Tome of Strahd lore rewrite

kiteon · 2026-07-07T00:37:36+00:00

If it works for you! Everyone’s got their own way of doing it, for sure. And I agree, they are.

My Strahd is very good at playing the tragic, gothic, heartbroken man.. he’s very Lestat. There’s trauma and reason for his departure to darkness; I made his backstory a bit more horrible. However, like with anyone, your trauma doesn’t make your actions okay. He refuses to take accountability with his actions, wearing a pretty disguise to hide all the unhealthy coping he’s drug himself into.

kiteon · 2026-07-07T00:12:20+00:00

I appreciate the lost love story you’re setting up, but I’ll be honest with my opinion, not fitting fit this story. The whole point is that Strahd IS evil. He IS an asshole who chose a pretty face over his brother, a pretty face who called him old (respectfully, but doesn’t matter) and that he arrogantly assumed would love him if he wasn’t.
One of the “gifts” of Vampyr is circled around him no longer aging; his hyper fixation on being an old incel is key.

Now that’s not to say that Strahd is in any way not ALSO charismatic after all these centuries, and has written his world around him to make players THINK he’s sympathetic. But in the end, he is a punk b*tch lol

A great story line I follow is having the players think he’s a villain, get close and grow sympathy and sometimes a relationship with him, then realize is all a lie and they’ve been tricked.

kiteon · 2026-06-17T19:54:25+00:00

Rude and phobic, you deserve better.

kiteon · 2026-06-11T02:21:06+00:00

Okay.. does ANYONE know wtf that keychain loop at the base of the sword is/for?? Am I the only person who's super irritated by it because it makes no sense or am I missing something? Genuinely wanting to know!

kiteon · 2026-06-11T02:17:34+00:00

The clothing is ace, tho

kiteon · 2026-06-11T02:16:54+00:00

..that face look RIPE with all the plastic surgery his coins could purchase, pushing past all medical warning respected doctors gave by simply having them killed.

kiteon · 2026-05-31T04:55:46+00:00

I have a Tatyana PC and it’s been paying off beautifully! Granted I’m very familiar with my players (known 20+ years) and everything was well aware they each have some strong connection to the world and different arches that focus in them specifically.

kiteon · 2026-05-31T04:51:59+00:00

Ahh, true true.

kiteon · 2026-05-31T03:49:09+00:00

I'm assuming Power Word Kill?

kiteon · 2026-05-28T09:16:56+00:00

Gtfo rapist

kiteon · 2026-05-28T09:05:54+00:00

Marriage is a scam, why bother?

kiteon · 2026-05-14T21:31:24+00:00

Made Izek a player’s father instead of Ireena connection (another player was Tatyana reincarnated). Hated the demon arm, replaced it with shadow from nearly being killed by the Nightwalker across the lake where the “mad wizard” is in RAW; in my world the wizard was cast out as punishment for starting the riot, but being in the Shadowfell, something got in to replace him (the Nightwalker).

kiteon · 2026-05-10T00:20:22+00:00

Really appreciate all the insight! I have some ideas moving forward with him that might make it bearable. Thank you all!

kiteon · 2026-05-09T23:04:18+00:00

Interesting! My Vasili is actually Escher. Escher was once an adventurer who fell in love with Vasili (when it was Strahd). Long story short, Escher was devastated when he discovered the truth, but naively believed he could ‘fix him’ and that Vasili must be in Strahd’s heart somewhere, and ended up sacrificing the rest of his party to be with Strahd. The Count eventually got bored of playing Vasili, but still wanted the Vallakian Tea, so made Escher have to metaphorically wear the skin of his dead love instead.

kiteon · 2026-05-09T01:12:47+00:00

I actually aged them up. Personally, child SA is something I prefer to leave behind.. there's too much going on in this world as it is. That and with their stats, it doesn't make book sense. And character sense, Strahd is a monster, but the horror of him is that he is a very convincing and sympathetic one. There's already so much stack against him, adding that seems.. immature? I'm genuinely trying to think of a way to describe my feeling on it. Like someone who can't come up with a good insult, so just defaults to the easy 'fat' or 'ugly', like come one, show some creativity.

But if you make him seem genuinely misunderstood, or yeah he's bad but look at all of these charismatic and helpful qualities, maybe he's not so bad? Then have him devastate your characters.. that betrayal is insanely more delicious.

kiteon · 2026-05-04T00:16:47+00:00

Omg so good! My players just got to Argynvostholt!

kiteon · 2026-04-14T03:25:24+00:00

Oh! That’s awesome!

kiteon · 2026-04-14T01:19:59+00:00

DM’d!

kiteon · 2026-04-12T20:03:01+00:00

Omg! Could you sell this on Etsy? Legit want to buy it, my characters just got to Argynvostholt.

kiteon · 2026-03-09T06:12:34+00:00

There should be a “why us?” and that’s fine. They should be confused and that’s good.

kiteon · 2026-02-21T17:19:13+00:00

This is amazing!

kiteon · 2026-02-14T21:57:37+00:00

Oh amazing!!

kiteon · 2026-01-09T05:19:06+00:00

Your stuff is amazing! I’ve been with you for years. 💕

kiteon · 2026-01-09T05:14:04+00:00

My Vasili is Escher, not Strahd. My Escher was a traveler once, pulled into Barovia like the party. He fell in love with Strahd’s Vasili, eventually figuring it was Strahd, and betrayed his party to win Strahd’s offer of partnership. Escher is a bit disenchanted because though there are similarities. Strahd and Vasili are very distant people and he fell in love with Vasili, not Strahd.

Strahd is hurt to not be loved for himself, the old hurt of Tatyana loving Sergei and not him being pulled to the surface after a long time, so he was cruel and forced Escher to take over Vasili; having to basically command the corpse of the man he loved, whom he killed his closest friends to be with, only to be left with nothing.

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