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Enhancing "Curse of Strahd" (and DDAL adventures)
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<blockquote data-quote="evilbob" data-source="post: 6880550" data-attributes="member: 9789"><p>I can share some of the ways I've changed CoS for our group as well. Most of these are based on suggestions throughout the various linked threads, or other ideas mentioned here and there.</p><p></p><p>1. Amber Temple. Gone. Serves no purpose, it's a long dungeon right before the long dungeon, it's confusing story-wise, and it's deadly as sin. (I also don't like how it tries to explain Strahd's curse in a more mundane way.) Similarly Tsolenka Pass is pointless (even moreso without the Temple) and cut. Neither of these things fit the adventure and seem like someone wanted to include their cool home-brew dungeon idea but instead they were writing CoS. I might keep the goat thing if they bother to go to the mountains for some reason, though. (Or just stick it somewhere else.)</p><p></p><p>2. Dusk Elves. Gone. As others have said, the more "high fantasy" you make CoS, the more it loses its gothic horror flavor. The Patrina Velikovna subplot doesn't make sense without the Temple anyway. You can keep Rahadin if you want but honestly he's a pointless character as well, and mostly just a really hard battle in the middle of a really hard dungeon. If your group loves fighting then keep him, otherwise just pretend they had one extra long rest and that's that.</p><p></p><p>3. NPC changes. Ireena doesn't look like Tatyana (see earlier in this thread). Madame Eva is not Strahd's sister but an old Vistani woman who inherited the "sight" and is tied to Strahd's ability to influence Barovia (another thread). The Abbot's purpose and defeat are redone (this thread).</p><p></p><p>4. Winery Gem. The late burgomaster of Barovia actually stole the 3rd wine gem 10 years ago. Although he's since used it to nourish his own garden, he originally took it because the third type of wine (champagne du le stomp) was TOO good, and quite addictive - the people of Barovia were using it to dull their senses, which some Vistani were taking advantage of to rob them. Both to deal a blow to the evil Vistani and to help keep his citizens focused on the evil at hand, he took the gem and buried it near his house. He took it when he was going to the other villages to try to get them to unite against Strahd - which obviously didn't work at all - but it also explains why his kids know the surrounding lands fairly well (he took them along).</p><p></p><p>5. No dead children. See the entire thread about this, but I'm using all the changes: Death House, hags, werewolves, and all the other kids are aged up (like the one in the lake and the Kzrek boy who recently died).</p><p></p><p>6. Hags. They're green hags but they also have connections to the other witches in the area (specifically Baba Lysaga and the ones in the castle, which they've watched via their eye) and are willing to trade information for interesting trinkets from Death House or captured spellbooks. (Baba Lysaga originally granted them permission to use Barovia as their base - being the ranking "witch"-like thing in the area - in exchange for information about the castle, which she so desperately craves.) They will even trade their current prisoners for the "hag's finger" (which is the leader's finger, in fact) which is an "out" for a hopelessly outmatched party.</p><p></p><p>7. Vistani intro. The characters all have their own personal motivations to go to Barovia but just to shake things up I did the Vistani intro and skipped all the letters and false letters (it was confusing last time anyway). But I wanted the Vistani to leave when they got to the town and not actually take them to Madame Eva first so they could still do Death House and all. So, I had the Vistani take them into the land and just outside the village, and at this point their guide told them that the fastest way to madame eva is to go through the town and take a right at the next fork, but they prefer to go around the town as the villagers are not always welcoming to Vistani:</p><p>As they start to pull the wagons off the road, the rear wagon's front wheel hits a bump and falls off, throwing the guide's son off the wagon, turning the wagon over, and spilling the contents everywhere. Unfortunately, he was thrown under the horses and they panicked - he is very injured, coughing blood, and looks to have many internal injuries. If the party heals him, the old man will be extremely grateful, and offer her some advice: "You have given me a great service, and though i may never repay it, let me give you some information that may save your life. Not all our people are of the same mind as me. Some do not see our noble prince's condition as a curse, but rather as proof of his divine right to rule. Be wary, for though I wish to see his curse lifted, others may not find that goal to their liking. But I do believe, in my heart, that madame eva sees as I do." He'll then make excuses as they set about repairing the wagon and righting it and gathering their things and the horses, and asks that the party go on ahead into the town since this will take hours and they will likely find their way much quicker. The fog also starts to roll in, and get thicker, and the party can't see very far in any direction except the town. The Vistanti tell them to go ahead, but once the party leaves, they never see them again. Searching the area later reveals the wagon tracks going off the road, but never anywhere else.