Planeshift Innistrad + Curse of Strahd Questions

[Genoin]

Just read through the section of the Planeshift: Innistrad pdf that goes over how to adapt the Curse of Strahd adventure to be set in Innistrad instead of Ravenloft. Just wondering, has anyone had any experience running CoS on Innistrad like this?

[JackPhoenix]

I did run CoS in Innistrad, but not by the PS: Innistrad's guidelines, and slightly earlier in the timeline (while Avacyn was still imprisoned). My players universally claimed they've liked it, though the game was unfinished thanks to RL issues leading to the breaking of our group (no time to play together anymore).

[Genoin]

I did run CoS in Innistrad, but not by the PS: Innistrad's guidelines, and slightly earlier in the timeline (while Avacyn was still imprisoned). My players universally claimed they've liked it, though the game was unfinished thanks to RL issues leading to the breaking of our group (no time to play together anymore).

Funny you should mention that, as I wanted to run the campaign during the time when Avacyn was imprisoned. I was going to segue from the end of CoS into a homebrew that involved freeing Avacyn and defeating Griselbrand. Mind giving me any advice you can think of?

[Madfellow]

I ran CoS basically as written, but I adapted the four Archangels from Innistrad to use as a pantheon for the party's cleric. He chose to follow Gisela, angel of Tempests and War.

[JackPhoenix]

Funny you should mention that, as I wanted to run the campaign during the time when Avacyn was imprisoned. I was going to segue from the end of CoS into a homebrew that involved freeing Avacyn and defeating Griselbrand. Mind giving me any advice you can think of?

Heh. I ran modified Army of the Damned (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?425679-Army-of-the-Damned-Free-lvl-1-5-adventure-set-in-Magic-the-Gathering-s-Innistrad) as a prelude to CoS, the party started looking for artifact to free Avacyn and managed to give Elbrus, the Binding Blade (https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244740) to a devil, which means they've indirectly freed Withengar.

Anyway, my advice is don't have Strahd (or whoever you use for him) involved in everything like he's in CoS. Innistrad is unpleasant enough place that it doesn't need one mastermind behind every single problem, and it IMO works better if the players realize that. I've used fiends and Skirsdag cultists due to the demon lord being free. It still fits the horror theme, and adds some variety.

[Genoin]

Heh. I ran modified Army of the Damned (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?425679-Army-of-the-Damned-Free-lvl-1-5-adventure-set-in-Magic-the-Gathering-s-Innistrad) as a prelude to CoS, the party started looking for artifact to free Avacyn and managed to give Elbrus, the Binding Blade (https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=244740) to a devil, which means they've indirectly freed Withengar.

Anyway, my advice is don't have Strahd (or whoever you use for him) involved in everything like he's in CoS. Innistrad is unpleasant enough place that it doesn't need one mastermind behind every single problem, and it IMO works better if the players realize that. I've used fiends and Skirsdag cultists due to the demon lord being free. It still fits the horror theme, and adds some variety.

That looks really promising, I think I will use that. Does the end of that module lead into the level 5 section of CoS pretty easily, how and where did you make the transition?

[JackPhoenix]

That looks really promising, I think I will use that. Does the end of that module lead into the level 5 section of CoS pretty easily, how and where did you make the transition?

Some spoilers for both adventures.
I've merged Katarina (from Army of the Damned) and Ireena (from CoS) into one person. Everyone, including Siegfried, thought she was killed by Falkenrath vampires, but the party that kidnapped her was attacked and she was "rescued" by Strahd, which was confirmed both by the vampires in the farbog and the one captured by Siegfried. The party managed to capture Siegfried instead of killing him, and when they've told him Katarina is still alive, he begged them to let him help find and rescue her.

Strahd didn't have that much influence as he had in Barovia, but he was powerful and old, one of the original vampires, and his motivation was similar to CoS: he thought Katarina/Ireena was the reincarnation of his long-lost love (maybe truth, propably he was just crazy) and was obsessed with her.

Amber Temple would've been the place where pre-Avacynian mages imprisoned powerful demon lords, similar to Helvault. Once Avacyn (and all the imprisoned demons) was freed and the Helvault destroyed, those techniques would be needed once more, so that's motivation to go there, even if they haven't managed to set Withengar free through really stupid decision from the party rogue. The demon lord being free derailed the campaing a lot, as the crazy ancient vampire suddenly wasn't the biggest problem they've had to deal with.