About to Run Expedition to Castle Ravenloft - tips?

[SlyFlourish]

I just bought Expedition to Castle Ravenloft for a mini-campaign between now and 4th Edition. My high level game has bogged down a lot and I've had less interest in writing up the campaign so I thought I'd try this cool looking mega-adventure.

I'm not used to running a game from a module, I've usually written it myself. I wanted to get any tips people had for running this adventure or running modules in general.

I have A couple of specific questions:

1. What do you use when you don't have a mini that matches the monsters in the book?

2. How do you do your maps for the encounter area? Do you use a washable map or do you use Dungeon Tiles?

3. How do you decide when an adventure is over or not? How can I tell when its a good time to quit?

4. How do you handle death or de-leveling in a vampire-heavy campaign at levels below those required to restore or revive?

5. How do you handle exploration of such a detailed castle without saying "you come to another hall" all the time? Should players be guided to draw their own maps?

Thanks for any specific or general tips you might have.

 

[Crothian]

1. What do you use when you don't have a mini that matches the monsters in the book?

I use something close or if I don't have something close or don't feel like looking I just use something the same size and then say "You are not fighting this, what you are fighting looks like.." and then I describe it.

2. How do you do your maps for the encounter area? Do you use a washable map or do you use Dungeon Tiles?

We use tact tiles which is a washable map.

3. How do you decide when an adventure is over or not? How can I tell when its a good time to quit?

Ahead of time I figure out some likely end games. Usually its either the bad guys are all dead or the good guys are all dead. It just really depends on what the point of the adventure is. Other times though its over when the players are done with it. Through body language and attitudes one can sometimes tell when the players are ready to move on.

4. How do you handle death or de-leveling in a vampire-heavy campaign at levels below those required to restore or revive?

First I'd warn everyone ahead of time and urge them to have good con scores and perhaps take great fortitude so they can make those fort saves. We use action points and that can help this. Otherwise it is really up to the Pcs to play smart and retreat if they need to. If they get drained, it just becomes tougher but not impossible. I know I was really sad when by 4th level druid become second level, but it wasn't the end of the world.

5. How do you handle exploration of such a detailed castle without saying "you come to another hall" all the time? Should players be guided to draw their own maps?

I don't make players draw maps anymore. After 15 years of doing that in 1e and 2e I've gotten bored with that and have moved on to something different.

With the exploration decide if you want it all to look different or the same. Both can really add to the tension level. For instance if everything looks the same focus on that. Mention a chipped brick in a hallway and then when they come to another hallway that looks like it mention the same chipped brick. This can make the players think they've gotten lost or turned around when they haven't. If it all looks exactly the same that has a weird creepy factor to it. And I'm stealing my idea for the Changeling game I run.

Best of luck !!!!!

 

[Treebore]

Play a t night, in a dark room, it only by candles. IF you have good scary sound tracks of music use them too.

Physically setting the mood really pays off.


Use every vampire movie trope you can think of.

 

[Joël of the FoS]

Hello,

Ravenloft fans have collected a few Evil DM tricks here:

http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/TheVault.html

You might want to review this to see what you could use / do on these subjects: description and story, Gaming Room Layout, Odds and Ends (on horror atmosphere), Sounds and Music, and Theater and Props.

Joël