curse of strahd bosses
But Curse of Strahd also involves plenty of exploration and and social interaction, so Bards, Druids, Paladins, Rangers, Rogues, Purple Dragon Knight Fighters, Samurai Fighters, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and anyone with the Prodigy feat can be huge assets outside of combat too. Unarmed Strike. Easy fights are not treasured or remembered - for "main" encounters a few failed aborted attempts and near escapes makes it epic and satisfying when you finally win. I am however following the setup/plot within the actual setting exactly. 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! [] Tracy and Laura have been hosting nearly annual sessions of the original Ravenloft at their home, for friends and family, over the course of decades. Strahd uses a spell slot of 3rd level or higher to cast fireball. [] 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. 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 shadows, however, are extremely avoidable and are essentially a consequence of a lack of caution. It should also be noted - I gave them as much warning as possible prior to the encounters, noting the ominous feelings, and a number of other things to give them every chance. The Dark Powers are formidable entities that, even restrained in the Amber Temple, still influence the world around them. Fireball. Use this option if you want to give your PCs a "breather" round in which Strahd does little-to-nothing of consequence. The r/CurseOfStrahd subreddit is a community-based resource aimed to help Dungeon Masters run their Curse of Strahd games. First 3 sessions took place around the House of Lament adventure from VGtR as the intro/tutorial. Then, he built a gigantic gothic monstrosity of a castle because of his gigantic (gothic) unresolved mommy issues. So here's our top four tips for DM's running Curse of Strahd! Their image didn't match the Bela Legosi [sic] vampire quite so much. [19], Jon Ryan, for IGN, wrote "the updates to the adventure itself mostly consist of previously-published amendments to the book, such as tweaks to an additional character option or corrections of printing errors, but the most notable updates are to some items that were deemed insensitive or offensive after the original publishing []. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. Use this option if you want to separate the character from their allies and tax their health and/or resources before they can reunite with the others. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. Dancing With The Wolves (Combat Theme) - Curse Of Strahd Soundtrack by Travis Savoie RPG Music Maker - Travis Savoie 24.7K subscribers Subscribe 1.8K 180K views 2 years ago Perfect for. Barovia is an ironic twist of Strahds desires where the people and land itself act out an endless cycle of despair and horror, and by defeating Strahd they may only save Barovia for a short period of time. If you use this option, increase Strahds CR by 1. Why refined oil is cheaper than cold press oil? I am creating classic rock playlists for music in curse of strahd and I need some help with Strahds Final Battle music. Mysterious Visitors assumes that your campaign is based in or near Daggerford, a town on the Sword Coast in the Forgotten Realms. This is what I have so far https: . From what I remember, if you are simply talking about the leveling guide - they award levels for various in-game events (such as finding artifacts, or completing areas). Why did DOS-based Windows require HIMEM.SYS to boot? Defenestration. Castle Ravenloft is frankly a BRUTAL dungeon, especially if you make your players go into it mostly blind (which I do) and don't allow them to rest. The following options refer to Strahds use of his phasing lair action, which permits him to temporarily pass through the solid walls, doors, ceilings, and floors of Castle Ravenloft as if they werent there. Cant Use Charm. 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. What would stop him from turning into a T-Rex 4 times before actually taking on the party in his true form? In addition to a softcover adventure book, the boxed set includes the following:[1], Curse of Strahd was written by Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, Richard Whitters, and was published by Wizards of the Coast in 2016. Weaving queer plotlines into D&D games is not hard to do. If you choose this option, set Strahds default CR to 9. While completing the introductory section, "Death House" they were suspicious of the pile of refuse in the corner and attacked it to be sure. Due to his unique phasing ability, low hit point maximum, eccentric spell list, and severe vulnerability to sunlight, Strahds Rules-As-Written statblock is difficult for any Dungeon Master to run in combat. Have you got any ideas for more "bosses" I could add into the campaign? How long should it take to travel across Barovia? Sure, it's horror, and sandboxed, but if the answer to almost anything the characters can do or encounter when they start the campaign is, "just run away," it's not much of a story. If a PC taunts Strahd specifically regarding Sergei, King Barov, Queen Ravenovia, or Tatyana, Strahd prioritizes that PCs injury or death above other competing targets. I picked Barbarian because I wanted to be the tank for the group. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Here, if Strahd prioritizes low-AC targets, he will likely knock at least one character unconscious before inevitably disintegrating in the sunlight before the start of the third round of combat. Then, because the woman he wanted to creepily possess fell in love with his younger (well-adjusted) brother, he murdered his brother, chased his beloved Tatyana off a 1,000-foot cliff, and made a pact with the mysterious Dark Powers to become the unholy terror he is today. Tabletop Audio has Barovian Castle, Vampires Castle, and Barovian Village available for free through the Roll20 Jukebox. Is Curse of Strahd really hard, or am I DMing it wrong? I have been running a campaign using the milestone leveling guide, but as a rule I've been leveling with location in mind. Follow her on Twitter @ashtonnduncan for video game deep lore and pictures of her dog. Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to attack without disadvantage in sunlight and force the PCs to attack with disadvantage in a single pre-defined space. Far below, yet not beyond his keen eyesight, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. By using a legendary action to make an unarmed strike instead of moving, for example, Strahd may gain additional damage or a grapple effect against a target, but he is simultaneously sacrificing additional mobility, survivability, and tactical advantage. Use this option if you want to incapacitate a low-Wisdom PC or NPC and/or prevent them from using the Sunsword to generate sunlight. [19] Muncy highlighted that the errata and the Revamped edition "sought to undo some of the harmful stereotyping of the Vistani people, along with revising the books approach to a specific characters disability to avoid ableist stereotypes. Jeremy Crawford, Laura Hickman, Tracy Hickman, Adam Lee, Christopher Perkins, Richard Whitters. Tease, taunt, humiliate - Yes. If you dont have a healer (or they dont have that ability yet, like paladins or rangers), consider adding a potion of healing or two to the hidden room in the library. [5], In July 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced a new edition of the Curse of Strahd module, entitled Curse of Strahd: Revamped. This is the whole point of an XP system: to make that a little easier to deal with. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is 9, meaning that a party of 9th-level PCs attuned to the Sunsword and Holy Symbol will likely face a challenging, resource-intensive final encounter. As you read this guide, make sure to keep opportunity costs at the forefront of your mind. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if employing Cant Use Charm (see above), and increase Strahds CR by 1 if not. Make sure to give . Sometimes the solution is not a fight; it is their job to know when to fight, when to run, and when to find different solutions, Use foreshadowing and foreboding to warn players. Use this option if you want to dramatically increase Strahd's ability to avoid his most potent weaknessgrapplesand force your players to waste spell slots casting dispel magic. They tend to go [] in the hundreds of dollars. It only takes a minute to sign up. The REAL real boss of Curse of Strahd is finding a way to get Strahd to abandon his tactical bullshit and fight you blindly like a man. Much of their threat depends on the party composition and their ability to output magical damage. Icovered the Tarokka reading in another article, but it solidifies the structure of your Curse of Strahd campaign from here, and in short, my advice is: rig it. Theres too much intrigue to wing your way through this adventure". I tried to give as many hints as possible that the coffin maker was scared of something in the shop - he was glancing over his shoulder, refused to let them in, would only speak in a whisper and asked the party to meet him later 'somewhere safe' suggesting the inn. Strahd expects his battle with the PCs to be a marathon, not a sprint. Use this option if you want to allow Strahd to fight at full strength while within sunlight (i.e., by inflicting the blinded condition against PCs who refuse to look at him) and increase his survivability against damaging attacks and vision-based spells (e.g., hold monster). Figure out what your players care about and what leans into the aspects of play they enjoy, and make that narrative happen in the cards. Polymorph (Frog). Use this option if you want to provide your players with a multi-stage boss fight that artificially inflates Strahd's hit points, providing for a longer, more satisfying finale that ends as soon as the PCs successfully grapple or incapacitate him. Strahd freely uses his Charm ability when able, but the DM has made clear to the players that they are able to protect themselves by closing their eyes or refusing to look at him, which the players frequently do. (Note that, if swallowed by the sperm whale, Strahd has protection from sunlight and can escape through the blowhole by changing into mist). Rogue turning a slip into a tumble and roll, etc. 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. Advanced Phasing. Wrathful. rev2023.5.1.43405. 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. In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is either 17 or 21. 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. The following options refer to Strahds preferred means of isolating and subsequently eliminating a grappled (via Strahds unarmed strike attack) or incapacitated (e.g., via polymorph or sleep) PC. Conjure Specter. [] Reading through The Curse of Strahd was a thrilling visit to the tortured land of Barovia. Strahd freely uses his Charm ability when able and the PCs are unaware of or unwilling to employ any means to stop it, limiting them to limited post-Charm curatives (e.g., manacles to restrain charmed PCs or the single-use 5th-level spell dispel evil and good). 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. In my many times through Curse of Strahd as a marathon, in one night, and as a long campaign, Ive had the most fun running and playing in games with pre-chosen rather than randomized Tarokka readings. In particular, my party found the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind quite early and it made the Coffinmaker's house encounter fairly trivial. With only a few quick copy/pastes, your adventurers can get stomped into the muddy waters of the Ruins of Berez! Minor Phasing. 