curse of Strahd unique aesthetic styleweve only introduced isometric support recently on Roll20! While completing the introductory section, "Death House" they were suspicious of the pile of refuse in the corner and attacked it to be sure. Use this option if you want to run an unsatisfying, torturous fight. For reference, the locations are sorted based on this map by DragnaCarta. Descriptions and events can be too much for young kids, so beware running this campaign with little ones. The answer would certainly be improve by including an explanation of why it's the solution. 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. They survived by sheer luck since I rolled poorly on attack rolls. It's a great adventure - but it can also be a bit overwhelming and hard to run, especially if it's your first time as a DM. A party of adventurers can begin the adventure either at 1st level (beginning with the notoriously lethal starter adventure. Curse Of Strahd mentions the dark powers and vestiges a little in the Amber temple. Unarmed Strike. 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. Id recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. 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. Your players likely know to expect monsters and adventure from their Dungeons & Dragons games, but Barovia provides a suspenseful atmosphere for your players to immerse themselves in. Strahd always focuses his damage on a single target at a time, and prefers to target wounded enemies over healthy ones. [14], In 2017, Cecilia D'Anastasio, for Kotaku, highlighted the inclusion of queer characters in Curse of Strahd and wrote "what was a scattering of queer characters throughout the years formalized into a guiding principle with 2016s Curse of Strahd, an adventure that has players take down the vampire Count Strahd. Strahd attempts to always maintain a distance of at least 40 feet from any hostile melee combatant who has a Strength (Athletics) modifier of +4 or greater. In this scenario, Strahd fights like a hit-and-run guerilla, slowly wearing the partys resources down until he is either successfully grappled or somehow incapacitated. Strahd uses his lair action to open and unlock one or more doors and windows. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? As you read this guide, make sure to keep opportunity costs at the forefront of your mind. Close/Lock Doors and Windows. Greater Invisibility. Strahd is the Darklord whose dominion is Barovia, but beyond him are the Dark Powers, the omnipotent and immortal beings that control the Mists of Ravenloft and all of the Domains of Dread, each housing its own horrible Darklord. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs. Then, he built a gigantic gothic monstrosity of a castle because of his gigantic (gothic) unresolved mommy issues. Strahd casts the ray of frost cantrip. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. Which only now gets them level 5 but they have been fighting CR 5's most of the way, with the occasional CR 1-3. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Even if they survive to the final basement battle and reveal, the chase upstairs and the houses own mechanisms may well kill them. [5], In July 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced a new edition of the Curse of Strahd module, entitled Curse of Strahd: Revamped. 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. If you use this option on at least one-third of Strahds turns in combat, reduce Strahds CR by 1. Bumping up HP and AC are obvious first choices, but giving him access to a mythic action and regenerated health after initially being reduced to zero may be more fun for your players (and mimics the final form video game boss experience players may be familiar with from other Dracula-inspired vampires). 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. If possible, Strahd never begins or ends his turn within 60 feet of the wielder of the Sunsword. I know that Zealot's radiant damage would be useful . It also behooves the DM to provide more narrative warning in such cases - signs of danger, direct warnings from NPCs, and (for when it all goes awry) avenues of escape. Stadh is the perfect cat - after 400 years he is bored. Each magic item and named NPC has a distinct handout you can show to your players, and the adventure text interlinks to these, to descriptions of locations, and to included rules text, so you never have to leave the virtual tabletop to look up pale tincture or desecrated ground. 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. If a PC taunts Strahd specifically regarding Sergei, King Barov, Queen Ravenovia, or Tatyana, Strahd prioritizes that PCs injury or death above other competing targets. This is a great lead into Death House, with little additional work required. The Dark Powers are formidable entities that, even restrained in the Amber Temple, still influence the world around them. These moments of hope help characters push through the dark to the thrill of dawn.. Support me on Patreon! That means by right-clicking you can change the appearance of that characters token. The Dark Powers delight in tormenting villains as much as they do innocents, the Mists equally confound both predators and prey, and Darklords frequently exhibit hubris or other exploitable flaws. 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. They were a party of four level 2's at this point - fighting a CR5 monster, Shambling Mound). Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. What happens in Curse of Strahd if the players destroy Strahd's coffin or prevent him from returning to it? What happens to Sergei and Ireena after Curse of Strahd? The shadows at the statue, the two ghasts, and the shambling mound stand out as all potentially being fatal encounters. Dont forget cosmetic spell modifications (outlined in chapter 2). Strahd's face forms the barest hint of a smle as his dark plan unfolds. What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if employing Cant Use Charm (see above), and increase Strahds CR by 1 if not. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. The Vistani at Tser Pool may have warned the party away from there, knowing their destination and based upon what is written on pg. 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. 