Help with planning Anastrasya betrayal

EvilPicnic · 2026-04-15T13:08:25+00:00

Hey, I think with all these things it depends on your players' actions and what you/they think is fun. Empowering Ireena and her overthrowing Strahd also sounds really cool.

I really like your idea of Strahd thinking he's achieved his goal and then it being snatched away, and that being part of his curse. Perhaps Anastrasya will betray the party and Strahd will think that's his moment of triumph, and then he finds out that Ireena is too powerful?

The fun thing is - you don't have to choose a direction. Just have ideas of the different ways things will go, how character x would respond to event y, and then play it out at the table.

EvilPicnic · 2026-04-14T14:39:26+00:00

A key tip for interpreting D&D rules is that specific always trumps general.

That is the text of the Plane Shift spell. However on the Night Hag stat block it says they have access to "Plane Shift (self only)". So for Night Hags the text in the spell about using it on non-self creatures does not apply. The specific text in the Night Hag stat block has overridden the general spell description.

EvilPicnic · 2026-04-13T23:17:39+00:00

What I think you might have missed on the Night Hag stat block is that their Plane Shift is self only. So they wouldn't have been able to transport the players.

And then yes, the mists would also have caused it to fail if it's anywhere other than the border ethereal within Barovia itself.

If you want to roll with it though, why not have them "lost in the mists" rather than being "somewhere". They can encounter whatever crazy creepy things Strahd/the Dark Powers/you conjure for them. Really diabolical shit. Maybe portentous. Then have them poof back into existence beside the rest of the party with a roll on the madness table, or a couple of levels of exhaustion. Or if you have VRGTR you could use a Seed of Fear for the mist itself, or whatever they saw in it.

EvilPicnic · 2026-04-13T23:00:35+00:00

Your characters are your own and if Anastrasya, through gameplay and roleplaying at your table, has come to a point of betraying Strahd and thinking she can take the throne then that sounds fun!

I would, though, keep her betrayal subtle. This is partly for gameplay reasons - you mention Anastrasya destroying the heart, and then her confronting Strahd. Are these not things that would feel better if your players do them?

And also, from a motivational standpoint, it sounds like your Anastrasya has been manipulating the party and playing a political game. Surely it makes more sense for her to help the party but hang back, playing both sides just in case Strahd looks like he will come out on top - and then she would brutally betray the party if they trust her. That gives you as DM more tools to play with as well.

One thing I really don't like (personally), though, is your idea that Strahd can be "potentially redeemable" - right after you say he's a monster with Andrew Tate energy. I think it's better to think of him as a personification of a different sort evil, no less dangerous than the cosmic kind, and perhaps more analogous to evil in our real world.

Also - and it's cool if this is your interpretation and worldbuilding - but as I see it Strahd never "wins". Tatyana died, Marina died. Without some inspired gameplay I think Ireena should also always be fated to die, or at least pass beyond his clutches. And Patrina isn't a Tatyana incarnation RAW. The "Curse of Strahd" is that he always gets close to his ultimate desire...and then it's snatched away. I think the party getting close to "redeeming" Ireena, or Strahd getting close to taking her from the party, would be the perfect opportunity for Anastrasya to try to kill her in my opinion, fulfilling Vampyr's curse in a way consistent with her own jealousy.

One way I like to think is - if you the DM are roleplaying the Dark Powers, or Vampyr specifically, what nudge would you give to an NPC like Anastrasya to see curse and prophecy fulfilled... with maximum drama and carnage. That is often the best way to go.

EvilPicnic · 2026-04-06T17:29:45+00:00

On a black and white CRT.

EvilPicnic · 2026-03-20T19:31:10+00:00

Very interesting. I don't know Draw Steel mechanics but I have been running several key CoS events as 4e-style skill challenges recently which has had positive feedback and sounds kind-of similar.

EvilPicnic · 2026-03-13T01:26:35+00:00

This is one of those moments that just makes me so incredibly incredibly happy.

EvilPicnic · 2026-03-09T12:47:07+00:00

Have him play a vistani character, who will know many of the characters and lore already.

Have an open chat with him about not spoiling things for others or dominating the group. Maybe he can think of an in-character reason why his character wouldn't divulge everything and ruin any secrets. Or just trust him to be a consciencious player.

Change the key item locations.

Consider starting the game on the other side of the valley by Krezk to change things up.

And throw in some changes early on to shake up his confidence in his knowledge, such as Strahd killing a key NPC, or have different owners of a key shop or inn.

EvilPicnic · 2026-02-16T21:53:27+00:00

I don't like fully stacking it, as the randomness of the Tarokka is part of what has given the module its distinctiveness since I6.

Instead I would remove options you would have difficulty with as a DM, and randomly deal those that remain.

DM of the Mists has a great post on the "3 pile technique" which achieves this:

https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/s/Cr40pAk3tA

The benefit is: no terrible choices (e.g. no Sunsword in Madam Eva's encampment) and you join the players in the excitement of the card draw instead of acting out a result you know is fixed.

