Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. D&D: How To Terrify Your Players In Curse Of Strahd - The Gamer Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? Advanced Phasing. The square grid maps will help your players navigate Castle Ravenloft on the virtual tabletop. Lets assume that Strahd uses the Minor Phasing strategy, setting his default CR to 9. Ray of Frost. 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). By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. Each option is accompanied by a brief description, a proposed justification for its use, and its prospective impact on Strahds challenge rating. Strahd pulls a grappled or incapacitated character to an open window and pushes them out, letting them fall down to the castle courtyard below. The module contains everything you need to run Curse of Strahd. Strahd casts fog cloud before entering combat. Castle Ravenloft is frankly a BRUTAL dungeon, especially if you make your players go into it mostly blind (which I do) and don't allow them to rest. For more information, please see our 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. Petty. Open/Unlock Doors and Windows. It is intended for 4 players, taking them from level 1 to 10. It was a rocky start but I had a blast and now, the better part of a decade later, I play, write, and write about tabletop RPGs (mostly5e, but also PBtA, Forged in the Dark and OSR) games for a living, which iswild. Additionally, the raven should be extremely vocal in trying to ward off the players. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Doesn't Use Charm. 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. It influences Strahd. - Role-playing Games Stack Exchange Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Curse of Strahd - Boss Encounter (Spoilers) So, Strahd has Polymorph. 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. 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. By using a legendary action to make an unarmed strike instead of moving, for example, Strahd may gain additional damage or a grapple effect against a target, but he is simultaneously sacrificing additional mobility, survivability, and tactical advantage. What happens to Sergei and Ireena after Curse of Strahd? With delightfully macabre props and thoughtful changes, Curse of Strahd Revamped is the definitive version of a classic. However, it is entirely possible to run St. Andral's Orphanage as a stand alone adventure or incorporate it into another campaign. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. Which ability is most related to insanity: Wisdom, Charisma, Constitution, or Intelligence? Privacy Policy. 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. Ashton Duncan started as a Roll20 content conversion contractor with Curse of Strahd five years ago and is now a product manager. She writes and edits D&D 5e and independent TTRPG adventures, rulebooks, and supplements in her free time. There are four possible adventure hooks designed to draw your players into the mists. 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. Not to mention Strahd's summons, legendary actions, etc. No Phasing. Like so many RPG video game sandboxes, the mists surrounding Barovia act as a warning: leaving the playable area that limits the narrative of the game, but they are especially unique in one regard: they act as both barrier and catalyst for adventure. The adventure is firmly rooted in the horror genre and pits the players against ghosts, werewolves, and the titular vampire himself: Strahd Von Zarovich. For Dungeon Masters, Curse of Strahd is a wide-open expanse, full of possibilities and different stories to tell. The short version is that he was a mortal warlord who murdered an entire valley full of people because of his unresolved daddy issues. Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot? 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. 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. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. This official /r/CurseOfStrahd YouTube channel will be used to store many . Horizontal and vertical centering in xltabular. Descriptions and events can be too much for young kids, so beware running this campaign with little ones. Share them with anyone. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. 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 . (Note that, if swallowed by the sperm whale, Strahd has protection from sunlight and can escape through the blowhole by changing into mist). Bonegrinder - I feel that warnings discouraging the party from entering too early are key to this adventure. So this is kind of filling in middle space between what they would normally do and what we would normally sell". 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. 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. rCurseOfStrahd - YouTube 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. 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. On top of that, this is a horror campaign - it is not unreasonable that if the characters poke around the dark corners of Barovia whilst uninformed of what lies within, they may end up angering something much more powerful than themselves. Curse of Strahd is a 257-page adventure for D&D 5e that transports players into a horrifying pocket dimension called Barovia. Note: u/JaeOnasi made a helpful CR calculator based on this guide here. Why the obscure but specific description of Jane Doe II in the original complaint for Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity? Use this option if you want to preserve player agency and allow your players to fight at full strength without making tradeoffs or difficult decisions. If you choose this option, set Strahds default CR to 9. and our $41.95 at Amazon $55.99 at Amazon $55.99 Pros + Gorgeous box and DM. This scenario most closely resembles that run by novice DMs encountering Strahds statblock for the first time. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. First published. For instance I had the party encounter Strahd for the first time on Old Svalic Road on the way from Barovia village. Want to support my work and get cool perks like personal campaign advice, mentoring, DMing resources, homebrew TTRPG encounters, & early access to guides? The following options refer to Strahds preferred means of preparation before entering combat. 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. The result was a torrent of ideas for new locations, characters and encounters". 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. 