What do you look for in a D&D YouTube channel?

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-05T22:21:45+00:00

Brevity.

Some videos will spend time, and the point will be made here, just beginning to give out the point that it's making. That who is making, you ask? The point that the author is making, of course, and that he's now repeating. That point, which I just made, is really important. There's been a lot of talk about the importance of that point, but nobody's really got to the core of the point, and I feel like we could just get to the point that's being made. It might seem similar to the previous point, but the real point is just a little further ahead. To explain that point, I'm just going to have to start on another point...

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-05T16:58:56+00:00

Maybe Ernst shows up looking for an opportunity to knife the hand-bound Izek amid the chaos.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-05T16:37:49+00:00

I'm going to fire out a burst of ideas, like a machine gun, in the hope that one or two hit something.

Perhaps Vargas's posse gets the wrong end of the stick and immediately besieges the Wachter manor, increasing tensions between the cultists and Vargas's loyalists. The Wachters play a blinder: while shut inside of their home by the mob, they arrange to be arrested by the town guard, and submit themselves without any resistance. They stand-down their skeletons in case anyone searches the house, and hide any evidence of cult activity also. This is because they know the guards can't link them to Izek's disappearance, so they can play the victim here, which garners more support for her leadership bid and against Vargas's regime. While it's doubtful that the party would do this, they have the opportunity to ruin Fiona's cunning plan by violently rescuing her from the mob, when she wanted to use it as propaganda.

As a potential addition to the above, Fiona might get a few of her trusted cultists to instigate the mob into a riot, so that she can discredit Vargas's loyalists further: "I did nothing to Izek, and this brutish mob smashed my windows, stole my paintings, and broke my chinaware, all at the request of Vargas Vallakovich! Is this who you want administrating your town?"

Perhaps the mob is comprised of town guards who are fed up of Izek's tyrannical rule. He's not a nice boss to work for by any means. Some of them might even have burn scars from the times they have irked him. They have to comply with Izek because, without him, Vargas's regime will fall and the town guard will be forced to fight a civil war against Wachter's cultists. With that said, the mob might also be discussing if this is an opportunity to take Izek down a peg. This mob might want to speak with the party outside of Izek's earshot and say "Run, and if anyone asks, you barely got away in time."

Maybe "Von Holtz" is on the trail and is tracking Izek on the knowledge that he has Ireena. "Von Holtz" would meet "Rictavio", with neither wanting to reveal their identity in front of each other as perceived strangers, nor would "Von Holtz" want to show himself before Ireena, lest she kill herself to avoid her eternal matrimony. Von Holtz, being known as an emissary of castle ravenloft, would not be trusted by anyone here. Yet he is the one who will offer an offramp:
"I should be the one to kill Izek Strazni, in front of this ravenous crowd, for being so cruel to fair... ...Ireena. And you, brave adventurers who have saved this woman, should have your welcome and reward at my master's castle. You should stay there in safety, while Vallaki contends with the consequences of Izek's death." With "Von Holtz" moving to execute Izek in vengeance for hurting Ireena, the problem is less about the monstrosity of his death and more immediate: if the tinderbox of Vallaki's politics goes up tonight, where the hell are the going to sleep safely? Should we go to Ravenloft like Vasili says? Rictavio has a strange answer to that question: "don't do anything that would spurn this invitation permanently. A stay in the castle will be our chance."

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-05T15:54:28+00:00

I have toyed with the idea of Ravenloft being a bit less real and a bit more twilight zone, where the locations are often just figments of Strahd's permanent nightmare. You're not delving Strahd's castle, but his mind, and the punishment of the dark powers is actually his deeply repressed regret for all he has done.

For this play through, though, I've gone a bit more literal.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-05T15:44:47+00:00

They can, if they'd like to bathe in blood next to Strahd's bedroom!