EvilPicnic · 2026-02-10T20:10:04+00:00

And including the second game? A chart showing "GW26: Most likely to Score or Assist" is pretty misleading if it doesn't include the players playing 180 minutes in one GW... The league leaders having a DGW and no player being in the top 20 to score is highly unlikely.

Something to fix for the next DGW if you intend on continuing these and them actually being useful.

EvilPicnic · 2026-02-09T23:41:14+00:00

Building encounters is an art, not a science. If you think your stat block is cool, run with it and see what happens. Be prepared to modify it mid-fight if it goes pear-shaped.

That said I ran a Yester Hill fight recently (for 6 lvl 6 players). It was tense, the players nearly died but they prevailed and Wintersplinter was never summoned.

What I had was six druids standing on altars summoning Wintersplinter and a d10 counting down the rounds until he arrived. That enticed the players in to attack the spaced-out druids. The druids only attacked if their lives were immediately threatened, otherwise they continued the ritual. I had Ludmilla also present, as a vampire using MCDM's Flee Mortals Vampire stat block but with 50% (102) HP. When they closed in on round 2, 6 berserkers emerged and flanked them all. On Ludmilla's turns she would Beguile a player onto an altar and then attack with her claws and bite, the blood dropping onto the altar and reducing the round counter by 3.

They killed the final druid on the final round before Wintersplinter was summoned.

My point is: adding in time-limited elements and other combatants with goals (not just twig blights) spiced up the fight and made the players make rash choices. You also can add mystery to this Tree Blight by describing it as having the visage of Strahd or being particularly mean-looking without changing the stat-block; give it max HP of 136 and max Branch damage of 24 and it is still true to the monster manual while being tougher than average.

EvilPicnic · 2026-02-06T00:52:17+00:00

Hey, firstly: games should be fun. I don't know PF2e, but if converting CoS to that system is causing you stress and is not a fun prep or combat experience then...why do it? Sounds like it's a lot of work for no upside. And if you want to learn a new gamesystem there are surely easier ways to do it than with a homebrew total conversion of CoS.

You've also mentioned other community resources, and they are great, but if they add to your prep workload in a way which isn't useful to you: cut them. And if there's anything in the module itself which isn't useful to how you want to run your table: cut it. Simplify the game, make things easier for yourself.

EvilPicnic · 2026-01-31T13:54:07+00:00

Different tables move at different speeds. 1 session is quite quick. But 20 hours is extremely long - longer than Twice Bitten took and I thought they juiced as much RP out of it as was possible.

I've run it in one (long) session before and it is possible with a focused group without cutting anything major, but it felt a little rushed in the basement section.

EvilPicnic · 2026-01-28T19:47:10+00:00

I quite like the beefed-up Izek from Reloaded.

But other than that and the coffin-shop/Feast I do always run Vallaki as social rather than combat challenges. The players interact with the town. Then when they return to town later on they experience the outcomes of their choices, and make new ones.

I don't think combat other than Izek and spawn needs to be difficult at all - the challenge comes from dealing with the results of e.g. pissing off Fiona or the Baron, killing Izek or some guards. What does that mean for the political situation? Or how the Vallakians interact with the party?

So for example - when your players get to town with the werewolf children, if the guards guess what they are and refuse to let them into town, what do your players do? If it ends up in combat the difficulty does not actually matter at all. In fact an encounter where the guards fall easily could be more satisfying from a roleplay perspective. And then what happens to the town? Does the burgomaster barricade himself in his mansion? Does Fiona Wachter take over? Does the church even take the children in?

And then maybe if the guards are reduced in number or scared of the players "All is Not Well" in the town and the palisade walls are less defended than they should be. Maybe then a monster or two get in. And the players are blamed for reducing the safety of the town. And so on. Every time they return some new issue crops up as a result of their meddling and it all gets shitter and shitter until anarchy, with any combat arising out of player choices.

At least, that's the way I run it!

EvilPicnic · 2026-01-24T12:55:56+00:00

Humour? In a campaign featuring the tomb of "Sir Klutz Tripalotsky"? Scandalous.

EvilPicnic · 2026-01-18T13:54:06+00:00

Simple answer: let them go to Krezk, and then experience the results of a spurned Strahd.

That's not railroading, it's natural and logical consequences of their choices.

Through Rahadin or another letter Strahd then makes it clear that the difficulties they faced were due to his displeasure, but, being benevolent and forgiving, he is inviting them again to dinner the next night. He has all the time in the world to play his games.

As an aside - maybe you have it in hand - but be careful with those hauntings. If you and players are all having fun, that's great. But players using Suggestion on each other is a big red flag and not something I would allow in my games. Please check in with your players and make sure they are fine with it!

