What's a reasonable Green Hag Coven encounter for a party of 3 level 8 PCs? These moments of hope help characters push through the dark to the thrill of dawn.. The Ravenloft Setting and Setting Expectations, Icovered the Tarokka reading in another article. [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. 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. Lets also assume that his preferred legendary actions include unarmed strike and move; that he cannot use charm (+1 CR); that he primarily uses the phasing lair action; that he prefers to isolate characters via defenestration; that he prepares between consecutive combats by using the hide action (+1 CR); and that his responses to provocation are petty. 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. Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? Am I missing something here - or is this the proper sequence? Defenestration. Looking at your instances I see your group was level 3 for Old Bonegrinder which is an average level 4 area. A few things to consider when choosing: Plea for Help requires the player characters presence in a generic old tavern, which is simple enough to manage but doesnt lend itself well to the "Death House" introductory adventure. 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. And it's especially brutal with Strahd because it's his home base and he fights DIRTY. The random nature of the location of magical items in the module also can make some encounters much harder or easier. Curse of Strahd Unravel the mysteries of Ravenloft in this dread adventure for the world's greatest roleplaying game. A place to discuss the latest version of Dungeons and Dragons, the fifth edition, known during the playtest as D&D Next. Use this option if you would like to allow your players to turn a difficult fight into an easy one by properly provoking Strahd. The series of events literally led them straight here after the fortune reading to find an artifact. Only the howling of the wind fills the midnight air. There were four characters + Esmerelda in the party at the end. 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. Should my party have been doing these encounters or should they have run away? 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). It's important to note, however, that this type of danger is a common feature of sandbox campaigns. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. 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. Are there any overpowered race/class combinations for Curse of Strahd? If you choose this option, set Strahds default CR to 9. The coffin maker (at least under my interpretation) is being kept as an unwilling servant/hostage of these vampires. Even with this, however, encounters can and should have the potential to be fatal. She's either a Damsel Scrappy who steals much of the module's focus while lacking a compelling personality to justify protecting her, or she's a likeable character with a good amount of characterization, and someone the players can see as . Authors. Curse of Strahd / YMMV - TV Tropes The square grid maps will help your players navigate Castle Ravenloft on the virtual tabletop. Execution. 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. Tease, taunt, humiliate - Yes. Be warned that, without the Heart of Sorrow, Strahd will likely die within 1-2 rounds due to sunlight and high-damage attacks, and may struggle to meaningfully damage the PCs. I completely agree with @ShadowKras. Strahd casts mirror image before entering combat. This official /r/CurseOfStrahd YouTube channel will be used to store many . If run deficiently, Strahds CR effectively craters to 5; if run optimally, his CR easily surmounts 20. Copy the n-largest files from a certain directory to the current one. This adventure hook leads into the Tarokka deck reading with Madam Eva very well, but not "Death House.". By contrast, a party of 10th-level PCs will likely slaughter Strahd within two rounds. I am however following the setup/plot within the actual setting exactly. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. 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. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. 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. Theres too much intrigue to wing your way through this adventure". I even pointed out that the cleric in the party felt something deeply disturbing from the room. 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. Open/Unlock Doors and Windows. Passing negative parameters to a wolframscript, one or more moons orbitting around a double planet system. 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. After all: their ally or an artifact may be very nearby! You can see more Curse of Strahd resources and commentary by following me on Twitter. 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. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. and our Strahd uses 1 legendary action to corner a vulnerable foe or escape a dangerous situation. 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. 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. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if employing Cant Use Charm (see above), and increase Strahds CR by 1 if not. and our 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. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs. 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. No Phasing. Curse of Strahd - endgame advice - Dungeon Masters Only - D&D Beyond Have you got any ideas for more "bosses" I could add into the campaign? 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. Advanced Phasing. The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. Forgotten Realms Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. 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. For reference, the locations are sorted based on this map by DragnaCarta. Curse of Strahd is a fairly free-form adventure where the characters are drawn into Barovia and must defeat Strahd to . 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. And instead of relying on stereotypes or fixating on their sexuality, these characters fleshed-out backstories make them people, not icons". They did gain two levels after defeating the hags and securing the sword. :). This is the whole point of an XP system: to make that a little easier to deal with. At least one character is capable of casting wall of force to imprison Strahd and does so successfully on the first round of combat. 