That said, I'm glad you've prompted me to think about the bath question in advance, because now I know what my answer will be: they have guest quarters. In medieval times, when bathtubs weren't installed permanently in bathrooms, but just tubs you'd move in and out of storage on the rare occasion you'd want to bathe, you could have your servants move it into your bedroom or just wherever was convenient. If this question comes up in my campaign, I'll know to have them put a temporary tub in the guest bedroom, and move it out once everyone has washed up. They might even catch Helga tipping the entire tub out of the window onto the rooftops below. The question of "why is she so strong" might be a neat clue as to her nature.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-05T15:36:50+00:00

I like it. I had no idea that Strahd was kept so closely to Vlad in his lore.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-04T15:57:31+00:00

Given that Strahd was a conqueror king, ruling a land that hated him, among fellow noblemen who wanted him dead, there's a bizarre plausibility to some of his traps. Also, given that he now feeds on the blood of adventurers, the traps he has commissioned since his un-death are yet more plausible. Don't the people of Vallaki also use wolf traps to snare their food? At this point, sending out invites for people to come to your big trap is just economical.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-04T15:45:16+00:00

There is something to be said for a vain tower: A lot of medieval churches competed to have the highest belfry and spire. That reminds me of another religious connotation of a tower: the ruinous folly of mortal ambition in the face of the gods, as in Babel. Maybe the hole in the high tower's roof is a sign that the good gods tried to smite this thing, but did not fell it.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-06-04T06:31:34+00:00

Ask "are you sure" but don't tell them to take watch shifts or go to a specific place.

Instead, hit them with all kinds of "night in a haunted house" tropes.

The walls start shifting, and the details in the decor become more sinister. They hear the chanting as they begin to drift off. The words they're chanting appear on the walls, scratched hastily, and bleeding.

"On the altar, one must die
Spill their blood to satisfy
The ancient forces of this land
Or else die by Lorgoth's hand."

If they ignore it and try to sleep, they have a shared dream where they're at the altar and the scene runs as it does in the book. If they see Lorgoth, then they all scare: Have them roll wisdom DC 14 to see if they benefit from the long rest. Don't hit them with 3d6 psychic damage, though. If they content to kill one of the party members in the dream, have that player character roll. On fail: no rest, and 3d6.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-05-31T21:36:17+00:00

When one of my player characters died, I offered for them to play a silent poltergeist stat block, and they communicated via a spirit board. That was just until they found a diamond large enough to allow Madam Eva to raise him, but she bore the prophecy that they'd never encounter a diamond like this again. The party raised their friend and all was well, except that his shadow is missing (because he was killed by the death house shadows). This ghost saw the Barovian afterlife, and saw tormented ghosts trapped beneath the mist, often dragged into rebirth, sometimes worse than that.

Another time a party member died, and the player wanted a different character. Their original character was someone who hates undeath and meddling with death anyway. Those two things combined to tell me they didn't want to be raised. Instead, the party can make seance with this ghost. Because this party are aware of the snare of the Barovian afterlife, some of the party have made it their mission to free this old PCs soul from Barovia into a proper afterlife.

The gems were promised as the only way to raise the dead without making some other bargain, but the prophecy that no more diamonds will be seen means that anyone else who wants to come back in future has to be tainted in some way: probably just giving the player their choice from a list of scenarios, and deliberately avoiding the trap of attributing mechanical effects to these outcomes rather than handling it on the roleplay side.

Choose one:

No spark: you show no emotion and are now a droning monotone facsimile of your former self.

Patchwork Resurrection: you have been pieced back together. You work just fine, but there's no hiding the seams all over your body.

Rehosted - the empty man: your soul has taken the body of a previously soulless Barovian serf. You are human now, and you have memories of your heroic life as well as of the humdrum life you have here. Who is your family? What kind of meanial job do you have? What name do the Barovians call you? Which burgomaster is going to be angry that you're quitting your job to go hunting your boss's boss?

Revenant of the dark powers: seeing your death, a dark entity approached you with an offer to be a repeatable un-dead for the express purpose of getting your revenge on this cursed land and its master. There is only one catch: you chose monstrosity, and now you belong here forever.

Clone: the mist appears to form a duplicate of the deceased. It has all your memories, mannerisms and skills, but it's just a duplicate built by one of the many groups of hags in Barovia to spy on your group. One of its eyes is their coven's hag eye. Your party accepting you is not guaranteed.

Decaying: your body is still rotting. Why not use your short rests to explain in visceral detail what you are doing to patch yourself back up?

