. Wilma is the cook at Fidatov manor, preferred by Fidatova for her flair rather than her reliability. Side note, this isn't really discussing DM's Guild Content -- maybe it's a better topic for the Story & Lore section of the forum. The Dreamsnarer is a gnome tinkerer in Merryway who made Arrigal's chiming watch. Now, I am not intimately aware of the lore surrounding D&D 5e, and I know that he is a prominent figure over all. Curse of Strahd - Mid-fantasy in an "Alt-Earth" setting. Drasha is a senior guard of Vallaki, and is assigned to monitor Azuron, Lael, Rowena and Schnoken when they first make an impact on Vallaki. She often stops Varvara from drifting out of reality. Queen Ravenovia van Roeyen - not Queen Ravonia. Known as Undermountain, this dungeon is the domain of the mad wizard Halaster Blackcloak. You should check them out. Strahd didnt make it this far because he has great spells or a really cool big sword, he made it here because he understood how to turn every fight in his favor (although fireball probably did help). Dead in Thay; Against the Giants; Tomb of Horrors; Tomb of Annihilation; 2018. Just so you know, Ireena's stat block for a lv 3 fighter as her . The Mad Mage has a different spell list from that 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. As understood, expertise does not recommend that you have fabulous points. Imagine a valley surrounded by mist, with the suns rays barely visible beyond layers of murky clouds. Aike and Ulfrik saw through the mist and trees the battle taking place between this mystical elk and four large wolves. Look to a place where sickness and madness are bred. Lady Fidatova is the last of the Fidatov line of artisans, and is herself a brilliant mathematician. Given I am prepping now to run Strahd for my Mox crew, this is a really clean look at the major NPCs and storyline for the advanture! More from this Title's Contributors. My question is: Does his appearance in . His voice was deep and melodic. I was never a fan of horror but my players, they are always up for a good jump, I was working on a homebrew monster yesterday that doesn't really fit here but with the right description it can be a wonderful tool to not only scare players but the characters as well (frightful presence dc 21) I posted it and named it the Red Dragarasque (bad name I know) but the only problem is getting the gods angry at the pc's which I wrote as the only way to have it merge into such a horrific creature. Bundles containing this product: Recharged [BUNDLE] $16.25. 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. Strahd is the ruler of Barovia on the material realm, and is well loved as an enlightened despot. Victor has packed up a spellbook and a mysterious bejeweled book with a lock on it to take with him. With so many to choose from it can be . Amalthia is the junior maid at Wachterhaus and the discontented helper of Stella. Hewill live forever and hewill do horrible things to win Tatyana's love, making her hate him instead. The original I6 Ravenloft module, however, contains a compelling description: Barovians are, by tradition, a happy people, though their history and current conditions are not happy.. Curse of Strahd: Destined Allies - "There is one destined to stand with you against the shadow, but of their ultimate fate, not even I can tell," - Madam E . Lord Argynvost was the commanding founder of the Order of the Silver Dragon, and is widely considered to have been Strahd's greatest adversary during the latter's conquest. Headmistress Claudia has stayed at St. Andral's Orphanage in Vallaki all of her life, now running it as tidily as she can. When he returned, a hundred years or more passed. He is the sun god's final of many attempts to free Barovia from Strahd. Haliq is the loyal valet of the Lady Wachter, and her closest confidant regarding her book club. [13], His toenails appeared to be a venerated item in some places.[19]. Ireena Kolyana is the daughter of Kolyan Indirovich, and the primary object of Strahd's affection. Until she reached Tenebrous, where she took the power, and became evil, with a goal of lichdom, she attacked the PC's, and eventually escaped to enact her wish of immortality.Upon Strahd's defeat, the PC's encountered her again, this time a as a demilich. Locally, he is only known as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok. 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. 