D&D 5E Sanitizing Curse of Strahd (+)

[prabe]

Well, if you start off on the assumption that everyone in Ravenloft is a villain, you’ll only be disappointed a couple of times.

Surely though what makes a villain, a villain is what they do, not the label the DM puts on them in advance. If the dusk elves behave villainously then surely they become villains. There are plenty in the book for them to join.

As I said, nothing about the setting or any of the adventures set there has ever appealed to me, and I know basically nothing more about the 5E adventure than I've picked up here and there online.

 

[Charlaquin]

I’m saying it’s impossible to fully sanitize an adventure that revolves around a serial rapist and murderer. At that point you’re just choosing to ignore some horrendous things and not others.

Good thing “fully sanitize” isn’t the goal then?

 

[TheSword]

Other than Patrina, a Dusk Elf who has been dead for nearly four centuries, none of the Dusk Elves behave like villains and offer no opposition to the PCs. They're victims of Strahd's wrath and just one of the many examples of people who have been suffering under him for centuries.

I don’t think I’d go that far. Rahadin is out and out evil, Kassimir arranged for his sister to be stoned by the whole community and then he lies to the party to get them to go to the amber temple.

 

[MGibster]

I don’t think I’d go that far. Rahadin is out and out evil, Kassimir arranged for his sister to be stoned by the whole community and he lies to the party to get them to go to the amber temple.

I forgot about Rahadin and while he's a Dusk Elf he's not really part of the larger community the PCs run into. And while Kassimir did arrange for his sister to be stoned to death it's not like she didn't have it coming. You know, with her being in league with the Devil Strahd and all.

 

[TheSword]

I forgot about Rahadin and while he's a Dusk Elf he's not really part of the larger community the PCs run into. And while Kassimir did arrange for his sister to be stoned to death it's not like she didn't have it coming. You know, with her being in league with the Devil Strahd and all.

Lol. I don’t disagree. I’m just saying that there are shades of grey and it’s funny where people draw lines... yep they’re all sods.

 

[Gradine]

I’m saying it’s impossible to fully sanitize an adventure that revolves around a serial rapist and murderer. At that point you’re just choosing to ignore some horrendous things and not others.

I think you'll find, if you actually read what I've posted, that I have no intention of dialing back that aspect at all. There are specific subjects that I know will upset my friends (or upset me) that I'm trying to figure out solutions for. It is okay if you do not agree that these things should be changed, or if you don't understand why anyone would or should change them. But, I'll again point to (+) in the thread title- I want to keep to keep this thread on track. Arguing over whether the thread should exist or not is not welcome discussion here. If you do not have any further helpful advice (and I do appreciate your suggestions up-thread!) I'd kindly ask you to move along.

 

[MGibster]

I think you'll find, if you actually read what I've posted, that I have no intention of dialing back that aspect at all. There are specific subjects that I know will upset my friends (or upset me) that I'm trying to figure out solutions for.

I for one think it's totally cool that you're modifying the campaign to suit you and your players. If I knew something from CoS would bother my players I'd follow in your footsteps and change it.

 

[Guest 6801328]

It's illuminating that this thread started off as a one person asking for ideas to modify the adventure for private use at their own table...it's not a general call for the adventure to be rewritten...and even that is too much for some people.

 

[Gradine]

I mean, I'm willing to entertain curiosity as to why I would like to change certain things but not others (though sometimes those answers are very personal and wont be shared); but I didn't want this thread to be the kind of endless back-and-forth that, say, the initial announcement that WotC that they were "updating" the adventure.

 

[TheSword]

I mean, I'm willing to entertain curiosity as to why I would like to change certain things but not others (though sometimes those answers are very personal and wont be shared); but I didn't want this thread to be the kind of endless back-and-forth that, say, the initial announcement that WotC that they were "updating" the adventure.

You don’t have to justify your changes. Please take my discussion as a cautionary note in addition to the several genuine suggestions I offered regarding things that might need changing based on the parameters you set.