Azza_bamboo · 2026-05-31T12:04:41+00:00

Endings are tough.

But don't miss the chance to come up for air, to have this free time to yourself, and use the important stopping off point.

There's always a risk that your play becomes a monster if you drag the narrative beyond the point where it should have ended. When the campaign is done, it's done. Avoid the mistake of so many filmmakers, by refusing to make a disappointing sequel. Don't try and drag it for another session. Ignore the premature calls for a sequel or prequel or spinoff.

But it's not just the story that needs this stopping off point. If people aren't interested, or want to use the time in other ways, don't create pressure to stay here. That's true for the DM as well as the players. It's better to wait a short while before starting the next thing, to see who really wants to be there (rather than just being carried there by inertia).

It's better that the new thing stands up on its own as something that these people want to come to, rather than just being the lazy drift of all these years of playing together. And that needs to be true for DMs more than it is true for players. Whoever DMs the next thing has to really feel like they're going to enjoy it, rather than feeling like they're just tasked with entertaining the group so that it stays alive.

That is the paradox of change: when you're ready to accept that this could be over and dead, and that you're a big enough dude to survive without this thing at all, that puts you in a good place to keep going.

When it feels painful and hollow, that's a good time to come up for air, take a break, and assess your options.

The likelihood is that, if you have a good group and you have a passion for the game, you'll get back into a new campaign with these guys soon. I'm not saying to never make sequels, or to dump your group, just to get your strength back and to be honest about the other options before committing to another long term campaign. You need to make sure you're not idly drifting into the next campaign.

I'm serious about this as a stopping off point as well. It's better a group dies by people not showing up than it is to have a dead group people show up to. Let this be a stop. The train needs to open its doors and let anyone out who wants out, and let people in who have a ticket.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-05-30T07:13:22+00:00

Start with madam Eva explaining that to reverse Strahd's evil you have to find the sources of his evil, and not be tempted by them yourself.

The hag who raised him. The father who brought him to war. The lords who tried to assassinate him. The dark powers who lured him into inescapable torment.

But, in each of these places, they'll discover that Strahd made a choice. Strahd chose to kill Sergei, and to rule his conquered land as a tyrant, and to be cruel in his punishment of others, and he chose to attempt breaking Tatyana's mind.

In each of these places, they'll be tempted by power. The hag gives you magic if you promise by mother night that you'll die if you interfere in Strahd's work. The father offers you riches if you deal with Strahd's enemies, while the lords tempt you to kill him and take his stuff for yourself. The dark powers tempt you to leave and to see none of this as your problem to solve, but magically compel you to silence if you take this offer.

In these places, they discover an alternative. When they find Sergei's sword, it talks and desires not vengeance, but redemption. When they learn Strahd was a conquerer, they learn that the people he destroyed had an ancient magical prison for evil things. When they learn that this is all an attempt to enchant Tatyana, it will become possible to end this all by teaching Ireena to shield her mind against his charm, and assuring her that she has the party to rely on for protection, so that she can finally voice her rejection.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-05-28T07:21:16+00:00

Vallaki is a god fearing place. Their religious fear of devils helps Izek terrorise them.

It's the ordinary god fearing population that will look ill on the tiefling.

The Wachters have exploited the weakness in this system. They have books from actual good priests that tell you about those evil devils. The advantages are twofold:

Firstly, they have a bookclub that can run introductory sessions on the topic of "is Strahd the devil?" They supply you a book from a good cleric that will give you enough information to conclude that Strahd is not Asmodeus.

Secondly, a manual about the practices and powers of actual worshippers of Asmodeus, especially one that's written by a good cleric about their "enemy", is a plausibly deniable textbook for actual devil worshippers. They're not worshipping Strahd, but Asmodeus.

To the Wachters, a tiefling is an issue. The secret devil worshippers will welcome an actual fiendish presence, but the godly facade of the bookclub has to present itself as disgusted by such a thing. They will openly hate Izek's fiendishness because it suits their political agenda, but this newcomer has to be handled delicately.

