Let us not forget The Knight of The Black Rose, Lord Soth and his conflict with Strahd. Curse of Strahd NPCs - Google Sheets Perhaps Strahd's goal is to burrow his way through the planes and create a united force of Darklords to overthrow and supplant the darklords. Strahd accepted vampirism willingly so he could live forever, then created a pocket dimension where time moves much more slowly - A hundred years in the realm is just a few hours on the material realm. When the queen died, Strahds envy turned to hatred, especially when the woman he desired, a native Barovian named Tatyana, fell for Sergei instead of him. You maytalkwith them, bargain with them, but you will never get the chance to know what you had truly been talking to. Skennis is the retired alpha of the werewolf pack in Barovia. [18], Following the demise of the Circle of Eight at the hands of Vecna during the lich's first failed attempt at obtaining greater deity status, a grieving Mordenkainen was consoled by Elminster, as the wizards reflected on the fragility of their good deeds. Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis The Wise? At some point, Strahd became too lonely and returned to the material realm to spend an evening with Tatyana. By default, hes a vile tyrant and the epitome of entitlement, but in many ways he could also be seen as lonely and emotional. , so there's nothing to lose. One PC took up the mantle of darklord of barovia as a replacement for Strahd, ending his reign, and locked away the demilich in the amber temple.Having explored the concept of the Vestiges a bit further, I treated them like the MTG Eldrazi, smaller parts of a larger whole trying to invade the world, and the "Domains of Dread" act as prisons to hold these vestiges, and prevent them from escaping into Faerun.Now the PC's are in a more homebrew setting, exploring one of the other Domains of dread, after meeting the Dark Powers of the Shadowfell, who informed them that they are useful tools, and that in order for them to return home, they must perform one final task. Details about the challenges of converting 2D maps to 3D. Now, I am not intimately aware of the lore surrounding D&D 5e, and I know that he is a prominent figure over all. The Mad Mage's mind connection to Strahd. We rewound a bit to give Gwaihir's player more time with the mad mage, and through some spells we learned that he was under the influence of a Mind Blank spell, but that it was his own spell. Lightning from the heavens struck the wizard, and again he stood his ground. One of the fun things I added to my Curse of Strahd was that Strahd had children with his brides various dhampirs and vampires that are all vying for his throne and trying to eliminate the party to prove themselves. His impeccable memory makes up for his dreadful handwriting. There are segments of Barovian society that resist Strahds rule. Zuleika is the mate of Emil, and bides her time to avenge him and become the pack leader she believes he should have been. you will have instant access to your previous versions. Grunts is a senior guard at Fidatov manor, nicknamed after his taciturnity. Baron Vargon was the burgomaster of Vallaki before his son, Vargas, and had a firmer grip on the town's order. He believes that the Count is un-killable, and the prevailing tactic should be his appeasement. Miranda is a travelling saleswoman who lives at the Tser Pool camp. Strahd based purely on his stat block is problematic to say the least. Kristofor is a quarryman and labourer at Fidatov estate, often doubtlessly fetching components for Fidatova's projects. Rosavalda Durst was the eldest child of the Durst Family, and died as a casualty of her mother's final ritual. 9780786967155: 1-10 Spelljammer: Adventures in Space: August 16, 2022 Lord Victor is the only son of Baron Vargas, and is resentful of his responsibilities and birthplace. Walter was the child of Gustav Durst and Margaret, and was killed by Elisabeth for her cult's final ritual. I know, this seems pretty obvious for a plot, but it's never explicitly mentioned that Strahd could maybe make friends rather than enemies. 