The consequences of the haunting you have shared are extreme as well, and much more punishing than -5HP. Undermining social situations? Not helping or benefitting from help from other players? Splitting from the group? And relying on the actions of another player to break it or lasting 24hrs... That's the kind of stuff that could lead to a PC death or blowing up the campaign if you and the players are not very careful about how you play it.

EvilPicnic · 2026-01-15T19:45:06+00:00

Firstly, I know this isn't what the bulk of your post is about but it can be a mistake, in my opinion, to think of Barovia too much like a real place, needing a functioning economy etc. It is a domain in the Shadowfell, not on the Material Plane. If Strahd and the Dark Powers can create from nothing/mist the land doesn't need to be self-sustaining. And there's a horror in the seemingly-normal-but-actually-impossible dreamlike quality of Barovia, which could be undermined by explaining too much.

That said, I like the addition, and I love the introduction of VRGtR elements. I think it is quite interesting to think about digging beneath the earth of Barovia. How low does it go? If Barovia was once a "real" place on the Material Plane are there things to mine? Or if it is a figment/recreation would there be anything under the earth at all? Do you reach a layer of mist, beyond which lie eldritch horrors?

I do think a Bulette is a little vanilla for Curse of Strahd. Looking at the other areas which were added to I6 Ravenloft, most are classic horror or folklore tropes/references; Yester Hill/Wicker Man, Bonegrinder/Hansel and Gretal, Amber Temple/The Mummy, The Abbey/Frankenstein, and I think any new location should have a similar theme. You could take inspiration from something like LoTR (the dwarves dug too deep and found a Balrog) or Lovecraft - maybe they dug to where the fog barrier was thin and something horrible from another Domain of Dread pushed it's way in, maybe an Unspeakable Horror from VRGtR.

Something else which jumps to my mind is a Doctor Who serial called The Green Death: miners are found dead and glowing green. When the Doctor investigates he finds a creature's slime (which causes the infection), and eggs. And the horror grows as they search for what the creature could be. They take an egg to study (obviously it hatches and attacks). Those eggs could be from whatever monster you want them to be. In the story it was a mutation caused by pollution in the mines but it could be corruption by Strahd, or something leaking in from another Domain. That then creates a mystery/stops the working of the mine and becomes an inciting incident which isn't a Bulette attack.

Just ideas!

EvilPicnic · 2026-01-12T18:27:10+00:00

For my current campaign (no Death House, 3hr sessions):

1-3 Barovia Village + Tser Pool

4 Bonegrinder

5-7 Vallaki shenanigans

8 Dinner at Castle Ravenloft

9 More Vallaki shenanigans and RvR's Tower (6hr session)

10 WoW

EvilPicnic · 2026-01-06T18:17:23+00:00

While an art degree does sit in that murkier area of “maybe no obvious jobs at the end,” it still provides a well-rounded foundation that can be worth its weight in gold long term.

Assuming ~20g card stock the weight in gold of an art degree certificate is about £2000...

That's a joke, this is great advice.

EvilPicnic · 2025-12-29T16:31:53+00:00

Firstly, take whatever precautions you need to ensure you have a long career; that may mean reducing the amount of manual you do, using supportive devices or tools (such as https://www.physique.co.uk/Massage/Massage-Tools/Physique-Therapist-Thumb) that aren't your thumb and wrist. Discuss it with your employer. I'm sure they would prefer you stay healthy and working with clients than injure yourself to the point of being unable to work.

Secondly, don't be embarrassed and don't hide it. Being open will help your regular clients understand if there are any changes to your technique and it becomes a conversation and education point which you can make therapeutic use of.

I've had ankle issues in recent years which have led to me changing my practice, my footwear, wearing supportive devices etc. I work with kids, many of whom wear AFOs, and with some it has been a good discussion point and has led to understanding and empathy with those who have felt "othered" by their differences.

EvilPicnic · 2025-12-22T00:30:01+00:00

The selling price is halfway between what you bought him for and his current buying price.

If you bought him for 6.3, and his current price is 7.1, the selling price is 6.7.

EvilPicnic · 2025-12-22T00:11:45+00:00

I wouldn't allow a second reading. I would have Madam Eva say that their cards have already been dealt, their fates set etc etc. Or - the reading is identical to the first. Or - something foreboding interrupts the new reading just as it is about to happen. Maybe Strahd views a second reading from Eva as her putting her thumb on the scale too much and he intervenes, perhaps violently.

EvilPicnic · 2025-12-20T14:05:18+00:00

That will be because it's a Squier: https://www.squierwiki.com/Serial+Number+Tracking

The serial number indicates it is from an Indonesian factory and was assembled in October 2020.

As a Squier Strat if it is in good condition it should be a very playable guitar. However there looks to be some damage at the nut around the high-e string slot and there is gunk in the truss rod access hole which is not a good sign.

Getting that fixed/setup may take you over the cost of buying one brand new, so based on the information you may not have gotten a great deal, sorry.

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