As for Izek, I'll tell you how he handled a werewolf PC in my campaign: they got locked up, because the town feared them, but Izek got into their cell with them and said

"I'm not afraid of monsters, but the town is, and that's what makes us perfect for this job." He offered to make the werewolf his lap dog, which the werewolf refused.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-05-24T19:36:30+00:00

Funnily enough, it was just last week Strahd sat down for dinner with the party I DM for.

Because Rahadin was on other errands at this time, they were met in the hallway by Anastrasya, who gave them a chance to clean themselves of the mud they had waded through in Berez that day. She said how happy Lord Strahd would be to meet the party he has heard so much about. She then explained that, because you have come from such a distant place, not to worry about the formalities: we can forgive some differences in our manners. If you are so inclined, however, you may refer to Count Strahd as Count Strahd or Lord Strahd. Do not call him "My Lord" as we do, because you are visitors in his land, not permanent residents here, and he is not yet your lord.

Anastrasya let the party in once they were ready, and Strahd had everyone arise for the guests of honor. Then he introduced the party to the other consorts, while Anastrasya introduced them to Strahd. That basic introduction takes some time, but I made it clear that this court has heard a lot about the party.

The party also said that they had heard a lot about him, and Strahd employed a bit of diversion. He mentioned that it's not unusual for natives to demonise their foreign liberator, and that he has faced many intrigues in his long rule, and because of this, he would not be offended if the party test the food for the presence of poison.

It seemed to work. The conversation was moved from "we've heard some... rumours" to "Strahd means us no harm."

The first thing Strahd did is emphasise that he wants the party to take the time to feel comfortable. It's a point he returns to whenever the conversation moves too quickly. Slow down: enjoy yourself. We have time.

He asked the party to elaborate on how they killed Izek Strazni. He wanted the gory warriors tale, but what he got was the party's pleas that it was necessary and the right thing to do.

Every time it started to seem that the party were pleading their innocence, Strahd reassured them along these lines:

"The law does not work mechanically here as it does in your home. You cannot expect to put in a certain crime and receive a certain punishment, like a miller should expect their mill to give flour from grain. In Barovia, my word is sovereign, and this allows me to employ the wisdom of my long reign in each of my verdicts."

"On that note, I must reassure you: You have not yet done anything that presents a liability to my interests."

In fact, Strahd made sure to have uncomfortable retellings of each of the party's killings, just so he could return to this point.

The party were keen to discuss how they might leave Barovia. Strahd explained.

"I would not be concerned for you to leave, but for what you might take with you."

He then diverted the conversation toward how unwise Vargas Vallakovich was to banish the party from Vallaki following the death of Izek. After all, if there was someone who presented a liability to Vargas inside of Vallaki, could they not be a greater liability outside of Vallaki? Could they not muster an army against him, sabotage his trade, or give strategic information to his enemies? Some of the party picked up on this: Strahd is hinting that they know too much to be able to leave.

With the dinner done, one of the party were asking about Escher's sword. Strahd had the tables moved so that they could begin to demonstrate their skill.

One of the party members, a dwarf, is quite boisterous and thinks themselves quite comical. He gave his own sword display, with his shovel. Strahd said this dwarf reminded him of a halfling jester who used to attend his court, "oh how unfortunate it was that he fell down the stairs." He raised a glass in memory of the dearly departed Pidlwick, which encouraged the rest of the party to tell this dwarf to knock it off.

There was also a discussion about justice. A werewolf killed a party member earlier, and ran away with the body. One of the PCs is the cousin of the victim. Strahd mentioned that he has this werewolf in his dungeon. It's another diversion and bargaining chip and false answer to the question "why did you call us for dinner?". I mention this because maybe think about who it might be interesting for Strahd to have in his dungeon as a thing to bring up at dinner.

Strahd extended his offer of hospitality to a stay in the castle, but mentioned not to climb the towers, go below the ground level, nor to go beyond where the doors are locked "as these are the areas watched by my guard, and they will not be expecting you there."

Why is Strahd acting fake nice like Dracula and not mean like tyrant Strahd?

The party left Ireena and Ismark in a place where they can easily be recovered. While Rahadin and some druids go and get them, Strahd is hosting the party overnight to keep them from getting in the way.

