D&D 5E A Middling DM Runs Curse of Strahd

[not-so-newguy]

I enjoy your in depth talk. Helps prep me for my Curse of Strahd Campaign.

Thanks!

---

SESSION PREP
It looks like we'll only be playing with 4 PCs. I gave the players the option to wait for Smugly to come back from vacation, but they voted to play. Btw Moss is taking a class, so I think he'll be back in May.

Things are grim. Roos, Skarther, and Thalion are near zero hp and have spent a significant amount of their powers. Yor, who missed last session, will be coming into this session fresh as a bridegroom.

Recap of a recap: The Gang was here to rescue Stephania and Claudiu, members of the Martikov Clan. Strahd, who had been tailing them on his Night-Mare, messaged them that they had 3 minutes and 42 seconds before "all hell uprooted itself." Yester Hill was crowned by a crumbling curtain wall and a vegetive Effigy of Strahd stood within its walls. The Gang rushed to the top of the hill pell-mell with Roos and Skarther hitching a ride on Thalion's horse. Smugly and Darsha (NPC companion) followed behind.

Thalion's horse reached the top of the hill first and stumbled upon a Blood Druid who was interrogating Stephania. An obviously magical spear plunged in the heart of the Effigy called out to Thalion. The Gang had two goals, knock out the Blood Druid and get the Spear asap. The Blood Druid nearly killed three PCs but they came out victorious and Thalion had the Spear. Also, someone acquired the Gem Macguffin from the dead Blood Druid. They have 23 rounds until hell uproots itself.

What's ahead: Below them on the south side of the hill is a stand of trees where the cultists (druids and berserkers) are working themselves up into an ecstatic frenzy. In the center of the stand of trees is the Gulthias Tree with Claudiu bound to it. Dozens of needle-like thorns pierce his skin and hold him in place. He is obviously weakened and in pain.

The Gulthias Tree will eventually provide life to the Effigy if the ceremony is completed. They are awaiting the arrival of Strahd, who is now flying low on the north side of the hill. He will make his grand appearance flying over the cultists when there are 12 rounds left. The cultist will cheer for 2 rounds then they begin the ceremony. The 60 second ceremony will siphon Claudiu's health and soul into the Effigy.

A couple of options

• Taking on the cultists and Gulthias Tree is suicide as far as I can tell
• They have a chance of defeating the Effigy (named Wintersplinter), if it's animated. It will be weakened (half max HP) because they retrieved the Spear.
• IMO: Best tactic would be to buff/support Yor. Yor stays in close while the others use ranged attacks.
• The Effigy regenerates 20hp/round until the ceremony is completed. When it breaks free from the Gulthias Tree's connecting roots, then its regeneration ability ceases.
• Safest of all is to retreat back to the Winery with Stephania.

Unintended Consequences of playing it safe:

• Stephania will suffer long term madness if her son Claudiu is sacrificed.
• The Druids will pass out and be incapacitated if the ceremony is completed.
• The Berserkers will be conscious but weakened suffering disadvantage on attacks. They won't pursue beyond yester hill.
• Wintersplinter wanders aimlessly.
• It will eventually die within the walls of Vallaki where 12 civilians and 8 guardsmen will be killed. Parts of the southern wall and several buildings will be destroyed

Blood Druid Faction:

• Led by Baba Lysaga
• Worship Strahd as a god.
• Lost their ability to shapeshift and believe that the were-ravens (Martikov Clan) can give them this power back.

Strahd:

• Baba Lysaga called him here to be a figurehead for the Druids' ceremony.
• Strahd's presence is not necessary for the ceremony, but it makes for great PR.
• He knew that the PCs left Vallaki because Lady Wachter's spy. He also heard reports from Baba Lysaga that some heroes were disrupting her plans at the Wizard of Wines.
• He decided to trail the PCs to learn about them.
• He will not interfere and avoids conversation, stating that he'll talk when they dine at Castle Ravenloft.
• When Yester Hill/Wintersplinter gets resolved, then he will send the dinner invite.

Vallaki Politics:

• Lady Wachter has taken control of Vallaki. The Baron and Baroness are dead.
• Victor fled to Village Barovia.
• The abandoned Baron's Mansion has been plundered, except the attic which was protected by a Glyph of Warding placed by Victor.
• Captain Korga is now loyal to Lady Wachter.
• If/when PCs return to Vallaki, then an encounter will trigger when the PCs visit the Church of St Andral. Lady Wachter arrives with 6 guardsmen and several cultist spellcasters demanding the Bones of St Andral.