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 Ivlis over the Tser Falls to his supposed death. But while outsiders can enter the Domains of Dread if the Mists surrounding these lands permit them to, nearly all of the Darklords are trapped in their individual kingdoms. [12], While imprisoned in Barovia, his hair and beard were both long, black and peppered with grey streaks. 16. In Curse of Strahd. (Players can attempt to visit him by walking round the lake, or by taking fishing . Details about the challenges of converting 2D maps to 3D. The prophecy of Madam Eva referenced a wizard at the base of Mount Baratok. - Content Not Found: escher Angelika was Davian's wife, best friend, and mother of their four children, and was killed by Baba Lysaga. He is also a drunk, and talented violinist. Wheaku is the fiercely loyal owl familiar of Lael Milpialda. Ithink the first thing you can improve is to make it clear his obsession is part of his curse, and not his own nature. Incentus was Lady Tereska's retainer and lover. Izek is Baron Vargas' infamously brutal protg and captain of the guard in Vallaki. She acts more like an adult than a blank spell has a remaining duration of 3d6 hours, after child. He often has to collaborate with the Baroness whenever there is a costume festival that needs preparation. The most powerful of these was a knightly organization known as the Order of the Silver Dragon that was destroyed. Only instead I made Strahd have an illegitimate son, who he technically took by force to be raised in his domain. It's a Sith legend. Diavola is Lady Fidatova's beloved handmaid and the constant subject of her social experiments. Vortico was a former highwayman travelling across Agarthia who hid in a Vistani wagon with the intention of stealing it. Laura is the captive of Baba Lysaga and the secret to their symbiotic immortality. upgrade now This man isnt undead, either hes just a servant that Strahd keeps chained up in Castle Ravenloft to count his money for him! Blinsky is the founder of Blinsky toys, and aims to improve the world with his strange creations, one smile at a time. Home Guides Strahds Stat Block: What The Numbers Mean. Lazlo is a bookbinder on Fidatov estate, and has worked closely with Fidatova's family since he was young. Fantastic article. Thanks for the insight though, I am having trouble finding the page where the encounter is even locatedcan anyone help me out. She now immortally rules the swamp of Berez. Arik is the soulless bartender of the Blood of the Vine tavern. Come on! Lady Fiona Wachter is the matriarch of the second most powerful family in Vallaki. Madam Eva is the matriarch and oracle of the Vistani in Barovia, and one of the most widely respected people in the valley. He became known by the locals as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok.". Wiki Le Monde des Royaumes Oublis (French), Mordenkainen's defense against lycanthropes, Mordenkainen's defense against nonmagical reptiles and amphibians, Mordenkainen's faithful phantom defenders, Mordenkainen's faithful phantom shield-maidens, Mordenkainen's protection from insects and arachnids, Inhabitants with a 12 challenge rating (5e), Inhabitants with a 27 challenge rating (3e). Yep, thats pretty underwhelming at first glance, but Strahds strength doesnt lie in the numbers and dice rolls, it lies in his tactics. Waterdeep: Dragon Heist; Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage; 2019. If you're playing with players with no knowledge of the Forgotten Realms lore, use a more interesting character like Traxigor. Marzena is the most paranoid of the Belview family, and considered the most at-risk of escaping the Abbey. 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. Yonvi is the middle son of Yonvich, and a very organised carpenter, miller and leatherworker. Tenebrous. Varvara is the eldest child of the Vaskroffs, and was born without a soul. Strahds kingdom was spirited away to the Domains of Dread, and Strahd became an immortal ruler haunted by untouchable reincarnations of Tatyana. ISBN. He occasionally visited Avernus to study the effects of the Nine Hells over the schools of magic and to ensure the balance of the universe. He doesnt really have much going on if you run him exactly as you would any other monster based off of his stats alone. Gertruda is the runaway daughter of Mad Mary, and is infatuated with the idea of being a princess. Mordenkainen, commonly referred to in local legend as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok, is an ancient legendary wizard from a magical world. Lord Nikolai Wachter is the deceased