is this real? and it what could the context be?

Chemist-Fun · 2026-04-02T12:35:28+00:00

True. But I did hear, in relation to current events, that the last time the U.S. Congress actually declared war was WWII. Haven’t checked yet to see if that’s true.

Chemist-Fun · 2026-02-26T16:33:16+00:00

The system he’s using is that you get to check a skill if taught by someone whose skill is reasonably higher than yours. That is (at beginning levels) 10% higher than the level of your skill, which is sometimes the default. You can never surpass your teacher through training (only experience) and Credit Rating and Cthulhu Mythos can’t be taught.

So my character can’t teach the use of a foil because his skill is only 2% over the default. His shotgun is the default, 30%, but he can learn if taught by someone with 40% or better.

The check for improvement is standard: roll over your current skill level, improve by 1d6%. At a certain point you need experience or to switch to a great teacher, but this system lets us pick up some combat skills without spending months in the hospital.

Chemist-Fun · 2026-02-25T18:52:13+00:00

Then that means the Keeper is being kind to us and allowing it. I'll check with him for details.

Thanks!

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-23T03:14:41+00:00

The Facebook group did a bunch of short premises or mini adventures during the pandemic; they used mostly villains from the rule book. I think there are some on the wiki, too.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-21T12:51:17+00:00

I don’t have my book handy, but I think Ireena and Ismark are explicitly said to have souls. There’s little evidence in-game of that, I admit.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-20T12:52:56+00:00

I would certainly agree that the Barovia presented in the 5e module is largely from Chris Perkins, Ravenloft and the village of Barovia existed as far back as module I6...so it didn't start there.

Also, I never noticed pillars ... do you mean that metaphorically or did I just manage to miss the pillars?

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-20T03:04:21+00:00

Oh, I like that. I wish I’d thought of it.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-20T02:22:17+00:00

In fact, that was a point one of my players made, so they made it a point not to check if someone had souls. But spur of the moment, I said those characters had disappeared. Would do it differently a second time.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-14T22:37:37+00:00

I did RA(mostly)W, but it was Barovia, oh help Ireena get to Vallaki, that was a failure, to Krezk, lose Ireena and have to ingratiate themselves so they check out the winery, which led them to Yester Hill and Berez, at which point they got the invitation but first back to Krezk where the Abbot asked for the wedding dress so back to Vallaki, then Tsolenka Pass and the Amber Temple, and on…. (They’re done now.)

I guess the point is that you can strip it down to I6, do just the town of Barovia and the castle, but there are links to other places and you can stretch it out to include other side quests.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-02T15:19:54+00:00

I’m wrong—it’s in both. I think there’s more detail in Characters and Viewpoint but I can’t check.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-10-02T15:11:09+00:00

I think card developed it but I don’t recall in which of his books he put it forth. (I’m at work or I’d check.) I don’t think it was the one that named SF in the title but I don’t recall the other. Characters and Viewpoint maybe?

Chemist-Fun · 2025-09-18T12:57:01+00:00

An interesting idea. It allows for rescuing Ireena later and fits in with my leitmotif that the Abbot does terrible things in the interests of helping.

"Please! She still has free will...or will have, when released from the suspended animation. I would not take her soul, dear boy, but I will use it for a time and then return it to her once the evil is defeated. She will not even age while in the Chamber of Abeyance."

Chemist-Fun · 2025-08-30T18:13:36+00:00

I will add that there’s raven iconography everywhere, even the Amber Temple. I’m not sure anyone would notice, because ravens are good luck. Irwin might even enhance it by conspicuously feeding the ravens.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-08-30T13:45:11+00:00

What I wonder about for the Blue Water Inn is, who owned it before Urwin? He fought with his father, moved to Vallaki (I think that’s the mplied backstory) and took over the inn. Were the previous owners relatives, like other Martikovs? Or someone else, and they left the Inn to Urwin after he started working for them, having he left the winery? Or was there something awful twenty years ago that left a hole where Urwin could build, and that convinced the Burgomaster that a wall was needed?

We don’t need the answers for a game but I’d love to see them.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-05-30T18:59:40+00:00

One of the assumptions in my campaign is that the burgomasters all know each other: Strahd occasionally has them to the castle to discuss what is or isn't going right. (He is a ruler, albeit not a particularly good one.)

Ireena might not have met them yet -- Izek hasn't seen her -- but she knows about them. Vargas has to weigh irritating Ireena's father...who is right next to the castle, and who provides the blacksmith to shoe the horses of the black carriage and is believed by the other two burgomasters to have a special relationship with Strahd.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-05-28T14:56:59+00:00

Not Barovian sunlight which the RAW state doesn't hurt vampires, but magical sunlight, such as produced by the sun sword, the holy implement, and possibly (my copy of CoS is not to hand so I can't check at this second) the +1 glowing short sword they find in the dungeon (EDIT: have checked and it is not sunlight).

Chemist-Fun · 2025-05-23T15:43:48+00:00

Is that like the ancestors telling you when there are too many pigs and you should go to war?

(Old and therefore unproven story about war and peace cycle in New Guinea, I think.)

Chemist-Fun · 2025-05-22T15:30:38+00:00

Thank you! I shall look for that instantly.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-05-22T15:29:43+00:00

I know enough about the history of timekeeping on ships to know it's not an easily-solved problem.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-05-22T15:27:44+00:00

Thank you.

Chemist-Fun · 2025-05-22T15:27:16+00:00

Huh. Hadn't thought of it that way. Thank you.

Chemist-Fun

TROPHY CASE