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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jezter6" data-source="post: 3123161" data-attributes="member: 6567">I haven't run it yet, but I will describe it for you now, but you'll have to look at it yourself to decide if it sucks or not.The encounter format is basic. It's a 1 or 2 page spread (pages facing each other, so no flipping) that has the location map (usually at 1/4 page or smaller), as many stats as they can put in for the encounter, plus tactics for the combatants.What's odd is that page count is low (at least for the price, IMHO), but they do waste a LOT of space reprinting Strahd's statblock in many of the encounters (at least the castle encounters). Since they released his stats for free on the WotC site, I'd rather had less of them in the book and just print out the web page and have it handy when I need it. One thing another poster said that's true..is that the main 'map' and keys to all the rooms are separated from the encounters, so you have to go from reading the description of Room 12b on one page, and flip 30 pages to the encounters, run the encounter, and flip back to the descriptions again.Since d20 combats take forever anyway, I don't see this as a major problem (at least not one that makes the book not worth purchasing).The small maps are just that...small maps. They're for giving you a room layout and letting you draw it out on a battlemat if you want to. The only map that would suck to draw out is the catacombs beneath the castle. Otherwise, individual rooms are fairly easy in design and can be quickly drawn on your choice of map drawing device.The maps do give you all the starting locations of all the bad guys, including Strahd if he is found in that room.I do like that they give out battle strategy for the bad guys. It helps a novice GM (like myself) get through them a little better with less prep work. Stuff like: Strahd starts out over by the table. He does not want to engage the PCs in this room, but if so, will fight for 5 rounds then change to bat form and fly to room 21a and wait in human form and attack the first PC that comes through the doorway. (this is by no means an exact quote from any room in the book, just a paraphrased example)</blockquote>

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