D&D 5E Curse of Strahd help

[pukunui]

Hi folks,

A few sessions ago, I had the guards come for Rictavio in the night. The PCs chose to help him escape and ended up fighting and killing Izek and most of the guards that he'd brought with him. A few escaped, however. The PCs fled with Rictavio and haven't been back since.

However, it is now the day of the Festival of the Blazing Sun, to which the baron had invited them as VIPs. I imagine that the surviving guards would've reported to the baron, so he would know that the PCs had been involved in the fracas. The question is: would the baron then bar the PCs from the town, or would he dismiss it as a "misunderstanding" and let them in so they can lend some weight to his festival?

I'm inclined to do the latter just so they can take part in some of the other sub-plots in town. They also need to get the Tome of Strahd off Lady Wachter, although they haven't figured that one out yet. (They've got the holy symbol, and they're pretty sure they know where the sword is.)


On a different note, Sir Godfrey Gwilym is their assigned ally. I've been pondering making it so he won't help them against Strahd unless the beacon is lit. This might be a bit harsh, but I feel it gives them more reason to go into Castle Ravenloft and then leave again once they've found the dragon's skull. Otherwise, there's not as much incentive to make multiple trips to the castle.

The other thought I had, though, was that I could make it so Baba Lysaga's flying skull is the dragon's skull rather than a hill giant's skull. That way the PCs wouldn't have to go to the castle and come back and then go to the castle again.


Lastly, the PCs succeeded in getting Ireena to Krezk, and they allowed her to go with Sergei into the pond. The text says that now Strahd is determined to kill them. He sends them an invitation to the castle, which makes it sound like he wants to kill them in his castle, not out in the wilds of Barovia ... so does that mean they're still free to roam about, or would Strahd take steps to drive them towards the castle? One of my players was quick to point out that the invitation to the castle is open-ended - it doesn't tell them to attend on or by a certain date. So they feel like they can still freely roam about, levelling up on all the sidequests until they feel ready to confront Strahd, whereas I feel like, if Strahd really actively wants to kill them now, shouldn't he be taking steps to stop them from growing more powerful before they confront him? Shouldn't he be using his resources and minions to attempt to drive them towards his castle without doing all the little sidequests along the way? (So, like, if they return to Vallaki for the festival, and then turn around and head back towards Krezk or Argynvostholt, perhaps Strahd sends minions to try and stop them or force them to turn back.)


I'd appreciate people's thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Jonathan

 

[ccs]

So Strahd wants the PCs to come to the castle heh?

Wherever the party heads next? When they're about 80% there they encounter Strahds carriage.
They can ignore it & proceed if they wish.
In wich case they encounter it as they head to their next stop. Again, they can bypass it.
If they do? Repeat the "invite" once more.

If they ignore the hint the 3rd time Strahd simply uses the mists to close off access to the rest of his realm*. The PCs can head to the castle or they can choke to death in the fog....
Hope those 3 side-treks they chose were the right ones.

(*I don't use the 2e+ demi-plane stuff. My Barovias 's access is fully controlled by it's lord - Strahd. Those mists answer to him.)

If you don't want to channel the PCs with the fog? Just have Strahd arrive at their destination ahead of the party and completely destroy the site once the 3rd carriage ride is declined. Repeat process as oft as needed until the players take the hint.

 

[Savage Wombat]

My PCs are almost ready to go finish Strahd off, so I'll try to give my thoughts. In no particular order:

In Vallaki, I'd simply point out to the players that they're probably being looked for, and should make some attempt at concealing their identities. Cloaks and hoods and the like should suffice for most guards. It adds to the tension, and also lets you pull a sudden "aha!" moment if you feel like it.

While I agree that the module itself seems to imply that the PCs should make multiple trips to the castle, the castle itself seems to intend to keep them there. You'll need to take that into account when you plan. The module also implies a 8th-9th level party when they enter the castle, so they really should have the opportunities to level up.

