Kill, some day, but not today. Stoic. The r/CurseOfStrahd subreddit is a community-based resource aimed to help Dungeon Masters run their Curse of Strahd games. 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. Here, assume that Strahd uses the Advanced Phasing strategy, setting his default CR to 11. 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. Cookie Notice And it's especially brutal with Strahd because it's his home base and he fights DIRTY. Only you know your players and the game you are running, hence it's up to you and what you most feel makes for a fun game around your table. Not to mention Strahd's summons, legendary actions, etc. 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. Strahd never allows initiative to lapse and reliably attacks or appears to the party at least once every 2 to 4 rounds. 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). Use this option if you want to run an unsatisfying, torturous fight. 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). Do you have any memorable stories, comments, questions, or critiques? Cookie Notice Id recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. Remember, the raven will be in league with the wereravens of Vallaki and essentially a force of good. I am creating classic rock playlists for music in curse of strahd and I need some help with Strahds Final Battle music. Execution. 978-0786965984. One thing I have noticed is that the challenge ratings seem very high for certain encounters. 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. All rights reserved. I tried to give further hints - letting them spot many footsteps around large body sized crates in the dust of the storage room. Death House - this is a hard starting adventure, but one that I found to really set the scene and vibe of the campaign. In keeping with the logical structure of the original campaign, Curse of Strahd also finds countless ways to intertwine the larger themes of the campaign into its side adventures. Creeping Fog is perhaps the easiest lead into Death House if you deposit your player characters near the village of Barovia, but also the least ceremonious. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Doesn't Use Charm. Ashton Duncan started as a Roll20 content conversion contractor with Curse of Strahd five years ago and is now a product manager. So here's our top four tips for DM's running Curse of Strahd! Even if they survive to the final basement battle and reveal, the chase upstairs and the houses own mechanisms may well kill them. If you use this option on at least one-third of Strahds turns in combat, reduce Strahds CR by 1. 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. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. There were four characters + Esmerelda in the party at the end. 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. If you use this option, increase Strahds CR by 2 for each PC with a Wisdom saving throw modifier of +2 or less. So this is kind of filling in middle space between what they would normally do and what we would normally sell". 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. Why are players required to record the moves in World Championship Classical games? This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. The following options refer to the attacks and spells that Strahd might employ using his action on his turn in combat. The random nature of the location of magical items in the module also can make some encounters much harder or easier. As such, he carefully reserves his high-level spell slots, using them only when doing so is sure to create a lasting advantage or opportunity. With Roll20 as your virtual tabletop, your adventures are limitless. While making their way through "Old BoneGrinder", they encountered the hags in the upper two floors. If you use this option, increase Strahds CR by 1. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if employing Cant Use Charm (see above), and increase Strahds CR by 1 if not. 1: Into the Mists Strahd von Zarovich Fortunes of Ravenloft Adventure Hooks Ch. Play games anywhere. and our Use this option if you want to keep the fight short and sweet, with minimal disruptions or slowdowns. Follow her on Twitter @ashtonnduncan for video game deep lore and pictures of her dog. The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. The shadows at the statue, the two ghasts, and the shambling mound stand out as all potentially being fatal encounters. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Is this homebrew variant of Leomund's Tiny Hut a problem? the ending of the death house section completes with two scenarios both leveling your party to level 3. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. I rocked up late to the first session with an unread rulebook and a human bard called Nick Jugger. In Curse of Strahd, who's feeding everyone? At that point it is down to each DM how such an encounter plays out - nothing precludes you from granting strokes of luck, fudging rolls, or throwing in timely ally arrivals when things go south. you really don't need to buff strahd if you have him use the environment to his advantage and make the party tackle the castle to get to him, Strahd isn't actually the end boss of Curse of Strahd, Scan this QR code to download the app now. Strahd uses a spell slot of 3rd level or higher to cast fireball. Use this option if you want to incapacitate an isolated, low-Wisdom PC or NPC for easy transport to the dungeons. Make notes on Strahd's abilities, tactics, and weaknesses. It's important to note, however, that this type of danger is a common feature of sandbox campaigns. ISBN. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged. If youre a new GM preparing to run Curse of Strahd, youll need to know: your players can either start at third level, or they can run through the introductory adventure "Death House." In particular, my party found the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind quite early and it made the Coffinmaker's house encounter fairly trivial. Then, he built a gigantic gothic monstrosity of a castle because of his gigantic (gothic) unresolved mommy issues. [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 []. Vengeful. Authors. Pace it well, let them have a victory or two to avoid too much frustration. If you choose this option, set Strahds default CR to 8 if Strahd expects to retreat upon taking damage he is unable to fully regenerate, and set Strahds CR to 6 if not. However, it is entirely possible to run St. Andral's Orphanage as a stand alone adventure or incorporate it into another campaign. Combat is unlikely to resolve in 6 rounds or fewer, and may take 10 or more. 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. Have you tried checking pg. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if at least one PC can cast dispel magic or if the PCs cannot see Strahd (e.g., because the PCs are avoiding looking at Strahd in order to evade his Charm), and increase Strahds CR by 2 if not. Aarakocra and Flying Players If you choose this option, set Strahds default CR to 9. The following options refer to Strahds use of his phasing lair action, which permits him to temporarily pass through the solid walls, doors, ceilings, and floors of Castle Ravenloft as if they werent there. I'm currently DMing a Curse of Strahd campaign (slightly modified to fit into an existing world I am slowly building (following core rule books for the most part). What happens to Sergei and Ireena after Curse of Strahd? A place to discuss the latest version of Dungeons and Dragons, the fifth edition, known during the playtest as D&D Next. [12], In 2016, Henry Glasheen, for SLUG Magazine, highlighted the legacy of the original Castle Ravenloft and wrote "Curse of Strahd carries on this legacy admirably, diving deeper into the bloody past of Count Strahd. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. These moments of hope help characters push through the dark to the thrill of dawn.. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? The shadows, however, are extremely avoidable and are essentially a consequence of a lack of caution. The events of this module are referenced in the novel Death Masks by Ed Greenwood. 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. Encourage and reward creative problem-solving. For more information, please see our Strahd uses 1 legendary action to strike and grapple a nearby enemy. As such, Dungeon Masters running Curse of Strahd are often encouraged to modify Strahds statblock to increase his offensive and defensive capabilities. By contrast, a party of 10th-level PCs will face a slightly easier encounter, expending fewer resources and facing lower risk. What experiences have you had running Strahds RAW statblock in combat? How could the Awaken spell be cast on highly intelligent plants and beasts? [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. Strahd casts the ray of frost cantrip. Thats good advice - I'v been slowly working through the book to make sure I get all the connections correct. Locations in Barovia include. He then drains them to 0 hit points using his bite attack before stabilizing them. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Minor Phasing. Figure out what your players care about and what leans into the aspects of play they enjoy, and make that narrative happen in the cards. In this scenario, Strahd fights to swiftly neutralize threatening targets, isolate and eliminate weaker enemies, and reduce the partys resources through a lengthy war of attrition, ending only if he is either successfully grappled or somehow incapacitated. Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Much of their threat depends on the party composition and their ability to output magical damage. 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. Fall damage: a creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet fallen to a maximum of 20d6. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. Curse of Strahd is a fairly free-form adventure where the characters are drawn into Barovia and must defeat Strahd to . The ghasts and the mound are tough, but certainly doable if the characters play smart. 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. The Dark Powers are formidable entities that, even restrained in the Amber Temple, still influence the world around them. Fog Cloud. In addition to a softcover adventure book, the boxed set includes the following:[1], Curse of Strahd was written by Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, Richard Whitters, and was published by Wizards of the Coast in 2016. Ray of Frost. 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. Strahd is unaffected by any PC taunts specifically regarding Sergei, King Barov, Queen Ravenovia, or Tatyana. I even pointed out that the cleric in the party felt something deeply disturbing from the room. [18], Julie Muncy, for Io9, criticized the "granular changes" to the Vistani people as not very extensive and that "while theres a real opportunity here to do better workthe aforementioned diversity pledge also mentioned future works that will feature the Vistani people and aim to complicate their depictionsstarting that work with a fancy collectors edition feels less like a promise to do better and more like a victory lap". Sever Shadow. Perhaps if they run into a bad area again I'll pull in some other outside factors to help keep them aware. It is intended for 4 players, taking them from level 1 to 10. 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. 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. They tend to go [] in the hundreds of dollars. View Cover Art Contents Foreword Introduction Running the Adventure Marks of Horror Ch. What player characters dont know is that, like them, Strahd von Zarovich is trapped by the Dark Powers in his Domain of Dread. 