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. This adventure hook leads into the Tarokka deck reading with Madam Eva very well, but not "Death House.". Additionally, the raven should be extremely vocal in trying to ward off the players. In Curse of Strahd, as part of the Tarokka card reading, the party are told the locations of three "treasures"; the Sunsword, the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, and the Tome of Strahd.. They haven't yet been to the werewolf cave, the Amber Temple, Ravenloft, or Yester Hill. Open/Unlock Doors and Windows. Not to mention Strahd's summons, legendary actions, etc. If you choose this option, set Strahds default CR to 8 if Strahd expects to retreat upon taking damage he is unable to fully regenerate, and set Strahds CR to 6 if not. 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. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The random nature of the location of magical items in the module also can make some encounters much harder or easier. Here's a list of preparations a DM should consider when preparing the final battle with Strahd in the D&D 5e Curse of Strahd adventure module: Review the adventure material: Read through the Curse of Strahd book (or review this article to review the information in one place). Therefore, I add some events along the way to give the players a win to get to level 5. Strahd takes the hide action using his +14 to Stealth (Dexterity) checks. 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. 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." Strahd pulls a grappled or incapacitated character to the Ravenloft drawbridge or overlook and pushes them over, letting them fall a thousand feet to their death below. You can read our full guide to Strahds history, his personality, and how to run him at the table HERE. Fog Cloud. Use this option if you would like to provide value to the Tome of Strahd and permit your PCs to win a moral and psychological victory over Strahd. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Note that, as this guide uses it, Challenge Rating means The approximate minimum level that the average five-character party must attain in order to defeat Strahd in a challenging, resource-intensive encounter with no character deaths after obtaining the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, the Sunsword, and the Tome of Strahd. I've only run it once so far, but that did end in a TPK. I'm currently DMing a Curse of Strahd campaign (slightly modified to fit into an existing world I am slowly building (following core rule books for the most part). The answer would certainly be improve by including an explanation of why it's the solution. This adventure module is designed to take four to six player characters from 1st level to 10th level. Note: u/JaeOnasi made a helpful CR calculator based on this guide here. Use this option if you want to keep the fight short and sweet, with minimal disruptions or slowdowns. 28. What's a reasonable Green Hag Coven encounter for a party of 3 level 8 PCs? Support me on Patreon! Curse of Strahd is an adventure module for the 5th-edition of Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast in 2016. Sever Shadow. This official /r/CurseOfStrahd YouTube channel will be used to store many . Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. Which only now gets them level 5 but they have been fighting CR 5's most of the way, with the occasional CR 1-3. I have decided on Barbarian for my upcoming Curse of Strahd game, Im joining at level 3. Role playing epic skill fails and wins can be fun. Cookie Notice In this encounter, Strahds effective CR is 5the minimummeaning that a party of 5th-level PCs attuned to the Sunsword and Holy Symbol will likely face a challenging, resource-intensive final encounter. Authors. Strahd is probably one of the most iconic villains in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. If you use this option, leave Strahds CR unchanged if employing No Phasing*, and increase Strahds CR by 1 if not*. Stoic. 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. Strahd uses 1 legendary action to strike and grapple a nearby enemy. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Here is a hint: If you DON'T want your players to investigate something, do not describe it in details. 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. [1] It was released on October 20, 2020. Although the ZIP files are now outdated (I have released . The ghasts and the mound are tough, but certainly doable if the characters play smart. This article is for first-time Curse of Strahd dungeon masters to act as a sort of Barovia for Beginners to help you build immersion and enable fun for your players in Ravenloft. Curse of Strahd 5th Edition Levels 1-10 256 pages Under raging storm clouds, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. Curse of Strahd is an adventure book for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. As a module, Curse of Strahd does a pretty good job of keeping the pressure on with very little work from the DM. 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. Polymorph (Sperm Whale or Killer Whale). The more details or "clues" you hand out, the more they want to know what is happening. 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. [7] Wizards of the Coast stated that "the adventure includes the latest errata and a revised depiction of the Vistani" who are based on stereotypes about the Romani people. If you use this option twice or more per round on at least one-third of all combat rounds, reduce Strahds CR by 2; otherwise, use of this option does not change Strahds CR. There are four possible adventure hooks designed to draw your players into the mists. All rights reserved. This module was designed to be inserted into the main Curse of Strahd campaign, in the centralized town of Vallaki. Strahd uses 1 legendary action to corner a vulnerable foe or escape a dangerous situation.