DAYTIME RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN BAROVIA If the characters are moving quietly and not carrying

light sources, they can try to hide from these Barovians,

d12 + d8 Encounter
who carry pitchforks (+2 to hit) instead of clubs, dealing
2 3d6 Barovian commoners
3 (ld6) piercing damage on a hit.
3 ld6 Barovian scouts Barovian commoners rarely leave their settlements.
4 Hunting trap This group might be a family looking for a safer place
5 Grave to Jive, or an angry mob searching for the characters or
6 False trail heading toward Castle Ravenloft to confront Strahd.
7 ld4 + l Vistani bandits
8 Skeletal rider BAROVIAN SCOUTS

I I
9 Trinket If at least one character has a passive Wisdom (Percep­
tion) score of 16 or higher, read:
10 Hidden bundle
11 ld4 swarms of ravens (50%) or l wereraven (see
appendix D) in raven form (50%) You see a dark figure crouched low and perfectly still,
12 ld6 dire wolves aiming a crossbow in your direction.
13 3d6 wolves
14 ld4 berserkers
If more than one scout is present, the others are spread
15 Corpse
out over a 100-foot-square area.
16 ld6 werewolves in human form
These scouts are Barovian hunters or trappers
17 l druid with 2d6 twig blights
searching for a missing villager or townsperson. Once
18 2d4 needle blights they realize the characters aren't out to kill them, they
19 ld6 scarecrows lower their weapons and request help in finding their
20 l revenant missing person. If the characters decline, the scouts
point them in the direction of the nearest settlement and
NIGHTTIME RANDOM ENCOUNTERS IN BAROVIA depart without so much as a farewell. They wield light
crossbows (+4 to hit, range 80/320 ft.) instead of long­
d12 + d8 Encounter
bows, dealing 6 (ld8 + 2) piercing damage on a hit.
2 l ghost
3 Hunting trap BERSERKERS
4 Grave These wild mountain folk are covered head to toe in
5 Trinket thick gray mud, which makes them hard to see in the
6 Corpse fog and well hidden in the mountains they call home.
7 Hidden bundle While so camouflaged, they have advantage on Dex­
8 Skeletal rider terity (Stealth) checks made to hide. Characters whose
9 ld8 swarms of bats passive Wisdom (Perception) scores are higher than the
berserker's Dexterity (Stealth) check can spot the near­
10 ld6 dire wolves
est berserker.
11 3d6 wolves
12 ld4 berserkers 1
STRAHD S SPIES
13 l druid and 2d6 twig blights
As the undisputed master of Barovia, Strahd has many
14 2d4 needle blights
spies, from swarms of bats to wandering Vistani, who
15 ld6 werewolves in wolf form report to him at dawn and dusk each day. These agents
16 3d6 zombies constantly patrol the land of Barovia and report everything
17 ld6 scarecrows they see to him.
18 ld8 Strahd zombies (see appendix D) Every day and night that the characters remain in Baro­
via, one or more of the vampire's spies check on them and
19 l will-o'-wisp
attempt to return to Strahd with a report. When a spy ap­
20 l revenant pears, characters who have a passive Wisdom (Perception)
score equal to or greater than the spy's Dexterity (Stealth)
Use the descriptions that follow to help run each ran­ check notice it. A spy does not constitute an encounter
dom encounter. The table entries are presented in alpha­ if the characters are unaware of its presence. If they do
betical order. notice it, the spy's goal is usually escape, not combat. A
secondary goal for a spy might be to acquire some physical
BAROVIAN COMMONERS object-a possession, an article of clothing, or even some
part of a character's body such as a lock of hair-that
Strahd can use to improve the efficacy of his scryirrg spell.
The sound of snapping twigs draws your attention to If one of Strahd's spies is confronted by the party, the spy
several dark shapes in the fog. They carry torches and attempts to grab some accessible item from a character
before fleeing. If Strahd acquires such an item, he uses his
pitchforks. scryirrg spell to learn as much as he can about the party
before planning his next attack, and to verify what his spies
have already told him.

