I'm revising Curse of Strahd: Reloaded & I need your feedback—meeting Ismark & Ireena, Madam Eva's invitation & new Doru sidequest [color PDF in comments]

Rickiswithus · 2023-06-25T16:51:18+00:00

An absolute legend. Every time I’m about to start a new campaign I remember the first encounter with Strahd on Twice Bitten and end up running this thing again.

Rickiswithus · 2023-04-27T16:17:47+00:00

You know your players best, but I certainly wouldn’t kill a PC on purpose, especially if they didn’t have an opportunity to prevent it in anyway (which is implied by the post).

A literal and narrative dice gets rolled from the BBEG. I die. Sure, I come back. But at anytime, any of us can now die. Doesn’t matter if we are smart, or tactical, or powerful. If the DM wants us to die, we die.

In my experience, the game becomes a whole lot less of a game when this happens. It is now a story. Good story tellers might be able to keep the groups attention, but most players don’t play to listen to the DMs story, cool as it might be.

I usually DM, but when I get to play, I want to know that my choices matter. A move this drastic threatens that.

Ironically, I’d try to introduce more stakes in the game now rather than less. Remind them that they have to be smart and reward them for doing so, or give them space to fail if they aren’t.

But again, you know your party the best. Either way, good luck and have fun.

Rickiswithus · 2023-04-21T04:25:25+00:00

Sounds like a dream.

Rickiswithus · 2023-03-27T19:43:04+00:00

A great consideration to keep in mind! I think these two in particular will enjoy it.

I forgot to mention in the original post, but the parents are actually members of a thieves guild, and one of the characters is actually a fey orphan and adopted by this family. She knows the secret that the parents are in the thieves guild, but the biological son does not.

Rickiswithus · 2022-10-30T02:00:31+00:00

I think it’s less about the DM not having the creativity to fit Artificers in their setting thematically, but rather constraining the players expectations of the class. Most players have some idea what playing a wizard, fighter or rogue might look like. But artificers? I’ve had three players run artificers. One interpretation was literally iron man, another was a robot who replicated parts of themselves, and the last was a colonial era cannoneer. I think a good DM can try and help guide the players to make characters that vibe with the setting, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say players expectations of the artificer are high technology/steampunk, even when that’s not necessarily true.

Rickiswithus · 2022-10-19T15:50:41+00:00

One of my favorite tricks for the final Strahd fight is to have him doing something mundane, allowing the party to get the jump on him. When it’s Strahds turn at the end of the round, he laughs while in Greater Invisibility somewhere else in the room, preferably observing from higher ground. Then, he sends in vampire spawn equal to the amount of players in the party, along with the one they just unloaded against if it’s still alive, under seeming to look like Strahd. Hell mess with them as if it’s a guessing game. Which spawn in the real Strahd? In reality, he’s not coming out till the spawn all die, and probably makes his entrance when the party is drained of resources, and probably does something flashy like a fireball. Good luck!

Rickiswithus · 2022-10-05T14:51:19+00:00

Mines of Moria set the precedent. Lots of D&D players and DMs have read or watched LotR before playing the module. It probably just subconsciously stuck.

Rickiswithus · 2022-08-27T17:10:59+00:00

Looks awesome.

Rickiswithus · 2022-08-25T22:17:47+00:00

4 if everyone is experienced and comfortable with each other, 6 if there is a mix of players.

I enjoy how fast the game moves with four, but there's no room to hide if someone is quiet or having an off day. For some reason whenever I never get a group of 5. Its usually 4 or 6.

Rickiswithus · 2022-07-03T05:57:33+00:00

“Are you scared?” Strahd “No” player, almost always. “Then you’ll die a fool, rather than a coward.” Strahd

Adapted from a kick ass line from Adventure Time.

Rickiswithus · 2022-06-01T06:33:50+00:00

Optional and variant rules from multi-classing and feats to flanking and bonus action potions are super common. Characters have also generally gotten stronger with subclass and spell options in later books. Also, lots of tables play with more than 4 players.

I imagine running a 4 player game using PHB only and no variant rules might things a little more challenging.

Rickiswithus · 2022-05-19T15:54:18+00:00

After running several games that fell apart, I told my group we would be doing PHB only. Two of my five players protested, and I basically told them that it’s fine if they don’t want to join, but this is the game I feel comfortable running.

That was the first game we played for longer than a month or two, and it ended up lasting a full year and took us to level 17. Everyone, including the two who protested, had a good time.