Ireena and Hope Mechanic:

• This number represents Ireena's belief that she will be safe from Strahd. If it drops to zero, then she will give up hope and willingly go to Strahd believing that it is the best thing to do for the sake of everyone.
• Hope Score when the Gang left Vallaki: 16
• -1 for the chaos of Lady Wachter Coup
• Current Score: 15

Potential adjustments:

• -1 if Wintersplinter attacks Vallaki
• -2 if Lady Wachter takes the Bones of St Andrals or if Ireena is forced to flee the church.
• +2 if the Gang discovers the Hallowed Pool in Krezk.

 

[not-so-newguy]

DARSHA LIVES!

​

Previously: The Gang was here to rescue Stephania and Claudiu, members of the Martikov Clan. They had just fought a powerful Blood Druid and saved Stephania within the crumbling walls atop of Yester Hill. Thalion managed to retrieve a magical spear that was plunged into a vegetive evil-looking effigy of Strahd. The effigy pulsated with glowing red and black veins of magic. They also found the Magic Gem that belonged to the Martikov Clan. Now they looked down the south side of the hill and had two minutes and eighteen seconds (23 rounds) until “hell uprooted itself.”

[Moss and Smugly were unable to make it to this session. I inserted their appearance in this recap for the sake of game continuity.]

The Gang plus Darsha stood in the southern gap in the crowning ruined wall of Yester Hill. They looked down upon a grisly, horrific scene:

Half a dozen humans, smeared with blood and blue-gray clay, shouted a cacophonic chant of “He is the ancient, he is the land. Arise! Arise! Arise!” at a monstrous black tree coursing with the same evil black & red magic as the effigy. Their arms were locked, and they encircled it. Another half dozen axe-wielding berserkers danced around them, swinging their axes. Many half-buried bones could be seen scattered about the stand of trees.

Bound to this black tree was a human male, presumably Claudiu. He was held to the tree by dozens of thorn-like appendages sprouting from the monstrosity. He was covered in his own blood and obviously in pain. Strahd was no longer overhead but could be glimpsed flying low north of the hill’s peak, out of sight from the cultists. He was holding back for some reason.

The Gang took thirty seconds to decide what to do (irl, I started a twenty-minute timer and allowed them to discuss). Despite Thalion, Roos, and Skarther deeply depleted of powers and hit points; the Gang decided to sneak down on the cultists and ambush them. Yor, untouched because he was absent from the last fight, would take the lead.

The brave, brave fools snuck down the hillside. The cultists, caught up in their ecstatic ritual, failed to notice them. Yor and Skarther approached from the west side of the woods, while Roos, Thalion, and Darsha approached from the east. Darsha was forced to walk, since the branches overhead prevented her from flying.

BERSERKER BLOOD BATH​

Yor made the first move in the ambush by casting Enthrall, which distracted most of the cultists, allowing other members surprise. Skarther summoned his fiery spirit, which drew the attention of several berserkers. The Goblin then took out a druid with Scorching Ray. Roos managed to strike a berserker with a sneak attack, then retreated behind a tree. Thalion hucked a couple of javelins. Darsha engaged with her rapier.

Skarther burnt a couple of other Druids with Flaming Sphere. Yor cast Darkness around the Gulthias tree, having Devil’s Sight meant that he could see through this Darkness while no one else could.

Darsha was left exposed, and three berserkers cut her down. Although she was immune to their blows, the were-raven played dead and collapsed to the ground.

Two berserkers cut down the Fiery Spirit, then turned towards Yor and Skarther. The Goblin Druid continued to concentrate on his Flaming Sphere, which burnt two chanting druids to death. Yor was dropped, and his Darkness spell dropped with him. Skarther sped in, healed the Kenku, then raced northward away from the pursuing berserkers.

Thalion healed Roos, and the Drow was then promptly killed by berserkers.

Yor rushed in and smacked the druids with his glowing green blade, then he was dropped by berserkers. Skarther was pursued by berserkers who cut him down.

Thalion, the last one standing, handled the blood spear deftly. He managed to kill a berserker, but the overwhelming numbers was too much. He was cut down.

Epilogue​

[DM’s note: We all forgot about Darsha’s immunity to normal weapons. I even pointed her ability out to a couple of players right before the session started, and we still managed to forget it. Oh well.]

Smugly and Moss, who had been waylaid by berserkers, stood at the southern gap in the crumbling walls. They watched Thalion get hacked to death by berserkers. Strahd flew over the mayhem as the ritual neared completion.

“The pain! My soul! Not my soul! It’s taking my soul!!!!” Screamed Claudiu. His mother, Stephania, was in a dissociative state. The pair led Stephania away. As they were on the downslope on the north end of Yester Hill. They heard twisting and breaking of hundreds of branches. The effigy had been given life and what emerged was a twisted cryptid thirty feet tall. The thing broke through the crumbling wall and wandered northeastward. Moss and Smugly didn’t wait any longer. They retreated to the winery with the catatonic Stephania in tow.