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="evilbob, post: 6880550, member: 9789"] I can share some of the ways I've changed CoS for our group as well. Most of these are based on suggestions throughout the various linked threads, or other ideas mentioned here and there. 1. Amber Temple. Gone. Serves no purpose, it's a long dungeon right before the long dungeon, it's confusing story-wise, and it's deadly as sin. (I also don't like how it tries to explain Strahd's curse in a more mundane way.) Similarly Tsolenka Pass is pointless (even moreso without the Temple) and cut. Neither of these things fit the adventure and seem like someone wanted to include their cool home-brew dungeon idea but instead they were writing CoS. I might keep the goat thing if they bother to go to the mountains for some reason, though. (Or just stick it somewhere else.) 2. Dusk Elves. Gone. As others have said, the more "high fantasy" you make CoS, the more it loses its gothic horror flavor. The Patrina Velikovna subplot doesn't make sense without the Temple anyway. You can keep Rahadin if you want but honestly he's a pointless character as well, and mostly just a really hard battle in the middle of a really hard dungeon. If your group loves fighting then keep him, otherwise just pretend they had one extra long rest and that's that. 3. NPC changes. Ireena doesn't look like Tatyana (see earlier in this thread). Madame Eva is not Strahd's sister but an old Vistani woman who inherited the "sight" and is tied to Strahd's ability to influence Barovia (another thread). The Abbot's purpose and defeat are redone (this thread). 4. Winery Gem. The late burgomaster of Barovia actually stole the 3rd wine gem 10 years ago. Although he's since used it to nourish his own garden, he originally took it because the third type of wine (champagne du le stomp) was TOO good, and quite addictive - the people of Barovia were using it to dull their senses, which some Vistani were taking advantage of to rob them. Both to deal a blow to the evil Vistani and to help keep his citizens focused on the evil at hand, he took the gem and buried it near his house. He took it when he was going to the other villages to try to get them to unite against Strahd - which obviously didn't work at all - but it also explains why his kids know the surrounding lands fairly well (he took them along). 5. No dead children. See the entire thread about this, but I'm using all the changes: Death House, hags, werewolves, and all the other kids are aged up (like the one in the lake and the Kzrek boy who recently died). 6. Hags. They're green hags but they also have connections to the other witches in the area (specifically Baba Lysaga and the ones in the castle, which they've watched via their eye) and are willing to trade information for interesting trinkets from Death House or captured spellbooks. (Baba Lysaga originally granted them permission to use Barovia as their base - being the ranking "witch"-like thing in the area - in exchange for information about the castle, which she so desperately craves.) They will even trade their current prisoners for the "hag's finger" (which is the leader's finger, in fact) which is an "out" for a hopelessly outmatched party. 7. Vistani intro. The characters all have their own personal motivations to go to Barovia but just to shake things up I did the Vistani intro and skipped all the letters and false letters (it was confusing last time anyway). But I wanted the Vistani to leave when they got to the town and not actually take them to Madame Eva first so they could still do Death House and all. So, I had the Vistani take them into the land and just outside the village, and at this point their guide told them that the fastest way to madame eva is to go through the town and take a right at the next fork, but they prefer to go around the town as the villagers are not always welcoming to Vistani: As they start to pull the wagons off the road, the rear wagon's front wheel hits a bump and falls off, throwing the guide's son off the wagon, turning the wagon over, and spilling the contents everywhere. Unfortunately, he was thrown under the horses and they panicked - he is very injured, coughing blood, and looks to have many internal injuries. If the party heals him, the old man will be extremely grateful, and offer her some advice: "You have given me a great service, and though i may never repay it, let me give you some information that may save your life. Not all our people are of the same mind as me. Some do not see our noble prince's condition as a curse, but rather as proof of his divine right to rule. Be wary, for though I wish to see his curse lifted, others may not find that goal to their liking. But I do believe, in my heart, that madame eva sees as I do." He'll then make excuses as they set about repairing the wagon and righting it and gathering their things and the horses, and asks that the party go on ahead into the town since this will take hours and they will likely find their way much quicker. The fog also starts to roll in, and get thicker, and the party can't see very far in any direction except the town. The Vistanti tell them to go ahead, but once the party leaves, they never see them again. Searching the area later reveals the wagon tracks going off the road, but never anywhere else. [/QUOTE]
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