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. Curse of Strahd | Ravenloft Wiki | Fandom 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. 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. Curse of Strahd DnD 5e Summary and DM's Quickstart Guide Have you got any ideas for more "bosses" I could add into the campaign? I think you need to add monsters if you aren't using milestones to ensure the PC's are of sufficient level to enter that area. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for D&D 5e that is heavily inspired by gothic and pulp horror. Polymorph (Sperm Whale or Killer Whale). It was released on March 15, 2016 and is based on the Ravenloft module . Curse of Strahd - Adventure Lookup 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. 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. Dancing With The Wolves (Combat Theme) - Curse Of Strahd Soundtrack by Travis Savoie RPG Music Maker - Travis Savoie 24.7K subscribers Subscribe 1.8K 180K views 2 years ago Perfect for. [6] This module is the first released with the publisher's new focus on diversity and inclusion. They were a party of four level 2's at this point - fighting a CR5 monster, Shambling Mound). Curse of 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. Mysterious Visitors assumes that your campaign is based in or near Daggerford, a town on the Sword Coast in the Forgotten Realms. Unarmed Strike. Of course, a highly strategic or well-equipped party will likely face a somewhat easier encounter, while a novice or ill-prepared party will face a correspondingly harder encounter. Virtual Tabletop Journey all Demongund patrons presents the iconic Curse of Strahd - Baba Lysaga's Walking Hut recreated for use in TaleSpire! Looking at your instances I see your group was level 3 for Old Bonegrinder which is an average level 4 area. [] While modifications do fix things like the stereotyping of the Vistani people as 'uncivilized' and heavy drinkers, the module still gives the Vistani abilities to curse and hypnotize players or cast spells like Evil Eye, which, along with unrevised art that heavily conjures stereotyped imagery of the Romani, leans into tropes that suggest the Romani have mystical, dangerous powers, tropes that have been used in the past to target Romani for persecution". And instead of relying on stereotypes or fixating on their sexuality, these characters fleshed-out backstories make them people, not icons". Even if my 4 party members get to level 10 before they face him, 4 CR 8 T-rexes and a CR 15 Strahd is a hard fight. This is the whole point of an XP system: to make that a little easier to deal with. 2: The Lands of Barovia Lay of the Land Barovians Vistani 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. Although the ZIP files are now outdated (I have released . [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". A warforged colossus is designed to carry wizards and soldiers within its body, so they can function as final dungeon and final boss all wrapped up in one. [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. Curse Of Strahd mentions the dark powers and vestiges a little in the Amber temple. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. [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". "Dungeons & Dragons: Curse of Strahd Revamped Announced for October Release", "Curse of Strahd - RPGnet d20 RPG Game Index", "D&D's Ravenloft returns with the help of its original creators", "Curse Of Strahd Interview With Chris Perkins", "Curse of Strahd Revamped | Dungeons & Dragons", "One of Dungeons & Dragons' best campaigns is getting two extravagant new reprints", "Popular D&D tabletop campaign Curse of Strahd is being re-'vamped', "Exclusive: First Look at D&D's 'Curse of Strahd Revamped' Collector's Edition", "This Week's Bestsellers: March 28, 2016", "Best-selling Books List | Back issue 03/28/16", "Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Curse of Strahd", "Feel the Horror in 'The Curse of Strahd', "Dungeons & Dragons Promises To Make Its Adventures More Queer", "Dungeons, Dragons, and Vampires: Curse of Strahd Black Gate", "The Mary Sue Gift Guide for the Dungeons & Dragons Fan", "Dungeons & Dragons Returns to Ravenloft With Curse of Strahd Revamped", "D&D's Culturally Sensitive Strahd Revamp Is Here, But It'll Cost You [Updated]", Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods, and Heroes, Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff, Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells, Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Curse_of_Strahd&oldid=1146122728, Role-playing game supplements introduced in 2016, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, The Creatures of Horror book, describing new monsters, A double-sided poster-sized map of Barovia and Castle Ravenloft, 12 postcards themed around locations in the adventure, This page was last edited on 22 March 2023, at 22:10. 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. 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. Move. Are there any overpowered race/class combinations for Curse of Strahd? What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? I rocked up late to the first session with an unread rulebook and a human bard called Nick Jugger. 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). What experiences have you had running Strahds RAW statblock in combat? Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Perhaps if they run into a bad area again I'll pull in some other outside factors to help keep them aware. My L4 party is doing Death House, and I do not have to scale original stuff meant for L1-3 much. 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. Tabletop Audio has Barovian Castle, Vampires Castle, and Barovian Village available for free through the Roll20 Jukebox. They survived by sheer luck since I rolled poorly on attack rolls. Session 5 of our Curse of Strahd campaign. 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). How could the Awaken spell be cast on highly intelligent plants and beasts? [] Reading through The Curse of Strahd was a thrilling visit to the tortured land of Barovia. 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. He also has three level 4 spell slots and one level 5 spell slot. 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. Stoic. 