Strahd wants to fight the party in the castle itself, partially for drama and partially to get to use all his cool lair actions. He probably even has a "reason" why he wants to fight them where the Tarokka reading says he will. I was able to take opportunities to remind them of his presence, but if they've saved Ireena they're probably at the top of his list now. I would suggest having him torment the party as much as possible. Kill friendly NPCs, leave terrifying threats, attacks that look like you're trying to kill the party outright. Make them feel like they can't just wander willy-nilly, but they can crawl like frightened mice in the tall grass, desperately trying to get around unseen.

Sir Godfrey is a very powerful ally choice. I'd be happy to make it hard for the PCs to recruit him, so that he doesn't trivialize a whole bunch of encounters.

 

[pukunui]

So Strahd wants the PCs to come to the castle heh?

Wherever the party heads next? When they're about 80% there they encounter Strahds carriage.
They can ignore it & proceed if they wish.
In wich case they encounter it as they head to their next stop. Again, they can bypass it.
If they do? Repeat the "invite" once more.

If they ignore the hint the 3rd time Strahd simply uses the mists to close off access to the rest of his realm*. The PCs can head to the castle or they can choke to death in the fog....
Hope those 3 side-treks they chose were the right ones.

(*I don't use the 2e+ demi-plane stuff. My Barovias 's access is fully controlled by it's lord - Strahd. Those mists answer to him.)

If you don't want to channel the PCs with the fog? Just have Strahd arrive at their destination ahead of the party and completely destroy the site once the 3rd carriage ride is declined. Repeat process as oft as needed until the players take the hint.

I like this idea. I think I will have the carriage show up in more places than just near the castle. That being said, I'm not sure I want to actually cut off the PCs' abilities to get the sword (which is in the monastery garden in Krezk) or their ally (Sir Godfrey is in Argynvostholt). I just want to make it clear to them that Strahd really wants them to come to the castle ...

In Vallaki, I'd simply point out to the players that they're probably being looked for, and should make some attempt at concealing their identities. Cloaks and hoods and the like should suffice for most guards. It adds to the tension, and also lets you pull a sudden "aha!" moment if you feel like it.

That's a possibility.

While I agree that the module itself seems to imply that the PCs should make multiple trips to the castle, the castle itself seems to intend to keep them there. You'll need to take that into account when you plan. The module also implies a 8th-9th level party when they enter the castle, so they really should have the opportunities to level up.

Agreed. There is the teleport device that can allow them to get out, but you have to know it's there first.

Strahd wants to fight the party in the castle itself, partially for drama and partially to get to use all his cool lair actions. He probably even has a "reason" why he wants to fight them where the Tarokka reading says he will. I was able to take opportunities to remind them of his presence, but if they've saved Ireena they're probably at the top of his list now. I would suggest having him torment the party as much as possible. Kill friendly NPCs, leave terrifying threats, attacks that look like you're trying to kill the party outright. Make them feel like they can't just wander willy-nilly, but they can crawl like frightened mice in the tall grass, desperately trying to get around unseen.

Sounds good!

Sir Godfrey is a very powerful ally choice. I'd be happy to make it hard for the PCs to recruit him, so that he doesn't trivialize a whole bunch of encounters.

My thoughts too. I mean, he's more or less unkillable. And the PCs will probably have Ezmerelda and Ismark with them as well. Too many NPCs!

Would you recommend moving the skull out of the castle, or should I leave it where it is?

 

[pukunui]

For the record, my PCs just hit 6th level, and although they might beg to differ, I feel they have been having a pretty easy time of it. No PC has died yet. And I'm even using the variant rule whereby they don't gain any hit points back after a long rest. They have to rely on magical healing and spending their hit dice.

The closest they've come to disaster was during their recent fight against Wintersplinter and a pair of berserkers. Multiple PCs were down, and it was only because of Ezmerelda's lightning bolts that they survived. In the end, only Ismark actually died. The rest recovered and the party retreated to the winery. Having witnessed the Abbot raise Baron Krezkov's son from the dead, they're hoping he'll do the same for poor Ismark.

[That being said, I may have gone easy on them with Wintersplinter as well, having him toss dying PCs away instead of continuing to crush them into a pulp.]

 

[Savage Wombat]

Too many NPCs!

Oh, yes. I decided to use video game rules and had the players only bring one NPC along on any given adventure. The rest of them were considered to be "guarding the entrance" or something.