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. [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. Preparing to take a character into Curse of Strahd and having them die in the optional introductory adventure may feel like an anticlimax to your players. Strahd uses 1 legendary action to corner a vulnerable foe or escape a dangerous situation. But first, a warning to players: youre now treading through the Mists and into spoiler territorybeware! Curse of Strahd is an adventure module for the 5th-edition of Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2016. [5], In July 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced a new edition of the Curse of Strahd module, entitled Curse of Strahd: Revamped. Session 5 of our Curse of Strahd campaign. The short version is that he was a mortal warlord who murdered an entire valley full of people because of his unresolved daddy issues. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is 9, meaning that a party of 9th-level PCs attuned to the Sunsword and Holy Symbol will likely face a challenging, resource-intensive final encounter. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. We find that more exciting (not that there are not ways to act tactically to adjust deadliness). Ireena Kolyana, who remains the most divisive character in the module for players. Conjure Specter. Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, Richard Whitters. The Vistani at Tser Pool may have warned the party away from there, knowing their destination and based upon what is written on pg. Did the drapes in old theatres actually say "ASBESTOS" on them? 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. He also has three level 4 spell slots and one level 5 spell slot. 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. Forgotten Realms Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. If you expect to successfully use this option to incapacitate a character wielding the Sunsword for at least one minute, increase Strahds CR by 2; if not, use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Bonegrinder - I feel that warnings discouraging the party from entering too early are key to this adventure. "[16], The new boxed set was included on The Mary Sue's 2020 "Gift Guide for the Dungeons & Dragons Fan". 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! [] Every adventure since Curse of Strahd has included one or several queer characters, and Crawford assured Kotaku that this will be a constant into future adventures []. Strahd freely uses his Charm ability when able and the PCs are unaware of or unwilling to employ any means to stop it, limiting them to limited post-Charm curatives (e.g., manacles to restrain charmed PCs or the single-use 5th-level spell dispel evil and good). The answer would certainly be improve by including an explanation of why it's the solution. I should note, although the first encounter seemed easy, the second had them all nearly dead (and frankly, had I been trying to, could have easily killed them all). The second fight, the majority of their spells are not terribly bad, and can be resisted if lucky. 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. Curse of Strahd - Boss Encounter (Spoilers), Scan this QR code to download the app now. Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to fight at full strength while within sunlight (i.e., by inflicting the blinded condition against PCs who refuse to look at him) and increase his survivability against damaging attacks and vision-based spells (e.g., hold monster). Welcome to the orphanage. The adventure is firmly rooted in the horror genre and pits the players against ghosts, werewolves, and the titular vampire himself: Strahd Von Zarovich. Curse of Strahd. 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. Strahd casts fog cloud before entering combat. Strahd casts mirror image before entering combat. The following options refer to the legendary actions that Strahd might employ immediately after a given creatures turn while in combat. Role-playing Games Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for gamemasters and players of tabletop, paper-and-pencil role-playing games. [] 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. What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? This is what I have so far https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5mgM5oI1_wWjMitfseiljKhUGVZJu_dd Please help, Scan this QR code to download the app now, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5mgM5oI1_wWjMitfseiljKhUGVZJu_dd. 28. Hit-and-Run Phasing. 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. In my many times through Curse of Strahd as a marathon, in one night, and as a long campaign, Ive had the most fun running and playing in games with pre-chosen rather than randomized Tarokka readings. Id recommend simultaneously improving Strahds abilities alongside the characters starting at level 7-8, and especially once they have access to magic that generates sunlight. I built a cabin, gain a level. I have been running a campaign using the milestone leveling guide, but as a rule I've been leveling with location in mind. Personally, I find it MUCH easier to do milestone based leveling in custom adventures I write myself than to try to mind-meld with a published adventure series to that deep of a level and try to just guess its intentions toward specific milestones, but maybe that's just me. They haven't yet been to the werewolf cave, the Amber Temple, Ravenloft, or Yester Hill. Have fun storming the castle! For more information, please see our 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. [2] It acts as an adaptation of the original Ravenloft module for the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. As you read this guide, make sure to keep opportunity costs at the forefront of your mind. Unarmed Strike. Mysterious Visitors assumes that your campaign is based in or near Daggerford, a town on the Sword Coast in the Forgotten Realms. +1 for that's how sandbox works - this is teaching a whole new generation of gamers they gotta play smart and recon and not bite off more than they can chew. 