CHAPTER 2 I THE �NDS OF BA.ROVIA t

29

�--�,tr,
 If someone spots the berserker, read: FALSE TRAIL
This encounter occurs only if the characters are travel­
You startle a wild-looking figure caked in gray mud and

I I
ing; otherwise, treat the result as no encounter.
clutching a crude stone axe. Whether it's a man or a
woman, you can't tell. You discover a foot trail that cuts through the wilderness.

The berserkers shun civilized folk. They try to remain Evil druids left this trail. Following it in either direction
hidden and withdraw if they are spotted, attacking only leads to a spiked pit (see "Sample Traps" in chapter 5 of
if trapped or threatened. the Dungeon Master's Guide). A thin tarp made of twigs
and pine needles conceals the pit, the bottom of which is
CORPSE lined with sharpened wooden stakes.
This encounter occurs only if the characters are travel­
GHOST

I I
I
ing; otherwise, treat the result as no encounter.

You find a corpse. A baleful apparition appears before you, its hollow eyes
I
dark with anger.

Roll a d6 to determine the nature of the corpse:

Many ghosts haunt this land. This particular ghost is
1-2. The corpse belonged to a wolf killed by spears and
all that remains of a person drained of life by Strahd
crossbow bolts.
(decide whether it's a man or a woman). It appears and
3-5. The corpse belongs to a Barovian man, woman,
hisses, "No one will ever know you died here." It then at­
or child who was clearly torn to pieces by dire wolves.
tacks. If the ghost succeeds in possessing a character, it
If the party is accompanied by Barovian scouts (see
leads its host to the gates of Ravenloft (area J) and hurls
above), the scouts recognize the corpse as the person
the host's body into the chasm.
they were searching for.
6. The corpse looks like one of the characters (deter­ GRAVE
mined randomly) but has been stripped of armor, This encounter occurs only if the characters are travel­
weapons, and valuables. If moved, its flesh melts away

I I
ing; otherwise, treat the result as no encounter.
until only the skeleton remains.

DIRE WOLVES You stumble upon an old grave.

I A snarling wolf the size of a grizzly bear steps out

of the fog.

The area is lightly obscured by fog. If more than one

dire wolf is present, the others aren't far behind and can
I There is a 25 percent chance that the grave is intact,
appearing as an elongated earthen mound or a rocky
cairn. Characters who dig up the grave find the skeletal
remains of a human clad in rusted chain mail (a soldier).
Among the bones lie corroded weapons.
If the grave isn't intact, it has been violated. The char­
be seen as dark shadows in the fog. The dire wolves of acters find a shallow, mud-filled hole with dirt or rocks
Barovia are cruel, overgrown wolves and Strahd's loyal strewn around it and a few scattered bones within.
servants. They can't be charmed or frightened.
HIDDEN B UNDLE
DRUID AND TWIG BLIGHTS This encounter occurs only if the characters are travel­
ing; otherwise, treat the result as no encounter.
A gaunt figure with wild hair and bare feet bounds toward
The characters find a leather-wrapped bundle hidden

you on all fours, wearing a tattered gown of stitched ani­

in the underbrush, stuffed inside a hollow log, or nestled

mal skins. You can't tell whether it's a man or a woman.

I
in the boughs of a tree. If they open the. bundle; read:

It stops, sniffs the air, and laughs like a lunatic. The

The bundle contains one set.of common clothes sized for ·
ground nearby is crawling with tiny twig monsters. ]
a human adult.

The Barovian wilderness is home to druids who worship The clothes have a drab Ba'rovian·'style to .th�m. They
Strahd because of his ability to control the weather and
belong to a wereraven or wer.ewolf.
· the beasts of Barovia. The druids are savage and violent,
and each controls a host of twig blights, which fights HUNTING TRAP
until destroyed. If all the twig blights are destroyed or This encounter occurs only if the characters are travel­
the druid loses more than half of its hit points, the druid ing; otherwise., treat the result as no encounter.
flees, heading toward Vester Hill (area Y).

• CHAPTER 2 I THE LANDS OF BAROVTA

-;=f-�
/"
!/
30
·,
T
V
·. ,'i
.
...
 Have each of the characters in the front rank of the them. The revenant would like nothing more than to
party's marching order make a DC 15 Wisdom (Sur­ kill Strahd, but it will not venture to Castle Ravenloft
vival) check. If one or more of them succeeds, read: unless it receives orders to do so from Vladimir. If the
characters ask the revenant to lead them to Horngaard
in Argynvostholt, it does so while avoiding contact with
You spot a wolf trap, its steel jaws caked with rust. Some­ Barovian settlements.
one has carefully hidden the trap under a thin layer of
pine needles and detritus. SCARECROWS
If at least one character has a passive Wisdom (Percep­
tion) score of 11 or higher, read:
Barovian hunters and trappers set these traps hoping
to thin out the wolf population, but Strahd's wolves are
too clever to be caught in them. If none of the characters A scarecrow lurches into view. Its sackcloth eyes and ric­
in the front rank spots the hidden trap, one random tus are ripe with malevolence, and its gut is stuffed with
party member steps on it. Rules for the hunting trap dead ravens. It has long, rusted knives for claws.
are presented in chapter 5, "Equipment," of the Play­
er's Handbook.
If more than one scarecrow is present, the others are
NEEDLE BLIGHTS close by. If none of the characters has a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 11 or higher, the scarecrows catch
the party by surprise.
Hunched figures lurch through the mist, their gaunt bod-
l ] Baba Lysaga (see chapter 10, area U3) crafted these
ies covered in needles. scarecrows to hunt down and kill ravens and were­
ravens. The scarecrows are imbued with evil spirits and
delight in murdering anyone they encounter.
The woods crawl with needle blights that serve the evil
druids of Barovia. If the characters are moving quietly SKELETAL RIDER
and not carrying light sources, they can try to hide from
these blights.
Through the mist comes a skeletal warhorse and rider,
REVENANT both clad in ruined chainmail. The skeletal rider holds up
a rusted lantern that sheds no light.
A figure walks alone with the stride and bearing of one
who knows no fear. Clad in rusty armor, it clutches a The human skeleton and warhorse skeleton are all
gleaming longsword in its pale hand and looks ready that remain of a rider and mount, both of whom per­
for a fight. ished trying to escape through the fog that surrounds
Barovia. They are doomed to ride through the valley in
search of another way out, without hope of salvation.
From a distance, the revenant looks like a zombie and The skeletons ignore the characters unless attacked.
might be mistaken for such. A character within 30 If both the rider and its mount are destroyed, this en­
feet of the revenant who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom counter can't occur again. The destruction of one skele­
(Insight) check can see the intelligence and hate in its ton doesn't prevent future encounters with the other.
sunken eyes. The revenant is clad in tattered chain mail
that affords the same protection as leather armor. STRAHD ZOMBIES
The revenant was a knight of the Order of the Silver
Dragon, which was annihilated defending the valley
against Strahd's armies more than four centuries ago. Not even the cloying fog can hide the stench of death
The revenant no longer remembers its name and wan­ that descends upon you. Something evil approaches, its
ders the land in search of S.trahd's wolves and other footsteps betrayed by snapping twigs.
minions, slaying them on sight. If the characters attack
it, the revenant assumes they are in league with Strahd
and fights them until destroyed. If the characters are moving quietly and not carrying
As an action, the revenant can attack twice with its light sources, they can try to hide from the Strahd z�m­
longsword, wielding the weapon with both hands and bies. These undead soldiers once. served as guards in
dealing 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage on each hit. Castle Ravenloft. They fled the castle after Strahd be­
If the characters present the_mselves as enemies of came-a.vampire but couldn't avoid their master's wrath.
Strahd, the revenant urges them to travel to Argyn­
vostholt (chapter 7) and convince Vladimir Horngaard,
.the leader of the Order,of the Silver Dragon, to help
living,-
� �•·
. _!. ,_ )_ I: .
.\ �-'-:;:-;.?(:·-:� ;. .. ·
They still wear bits of tatter�d livei;-y,: and they attack the·
. •. (::: .. ' '. · _'.

.. . ,.. ;: .· ··�- .. '

CHAPTER 2 I THE LANDS OF BA.ROVIA

 I I
SWARMS OF BATS WERERAVEN
This wereraven in raven for m watches the characters
from a distance. Compare its Dexter ity (Stealth) check
The stillness of the night is shattered by the shriek of result to the ch aracters' passive Wisdom (Perception)
bats and the flapping of tiny black wings. scores to see whether it remains hidden from the party.
If one or more characters spot the cre ature, read:
These bats are the servants of Strahd. They attack the
characters without provocation. Through the mist, you see a black bird circling overhead.
When it feels your eyes upon it, the raven flies away, but
it's back before long, keeping its distance.
SWARMS OF RAVENS

Your presence in this dreary land has not gone unno­

The wereraven belongs to a secret order called the
ticed. A raven follows you for several minutes while keep­
Keepers of the Feather. If the characters don't spot it,
ing a respectful distance. the wereraven shadows them for ld4 hou rs. At the end
of that time, or anytime sooner if the characters attack
The raven do esn't caw or tr y to communicate with the it, the creature flies home to report what it has seen.
character s. If they leave it alone, read: If the party has a second random encounter with a
wereraven, this one presents itself to the characters as
an ally and reque sts that the y travel to the Blue Water
More ravens begin to take an interest in you. Before long, Inn in Vallaki to meet "some new friends." It then flies
their numbers swell, and soon hundreds of them are off in the direction of the town.
watching you.
WEREWOLVES
If the werewolves are in human form, read:
The ravens fly away if attacked. If they a re left alone,
they watch over the par ty, remaining with the characters A deep voice calls out, "Who goes there?" Through the
until they reach Castle Ravenloft or a settlement. If the
chill mist you see a large man in drab clothing wearing a
characters have a random encounter with hostile crea­
tures, the raven swarms aid the characters by attacking tattered gray cloak. He has shaggy, black hair and thick
and distracting the i r enemies. muttonchops. He leans heavily on a spear and has a
small bundle of animal pelts slung over his shoulder.
TRINKET

I You find something on the ground.

I If the werewolves are in wolf form, read:

A random character finds a lost tr inket. Roll on the Trin-

kets table in appendix A, select a specific trinket from
the table, or create one on the fly.
I You hear the howl of a wolf some distance away.

How the werewolves act de pends on the form they

I
have taken.

I I
VISTANI BANDITS Human Form. Werewolves in human form pretend to
be trappers. If mo re than one is present, the others are
You catch a whiff of pipe smoke in the cold air and hear within whistling distance.
They tr y to befriend the characters to see if they are
laughter through the fog. carr ying silvered weapons .. If the characters appear to
have no such weapons, the werewolves assume hybr id
These evil Vistani march through the Ba rovian wil­ form and attack. Otherwise·, they part c0'111pariy with
. • the
derness without concern for thei;_w_ell-beii;i-g;.s[I\oking characters and leave well enough alone:';:·
pipes, dr inking froi:n wiries�rn�•• and�telfi11g gliost stii­ · WolfForm. Werewolves. in wolf form folio� the par ty .
ries. They are searching fo� g(ay.�{to, pl�nder �r hunting-_ from a safe distance for s$yei-�! 'hours. If their Dc,xter ity
small game. For_'a pri¢� 9ppb,gp/they:offer'to· serve (Stealth) checks exceed the:Ch_ara�ters' passi_vy Wisdom
as guide s. As long a� these Yiit�p:i _a t'� with the .i>a rty,
(Perception) scores, the werewolves.attack :with sur -
, pr ise when the characters de�ide;tohke a slior t o r long
roll a dl2 instead of a dl2 + dB when_ d�terminfng ran-
rest. Otherwise , they wait untirthe' cha racters·are �ea k­
• do,m encounters in the wilde rness.'In addition� wolves
ene d by anothe; ranqom �n�6·tl�Jer" before m9viI1g in fo r
., , •.•..* , . .,_ ·:· �pg dire wolve s don't threaten th e char�_cte�s as long ..
the easy kill. . · · . · . · ·. · . ; . ·
����/_=:.ff:� · s
J. .th
,·._::._·,,•.,.,:., ·pnsoners.
e Vistani . are travelirig with them and aren't thei� .
·. · Th e werewolve s' faii is a c;ave complex that over looks

/·_yr:·t·,:.t_., }\
Lake Barat9k (area Z). If you\ised the "Werewolves in
:.-:t__ \{' Treasure. One Vistani bandit ca rries a pouch that
;:;holds_ 2d4 small gemstones (wor th 50 gp each). .· · tlie M.ist·advep,ture hook to lure the characters to Baro-
. _

CHAPTER 2 I THE LANDS OF BAROV1A

 via, captured werewolves can be forced to divulge the
location of their den, where they keep their prisoners.
AREAS OF BAROVIA
The following areas correspond to labels on the map of
WILL-0'-WISP Barovia on page 35 and on the poster map.

I I
This random encounter occurs only once. If it comes up
again, treat the result as no encounter. A. OLD SVALICH ROAD

Several hundred yards away, through the fog, you see a Black pools of water stand like dark mirrors in and
flickering torchlight. around the muddy roadway. Giant trees loom on both
sides of the road, their branches clawing at the mist.
If the characters follow the flickering light, read:
If the characters are walking along the road, they arrive
The torchlight flutters as it moves away from you, but at area B after 5 hours. If the characters are traveling in
you never lose sight of it. You make your way quickly yet Vistani wagons, the travel time is halved.
cautiously through the fog until you come upon the shell B. GATES OF BAROVIA
of a ruined tower. The upper floors of the structure have
Two sets of these gates exist: one west of the village of
collapsed, leaving heaps of rubble and shattered timber
Barovia and one east of the village.
around the tower's base . The feeble light moves through
an open doorway on the ground floor, then flickers and
The fog spills out of the forest to swallow up the road be­
goes out.
hind you. Ahead, jutting from the impenetrable woods on
both sides of the road, are high stone buttresses looming
The light is a will-o'-wisp that enters the ruined tower gray in the fog. Huge iron gates hang on the stonework.
and becomes invisible, hoping to lure the characters in­
Dew clings with cold tenacity to the rusted bars. Two
side to their doom.
The floor of the tower is made of packed earth. Its inte­ headless statues of armed guardians flank the gate, their
rior is desecrated ground (see "Wilderness Hazards" in heads now lying among the weeds at their feet. They
chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). Against the greet you only with silence.
inside wall of the tower, across from the open doorway,
is a closed, empty wooden chest.
If the characters disturb the chest, 3d6 zombies erupt If the characters are traveling on foot, the gates swing
from the earthen floor and attack. Once the zombies ap­ open as they approach, screeching as the hinges move.
pear, the will-o'-wisp becomes visible and joins the fray.

I I
THE LANDS OF BAROVIA: COMMON FEATURES
WOLVES Unless the text says otherwise, the following rules apply to
doors, secret doors, locks, and webs in these lands.
Doors. A wooden door can be forced open with a suc­
This land is home to many wolves, their howls at the mo- cessful DC 10 Strength check, or DC 15 if the door is
ment too close for comfort. barred or reinforced in some other manner. Increase the
DC by 5 if the door is made of stone, or by 10 if it is made
of iron. Decrease the DC by 5 if the door is made of glass
Characters have a few minutes to steel themselves be­ or amber, or if the door is weakened in some manner
fore these wolves attack. They heed the will of Strahd (such as by rot or corrosion).
and can't be charmed or frightened. Secret Doors. If there are obvious clues to a secret door's
presence, such as scratch marks on a nearby wall or foot­

I
ZOMBIES prints leading to it, a character with a passive Wisdom
(Perception) score of 15 or higher notices the secret door.
Otherwise, finding a secret door requires a search of the
The ungodly stench of rotting flesh hangs in the air. Up area and a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
ahead, the walking, moaning corpses of dead men and Locks. A creature proficient with thieves' tools can use
them to pick a typical lock with a successful DC 15 Dexter­
women lumber about. ity check. A typical padlock can be broken by smashing it
with a bludgeoning or slashing weapon and succeeding on
a DC 20 Strength check.
These unfortunate Barovians·fell prey to the evils of Webs. Characters can pass through ordinary webs, in­
the land and now shamble from place to place as a cluding thick cobwebs, without fear of being restrained
ravenous mob. or slowed down. A character can clear away the cobwebs
from a 10-foot square as an action. Webs woven by giant
spiders are a different matter; see "Dungeon Hazards" in
chapter 5 in the Dungeon Master's Guide for rules on giant
spider webs.

-- CHAPTER 2 I TH.E LANDS OF BAROVlA