Would you recommend moving the skull out of the castle, or should I leave it where it is?

I don't know - I think your logic is sound. If you want to make the party go to the castle more than once, leave it where it is. If you want them not to have to go - there are other quests that involve getting back out of the castle - it's a pretty good substitution. It's not like Baba L. is easy to fight or anything. Although you may have to figure out a way for the PCs to learn that the skull is there in the first place.

Incidentally, Baba L. is a very swingy fight, at least if you're only a fair-at-best tactician like myself. Her guards are kind of slow, and susceptible to ranged attacks, and if your party members (like mine) refuse to fail saving throws like good children, she's going to have a bad time in melee. My party would have probably beaten her the first time they met, but one PC who really should have known better didn't think about what the skull-fence suggested.

 

[pukunui]

Oh, yes. I decided to use video game rules and had the players only bring one NPC along on any given adventure. The rest of them were considered to be "guarding the entrance" or something.

Even with a limit like that, though, you can still have NPCs like Ezmerelda, who can completely overshadow the party. I regret having her agree to accompany them. I should have made it so they just run into her every so often and then maybe have her join them in the castle, if it looked like they really needed her help. I got too hung up on the bit that says that van Richten tries to manipulate PCs into keeping an eye on Ezmerelda and had him convince them to take her with them, despite the fact that she's considerably more powerful than they are at the moment.

I don't know - I think your logic is sound. If you want to make the party go to the castle more than once, leave it where it is. If you want them not to have to go - there are other quests that involve getting back out of the castle - it's a pretty good substitution. It's not like Baba L. is easy to fight or anything. Although you may have to figure out a way for the PCs to learn that the skull is there in the first place.

I dunno. I think it's an interesting conundrum. I might just leave it in the castle. If they really want their ally (and the benefits of the beacon, which I'll have to telegraph to them somehow), then they'll have to find a way to get themselves and the heavy skull out of the castle.

Incidentally, Baba L. is a very swingy fight, at least if you're only a fair-at-best tactician like myself. Her guards are kind of slow, and susceptible to ranged attacks, and if your party members (like mine) refuse to fail saving throws like good children, she's going to have a bad time in melee. My party would have probably beaten her the first time they met, but one PC who really should have known better didn't think about what the skull-fence suggested.

Yes. When I played it, we had a hard time with her hut until one PC got inside and ripped out the gem. Then it was pretty much all over for Baba. Her insect swarms couldn't save her, nor could her ability to fly. We trounced her. (And yes, we had that one PC who had to set off the skull-fence alarm too.)

 

[ambroseji]

A few sessions ago, I had the guards come for Rictavio in the night. The PCs chose to help him escape and ended up fighting and killing Izek and most of the guards that he'd brought with him. A few escaped, however. The PCs fled with Rictavio and haven't been back since.

However, it is now the day of the Festival of the Blazing Sun, to which the baron had invited them as VIPs. I imagine that the surviving guards would've reported to the baron, so he would know that the PCs had been involved in the fracas. The question is: would the baron then bar the PCs from the town, or would he dismiss it as a "misunderstanding" and let them in so they can lend some weight to his festival?

I'm inclined to do the latter just so they can take part in some of the other sub-plots in town. They also need to get the Tome of Strahd off Lady Wachter, although they haven't figured that one out yet. (They've got the holy symbol, and they're pretty sure they know where the sword is.)

My reading of the Baron is that he's petty and vindictive; not at all the sort who would just wave something off as a 'misunderstanding'. Your interpretation is really what matters though.

In your situation, I would encourage them towards a stealth/infiltration scenario to get into/out of Vallaki with the Tome of Strahd. The festival is great opportunity to do so, in fact. I think Vallaki a good setting for such an adventure, but, as always, do what sounds fun for you/your group.

 

[hastur_nz]

Too many NPC's? I'm totally with you - no-one wants a gang of NPC's over-shadowing the PC's, especially if there are sufficient player numbers at the table. Perfect excuse to go all out and kill some of the non-P's. Don't be overly fair about it, just gang up on one and make sure it dies (as an NPC, you can safely say they are like regular monsters monsters and don't get death saves).

