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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 8803542" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/ZVLaokn.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /><a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/366885/The-Devils-Brides" target="_blank">Product Link</a>Product Type: AdventureCoS-Required? Sort of (takes place in a timeline where the PCs failed)The Devil’s Brides is a special kind of adventure, one meant to take place after a failed Curse of Strahd campaign. In it, the players take control of the Brides of Strahd plus Escher and a now-undead Ireena Kolyana who decide to overthrow Barovia’s Darklord. Something about the PCs penetrated their icy hearts, causing them to be done with Strahd’s abusive and domineering ways. There are 6 pregenerated character sheets, and all of them are level 8 and of the dhampir race instead of using their NPC stat blocks from the adventure. Although PCs can die in a variety of ways, the Devil’s Brides presumes that certain things are true: that Strahd’s brides are alive for this module, the PCs were personally murdered by Strahd, and the Sunsword was obtained by Strahd’s agents after his victory to be put in the Von Zarovich’s Family Tomb.As for how the pregenerated PCs are built, Anastrasya Kerelova is a Fiend Pact Warlock with Pact of the Tome along with some defensive invocations (Armor of Shadows, Fiendish Vigor) and Misty Visions. Her spells are predictably offensive, ranging from Hellish Rebuke, Eldritch Blast, Armor of Agathys, and Counterspell. Oddly she has False Image and Silent Image listed among spells known, when her invocation can make her cast both at will. Perhaps they combined spells known from normal warlock progression with invocations? That seems to be the case.Escher is an Arcane Trickster Rogue with the Green Flame Blade cantrip to go along with his melee weapons. He specializes in enchantment and illusion spells such as Hideous Laughter, Disguise Self, and Invisibility.Ireena Kolyana is a boring Champion Fighter and is really only good in melee combat.Ludmilla Vilsevic is a Cleric with the Grave Domain, and she has a useful array of offensive and defensive spells: Spiritual Weapon, Spirit Guardians, Dispel Magic, Death Ward, and Bless to name a few.Volenta Popofsky is an Oath of Conquest Paladin built for melee with the Dueling Fighting Style. Her Paladin spells are mostly defensive in nature but include Branding Smite and Magic Weapon, useful for those not using the Sunsword.Gertruda is a College of Spirits Bard but her sheet mislabels her as a Grave Cleric. Her spells mostly hew towards buffs such as Heroism, Enhance Ability, and Greater Invisibility, but she also knows Silence, Polymorph, and the ever-useful Dispel Magic and Healing Word.Every notable class feature (including the Spirits Bard’s Tales From Beyond) is repeated in relevant text boxes, along with backstories for each PC for tips on how to RP them.The adventure starts off with the DM asking each player a series of questions illuminating the face-heel-turn of the PCs: who one of the adventurers reminded them of, how did one of them defy Strahd even in the face of death, how they were kind to that vampire, etc. There’s also a sidebar for what the Brides would know about Castle Ravenloft given their long-time residency, and the module presumes that they know about the Heart of Sorrow and the hazards of the castle to move harmlessly from room to room. Strahd will be nonviolent at first and try to leverage information from them by interviewing them separately and also attempt to gain a promise of future loyalty if he begins to suspect that they’re up to something. As for the pacing of rests, short rests are shortened to 10 minutes instead of 1 hour, with the assumption that the party will have only 1 short rest in order to beat Strahd. After they destroy the Heart of Sorrow, he won’t politely wait for them to continue plotting his destruction.Thus, the Devil’s Brides covers only a fraction of Castle Ravenloft’s rooms, focusing on a few that are bound to be major plot points. While neither Strahd nor the other castle inhabitants start out hostile, actions performed by the PCs can raise his suspicion over time, which can eventually cause him to take action. The adventurer’s corpses can be looted of basic and silvered weapons along with Potions of Healing, and the Sunsword lies within the tomb of Strahd’s father. The tomb can be lifted quietly with Athletics, although failing the roll will result in a loud endeavor and tip other inhabitants off that the tomb was defiled. As for Strahd, he is in a rather pleased mood, deciding to rest in the coffin of his tomb. PCs able to sneak past his passive Perception can obtain his bloody wedding ring (a new magic item that can grant 2 adult willing humanoisd +2 to AC for 7 days while they remain within 30 feet), and Strahd can be interacted with if roused. He’ll ask for healing magic from Ludmilla, which can be used to distract him to get his ring, although refusing to heal him raises his suspicion. A portrait room contains a Rug of Smothering which is harmless, but the real danger is a Guardian Portrait monster (which can be defeated in combat or negotiated with) concealing a hidden compartment with a Scroll of Bless. Visiting Strahd’s bedroom can discover a crumpled-up sleeping robe, which some of the PCs will realize is unusually careless of Strahd for he was attempting to unlock the wardrobe before he got word of the Castle being invaded. The module doesn’t say what’s in the locked wardrobe. Varushka the former maid-turned-wraith hates the Brides and can be found in the bathroom, and can alternatively be fought to a surrender or gain her trust via Persuasion to share information about hidden treasure.<img src="https://i.imgur.com/sQFwK8W.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />The Heart of Sorrow must be destroyed in order to slay Strahd once and for all, and the location and means of fighting it are similar save that it has more Hit Points (75 instead of 50) and can cast the Wall of Flame spell every time it’s attacked. The Heart upon taking damage will attract the attention of other Castle inhabitants, such as Barovian Witches and a Night Hag.But before this happens, the Dark Powers will reach out to the Brides, granting them unique Dark Gifts if they accept the deal to become the new Darklord(s) of Barovia after defeating Strahd. The base Gifts from Curse of Strahd can be used, and there’s 6 new ones such as an empowered bite attack, casting Death Ward or Legend Lore 3 times per day, gaining the Inspiring Leader feat, or coming back to life and trading out Dhampir for another race. Destroying the Heart of Sorrow gives the party the Shard of Sorrow. This is a new magic item that allows a character to expend Hit Die into the shard as part of a short rest like a Ring of Spell Storing, up to 25 hit points total, and any amount can heal the bearer as an action. But as the party will not have any more rests (long or short) upon destroying the Heart of Sorrow, this item can’t really be used.After destroying the Heart, Strahd will form a message written in blood, telling the party to meet him “where I gave you my greatest gift.” This is the Chapel, and at this point randomly-determined magical traps and obstacles will hinder the party’s progress as the Darklord turns the Castle against them. Hurled household objects, animated armor monsters, crushing rooms, and a vampire spawn maid desperate to prove her love by attacking the Brides are the sample obstacles. The final battle takes place in the decrepit Chapel, with Strahd dramatically lighting a match and then extinguishing it as he does the classic “you’re making me do this” line beloved by abusers everywhere. Although he intends to destroy the Brides, he will attempt to sow doubt and dissension. For example, he may remind Gertruda of her troubled mortal life and how she has nothing to return to, and if any of them made a promise of loyalty earlier when his suspicion was raised he’ll bring that up to make the others doubt that PC’s intentions. Again, another opportunity to make a deal with the Dark Powers is provided, and can be done as an action in combat.There are 3 different endings, complete with their own boxed text. If the PCs defeated Strahd they will each gain 4 extra permanent hit points as thanks from the souls of the departing adventurers. If the players wish to continue adventuring as the former Brides of Strahd, they can level up to 9th level and that the DM may or may not have the new magic items require attunement from then on out.Making a deal with the Dark Powers results in the Brides feeling unafraid and alive for the first time in forever as the new masters of the domain. “The King is dead. Long live the Queen.”If they didn’t make a deal they will walk off into the Mists, afraid and excited with a new revelation that they are free and have each other for a new life to live. “Strahd is dead, and you are free.”If the PCs are defeated, they are looking down at Castle Ravenloft as spirits from a bird’s eye view as Strahd recovers from his wounds. They realize a familiar presence within the surrounding Mists, of their friends. This inspires them in spite of defeat, knowing that while Strahd is a monster who cannot and will not change in all these centuries, the Brides have. Upon realizing their earlier struggle, they know that they will never be alone again, and next time they may win. “Strahd lives - but so do you.”We get a repeat of Strahd’s stat block, along with a new magic item that isn’t referenced anywhere else in the module: the Armor of Midnight is a medium adamantine armor that is effectively a breastplate in terms of AC and can turn all critical hits into normal hits. Once per long rest the wearer may cast Fear as an action, and the effect recharges without the need for a rest if the armor negates a critical hit.Overall Thoughts: The Devil’s Brides is a clever idea in allowing gaming groups to continue in the face of a TPK, but I’m not sure how easy to run or satisfying it may be. The Brides are notably lower level than equivalent-level parties would be in storming Castle Ravenloft, and besides the Sunsword and scant treasures they likely don’t have the advantage of a campaign’s worth of accumulated magic items from Curse of Strahd to help turn the tables. The book only really works narratively for PCs who died battling Strahd in Castle Ravenloft, which only makes it useful near the end of such a campaign. Still, it’s much better than springing this halfway or early on where a TPK may not sting as much, so I can’t complain about that as much.Join us next time as we solve the murder of the Demiplane of Dread’s most famous monster hunter in Van Richten Dies in Ravenloft!</blockquote>

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