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). Be forgiving when they run, chase and play with them like a cat would, for the fun of it, but let them escape. For groups that ride the thrill of horror and intrigue, however, this is 100% the book for your party. Final Boss Music For Strahd. rCurseOfStrahd - YouTube Curse of Strahd Revamped review | GamesRadar+ If you use this option, increase Strahds CR by 2 for each PC with a Wisdom saving throw modifier of +2 or less. 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. [] 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. Strahd uses his lair action to open and unlock one or more doors and windows. Bonegrinder - I feel that warnings discouraging the party from entering too early are key to this adventure. Stadh is the perfect cat - after 400 years he is bored. Note that, as this guide uses it, Challenge Rating means The approximate minimum level that the average five-character party must attain in order to defeat Strahd in a challenging, resource-intensive encounter with no character deaths after obtaining the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, the Sunsword, and the Tome of Strahd. Thats good advice - I'v been slowly working through the book to make sure I get all the connections correct. It's not necessary to copy it word-for-word to explain how it solves the problem. 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. So far in my campaign they completed Death House (2 levels), and Old BoneGrinder (1 Level), and found the Sunsword (1 level). Cookie Notice 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. Strahd's face forms the barest hint of a smle as his dark plan unfolds. Id recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. Mastering Strahd von Zarovich: The Ultimate Guide to Running a Fierce D 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. Sleep. However, it is entirely possible to run St. Andral's Orphanage as a stand alone adventure or incorporate it into another campaign. 1. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Guide to Curse of Strahd for New DMs - Roll20 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. Ireena is useful at level 3 but quickly becomes a real liability on the way to Krezk. 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. So here's our top four tips for DM's running Curse of Strahd! Adventurers are mysteriously drawn to the realm of Barovia which is surrounded by deadly fog and ruled by the vampire wizard Strahd von Zarovich. [1] It was released on October 20, 2020. [] Reading through The Curse of Strahd was a thrilling visit to the tortured land of Barovia. With delightfully macabre props and thoughtful changes, Curse of Strahd Revamped is the definitive version of a classic. The daylight spell produces light that is not considered sunlight. The ghasts and the mound are tough, but certainly doable if the characters play smart. I have decided on Barbarian for my upcoming Curse of Strahd game, Im joining at level 3. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. Strahd takes the hide action using his +14 to Stealth (Dexterity) checks. If the DM hasnt read the full adventure, be prepared for a bored party. For instance, my group is on the way to vallaki (a level 5 area) but the group is only level 4. (Note that, if swallowed by the sperm whale, Strahd has protection from sunlight and can escape through the blowhole by changing into mist). He then drains them to 0 hit points using his bite attack before stabilizing them. Curse of Strahd has a specific leveling style all its own. Dont forget cosmetic spell modifications (outlined in chapter 2). Would love to hear some ideas. Move. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. 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. There are many shapeshifters in Barovia, from vampires to hags to werewolves, and each has a rollable token on the Roll20 virtual tabletop. Use this option if you want to make your players, one-by-one, rip up their character sheets in the middle of the session. $41.95 at Amazon $55.99 at Amazon $55.99 Pros + Gorgeous box and DM. Strahd isn't actually the end boss of Curse of Strahd 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. Close/Lock Doors and Windows. Locations in Barovia include. Sever Shadow. It has also been updated to reflect Wizards of the Coasts June 2020 errata. 978-0786965984. 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. 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. [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. By contrast, a party of 10th-level PCs will face a difficult, grueling encounter that risks draining their resources dry and killing at least two characters. In Curse of Strahd, as part of the Tarokka card reading, the party are told the locations of three "treasures"; the Sunsword, the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, and the Tome of Strahd.. It should also be noted - I gave them as much warning as possible prior to the encounters, noting the ominous feelings, and a number of other things to give them every chance. The r/CurseOfStrahd subreddit is a community-based resource aimed to help Dungeon Masters run their Curse of Strahd games. He also has three level 4 spell slots and one level 5 spell slot. Sometimes massively so. [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. This was the RECOMMENDED area for players to start if they're level 1, also. 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. She writes and edits D&D 5e and independent TTRPG adventures, rulebooks, and supplements in her free time. 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 material components in her summoning spell are an oat milk latte and a high fantasy novel. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. In Vallaki, the party has the opportunity to run into a nest of vampire spawn whilst investigating a coffin maker's shop. The adventure is firmly rooted in the horror genre and pits the players against ghosts, werewolves, and the titular vampire himself: Strahd Von Zarovich. Pace it well, let them have a victory or two to avoid too much frustration. 