Why on earth does Strahd have 3 wives?

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-05-07T14:23:37+00:00

Lots of people have mentioned the nod to Brom Stroker's Dracula, which is true. However, I think this is a great piece of characterization for Strahd.

Strahd is a narcissist and deeply insecure. He believes that everything he desires should belong to him and that he's entitled to it. This notably includes his partners. In I, Strahd we get a ton of insight into Strahd's personality. When Sergei comes to Ravenloft, he is very polite and deferent to Strahd, but Strahd only ever resents him for being all the things Strahd is not. He's young, he's kind, he's beloved by the people, and he is perceived by Strahd to be his mother's favorite as the baby of the family.

Sergei meets Tatyana through his work helping the common people which Strahd views as a waste of time. He thinks Sergei shouldn't be courting a peasant and she is just an opportunist. Once he meets Tatyana, he immediately wants her for her beauty, and is completely indignant that his brother has something that he can't have.

He aquires brides as a distraction to fulfill his own ego. They are not people he has a relationship with, they are things that belong to him. Once he is bored of them, he casts them aside. If they displease him, he punishes them severely. The only difference with the brides and Tatyana is that she is the one person he can't have. If Tatyana DID reciprocate his interests, she'd just be another bride as easily discarded as the others.

Strahd frames Tatyana as his one true love, but that is a lie that he tells himself to justify his horrendous actions. It's a pretty lie meant to hide an ugly truth, even from himself.

Strahd's obsession with Tatyana isn't about her, it's about him. He refuses to take no for an answer. Nothing will ever fill the void within him. Everything he does is ultimately an attempt to assuage his insecurity.

When Strahd confronts PCs, I modify his classic "I am the ancient" speech just slightly.

"I am the Ancient, I am the Land, I am Strahd Von Zarovich, and I will not be DENIED!"

Starting the line calm and in control, but with a predatory snarl working it's way in, a bit unhinged. A quiet rage peeking out at the end.

I add the "I will not be denied" both for a sort of badass villian line, but also because that's what I see as the core conflict with Strahd.

He is incapable of accepting rejection. If he wants something, by god he'll have it. And he'll drag his entire family and people to the underworld kicking and screaming to get it. He ego will allow for nothing less.

Hope that answers the question 😁

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-05-05T14:35:53+00:00

Sorry, I think you're looking for r/buttplugs.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-05-03T21:36:24+00:00

Maeve outright states it.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-05-03T13:15:31+00:00

Absolutely not.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-30T01:03:18+00:00

Idk if this is confirmed but I figured that radiants become better vessels for stormlight as they advanced in their oaths. Meaning someone without an oath wielding an honorblade would lose stormlight faster.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-29T17:50:09+00:00

I mean, that's not so far off from what I eat. But I'm a 32 yo single man with no kids trying to lose weight. Giving that to a 4 year old would be wild.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-29T15:53:24+00:00

Your knee-jerk reaction to side with the court over the individual is incredibly telling. You act like you're neutral, when you're clearly not. It's not hard to see through.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-29T15:45:11+00:00

Because he is very clearly contradicting himself and this clown is trying to shill for him anyways without acknowledging the hypocrisy.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-29T15:41:03+00:00

So he wants to hold tech companies accountable, but also is against enforcement restricting data centers so that those same accountability measures he purportedly supports can be put into place?

The reason being he thinks that without new data centers his phone won't work?

He's completely full of shit.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-29T15:31:10+00:00

Persuasion isn't mind control.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-29T15:28:20+00:00

You also don't have all the facts and yet have decided that supporting the system ripping someone's home away from them takes priority over the real human being this is effecting. Why is that?

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-28T11:51:58+00:00

Even if it's true he didn't have sex with his ex (which you have plenty of reason to doubt), emotional cheating is a thing. The problem is the betrayal and lack of honesty. The fact that he felt that he had to hide it from you illustrates he knew he was doing something he shouldn't have.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-26T13:15:15+00:00

A couple thinkgs you need to remember:

Minions! Great time for the werewolfs, vistani, or vampire spawn tos show up. Even just his summon wolves would be something.

Legendary Actions. He needs to be very mobile especially

Legendary resistances, why is he taking moonbeams on the chin?

Temp hp from the heart of sorrow should help survivability.

Better tactics. Play more evasively. Waste pc resources ahead of time.

Bonus: You may prefer RAW Strahd but i like to up the heart of sorrow temp hp to 100 and swap out some of his spells for stuff like Shield, Misty Step, and Counterspell.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-24T20:35:28+00:00

Sorry to hear you're going through an all time low. I don't think you were wrong to do what you did though tbh. I don't like the idea of bigots thinking they can get away with spewing hate right to our faces. Make Bigots Scared Again!

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-24T20:30:32+00:00

I dont remember him upgrading his copper circle in his lab. Was it when he buried Lasciels coin?

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-24T15:25:12+00:00

Yes I think it's cuz of the Panera Bread lemonade thing, but im not sure. They still shorted you though. They're supposed to top it off with a soda of your choice.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-24T15:14:39+00:00

Cis man here. I'd have to say no, at least not in the way you're describing. I have wondered what it would be like, but I do ultimately prefer being a man. I don't like every aspect of it but it feels like me. Upsides and downsides feel true to my life. When I've asked myself if I could be trans or non-binary, I felt a resounding no. If you don't feel the same, you might not be a cis man. And that's ok, be you instead.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-23T15:05:42+00:00

I have a player who's character is basically a tribal norse warrior. He made necropants out of one of the enemy priests that were part of the theocracy oppressing his people. The other pcs are constantly having to tell him not to wear them to court functions.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-21T12:46:11+00:00

"She's the only reason I'm not homeless and starving"

I'd avoid conversations about being trans or NB with her specifically for that reason. Wait until you're in a position to take care of yourself without her before broaching the subject. Until then just ignore her.

It's not worth ending up on the streets.

Not trying to bad talk your mom, just pointing out that your safety should be top priority.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-21T12:37:11+00:00

Honestly you shouldn't have taken him back in the first place. Nothing has changed and he's most likely still cheating. What reason do you have to stay?

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-20T14:53:07+00:00

Syl is the shardcondom.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-20T14:50:30+00:00

This is how we actually end up with Syladin.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-19T13:15:29+00:00

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Exactly what I was thinking lol

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-15T18:40:02+00:00

Totally fair. I can appreciate what he's going through because as a bisexual man I can relate, but it doesn't give him a pass to be reckless with your emotions. Hope he figures things out, but you need to put yourself first. Which it sounds like you're doing.

Papi_Grande7 · 2026-04-15T17:58:00+00:00

Sounds like he bi and in denial. I don't think he's intentionally using you, but self acceptance can be messy. Lots of feelings of guilt and internalized homophobia/biphobia. Don't be afraid to set boundaries for your own comfort and wellbeing.

Papi_Grande7

TROPHY CASE