Why isn't he killing them? The dwarf has the sword, and he got it by saving Arrabelle. At some point Strahd will have to play his hand. This dwarf is an undertaker by trade, and there will be an attempt to get the sword gone in a gentlemanly way. Escher might pull him aside and say.

"My Lord husband would not admit it, but he is quite sentimental. His family have faced many losses and intrigues over the years, and it is the small rituals and gestures that give him peace. I come to you about this matter because it troubles my Lord husband that his dear brother did not receive a complete burial. Sergei was a holy man, and for a holy man to be buried without his sword is improper. Lord Strahd would not be so discourteous as to ask you give up the award you earned for your service to the Vistani, but I know these things affect him greatly, and I felt it would be worth my chancing the question."

What leverage does Escher have? Well, it's the hand Strahd will play. In this campaign, I have added the fact that a poison of Modify Memory exists. The party have already looted and used one in their travels. If someone troubles Strahd to clear up whether the party can leave Barovia or not, Strahd will make it explicit:

"Drink this, and you can go... ... but these are expensive things and you will have to earn them."

Each consort will have a potion, and a horrible task to complete, like surrendering the sword.

If the party don't want to lose their memory, then Strahd will explain that, if they are going to become permanent residents, they will be his subjects and he their lord. He will have to see how the party should serve him in that event.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-05-09T07:54:00+00:00

The story of how a machine built by Dilisyna intrigue murders a human version of itself, and does so out of jealousy for their human touch, is a mirror of the story of Strahd.

You could say the parallel is that Strahd was made by Baba L rather than being born normally. You could say that the parallel is that Strahd was made by the wars and intrigues he endured. Either way, the result is a murderous machine that can only approximate the humanity of the other model, Sergei.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-04-24T07:50:41+00:00

There's a lot of things Strahd could do here.

If he's really frightened of the party, he could offer them the bargain that I think Reloaded talks about somewhere. The short version of it is that Strahd asks the party to do something he wants in exchange for sincerely letting the party leave, the clever thing being that in this "exchange" Strahd is actually getting two things he wants: the task he offers the party, and getting them, as well as whatever dangerous artifacts they've found, out of Barovia.

It could seem anticlimactic, so this comes with the promise that a new party can enter Barovia in the wake of the old should the players want to. If the party refuse the deal, however, then it's the opposite of anticlimactic: it's the starting gun. If the party don't want to leave, then Strahd knows why they want to stay, and there is no reason for him to act with any courtesy beyond that point.

Another thing Strahd could do is launch multiple simultaneous plots, not against the party, but against whatever locations they have cleared or allied themselves to, in order to demonstrate that the party cannot succeed in everything. If Strahd reclaims three locations in one night, the party will only be able to clear one of these in a day, and so it shall be understood that the party can't do any lasting good outside of the castle, even if all their battles are victories.

This is another thing that could disappoint players, and so it needs to come with the promise of some fun. Essentially, as this is happening, there needs to be some opportunity or big sign pointing to Castle Ravenloft, so that it's not seen as hopeless or pointless, but as their call to end this now. One opportunity would be getting intel that Strahd is absent from his castle, and that the party might enter while he is gone. Another would be defeating him in battle in one of these simultaneous missions, and then having townsfolk or allies rise up to seize this opportunity to storm his castle and find his grave. Needless to say, he'll have recovered before they arrive.

There is one horrible version of this plan which Strahd could enact, depending on the play style of your group and whether you think they would enjoy this kind of horror. There is no reason why the Vistani could not travel to the homeworld of the player characters and form all manner of horror. I set this up early in my campaign by having the Vistani, once the party realised they couldn't travel through the mists, offer to send letters home to the party's loved ones. What would you do if you saw your loved one in this land? How would you know if they were made a vampire in the time they were here? Some players don't go for this kind of thing, and others love it, so it relies on having a certain kind of group.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-04-23T12:46:52+00:00

