I absolutely LOVE the idea of Strahd meeting the characters on the road in his carriage and giving them a ride. Imagine they get in and talk to this nobleman whom they don't know, only to later find out it's the vampire overlord of the dark land they are trapped in
This might be interesting because my character is also a noble who’s reason for coming to Barovia in the first place was to establish political connections. In fact, technically my character is around the same level or status as Strahd as I’m a princess to some and a noble lady to others.
Instead of shopping, I plan for the party to encounter strahd and his brides on a picnic outdoors They just have a rug so they can sit as some of them are playing around with some wolves
Strahd meets the players as himself at koylan indirovich’s funeral. The whole time acting as the noble he is to pay his respects to an associate he had regular dealings with as burgomaster of barovia. Strahd uses the opportunity to console ireena. Ismark is very displeased with strahd’s presence there. Openly blaming strahd for koylan’s death. Strahd dismisses ismark as irrational and grief stricken. At the end of the encounter strahd mentions an ancient wartime tradition of ceasefire for 14 days after a tragedy such as this…then looks to ismark and makes a veiled threat where ireena cant hear, “should be more than enough time to get to vallaki.” This also sets up a clock for the feast of St Andal event.
Im starting this campaign now and the first Strahd appearance will be as a black wolf, leadering a group of grey wolves, attacking the party in the road between the woods. Strahd fights as simple wolf, but when the group defeat all of them, the only wolf that seems to be alive is the black wolf (Strahd), lying in the ground, but still breathing. So the choice that remains to the party is: give a quick death to the wolf as an act of mercy, or leave it to die slowly and with pain. If the party chooses mercy, Strahd will surprise the player that would deliver the final blow, turning back to your vampire form, and attacking the surprised character if possible, just to teach that mercy has no place in his domain. Otherwise, if the party abandon the dying wolf to painful death, Strahd turn back to its vampire form and congrats the characters, telling the group that they are already understanding what its necessary to survive in Barovia. In the end, Strahd will not struggle with the party anymore, he will invite the characters for the fiest in his castle and walk away as fog.
My players just met strahd in his wolf form without knowing it was him. They entered the mist following the werewolves with a bunch of townsfolk and I had the sorrowsworn working for strahd start picking every single one and putting them in coffins so that strahd could feed on their souls later. My players woke up in a coffin each and most wanted to flee but some talked. Strahd tried to scared them off at first but they showed him cards from Madame eva that she gave them in a dream and he was instantly curious and wants to have a talk to Madame eva later. He gave them a safe passage for now but he wants to see if they're worthy to be his guests in Castle Ravenloft and he'll find out soon enough when they go through Death House.
Had one encounter where I had wolves and bats always lingering around the party sometimes the wolves attack but most of the time its not but a lot of the time they would just watch and he would be one of the bats and or wolves one day as the party made camp they notice wolves near the camp watching them and the party was just told by the vampire hunter that he can transform into these things so the barbarian ran out to attack the wolves and they ran and the party followed him but when they come back to the camp they find the vampire himself tending to their fire saying “oh my friends you should have learned by now you should not go out at night dont you know there are far more dangerous things out in the dark and your fire was about to die” *he says with a smug smile*
I just got the Revamped edition of CoS as my first big adventure (not counting LMoP and DotIP), and I’m waiting for Van Ricten’s guide to Ravenloft. This really helps and I’m always up for a new video! Thanks!
The more encounters with him the greater the enmity and the greater the satisfaction at his defeat. The same goes for Rahadin, the Hags, and any other villain. The more they FLEX on the party when they are low level, the sweeter the revenge once the players level up.
1:10- Strahd picks them up in a carriage 1:38- Strahd invites them to dinner at castle Davenport. 2:28- Strahd plays pipe organs in castle Davenport after summoning players to castle. 2:54- Strahd is feeding on local person with a soul. 3:53- Stahd is seen observing players from a cliff or rooftop. 4:30- Strahd has taken his wives and husband out shopping. Runs into players. 5:20- Strahd is seen killing a potential Alley. Makes it clear players are not allowed to have alleys. 6:05- Strahd talks to players via painting of Strahd himself. 6:40- Strahd attends funeral of local or player. 7:18- Strahd visits madam Eva at same time players are getting fortune told. 8:10 - players go visit Strahd at his castle.
Im running a group 5 right now and the idea I've had is for Strahd to attend the funeral of the burgomaster of Barovia in disguise. I'll introduce him as an old colleague but further along in the ceremony have him blink out of existence when the PC's aren't looking leaving behind an envelope with an invitation to the castle to discuss the future of the town.
Another great video, i'm a new DM and currently preparing to run CoS but in Innistrad setting, and since there are most than just 1 BBEG vampire guy all this ideas come very handy, plus all of your videos have been a great help, cheers mate!