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. Just in case someone or something tries to push them down the stairs. Fireball. As a module, Curse of Strahd does a pretty good job of keeping the pressure on with very little work from the DM. I even pointed out that the cleric in the party felt something deeply disturbing from the room. I picked Barbarian because I wanted to be the tank for the group. A place to discuss the latest version of Dungeons and Dragons, the fifth edition, known during the playtest as D&D Next. So far in my campaign they completed Death House (2 levels), and Old BoneGrinder (1 Level), and found the Sunsword (1 level). Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to attack without disadvantage in sunlight, force the PCs to attack with disadvantage, prevent PC spellcasters from casting spells that require sight, and observe the PCs' conduct and location without revealing himself. Was Aristarchus the first to propose heliocentrism? +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. They tend to go [] in the hundreds of dollars. The events of this module are referenced in the novel Death Masks by Ed Greenwood. As you read this guide, make sure to keep opportunity costs at the forefront of your mind. The shadows at the statue, the two ghasts, and the shambling mound stand out as all potentially being fatal encounters. 4. Dancing With The Wolves (Combat Theme) - Curse Of Strahd Soundtrack The following options refer to the attacks and spells that Strahd might employ using his action on his turn in combat. 978-0786965984. Curse of Strahd / YMMV - TV Tropes The Dark Lord of Barovia, the master of Ravenloft, the first Vampyre Count Strahd Von Zarovich is a contender for the title of D&Ds most iconic villain of all time, right alongside the Vecna, Acererak, Xanathar the mad beholder crime boss, and Halaster Blackcloak. [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. Is there such a thing as "right to be heard" by the authorities? If a PC taunts Strahd specifically regarding Sergei, King Barov, Queen Ravenovia, or Tatyana, Strahd prioritizes that PCs injury or death above over competing targets and refuses to leave that PCs vicinity until he has knocked that PC unconscious, either by attacking them outright or by isolating them from the party (see Methods of Isolation above). With only a few quick copy/pastes, your adventurers can get stomped into the muddy waters of the Ruins of Berez! Curse of Strahd transforms Dungeons & Dragons 5e from sword-and-sorcery fantasy to a nightmarish realm of gothic horror where the master of Ravenloft awaits atop his castle as lightning flashes across the sky with blood dripping from his fangs. Since his original showing in 1983 in the original Ravenloft, Strahd has instilled joy and fear in many. It has also been updated to reflect Wizards of the Coasts June 2020 errata. [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. Much of their threat depends on the party composition and their ability to output magical damage. If possible, Strahd never begins or ends his turn within 60 feet of the wielder of the Sunsword. Imprisonment. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Otherwise, use of this option does not change Strahds CR. [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. Final Boss Music For Strahd : r/CurseofStrahd - Reddit Curse of Strahd Revamped review | GamesRadar+ 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. DnD 5e Curse of Strahd: What DMs Should Know - CBR 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. 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. Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. As such, Dungeon Masters running Curse of Strahd are often encouraged to modify Strahds statblock to increase his offensive and defensive capabilities. [5], In July 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced a new edition of the Curse of Strahd module, entitled Curse of Strahd: Revamped. [7], Chris Perkins, Dungeon & Dragons Principal Narrative Designer, in an interview with IGN said, "We don't do a tremendous number of box sets. Stadh is the perfect cat - after 400 years he is bored. Role-playing Games Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for gamemasters and players of tabletop, paper-and-pencil role-playing games. Leave them in the comments below! 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. 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. Their image didn't match the Bela Legosi [sic] vampire quite so much. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is either 17 or 21. Strahd uses his Bite attack while he has a PC grappled. St. Andral's Orphanage - Dungeon Masters Guild I built a cabin, gain a level. The material components in her summoning spell are an oat milk latte and a high fantasy novel. Here is the final theme of the CoS soundtrack ! 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. The series of events literally led them straight here after the fortune reading to find an artifact. 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. Curse of Strahd runs to level 10, but if you level your characters every time the texts suggest you do (typically at the end of a chapter), theyll be massively overleveled for the titular villain and climactic end of adventure fight. Pace it well, let them have a victory or two to avoid too much frustration. and our 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. What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? The wind's howling increases as he turns his gaze down toward the village of Barovia. Passing negative parameters to a wolframscript, one or more moons orbitting around a double planet system. Use this option if you want to run an unsatisfying, torturous fight. Strahd is probably one of the most iconic villains in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. If youre a new dungeon master thinking about running one of D&D 5es most enduringly popular adventures, this guide should point you in all the right directions. I know that Zealot's radiant damage would be useful . Curse of Strahd has a specific leveling style all its own. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if you are employing Cant Use Charm (see above) and not employing Hide Action (see below), and increase Strahds CR by 1 if not. [10][11] The book was generally well received, earning the 2016 ENnie Awards for Best Adventure and Best Art/Cover and runner up for Product of the Year. Final Boss Music For Strahd. I completely agree with @ShadowKras. 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. Bite. 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 . Would love to hear some ideas. Unfortunately the party didn't take the hint. [] Punctuate your horror tales with moments of relief, comedy, and fortuitous consequences. 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.
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