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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hawken" data-source="post: 3118155" data-attributes="member: 23619">This is very true. But with Strahd being able to find out about the PCs early on, even in the grip of madness, I couldn't see him just sitting around waiting for the PCs to come to him when they've had enough time to go through Barovia, foil some plans (or bring some to fruition), gather some interesting magic items (that would better serve him in his castle instead) and generally just becoming more powerful (more XP) with each new encounter they overcome until they become a genuine threat. As for knowing about the PCs right out of the gate, that is a given in more than one scenario with the false letters he sends out to the PCs to lure them in. That would be on pgs 49-50. Yes, he does control the mists and they are potent at possibly keeping people in but instead of the equivalent of pointing a gun at your head and saying 'if you take a few more steps, you're dead', the mists are so non-threating now its like shaking a spring of poison ivy at a full plate armored knight and saying 'turn around or else'. And there's the fact that you can resist the fog and leave if you roll particularly well. With Strahd's choking fog, you were dead, maybe a little later than sooner with a few good rolls, but dead all the same if you crossed the fog. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it. In fact, it has gotten a lot of creative juices flowing, but for the quality of the content it could have been much better. Story and the juicy bits to use to make a game are fine with me. I could have done without the art alltogether (and a lower price tag--I honestly can't see this book being worth more than $19.95), but since they did pepper it with (bad) art (actually, it seems wrong to call some of that stuff 'art'), they could have actually used more than cartoons. Some of it is so lame, so childish, I was expecting to see pregenerated stats for Scooby-Doo and the gang near the index. It makes me think WotC is breaking child-labor laws and has a room full of 10-12 yr olds locked away somewhere drawing their illustrations for them. This is having a two page spread with a teeny-tiny little map for each possible combat encounter. All the info on the enemies is there as well as suggested tactics, etc. In a way, it is easy but only for the combat itself. It is kind of annoying though to have to flip back and forth from the 'game' to the encounter each time someone draws a weapon or fires off a spell.Aside from the art, I think one of the things WotC did wrong was making this a book (unless that is their prime reason for the price tag). This should have been an adventure module or maybe a thin boxed set. One booklet for the adventure, one booklet for maps and illustrations (which would have made copying/scanning infinitely easier and more practical), and maybe a separate book for encounters. Of course, this would have left room for a number of good, old-fashioned poster maps which I would have loved!</blockquote>

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