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 constantly moves between multiple rooms in the same vicinity, always reserving one hard-to-reach space such as K18a (High Tower Shaft) as a safe place to regenerate his health to full and re-cast his spells before returning to the fray. Strahd uses his Bite attack while he has a PC grappled. 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. 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 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. For instance I had the party encounter Strahd for the first time on Old Svalic Road on the way from Barovia village. Just in case someone or something tries to push them down the stairs. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. 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. If you use this option on at least one-third of rounds in combat, reduce Strahds CR by 2. Minor Phasing. Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot? Which was the first Sci-Fi story to predict obnoxious "robo calls"? Far below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. rev2023.5.1.43405. Curse of Strahd has a specific leveling style all its own. "[16], The new boxed set was included on The Mary Sue's 2020 "Gift Guide for the Dungeons & Dragons Fan". 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. Now, Strahd has become convinced that a young Barovian woman is the reincarnation of his beloved Tatyana and wishes to make her his bride. 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. Strahd uses his lair action to summon a specter, which attacks a single PC and then vanishes. The more details or "clues" you hand out, the more they want to know what is happening. Much of their threat depends on the party composition and their ability to output magical damage. Use this option if you would like to provide value to the Tome of Strahd and permit your PCs to win a moral and psychological victory over Strahd. Strahd brings a grappled or incapacitated character to the dungeons, knocks them unconscious, and restrains and imprisons them within a cell after confiscating their weapons and other equipment. Since his original showing in 1983 in the original Ravenloft, Strahd has instilled joy and fear in many. 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. [13], Rory Bristol, for GeekDad, wrote "Fair warning: the book features a lot of death, blood, and general horror. Make notes on Strahd's abilities, tactics, and weaknesses. Descriptions and events can be too much for young kids, so beware running this campaign with little ones. I am creating classic rock playlists for music in curse of strahd and I need some help with Strahds Final Battle music. As a module, Curse of Strahd does a pretty good job of keeping the pressure on with very little work from the DM. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged. 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. Fog Cloud. Freely Uses Charm. 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. 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. Its worth considering leveling up Strahds Enemy (the partys ally from the Tarokka reading) and any NPC tagalongs alongside the characters. Otherwise, use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Werewolves in the Mist is excellent for player characters built for Adventurers League and for uniting characters with disparate faction allegiances. 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." Wrathful. As you read this guide, make sure to keep opportunity costs at the forefront of your mind. Perhaps if they run into a bad area again I'll pull in some other outside factors to help keep them aware. [6] This module is the first released with the publisher's new focus on diversity and inclusion. [] 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. Best Race/Class to play Curse of Strahd!! - D&D Beyond Play games anywhere. 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. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. 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. The module contains everything you need to run Curse of Strahd. I am creating classic rock playlists for music in curse of strahd and I need some help with Strahds Final Battle music. 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. With only a few quick copy/pastes, your adventurers can get stomped into the muddy waters of the Ruins of Berez! This module was designed to be inserted into the main Curse of Strahd campaign, in the centralized town of Vallaki. Instead, they separated, two distracted the coffin maker, whilst the remainder broke into his house. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A D&D party could even explore the inner workings of a warforged colossus early in their career before battling it's awoken form at the campaign climax. 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. Use this option if you want to slowly (i.e., over 10 rounds or more) create a small army of shadows that can eventually one-turn kill an isolated, low-Strength PCor a PC that has been polymorphed into a frogoutside of sunlight using their strength drain attack. 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. 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. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. I'm looking for more ideas for bosses or minibosses to sprinkle through Barovia. I'm having the same issue. Strahd is unaffected by any PC taunts specifically regarding Sergei, King Barov, Queen Ravenovia, or Tatyana unless the PC succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check (made with advantage if the PC has read the Tome of Strahd), in which case Strahd prioritizes that PCs injury or death above other competing targets. [] Punctuate your horror tales with moments of relief, comedy, and fortuitous consequences. 4. Dancing With The Wolves (Combat Theme) - Curse Of Strahd Soundtrack That means by right-clicking you can change the appearance of that characters token. There are four possible adventure hooks designed to draw your players into the mists. I defeated the big story foe in the area, gain a level. 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). Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 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. Combined with the magic items that are vicious vs vampires, Strahd as written was severely overmatched.