D&D 5E Enhancing "Curse of Strahd" (and DDAL adventures)

[Daern]

I like it. It definitely makes Vallaki more interesting, and the potential of awakening hope in the abbot becomes a huge thing. Redeeming the Silver Dragon becomes huge as well.
Maybe Lysaga has stolen the Wine Gems because she thinks alcohol is depressing people.
To do this, the Tarroka reading must definitely include some prophetic stuff about lost hope.
Also, it would probably be good to include some sort of brief "parting of the clouds for a moment of sunlight" scene each time the players accomplish some major goal that brings hope back to the realm.

 

[Gradine]

Also, it would probably be good to include some sort of brief "parting of the clouds for a moment of sunlight" scene each time the players accomplish some major goal that brings hope back to the realm.

I really like that; like it's a symbol of the land itself resisting the Dark Powers and trying to pull itself out of the Demiplane of Dread. I'm surprised I didn't think of it myself; the Silver Dragon's beacon was one my main inspirations for this change. Other significant changes should also include a large-scale physical manifestation; something to signal to the players that they're on the right track.

 

[timbannock]

I wrote a thing for DMsGuild as well, and it had a section on changing up different plot points. The salient point being that I too felt like "restore hope" should've been a bigger deal, and also perhaps Sergei's role maybe being a bit more obvious (assuming the PCs do their homework at least). But yeah, that third gem in the Wizard of Wines winery was a big key, and considering how the wines are referred to as one of the "last escapes" or "hopes" of the Barovians (until the winery goes dark and the dream pastries show up), it feels right making a bigger deal of that.

The part from my DMsGuild release that addresses this:

"The Lost Gem

The first missing gem from the Wizard of Wines Winery was stolen ten years ago and its fate remains unknown. Meanwhile, wine is pretty much the only thing Barovians look forward to -- other than Morgantha's dream pastries, which are made from crushed up children, so that's not really a positive thing -- and it's in short supply. As it stands, no matter what the players do to save the Wizard of Wines Winery, the truth is that the business is doomed and Barovia loses all hope of ever tasting wine again. While perhaps that is fitting in a cosmic horror campaign, Ravenloft is grounded in gothic horror...and what's a more iconic gothic horror drink than wine?! (Nothing, that's what.)

In the spirit of vintners and folks who enjoy their complex tannins and fruity-oaky tastes, here are some options for placing the gem somewhere that not only give the players the chance to recover the gem and thus revive the wine business (perhaps running it themselves as a fun downtime activity), but also provides a few more ties between different locations in Barovia."

My thoughts were not only that finding the gem and restoring the winery could be a big deal, but there's already a few spots where that gem fits:

1. Death House: since the other gems tend to animate stuff (Wintersplinter, Baba Lysaga's hut), why not have that be the driving force that gives "life" to Death House? Maybe it's a slightly easier win-condition for that Shambling Mound fight in the basement (which is, after all, a Challenge 5 against Level 2 characters, which is just vicious).

2. Tsolenka Pass: this area is boring for the most part. Why not have the gem animate rubble on the bridge or near the forts (or both) and have that work as creatures that attack the party (I think the equivalent of Clay Golems would be balanced for the area)?

3. Have the Heart of Sorrow be the third gem, but with some rituals Strahd cast upon it. If the party can deactivate it, they can thus weaken Strahd a bit, too, for the final fight, which is nicely thematic.

4. Just place it as an additional (or replacement) artifact to the ones that are drawn for in the Fortunes of Ravenloft. Based on where it shows up, add some backstory, and make it a side quest given by the Keepers of the Feather.

 

[MrHotter]

Has anyone done anything interesting with the Vampire Spawn? The first spawn the group can encounter has a personality and ties to the town.

In some of the other vampire spawn encounters they are just mentioned as 'former adventurers'. I would think that is a great thing to expand on. What do they look like, who were they, and what led to their downfall? I don't like the 'you see vampire spawn, and they attack!' way some of the encounters are written. I'm going to give the vampire spawn personalities and goals even if they are doing the bidding of their master. Even the vampire spawn brides don't seem to have anything written for them besides a combat encounter. I'd like to make them show up a few times in the adventure.

If one of my players has a goal to find a former mentor or ally that was lost in Barovia, he/she may be a vampire spawn.

 

[evilbob]

Has anyone done anything interesting with the Vampire Spawn?

