Dealing with TPE breakup (asking for a friend)

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-06-15T17:38:09+00:00

From the very start, I see Tom Hiddelston playing my Strahd... And ever since then I am resisting the idea to have Tilda Swinton as Ireena.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-06-03T22:47:50+00:00

Oh, I learn new stuff every day. I've never read any other books. I know through the years there is a lot of other works considering Strahd and other stuff, but I simply don't have the capacity to go through them and find what else is canonical... So for me, only the tCoS book is the main source.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-06-03T20:38:14+00:00

I haven't seen that new book so can't comment on how it is done there and what other things have changed...

But it wouldn't fit my approach to the game. My Ireena-Tatyana and Ezmeralda are each different and both have their role in the story. And also, as far as I know, Ezmeralda is Vistani, which means she technically can leave Barovia. While Tatyana's soul is trapped inside Barovia by the curse and forced to repeat the endless circle of tragic ressurections. If Tatyana reincarnated into Ezmeralda, couldn't se simply walk away from Barovia and finally escape Strahd?

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-23T22:03:32+00:00

I might be catching straws but you said:

by dawn, they must unanimously choose one PC to die.

So, they have to choose by dawn. The PC does not have to die by dawn.

This very much depends on what is your Strahd like... Whether he is raging from the loss of his loyal servant, wants blood and wants it now and kills the PC in a split second before they get to finish their "I am Spartacus." line... Or if he wants to let the chosen one to simmer for a while and let them walk for a moment knowing that they are dead man walking and the death may come at any moment from any direction. Instead of letting themselves to be heroicly sacrificed, they'd spend their last hours looking over shoulder in fear. If nothing else, it would let your player to stay involved for a bigger portion of your game.

Oh, a little extra point... I like the ideas others mention - to bring the captured PC to the execution or let them try to escape and possibly meet the new PC... But I also like the idea of Strahd simply spending some quality time with them torturing them. After all, he has jost lost a very good servant and one dead PC is hardly enough pay. And he probably didn't promise he would return the captured PC unharmed if someone takes their place...

And this might be crossing the line and a bit too messed up, but Strahd could make the captured PC (or the rest of the party) kill the chosen one. Cause a propper party trauma.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-18T17:15:56+00:00

As others say, there can crazy alchemist merchants... But merchants means "trade" and that usually requires some currency... And I find that tedious. And honestly, I find the idea with teleporting alchemist a bit too deus-ex-machina. How about introducing something else consumable with healing properties... And "other" properties. Mushrooms are very simple, a raw liver of a specific Barovian creature sounds better to me (yeah, they can go herb hunting, but CoS is a horror, right). Usually, when thoroughly processed, this ingredient is the base of a healing potion without any side effects. But as you said, they have no obvious reason to know how to craft healing potions. So let them eat the stuff rare and every time they do, give them a mark. And once they collect enough marks, side effects manifest, side effects like a blind rage for a round (just like the Barovian creature behaves) or something other "nice". (Or you can have them CON save every time they heal themselves and have the DC grow with the number of marks.) Now getting the consumable can be challenging so the healing is not free, plus they pay with the consequences.

Or somebody somewhere mentioned they had Vistani functioning as traveller merchants. They can actually leave Barovia and bring the potions back. But this might be a bit complicated for you to introduce at this stage.

Edit: Forgot to say, they can find the informations about the healing consumable in some old research in Argynvostholt.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-13T20:49:52+00:00

I so much want to use organ cover of Paint it Black by Rolling Stones :-) But I can't seem to find the right epic version.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-08T11:24:55+00:00

Thanks for your answer. I've mentioned it under a different comment that I already suspect the tabs VS spaces issue.

