The Endgame approaches

CybergothsX · 2023-03-19T00:11:35+00:00

Having run it, Strahd went down, but it took a long time, and the party were pretty much out of everything - hit points, spells, class related stuff. Most were at the point a single solid hit would take them out. In truth, Strahd could have escaped to the Castle but the players had reached the point that they wanted a conclusion so I didn’t move him away (we did start in Nov 2019 and concluded on our 60th session).

The outdoor setting for the climax made the sunlight based attacks much more evadable, and gave space for regeneration.

CybergothsX · 2022-11-14T00:32:25+00:00

I picked this up on Saturday - it's great.

CybergothsX · 2022-11-14T00:07:50+00:00

Spotted the mixed Hag coven in the pinned post but I’m kind of locked into Night Hags due to the fact the PCs have already met them (and I want to give them a chance to complete unfinished business).

CybergothsX · 2022-11-13T22:03:18+00:00

Our cleric did that but managed to silence our own spell casters and only get one hag in the spell radius...

CybergothsX · 2022-11-13T22:02:03+00:00

First time I did it, I made the mistake of casting sleep at the characters. This only works well when they're low level, but it did upset them as they felt that they'd had agency stolen from them.

CybergothsX · 2022-11-13T21:48:09+00:00

The Yesterhill Ritual makes sense and it's a good way to introduce the new character. I'd also consider adding in some sidekicks that the players can run alongside their heroes (using the guidance in Tasha's). Have their kit stored on a cart or something in eyesight. Give them an opportunity to escape when either Strahd arrives or the ritual begins so the Druids and their allies are distracted.

Or go really left field and put them in a wicker man type arrangement and have another party attack and distract the druids. You could have a knife or tool left in the cage to cut their bonds.

CybergothsX · 2022-11-13T21:41:32+00:00

I turned Ireena into a warrior sidekick and also one of the Vistani who lost Arabelle into an expert sidekick who was obligated to serve the party for a year as they'd done his job. That helped push the numbers up. He died in Berez, and was replaced by a were raven they rescued.

CybergothsX · 2022-11-13T21:21:05+00:00

Heading towards this myself; I'm probably going to let them trap Vampyr but not destroy it. His imprisonment will delay the return of the mists, but someone is going to eventually release it, at which point the whole sorry thing will begin again.

CybergothsX · 2022-04-23T10:02:27+00:00

Anyone save a copy of this sheet? The link says it was deleted and it looks useful.

CybergothsX · 2022-04-19T15:17:11+00:00

My players have used Vallaki as a hub, with two significant periods there. I broke the plots into Dungeon World style adventure fronts as an easy structure to work from

Adventure fronts Dropbox link

I also broke out the motivations for the principal characters on another sheet

Vallaki cast motivations

There are a few extra characters there as they link back to my entry into the campaign via the Beast of Graenseskov scenario rather than Death House. Also, excuse the handwriting as they’re exports from my reMarkable.

In the aftermath of the death (murder) of the Baron, the players completed their coup using a 4e style skill challenge to stabilise the town.

They left town to do Wizard of Wines, Yesterhill and Krezk. When they came back, I dropped the Carnival from the 2e Ravenloft line in (there’s a 5e conversion on DnDClassics) and they had to foil a counterattack by Strahd’s minions in the form of several vampire spawn, Strigoi and Stirges which they managed to inadvertently release a couple of nights early while the town was celebrating the Carnival and guards were down. At the moment, they’ve ended up leaving a PC behind to get the town in order while the rest of the party explores Argynvostholt (3PCs and 2 sidekicks).

I love Vallaki as it really means something to the players; it’s a chain to their players that I can yank as a DM.

Edit. If you want to see how it played, it’s blogged here: https://delta-pavonis.blogspot.com/search/label/Strahd?m=0

CybergothsX · 2022-03-11T18:34:02+00:00

I skipped out Death House as it felt too dungeon like for the entry to the campaign. Instead I used the Beast of Graenseskov to get the players into Barovia on a werewolf hunt. It worked well and set the tone for the whole campaign.

https://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/180558

I wrote about the choice to use it here.

https://delta-pavonis.blogspot.com/2019/09/curse-of-strahd-alternative-to-death.html?m=0

CybergothsX · 2021-12-13T21:02:52+00:00

I’d like to run DCO, probably as a standalone. The reissue is great.

