What player characters dont know is that, like them, Strahd von Zarovich is trapped by the Dark Powers in his Domain of Dread. If you use this option on at least one-third of Strahds turns in combat, increase Strahds CR by 2 if Strahd is employing Hit-and-Run Phasing (see above), and reduce Strahds CR by 2 if not. Here, assume that Strahd uses the Advanced Phasing strategy, setting his default CR to 11. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs. If youre a new GM preparing to run Curse of Strahd, youll need to know: your players can either start at third level, or they can run through the introductory adventure "Death House." Even if they survive to the final basement battle and reveal, the chase upstairs and the houses own mechanisms may well kill them. She's either a Damsel Scrappy who steals much of the module's focus while lacking a compelling personality to justify protecting her, or she's a likeable character with a good amount of characterization, and someone the players can see as . Thats good advice - I'v been slowly working through the book to make sure I get all the connections correct. A party of adventurers can begin the adventure either at 1st level (beginning with the notoriously lethal starter adventure. 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. . Curse of Strahd has a specific leveling style all its own. This is what I have so far https: . Use this option if you want to give your players a clear opportunity to easily kill Strahd with massive damage and/or grapple attempts without giving him an opportunity to react. By contrast, a party of 10th-level PCs will likely slaughter Strahd within two rounds. Lets talk a little bit about the things the conversion has that the book doesnt have: The topdown Castle Ravenloft maps in Roll20s conversion were lovingly, painstakingly crafted by Kristin Carlson, andwhile the isometric maps provided in the original content really capture that Curse of Strahd unique aesthetic styleweve only introduced isometric support recently on Roll20! As such, he carefully reserves his high-level spell slots, using them only when doing so is sure to create a lasting advantage or opportunity. So this is kind of filling in middle space between what they would normally do and what we would normally sell". Use of this option does not change Strahds CR. Combined with the magic items that are vicious vs vampires, Strahd as written was severely overmatched. Strahd limits himself to a small number of adjoining rooms, using his phasing ability only to pass through minor walls or other obstructions. 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. The square grid maps will help your players navigate Castle Ravenloft on the virtual tabletop. Share them with anyone. Curse of Strahd is a 257-page adventure for D&D 5e that transports players into a horrifying pocket dimension called Barovia. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if at least one PC can cast dispel magic or if the PCs cannot see Strahd (e.g., because the PCs are avoiding looking at Strahd in order to evade his Charm), and increase Strahds CR by 2 if not. The following points apply to any final battle with Strahd, notwithstanding any alterations made by specific tactics below: Strahd prioritizes targets in the following order: the PCs foretold ally; the holder of the Tome of Strahd (if known); wizards, warlocks, and sorcerers; bards, clerics, druids, and artificers; monks, rangers and rogues; fighters, paladins, and barbarians. Before "Death House" youll likely want to run one of the initial adventure hooks: Plea For Help, Mysterious Visitors, Werewolves in the Mist, and Creeping Fog. [14], In 2017, Cecilia D'Anastasio, for Kotaku, highlighted the inclusion of queer characters in Curse of Strahd and wrote "what was a scattering of queer characters throughout the years formalized into a guiding principle with 2016s Curse of Strahd, an adventure that has players take down the vampire Count Strahd. Tease, taunt, humiliate - Yes. 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. I have decided on Barbarian for my upcoming Curse of Strahd game, Im joining at level 3. Best Race/Class to play Curse of Strahd!! - D&D Beyond Should I re-do this cinched PEX connection? There are many shapeshifters in Barovia, from vampires to hags to werewolves, and each has a rollable token on the Roll20 virtual tabletop. Curse of Strahd - Wikipedia Role-playing Games Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for gamemasters and players of tabletop, paper-and-pencil role-playing games. This guide aims to fill that gap, providing a comprehensive suite of options to allow Dungeon Masters to precisely customize the outcome and experience of their final boss fightas if customizing a statblockbefore initiative is even rolled. Its easy to see whyunlike easy-to-use bosses in other modules, a single mistake can lead to Strahds near-instant death, while an unintentionally optimal strategy can turn the final battle into an unpleasantly excruciating experience. 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. 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. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is 15, meaning that a party of 15th-level PCs attuned to the Sunsword and Holy Symbol will likely face a challenging, resource-intensive final encounter. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. I like Skill Challenges from 4E to let players use their skills to run, hide, find novel solutions that do not have to be fight based. Did the drapes in old theatres actually say "ASBESTOS" on them? They add so much to the atmosphere of creeping down a hallway or a climactic trek to a forbidden mountain temple. With Roll20 as your virtual tabletop, your adventures are limitless. Make notes on Strahd's abilities, tactics, and weaknesses. The following options refer to the frequency with which Strahd chooses to use his Charm ability in combat and the means by which the players avoid or resist it. Strahd uses his lair action to summon a specter, which attacks a single PC and then vanishes. Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to isolate a grappled PC or keep Strahd away from sources.of sunlight, out of sight of hostile spellcasters, and/or out of range of hostile melee enemies. [] Reading through The Curse of Strahd was a thrilling visit to the tortured land of Barovia. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. Locations in Barovia include. You can read our full guide to Strahds history, his personality, and how to run him at the table HERE. "Death House" will run your player characters through levels 1-3 if they survive. [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. Lets assume that Strahd uses the Minor Phasing strategy, setting his default CR to 9. [] In fact, there really are no pre-scripted Strahd moments in the early stages of the adventureonly various opportunities for him to appear and test the partys mettle. Strahd brings a grappled or incapacitated character to the dungeons, knocks them unconscious, and restrains and imprisons them within a cell after confiscating their weapons and other equipment. If you use this option on at least one-third of rounds in combat, reduce Strahds CR by 2. Petty. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for D&D 5e that is heavily inspired by gothic and pulp horror. Ireena is useful at level 3 but quickly becomes a real liability on the way to Krezk. Use this option if you want to isolate a single PC in a place where Strahd can easily attack them and/or drag them away. A Comprehensive Guide to Strahd's RAW Final Battle Tactics No Phasing. This module was designed to be inserted into the main Curse of Strahd campaign, in the centralized town of Vallaki. Even though there is not much detail about them in the book, they make great mini-bosses for the party to encounter. [5], In July 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced a new edition of the Curse of Strahd module, entitled Curse of Strahd: Revamped.