Very good information. I remember plying Ravenloft, Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill, and the 2nd edition series that followed. My favorite revamp was the 1993 TSR RM4 The House of Strahd. If memory serves me correct that was when they added the Time-Track Table to help the DM determine the Sun Rise.
Great inspiration! So far I had him hunt them from horseback with yeah hounds, and now I’m running a classic Dracula at Lucy’s Window encounter next session. Very excited to try these.
I have come to realize after two sessions and not even finishing the Death House that I may not be cut out to run Curse of Strahd as I am far to sympathetic and they lost a character and that was first for me and the thing with the kids really traumatized one player and I feel really bad and things haven’t even really started yet.
Curse of Strahd is meant to be dark and deadly. Being sympathetic as a DM probably increases the drama, since youre not actively trying to kill the PCs. This can actually help you with that aspect when someone finally goes down, and it'll help with the fear of the setting they should feel. Im running a solo Ravenloft game, just 1 player, and i dont want him to die then thats the end of the campaign. I gave him a few NPC followers, who he can play if his cleric ever dies. Theyre also extra bodies to make it harder for his own PC to die, as i can target them with the really deadly stuff first to show him how much danger he's in.
Those are some great ideas! Plan on using a couple, for sure! Put a twist on him watching them on a hill by having a pack of wolves attack the group after they see him transform from man to wolf or vice versa.
My players met Strahd first night in Barovia. He came to introduce himself and talk to them about their time in Barovia. My players got it in their heads that they had a chance and didn't like him being suspiciously nice. He dramatically over powered them without hurting them. Now they fear him and when he appears he likes to you with them and their fears and set them on each other. It's glorious.
My biggest recommendation for this module, have Strahd attend the burgomasters funeral. This makes sense as he didn’t actually want the burgomaster to die he actually hoped to be his son in law.
I absolutely LOVE the idea of Strahd meeting the characters on the road in his carriage and giving them a ride. Imagine they get in and talk to this nobleman whom they don't know, only to later find out it's the vampire overlord of the dark land they are trapped in
Glad you liked it. Your on the right track.
This might be interesting because my character is also a noble who’s reason for coming to Barovia in the first place was to establish political connections. In fact, technically my character is around the same level or status as Strahd as I’m a princess to some and a noble lady to others.
Instead of shopping, I plan for the party to encounter strahd and his brides on a picnic outdoors
They just have a rug so they can sit as some of them are playing around with some wolves
lol. I love it. That will confuse the Player's.
Strahd meets the players as himself at koylan indirovich’s funeral. The whole time acting as the noble he is to pay his respects to an associate he had regular dealings with as burgomaster of barovia. Strahd uses the opportunity to console ireena. Ismark is very displeased with strahd’s presence there. Openly blaming strahd for koylan’s death. Strahd dismisses ismark as irrational and grief stricken. At the end of the encounter strahd mentions an ancient wartime tradition of ceasefire for 14 days after a tragedy such as this…then looks to ismark and makes a veiled threat where ireena cant hear, “should be more than enough time to get to vallaki.” This also sets up a clock for the feast of St Andal event.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
My favorite #8 - Strahd talking to the players through his own portrait! Creepy and perfect!!
All the ideas were excellent (except # 11).
Thanks.
Im starting this campaign now and the first Strahd appearance will be as a black wolf, leadering a group of grey wolves, attacking the party in the road between the woods. Strahd fights as simple wolf, but when the group defeat all of them, the only wolf that seems to be alive is the black wolf (Strahd), lying in the ground, but still breathing. So the choice that remains to the party is: give a quick death to the wolf as an act of mercy, or leave it to die slowly and with pain. If the party chooses mercy, Strahd will surprise the player that would deliver the final blow, turning back to your vampire form, and attacking the surprised character if possible, just to teach that mercy has no place in his domain. Otherwise, if the party abandon the dying wolf to painful death, Strahd turn back to its vampire form and congrats the characters, telling the group that they are already understanding what its necessary to survive in Barovia. In the end, Strahd will not struggle with the party anymore, he will invite the characters for the fiest in his castle and walk away as fog.
My players just met strahd in his wolf form without knowing it was him. They entered the mist following the werewolves with a bunch of townsfolk and I had the sorrowsworn working for strahd start picking every single one and putting them in coffins so that strahd could feed on their souls later. My players woke up in a coffin each and most wanted to flee but some talked. Strahd tried to scared them off at first but they showed him cards from Madame eva that she gave them in a dream and he was instantly curious and wants to have a talk to Madame eva later. He gave them a safe passage for now but he wants to see if they're worthy to be his guests in Castle Ravenloft and he'll find out soon enough when they go through Death House.
Thanks for sharing your process. Poor Madam Eva.
