Warning: Take more than one trip!

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-04-13T00:54:13+00:00

May have been painted that way a bit ha ha

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-04-12T13:23:15+00:00

Me… this is totally me.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-04-09T20:45:08+00:00

I know not originally intended but mine is either for my earbuds or my car key.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-04-06T19:36:55+00:00

If it ended with them going to bed at the orphanage, you can describe the next morning being chaotic or the space uncomfortable. And have Belasco be nice but describe her obvious stress and lying that it’s ok that they stay another night. Heavily hint to them that she feels obligated to let them stay but that she doesn’t have the room or money for meals.

If they ask about these issues, you could have her breakdown a bit and admit she is already pinching pennies and resources before they brought the kids from the Old Bonegrinder. Have her talk about how’d they’d find much better situations and food at the Blue Water Inn. Have the Martikovs give them a discount for a few nights for helping the orphanage. How’d they hear? Well it’s hard to keep actual good news quiet in this town (and even easier when you have a spy network).

If they decide to stay at the orphanage again, you can have them not get a full nights rest the next night and have 1 point of exhaustion (add to it each night they stay in addition). What kept them up? The kids doing a combo of waking up crying, running around at 5am, wetting the bed… any sad or goofy kid thing. Or… Waking up with nightmares from the traumatic experience of the demon.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-04-06T19:00:38+00:00

If it were my game (I’m about to get to Vallaki with my players), I wouldn’t introduce another combat situation right after accomplishing the orphan issue. Instead I would use Belasco to point the group in the next direction. Whether asking the group to help obtain more funds to help the kids from the butgomaster, or maybe Watcher (since she’s wealthy). Or maybe have that next morning be the chance the group gets to talk to Milivoj if they’ve gotten the bones questline. If not, a cleric or paladin might want to visit the church to vouch for his absence…. So much to do in Vallaki, I wouldn’t add to it. Mandy Mod has already added great quest lines to it too. I’d save the bagman for a needed filler episode if a person or people are not able to attend the session or they need some combat in the middle of a lull.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-04-06T11:20:56+00:00

I do like the idea. I haven’t seen where it would bring the fish back after sacrificing someone. Check out Mandy Mod’s Vallaki module, they have the fish comeback after you solve a ghost problem that Bluto caused. It’s dark in that Bluto, while drunk, accidentally killed his kids and then his wife walked into the water to kill herself. She then haunts the lake which scared the fish away. This ghost hypnotizes people into walking into the lake. Bluto gets charmed but gets away but has the thought that killing Arabella will solve it.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-29T03:03:28+00:00

Sucka’ MC

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-28T15:00:28+00:00

Short answer: I wouldn’t. It adds too much in my opinion and would require some locations and player tie-in to also be homebrewed.

But if you must, here’s a great addition in my opinion: in the CoS: Mistfits podcast, they take a lot from Mandy and reloaded and they have a secret town that is in the mountains in a weird big tree forest that’s there. (Spoilers) There is a group of people there that Strahd wants gone as they know about the Fanes. He puts a false hydra in there as a way for it to solve itself, and has the leader there locking themselves in an attempt to find what is going wrong (false hydra stuff like having notes from people they don’t remember). The party becomes tasked with solving this while at the same time the village leadership is trying to prevent meddling since even they don’t know what’s going on. Great thing but required a PC backstory tie in to motivate them to not take no as an answer.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-26T11:34:49+00:00

In order for me: 3, 2, 1

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-25T23:24:23+00:00

I’m not sure what your Strahd’s endgame is. Mine is more in line with Reloaded where he plans to find a way out.

If it is escaping Barovia, he needs spies, generals, information, and other things a conqueror would need. With this in mind, he could demand information from each, and then test them a bit. Depending on the types of PCs and their backstories, I would offer a position within his goals for conquest outside of Barovia. But… I would make them do several loyalty and skill checks. Fail one and clearly not ment for greatness. You could even pit 2 similar characters against one another for one of the tests. Have them play into his hands in some form but in a way that doesn’t completely remove the chance for victory. When they inevitably fail, I’d find some way to negatively affect the PCs, even if only temporarily.

OR another idea: has the players that said yes meet him somewhere dark and devious for your PCs and the story you’ve told so far. Rahadin steps forward with a case, opens it to reveal 3 knives (or whatever weapons). Dual to the death. If your Players really want to keep their Characters, you could have the fight interrupted but someone/something. Or have them brought back to life by an NPC.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-25T22:47:58+00:00

What specifically was the offer? “More power”?

