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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercule" data-source="post: 6994272" data-attributes="member: 5100">I haven't run CoS, yet, but I ran I6 many times. I generally had Strahd as being very cat-and-mouse with the party. He would often harass them to the point where he could have greeted them at the door to the castle, saying "Let's do this, bitches" and it would have been closure. On the other hand, I've also had him read as being in the crypts and the PCs decide to go upstairs, first. The castle is fun, too, though. The one time I had Strahd read as being in the chapel, the PCs totally botched the encounter and ended up fleeing, so Strahd got reset. So, it may not be a particular issue.I don't remember exactly how vampires in 5E/CoS may work, but I do remember the royal pain to kill aspect was a factor in the original. Strahd could be "killed" and sent back to his crypt to nurse his regroup. This might be the right way to handle the ordained meeting in the chapel. It either turns into a race to find his hidden coffin or the party may just need to find the sunsword or other means of permanently destroying Strahd (assuming they're victorious, in the first place). FWIW, the PCs have only beaten Strahd twice in all the times I've run I6. Once saw him staked and fried in his coffin after having his butt kicked, elsewhere. The other involved someone with a girdle of giant strength getting him out by the river and holding him under water (I don't remember how they avoided the energy drain). Hmm... come to think of it, that may be the same death, just steps A and B.Another tactic to use might be to play up the ambiance of the castle. If the PCs, say, see a shape running down into the crypts, they may be inclined to give chase. Likewise, hearing a cry for help from upstairs might cause them to re-evaluate which floor they search, first. Once drawn to a different floor, there's a momentum in play. How ironic would it be if they end up exploring the whole castle, just to find Strahd in the last place they look, but literally the first place they passed by?As far as the Heart goes; Yeah, it doesn't seem like a great asset, to me. My intent is that, when I run the adventure, the Heart will regenerate every night. If they deal with it more than a couple of times, I'll come up with a way to permanently destroy it. Otherwise, I don't like the idea that they could weaken Strahd essentially by accident.</blockquote>

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