Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[Treebore]

If this version doesn't force at least one death by wolves before even getting to the village of Barovia, it isn't really Ravenloft.

I've lost more characters -- and killed more PCs as DM -- in the original I6 than in any other adventure. Usually one to two PCs (including my own on at least one occasion) have been killed by worgs enroute to Barovia, every time I run it.

No one has survived I6 when I ran it. Well, they did if you count undead vampire spawn as surviving..

I even kept the character sheets, so when I ran it for higher levels Strahd had these additional "servants" as well as extra magic items to use.

The reason I love I6 is because it is even fun when you die.

Wait! There is one survivor I just remembered, a cleric, who has taken the place of the priest in the village. So now when I run I6 there is an 8th level cleric named Barnabus in that church. Who will NEVER go up the hill to that castle. He will, and has, told the party that it would be best if they don't go either. There IS a master vampire up there, and his name is Strahd Von Zarovich. You WILL die at best, and at worst be reborn a vampire enslaved to the will of Baron Strahd Von Zarovich!

The party considers following the advice until they learn they can't leave Barovia because of the mists. Then they go up to the castle anyways, hoping that they will be the ones to end the curse upon these lands.

In my Ravenloft campaign setting game they went to Barovia, and left as Strahd's servants. I was moving soon, so they decided to give Strahd a go as the last big adventure.

Yeah, I love Ravenloft.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, I hate games that screw you over no matter what. Realism sucks! I sure wish real life allowed you a save for everything. Realism has no place in making a fantasy game scary.

You're seriously talking about a low level monster touching you in combat and draining away your life force (expressed in terms of how well you can swing a sword) as "realism?"

 

[Felon]

Regardless, I'll agree to disagree, as it seems we have way different ideas on what D&D should be. Otherwise this is just going to lead to hard feelings and bad tempers. At least on my part.

Fair enough. As Klaus points out, I was referring to Dracula's nemesis, not the anime character.

 

[Felon]

You're seriously talking about a low level monster touching you in combat and draining away your life force (expressed in terms of how well you can swing a sword) as "realism?"

Sounds like TB's channeling crazy people.

Obviously, real-world situations where you're utterly powerless is something people play games to escape.

 

[Treebore]

You're seriously talking about a low level monster touching you in combat and draining away your life force (expressed in terms of how well you can swing a sword) as "realism?"

Just as realistic as magic missiles, webs, fireballs, summoned demons, devils, elementals, dogs, lions, etc... divine mounts, magical healing/curing, gods that answer prayers on a daily basis, monks able to fall a 100 feet without a scratch...


"Realism" has a very different "reality" in a fantasy world. Like I say, "Reality is that which we choose to accept as real." Others have said a very similiar phrase as well.

 

[Felon]

Just as realistic as magic missiles, webs, fireballs, summoned demons, devils, elementals, dogs, lions, etc... divine mounts, magical healing/curing, gods that answer prayers on a daily basis, monks able to fall a 100 feet without a scratch..."Realism" has a very different "reality" in a fantasy world. Like I say, "Reality is that which we choose to accept as real."

That's nice and catchy, except for one little thing...you were actually the one making allusions to real world with your comments about screwing over your players, and how it's justified by flying it under the flag of "realism".

 

[Shadowslayer]

I am really pumped about this release. How many of you are planning on playing and/or running this? What are your thoughts? Let's start a good discussion, o.k.?

heh heh.

Anyway, as I've said, I'm looking forward to this a lot. My only fear is that in using the "Delve" format, they might lose some of the atmoshpere that made the original so memorable. But that remains to be seen.

At the time, it was so cool because it was so unique. The gothic horror theme hadn't been used in D&D at that point yet...and the villain was unlike any we'd ever faced.("Lemme get this straight. He's a vampire...AND a wizard?")

Maybe we've become jaded to everything that made the original module so special. They say you can never go home again...know what I mean?

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

IIRC, there's actually a drow vampire wizard in D3, prior to actually arriving at the Vault. (He's the guy just, you know, hanging out in a cave with his succubus girlfriend, which is apparently what undead drow do when they have a succubus girlfriend.) But he certainly didn't get the billing -- or infrastructure -- that Strahd brought to the table.

 

[Felon]

It seemed that every big, bad evil guy in old modules was a wizard of some kind, be it a lich, vamp, or just a plain ol' human.

 

[Treebore]

That's nice and catchy, except for one little thing...you were actually the one making allusions to real world with your comments about screwing over your players, and how it's justified by flying it under the flag of "realism".

ever heard of two way streets?