father of the Wachter children, and husband of Fiona; beloved by them. Dungeons & Dragons 5e on Discord, Roll20 About the adventure. Peruse nuanced portrayals of Dracula in film as inspiration for Strahd. . I just finished CoS with my playgroup (I'm the DM) - and I made some changes to the way things played out, mostly because my players are very creative, and love to screw up Strahd's plans.I felt like the pacing was off with how open this campaign is, so I added an extra story hook about one of the vestiges in the amber temple breaking free. Vistani NPCs have access to curses and the Evil Eye (p. . The others are empty shells bereft of charm and imagination. Amazing article! They're there, invincible and never truly seen, never to be understood nor defeated. -Mordenkainen is cool if you know who he is. 9780786967155: 1-10 Spelljammer: Adventures in Space: August 16, 2022 Rahadin is Strahd's chamberlain, bodyguard, and only true friend. Mirabel is one of three owners of the Blood of the Vine tavern, and outcasts from the Tser Pool camp. Notable Relations: The latest of these incarnations is Ireena Kolyana. Milivoj is the gardener and gravedigger for St. Andral's Church, having grown up in its orphanage. Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. He has spies at his disposal, including werewolves and druids who worship him on Yester Hill, a prominent landmark in western Barovia. a great destiny awaits her. la persona che ami ti accompagner. Gili is the co-founder of the Beast's Rose tailor. Viggo is the more curious of the Tomescu twins, often getting into trouble at the Wizard of the Wines. 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. 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. Felix is a child possessed, his demon draining the souls of the residents of St. Andral's Orphanage. Urwin Martikov is the timid eldest child of Davian Martikov, the husband of Danika, and the father of Brom and Bray. However, my players assumed she was a towngirl who had been charmed. Hedwig is Ivah's talkative best friend and lives at St. Andral's Orphanage. Duchess Dorfniya was a friend of Sergei and Tatyana, and frequent visitor to Barovia. Clovin is the bell-ringer and cook for the residents of the Abbey of St. Markovia. He broke his leg and lost his horse during the a search for Arabelle. 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. Lectrum is a junior guard at Fidatov manor, nicknamed after his love of trade. The Mad Mage's mind connection to Strahd. It is debated whether he was mad or an ambitious jester. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. Majesto is the imp familiar of Lady Wachter, loaned to her by Strahd. - Arabelle (obsessor). Arista was a runaway Vistani and Strahd's court ceiling painter. Vasilka is the Abbot's secret weapon to freeing Barovia from Strahd. 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. The residents of the pocket dimension (also called Barovia) only know legends of the decrepit castle on the hill that used to house a powerful vampire. 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. He thought he could rally the people of Barovia against the devil Strahd. -A CR23 statblock of Mordenkainen with magic items and treasures! In Curse of Strahd, General Kroval "Mad Dog" Grislek is buried in Castle Ravenloft. Jeremy Blum (@PixelGrotto) is a journalist, gaming blogger, comic book aficionado, and fan of all forms of storytelling who rolled his first polyhedral dice while living in Hong Kong in 2017. 978-0786965984. Tarokka Reading. . Bianca is the sadistic mate of Kiril, sharing much of his philosophy on what a werewolf should be. 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. Victor should actually just be a teenager with a crush on Stella and a really bad take on magic. Neferon of Gehenna is a plane-hopping mage that has settled as the obstinate guardian of the Amber Temple. Lorgoth the Decayer was the moniker given to the demon summoned by Elisabeth Durst using Walter's soul. [4] He often traveled to Waterdeep with his friends for revelry in a city where he would not be recognized. Unfortunately, Strahd thoroughly beat him and threw him over the edge of Tser Falls. Curse of Strahd: Revamped: October 20, 2020: Softcover edition of Curse of Strahd, Creatures of Horror bestiary, a 54-card tarokka deck, a Tarokka Deck booklet, a DM Screen, double-sided poster map, Strahd cover sheet, tuck box for the cards and 12 postcards. Come on! She is proud to have managed to revive one through