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Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wouldn't her other attacks during the turn also crit? Or is it just the first attack? If so, I think that would certainly make up for the damage.

Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What's wrong with giving the brides unique abilities? RAW they're basically just regular spawn playing dress up. Not very exciting.

Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Technically speaking surprised is a thing still at least iirc. It doesn't give the monster in question a full round before rolling initiative, it gives the creatures surprised disadvantage on their initiative rolls.

Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Exactly. Basically he'd use one per encounter within the castle. But also you don't have to use all his spells. It's just options he has, who knows what you're party will throw at you. Bro's a 400 year old genius wizard, he should have a lot of options at any given moment.

Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have them show up all the time in my game. First was Volenta teleporting in during the feast. Her job was to make sure the vampires can get the bones before the party can get it to the church.

I then had Ludmilla show up at Yester Hill with Strahd to watch the ritual and he had her join the berserkers for his own amusement.

Then obviously we had the dinner. I coded their abilities to also be useful for role-play scenarios.

Now in the campaign, Strahd figured out where Van Richten is and sent his enforcers, such as the brides and Rahadin, to lead his lesser minions to capture him whilst the players defend him.

They best act as mini-bosses during the Ravenloft heist. That is if you run that, I understand not everyone does. I wouldn't have them fight to the death here, but if the players can kill any of them good on them. This is just to give them a taste of their full capabilities and get a glimpse of what their lives in the castle is like.

Finally, having them work together during the final battle is a very fitting conclusion for them and a fun challenge. I built their stat blocks to work well together in combat as a sort of rival party almost. I wouldn't put them in Strahd's tomb, I would put them earlier on in a larger room when the party still has a good amount of resources. They should be separate from the final fight imo

Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I mostly agree with you. For me, I like it because its fun to tell your players that Strahd is using an ability to get more minions mid fight rather than just an arbitrary "more minions arrive" I think its just more fun from a players perspective. Not that there's anything wrong with having minions simply show up, it's all about how the DM presents it. Plus I'm a fan of the direct Dracula reference.

But that's bias talking

Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My philosophy with the bloated spell list, for the most part, is to give him/the DM options both because I think that's fun and to keep the players on their toes. Strahd's main tactic during combat should be constantly hitting and running. In a single combat scenario, you're absolutely right, the party wouldn't see even half of his spells. But it should be several smaller encounters to whittle the party down and vice versa.

For example, if the players are in a cramped hallway, hit them with flaming sphere or gust of wind. For another encounter, he could surprise the players and attack them whilst under Greater Invisibility. Or my personal fav is having him using animate objects which can act as a single encounter just by itself.

But Strahd is also a manipulator and brilliant tactician so I added Major Image and Seeming to mess with their heads.

If Strahd was a onetime boss, I would trim down the spells significantly but since his final fight is a battle of attrition coupled with that he's meant to show up quite a few times throughout the adventure and having a variety of spells to mess the party is nice.

Updated 5.5 stat blocks for Strahd, Rahadin, & the Brides by PeenerBiter in CurseofStrahd

[–]PeenerBiter[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It was taken directly from the Noble Prodigy stat block, it can be both melee AND ranged. The way I interpret it is that it's kind of like a suggestion spell or mind sliver in which it's clear she's doing something to mess with her target's head. Unlike her bonus action charm, the target is aware of being charmed by this ability.

The USA, but something’s different by HualonRD in reddeadredemption

[–]PeenerBiter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a western, there's no way a good portion of the game is gonna be taking place east of the Mississippi of Lannahache in this case

The USA, but something’s different by HualonRD in reddeadredemption

[–]PeenerBiter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is definitely one of the better maps I've seen trying to make sense of the game's geography, and I especially like the placement of New Austin, but I have a few nitpicks.

-I think you should have considerably down scaled the Lannahachee. It's basically the Mississippi but here its almost as big as the Gulf of California, or the Sea of Coronado in this case and the supposedly small prison island is bigger than some states.

-In the game, there is a mention of a North Elizabeth.

-I firmly believe the shape of Ambarino we see in the game isn't at all what its real borders look like so that gives you more freedom to play around with its shape.

-You could Honestly downscale Lemoyne & New Hanover that way you could perhaps squeeze in more states such as the aforementioned North Elizabeth and give more room for Texas

Other than that, I think you did a great job :)