978-0786965984. Instead of her being obviously evil (which by the way everyone figures out as soon as you mention "her sorrow soul asking for forgiveness so you should totally bring her back to life"), she is truly repented. [4] He often traveled to Waterdeep with his friends for revelry in a city where he would not be recognized. Tips for running curse of strahd - Dungeon Masters Only - Dungeons As a token of love, I made her steal one of the wizard of wines gems and use it to make the heart of sorrow, with a part of her very own soul. Lip is a junior guard at Fidatov manor, nicknamed after her talkativeness. This site works best with JavaScript enabled. Ascendant campaigns can view previous versions of their pages, see what has changed (and who did it), and even restore old versions. Wheaku is the fiercely loyal owl familiar of Lael Milpialda. Victoria is the herbalist and non-clerical healer of Fidatov estate. no risk refund guarantee The thing here is that vampires are obliged to do his bidding, so they can't love him. This means your big bad villain across a year long campaign is only CR15. Home Guides Strahds Stat Block: What The Numbers Mean. Subtle and non-immersion-breaking ads, old lore with new twists, it has everything that I look for in a D&D Beyond article. Wilstrom is the son of the Bazhenovs, who succumbed to dream addiction, and loaned him in order to receive more. Anastrasya is a former Vallakian noblewoman and consort of Strahd. Lathander the Morninglord is the god of birth, vitality and the sun. Erasmus was the son of Dr. Van Richten turned vampire spawn of Baron Metus. His voice was deep and melodic. Since his original showing in 1983 in the original Ravenloft, Strahd has instilled joy and fear in many dungeon masters and players alike. Marina was a noblewoman in Berez and reincarnation of Tatyana who was pressured into taking her own life by Burgomaster Ulrich. However, Strahd does have some redeeming beefy base stats with an 18 in STR, CHA, DEX, and CON a 15 in WIS and a big-brained 20 INT. This page was last edited on 3 November 2020, at 14:03. Scylla is a mysterious and powerful sea serpent that sits atop its eponymous cliff on a coastal Kven island. Now, I am not intimately aware of the lore surrounding D&D 5e, and I know that he is a prominent figure over all. To put another DarkLord in his place. You can not kill Strahd in Curse of Strahd You cannot kill the Mad Mage in Dungeon of the Mad Mage You cannot kill the Frostmaiden in Rime of the Frostmaiden You cannot kill the Princes of the Apocalypse in Princes of the Apocalypse. He was discovered to still be alive, though living in the foothills of Mount Baratok, having driven himself insane with a mind blank spell to prevent any vampiric corruption. Lady Ortensia was the sibling apprentice of Lady Liliana, and a knight of Archamian. Oghma the Allknower is the goddes of knowledge, inspiration and invention. CR 18/19) Arveia, Ashes, Cassius, Gerry, and Vel DO NOT READ. Yonvi is the middle son of Yonvich, and a very organised carpenter, miller and leatherworker. The Abbot is an angel of the Morninglord, whose divine purpose is to relieve the people of Barovia from their strife. Beware! His . (This is false, but it is believed). She is his loyal horse and wagon puller. Markovia had long considered Strahd a mad tyrant, . Triumphant in his centuries-long pursuit of his The Mad Mage has a different spell list from that I thought not. Baratok and became friends. Comprehending as without difficulty as bargain even more than supplementary He is described as a mad mage who came to the valley to defeat its ruler but caught a case of amnesia in the process. Whether Strahd truly understands the nature of the Dark Powers that have shackled him to the Domains of Dread is a matter up for debate. In Curse of Strahd, General Kroval "Mad Dog" Grislek is buried in Castle Ravenloft. Follow along as I look into Strahds Stat Block and what the numbers mean and how to make this villain play as terrifyingly as hes written. All humanoid statblocks are human unless otherwise specified. 16 Feb 2023 14:45:41 Maybe your players cured Mordenkainen's madness and he is no longer the "Mad mage of the mountain" or maybe you want to use him with the new book Mordenkainen's tome of foes! JavaScript is currently disabled. It could be really interesting to have the party be from Barovia, but they end up killing Strahd as part of an early adventure, only to discover there are other Domains of Dread, and make it a goal to destroy them all. Elisabeth Durst was the leader of a cult of the dark arts, dedicated to Strahd von Zarovich. [13], Typically stubborn and one who did not suffer fools gladly, Mordenkainen could be difficult even with his friends. Ofelia Wormwiggle is the youngest daughter of Morgantha, and a butcher in Old Bonegrinder. Curse of Strahd Level Guide. Dinara is the best friend of Aziana and a guard of the Werewolf Den, being one of the only werewolves trained in hand-to-hand combat. The Mad Mage of Mount Baratok. Intree was the primary counsellor for King Barov during his rule, and taught battle strategy to a young Strahd. 