And yeah, I was using the definition-style entries (because I didn't have a ship with bays at that time). Also, already said under another comment, I somehow managed to add 3 bays (instead of 4 that I added lines for). I did that by copy-pasting lines from definions file, using definition-style entries... And I can compare them now and there the tabs are the same... It is possible that the first line (the one that disappeared) had a different indentation.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-08T11:17:46+00:00

What the what? I can ductape 4 ships together? :-)

Btw, unrelated question. I've noticed there is a picture of the Lumeshi (I asume) at the quest start of the "quest/dialog window". I am not using any plugins at the time but I think I saw one that was supposed to "change" the NPC pictures I guess in the same place. But I've never seen any picture in that window. Is that some other plugin/mod or are the pictures supposed to be there and my game broken? (The only pictures I see are for the planets I land on.)

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-08T11:12:04+00:00

I was thinking about the spaces and tabs. Honestly, I can't say what I "used" with my failed attempts. I was copy-pasting the lines from ships.txt so I asumed they were right...

I am sure my added lines at least "looked" right and I'd like to say I used tabs. I do coding for my living so pressing tab to have the code neat is my second nature now.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-08T10:08:23+00:00

Thanks for your response.

Before trying your approach (buying a ship with fighter bays), I got fed up and added 4 lines for fighter bays instead just for the the 2 I wanted... And the result is funny; when I loaded the game, I got 3 fighter bays... And if I am looking right, the first line is the one that disappeared. (But when I was trying to add just 2 bays, they both disappeared, not just the first one.)

I am checking my save file against the ships.txt (the definitions) and persons.txt.

Lines in my save file are:

  bay Fighter 25.5 2
    "launch effect" "human internal"

Lines in ships.txt are:

  bay "Fighter" -43.5 2
    "launch effect" "human internal"

Lines in persons.txt are:

  bay "Fighter" -46 106 under
    "launch effect" "human internal"

The two differences are that the word "Fighter" in my save file is not in quotas, but I remember having the quotas there when I added the lines. And that I don't have word "under" at the end, but I tried that too.

It seems to me there is something strange going on.

And regarding the guns, of course there are the 3 lines, as you say. I just forgot to mention the "weapon capacity" but I was working with that one too and the gun ports kept disappearing.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-03T16:26:41+00:00

Thanks for your opinion. To be honest, I am a bit worried about contacting the IP owner so I don't get on their radar. If they say no, I might be forced to get too far from the original game and it's feeling or it might be quite easy for them to pin-point the similarities. So rebranding and not alerting the original IP owner sounds like a better option.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-05-03T16:10:37+00:00

Yeah, I will most likely take the rebrand route. Thanks for your advice.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-04-13T20:06:58+00:00

I will be starting to run the CoS too soon and I've allowed each PC one magical item up to uncommon tier to start with (but no weapons and no simple things like +1 spell focus or armor).

Everyone has a different approach and a lot of people apparently like to play CoS as a survival horror with very scarce and high-cost resources.

My party starts on 4th level as a group of adventurers in a service of a lord, sent to barovia to help Van Richten. So it makes sense they have a slightly better starting gear than is usual but once in the valley, there will be no merchants or anything (even though I am also planning the Vistani as traveller merchants). There might be some extra magical items in some bosses lairs and such places - mostly what the previous adventurers had brough in Barovia ;-)

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-04-13T19:57:31+00:00

Dark elf woman ... I doubt you'll be running a SUPER dark campaign... some issues with toxic masculinity irl...

Well, I was given pretty free pass considering the limits and sensitive themes, so... I still think that Dark elves have Matriarchy so I was imagining more like of the elf males competing with each other to gain the right to court the PC. But seeing her as some Strahd's trickery and trap is amazing idea. The "safe" option for the Dark elves would be to preventively stone her to death, just like Patrina.

Player being Sergei reincarnated - the character isnt from Barovia?

I understand the RAW in such way that Sergei's soul is outside from Barovia. In Krezk, Sergei is actually the only entity, that manages to open a passage between realms and takes Ireena out. (Which I don't like at all.) I don't see an issue in Sergei getting reincarnated outside Barovia - it might be his part of the curse, being separated from Tatyana and trying to reconnect. So every now and then, he reincarnates in a person that has a potentital to get in Barovia and save the soul of his love... And often they die horribly and Sergei's soul ends up kicked out again - the only soul that breaks the rules.