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. Dynamic lighting and the Jukebox are your best friends in a horror game. The section I reference also has the minimum average level for players in those areas. You and your players should communicate about the games rules, plots, and content before starting play, but during play you can use tools like Lines and Veils and the Safety Deck available in every Roll20 game to ensure everyones having fun. Lets also assume that his preferred actions include unarmed strike, fireball, sleep, and polymorph (frog); that his preferred legendary actions include unarmed strike and move; that he cannot use charm (+1 CR); that he primarily uses his phasing lair action; that he prefers to isolate characters through imprisonment; that he prepares between consecutive combats by casting fog cloud; and that his responses to provocation are vengeful (-1 CR). Close/Lock Doors and Windows. [19] Muncy highlighted that the errata and the Revamped edition "sought to undo some of the harmful stereotyping of the Vistani people, along with revising the books approach to a specific characters disability to avoid ableist stereotypes. Use this option if you would like to allow your players to turn a difficult fight into an easy one by properly provoking Strahd. Knowing a few of my players had been through it before, I dec. For instance I had the party encounter Strahd for the first time on Old Svalic Road on the way from Barovia village. What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? 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. I never used to be very good at DMing combat, due to disliking it as a player, but I've been DMing CoS for over a year on and off and have focused really hard on improving combat. 2: The Lands of Barovia Lay of the Land Barovians Vistani By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Use this option if you want to transform a one-monster "boss fight" into a sprawling dungeon-crawl that occupies the bulk of one or more sessions, forcing your players into a punishing war of attrition and navigation that ends as soon as the PCs successfully grapple or incapacitate him. Use this option if you want to provide your players with a multi-stage boss fight that artificially inflates Strahd's hit points, providing for a longer, more satisfying finale that ends as soon as the PCs successfully grapple or incapacitate him. Curse Of Strahd mentions the dark powers and vestiges a little in the Amber temple. I'm having the same issue. Curse of Strahd was the first project I worked on as a Roll20 content conversion contractor in 2017 and the first Wizards of the Coast storyline I ever played (my ranger survived Death House in a particularly cutthroat way), so its a sentimental storyline for me. 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. At least one character is capable of casting wall of force to imprison Strahd and does so successfully on the first round of combat. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs. I've seen a lot of people complain that mechanics-wise Strahd just isn't THAT tough of a villain to be proper end-game big bad and I realized that he's not really supposed to be a standalone final villain. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Before "Death House" youll likely want to run one of the initial adventure hooks: Plea For Help, Mysterious Visitors, Werewolves in the Mist, and Creeping Fog. rev2023.5.1.43405. 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. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. 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. 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. So, Strahd has Polymorph. 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 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. Strahd casts greater invisibility before entering combat. 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. I defeated the big story foe in the area, gain a level. It has also been updated to reflect Wizards of the Coasts June 2020 errata. 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. Here is a hint: If you DON'T want your players to investigate something, do not describe it in details. This would be a fine and wholly satisfactory answer if the book gave players ways to level up to those challenges. As it stands, it sure seems to throw a whole lot of level 5+ stuff, right off the bat, with few opportunities, other than random encounters, to actually get characters there. 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 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. [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". But Curse of Strahd also involves plenty of exploration and and social interaction, so Bards, Druids, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues, Purple Dragon Knight Fighters, Samurai Fighters, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and anyone with the Prodigy feat can be huge assets outside of combat too. Note: u/JaeOnasi made a helpful CR calculator based on this guide here. 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. Strahd freely uses his Charm ability when able, but the DM has made clear to the players that they are able to protect themselves by closing their eyes or refusing to look at him, which the players frequently do. I am however following the setup/plot within the actual setting exactly. Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. As with many pre-written adventures for D&D, it was a bit like reading a choose-your-own-adventure book from front to back, rather than following the breadcrumbs.
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