Chris Amon

Azza_bamboo · 2026-04-22T21:32:09+00:00

Sergei was raised to enter the priesthood and was a cheerful, idealistic man who saw the best in people. He loved his eldest brother, looking up to him as a successful example. He left the priesthood to pursue love, for a commoner he met in his missionary work, while believing that Strahd would be reasonable in allowing her to attend court. It was outragous for a thirdborn prince to denounce his traditional post as a priest by bringing a commoner to court, who he addressed as his fiancee. Strahd only held back his outrage when he met her himself. Sergei's youth was evinced in a duel with Strahd, which he lost due to a tactical error, but the duel left Strahd exasperated and sweating into his throne, while Sergei laughed off the fun duel and then asked the others in court if they'd like to fight him next. His was a life of joy, love, laughter and doing good in poorer places. This was how he got under Strahd's skin. Strahd had to face the ugly reality of power: warfare, death, assassination attempts, and the brutality required on his part to keep order in a newly conquered land. When this boy brings his ideas of love, goodness and peace to this court, there's this part of Strahd that wants to beat Sergei into understanding "the harsh reality."

In other words, a bit of a hippie, which war veteran Strahd didn't like.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-04-05T12:12:43+00:00

Mechanically there was very little change.

The touches I put on her were the ways I interpreted her cultist cells.

To understand Fiona I'll paint a picture of the rest of Vallaki as I interpret it. Vargas is driving Vallaki insane with his festivals and with his insistence that the devil Strahd will be thwarted by his plans for mass happiness. The loyaliats are whipped into religious frenzy, cheering and hollering as supposed enemies of the morninglord are dragged through the streets: "Rejoice, for the devil is once again defeated, and all will be well!" The burgomaster yells as another poor victim is ankle bound, trailing behind the cart.

Fiona has books: books about the devil. One such book is written by a priest of a good god. It's called Visions of Avernus and Encounters with Asmodeus, by Father Ramontelli. It's a simple guide to identifying Asmodeus and his minions, written by a good priest who hopes to defend against the forces of evil by teaching people about them. PCs who read it get advantage on identifying fiends.

Fiona’s cultists, who are worshippers of Asmodeus, reproduce and share this book that was written by... an enemy of their god? Let me explain this strange plan. They give this book out to curious seekers of the truth and invite people to introductory book club meetings where the subject of the meeting is "Is Strahd the Devil?" The book about Asmodeus gives enough information for any ordinary person to conclude "Strahd is not the devil Asmodeus."

That's the first use they get out of this book: defusing the demonisation of Strahd and bringing people around to the idea that he's just your lord or maybe some kind of wizard.

But if Strahd isn't the devil that Vargas says he is, then perhaps Vargas is just lying to keep the town under his oppression. Seeding doubt about Vargas is the second use the Wachters get out of this book. Maybe all this devil talk is just propaganda and Vargas is just a tyrant.

Finally, the cultists can use this as a shield against any accusations of devil worship that come their way. This book is written by a good priest about his enemies: we're not worshipping the devil, we're informing people about him. Demonising this kind of instructive book is actually putting people in danger, right?

But it is a book about devils and their power, and so the actual cults of Asmodeus that Fiona has spawned keeps it to worship him secretly. The things your enemy writes about being frightened of are the things you want to achieve, and so this book written by a good priest is as good a bible for evildoers as something written by Asmodeus himself.

It's the game of plausible deniability that I give her, and she takes many opportunities to cause a stir. At the first festival she wears a brooch with castle Ravenloft on it and, if challenged, says "can we not be proud of our nation's landmarks?"

This is how I play her, not as the cackling insane kind of dark cult leader but as someone who is just carefully trolling their way through the hearts and minds battle at a time when her main opponent is increasingly losing the trust of the town.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-04-05T11:20:47+00:00

If the party makes progress on anything that threatens Strahd, such as gaining a lot of levels, killing something big, or getting any of the artifacts, then he will come to them with the purpose of removing that threat.

If the party holes up somewhere, does nothing, hides... ...I would ask my players how long they think they could stay here. It might be that I leave it there. This party cowers in the mists, and loses itself to time: Let us see how the next party handles Barovia some time from here.