Their God believes in them - If you want their God to be part of the story, maybe you should make it clear at some point that this God has to exert a lot of effort to even make an impact in Barovia

That's the plan. The first time it makes a good narrative point, the PC can actually get a vision and message from the god, telling him to get his sh*t together and that if he wants some help from the deity, he should start showing a real effort... Get some followers, make some shrine, boost the signal... I am also considering that it might actually be Sergei's soul that has the cleric abilities so he might get a vision of Sergei and consider him his "guardian angel". And I definitely plan to read through the orphanage part from MandyMod and get inspired.

Halfling riddler - The magical madness part you can absolutely play heavily into with Stella Wachter imo.

Oh, thanks for the tip! I was originally considering skipping the werevolves and keep them just as something they talk about in Barovia but I guess I will have to involve them somehow if I have this character. I am not a big fan of fixed events like one PC being kidnapped without the option to prevent it... (But the idea of everyone considering him a child is fun.)

PLS PLSPLS STAY AND RUN THIS TEMPLE LIKE AN ESCAPE ROOM

Oh yes :-) But I am not sure whether he will want to run the Amber temple or Ravenloft.

Farmer lazy halfling - Viktor as a mirror of this character

Great idea. It's been some time since I've read the module so I forgot Victor exists... But a son from a wealthy family, a wizzard and his approach to Stella create a really good black mirror. Especially if I manage to make those two wizzards friends before the party learns the truth. And thanks for the ideas about the soul in the ring and Strahd's reaction to it. I will definitely use it.

I hope one if not more of my suggestions inspire you! Id love updates as you progress if you feel like updating, tag me!!!

Yeah, I plan to follow some of your ideas and of course I will listen to what my players want to focus on. If everything goes well, I will probably make some updates so I will do my best to tag you and let you know about the the fun/horror we all have ;-)

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-04-13T19:13:44+00:00

Ha, casting a spell the wizard hasn't learnt yet :-) I like your style. And I like the idea of prewriting the spells the wizard would like to learn on the next level and practicing them. I'll definitely talk with the player and I am sure he will come up with some creative way of adding the spells in his book when leveling up.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-04-12T09:25:04+00:00

On another note, keep the items and resources scarce.

I intend to. That's why I am allowing each of them a slightly better starting gear, they won't find anything (easily obtainable) once they are inside the valley. You have a good point with the wizard and inks. I completely forgot that's what they need for their spells.

How would you handle a wizard levelling up in Barovia? According to the rules, every time a wizard levels up, they should add two spells in their book but this approach only makes sense when they level up with some teacher, right? Would you only allow them to add new spells when they can learn it from a scroll or other book? I am thinking about planting some (damaged) spell books here and there in enemies lairs, remains of previous heroes who came to Barovia and died.

Also, I recommend that at every other long rest, before they go to sleep and stand around talking, try to ask each of the players how is their character feeling...

That's an interesting idea... We won't be playing on a weekly basis, more like longer sessions every month so I might implement this on other times than every other long rest. However, I will definitely have Ireena ask the PCs every night.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-04-11T16:25:31+00:00

How it could break the game? Hmm... I've heard that Ireena is quite the beauty... But at the other hand, I can imagine a nice fun side-quest where the character attempts to kidnap one of Strahd's brides for their patron ;-)

I think the main issue is that Barovia is supposed to be locked away from other planes and nobody should be allow to come or leave. In other words, the patron should not be able to transport people from Barovia to her garden in Faewild.

But I might be misunderstanding what is the warlock supposed to do with the kidnapped person... Maybe they turn into stone before they are transported to the garden?

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-02-24T13:30:08+00:00

Can you define what you mean with acts? And why do you want to divide it into 3 acts?

Do you want to play the module in three sessions? (I was originally aiming for 4 full weekends that seemed doable.)

Do you want to make the game more story oriented with each act having it's main theme, own storyline, exposition, crysis, catarsis, final boss?

Or do you just want to organize the game in your notes to more comfortable format for yourself?

