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1525652-FOCoS Ch1 PreppingtheAdventure
1525652-FOCoS Ch1 PreppingtheAdventure
Chapter 1
F
leshing Out Curse of Strahd is a series of
series. 14
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username u/MandyMod on the r/CurseofStrahd subreddit.
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Izek s Sibling ......................................................................
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Ladies Three Art: Jessica Trevino, @StirvinoLady,
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u/breosaighead. Free Supplement used with artist's
permission. 18
A Closed Plane .................................................................
"Ring of Stone" Song and Graphic: Jessica Trevino,
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Sunlight ................................................................................
@StirvinoLady, u/breosaighead. Free Supplement used with
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artist's permission. The World Map ................................................................
the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of 30
Restoring the Fanes ...................................................
Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries.
Corrupted Wereraven Precursor Statblock .......................31
This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or
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other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Rewards from the Ladies ........................................
Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
All other original material in this work is copyright 2021 by MandyMod and
Guild. 35
Types of Lycanthropy ................................................
35
Running a PC Infected by Lycanthropy ....
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Curing Lycanthropy ...................................................
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W
elcome to Curse of Strahd, one of the most
Dragons 5e! In this campaign, players are Dark Powers vs. Vestiges
transported to the horrifying demiplane of In Forgotten Realms mythos, the Dark Powers that
Barovia, a dismal and sunless land ruled by have cursed Strahd and the evil vestiges in the
the immortal vampire, Count Strahd von Amber Temple that have blessed him with
Zarovich. The campaign fully represents the vampirism are unrelated. However, to simplify this
gothic horror genre, from werewolves and vampires to insane
relationship, the Fleshing Out series has combined
asylums and haunted houses.
the two entities. Throughout this series, the
vestiges are trapped Dark Powers and Vampyr is
This chapter of Fleshing Out Curse of Strahd will cover
not only responsible for Strahd's undeath, but also
everything a Dungeon Master would need to start prepping
for his curse.
this campaign, including the background of the setting and an
mythos, these entities are kept deliberately vague to give
and also tormenting them throughout their rule. The Dark
The cosmology of the Forgotten Realms contains a vast In Curse of Strahd, Barovia is considered a single Domain
multiverse and within that multiverse lie the planes of of Dread and Strahd is its Darklord.
Long before Strahd's reign and the founding of any official
entirely off the land and were completely unsettled. They are
The forest folk of old used to worship a trio of archfey known
They were:
essential to the lore and flow of the Fleshing Out series. More
chapter.
As time went by, various tribes of forest folk established small
A little over a thousand years before the start of the
evil gods.
their research. Not only was the valley beautiful and rich in
Before arriving in the Barovian valley, Strahd was fighting
to the Barovian valley and fell in love with the beautiful land.
A Question of Time
mother.
local populace.
The rest of the fall of Strahd and Barovia occurs much as the
off from other planes. Strahd took his place as the cursed
In the very early years of his vampiric reign, Strahd sought to
main shrines to the Ladies Three and stole their power over
the valley. The Ladies, while still alive at the time of the
T
he original Curse of Strahd module presents
running the campaign can work, it is often not high level parties, is still respectable for a high vampire. Most
the most conductive way to promote the Dungeon Masters alter Strahd's stats to strengthen him for
Dungeon Masters feeling lost. The book However, for the sake of guiding the story, Strahd's final
presents a great deal of information, including wonderful stateblock is unimportant. Strahd's stats for the majority of
location descriptions and interesting non-player characters the campaign are instead simply obscenely powerful. Even a
(NPCs), but doesn't provide a way to connect all that party of level 20 adventurers would have trouble combating
information. him.
As written, there's not much reason for the party to pursue Why is Strahd so powerful for the majority of the game?
many of the available side quests or to explore those Shortly after becoming a vampire and a Darklord, Strahd
wonderful locations outside of the experience they would stole power from the Ladies Three, otherwise known as the
gain to level up. With a few basic changes, the Fleshing Out Fanes of Barovia, by desecrating their shrines. This power
series has hopefully fixed many of these issues. gives Strahd a variety of enhanced abilities, invulnerabilities,
the Barovian valley. With this stolen power, Strahd is literally
"The Land."
Strahd is not immortal because he is a vampire. He's While a statblock is hardly required for Strahd
immortal because of his connection to the Dark Power,
when he possesses the power of the Fanes, since
Vampyr. Strahd's status as a Darklord makes his rule eternal.
parties are unlikely to fight him before the final
confrontation, some Dungeon Masters might find
Replace Strahd's Misty Escape feature with the following:
one useful for their own peace of mind.
Though this guide does not provide such a
Strahd's connection with Vampyr makes him truly immortal. statblock, here are some changes you might
When Strahd drops to 0 hit points outside his coffin, he consider when developing your own.
transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait)
Give Strahd at least 500 hit points in addition
instead of falling unconscious or dying. While he has 0 hit to those he has from the Heart of Sorrow. You
points in mist form, he is immune to all effects and attacks might also enhance his regeneration ability to
and must immediately travel to his coffin, where he reverts to 50 hit points per turn.
his vampire form, unconscious and paralyzed. Strahd wakes
Give Strahd immunity to bludgeoning, piercing,
and slashing damage from non-magical
with full hit points the following dusk. weapons, as well as immunity to fire, cold, and
lightning damage.
Strahd should have some sort of trait that
As the campaign progresses and the players become allows him to control nature in Barovia. At will,
acclimated to Barovia, they'll begin to question why no one he can change the weather, stop rivers, wither
has tried to dethrone Strahd before. At that point, many forests, and perhaps even change the phases of
NPCs can and will inform the party that others have not only the moon.
tried, but have succeeded in killing Strahd in the past. Strahd should have at least 5 charges of his
However, Strahd always resurrects within a day and kills his
legendary resistance per day.
quarry soon after. Strahd seems utterly unconquerable,
Remember that buffing Strahd's attack power
making him, "The Ancient."
shouldn't be relevant. The point of his connection
The new information of Strahd's immortality should push to the Fanes is enhancing his survivability and not
players towards investigating the source of that immortality. his ability to murder his enemies. Most of his
With this change, players are now required to explore existing attack power should be deadly enough,
Barovia in pursuit of a way to kill Strahd and discover the especially to mid-level parties.
source of his power.
Parties are transported to the foreign land of Barovia. There, they investigate the
Death House and the dour Village of Barovia. Later, they meet the mystical Vistani
seer, Madam Eva and have an encounter with a coven of hags in a decrepit windmill.
Dealings in Vallaki
The players arrive in Vallaki, the largest town in the Barovia. There, they discover
all is not well as the political powers within vie for control over the town. The
Birds of a Feather
After settling in to this sunless domain, the party rescues a beloved winery and
stops an evil, druidic ritual. In doing so, they make valuable allies in the form of an
organization of wereravens.
On the hunt for a way to defeat Strahd, the party travels to the western town of
Krezk. There, they discover a corrupted abbey and must help the town deal with a
The party must find the location of the mythical Amber Temple. But that vital
information is guarded in the fallen fortress of Argynvostholt and in the ruins of old
Berez. Players must fight undead revenants and evil witches alike.
The players brave the bitter cold of the Baritok mountains and find the ancient
Amber Temple. The temple is a den of evil and darkness, but it also holds the secret
of Strahd's defeat.
Storming Ravenloft
As the adventure races to a dramatic finish, players restore the Fanes of Barovia
and confront Strahd in his dreaded castle. Defeating the ancient vampire frees
Barovia from the mists and lets the sun shine on the land once again.
players are now required to explore Barovia and complete its comes across the Vistani encampment at Tser Pool. There,
many quests to defeat him. Players will have to make allies they have their fortunes told by the mystical seer, Madam Eva.
with powerful and/or intelligent NPCs to gain information These fortunes hint that destiny has brought the party to
and guidance. They'll also have to travel to the Amber Temple Barovia to defeat Strahd once and for all. After leaving the
to learn a method for untethering Strahd as Darklord of camp, the party reaches Level 4.
Barovia. And finally, they must travel to and deal with the Continuing their trek towards Vallaki, the party comes
events at Yester Hill, Berez, and other locations in order to across an old windmill on a hill. Should they investigate, the
restore the Fanes. party finds out the windmill is inhabited by a coven of hags
With these simple changes, parties can no longer that cook children into their pies. The party can choose to
theoretically grind levels against wolves in the woods to fight or flee from this terrifying encounter.
The party begins at Level 1 in Faer ûn, traveling on the Trade
Way south of the Misty Forest. The Dungeon Master may
With little else to do, the party follows the road and
into the basement, where they gain Level 2. They then deal
Kolyanovich and help him bury his father. The party meets a
kind old woman who sells them dream pies as well as the
town of Vallaki.
was unconsecrated after the theft of a holy artifact. There's a In the aftermath of Vallaki's disaster, one of the easiest ways
terrible plot in place to release half a dozen starving vampire the players can get the town back on its feet is by
spawn upon the town at the upcoming Festival of the Blazing investigating the town's missing wine shipments. These
Sun to terrorize Vallaki's citizens and murder the local priest. shipments from the Wizards of Wine Winery stopped
quest hooks as well as find a few of their own personal stakes Back on the road, the players make their way to the winery
in Barovia. They'll follow one lead after another as they watch only to discover that it has been overrun by evil druids. After
Vallaki unravel and race to save as many innocent people as purging this threat, they learn that the vineyards will soon die
they can from the coming chaos. unless a magical gemstone is recovered from Yester Hill,
a direct influence over who rules Vallaki in the fallout. With Upon reaching Yester Hill, the players discover that tribes
the town in shambles, the party helps the people pick up the of evil forest folk are planning to bring a giant treant to life for
pieces and start anew. some nefarious purpose. The players go through a tough fight
to stop this ritual and recover the gemstone from the heart of
Vallaki is one of the largest chapters in the Curse of Strahd
the treant, more than earning them Level 6.
module and it is expected that players spend a number of
sessions in the town. Later, Vallaki can easily become a hub With the vineyard restored and the winery secure, the
or basecamp for their travels and operations against Strahd. players are tasked with delivering several shipments of wine
At this point in the campaign, players should have a relatively them that the knightly order that once lived in the fortress
good foundation for allies in Barovia. Most importantly, by may have known the location of the Amber Temple. Players
rescuing the Winery, they've made friends of the Martikov arrive at Argynvolstholt to find that it is populated by undead
family, who are not only well connected in Barovia, but are revenants who have been corrupted by their own hatred of
also the leaders of a secret cell of wereravens working Strahd. The ghost of Argynvost, a good-aligned silver dragon,
against Strahd. appears to the party and asks them to purify the knights of
The Martikovs and the party's other allies should begin to Argynvostholt. By helping the revenants and the dragon's
drop hints to the party about the desecrated Fanes of Barovia ghost, the party earns Level 9.
wrought with danger as the players must confront mountain
Despite the many plot hooks the party has at this point, their and harsh, but eventually, the players reach their destination.
most likely next destination will be the town of Krezk, to Once inside the Amber Temple, players find the remnants
deliver the missing wine. Not only is Krezk a new location of the mage order that once tried to combat the Dark Powers.
and therefore a curiosity to players, it also is home to a Unfortunately, all that remains are monsters, traps, and dark
couple possible informants to help in defeating Strahd: the magic. Players will have push through this horrible dungeon
Burgomaster and the Abbott. Because Krezk is also level to find the Temple's great library, which contains the answers
Masters use the Martikovs as mouth pieces to encourage that The players will gain quite a bit of lore from the Amber
the Krezk shipment of wine be the delivered first. Temple. They'll gain access to a ritual that can summon the
Once in Krezk, the players will learn that missing wine is Dark Power, Vampyr, to Barovia and seal him away again.
not the town's only problem. Krezk has been suffering a They'll also learn exactly how to reconsecrate the Fanes of
massive food shortage as of late and with the coming winter, Barovia, restoring their power and weakening Strahd.
the Burgomaster is very worried. The players will soon With these significant strides forward in the adventure, the
discover that Ilya, the Burgomaster's recently resurrected players descend from the mountains and head back towards
child, is responsible for the missing food. Ilya's resurrection the Barovian townships. They also earn Level 10.
was not wholly successful and the boy has been transformed
Through the party's many informants, they learn of the a ruined town half eaten by a cold swamp and ruled by evil
existence of the Amber Temple and of the desecrated Fanes witches. Players will have to fight and kill the leader of the
of Barovia. However, these informants don't know the witch cover, Baba Lysaga, and take her corrupted heart to
location of the temple or how exactly to help the Fanes. The restore the Weaver of the Swamp Fane.
party must look elsewhere for information on both. Lastly, to restore the Forest Fane, the players will have to
The players learn that the feral werewolf packs in the confront an ancient and corrupted wereraven at the shrine by
forests north of Krezk may have had a connection to the Old Bonegrinder. After conquering this evil, they successfully
Fanes long ago and may know a method of restoring them. If reconsecrate the shrine of the Seeker, the Forest Fane.
and when the party pursues this knowledge, they eventually After restoring the Fanes, the Ladies Three appear to the
find the Werewolf Den and must help the pack solve a local party in all their glory. They thank the players and gift each
power struggle. By doing so, the players learn the locations of character with some item or boon, many of which will be
the Fanes' three shines across the valley, though all three are exceptionally usefully in the final fight against Strahd. The
now inert. Completing the Werewolf Den and gaining this players also earn Level 11 for completing this daunting task.
out his wrath on the party in any way he can. While he may
once and for all. Out of propriety, he may allow them one last
The party fights Strahd and defeats him, earning Level 12..
They then use the ritual they learned at the Amber Temple to
part and sun shines on the valley for the first time in
centuries.
’
That being said, this is game. Yes, it’s a horror game, but even
There are several overall recommendations and mechanical suffering, your players most certainly should not be.
Do NOT show your players the majority of the illustrations of
It is recommended you run this particular campaign for a various NPCs shown throughout the book!
smaller party, ideally 3-5 players. If you ever want to inspire friendship or trust between your
Human beings generally find safety in numbers and as a players and a NPC, showing them a terrifying character
gothic horror themed campaign, safety isn't something that portrait is not going to help. While the art throughout Curse
Curse of Strahd should promote. For example, you aren't of Strahd is beautiful and thematic, it's not terribly functional
going to feel as anxious marching into a haunted house in a for running the game. Instead, keep those NPC portraits to
party of 7 as you would with a single friend. Not only will a yourself, or at least keep them private until you're sure your
smaller party be easier to manage as the Dungeon Master, players are never going to meet that NPC again.
but it will also improve the overall tone of the game. The illustrations of Rose and Thorn, Morgontha, and Lady
them with lose-lose situations. There are some NPCs that maps for its many locations. However, much of the time using
simply can't be saved and some encounters that can't be won. the maps can actually hinder a session or distract players
Such loses and hardships should slowly break the player instead of help them. For example, while the map for the Blue
characters. Some will come out stronger from these Water Inn is beautiful, it's not really required unless a fight
hardships. Others will become as monstrous as the creatures breaks out at that location.
unimportant rooms.
normally.
prevalent in Curse of Strahd. are completely comfortable running them at your table, it is
While curses can be interesting in any game, they're recommended that they be off-limits to players for this
arguably much more important in this specific campaign. campaign. While you might expect that a horror themed
Curses are supposed to be major plot points of this module game might better support evil alignments than other games,
and have significant effects on character growth, should they the exact opposite is actually the case. Evil player characters
come into play. tend to be highly problematic in Curse of Strahd and newer
However, almost all the negative ailments we see in the Dungeon Masters can get blindsided by their ineffectiveness
campaign can be cured by remove curse, a relatively easy to towards the plot of the game.
learn spell for player charactesr and something known by Evil player characters tend to work in direct opposition to
NPCs all over Barovia. As written, curses are inconsequential the plot of Curse of Strahd. In this campaign, the majority of
as a result. the hooks and transitions rely on the player characters' good
It is recommended that you either completely remove the nature to progress. Evil party members generally will not
spell remove curse from the available spell lists for this want to help those in need without reward and may ignore
campaign or that you increase the severity of all curses in the calls to adventure if it does not benefit them. In fact, they may
game so that they can only be cured with the greater be more inclined to cause turmoil to forward their own
restoration spell or an equivalent. desires. This can make it exceptionally hard to move the
story from one location to the next, let alone actually get
O
utside reading the setting background and
First, decide how you wish to portray Strahd. Should he be Strahd. During the card reading, let your players draw
an enigmatic figure in a distant castle, or would you prefer a randomly from the deck but then read the results you already
more involved villain? have prepared. For more advice on this card reading and the
Remember that Strahd is a tyrant and a conqueror who best potential results, refer to the Vistani chapter of the
has confused love for ownership. He prioritizes wooing Fleshing Out series.
Tatyana’s reincarnation in an attempt to finally turn her into a By rigging the Tarokka reading, you can more adequately
vampire spawn. However, he knows that his many previous hook parties into various locations around Barovia and
attempts to do so have failed because of these reincarnations’ prevent all the vastly inferior results that may appear, such as
untimely deaths and proceeds with extreme caution. the Sunsword’s appearance in Madam Eva’s tent and the card
Otherwise, he takes an interest in the party to alleviate his that denotes no ally at all.
own boredom.
Though it is recommended that you read the entirety of the
choose to run it), and the Village of Barovia for your opening
sessions.
Lastly, as your players develop characters for the campaign,
incorporation.
W
hile Curse of Strahd is one of the most
characters from having preexisting By connecting many or all of your player characters'
connections to the setting or story. While most backstories to Barovia, the players may end up
players can and will establish new connections feeling like these connections are a bit contrived.
to the campaign and come to care for certain After all, what's the likelihood that every character
NPCs, the early development of player characters with
in the party has a surprising connection to this
thriving backstories will end up stunted by simple necessity.
distant land?
However, the surmounting coincidences that
This lack of backstory involvement may end up
brought the player characters together in Barovia
disappointing players. A criminal organization that wronged a
can easily be attributed canonically to fate. Fate and
player character in their backstory will likely never be
foretelling are active motifs that appear repeatedly
confronted in this adventure. A player character with noble
throughout the Curse of Strahd campaign. Starting
ties and an established family will never have the chance to with the card reading in Madam Eva's tent, have
use those connections or have those familial interactions. this seer imply that the party's arrival in Barvoia
Such a disconnect may leave players feeling as though was hardly chance. You can then reinforce this
developing a backstory was a waste of time. sense of fate through Arabelle and other Vistani
In an effort to further engage players in the Curse of Strahd south of Vallaki, the fanatical Lady Fiona Wachter,
campaign, the following section details ways to connect the wise mages at the Amber Temple, and
player character backstories to this particular module.
countless other NPCs.
If you continuously reinforce the idea of fate to
the party, they will slowly but surely stop seeing
their connections to Barovia as a narrative tool but
instead as a unifying destiny for their characters.
To hopefully guide players towards developing characters
this campaign.
If possible, replace Ireena's character with that of a player
hair to match.
Running the Reincarnation s Story ' Powers sent him visions of Tatyana's arrival and stay at the
If you have a player character that might fit the role of burgomaster's mansion weeks before, inspiring his assault on
Tatyana's reincarnation, there are a few important details that the home to find her.
character will learn over the course of the campaign. During this brief meeting, Strahd only addresses the player
This character is now an essential part of Strahd's curse. character as Tatyana, and not by her character name, and
She is reborn over and over again just to die horribly before proclaims his love for her. He offers her his hand in marriage,
Strahd can claim her. but doesn't push for an immediate answer. However, there is
This player character should start the campaign without a vaguely threatening undertone to the conversation that
any idea of their past lives and learn about this curse slowly. implies the player character will end up with little choice.
For instance, dreams induced by dream pastries or drinking After Strahd's departure, Ismark informs the party of the
from the Pool of the White Sun in Krezk might bring back horror that it is to be chosen as one of Strahd's future brides.
memories of her time as Tatyana and she might recall loving He tells the party of the potential safety of Vallaki's walls and
a man in golden armor (Sergei). The ruins of Berez might cathedral and tells them to seek sanctuary there.
to navigate certain parts of Castle Ravenloft instinctually. The Reincarnation s Endings '
Look for ways to pepper in ideas of this player character's The unsatisfying endings for Ireena which occur at the Pool
mysterious past lives and lead them to understand that they of the White Sun in Krezk and in the Epilogue section of the
are cursed to die young so long as Strahd survives. module are no longer needed if a player character takes up
The Reincarnation s Safety ' instead end when they die in Barvoia, in accordance to
The original module makes note that Strahd goes to great Strahd's curse, or when they defeat Strahd and free
monsters of Barovia avoid attacking her and she has Sergei's spirit might briefly reappear before moving on into
advantages with certain NPCs due to her status. While this the afterlife, but otherwise, defeating Strahd signifies the
works for a NPC, it is highly problematic for a player liberation of Tatyana from her abuser. This player character is
control over the beasts of his realm. For instance, wolves and
other monsters might only obey Strahd while he is in sight Whether or not Ireena's character is replaced with that of
and attack the party normally if Strahd is elsewhere. player character, it is recommended that you have a player
Additionally, Strahd wants Tatyana's reincarnation to submit character fill the role of Izek Strazni's missing sibling. If
to him willingly and giving her leniency and favoritism with you've already replaced Ireena with a player character, do not
past reincarnations could have feasibly cost him ground with also make Izek their long lost brother. Instead, give this
them. Strahd would avoid making such a mistake twice. connection to another player character.
never submit and he regretfully moves to kill her himself. In order to fill this role, look for player characters that have
Strahd understands that she will only be reincarnated and dubious family backgrounds. Perhaps a player character is an
that he can try again with Tatyana's next iteration. orphan, born - but not raised - in Barovia. Izek is what
The Opening Quest in the Village of who's family was murdered in their backstory. This murdered
Strahd campaign is the escort mission involving Ireena, Racially, characters who are human, half human, or tiefling
which requires players to accompany Ireena to Vallaki and work best for the role of Izek's missing sibling, if only so you
later to Krezk to find a safe haven from Strahd. By removing may use his art or token if required. A tiefling sibling would
Ireena from the campaign, this quest disappears. also explain Izek's demon arm to a minor extent. However, if
no such race exists in your party, you can easily change Izek's
Instead, players arrive in the Village of Barovia to learn that
race to match a player character instead. For instance, if your
the stress of Strahd's harassing minions has driven the
party contains an orphaned dwarf character, Izek is now a
burgomaster, Ismark's father Kolyan, into an early grave.
burly dwarf with a demon arm instead of a human.
Ismark employs the party to help him carry the coffin to the
'
graveyard and persuade Father Donovich to preform a proper
Izek s Obsession
burial.
While Izek is obsessed with his missing sibling, he is fully
Later that evening, Strahd and his minions reappear at the
aware that they are related to him. While the book tells of his
door of the burgomaster's mansion for a brief meeting.
taboo love for his missing sister, such a connection could be
Strahd expresses his sympathies over the death of the
uncomfortable to have with a player character. Instead, Izek is
burgomaster (but shows no signs of guilt or remorse for
highly aware of his relation to his missing family member and
causing the death) and implies that his knowledge of
while he is still overprotective of them, he harbors no
Tatyana's impending arrival made him overzealous towards
romantic inclinations towards them.
the late burgomaster.
If your party contains a player character that is searching for
Another Pupil
Hunting a Killer
While van Richten is generally a good man who cares for the
hunt for van Richten, van Richten will not reveal himself to
Barovia.
godless but good aligned aasimar may get their abilities from
through the planes and randomly find a player character that
would listen. In return for power or perhaps some one-time
Dusk elves are one of the few alternate races native to
assistance, the player character has been tasked with helping
Barovia. Like drow, they have dark skin, but instead have
their mysterious patron. After the player character finds
black hair and dark eyes to match. The dusk elves,
themselves in Barovia, their connection to the Dark Power
unfortunately, are far from a thriving race. During Strahd's
grows and eventually ends with a demand that they are freed
first conquest, he and his father's armies decimated the dusk
from the Amber Temple.
elves. Centuries later, Strahd ordered all their women
This personal quest may end with the player character
executed and their race has been slowly dying out ever since.
succumbing to the request and potentially freeing the ancient
on Strahd and to lead their people back to their former glory.
T
he Barovian valley lays nestled within the If a creature attempts to leave Barovia by traveling into the
Balinok Mountains and is rich in natural mists without Strahd's permission, use the following rules to
magic. The environment is loosely based off determine the outcome of the attempt.
the creature manages to evade the Dark Power, but takes
spell and see it fail without explanation. While this might
nature of Barovia.
As a reminder, there is no natural sunlight Barovia for the
thick layer of cloud cover stretches over the sky, muting the
There is a physical wall of mist that surrounds Barovia and light of the day. Most evenings, these clouds dissipate to
isolates the land. The mist wall reaches into the sky and it is reveal the starry sky and the moon above.
impossible to see within it more than a few feet at a time. The overcast skies are a passive outcome of Strahd's
Strahd is the only creature that can open and close the power over Barovia. Indirectly, Vampyr moves the weather in
mists at will, allowing interplanar travel. However, because he such a way to protect his Darklord. However, Strahd's control
is a Darklord and bound to this demiplane, he ironically can't over the Fanes of Barovia means that he has control over the
leave Barovia himself. Because of the debt he owes the weather and can get rid of the cloud cover if he chose, though
Vistani, he opens and closes the mists for their travel without he most certainly has no reason to do so.
15 feet at a time.
increase the scale of Barovia to allow for longer travel times
between locations.
Travel time is an extraordinarily important aspect of
The Fleshing Out guides recommends that you change the
Dungeons & Dragons world building. Not only does it give
world map to 1 hex = 1 mile. However, you might also extend
players the illusion of time to settle into the world, making
the distances to 1 hex = 2 miles and double the results on the
settings feel more visceral, but it also forces a campaign to
following map and table.
slow down, giving players a chance to role-play between one
No matter how you adjust the scale of Barovia, you want
another and build their in-character relationships without the
your players to spend at least one night in camp between
many distractions within townships. Travel time also allows
each major location, if not two. Give your party the
players to read books and investigate magic items found in
opportunity to have night-time random encounters, role-play
game.
amongst themselves, or otherwise use the time to process
Additionally, camp time is prime for random encounters.
things that have happened in the campaign thus far. If they
Wolf attacks and similar dangers will help the players feel like
don't seem to need that time, you can simply montage the
they're developing their abilities, making them feel like
travel with a short description. Even a short narration can
they've earned their skills through time and practice.
give the campaign a little breathing room to make the setting
However, with the as written distances, players can feasibly
feel more believable.
go from levels 1-10 in about two in-game weeks. That kind of
The following is a simple list of travel rules from It is highly recommended that you do NOT show
pages 181-182 of the Player's Handbook. players the world map of Barovia!
Players should be new to Barovia and unaware of
A party can travel 8 hours in a day, covering 24 the general layout of the land, much like their
miles in those 8 hours. This travel assumes the characters. Not providing them a map is good for
party is taking small breaks and pacing making them feel alienated and out of their depth
themselves along the way. in this foreign setting.
Parties can choose to travel at a Fast Pace to If and when there comes a time when player
cover more ground. They travel 30 miles in 8 characters can obtain a map within the game, such
hours at a Fast Pace, but their passive as from the Burgomaster of Vallaki, from van
Perception is reduced by 5, making the player Richten, or perhaps even from a shop for a
characters more vulnerable to attack. significant price, provide them with a more
Parties can also choose to travel at a Slow Pace ambiguous, hand-drawn map. There are several
and only cover 18 miles in a day. However, alternative maps available across the Internet. Here
traveling slowly means they are able to travel are a couple recommended examples:
stealthily.
Difficult terrain applies to long distance travel Barovia Hand Drawn Maps available on the
as well. Traveling through the wilds or using DM's Guild.
more dangerous roads may slow the party, Map to the Barony of Barovia by u/theBlackBlue
forcing them to move at half speed and on Reddit
effectively doubling the amount of time it takes
the party to travel that distance.
Traveling with mounts or vehicles can expedite
travel speed.
Barovia is a dour and hopeless land and, for the most part,
Traveling with a mount effectively adds 4 miles that attitude is reflected in its inhabitants.
of distance to a day's travel.
Traveling with a wagon, carriage, or other land
vehicle provides no bonus to travel. As written,
land vehicles only provide bonuses towards Barovia is not the most diverse realm in the universe. While
carrying capacity and little else. the book says that Barovians are used to seeing fantastical
However, at the Dungeon Master's discretion, races from a constant influx of adventurers, it is
party members may be able to take short rests recommended that you instead limit the number of travelers
or perform light activities while riding in a that come to Barovia by a large margin.
vehicle, provided a single character takes
One of the most important marks of horror is isolation. If
responsibility of driving the vehicle.
players are under the impression that Barovia receives
Additionally, you may provide the same mount
bonus to a day's travel distance for vehicles. countless visitors, they will most likely feel more comfortable
Traveling longer than 8 hours in a day posses like to accomplish in this campaign. Instead, a handful of
certain risks to the party, detailed below. foreigners might slip through the mists every decade or two,
check equal 10 + the number of extra hours race. Every so often, a tiefling is born into their society, just
traveled. However, for simplicity's sake, you like in any other setting. Additionally, Barovia is home to the
might leave this check a straight DC 10. last remaining dusk elves, a rare subrace of elves. Otherwise,
Additionally, if parties do not stop to take a any dwarves, halflings, normal elves, or other races are either
long rest in a 24 hour period, most Dungeon former adventurers or descendants of those who became
Masters employ the Going Without a Long Rest trapped in Barovia decades prior. Non-humans remain
rules on page 78 in Xanathar's Guide to exceptionally rare in Barovia, though not unheard of.
Everything. These rules state that parties who
choose not to long rest must make a
Constitution saving throw or risk taking a point
of exhaustion. However, many Dungeon Frankly, there aren't enough people in Barovia to
Masters do not require a roll and instead make appropriately support an economy as written and increasing
this point of exhaustion mandatory. the populace is another recommended change to the setting,
dark ages" can get old to players as months of sessions roll The people of Barovia share common knowledge and
by. Part of the success of horror comes in seeing the good. superstitions amongst them. The following are lists of
For moments of terror and isolation, there should also be information that the odd NPC might know, outside of the
times of joy and comfort. For the miles and miles of horrible more informed and named individuals in the book. The
woods and dark dungeons, there should also be places of following lists also either repeat or alter the information
analysis on the changed populations, see each location's Near every Barovian knows that Strahd is not only King of
appropriate chapter in the Fleshing Out guides. Barovia, but also a dreaded high vampire. While he rarely
Town/Group Population tends to take consorts from the populace every decade or
Village of Barovia 500 - 600 so. Those who voluntarily become one of Strahd's
Biases
Strahd see them as cattle for the vampire lord. And the forests, mountains, and swamp. There are also very brief
half that still worship the Ladies tend to hate Barovians expanses of plains and grassland that usually develop
for having forgotten the nature goddesses. between breaks in the Svalich woods, but such grassland is
Ironically, all Barovians lack any bias against foreign hardly relevant to the overall terrain of Barovia. These
races. Besides finding dwarves, goliaths, and the like biomes combined with Barovia's sunless sky limit the variety
unusual oddities, they harbor no outright ill-will towards of flora and fauna that thrive in the valley.
foreign beings.
Outside of monsters, wolves, and ravens, we rarely see generally tough and unfavorable to most cultures, Barovians
mention of other wildlife in the printed module. Even the consider wolf meat a delicacy, as consuming it represents a
Adventure's League chapters surrounding Barovia mention minor victory over the horrors of Barovia.
However, that's simply not plausible, or the valley would be all
but purged of life after a few decades.
Wine
The only mass produced alcoholic beverage available in
not
The compiled tables below include animals that would be
Barovia is wine. No beer. No mead, whiskey, or ale. .
native to Barovia. These tables certainly do include every
Quite frankly, Barovia doesn't have the environment to
animal found is such an environment, but they're
support the crops needed to make other alcohol.
comprehensive enough to satisfy a session in a pinch,
Though it's possible to produce forms of spirits from
especially if you have a Druid in your party.
potatoes, Barovians lack the sophistication, man power, and
land to mass produce it. What crops they have are already
Barovia's limited number of crops and livestock usually spirits when they already have wine available is generally ill-
makes for more uninspired meals. However, the hardy people advised.
of the valley have learned to make due. All wine in Barovia comes from the Wizards of Wine
Potatoes are by far the largest staple of Barovian diets. Winery, south of Krezk. The winery is known for three
Most tables have potatoes in near every meal, with potato vintages of wine: the most common and standard Purple
pottages and porridges commonplace to feed large families. Grapemash No. 3, the slightly more tantalizing Red Dragon
Without wheat available, Barovians even make their bread Crush, and the finely made Champagne du le Stomp, which
out of potatoes. they stopped producing about ten years ago after the theft of
Otherwise, Barovians use their spice crops to liven up their a magic gemstone. The winery also very rarely produces a
meals. They produce basic celery salt to mix into most dishes grape-based brandy, similar to real-world P álinka. However,
and favor garlic to ward off vampires. Barovians also tend to because this takes so much time to produce, only the very
favor root based salad dishes and vegetable soups, since wealthy citizens of Barovia own bottles for special occasions.
they're easy to make and feed many at a time. The Vistani are the only group that have access to other
Barovian diets tend to favor protein more than other alcohol from their travels beyond the mist, though they
cultures, since animals are more easily cared for than crops themselves culturally prefer wine and don't tend to carry
in this setting. Chickens, sheep, and goats are generally kept other varieties of drink. Additionally, their poor relationship
alive as long as possible for their eggs, whool, and goat milk, with local Barovians prevents most trade between Vistani
but are regular staples of Barovian meals. and those trapped in Barovia.
Wild Animals
Domestic/Production Animals
L
ong before Strahd's conquest, the Barovian The religious practices involving the Ladies were usually
valley was once an untamed land watched over communes with nature. A worshiper might live alone in the
by a trio of ancient archfey. The forest folk of woods for a year in respect for the Ladies amd then return
old called these archfey, The Ladies Three, and home spiritually awakened. Other rituals included great
built great, monolithic shrines in their honor. seasonal feasts and village-wide pilgrimages to the major
This section of the guide will cover all the information you
need to incorporate the Fanes into your adventure.
The Ladies Three are the origin of lycanthropy in Barovia.
The Huntress of the Mountain Fane origin of the mystical gems that give life to the vineyards of
circle of stones atop Yester Hill.
minor religious practices and offerings. The offerings were Unfortunately, the Ladies Three are no longer the reigning
usually nature based tithes, such as the best sack of grain powers of the Barovian valley. As stated previously in this
from a first harvest or the antlers of a buck killed on a hunt. chapter, Strahd desecrated their shrines and stole their
Alternately, worshipers of the Ladies also left small, carved immense power, giving himself control over nature and
statues or other bits of artistic labor as offerings. weather. With this stolen power, Strahd is literally, "The
The Seeker represents the coming of the future. Of the herbologist with an eye for mischief that owns a shop just
Ladies, she is the representative of foresight and soothsaying, outside the walls of Vallaki. She owns a cluttered rickshaw
peering into the future with timeless eyes. The Seeker is cart pulled by a giant boar named Toady, which she uses to
most often represented with ravens, highly intelligent birds make trips to Berez in vain attempts to rescue her sister, the
that watch the valley from on high as the Seeker herself Huntress, from the dreaded witch of the swamp.
pure, sightless white, without irises or pupils, and she had a Unlike her sisters, the Huntress has no representation in the
mane of raven feathers instead of hair. passage of time. The forest folk of old didn't believe in the
Vistani for generations, the Vistani recognize her longevity as The Huntress is a nature-based death goddess. However,
a side effect of her immense gift for soothsaying and not as a death is not synonymous with evil. In the case of the
sign of her former power. Huntress, death is a natural occurrence meant to be accepted
and not feared. Strahd and other undead are therefore her
Madam Eva - or more affectionately known as Eva Treenail
natural enemies, as their very existences are perversions of
to her sisters - instantly sees the player character's potential
death. Lastly, the Gulthias Tree, a tree of death and one of the
towards her restoration and uses her fateful Tarroka reading
eldest living things in the valley, is a direct representation of
to guide them on that path.
her power.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Cantrip (at will): druidcraft, gust, mold earth, shape
water
10 (+0) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 1st level (4 slots): charm person, cure wounds, faerie
fire, purify food and drink
Skills Animal Handling +10, Deception +10, Medicine 2nd level (2 slots): barkskin, healing spirit
+5, Nature +10, Survival +5 Innate Spellcasting. The Lady's innate spellcasting
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Sleep ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14 attacks). She can innately cast the following spells,
Languages Celestial, Common, Druidic, Primordial, requiring no material components:
Sylvan
Challenge 2 (450 XP) At will: animal friendship, beast bond, speak with
animals
Archfey. The Lady is a weakened archfey and nature 2/day: locate animals or plants
goddess and cannot be killed by normal methods.
When the Lady drops to 0 hit points, she falls Actions
unconscious and wakes with 1 hit point after 1d4
hours instead of dying. Bone Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, Reach 5
ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage
The Huntress is the eldest sister of the Ladies Three, as old Most importantly, with the notable exception of Lara's
as the mountains themselves. Before the desecration of her capture in Berez, the Ladies have mostly managed to avoid
shrine, the Huntress appeared as a tall, chiseled woman with the notice of the powerful beings that would exploit their
grey skin. Her physique was toned, like that of an Amazonian weakness. Strahd, for instance, would likely wish to contain
woman, and her long, white hair sat upon her shoulders like Jeny Greenteeth and Madam Eva if he knew their true
snow on the cold stone of a mountain top. She had a pair of identities. These two Ladies seek to avoid fates similar to
enormous, stag antlers growing from her temples, adding their sister.
significantly to her height. While the Ladies gladly assist the party in their endeavors
As an old hag, the Huntress goes by the name Lara to defeat Strahd, they will not reveal themselves until they
Stoneheart and at the start of the campaign, she is a captive have been restored.
the ceiling of her hut above her bathtub. Every week or so,
Baba slits Lara's throat and bathes in her blood. This horrible As previously stated, the Fanes are little more than ancient
and painful ritual has kept Baba Lysaga alive and powerful legend to the people of Barovia. The Ladies themselves have
for centuries. And because Lara is still immortal, she has no little power now and barely a whispered rumor remains of
choice but to continuously endure the ritual. their godhood. So how might the players learn of these
enigmatic archfey?
The players' first encounters with the Fanes should be quite
The Ladies Three have no intention of revealing their
small and seemingly insignificant.
backgrounds to the player characters. When they each first
Besides the great shrines at Old Bondgrinder, Berez, and
meet the party, they have no reason to believe that this group
Yester Hill, smaller shrines and relics still exist in Barovia
of adventurers will fair better than previous groups and
pertaining to the Ladies Three. Should you require a benign
would rather not waste their trust on individuals who may not
random encounter during travel, consider having the party
deserve it. Additionally, these women once possessed all the
discover an old shrine to the Ladies. This shrine might be a
power of nature and their own, innate pride sours them from
lone boulder with simplistic drawings of the Ladies carved
admitting to how far they've fallen. Their claim to be
into its face. Or, perhaps the party finds an old, carved
woodland goddesses would sound insane to the average
figurine of a lady with stag antlers in the dirt.
person, and they have no desire to be ridiculed by mortals.
among the Barovian populace, though most civilians won't Barovia past.
know their meaning or history. You might provide your Rudolph van Richten and Ezmerelda. Both these
players with a handout of one of these rhymes to foreshadow characters are excellent monster hunters and have built
later reveals. The song provided on the previous page, intelligence towards defeating Strahd specifically. As such,
entitled Ring of Stone, is an an example of one of these they are well aware of Strahd's connection to the Fanes and
rhymes. that these fallen nature goddesses are the source of a great
deal of his power. Though they don't know how to go about it,
they both correctly suspect that the power of the Fanes can
shrines. However, he's one of the few that knows that it is
almost impossible to truly kill a god, and that the Fanes can
Once the Fanes have been foreshadowed naturally through be restored somehow. He also knows of the Amber Temple,
the Barovian populace and through random encounters, though not its exact location.
there are more informed NPCs that can tell the players about The Revenants of Argynvostholt. These undead knights
the fallen Ladies Three and provide clues to their restoration. remember a Barovia before Strahd became a vampire. They
Ideally, these NPCs should eventually lead the players to the remember the Fanes, their shrines, and their desecration.
Amber Temple, where the party can learn the mechanical The revenants are also some of the very few that know the
method of reconsecrating the Fanes. location of the Amber Temple in the southern mountains,
The following NPCs have information on the Fanes. which possesses a method towards reconsecrating the Fanes.
Vargas Vallakovich, Fiona Wachter and other Nobility. However, because they are so intent that Strahd remain in his
Vargas, Fiona and a variety of other nobility have access to own purgatory, they'll be far less inclined to help the players
better education and resources than Barovian civilians. They restore the Fanes.
would know that prior to the Morninglord, the native peoples Baba Lysaga. This evil witch not only knows most
of the Barovian valley once worshiped nature goddesses. everything about the Ladies Three, but she is also the captor
They would know nothing of these goddess' connection to of the Huntress herself. While she doesn't know for certain a
Strahd, their greater shrines, or their symbolism. method of reconsecrating the Fanes, Lysaga is informed
The Martikovs/Keepers of the Feather. This spy network enough to make a few educated guesses. She also knows the
of wereravens are far more informed than the average location of the Amber Temple, which can prove her guesses
Barovian. They know of the Ladies' symbolism and that right or wrong. However, Lysaga will under so circumstances
Strahd drained them of their power to gain his own control part with this information willingly.
over nature. However, the Keepers do not know that the Strahd von Zarovich. Lastly and most obviously, Strahd
Ladies can be reinstated and instead believe that the Fanes knows most everything there is to know about the Fanes. He
are completely dead. not only is responsible for their fall, but also has complete
The Vistani. Most Vistani know the same information as access to the Amber Temple. Like Baba Lysaga, he will not
the Keepers of the Feather. They know a great deal about the part with any of this information willingly.
interact with the various NPCs listed on the previous page. Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and return it to the henge of
Their first rumors of the Fanes might come from Lady stones behind Old Bonegrinder.
Wachter or Vargas Vallakovich in Vallaki. They then might Once the symbol is presented at the shrine in honor of the
make friends of the Keepers of the Feather or of the pair of Seeker, the players are beset upon by a monstrous and
vampire hunters and come to learn that the Fanes are corrupted wereraven precursor. Once this creature is
directly connected to Strahd. defeated, the shrine becomes consecrated and a single raven
In the search for more information, the players might then swoops in and takes the Holy Symbol.
seek out the werewolves, who can tell them of the great
example, while van Richten may not know if the Fanes can be
Restoring the Ladies Three is an arduous task that should
take place in the last third of the campaign and after the
could not simply rush off to reclaim the power of the land
that power and the Ladies rise again. Even as the Fanes are
In accordance to the module, Lugdana was a holy paladin of
light that spent much of her life battling the undead. In honor
Seeker herself.
After the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind is presented to the head and lets out a horrific scream, which is cut short as it
mehirs behind Old Bonegrinder, the largest monolith begins to choke. As it retches forward, a cloudy, black fog
shudders and the front of it turns into a smooth, black spills from its beak and initiative begins.
obsidian that is vaguely reflective. Within the obscured The wereraven precursor will spend its first action or its
reflection, a humanoid figure appears, shrouded in black first legendary action vomiting darkness onto the battlefield.
feathers, with a beaked face. Its feathers appear matted and Instead of attacking during the first one or two rounds, it will
bent, the space between them clotted with a diseased-looking, prioritize spreading its darkness to protect itself and disable
black ichor. the party. It will then focus down one enemy at a time,
It mutters to itself in a low, rough voice and any player starting with the player character who first approached the
can recognize that it continuously repeats the phrases, "My When the wereraven precursor is defeated, it falls to its
Ladies are gone. My Ladies are dead." and "Please, my Lady. I knees and bursts into a swarm of ravens, the last of which
hurt. Help me." picks up the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and flies into the
woods.
help of his former nursemaid, Baba Lysaga. Under the witch's representative of her domain. Even in the current time of the
guidance, he hunted down and captured a half dozen high campaign, the forest folk that still worship the Ladies Three
priestesses of the forest folk and lashed them to the stone present their honored dead to the Gulthias Tree. Any corpse
monoliths at the Berez henge. or flesh in long term contact with the tree is eventually totally
There, Strahd tortured the priestesses, bidding them consumed by it in a process that only takes a few weeks.
forsake the Ladies and proclaim him the rightful ruler of While this method of burial would seem gruesome to the
Barovia. It took time, but eventually all succumbed. Once average Barovian, the forest folk only present their tribe
each priestess surrendered their faith, Baba cut out their leaders, priestesses, powerful warriors, and other honored
hearts and presented them to Strahd. With the foul gift, individuals to the tree.
Strahd took the power of the Swamp Fane. To desecrate the Mountain Fane, Strahd fed the Gulthias
To reconsecrate the Swamp Fane, players must right the therefore direct enemies of the Huntress herself. As the
tragedy that befell the priestesses of the forest folk. To do so, Gulthias Tree consumed these undead beings for months at a
the party must slay Baba Lysaga and present her corrupted time, the Mountain Fane lost its power.
To reconsecrate the Mountain Fane, the players must go
Baba Lysaga s Heart' through the Trial of the Huntress in the caverns beneath the
Baba Lysaga's heart is sickly grey in color. Gulthias Tree. This Trial only presents itself to those who
Swamp reeds and vines weave in and out of the look for it, meaning that uninformed parties that investigate
muscle, flowing through ventricles and sinew in the tree will not find the entrance to the Trial. However, once
unnatural tangles. When the main arteries are the players are ready to brave this immense test, they'll
cut, brown swamp water spills forth where discover a crawlspace in the roots of the tree leading
blood should be. downward.
Though it stinks of bog and decay, the heart has The Trial of the Huntress is essentially a path through the
no magical properties. land of the dead, where players can reconcile with lost loved
ones, deal with the angry dead, and atone for their wrong
the past, and now the players will bear witness. You can read
the riverbed and roaring down the mountainside, is an unholy Time moves backwards, undoing the horrible scene. This time, the
torrent of water. One of you screams and turns to run, always a cycle is somehow faster than before. You're surprised when the
little faster than the others. Another rushes to hide behind a clouds break and beam sunlight upon you for the first time in
menhir. But neither of you are fast enough! The water slams into months. Berez deconstructs on the river and for a flash you see an
Berez, drowning out the screams of the villagers! The water hits army on a distant hill and a dragon, its silver scales catching the
you! Soaks you to the bone and knocks the air out of you! But just sunlight, dash across the open sky.
before it washes you out of the Weaver's shrine, time stops and
When time finally stops again, you're surprised to see Baba
again begins to move backwards.
Lysaga standing before you. She seems out of place in this bright,
Marina serene world of ages passed. But... she's different. She's not a
Time moves backwards only two days, stopping in the dead of memory! She sees you! Baba stalks towards you, but just as she's
night. Strahd walks into the circle and his face falls in horror. You about to reach you, an arm bursts through Baba's chest! It's
follow his gaze down into Berez and you see the bonfire; hear the clutching the old witch's rotten heart. You blink and find that your
final few screams of a woman dead. You can only vaguely see her, own hand is still outstretched, meeting the new appendage in the
lashed to a pole in the middle of the blazing pyre. middle.
And time moves backwards again. Just one day this time. It's Baba Lysaga's form melts away. Behind where she stood,
dusk and Strahd stands with a woman. Ireena. You recognize her holding her heart, is a young woman with yellow tinged skin, her
immediately. hair drifting about her brow as if floating underwater. Her lips
stretch up to reveal a cheshire grin made up of rows of sharpened
"Come, my love," says Strahd. "Let us go and I shall give you all teeth. The woman brings the heart to her grinning lips... and takes
you have dreamed of." a bite.
Symbol of Ravenkind.
The Sunsword
you use this ability, you may not use it again until you have
Once their gifts have been given, the Seeker turns into a
of swamp water that falls to the dirt, and the Huntress turns
A
nother overarching change made to the
this section of the guide offers some alternative disease. This more benign form of lycanthropy is passed on
rules towards running a player character from parent to child and inherited lycanthropes lack the
infected by lycanthropy. ability to pass on their lycanthropy through their bites. While
These guides recognize two forms of lycanthropy in Barovia: their full personality and mind when in their altered states.
infected and inherited. Inherited lycanthropes undergo their first change in early
Though humanoids and therefore intelligent and sentient, it's
their curse takes their senses and they become more violent
bonus to one of their core stats, extra AC, and the ability to
a new character.
module.
alignment. Suddenly gaining an evil alignment can be a faster Do not tell your players whether or not their
way to lose a player character than death. Most infected characters have contracted lycanthropy after being
player characters are not actively choosing to be bitten and bitten!
suddenly losing their character in such a way can seem
Instead, have your players roll Constitution
drastically unfair to players.
saving throws whenever they are bitten, regardless
of whether or not they've already contracted
lycanthropy, but then withhold the results of the
saving throw and knowledge of the accompanying
A player character infected with lycanthropy obtains the mechanical changes.
following traits and stat changes: If possible, prepare copies of your player
characters' sheets and make the necessary changes
Immunity to nonmagical and non-silvered damage. to them privately. Then, for example, when a player
Advantage on all skill checks relying on smell and hearing goes to make a perception check based on hearing,
(if a werewolf ) or sight and hearing (if a wereraven). have them roll with advantage but do not tell them
A Strength score of 18 (if a werewolf ) or a Dexterity score why they have that advantage.
of 18 (if a wereraven). If the player character's
Making their curse a discovery will be all the
Strength/Dexterity is already an 18 or higher, it doesn't
more interesting for them.
change.
An infected player character involuntarily transforms into by lycanthropes are not altered when they shapechange.
their were-form every night and therefore cannot benefit Weapons will be dropped, clothing will rip, and backpacks
from a short or long rest at night. For each 24-hour period will be abandoned, unless these objects are sized to
an infected player character goes without a long rest, they appropriately accommodate a shapechange.
If there are no party members present to witness the infected
Whenever a player character transforms into their were- hit points and entering their uncontrollable bloodlust. They
form, they regain half their total hit points, but no spell remain in their were-form until they fall unconscious or until
2d6 slashing damage and a Bite attack that deals 1d10 exceedingly easy way to cure lycanthropy and mitigates the
piercing damage. Additionally, they can only use the attack severity of this curse. Instead, lycanthropy can only be cured
action as their action, and that attack must use an by the greater restoration spell or something equivalent.
unarmed strike. They may only use their strikes multiple In the campaign, the Abbott is capable of curing
times on a turn if their class already includes an Extra lycanthropy with his healing touch ability. Additionally, you
Attack feature. might give van Richten a spell scroll of greater restoration.
An infected player character has the ability to spread their Lastly, you might suggest that killing the root lycanthrope
curse only in were-form. If they bite another humanoid will cure all those that they cursed. In the module, that
creature while in were-form, that creature must make a werewolf might be Kiril at the Werewolf Den and killing him
Constitution saving throw, DC (10 + proficiency bonus), or would cure the majority of the infected werewolves in his
L
astly, the Fleshing Out series employs modified
statistics as a quarterstaff.
300 feet. All blights that can hear the scream immediately
stare into the crystal can vaguely see an eye staring back at The Gulthias Staff can be attuned to over the course of a long
same time, though only one creature may attune to it per long
The changes to this magic item are meant to protect the
rest. Once attuned to the staff, the only way to end
party from Strahd's spying in the last third of the campaign.
attunement is to destroy or break the staff.
Mental Barrier. Anyone who wears the holy symbol gains the creature it is attuning to. After completing their long rest, the
benefits of a nondetection spell and is resistant to psychic creature can easily break the tiny vines, but pieces still live on
damage. As an action, the wearer can expend 4 charges to in their flesh. Occasionally, they can see these vines moving
Wondrous item, very rare The summoned creature appears in a location within sight of
The orb of rest is a small, crystal orb that fits comfortably and within 30 feet of the attuned user and is under their
into the palm of an average, humanoid hand. The orb seems control, sharing the summoner's initiative. After 1 minute, the
to contain an ever-flowing nebula of stars. summon disappears. The summoner may dismiss a summon
early as an action.
Abilities:
The orb has a single charge. Once used, the orb regains its When all charges are expended, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff
charge after 4d4 + 3 days. crumbles to dust without releasing its blight-killing shriek.
including itself, to instantly gain the effects of a Long Rest. Symbiote. The staff lives by drinking the life force of its
until they complete their next long rest, at which point they
37
using GM Binder.