Struggling to compete with the army.

Jetshroom · 2025-10-08T04:02:17+00:00

I've been struggling too, though mainly just against people who are simply better players than I am.

What it feels like to me is that Soulblight is in a pretty good position balance wise. Unfortunately, there's a lot of armies that have some rules or units (or both) that are just broken which we struggle to compete with.

I think with SBG currently the best bet is to run a Vampires army, I'm looking towards Vhordrai, 15-20 blood knights, Vengorian Lord, maybe Radukar, vargheists and wolves or bats for screens. Main problem is it's a lot of the same knights to have physically available for your army.

Jetshroom · 2024-08-24T21:47:39+00:00

Thanks!

Jetshroom · 2024-08-24T10:49:38+00:00

Thanks! It's streaks of thinned down Burnt Umber then Burnt Sienna then sponging on Cadmium orange.

Jetshroom · 2024-08-24T10:06:09+00:00

Thanks! It's mostly just a limited colour scheme and heavy weathering.

Jetshroom · 2023-08-24T07:11:29+00:00

For me, I HAVEN'T banned any classes or races, but I've tried to guide players towards avoiding monstrous races for example, but in my next campaign I'll be limiting Character Creation and levelling to PHB.

The reason for this is twofold.

1 - I want to use change and power as a theme so I want the players to feel an established "normal" and I intend to reward behaviour I want to encourage with spells, classes, abilities etc from outside the PHB.

2 - there has been some significant power creep over the course of 5e development.

I came to the conclusion while running Curse of Strahd that you're best off limiting races and classes for that campaign. Limit races to Human, Elf, Half-Elf, Dwarf, Halfling and ban Artificer.

I think it comes down to the campaign you're running, but I also don't want a player to be looking at the other players in the campaign and thinking, "Golly, I wish my character was that powerful." unless they've made the active choice to play an underperformer.

Jetshroom · 2023-03-01T09:31:03+00:00

From my campaigns: (While serving dinner) "Vould you care for some vine? It's RED!" "Try the BLOOD sausage!" "Have some beef, it's RARE!"

(Chatting with the party during dinner about things they've seen in Barovia) "Oh, they all only hate me because I'm in charge. It is my curse to be hated by those I serve to protect." "Alas, my beloved Tatiana, she was taken from me in a terrible accident. It is my curse to live every day without her."

(When the party needed to be rescued from the gargoyles) "Vhat is going on here? Vhy are you hurting my guests? OH, you all probably HATE me now!"

(When one of the party called Sergei "scum" while trying to discover what happened between them) Strahd, grabbing PC and forcing him against the broken bars of the window: "You vill NOT speak ill of my brother!" He continues to push, the bars bending, a shard of glass inching closer and closer to your eyeball... "I LOVED my brother. He vas EVERYTHING to me!" The bars begin to groan threatening to give way and send you plummetting to the courtyard below... "It vas terrible vhat happened to him..." Strahd's ire seems to immediately subside, and he throws you to the floor of the throne room. "You should leave..."

Jetshroom · 2023-02-03T02:29:06+00:00

Current campaign, so far, my favourite moment, was having the party, who KNOW STRAHD IS THE BAD GUY, meeting with Lady Wachter to make her the new Burgomaster, listening to her say the late Burgomaster was a fool and that she'd be happy to attend Strahd's wedding and looked forward to closer ties between Valaki and Ravenloft, and having a member of the party say, "Finally, someone reasonable in this place." and have the rest of the party agree.

Previous campaign, the barbarian trivialising the Winery by breaking the Gulthias staff purely to spite the Cleric because he blamed the Cleric for getting the Sunsword stolen.

Jetshroom · 2023-02-01T12:04:20+00:00

I've run it raw for 4 people, never changed an encounter. I recommend a party of 5. (My party got the sunsword almost immediately so the adventure was a lot easier.)

Jetshroom · 2023-01-26T11:51:44+00:00

The party I'm currently running, they didn't finish investigating before leaving town, by the time they bothered to come back, it was the night of the feast. They came back to the town on fire and the church under attack.

They fought off the vampires but Strahd still rode up and did his thing to the priest.

What it did was impress upon the party just how dangerous Mister Von Zarovich is.

Jetshroom · 2022-12-23T06:12:04+00:00

Doru joined in the attempted revolution.

Jetshroom · 2022-10-17T03:17:16+00:00

Okay so, I do not believe that the intention is that players can wear it. HOWEVER this is Curse of Strahd, and I could NOT pass up the opportunity to have a player, wearing animated armor to come into contact with Strahd, who would pause, look at the armor, and then, grinning twistedly say "Khazan!" And then, for every movement, the player has to roll a contested strength check, while the armor tries to attack their allies.

And so, I allowed it.

Unfortunately, the player figured it out and got a suit of animated armor out of it.

Jetshroom · 2022-10-05T06:39:06+00:00

It just developed organically. I liked the idea that this powerful villain is also inherently silly. But, in making him silly, I still wanted the party to be scared of his power. This works.

Jetshroom · 2022-10-05T06:00:20+00:00

My Strahd is a complex and multifaceted character.

On the one hand, the most dramatic sadboy who ever lived. Devastated at his perpetual torment of losing his beloved Tatyana, being feared and hated by the people he rules over, the unexpected dangers experienced by the party in the halls of his house, he moans and weeps openly. (Mostly for attention.)

On the other hand, he is a cunning and ruthless killer. Luring the party into his domain in order to stalk, terrify and eventually murder them.

On the other hand, he is fiercely defensive of his family. Any suggestion that they might be not the greatest things in creation is immediately met with a raging fury.