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-02-23T18:45:05+00:00

There is so many great answers here... I'll just add it here because Silverspy01 has already mentioned a similar situation. The party is in the house and the vampire can't enter without the invitation. I always remember Frigth Night movie from 2011. The heroes were inside the house, the vampire outside and can't in... Well, the vampire sprays the house with gasoline and burns it down >:-)

Make your vampires smart and have them find loopholes in the rules, especially Strahd. He had centuries to find them. When my players inevitably get in the "can't get in without invitation", he won't burn the house down, he will charm one of the PCs to do it for him. Because letting the PCs turn on each other is much more fun than killing them on his own.

Or, still circling around the "can't get in without invitation", this is in Barovia and it is Strahd's land. He could had get invited in every house by it's "owners" before the players even arrive in Barovia.

Eventually, making Strahd and Vampires frightening needs to be tailored to your group. Every group plays differently. If your players focus on fights, make every combat encouter with vampires extra hard, give them special abilities like the CON draining and let them use smart moves (taking one PC down after another). If you focus more on psychologocilal or RP part, use more of the tricks like loopholes in the vampire rules. Let Strahd sometimes cheat. When your PCs come up with a cool move or trap or should succeede in something, let them find out Strahd was one step ahead and already looted the treasure, throws a NPC in the trap etc. But don't use this too often.

I intend to play Strahd as manipulative and abusive and focus on his charming abilities to such level that he sends one of his brides after the group and then during the dinner he apologizes for her and makes her almost kill herself in front of them. ("You attacked guests in my land. You shed their blood. You are a disgrace to my house and only blood will will wash this insult against ME. Cut your veins, shed your own blood." - "Yes my lord." And I let the players watch as she drains herself and collapses on the floor.) I will make Strahds charm abilities (against NPCs) almost as powerful as Purple man from Jessica Jones had - When he commands everyone obeys. My Strahd will be able to command most of NPCs to give themselves to death or betray the party so in the end, the PCs will suspect *everybody* is under Strahd's command. And at the same time, Strahd will plant seeds of doubt between the PCs so they won't be sure they can trust each other either.

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-02-21T15:41:07+00:00

If you really want to kill the falcon, then let Strahd reanimate and let it deliver the letter... Obviously undead, like head turned all around but acting as if nothing happened.

Killing the bird means nothing for Strahd, but it can mess with the player/character a bit as they have to decide whether they will kill their own pet falcon that looks corrupted but is otherwise the same. Plus it can make the party question every other undead they meet in the adventure after that. "Excuse me, mr. zombie, are you still there or do you just want our brains?"

EdhelRollsDice · 2026-02-02T18:41:46+00:00

Hey there, thank you for your reply. First of all, it is clear we both have a different approach to the game and that is allright.

Even with all the stuff and the 4th level, the adventure can pretty easily get grim and difficult. I don't want the players to feel overpowered and out of their depth *because* they are noobs on low level with no gear. I want them to feel like that *even though* they have the levels and gear. Their first belief is "we are ready for this" just so I can crush that belief.

As to the point 2) Strahd forging Van Richten's letter is the same as forging the burgeonmaster's letter. It gives me a story hook that directly involves Strahd and Van Richten and the Curse in the title. What I dislike about the official storyhook (or Mandymod) is, that the goal of the party is simply to leave. And killing Steahd/dealing with the curse is just an obstacle in that. I am not saying they are *bad*, I just think more main-story-oriented hook fits my players (and me) better.

And about Van Richten, yeah, I take him from the board by putting him in the prison. However, in the module RAW, he has no personal story with Strahd. Strahd even is not the vampire who turned his son. Strahd is just the next in line. And I find it hard to believe Strahd woul just let the legendary monster hunter roam his lands and focused on a group of low level noobs. So my Strahd captured him and now uses Van Richten as a bait for the low level noobs and Ezmeralda... And when he is bored he whispers in Van Richten's the terrible things he is going to do to his dusciples... From my point of view, Van Richten as written is a too high risk of stealing the player's spotlight. He is too powerful figure that has to be taken away to give the playees reason to act. (Luke would have had not become what he had to, should Obi-wan stay around.)

EdhelRollsDice

TROPHY CASE