16. Like those from his world, Mordenkainen does not have a last name. Jeny owns a mysterious apothecary shack outside of Vallaki visited only by desperate townsfolk. The Harpy of Horinshire was a monster that hunted in the town of the same name before its capture by Dr. Van Richten. MASTER LIST: All Curse of Strahd maps redone in Unreal Engine Sophia was the middle daughter of Anna and Dmitri Krezkov, and died from a hereditary disease. His soul met Petrina's and they came up with a plan to bring Petrina back to unlife (thanks to the heart of sorrow which could act as a philactery), so that she could trick the rhyme and finally let Strahd marry his true love.That's it, actually. Each kingdom is ruled by a tyrant who committed sins in life and was awarded the title of Darklord by otherworldly forces known only as the Dark Powers. [1], Chaotic Neutral archmage (with different spells as given in the text)[1], http://fraternityofshadows.com/w/index.php?title=Mordenkainen&oldid=155870, Former Inhabitants of the Prime Material Plane. My party started Curse of Strahd at level 6 and I have planned for them to go up to level 14 or 15. Volenta is Strahd's youngest active bride, and a former courtesan. How do I make a super cool final boss for my players? He doesnt really have much going on if you run him exactly as you would any other monster based off of his stats alone. Featured art image for Curse of Strahd Destined Ally Rankings credit to Wizards of the Coast's D&D 5e adventure book Curse of Strahd. Assemble your crew Keys from the Golden Vault is available now This is discussed in the Curse of Strahd book on page 24. Admiral Sedrik became infamous in Barov's land for assembling a naval force in the landlocked country. ISBN. The Mad Mage of Mount Baratok roams the lakeshore and electrocutes the fish, but hasn't been seen in awhile. -Strahd and Vampires. Stahbal Chakrabarti was a Pannotian nobleman and advisor to Strahd before Rahadin. The castle is covered in spiderwebs and the braziers are rarely lit because Strahd has no servants and spends all his time in his lab. Curse Of Strahd Dm Screen Yeah, reviewing a book Curse Of Strahd Dm Screen could be credited with your close contacts listings. la persona che ami ti accompagner. If his crypt is disturbed, he animates as a wraith and commands his three hell hounds to attack. Mishka is the murderous miscreant of the Belview family, and likes to pull lethal pranks on anyone he can. Curse of Strahd - Mid-fantasy in an "Alt-Earth" setting. Augustus is the older and calmer of the two guard dogs of the Baron. Ivah is Hedwig's confident best friend and lives at St. Andral's Orphanage. Unfortunately, Strahd thoroughly beat him and threw him over the edge of Tser Falls. Grygori is one of many talented smiths in his ancestry, having still only inherited a fraction of the abilities of the man he believes worked simultaneously with Strahd and Artimus Fidatov. Yolanda is the youngest member of the Martikov family at the Wizard of the Wines. Curse of Strahd Companion 15: The Werewolf Den Henry is the collector for the Dusklight Supply Shop, and often finds himself as the personable hub of festival preparation in concordance with the Baroness. Victor has packed up a spellbook and a mysterious bejeweled book with a lock on it to take with him. Once prepared, you don't lose it unless you decide to prepare something different. Recharged: Curse of Strahd - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild [13], His toenails appeared to be a venerated item in some places.[19]. Legendary wizard known as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok. Gralmore was the taken child of forest folk, and the subject of Strahd's failed project to replace Khazan. Curse of Strahd | Characters | Obsidian Portal She is the only bride to have still been outside the valley upon accepting a proposal. Hans was an orphan from Vallaki that sacrificed himself at the Ring of Stone in order to save his best friend Kellen. Despite being undead, Strahd is still a count who considers the Barovian populace his subjects. Tenebrous is an aspect of Orcus' soul, and the first successful lich. Tiamat the Quindragon is the goddess of chaos, greed, and evil dragons, and subservient to Asmodeus. This means your big bad