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. By contrast, a party of 10th-level PCs will likely slaughter Strahd within two rounds. If you choose this option, set Strahds default CR to 9. The random nature of the location of magical items in the module also can make some encounters much harder or easier. Note that the use of a Lair Action other than phasing can allow your players to restrain and/or kill Strahd within 1-2 rounds unless he has a clear escape route and ample distance (60-90 feet) separating him from the majority of the party. Make sure to give . I personally feel that without such a threat, the player paranoia and tension necessary to maintain an effective horror theme can end up being lost or diminished. [8] Beadle & Grimm, a Wizards of the Coast licensee, released a limited run special "Legendary Edition" which included physical props for the Dungeon Master to use such as handouts, maps, props and encounter cards. [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". Icovered the Tarokka reading in another article, but it solidifies the structure of your Curse of Strahd campaign from here, and in short, my advice is: rig it. Horizontal and vertical centering in xltabular. Note that the use of a Lair Action other than phasing can allow your players to restrain and/or kill Strahd within 1-2 rounds unless he has a clear escape route and ample distance (60-90 feet) separating him from the majority of the party. [] Play is easy, and intuitive, given youve familiarized yourself with the adventure ahead of time. Strahd never allows initiative to lapse and reliably attacks or appears to the party at least once every 2 to 4 rounds. Alternatively, if Strahd has isolated and incapacitated a character, use this option if you want to create a cinematic and dramatic moment where the incapacitated PC can attempt to break free and delay Strahd until their allies can arrive. Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to dictate the terms of every engagement before the PCs have a chance to respond, either by casting a spell like polymorph or animate objects or by swiftly grappling and isolating a chosen victim. This adventure module is designed to take four to six player characters from 1st level to 10th level. Before you even get to the module itself, there is a whole section devoted to Strahd, his personality, and his goals in the adventure. The section I reference also has the minimum average level for players in those areas. [7], Chris Perkins, Dungeon & Dragons Principal Narrative Designer, in an interview with IGN said, "We don't do a tremendous number of box sets. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is either 17 or 21. I have been running a campaign using the milestone leveling guide, but as a rule I've been leveling with location in mind. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Any Domain of Dread is a fascinating setting for an adventure; each is a limited sandbox for player characters to explore encompassed by the Mists. 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. I built a cabin, gain a level. Contrary to the book I would probably not have the shadows pursue the party out of the room, and may have them vanish if (for example) the orb was returned. Use this option if you would like to highlight Strahds status as a flawed, fallible villain. 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. "Death House" will run your player characters through levels 1-3 if they survive. Strahd casts mirror image before entering combat. How long should it take to travel across Barovia? Session zero: Let players know there are things that go bump in the night that can kill them without breaking a sweat. Sure, it's horror, and sandboxed, but if the answer to almost anything the characters can do or encounter when they start the campaign is, "just run away," it's not much of a story. 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. Additionally, the raven should be extremely vocal in trying to ward off the players. It was released on March 15, 2016 and is based on the Ravenloft module . And it's especially brutal with Strahd because it's his home base and he fights DIRTY. Strahd uses his Bite attack while he has a PC grappled. Curse of Strahd has a specific leveling style all its own. Hide Action. Also to note. Strahd uses his lair action to close and lock one or more doors and windows. Open/Unlock Doors and Windows. 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. Fog Cloud. Under such circumstances, a party of 10th-level PCs is doomed to inevitable failure unless: A character has attuned to the luck blade and uses it to cast wish (replicating the effects of the spell forcecage) to imprison Strahd on the first round of combat, or. With delightfully macabre props and thoughtful changes, Curse of Strahd Revamped is the definitive version of a classic. I am creating classic rock playlists for music in curse of strahd and I need some help with Strahds Final Battle music. The Dungeons & Dragons SRD rules are available by search in the sidebar, as well as any other content you own and have added to the game via Compendium Sharing. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is 5the minimummeaning that a party of 5th-level PCs attuned to the Sunsword and Holy Symbol will likely face a challenging, resource-intensive final encounter. Use this option if you want to give your players a clear opportunity to easily kill Strahd with massive damage and/or grapple attempts without giving him an opportunity to react. Use this option if you want Strahd to slowly chip away a single PC's hit points over a long period of time (e.g., 20 or more rounds of combat) from a position of near-absolute safety. I have one idea so far in that I home-brewed that the mongrelfolk are actually all afflicted with a disease that transforms them at different rates into beasts (hence the beast in the Abbey). Its easy to see whyunlike easy-to-use bosses in other modules, a single mistake can lead to Strahds near-instant death, while an unintentionally optimal strategy can turn the final battle into an unpleasantly excruciating experience. The series of events literally led them straight here after the fortune reading to find an artifact. Would love to hear some ideas. I'm looking for more ideas for bosses or minibosses to sprinkle through Barovia. Note that each strategy assumes that, before preparing for combat, Strahd uses his phasing ability and/or legendary actions to retreat, waits at least one minute, and attacks again only once the PCs have left initiative. We did want to make sure that if Beadle and Grimm [a company that specializes in high-end D&D box sets like this one or this one] [sic], for instance, were doing their own version of it, we wouldn't eventually be duplicating what they would do.