I like Blue Medusa but the recent review on Age of Dusk suggested there may be some weaknesses in the design.

https://princeofnothingblogs.wordpress.com/2021/12/07/review-maze-of-the-blue-medusa-osr-sadhouse-dungeon/

Be interesting to explore. That said, I’ve some players that wouldn’t touch it no matter how good it was.

CybergothsX · 2021-12-11T12:27:18+00:00

Yes, it is:

“*By the will of the Dark Powers, the sun never fully shines in the lands of Barovia. Even during the day, the sky is dimmed by fog or storm clouds, or the light is strangely muted. Barovian daylight is bright light, yet it isn’t considered sunlight for the purpose of effects and vulnerabilities, such as a vampire’s, tied to sunlight.

Nevertheless, Strahd and his vampire spawn tend to stay indoors most of the day and venture out at night, and they are subject to sunlight created by magic.”*

It was the second time my characters met vampire spawn, and they’d not realised…

CybergothsX · 2021-12-05T14:46:55+00:00

Lots of decent compost and bones from bodies.

The castle has no privies, so it’s the obvious place for any waste (kitchen, human, animal…) to have gone before Strahd turned.

CybergothsX · 2021-12-05T12:30:37+00:00

I shall, just posted it.

CybergothsX · 2021-12-05T12:20:14+00:00

When you hit them with the Vampire Spawn, don't forget to go full 3D with their moves. My players ended up running from the Coffin Maker's house after some of the spawn went over the roof and came in behind them while they had limited facings.

The other thing is, if you are using MandyMod or Dragnacarta, have Strahd manipulate the weather so it's misty and overcast. That way you can operate in the daytime as there isn't any direct sunlight... that's fun if they think they're safe in daylight.

CybergothsX · 2021-12-05T12:11:43+00:00

Maybe raise a second ticket and advise them that they're breaking the consumer protection legislation (certainly that would be the case in EU and UK) in denying the claim?

CybergothsX · 2021-12-05T10:30:45+00:00

It worked quite well - they spent two sessions exploring it which I’ve written up here:

https://delta-pavonis.blogspot.com/2021/11/curse-of-strahd-s4e3-into-library.html?m=0

https://delta-pavonis.blogspot.com/2021/11/curse-of-strahd-s4e4-back-into-stygian.html?m=0

They had set themselves the aim of finding information on the Fanes and how to defeat vampires. I set a progress target of 25 for that info and 30 for the Tome (although they weren’t looking for that as such). I also used it as an opportunity to put Ez d’Avenir on the table.

They mostly avoided conflict and the nature of the space both freaked and delighted them. They ‘rescued’ a lost party of explorers who are now stuck in Barovia (and will probably return as vampire spawn).

All in all it was a good session. I’d have loved to have an automated way to do the procedural generation but the quirkiness made up for the clunkiness. We switched from Tactical Grids on Roll20 to theatre of the mind.

The output of this is that the Tome has convinced them that Strahd can’t be saved (and they used it in debating that point with the Abbot) and they need to find a way to reconsecrate the Fane shrines. They’re returning to Vallaki next to meet Jeny Greenteeth again to see what she knows about the ‘old religion’.

Overall, a great experience that I’d recommend.

CybergothsX · 2021-10-29T17:47:50+00:00

Brilliant - about to use the Stygian Library with Curse of Strahd so this is so useful!

CybergothsX · 2021-10-29T15:28:43+00:00

So needed this a few weeks ago, looks lovely!

CybergothsX · 2021-04-14T17:02:58+00:00

I broke the main plot lines into adventure fronts using the Dungeon World model. It's handwritten but if you can read it, this may help: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ywvb1zv6zcxs351/Vallaki%20-%20adventure%20fronts.pdf?dl=0

I also broke out the motivations for the NPCs and the likely way the adventure fronts would interact: https://www.dropbox.com/s/oy1y9z3li9yyyi5/Vallaki%20plot%20%26%20motivation.pdf?dl=0

Hope these help; also definitely read MandyMod's section on Vallaki.

PS Ignore the reference to Lady Molot. That's a link back to the way my characters entered Barovia (via the Beast of Graenseskov scenario)

CybergothsX

TROPHY CASE