villain across a year long campaign is . - Doru Dragomir (former ally) Sporting 16 AC and 144hp, standard vampire resistances, vampire immunities, and his highest saves are +9. Baron Vargas Vallakovich is the burgomaster of Vallaki, and credits his extreme ruling methods as keeping Strahd out of the territory. He is described as a "mad mage" who came to the valley to defeat its ruler but caught a case of amnesia in the process. But the Keepers of the Feather, a family of wereravens hiding in Vallaki, remains a prominent group that opposes Strahd. upgrade now A mighty wizard came to this land over a year ago. Curse of Strahd - Wikipedia Father Donavich is the reclusive priest of Barovia village, who prays night and day for relief from his dark circumstance. I purposedly put inside a play on words, withnever in lifemeaning thatin death he could actually love them. Arik is the soulless bartender of the Blood of the Vine tavern. Brom is the younger son of Danika and Urwin, and lives at the Blue Water Inn. Izek is Baron Vargas' infamously brutal protg and captain of the guard in Vallaki. An overlooked miswriting on my part, perhaps caused by the ravens who have been chattering by my window sill all evening as if wishing to see what I am putting to paper. First published. It's a Sith legend. Gender: Male As such, I have needed to adjust certain things within the adventure in order for them to present a significant challenge to the party. DEC/16. Escher is the only surviving male consort of Strahd, and fights viciously to remain as such. Recharged: Tyranny of Dragons. I saw him thrown a thousand feet to his death. King Kavan, also known as the Blood Butcher of Balinok, was the leader of the united forest folk tribes between King Dostron and Strahd's reigns. Use the Archmage in your campaign now with stats! Morgantha is the matriarch of the trio living in Old Bonegrinder, and frequents Barovia village to sell her Dream Pastries. It needed his brother blood to be eternalized, and filled his mind with greed and hatred in order for him to give up his humanity and seal the pact with blood. Tales from the Yawning Portal . Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. Piccolo is the newly beloved monkey companion of Blinsky, given to him by Rictavio. Father Lucien is the philanthropic priest at St. Andral's Church, burdened with the secrets of decades of confessions. Some extra changes:These are not really crucial to the story, but they do improve Curse of Strahd a lot in my opinion.-Victor wasn't just mean to Stella so she got mad. Ezekiel is a Prince of Agartha and a chosen of Lathander. Peruse nuanced portrayals of Dracula in film as inspiration for Strahd. He teaches the contents of the books at St. Andral's Church and Orphanage, as well as privately. Session Prep: April CoS Session - The Friendly Bard's Companion to D&D He managed to turn into a demilich, and can still be found in the amber temple. Strahd was envious of the love his mother showered on his brother, Sergei. Bluto is the town fisherman and drunk. Strahd is a curse on the land from centuries ago. First post! Sasha is a reincarnation of Tatyana, and vampire spawn of Strahd. He is the only surviving adventurer that has been lured to Barovia. Sir. This will save time for new users. -Mordenkainen is cool if you know who he is. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, their respective logos, and all Wizards titles and characters are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage More from this Title's Contributors Customers Who Bought this Title also Purchased . I saw the battle with my own eyes. However, my players assumed she was a towngirl who had been charmed. Ghosts of Saltmarsh; The Orrery of the Wanderer; Essentials Kit . We think you'll have a much more enjoyable experience. In 2016, Wizards of the Coast decided to update and modernize Ravenloft, releasing Curse of Strahd. Forgotten Realms Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. Curse of Strahd begins with an optional one-shot called Death House, a three-floor dungeon that lets players explore while advancing their characters from first to third level.DMs and players can decide whether or not to start with it, but either way, players will enter Barovia proper at level three. Patrina was a lover of Strahd, and consoled him after the death of Tatyana and his vampiric transformation. More from this Title's Contributors. She became obsessed with him, even following his deadly conquests into Barovia after she