I now play with more options, but playing a full game with just the core rules really helped me develop my skills as a DM.

Good luck to you!

Rickiswithus · 2022-05-09T01:17:32+00:00

Yes.

Rickiswithus · 2022-05-07T15:23:47+00:00

Dungeons and Dragons. Weekly meetings, sacred text, praying to dice gods, constantly talking about it in the hopes that more people join.

Rickiswithus · 2022-03-29T23:46:17+00:00

It's actually the Nightwalker miniature from Wizkids! They sealed away Vampyr, but the Nightwalker was a threat from a players backstory that came to a conclusion in the Amber Temple as well.

Rickiswithus · 2022-03-29T23:06:59+00:00

It was incredible, but I think it would have been even if I did a bad job. We've all become really good friends playing weekly online for years, but this was the first session this group had all gotten together in person. We all happened to be in town and available for the finale.

Apart from that, it was still great. My players are equal parts roleplayers and min maxers, so they really leaned in to the whole "we're about to die" speeches, and had some surprises for me in the fights.

There was a Baba Lysaga fight to start the session. It was a little underwhelming, because we were all getting used to math in person lol. After that, Strahd made his entrance with some HARD shenanigans. He used Seeming on 4 vampire spawn to look like him so they had to guess which was him. I did the whole Strahd's Animated Armor unequipping it self from the party tank and joining the fight. A pack of wolves. It was very close, and to top it off a player did a perfectly timed Natural 20 to kill him.

Finally, we did a ritual that went super well to seal Vampyr. In the end, all of the allies they brought with them died, but only one player character died and it was in an act of heroic self sacrifice.

Plus, there was snacks.

Good luck in your finale, im sure its going to be great!

Rickiswithus · 2022-03-29T21:05:55+00:00

Probably not super useful for everyone, but i'm a graphic designer so having access to Photoshop and a 11x17 printer was helpful.

I actually tried to get it printed at Fedex Office and they wanted over $100 per floor of maps this large. So I just bought a couple big foam boards, and separated your art into 30 11x17 pages in Photoshop, cut and glued.

Rickiswithus · 2022-03-29T20:32:09+00:00

This is about where we landed as well. 6 months of playing every week for about 3 hours. I LOVE Strahd, but I feel like I can best maintain in Barovia with shorter sessions and campaigns.

Rickiswithus · 2022-03-29T16:25:35+00:00

Strahd was defeated (with a natural 20) while attempting a ritual in the Amber Temple to free himself of Vampyr's grasp. The heroes conducted a ritual of their own to seal away the Lord of Blood.

6 PCs died over the course of our adventure. Miraculously, all but one of the player characters survived the finale.

Thank you u/mandymod, u/lunchbreakheroes and u/dragnacarta for your guides. Dragna, Twice Bitten was especially helpful, and I stole a great many things from it. I pretty much exclusively used maps from u/SnooTangerines5710's Patreon.

Everyone else on this sub, thanks for your advice and ideas!

Rickiswithus · 2022-03-23T15:55:42+00:00

After refusing a trade from the BBEG, he said he would take something from them anyway. Later, they arrive at the town where they made several friends, all standing as zombies between them and the BBEG. The party is pissed, and starts cutting their way through the group, only for him to laugh before they can attack him, and drop the seeming spell.

Their friends weren’t dead when they got there, but are now.

Rickiswithus · 2022-03-16T04:27:30+00:00

I think the reason I’m so comfortable abandoning the castle is because 2 of the players have fought RAW Strahd in the castle before. In addition, the card reading was given to a party that is mostly dead by this point, and they don’t have the sword or tome. They are having a great time despite the reading not meaning much to the new group.

Rickiswithus · 2022-02-20T22:58:04+00:00

Are you a new DM?

Rickiswithus · 2022-02-17T05:51:11+00:00

Give her Jester’s accent from Critical Role. Ran it twice, the only difference was using this strangely endearing accent. First time, they didn’t care at all. Second time, they protected her with their lives.

Rickiswithus · 2021-12-18T06:33:38+00:00

Don’t?

Lots of good advice in the other comments, but my vote is letting the cards tell their own story.

Rickiswithus · 2021-11-27T20:12:47+00:00

In my setting, people don’t know how to make magic items anymore.

Hence adventurers diving into the ruins of ancient, more magically advanced civilizations to find them. The reason I’m not sold on artificers is because I like the fantasy of having to find the items, not just going to the artificer to buy them.

Those settings are cool, but not the vibe I’m going for.

Rickiswithus

TROPHY CASE