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Message: <blockquote data-quote="texastoast" data-source="post: 7108944" data-attributes="member: 6873909">I want to share an update with where our party has made it to.  We've defeated Wintersplinter, but when we observed (and failed to interrupt) the Wintersplinter ritual, Strahd invited us to dinner.  We hopped in the carriage that was presented and dined with Strahd.  He extended 'guest privilege' to the party while they were at dinner (Rictavio/Van Richten told them that as a noble he would honor that privilege), but then ended the dinner and then told them that they could freely explore the castle (they had asked for a tour, figuring that at least one of the items was there) but that it would be a 'test' for them to escape alive.  I didn't make the doors lock like the book describes (and I made the figure playing the organ actual Strahd, not an illusion), except that the double doors into the dining room were locked, forcing them to make their way out via the secret door behind the organ.  By the way, since I decided that Lady Wachter usurped the Burgomastership of Vallaki after the Feast of St. Andal destabilized the town, Izek having left with the PCs and Ireena and thus unavailable to protect the Baron, I had the deposed Baron and Baroness of Vallaki serving as terrified waiters at the dinner, responding to every snap of Strahd's fingers.  That really caught the players' attention.  They explored the castle for a while, largely uneventfully, looking for the catacombs because they had been pointed to the Mad Dog's tomb by their card reading.  They actually made it to the catacombs, taking damage only from the gargoyles in the large entrance hall.  But then, because the leader of the party is a curious 12-year-old, and because they didn't expect any of the tombs to actually have the words "Mad Dog" in the inscription, they opened practically every crypt they encountered.  They got St. Markovia's Thighbone, which is great once they have time to attune to it, but they also got shot with poison darts.  They also got clobbered by cold from a Brown Mold, which actually knocked my warlock unconscious, costing a Cure Wounds from the druid.  So we're not in the best of shape when we finally found Mad Dog's crypt.  (Thankfully they didn't open Bucephalus's crypt.)  The party is at level 6.  Mad Dog's Crypt contains a Wraith (CR5) and 3 Hell Hounds (CR3), so it would be a challenge even at full strength, which they are decidedly not.  And as a bonus we have Helga the "Maid from Hell" with us to really turn the tables if we survive the Mad Dog encounter itself, or if one PC retreats to a "safe" vantage point.  This feels like a likely TPK.  That wouldn't be the end of the world; both the kids have rolled up new characters.  I don't know if they'll want to continue COS with them if that's how this goes, but that's fine either way.  It would be a major shame for my wife; she's grown very attached to her character.I don't want to fudge things or not try hard RPing the monsters in order to allow the party to survive or escape.  They made their own mess, ignoring lots of warnings, and I don't think that's too harsh a stance to take.  That said, apart from tactically sound play on the PCs' part, do you see a good way out of this?  My biggest question is this: if we win initiative and slam shut the door to the crypt (successful strength check and whatnot), what would happen?  Would the Hell Hounds force their way out?  I mean, they've just been in there for who knows how long until we opened the door; would they rush out now because there's fresh meat present, or are they maybe unable to do so because Mad Dog (their master) is entombed therein?  Likewise would the Wraith simply travel incorporeally through the door, or is he bound to the crypt as long as it is sealed?  The plan that I would adopt, if a character had time to think up and execute it, would be to shut the crypt, retreat into Klutz Tripalotsky's crypt (they just met his Illusion Warrior), and attempt to take a short rest to get some HP back.  If they try that, I would potentially have Sir Klutz charge into Mad Dog's crypt, which could buy them a distraction.  (He's looking for them to lead him to the battle front from the war in which Strahd's armies originally conquered Barovia).  Does that seem plausible?  And does anyone have any advice on how to suggest something like that from my odd position as DM/PC/teacher of how to play D&D?</blockquote>

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