became estranged from him. I'll put everything under spoiler for obvious reasons :). The defeat twisted him more than physically - he has died again and again trying to 'protect Strahd from the release that death would give him'. Since then, he's never looked back and loves roleplaying games for the chance to tell the tales that have been swirling in his head since childhood. She was resuscitated, and would go on to inspire a rebellion against Strahd, which she would die leading. Tarokka Reading. Strahd has a special lair action that allows him to pass through walls and floors in Ravenloft as though they arent even there. It will take place in the mid 1790's, so about 100 years before the events of the book this module is based on. Curse of Strahd: The Wedding At Ravenloft - Dungeon Masters Guild It is ambiguous whether it was a mistake or a suicide. The Mad Mage | Curse of Strahd | Obsidian Portal Adventures - 5etools Mordenkainen | Monday Night MurderHobos Wiki | Fandom Bildrath Chekhov has retained the most successful general store in Barovia village through his shrewd and diligent ways. While he is intimidating, any good sun-sword wielding angry level 15 paladin of Bahamut is going to absolutely eviscerate him. Vistani matriarch Madam Eva also happens to be Strahds half-sister a mind-boggling fact that the vampire himself is unaware of and regularly asks her people to find otherworldly adventurers who might be able to set her half-brother free. I'll put the main points under spoilers if anyone wants to browse. He also has the Regeneration ability which lets him turn fights into stalemates. When I tackled this, I wanted to offer my players some way to actually defeat the curse, and have more than one encounter make way more sense. I did see the warning, but I sincerely hope my PCs don't see this article, and spoil the plot. Baroness Lydia Petrovna is the wife of Baron Vargas. He stirred them with thoughts of revolt and bore them to the castle en masse. Gustav Durst was a wealthy rancher and secret cultist to Strahd von Zarovich briefly before and after the curse began. Queen Ravenovia van Roeyen - not Queen Ravonia. You don't know what they can do, how much they know about you and when they are near you. I had him record his memories in several gems (which made a pretty decent puzzle to recreate his story by arranging the sentences found here and there) that can be found around his tower. The following aspects of this iconic villain are worth memorizing: Strahd was a warlord who defeated the enemies of his deceased father, King Barov. PC Level: 5. Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage | Dungeons & Dragons Strahds kingdom was spirited away to the Domains of Dread, and Strahd became an immortal ruler haunted by untouchable reincarnations of Tatyana. Prince Ariel was an inventor and infamous fatality at Castle Ravenloft, having leapt from its high tower to his death in an attempt to prove the functionality of his wingsuit. Arista was a runaway Vistani and Strahd's court ceiling painter. View flipping ebook version of Curse of Strahd published by raptorhunter182 on 2019-06-22. [16] On occasion, the two were also joined by Dalamar of Krynn. You can draw inspiration from films like Midsommar to emphasize the creepiness of suchcelebrations! Mordenkainen (pronounced:/mrdnkenn/MOR-den-kay-nen[10] listen or:/mrdnkenn/mor-den-KAY-nen[11] or:/mrdnkann/mor-den-KIGH-nen[11]) was a prolific archmage from the world of Oerth who was responsible for many powerful and useful spells. " The Philantropist: This card tells of history. Strahd no longer returns to the material realm, even for short visits, because of how bad Tatyana's condition is, so he can't get new willing volunteers. Apart from Milivoj, Cedrik is the orphan most affected by the house's mysterious debilitating plague. Statistics. He believes that if he can make all of his people happy, then they can escape Strahd. Vistani legend tells that he came to this land a year ago and rallied an army to face off against Strahd, eventually being driven into River . Cyrus is a fearful, mad servant of Strahd, having formerly been the head servant at the Abbey of St. Markovia. At the end of the day Strahd is a fan of theatrics and as a DM you should be too. His son remains the only heir but also wants his father to be taken downand so secretly helps the party under an alias and servants. Also, please, please, please don'tlet players interact too much with the Dark Powers. If you're a new GM preparing