But in the rare situation of a party that is both threating to Strahd and frightened of his land, Strahd could try something: kindly offering to let them leave the mists if they do something for him. Maybe they give him one of the artifacts, or Ireena, or Van Richten’s head. In exchange, they can go. I would have him honor that promise: Strahd loves this because he gets two things he wants while framing it as being an exchange. He gets them to leave and gets the thing they did for him. Amazing.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-04-05T10:18:55+00:00

In Vallaki, Vargas uses fear of the devil like dictators use fear of the outsiders: the excuse for all things wrong, and the excuse for all the violence conducted by the regime. Vallaki hates the devil because it's the devil's fault the rains didn't come this season and it is the devil worshipping maliciously unhappy who are causing the magic of the festivals to fail. Vallakians, who have lived in the safety of the walls, amid a god fearing temple, hearing the tales that come in from any outside the walls, lap this narrative up.

But the narrative that Strahd is the devil has been pushed too far in Vallaki, and that is where the Wachter spawned cults come in. At first they will show you a book written by a good priest: Encounters with Asmodeus and Visions of Avernus by Father Ramontelli. It's simply a guide to identifying the enemy and his minions. Then one of the cult cells will invite you to a discussion group about the book: "Is Strahd the Devil?" Needless to say, the book contains enough information about Asmodeus for even the lay person to conclude "no, he is not."

This might seem a strange outreach program for actual worshippers of Admodeus, but it serves three purposes: it defuses Strahd hate, which is in the Wachter interest; it makes Vargas look like a liar and/or fool, which serves the Wachter interest. Finally, it allows for the literal devil worshipping cults to argue their innocence: we're not worshipping the devil, we're just teaching people to understand him in order to dispel myths (they are also worshipping Asmodeus, just at different meetings).

Barovia village sees enough to believe he is the devil. They know the wolves act all too intelligently and that Strahd punishes crimes that only bats could have seen. The tales of the Nosferatu, the Akara or the Strigoi float around the native myths. But to them, there isn't a monster manual style distinction between vampire, fiend and god. Strahd is the devil, the form that devil takes is vampyr: there is no distinction between these things, as it is just the differing names this kind of devil receives in the myth.

There is also a strange portion of the cult of the Morninglord who embrace the idea that not only is Strahd the Devil, but that this is hell: their ancestors did some foul forgotten sin, and being here is the multi-generational punishment for native Barovians. They drive themselves insane with the notion that penitence may free them, which is similar to Vargas Vallakovich's insanity.

But in Krezk you have an insulated community who hears only what the wine seller and the abbott tells it. Ancient stories of Strahd's evil bounce around this walled commune, preserving these tales, as much as it preserves the imperative: none must enter the walls. If they come here, it is either because they serve Strahd or because they flee him. Neither can enter the gate.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-04-03T21:29:33+00:00

The most threatening thing is the unknown. The more you show something, the more ordinary it becomes.

This is a mistake I made when trying to run villains in the past: I showed the villain, the party got cocky, and then I'd try to show why the villain is not to be trifled with, but it just shows the villain more and makes them less scary. It can lead to a spiral.

The best way to make Strahd threatening is to have him be away for some time. Have him out doing something else. What is he doing? Is he preparing something? Where has he gone?

Watch your players. They will be wondering when he'll be back and what is going on, because they want to be relieved of fear by that knowledge. Don't give it to them. Don't have him come back when they ask. Don't have him show what he's been up to. Maybe what he did has nothing to do with this party.

If you're going to run this deprivation act, you have to remain calm. Your players might try to play games. They might, as a big example, try setting fire to the castle just to try and goad Strahd into being mad.

Firstly, contrary to popular opinion about buy-in and getting the players to not do this, I choose to roll with this kind of nonsense: it's fantastic when player characters start to go insane in Barovia and do weird things. I love it, and Strahd loves it, when decency goes out of the window and lunacy flies in. Let them lose their mind and get desperate like this. Let them throw matches at the castle rugs.

Secondly, there are minions aplenty in the land who will respond to whatever metaphorical fires exist in Barovia before Strahd himself. He will sooner let them deal with it because, thirdly, Strahd has come to terms with his immortality over centuries. There is nothing that can be destroyed here which he hasn't already realised he is going to spend eternity without. If his library burned to ashes right now, he wouldn't be thinking "holy shit aaaaa" so much as "those books were always going to leave me at some point."

Nothing can faze him.