In some of the other vampire spawn encounters they are just mentioned as 'former adventurers'. I would think that is a great thing to expand on.

Even the vampire spawn brides don't seem to have anything written for them besides a combat encounter. I'd like to make them show up a few times in the adventure.

I thought that one group would be identical to the PCs in many ways - wearing the same sorts of armor, seemingly similar classes, etc. Basically like several of the other places in the game where the PCs see themselves dead in some way.

In the 3.5 game, Sasha (one of the brides) was a pretty major character. She was one of the random encounters (technically one of the spies) and she was a full vampire who brought two spawn with her. You can find her diary and find out more about her; she was a Burgomaster 40 years ago and basically fell in love with Strahd and managed to keep him "dormant" for 4 or 5 years after becoming his "bride" (bringing a brief period of hope to the people of Barovia). Unfortunately Strahd told her he could never love her (since he was in love with another) and then kept her around as a consort just to torment her. At this point she despises him, and openly tells the PCs his weaknesses and how best to kill him. (Although she is forced to fight the PCs, it's mentioned she'd rather die than win.)

 

[MerricB]

My latest play report/DM tips is up: Running Curse part 2: Vallaki and The Wizard of Wines Winery

Cheers!

 

[5Shilling]

Hello, new member here joining to discuss CoS. I've been enjoying this and other threads a great deal, and they helped me clarify the tweaks I'm going to make for running the campaign. Probably not as much as some people here:

1. I expect to use a hook based on ‘Plea for Help’ just so the party get both versions of the letter. I will probably ask all players to roll up two characters each, and make it very clear to them that this is because of the deadly nature of the campaign. I might even assume that all the PCs are in fact present at the start, with players able to swap between their two. ‘Inactive’ PCs are assumed to be waiting in the nearest inn, or if travelling then they are an hour behind on the road following with mules or a wagon, guarding NPCs etc.

2. I'm going to move Death House so that it sits just outside of Barovia Town to the East (which I might rename Barov Town because my players are easily confused) on the Old Svalich Road. This should mean that the party come to the house just before they enter Barov Town proper. With the appeal from the two children I very much doubt the party will just pass on by. I am concerned about lethality but not certain yet whether I will replace the shambling mound (maybe with a shadow demon or black pudding) or just introduce some hazard, weapon or scroll etc that the PCs can use to gain an advantage over it. If I do stick with the shambling mound (eww) then I will probably re-skin it as a mound of decomposing bodies. I also like the idea of giving more clues to the identity of the ghasts. Also I underlined the point in the adventure notes that the PCs can sacrifice any creature, not just another PC. They could kill a rat and it would still satisfy the ritual.

3. I will most likely replace the Night hags with green hags. Not only are the night hags ridiculous for supposedly level 4 area but I think green hags better fit the gothic theme better. Having said that I do think this area is designed to force the players into finding a non-combat solution (maybe trying to offer a trade for the children), so the hags will not go down easily. What they will do is try to forcefully eject and humiliate the PCs using hold person etc rather than kill them (at least until the PCs are higher level). The party try to kill them and don’t retreat they will most likely find themselves regaining movement in a ditch beside the Old Svalich road, the cruel laughter of the hags fading into the night…

4. I will probably downplay the Amber Temple, but keep it there if the party wants an “encore”. Personally I interpret the vestiges as being “middle men” for communicating with the Dark Powers, rather than being the Dark Powers themselves.
(Oh point here – to me the Amber temple seems to be heavily inspired by The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le’Guin – an incredibly atmospheric fantasy novel that I cannot recommend highly enough, and could be very useful for running the temple).

5. Encounters with Strahd will most likely be RP-based unless players are foolish enough to attack him. Eg Strahd turns out to be standing beside them at a shop, in the street, or sitting next to them at an inn. He proceeds to have a friendly chat with them with casual threats thrown in as non-sequiturs. As he leaves he says “oh and my friends want a chat with you too” – cue wolf attack.

6. Barovian souls are 1 in 4. The existence of the soulless is not a creation of Strahd but due to the spiritual amputation of Barovia – dead souls can’t get out, but neither can new souls get in. The existence of the soulless should be a major horrific revelation. I will be making the husks quite creepy, along the lines of the ‘Innsmouth Look’.