her plea to the Abbot of Markovia. Indigo is a senior guard at Fidatov manor, nicknamed after her colour-blindness. [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. Let us not forget The Knight of The Black Rose, Lord Soth and his conflict with Strahd. Attention PDF authors and publishers: Da Archive runs on your tolerance. Piccolo is the newly beloved monkey companion of Blinsky, given to him by Rictavio. Lottie is the co-owner of the Beast's Rose tailor shop, having come up with the name after hearing one of Yonvich's stories. Strahd feels an extreme guilt towards him, as he just couldn't resist the curse.Strahd's curse: this campaign is called Curse of Strahd, yet we never hear the curse. My Strahd is not exactly evil, he's just so focused on finding a cure for his wife that he's completely forgotten everything else. Strahds subjects live in three major communities: Barovians are superstitious and distrustful, and Curse of Strahd states that only about one in 10 of them truly possess a soul. The Three-Faced King was a mysterious masked man who requested to be buried in the crypts of Ravenloft. [15], Mordenkainen was a good friend of Elminster Aumar; the two met on numerous occasions at Ed Greenwood's house on Earth to exchange news from each other's worlds, as well as spells and lore. Dr. Van Richten is a legendary huntsman and holy warrior whose vengeful career has spanned over twenty years. " The Philantropist: This card tells of history. Leonid was a duellist during Strahd's conquest, famous for his stature and his flawless combat record. Tatyana was the fiance of Sergei von Zarovich, and is the only victim of Strahd's curse whose soul reincarnates perfectly. Obsidian Portal has a lot of really cool features that use JavaScript. Strahd shows himself multiple times throughout the campaign, standing ominiously and even interacting with the party directly several times. Either to taunt them or try to win them over and have them join his side, and with the excellent writing present in this module some of the more morally ambiguous PCs may find themselves tempted to even join him. Exethanter is a blind lich, and the last survivor of the original Amber Circle. Fugue is a junior guard at Fidatov manor, nicknamed after her habit of humming melodies stuck in her head. Franz is the artistic nephew of Skennis, former alpha of the werewolf pack. There are segments of Barovian society that resist Strahds rule. Bella Sunbane is the daughter of Morgantha, and a baker in Old Bonegrinder. Love means giving yourself to someone else intentionally, not because you're forced to. Lady Liliana was the older of the scout sisters, and a knight of Archamian. Khazan was Strahd's court mage both during and briefly after his conquest. Isabella is Lady Fidatova's gardener and warden of the outskirts of her maze. He may be chosen as Strahd's Enemy by the card reading of Madame Eva but will not otherwise accompany the party if healed. 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. The Abbot is an angel of the Morninglord, whose divine purpose is to relieve the people of Barovia from their strife. 16 Feb 2023 14:45:41 He kept a close-trimmed beard and wore grey, high-collared robes. 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. Comprehending as without difficulty as bargain even more than supplementary 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. To put another DarkLord in his place. If he Casts time stop, he'll be able to do it again after a long rest when his spell . Burgomaster Ulrich was the last burgomaster of Berez and assistant to Marina's suicide. Because the Mists of Barovia are undiscriminating in who they pull in, Dungeon Masters are free to inject some iconic and unusual allies into this Domain of Dread, from Elminster to Drizzt DoUrden. He is privately very religious and deluded. 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. Also, how about another twist? 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. Kellen is a survivor of one of Kiril's ring of stone matches, ridden with guilt over it. The Vampyr is a mysterious entity that first spread the secret of vampirism and is responsible for Strahd's curse. The way I see it is this: "Strahd really wanted two things: for his name to be eternally remembered and for the company of his loved ones. Lysaga went by a different name in her youth as Strahd's nursemaid. This is Barovia, the most famous horror setting of Dungeons & Dragons. Dhavit is the endlessly busy chef at Wachterhaus.