Darsha waited. Just after Thalion was killed, the Gulthias tree began summoning blights. Also, the sickening fruit of the tree ripened and dropped to the ground filling the air near it with poisonous vapor. Luckily, she laid outside of its area of effect.

She waited. The druids succumbed to the poison and laid on the ground either unconscious or dead. The berserkers, exhausted from the ceremony, collapsed to the ground. Strahd touched ground with his Night-Mare and wandered around the carnage. He came to the Thalion.

“This’ll make a good gift for Volenta.” He said to himself, smiling. With unnatural strength, he hefted the corpse of Thalion over his shoulder. The Blood Spear dropped from the Paladin’s dead hand.

Darsha waited. When the blights wandered off, she peered around to make sure that no one else was around. She waited some more. It was mid-afternoon, nothing stirred any longer. First, she picked up the Blood Spear, then she found the magic gem on Skarther. The were-raven fled to the winery.

END SESSION​

 

[not-so-newguy]

Oof, 4 PCs dead, with one of them facing a fate worse than death.

In my defense, I gave a bunch of hints that this would be tough, but they just kept pressing forward. One of them even shared this meme before the last session started:


On the bright side, we'll have four new PCs from the Harper faction in Faerun. They're hunting werewolves that have been harassing the good folk of Daggerford.

 

[not-so-newguy]

Game prep for May 1

Our last session was session #10 and Day 9 of the campaign. The Gang spent 8 days in Barovia.

Synopsis of events:

• Day 1 Meet Arrigal. Sleep in Daggerford (Faerun).
• Day 2 Enter Barovia. Sleep in Wilderness.
• Day 3 Durst Manor. Sleep in Village Barovia.
• Day 4 Face Vampire Spawn. Wildthorn dies. Sleep In Village Barovia.
• Day 5 Madame Eva. Meet Strahd. Reach Vallaki. Meet Rictavio. Sleep at Blue Water.
• Day 6 Recover Bones of Andral. Sleep at Blue Water
• Day 7 Shop. Dinner with Baron. Kill Izek. Sleep at Blue Water.
• Day 8 Leave Vallaki. Clear Wizard of Wines. Sleep at the Winery.
• Day 9 Leave for Yester Hill. Die at Yester Hill. Return to the Winery.

I will be using the Werewolves in the Mist hook (page 21 CoS) for the new members and they’ll enter from the west. The first part of the next session will be spent narrating (railroading) the new peeps to the Winery. They’ll try to enter Krezk and the Burgermeister will refuse them. He allows entrance only if they check in on their delayed shipment of wine. When the new party has been united at the Winery, they will be free to do as they will.

Rahadin will probably pay them a visit 24 hours after the last session (Day 10). If they’re at the Winery or in Vallaki, then he’ll deal with them directly. If the players are in Krezk, then he’ll ask to speak with them at the gates.

Strahd: He will be busy reviving Thalion so that he can turn him into a Vampire Spawn. He’ll travel to Krezk (via Night-Mare) and pay a visit to the Abbott who can perform such a miracle. The restrained Paladin will then be promptly turned into a Spawn and gifted to Volenta when Strahd returns to Ravenloft. Party members will notice Strahd’s passage as a distant fire in the sky.

Rahadin: With his master occupied, Rahadin will be tasked with presenting the reformed party with an invitation and informing them of their plight. His master wants to give Ireena the illusion of hope so that her inevitable despair will be all the greater, proving that the Vampire Lord is the only haven in Barovia. Rahadin will arrive in the Black Carriage.

Ireena’s Hope: With Wintersplinter’s attack on Vallaki, her hope score will be reduced to 14. When she learns of the death of the four PCs, it will go down to 13.

The incoming PCs will be 5th level. The players were coordinating their character builds at the end of the last session, making sure that they had the archetypical roles covered (ie tank, rogue, healer, and spellcaster). They also decided to be members of a faction. I offered the ones listed in the book (Harpers, Order of the Gauntlet, Emerald Enclave, Lords’ Alliance, Zhentarim) and they decided on the Harpers.

You might think that the players have decided to mindfully work together as a team, but I remain skeptical. I’ve played with these guys for three years now and I bet that someone inevitably will feel compelled to be the wild card; see session #2 A Pack of Lone Wolves for evidence. Maybe I’m wrong. We’ll see.

These are just my initial thoughts. Things may change whenever we play next. Please let me know if you notice any problems with my plans. I still need to figure out the true timing of Strahd Turning Thalion, communicating with Rahadin, and Rahadin’s meeting with the Party.