Note that each strategy assumes that, before preparing for combat, Strahd uses his phasing ability and/or legendary actions to retreat, waits at least one minute, and attacks again only once the PCs have left initiative. Strahd is probably one of the most iconic villains in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. YMMV /. A Comprehensive Guide to Strahd's RAW Final Battle Tactics. there is a passage there that I'm not entirely sure I can repeat here without a copyright issue, but it should solve your problem. This scenario most closely resembles that run by novice DMs encountering Strahds statblock for the first time. In this case, you can have your player characters meet in the mist or camping together, but I would caution against starting in Barovia near Krezk. Note that the use of a Lair Action other than phasing can allow your players to restrain and/or kill Strahd within 1-2 rounds unless he has a clear escape route and ample distance (60-90 feet) separating him from the majority of the party. Is Curse of Strahd really hard, or am I DMing it wrong? Curse of Strahd DnD 5e Summary and DM's Quickstart Guide It's important to note, however, that this type of danger is a common feature of sandbox campaigns. A warforged colossus is designed to carry wizards and soldiers within its body, so they can function as final dungeon and final boss all wrapped up in one. [] It was always my wish that at some point we could put a version of the adventure together that actually had the cards with it, and it's out of that idea that this boxed set emerged. Have you got any ideas for more "bosses" I could add into the campaign? Preparing to take a character into Curse of Strahd and having them die in the optional introductory adventure may feel like an anticlimax to your players. Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. These include changes like undead familiars and steeds as well as alarm screams and ominous telepathic eavesdropping. Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Session zero: Let players know there are things that go bump in the night that can kill them without breaking a sweat. Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to dictate the terms of every engagement before the PCs have a chance to respond, either by casting a spell like polymorph or animate objects or by swiftly grappling and isolating a chosen victim. Curse of Strahd sees the player characters transported by the supernatural mists of Ravenloft from wherever they are (the adventure assumes theyre somewhere on the Sword Coast near the city of Neverwinter, but you can start the campaign anywhere) and into the valley of Barovia. Make notes on Strahd's abilities, tactics, and weaknesses. Use this option if you would like to allow your players to turn a difficult fight into an easy one by properly provoking Strahd. Curse of Strahd Revamped review | GamesRadar+ Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Looking at your instances I see your group was level 3 for Old Bonegrinder which is an average level 4 area. Given that I've now completed all the official maps for the Curse of Strahd adventure, I thought it might be helpful to provide a list of the maps and links! Make sure to give . 10 [15], In a review of Curse of Strahd in Black Gate, Andrew Zimmerman Jones said "Curse of Strahd is really a mix of setting manual and adventure module in one, with a storyline that is extremely open-ended, with endings that (assuming the players survive) allow for continued adventures centered around the consequences of the players' actions in Castle Ravenloft. A passing mention of a same-sex couple might be enough to assert that queer sexuality is a natural part of the D&D universe. Strahd expects his battle with the PCs to be a marathon, not a sprint. In particular, my party found the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind quite early and it made the Coffinmaker's house encounter fairly trivial. For a very well-thought-out expansion on the implications of each of these plot hooks, Reddit user u/DragnaCarta has put together this excellent post on the r/CurseofStrahd subreddit, which is probably the single best D&D community subreddit in existence. 1 yr. ago "Pretty cool concept, as if that's going to stop us from burning it to the ground." -my players probably Player shenanigans aside, that's an intriguing take on the villain and Ravenloft in general. Each magic item and named NPC has a distinct handout you can show to your players, and the adventure text interlinks to these, to descriptions of locations, and to included rules text, so you never have to leave the virtual tabletop to look up pale tincture or desecrated ground. Before running the hook, establish who the player characters are and how/if they know each other in their initial setting. I personally feel that without such a threat, the player paranoia and tension necessary to maintain an effective horror theme can end up being lost or diminished. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs. I even pointed out that the cleric in the party felt something deeply disturbing from the room. You can see more Curse of Strahd resources and commentary by following me on Twitter. Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. Play games anywhere. Strahd uses 1 legendary action to strike and grapple a nearby enemy. Move. The Dark Lord of Barovia, the master of Ravenloft, the first Vampyre Count Strahd Von Zarovich is a contender for the title of D&Ds most iconic villain of all time, right alongside the Vecna, Acererak, Xanathar the mad beholder crime boss, and Halaster Blackcloak. Rogue turning a slip into a tumble and roll, etc. He then drains them to 0 hit points using his bite attack before stabilizing them. A few miscellaneous notes on locations, things to remember, and further suggestions: Castle Ravenloft is a massive dungeon crawl that will drain your characters resources, but they may never need to go there. A lightning flash rips through the darkness, but Strahd is gone. Should my party have been doing these encounters or should they have run away? Strahd constantly lures the PCs to new locations throughout the castle, moving the scene of battle to monster- or trap-filled chambers (e.g., the gargoyles in K7 or the elevator trap in K61), while reserving multiple safe spaces to regenerate his health fully before returning to the fray. Use this option if you want to lure one of your players toward a particular door or window where Strahd is lying in wait, or away from a pending ambush. First 3 sessions took place around the House of Lament adventure from VGtR as the intro/tutorial. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged. Curse of Strahd, one of the most popular Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game products of all time, split into three parts: a 224-page perfect-bound adventure for characters of levels 1-10, a 20-page Creatures of Horror booklet of new monsters that appear in the adventure, and an 8-page Tarokka Deck booklet. The section I reference also has the minimum average level for players in those areas. By contrast, a party of 10th-level PCs will face a difficult, grueling encounter that risks draining their resources dry and killing at least two characters. :). Like so many RPG video game sandboxes, the mists surrounding Barovia act as a warning: leaving the playable area that limits the narrative of the game, but they are especially unique in one regard: they act as both barrier and catalyst for adventure. The adventure is firmly rooted in the horror genre and pits the players against ghosts, werewolves, and the titular vampire himself: Strahd Von Zarovich. Use this option if your players appear uninterested in using Strahds history against him. Tabletop Audio has Barovian Castle, Vampires Castle, and Barovian Village available for free through the Roll20 Jukebox. Strahd flees combat as soon as a PC casts a powerful Concentration spellsuch as Haste or Polymorphand returns only once those spells have ended, even if that takes multiple minutes or an hour. Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. How could the Awaken spell be cast on highly intelligent plants and beasts? If Strahd ever takes more than 21 damage in a single round, or if Strahd ever takes radiant damage, he immediately retreats to a safe location in order to fully regenerate his hit points. Set in the Ravenloft campaign setting, the module revolves around the vampire Strahd von Zarovich and the Demiplane of Dread that serves as his prison. The specter and the animated armor might seem obvious threats, but the shadows that surround characters, the ghouls in maze-like corridors, the mimic door that prevents escape, and the ghasts guarding needed supplies are even more deadly. It is intended for 4 players, taking them from level 1 to 10. Here is a hint: If you DON'T want your players to investigate something, do not describe it in details. Strahd is unaffected by any PC taunts specifically regarding Sergei, King Barov, Queen Ravenovia, or Tatyana unless the PC succeeds on a DC 15 Charisma (Performance) check (made with advantage if the PC has read the Tome of Strahd), in which case Strahd prioritizes that PCs injury or death above other competing targets. Stadh is the perfect cat - after 400 years he is bored. My L4 party is doing Death House, and I do not have to scale original stuff meant for L1-3 much. I'd also love to put some bosses in there that mimic Strahd's tactics (retreating, summoning minions etc) so that when they finally face him, they have some form of believable tactics so it feels like their characters have improved tactically. At this point the party was level 3, fighting against 3 CR 5s (Hag Coven, Night Hags). Stoic. As you read this guide, make sure to keep opportunity costs at the forefront of your mind. I'm having the same issue. Final Boss Music For Strahd. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Lets also assume that his preferred actions include unarmed strike, fireball, and bite (-1 CR); that his preferred legendary actions include unarmed strike and bite (-2 CR); that Strahd doesnt use charm; that he primarily uses his conjure specter lair action; that he prefers to isolate characters through defenestration; that he does not prepare between consecutive combats; and that his responses to provocation are wrathful.