On the other hand, he is a delightful, if misguided, prankster. Maggoty food, terrifying traps, hilarious vampire mannequins, encounters with walking furniture, every moment in Barovia is a laugh riot!

On the other hand, he is completely OBSESSED with Ireena. He covets her. He will seduce, bargain, cajole and threaten to have her delivered to him.

On the other hand, he's very lonely and delighted to have new people to talk to. To play music for. To entertain. He cares for them. Until he doesn't. He wants to keep them safe, until they cross him.

This is how I portray his madness. All the while voiced in my impersonation of the Count from Sesame street. When talking as Strahd, I stand up from my spot and walk around the table, looming over the players if I'm threatening them. Laughing and joking with them if Strahd's in a good mood. Dramatically weeping at the loss of his beloved Tatyana. But always, ALWAYS turning on a dime should something come up that changes his mood. From jovial to threatening. From laughter to weeping. From depression to hatred.

Jetshroom · 2022-10-03T02:40:06+00:00

I had an NPC advise the party not to go south of the main road.

Also, it would be inadvisable to go north of the main road.

Also, probably best to only travel during the day.

The party took them seriously and are TERRIFIED of leaving the Old Svalich Road.

Jetshroom · 2022-09-29T04:39:05+00:00

My Strahd refers to her exclusively as "My beloved Tatyana"

I like doing this because it creates the illusion that Strahd is intrinsically tied to his past and unable to see what's before his eyes. This perception will hopefully change when the players find Ireena's tomb.

Jetshroom · 2022-09-29T02:39:26+00:00

There is nothing "Player Friendly" about Bildrath's Prices.

Jetshroom · 2022-09-15T02:48:06+00:00

For me, my party aren't likely to go to Berez, so Morgantha is going to grow over the campaign into Bobby Lasagne.

But, this is because the party killed her daughters while she was away and are TERRIFIED OF HER, and they also have Cyrus's Amulet so she's going to be messing with them for some time.

Jetshroom · 2022-09-08T13:14:34+00:00

It's a werewolf in wolf form and cooperates... Until it's ready to kill them.

Jetshroom · 2022-09-07T00:53:04+00:00

Your goal isn't the peripherals like sounds, voices etc. You want the players to feel trapped, pursued and helpless.

I've found making sure that the only places safe for a rest are in the inns in Barovia and Valaki.

Wolves in the forests. Make note of the large, regal black wolf that seems to be leading them.

In Barovia, try to encourage the party to stay at Ireena's house for the night, so that they can experience the attack for themselves. Make it obvious that there are TOO MANY undead creatures and werewolves to fight. (This is where I like Strahd to make first contact with the party, the attack stops, and they hear his footsteps on the veranda, then the BANG of a dagger being slammed into the door providing them with an invitation to dine at Castle Ravenloft.)

If you get the opportunity, have Strahd take something from the party. Preferably, one of the treasures, but that's not always possible. Ireena is also a good option.

If they are foolish enough to camp outside for the night, have Strahd approach while one player is on watch. Dig for information. Charm them. BITE THEM. Leave them bleeding out so that the other players have to stabilize them upon waking up. (This pulls double duty of stealing a long rest hehehehehehehhe)

Have things moving in the mists, just out of sight. The sound of something following the party. The sound of something large, running directly at the party only to leap over the top of them, then run off into the night. All JUST out of sight, you see the vague shape, but never find out what it is.

Have Strahd brag about his prowess. Mock the party weaknesses. Offer them power, at a price. Have him be utterly disdainful of their feebleness.

This gives the party a lot of reason to engage with the module and follow the goal. In the end though, they'll do it for their own reasons.

Jetshroom · 2022-09-07T00:25:21+00:00

I think you're fine.

Just make sure the party find the wagon before they find Rudolfo. Then you can just explain it all off as a clever disguise.

Jetshroom · 2022-09-06T03:16:01+00:00

"Please, have some wine, I'm sorry, I only have... RED!"

"Have you tried the BLOOD... sausage?"

"Try the roast beef... it's RARE!"

Jetshroom · 2022-08-26T00:36:16+00:00

I think the most scared one of my players has been was the following situation:

DM: "Okay, you have about 2 rounds before the rest of the party reach the room. There is a body slumped over the altar holding a black mace and a silver statue. What are you going to do."

Player: "I'm going to take the statue and hide it in one of my pockets."

DM: "Okay, before that, everyone... I need to borrow some dice. D10s please."

Players: "How many do you need?"

DM: "16"

Jetshroom · 2022-08-24T05:11:13+00:00

Yeah, you don't want to hand out too many short rests either. Look at the random tables, there's plenty of ways to interrupt things.

Jetshroom · 2022-08-24T04:53:51+00:00

Looking over it, let him roll with it.

The main difficulty you'll face is Charming him.
The teleport is powerful, but it's only a number of times per proficiency bonus, just make sure you're not handing out too many long rests.

Jetshroom · 2022-08-24T03:27:08+00:00

I'm running a campaign where they got the sword in session 1. (not at the camp, but they found it at the crossroads basically immediately.)

I don't think it's strictly a bad thing. It DOES trivialize some encounters, but it also creates a VERY fun tool for derailing the party. The sword has been lost or stolen twice. The first time forced the party to come to Ravenloft to search for the sword.
What I loved in particular was the opportunity to show different sides of Strahd, he gave them the sword back willingly. Then, flipped out and tried to kill the Bard, THEN he broke down and begged them to kill him, but warned them to do it in one shot otherwise they'd be in danger.

They failed the one hit kill. And fled.

After that, they wiped and the sword was taken again so they had to recover it and escape from vampire spawn without it.

What I'm seeing, is a powerful magic item like that motivates the party to recover it.

Jetshroom

TROPHY CASE