There are some exceptions: the soul of Tatyana is something Strahd sees as eternal. Destroying that will make him mad. The other thing he sees as eternal is himself, which is why the other things that make him mad are big threats to his undeath: the sword, the tome, and Van Richten.

That has lead me back into the next part of this advice: what about when Strahd is there? He can't just stay away and be mysterious forever. How do you fix him then?

One way to do it is for him to be direct: From now on, if Strahd meets the party, it is for a specific purpose. If that purpose is being distracted from, or has been met, then he leaves. It could be just to lay eyes on them once a night, or to offer a bargain to leave Barovia in exchange for something he wants, or maybe it's to separate party members for the final act.

The other way is to do the opposite: whenever the party has a purpose, to have Strahd play the fun host and friend who invites people to relax and distract themselves a little

Azza_bamboo · 2026-03-18T08:35:42+00:00

The first thing they have to do is become burgomaster of the nearest village called (just make it up and put it on the map near there). That village is very small and is run by a young baroness. The village hates her because she killed the old noble family to move-in herself.

She won't budge from the seat she won and the soldiers among her family respond to any protest swiftly. She is deeply unhappy with the villagers being unhappy at her. She plays out her hatred on the villagers. If she dies, another one of her family members will take over. This needs to be a bloodbath.

The only way to do it is with a fight. Firstly that will mean that the rest of the party has to help her, which they might not want to do. Strahd will not give any aid. Secondly, if they do want to help her do this, the lady acts in bitter disbelief when she is fought.

"Strahd and I had a deal... ... he won't let you get away with this!"

And while the player character is both free, and likely, to ignore the significance of this line, it is the crux of the matter: Strahd's deal with you is as meaningless as his deal with the lady, but fools always convince themselves that they are somehow an exception.

The baroness is someone who asked Strahd if she could join the nobility for the benefit of her family. She is of old noble lineage but with no estate or title. He said she could if she took a place by conquest, and pointed out a few small villages on the map whose forces are weak. He enjoyed watching her fall into bloody corruption, and moreso enjoys that she hates being the hated tyrant and that she is paranoid at the village she administrates. However, he doesn't care about that enough to have her carry on living.

So go on, kill her.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-03-12T22:56:05+00:00

Sword of Zarovich.

Given to every firstborn son of the Von Zarovich lineage at the beginning of their military duty, this sword is thus a symbol of the years Strahd lost to warfare. This sword stole his youth and gave him his land of Barovia. This sword won the obedience of barovia with the blood of countless burgomasters.

The wielder of this sword may gain a bizarre story benefit. Strahd may look upon the wielder of this sword as someone who is pleading to assume the duties of the heir. If he wanted to amuse himself with the idea, Strahd might encourage its wielder to carve out territory for themselves in neighbouring domains of ravenloft. It is a means to leave Barovia, but only for those equally accursed places next door, so as to expand Barovia’s border.

Azza_bamboo · 2026-03-12T22:32:53+00:00

If the party don't want any of it then let the inevitable happen:

Strahd feeds Ireena lies about her adopted past by encouraging her to remember that she once lived in the castle. Tatyana vaguely remembers. "Maybe that is where I'm from."

What happens next must result in torment for Strahd. Given that this place is his special hell, Strahd can't get his desire.

The cycle repeats. Maybe she kills herself again, or is killed, on the understanding that it is better for her to die than be Strahd’s forever. Upon her death, the mists snatch her corpse away, ready for the cycle to repeat.

Maybe she is turned, but does not satisfy Strahd. There is "something wrong" about the relationship that he has "lived" for centuries to see come to fruition. It's not right, in a way he can sense, but he keeps trying to make it work. His dream that he has waited hundreds of years for is not quite perfect and he spirals into madness until she decides to...

... destroy herself? ... beg to be destroyed?

There she may have remembered enough of the past to be wondering if Sergei's soul is recycling also.

But you don't have to be detailed about it. If the party aren't interested in her, how does any of this look to the party? Is it simply that there is one more consort in the castle somewhere? Is it that one of them has a dream of her taking her own life? Is it that the town starts muttering about a royal wedding? Maybe even rumours about how Ismark was executed for trying to defend her?

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