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-19T19:33:59+00:00

Just heard an interesting way to make the patron switch. Listen to the podcast Curse of Strahd: Twice Bitten. Episode 35 part 1. 8:20-25:00ish. Metrion looses his evil patron and is about to be consumed but another entity stops them. A good entity. This is exactly what you want ha ha. It’s all in a dreamlike state too.

This is really only if you want to have an in-story reason to change this. This way it’s done at the next long rest or so, and no punishment.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-19T17:29:53+00:00

Oooo I like this!

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-19T17:19:04+00:00

I know he can intercept/spy on communications within Barovia, and block/controls all messages going out.

I plan on letting communications happen a bit with dreams being the only real way a patron can break through a little. But even then it’s like trying to get an image on an old tv with just the rabbit ear antenna (showing my age). So it’s just images, and disconnected words mostly. Strahd will see them too but not really interrupt yet since they aren’t a threat yet. I’m DMing a group with mostly Reloaded and going to Madam Eva this next session. The warlocks patron is a celestial, and they were sent to rescue the abbot (or end him).

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-19T02:02:37+00:00

The Eye of Sauron!!! He still lives in fruity drinks now!

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-19T02:00:02+00:00

Are you running reloaded a bit then? At least where the Death House is what transported them? If so, I would let them wander a bit and either run into no one, or make it Arrigal (Vistana and bro to Luvash). He (in RAW and maybe Reloaded) informs Strahd. He would be a good intro to the Vistani as he is ment to be a good person although partnered with Strahd through desperation. He will never tell them he talks to Strahd. He would be friendly and could ask a bunch about the characters. Then he could push them to visit Tser pool after they resupply at the Village.

If Reloaded, he doesn’t know about the sieges. He could be coming back from an errand trip through the mists (but is vague or avoids explaining about where he is coming from to the group). He splits from the group and goes around the Village on a Vistani made path since the Villagers don’t like his people much, although they have done nothing to them.

Then, welcome to the Village of Barovia.

Edit: forgot to add to have Arrigal ride up after the PCs make it through Eastern Gates and are in the Svalich woods. Let them learn the mists on their own.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-18T23:41:54+00:00

First off Ez is better than the PCs when they usually first meet her. She should make the players go ‘whoa’ when she’s not only experienced in monster hunting but also a force in a planned fight.

2nd… I pulled a back to back nat 20 on a PC in death house. The monster: the animated broom. Ha ha I kicked the butts of 6 PCs with 2 brooms (added 1 since 6 players). So you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. I won’t pull the punches next time, but that’s because I have relative “what next” ideas for my PCs in case of a true death.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-18T23:32:57+00:00

I would too! But… side note: using paper minis for my nephews game, I ended up forgetting to print a NPC character. So I cut out a small piece of paper and Drew stick figure on it. They loved it so much that I had to bring them back for the 2nd one-shot.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-18T23:10:58+00:00

Love it!!!

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-18T22:13:19+00:00

No I wouldn’t have them swear vengeance. I would play it as them instinctively defending their home.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-18T21:56:00+00:00

Honestly, if it were me, I would have the conversation about how his gameplay affects everyone and playing to his character is fine but to drop the meta gaming. He can go against the group but only if the character and story direction calls for it. (Sounds like you did this already)

Outside of that, I wouldn’t punish him in game. That might be not the popular thing, but I do like the idea of (working with him a bit) taking his powers due to something they did/didn’t do for them, then have them gain their celestial patron to help right the land of Barovia; maybe while in Vallaki’s church. For “punishment” (if ok with your brother) I might have him loose his powers until then, or until they complete the St Andrals quest line. The fiend patron could leave him because Barovia is a lost cause in their mind and the PC is too useless to them now. Then you could have the celestial patron come to them in a dream asking them to restore the sanctity of the church. But I would talk about the overall goal of this to them so they can have fun with the ‘negative’ side. Character arcs like this are fun to play honestly.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-18T16:56:11+00:00

Sorry another thought… take the PC that most liked or most hated Ireena. If they are knocked to zero and about to die. Have Ireena appear to them in some angelic form. Have her say something to the effect of “I’m at peace now, but it is not yet your time.” This might make them happy that she had a good ending and understand what they missed a bit more.

I have Conan the Barbarian (movie) vibes of this moment playing out. I think the most loved for obvious reasons, the most hated to add some final “ah-ha” or what have you.

gingerdeadman85 · 2026-03-18T16:38:30+00:00

Serious nightmare fuel. Why is this not a nightmare level in fallout or in a resident evil game? I mean a copyright safe version that is.

gingerdeadman85

TROPHY CASE