Had one encounter where I had wolves and bats always lingering around the party sometimes the wolves attack but most of the time its not but a lot of the time they would just watch and he would be one of the bats and or wolves one day as the party made camp they notice wolves near the camp watching them and the party was just told by the vampire hunter that he can transform into these things so the barbarian ran out to attack the wolves and they ran and the party followed him but when they come back to the camp they find the vampire himself tending to their fire saying “oh my friends you should have learned by now you should not go out at night dont you know there are far more dangerous things out in the dark and your fire was about to die” *he says with a smug smile*
Thanks for sharing your story.
I just got the Revamped edition of CoS as my first big adventure (not counting LMoP and DotIP), and I’m waiting for Van Ricten’s guide to Ravenloft. This really helps and I’m always up for a new video! Thanks!
I am glad you enjoyed the video content. See you next month for the next live stream on Curse of Strahd.
The more encounters with him the greater the enmity and the greater the satisfaction at his defeat. The same goes for Rahadin, the Hags, and any other villain. The more they FLEX on the party when they are low level, the sweeter the revenge once the players level up.
I agree, Roy.
1:10- Strahd picks them up in a carriage
1:38- Strahd invites them to dinner at castle Davenport.
2:28- Strahd plays pipe organs in castle Davenport after summoning players to castle.
2:54- Strahd is feeding on local person with a soul.
3:53- Stahd is seen observing players from a cliff or rooftop.
4:30- Strahd has taken his wives and husband out shopping. Runs into players.
5:20- Strahd is seen killing a potential Alley. Makes it clear players are not allowed to have alleys.
6:05- Strahd talks to players via painting of Strahd himself.
6:40- Strahd attends funeral of local or player.
7:18- Strahd visits madam Eva at same time players are getting fortune told.
8:10 - players go visit Strahd at his castle.
Thanks for creating time stamps.
Strahd does not have a husband.
Im running a group 5 right now and the idea I've had is for Strahd to attend the funeral of the burgomaster of Barovia in disguise. I'll introduce him as an old colleague but further along in the ceremony have him blink out of existence when the PC's aren't looking leaving behind an envelope with an invitation to the castle to discuss the future of the town.
Sounds confusing and mysterious for players, I like it. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Another great video, i'm a new DM and currently preparing to run CoS but in Innistrad setting, and since there are most than just 1 BBEG vampire guy all this ideas come very handy, plus all of your videos have been a great help, cheers mate!
You are most welcome Emiliano :)
Very good information. I remember plying Ravenloft, Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill, and the 2nd edition series that followed. My favorite revamp was the 1993 TSR RM4 The House of Strahd. If memory serves me correct that was when they added the Time-Track Table to help the DM determine the Sun Rise.
Thanks. Tracking time sounds useful for one shot.
Great inspiration! So far I had him hunt them from horseback with yeah hounds, and now I’m running a classic Dracula at Lucy’s Window encounter next session. Very excited to try these.
I have come to realize after two sessions and not even finishing the Death House that I may not be cut out to run Curse of Strahd as I am far to sympathetic and they lost a character and that was first for me and the thing with the kids really traumatized one player and I feel really bad and things haven’t even really started yet.
Curse of Strahd is meant to be dark and deadly. Being sympathetic as a DM probably increases the drama, since youre not actively trying to kill the PCs. This can actually help you with that aspect when someone finally goes down, and it'll help with the fear of the setting they should feel. Im running a solo Ravenloft game, just 1 player, and i dont want him to die then thats the end of the campaign. I gave him a few NPC followers, who he can play if his cleric ever dies. Theyre also extra bodies to make it harder for his own PC to die, as i can target them with the really deadly stuff first to show him how much danger he's in.
Those are some great ideas! Plan on using a couple, for sure! Put a twist on him watching them on a hill by having a pack of wolves attack the group after they see him transform from man to wolf or vice versa.
Thanks. Have fun.
What might be interesting is if Strahd actually saves the party from the attack. That might cause some heads to turn.
Thank you for sharing these ideas! These are great scenes to generate tension between the antagonist and the players.
You are most welcome Paul.
My players met Strahd first night in Barovia. He came to introduce himself and talk to them about their time in Barovia. My players got it in their heads that they had a chance and didn't like him being suspiciously nice. He dramatically over powered them without hurting them. Now they fear him and when he appears he likes to you with them and their fears and set them on each other. It's glorious.
Thanks for sharing your story.
What about making Vasilli their friend and later on, when players trust him... you make the big revelation! Strahd was with them all along...
Try it out.
New friend, here, nice to meet you, looking forward for more videos from you. love Strahd
My biggest recommendation for this module, have Strahd attend the burgomasters funeral. This makes sense as he didn’t actually want the burgomaster to die he actually hoped to be his son in law.
One of the ways that I plan to have the players meet Strahd is by him using disguise self and look like a beautiful woman lol
Very clever idea. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
So the event of the castle refusing to let the party leave
Does that happen every time the players show up to castle raven loft ?
Depends on how you run it.
I can't DM Strahd as actually menacing. His motivations are just way to petty.
1:03 - WTF?? Pigtails? Seriously, they gave Strahd pigtails?