Personally I deleted a hook that might have lead you Argynvostholt, as I'd heard it was one of the least-liked sites in the adventure. However, your players expect to go there now, so I'd say yes, make it as written so they have to go to the castle, find the skull, then go back to Argynvostholt, to get their ally. As noted above, Strahd loves cat and mouse games, so there's plenty of opportunity to see that he 'allows' them to come visit, then leave, then come back again. Maybe that's where the excess NPC's all get killed - as I'm sure you remember, it's not too hard to set up an ambush in his castle, where Strahd and some of his allies can kill off your NPC's, then maybe he's had his initial fun and made a point, so he lets the PC's escape until next time...

Lastly, as for your players killing Izek and most of the guards... personally I strongly believe that in civilisation, actions should have consequences. If a group of PC's can march into a town, kill whoever they feel like, and get away with it, then that flouts the idea of logic and/or laws. So maybe the Baron is *scared* of them, as well as p*ssed off, but they have just killed his henchman and main muscle, as well as half his town guard - if they go back, they should expect to get a very different reception. Bear in mind he's trying (in his own off-kilter way) to cheer everyone up in town, but he's also in charge of the town. If it were me, I'd say if the PC's had the audacity to enter town after killing the bulk of the Baron's law enforcers, he'd incite a mob to lynch them, and if that failed I'd have Strahd conveniently appear and run the events that are scheduled for the Church - festival be damned, it's a pretty lame set-piece anyway. Show your players that murder-hobos get their dues, because if you don't they might as well kill virtually everything that moves in the campaign, which very much misses the point...

 

[Helldritch]

1st Killing of the guards.
The Baron will not take that lightly. In fact, he should try to kill them as much as possible. This avenue should be dead for the players but... Lady Wachter wants the Baron's death as much as anything in the world. She could try to enlist the players into killing the Baron to "liberate" the town from an evil man that cares nothing for his people. As faith would have it, she has the tome and it could be the "payment" that she could offer the players. Of course, she will try to betray the players as soon as the Baron is dead (maybe with the help of a few vampire spawns?).

2nd Tatyana/Ireena is in heaven with Sergei...
That one is a real pain in the b**t. Strahd is really mad about the players. He should not be easy going with them. He will try to kill them but Strahd, for all intent and purpose is evil but civil. He will want the players to know that they did something quite rude to him. The dinner should be the occasion for Strahd to tell them how sorry he is that the players made Ireena "go" to the light and how he feels about it.
He could:
A) Give them three days to find a way to amend themselves. Not that he cares. He wants them dead but he wants to see the fear in their heart. Three days is not much but it could give him some time to create a few more spawns to make the players' meddling in his affair a real pain. After three days, Strahd sends them an other invitation to "settle" their "dispute".

B) He could fight them and put them in one of his jails. The goal here would be to escape during the day. Bereft of equipment, it could be a nice way for Rictavio and Esmeralda to rescue the players and maybe find the skull? A twist I might make is to put a sleeping vampire spawn to be in the jail within each player's cell. They have to get out or the spawn will litteraly suck them dry... Again the Rictavio/Esmeralda would work wonders there.

Once the pc's are out of the castle, Strahd should attack them two to three times per night. Just enough to make them mad and to show them that HE is toying with them. HE is out there to make them suffer. When he leaves, he should make comments like:" My, the rudness I can show in uncivil places is surprising isn't it?" or " You should've thought twice before making me angry at you. Now look at all messy you have become! Fire is a good way to clean messy things don't you think? (and he throws a last fireball to clean the mess...). Strahd's attacks should always be with surprise and he should leave without taking much dmg.

If the players sends a scout ahead. That scout better have some good will save. Strahd will simply dominate him/her and suck her up to the point of death. Just to show them that he knows where they are.

After a few nights, Strahd will send them an other "invitation" to settle things once and for all in a civil manner.

3rd The skull
I like your idea with Sir Godfrey. I would not change a itoa of what you have decided to do. The skull should stay in Strahd's castle though. No need to bring Baba Lysaga into this unless you absolutely want to.