7. I like Baba Lysanga and will probably give her a lot more to do. Maybe correspondence with the hags and witches.

8. Mongrelfolk will be merely be deformed so that body parts resemble the animal parts, rather than actually having animal limbs (eg rather than having the foot of a duck, the foot is deformed so it is three toed and webbed). I find the “animal parts” to be a bit goofy and think the deformations are more horrific and believable.
As for the Abbott – Strahd is so damned that he is completely invisible to the Abbott. The Abbott knows that Strahd exists from talking to the Barovians but cannot perceive him in person (might be a great opportunity for Strahd to turn up while the party are talking to The Abbott.). This really scares the Abbott.

9. The werewolves will be stealing teenagers (youths of about 13 years old) rather than children. Two reasons for this:
a) too many dead and kidnapped children gets repetitive (I have no problem with the horror aspect, just pacing) and
b) the werewolf transformation is a really great metaphor for adolescence (see the excellent film The Company of Wolves, also Ginger Snaps and early versions of Red Riding Hood). Opportunity here for one of the youths wanting to stay a werewolf as part of discovering adulthood.

10. I don’t think any party is likely to ever discover Madam Eva’s backstory, but in any case I am making her a non-immortal, but very old and wise Vistani who is unhappy with the gradual corruption of her people and who genuinely wants to help the party destroy Strahd (but won’t take direct action for fear of his wrath). I am happy with the random nature of the card reading as written (I think it’s a pretty integral part of the feel of the module). I’ll probably use playing cards, although I’m tempted to get some blanks and design my own Tarokka in the style of the Aquarian Tarot.

11. Argynvostholdt – I will try to work I opportunities to avoid or at least delay battle with the revenants, continuing to support Ravenloft as an “R-P first, combat second” campaign.

12. The Heart of Sorrow seems like the best candidate for the champaign wine stone. Oh, and I will be changing the stupid names of the wines to something closer to real Romanian wines (there are wines that translate as “grandmother’s black” and “maiden’s black” for pete’s sake!)

13. I think Rahadin is far too similar to Strahd himself in lots of ways, so I think I will make him horribly scarred (actually even as I write this I’ve had the thought of making him bald and scarred by fire – the party may well mistake him for a Count Orlock style vampire!)
I will not be using any of the optional re-uniting of Sergei and Tatyana. Whilst I am happy with Ireena being a reincarnation, Sergei is lost forever – no cheesy happy endings here!

I will no doubt make other tweaks, as it will still take a few weeks before I can get the campaign started.

 

[Daern]

I've had Death House be at the edge of Barovia in my game. After the heroes escape the place, they will be lured in through the gates.

 

[Bigsta]

Last year the first major 5e campaign I ran was the Grand Conjunction series of Ravenloft adventures. I'm having CoS take place 6 years later. Basically, after the Grand Conjunction fell apart Strahd became depressed and slept for 4 years. During that time Barovia prospered in its trade with the other lands of the Core and the people were happy, thinking Strahd to be one of the Darklords to have disappeared during the Great Upheaval.

Upon waking, Strahd sent his agents to track down the four PCs that destroyed his hope of escape and to lure them into Barovia. A year later, after luring in the three (actually 1.75, long story) former PCs that could be trapped in the domaine, Strahd permanently sealed the borders, and the borders will continue to remain sealed until either the new PCs help Strahd get revenge on their old PCs, or Strahd is (temporarily) defeated.

Currently, the former Wizard PC is playing the part of the mad wizard in my campaign and is in the mountains, while the former female wood elf turned drow/shadow elf due to two failed powers checks is hiding among the dusk elves.

 

[Daern]

Death House was escaped in my home game the other night. I had switched out the Mound for a high HP Gibbering Mouther, but the players kept making their Wisdom saves and it wasn't much of a threat. Much worse was when the house started doing 2d10 everytime they went through a doorway! Eventually they smashed through a bricked up wall in the Wolf Room/Man Cave and escaped while being chewed on by rats. The highlight of the evening was when the Wizard held back as his companions fled up the secret stairway. He was tempted by the orb held in the hand of the Strahd statue (they had grabbed it then thrown it away the previous session when the Shadows chased them away screaming). The temptation was too much. He grabbed the orb and ran. Shadows sucked his strength, but he made his save to dodge the blades and made it out with a handful of hp.
Anyways, the group then saw the Death House on the Hill collapse and a gate in the distance, so they wandered down to Barovia, finding Burger Letter 2 along the way. I'm looking forward to FINALLY making the Tarroka reading!