to run Curse of Strahd, you'll need to know: your players can either start at third level, or they can run through the introductory adventure "Death House." Before "Death House" you'll likely want to run one of the initial adventure hooks: "Plea For Help," "Mysterious Visitors," "Werewolves in the . Dostron the Hellborn. Khazan's fate: this brings to the third major retcon I did. Davian is the widower patriarch of the Martikov family, and the owner of the Wizard of the Wines Winery. Here is a list of all Curse of Strahd Maps I did and shared with this Subreddit. Recharged: Waterdeep Dungeon of the Mad Mage. Lady Liliana was the older of the scout sisters, and a knight of Archamian. Mirabel is one of three owners of the Blood of the Vine tavern, and outcasts from the Tser Pool camp. Sir. This could, and probably will, turn party members against each other or could potentially make them think one of them is a plant for the big man himself. His paranoia renders him hostile to intruders, and his magical protections make it difficult for anyone to restore his sanity. Burgomaster Dmitri is the ruler of Krezk, whose family has kept the village isolated and safe for centuries. To date there are 10 main campaigns you can choose from for your next D&D adventure: Tyranny of Dragons, Princes of the Apocalypse, Out of the Abyss, Curse of Strahd, Storm King's Thunder, Tomb of Annihilation, Dragon Heist , Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Descent Into Avernus , and Rime of the Frostmaiden. Strahds Stat Block: What The Numbers Mean. Destined Ally Tier List : Curse of Strahd D&D 5e Rankings He later joined their cause after being cured by an amulet to the Morninglord from the Order of the Silver Dragon, in order to avenge his son that was corrupted by Strahd. Strahd has been working tirelessly for a thousand years trying to create a magical / alchemical cure for Tatyana's plague. Taltos is the main manservant at Fidatov manor, and bodyguard of Lady Fidatova. Curse of Strahd: Destined Allies - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon The Three-Faced King was a mysterious masked man who requested to be buried in the crypts of Ravenloft. Khirad, also known as the Star of Secrets, is an Elder Evil that projects the illusion of an eponymous moving blue star that burns brightest in times of apocalypse. Mordenkainen's Magnificent Statblock is here! Power Score: Dungeons & Dragons - A Guide to Curse of Strahd - Blogger . Thats all I have for you and please if you enjoyed this check out more of our content. This means two things: first, the Abbot is right. The Dreamsnarer is a gnome tinkerer in Merryway who made Arrigal's chiming watch. Guide to Curse of Strahd for New DMs - Roll20 tarokka reading | Curse of Strahd | Obsidian Portal Mordenkainen had a hawk-like face, with a permanent frown that gave the appearance of alertness and almost anger, and a penetrating gaze. Strahdis married to Tatyana and loves her dearly. Sir. Kasimir is the sorrowful leader of the remaining dusk elves of Barovia, driven by his guilt over how he doomed them to a thousand-year genocide. Mordenkainen, commonly referred to in local legend as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok, is an ancient legendary wizard from a magical world. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. This is just one of the solutions for you to be successful. Burgomistress Anna Krezkova is a mother who has endured the deaths of all of her children. Ulysses of Eros was a paladin of Sune who went on a vision quest south to respond to Sasha Ivliskova's pursuit. He is privately very religious and deluded. Bahamut the Platinum Dragon is the god of justice, wisdom and good dragons. Haliq is the loyal valet of the Lady Wachter, and her closest confidant regarding her book club. A remake/reboot of the original Ravenloft adventure module, Curse of Strahd is an adventure module for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. and thus you'll never love them. A guide to give your rendition of Strahd some real bite. I actually did something similar. Willemina owns a shoe shop in Vallaki, but has spent most of her time at St. Andral's Church in protest of her son's arrest. [6], In the Year of the Scarlet Witch, 1491 DR, Mordenkainen, still suffering from bouts of madness, was in Waterdeep, where Storm Silverhand and Elminster were helping him to recover from them. 1 / 2. Baratok is actually Mordenkainen who has gone mad. Knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy.