Strahd is a curse on the land from centuries ago. It's under Chapter 2: The Lands of Barovia; page 39-40 - section M. Mad Mage of Mt Baratok. Agniya is the wife of Grygori, and helps deliver his creations around the village. Lancelot is Gertruda's dog and routinely searches for her on the Old Svalich Road and around Barovia village. Tessa is a mute but observant bookworm at St. Andral's Orphanage. Whether Strahd truly understands the nature of the Dark Powers that have shackled him to the Domains of Dread is a matter up for debate. The article is great otherwise. Wilstrom is the son of the Bazhenovs, who succumbed to dream addiction, and loaned him in order to receive more. Cyrus is a fearful, mad servant of Strahd, having formerly been the head servant at the Abbey of St. Markovia. The heroes are born and bred Barovians and havereceived a letter in a fine flowing script inviting them up to the castle for dinner.Everyone in Barovia knows what this means - they are going to be Strahd's next blood slaves. [14], Mordenkainen was the leader of the Oerthian group of wizards known as the Circle of Eight, which included many spell inventors whose names were well known on Toril, such as Bigby, Drawmij, Nystul, Otiluke, Otto, Rary, and Tenser. Father Donavich is the reclusive priest of Barovia village, who prays night and day for relief from his dark circumstance. Sir. Ofelia Wormwiggle is the youngest daughter of Morgantha, and a butcher in Old Bonegrinder. The key is to remember that Strahd isnt a brawler, hes a leader and his stat block reflects that. King Kavan, also known as the Blood Butcher of Balinok, was the leader of the united forest folk tribes between King Dostron and Strahd's reigns. Ascendant campaigns can view previous versions of their pages, see what has changed (and who did it), and even restore old versions. Tatyana came down with a terrible plague. This site works best with JavaScript enabled. He is also a drunk, and talented violinist. Featured art image for Curse of Strahd Destined Ally Rankings credit to Wizards of the Coast's D&D 5e adventure book Curse of Strahd. no risk refund guarantee Olivia is the cheerful owner of the Hoofprint inn in Merryway. Just so you know, Ireena's stat block for a lv 3 fighter as her . Burgomistress Anna Krezkova is a mother who has endured the deaths of all of her children. Curse of Strahd begins with an optional one-shot called Death House, a three-floor dungeon that lets players explore while advancing their characters from first to third level.DMs and players can decide whether or not to start with it, but either way, players will enter Barovia proper at level three. Beware! Most villagers can't remember a time when she wasn't in business. Rina is a talkative scavenger at the Tser Pool camp, assigned to searching for Tasha. [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. Rahadin is Strahd's chamberlain, bodyguard, and only true friend. I had him record his memories in several gems (which made a pretty decent puzzle to recreate his story by arranging the sentences found here and there) that can be found around his tower. The Grey Sisters were a coven of hags cursed by Oghma to share a single eye and tooth between them. Unfortunately, Strahd thoroughly beat him and threw him over the edge of Tser Falls. Strahd's curse: this campaign is called Curse of Strahd, yet we never hear the curse. Morgantha is the matriarch of the trio living in Old Bonegrinder, and frequents Barovia village to sell her Dream Pastries. CR 18/19) Arveia, Ashes, Cassius, Gerry, and Vel DO NOT READ. - Content Not Found: escher Mordenkainen's Magnificent Statblock is here! Danika Dorakova: p. 98 . Fanya is the stoic confidant of Ms. Kalashnik and is training to fulfil her role someday. Rowena is an adventurer and the favoured, exemplary daughter of the true Medusa. A guide to give your rendition of Strahd some real bite. Attention PDF authors and publishers: Da Archive runs on your tolerance. The most powerful of these was a knightly organization known as the Order of the Silver Dragon that was destroyed. Equating these creatures as part of the forces of Strahd and this elk as a potential ally (and not just a normal animal . you will have instant access to your previous versions. [13], Typically stubborn and one who did not suffer fools gladly, Mordenkainen could be difficult even with his friends. Put that eldritch imagination to the test, and remember to tease your players with this iconic line:The master of Ravenloft is having guests for dinner and you are invited!. Henrik is a lonely coffin-maker whose trade and demeanour has given way to many unflattering rumours over the years. Love means giving yourself to someone else intentionally, not because you're forced to. The Dark Powers taunt the Darklords by dashing their hopes time and again. Lady Ortensia was the sibling apprentice of Lady Liliana, and a knight of Archamian. This will save time for new users. Earl Felwinter was the ruler of Felwinter Isle and a victim of Captain Eriana's satiation of Scylla. Last session, our party of three: Jihyo the half-elf fighter, Therean the half-elf bard, and Aashuri the aasimar sorcerer, had just rescued Arabelle, a Vistana child from the town drunk, Bluto, who had kidnapped her and nearly drowned her in Lake Zarovich.Before leaving the lake area, the party spotted a giant . Adrian is the middle son of Davian Martikov, and the main protector of the Wizard of the Wines. Otto is an egotistical but incompetent guard of the Abbey of St. Markovia. 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. Hunt for Mage Tower; Strixhaven: The Magister's . It looks fantastic. Lady Tereska was made a spawn of Strahd after being brought to the valley in search of a cure for her disease. -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/castlemac The Mad Mage of Mount Baratok. Amazing article! Sorvia is one of three owners of the Blood of the Vine tavern, and outcasts from the Tser Pool camp. This means your big bad villain across a year long campaign is only CR15. Bianca is the sadistic mate of Kiril, sharing much of his philosophy on what a werewolf should be. View flipping ebook version of Curse of Strahd published by raptorhunter182 on 2019-06-22. 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). So he studied in the amber temple a way to save Barovia, Tricking the dark lords into thinking he was just after immortality. It needed his brother blood to be eternalized, and filled his mind with greed and hatred in order for him to give up his humanity and seal the pact with blood. Details about the challenges of converting 2D maps to 3D. 1 / 2. Varvara is the eldest child of the Vaskroffs, and was born without a soul. Kristofor is a quarryman and labourer at Fidatov estate, often doubtlessly fetching components for Fidatova's projects. Keep in mind Strahd is also a 9th-level caster and wont hesitate to befuddle and confuse players with a well-placed fireball through a fog cloud or even magically control them with his charm action. We think you'll have a much more enjoyable experience. Baron Metus was a vampire lord and the vampiric sire of Erasmus van Richten. The latest of these incarnations is Ireena Kolyana. Viggo is the more curious of the Tomescu twins, often getting into trouble at the Wizard of the Wines. Dominik is the snappy and ambitious tailor of Krezk, having hired Szoldar Sr. to help him move there to escape the monotony of Vargon's festivals. [4], Mordenkainen had a hawk-like face, with a permanent frown that gave the appearance of alertness and almost anger, and a penetrating gaze. [6], He later changed his hairstyle, favoring a bald head and a trimmed goatee, but lost none of his penetrating stare. so the players don't immediately know its heavily changed. Elvir is the youngest child of Davian Martikov, and the most aloof, which speaks to how much the family cares about their winery. Keep this in mind when you portray Strahd. 2023 Wizards. 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. Lael Milpialda is an adventuring wizard and the youngest mage of the Milpialda Family. Anastrasya is a former Vallakian noblewoman and consort of Strahd. The more resources the party spends chasing him and blowing up his minions the less they have to throw at him when he decides to sink his teeth in. Exethanter is a blind lich, and the last survivor of the original Amber Circle. Kelemvor the Deathmaiden, also known as the Raven Queen, is the goddess of death, judgement and time. Taltos is the main manservant at Fidatov manor, and bodyguard of Lady Fidatova. The late father of Szoldarovich; he laid the path for his son, and thankfully not a grandson. They worship deities like the Morninglord and drown their sorrows with wine from the Wizard of Wines winery. Blinsky is the founder of Blinsky toys, and aims to improve the world with his strange creations, one smile at a time. Lady Fidatova is the last of the Fidatov line of artisans, and is herself a brilliant mathematician. Baroness Lydia Petrovna is the wife of Baron Vargas. He feels entitled to feast on the villagers because of their ancestors oath to him ages ago. Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. I meant to put this in a different section. As such, I have needed to adjust certain things within the adventure in order for them to present a significant challenge to the party. Prepared to run the Mad Mage ; The party had planned last session to find the Mad Mage of Mt. 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). Archamian was the last of the eldritch titans, and the main adversary of the Oculords; whose aim to restore the Netheril almost resulted in a global war. [1], The Mad Mage's paranoia resides in mansions created through his trademark spell high upon Mount Baratok. My question is: Does his appearance in . When the queen died, Strahds envy turned to hatred, especially when the woman he desired, a native Barovian named Tatyana, fell for Sergei instead of him. Old Katerina is a collector and trader in Krezk, who acts as an obscure charity shop owner. Dostron the Hellborn. [16] On occasion, the two were also joined by Dalamar of Krynn. Arista was a runaway Vistani and Strahd's court ceiling painter. The dusk elves rare nonhuman residents of Barovia might also be allies to those who oppose Strahd. Dinara is the best friend of Aziana and a guard of the Werewolf Den, being one of the only werewolves trained in hand-to-hand combat. Sir. Incentus was Lady Tereska's retainer and lover. King Dostron the Hellborn was the ruler of the valley long before Strahd conquest, and was the grandson of an illrigger of Avernus. Bundles containing this product: Recharged [BUNDLE] $16.25. She first drew the philanthropist, followed in quick succession by the transmuter, the anarchist, the marionette and finally, the horseman. Previously, the birds had met the Mad Mage of Mt. They work really well when you don't know anything about their nature. She is his loyal horse and wagon puller. When the character is resurrected they gain a form of indefinite madness from realizing that their spirit is trapped in Ravenloft, possibly forever. Marjane is a charismatic animal handler who enjoys meeting the few travellers who visit Merryway. I chock his appearance up to cameo more than anything -- at best he's a potential ally who can help the party fight Strahd (who still must be defeated using the necessary artifacts), otherwise he's just a nod to Gary Gygax and the world ofGreyhawk. . 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. Henry is the collector for the Dusklight Supply Shop, and often finds himself as the personable hub of festival preparation in concordance with the Baroness. It was released in March 2016. He is privately very religious and deluded. In your game, you can communicate this through the day-to-day habits and religious practices of Barovians. One of the fun things I added to my Curse of Strahd was that Strahd had children with his brides various dhampirs and vampires that are all vying for his throne and trying to eliminate the party to prove themselves. Gili is the co-founder of the Beast's Rose tailor. Szoldar is a seasoned wolf hunter by trade, and best friend of Yevgeni Krushkin. Artimus was an eccentric genius architect responsible for the construction of Fidatov Manor, Baratok Tower and Castle Ravenloft. Piersym is the owner of Thimdul's Armaments, the title enduring to honour his former partner and teacher of a new trade after he was removed from Vallaki's guard force. Charybdis is a sea serpent that causes whirlpools along the Kven coast and seems to have a kinship with fellow serpent Scylla. Spoilers for Curse of Strahd lurk ahead! Marina was a noblewoman in Berez and reincarnation of Tatyana who was pressured into taking her own life by Burgomaster Ulrich. Stefan was a counsellor to King Barov and was often involved in the Barov's preferred tactic of misleading information for the enemy about the state of the kingdom. He has spies at his disposal, including werewolves and druids who worship him on Yester Hill, a prominent landmark in western Barovia. Mad Mary is the reclusive, delusional and mentally unstable mother of Gertruda. Ludmilla is the oldest current consort of Strahd, and considers herself the most indispensable, being a de-facto court mage. Follow along as I look into Strahds Stat Block and what the numbers mean and how to make this villain play as terrifyingly as hes written. Muriel is a spy for the Keepers of the Feather, and the only one brave enough to be regularly assigned to Baba Lysaga. This is Barovia, the most famous horror setting of Dungeons & Dragons. Headmistress Claudia has stayed at St. Andral's Orphanage in Vallaki all of her life, now running it as tidily as she can. He managed to turn into a demilich, and can still be found in the amber temple. Dungeons & Dragons 5e on Discord, Roll20 About the adventure. Claudiu is the eldest son of Stefania and grandchild of Davian Martikov, and an aspiring swordsman, practicing on scarecrows. Adventure - 5etools. and thus you'll never love them. very interesting, on the home page the first part got me hooked! Prince Ariel was an inventor and infamous fatality at Castle Ravenloft, having leapt from its high tower to his death in an attempt to prove the functionality of his wingsuit. Bluto is the town fisherman and drunk. If the heroes accept the dinner invitation, Strahd actually does host a feast for them and thanks them. Khazan's fate: this brings to the third major retcon I did. Only instead I made Strahd have an illegitimate son, who he technically took by force to be raised in his domain. Brom is the elder son of Danika and Urwin, and lives at the Blue Water Inn. When he returned, a hundred years or more passed. Come on! He is the only surviving adventurer that has been lured to Barovia. The PC's rallied together to recapture the vestige (in a very ghostbusters way), and returned it to the amber temple.One of the PC's (A wizard) picked up the staff in the temple, and was given the flaw that they desire power above all else.Then she proceeded to take every single dark gift offered to her, without the other players realizing. -Strahd and Vampires. Thunder shook the mountainside, and great rocks tumbled down upon the wizard, yet by his magic he survived. If his crypt is disturbed, he animates as a wraith and commands his three hell hounds to attack. Wensencia raises most of the pups of the werewolf pack, and has been doing so for a long time. Endorovich the Terrible was a ruthless and successful general who prematurely retired after the death of Marya of Barovia. At the end of the day Strahd is a fan of theatrics and as a DM you should be too. Dr. Van Richten is a legendary huntsman and holy warrior whose vengeful career has spanned over twenty years. Vistani NPCs have access to curses and the Evil Eye (p. . Vortico was a former highwayman travelling across Agarthia who hid in a Vistani wagon with the intention of stealing it. A few servants from Barovia willingly came to the pocket dimension with Strahd so he could live on their blood. It was released on March 15, 2016 and is based on the Ravenloft module . Lady Isolde the Incredible was an antique trader and old associate of the Zarovich family. This is discussed in the Curse of Strahd book on page 24. We think you'll have a much more enjoyable experience. Stahbal Chakrabarti was a Pannotian nobleman and advisor to Strahd before Rahadin. My players have gathered all the legendary items, completed a majority of the chapters and are currently level 8 (they will be level 9 when they fight Strahd). 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. Here is a list of all Curse of Strahd Maps I did and shared with this Subreddit. He later joined their cause after being cured by an amulet to the Morninglord from the Order of the Silver Dragon, in order to avenge his son that was corrupted by Strahd. upgrade now Intree was the primary counsellor for King Barov during his rule, and taught battle strategy to a young Strahd. 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 "There is one destined to stand with you against the shadow, but of their ultimate fate, not even I can tell," - Madam E. Login; My Library; She was killed after falling into a trap set up by the vampire. PC Level: 5. It could be really interesting to have the party be from Barovia, but they end up killing Strahd as part of an early adventure, only to discover there are other Domains of Dread, and make it a goal to destroy them all.