Curse of Strahd upscale?

[JLandan]

My players will soon finish The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. At the end of which, one possible outcome:

The PCs are returned to childhood. After which I plan to return them to 1st level (after reaching apx. 8th). They will retain memories but not powers. They will also retain accumulated equipment and treasure.

My plan is to continue their introductions to iconic spellcasters, started with Tasha in Witchlight. Their parents are too old to raise them again and their experience may make them dangerous, so it will be decided that they will reside with Mordenkainen (Uncle Morty) until such time as they mature again. They'll keep their starting abilities, but have the option of developing differently (it's age regression, not time travel).

The next step is to run Dragon Heist at 1st through 5th or so. This is to introduce Volo and some others. What I am looking to do next is run Curse of Strahd. But that runs 1st through 10th.

So my question is: Can CoS be upscaled to start at 5th, to accommodate the ending point of DH. I've read it and understand it can be quite the meatgrinder. Starting at 5th would certainly make it more survivable, but would that be too high? What suggestions to tailor CoS to fit my needs?

[diplomancer]

My players will soon finish The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. At the end of which, one possible outcome:

The PCs are returned to childhood. After which I plan to return them to 1st level (after reaching apx. 8th). They will retain memories but not powers. They will also retain accumulated equipment and treasure.

My plan is to continue their introductions to iconic spellcasters, started with Tasha in Witchlight. Their parents are too old to raise them again and their experience may make them dangerous, so it will be decided that they will reside with Mordenkainen (Uncle Morty) until such time as they mature again. They'll keep their starting abilities, but have the option of developing differently (it's age regression, not time travel).

The next step is to run Dragon Heist at 1st through 5th or so. This is to introduce Volo and some others. What I am looking to do next is run Curse of Strahd. But that runs 1st through 10th.

So my question is: Can CoS be upscaled to start at 5th, to accommodate the ending point of DH. I've read it and understand it can be quite the meatgrinder. Starting at 5th would certainly make it more survivable, but would that be too high? What suggestions to tailor CoS to fit my needs?

Skip Death House and you'll be fine. They might have an easy time on Barovia Town, but things will start to pick up in difficulty right after that.

[ciopo]

I've played CoS, just about to finish it actually in , at a guess, 6 or so sessions.

As a memory of how it was at low level (kinda brutal!), I think it would play out fine to start out at 5th level. Just skip Deadhouse . That introduction ends with the party at 3rd level anyway and that's not that far from 5th level.

in my game, we rushed hard for Vallaki for the purpose of escorting Ireena, and so we got there that we still were 3rd level, but the feel of the area and by admission of the GM, it's more appropriate for 5th or even 6th level. If your players follow the "obvious urgency" of the Ireena plotline, putting them at Vallaki at 5th level would be about appropriate I think. So they won'tbe relatively too stron for all that much time.

[Lunali]

Depends on the players, if they act like they're overleveled for the adventure, they won't be and will likely TPK. If they act like CoS players, they'll be stronger than they should be for the story, but not so much that it would really be a problem.

[Lord Vukodlak]

My players will soon finish The Wild Beyond the Witchlight. At the end of which, one possible outcome:

The PCs are returned to childhood. After which I plan to return them to 1st level (after reaching apx. 8th). They will retain memories but not powers. They will also retain accumulated equipment and treasure.

My plan is to continue their introductions to iconic spellcasters, started with Tasha in Witchlight. Their parents are too old to raise them again and their experience may make them dangerous, so it will be decided that they will reside with Mordenkainen (Uncle Morty) until such time as they mature again. They'll keep their starting abilities, but have the option of developing differently (it's age regression, not time travel).

The next step is to run Dragon Heist at 1st through 5th or so. This is to introduce Volo and some others. What I am looking to do next is run Curse of Strahd. But that runs 1st through 10th.

So my question is: Can CoS be upscaled to start at 5th, to accommodate the ending point of DH. I've read it and understand it can be quite the meatgrinder. Starting at 5th would certainly make it more survivable, but would that be too high? What suggestions to tailor CoS to fit my needs?
I thought the ending WAS time travel and not age regression, they get to grow up and relive their lives without the negative experiences of the lost things. " live their lives over" But as the DM you can change things as you see fit. I had a wizard PC who as part of his back story was regressed into the body of the child which he considered a curse and was in no way happy about. So I don't know why the PC's would like that option.

The simplest method would be to use milestone XP. They'll fly through the low level areas quite quickly but won't over level anything.

[JLandan]

I thought the ending WAS time travel and not age regression, they get to grow up and relive their lives without the negative experiences of the lost things. " live their lives over" But as the DM you can change things as you see fit. I had a wizard PC who as part of his back story was regressed into the body of the child which he considered a curse and was in no way happy about. So I don't know why the PC's would like that option.

The simplest method would be to use milestone XP. They'll fly through the low level areas quite quickly but won't over level anything.

My reasoning:

The ending doesn't specify time travel, only age regression. The children could be near the carnival in the present. I'm making it this way because there are differences in age due to differences in race. For example, the adult elf and dwarf are much older than the others in the party. When they visited the carnival as a boys, the others were not born yet, and even they were not the same age. So they visited the carnival as children at different times, but the adventure is while they are all adults. Making them kids again, but keeping it in the present lets me keep them together.

[Lord Vukodlak]

My reasoning:

The ending doesn't specify time travel, only age regression. The children could be near the carnival in the present. I'm making it this way because there are differences in age due to differences in race. For example, the adult elf and dwarf are much older than the others in the party. When they visited the carnival as a boys, the others were not born yet, and even they were not the same age. So they visited the carnival as children at different times, but the adventure is while they are all adults. Making them kids again, but keeping it in the present lets me keep them together.

I get your reasoning for that ending of Wild Beyond.
The age differences in race are more pronounced if you keep it in the present, what with the Elf and Dwarf aging slower. With the time travel option they can meet up again once they catch up with one another. And if the Elves and Dwarves are aging to physical adulthood at the same rate as humans then they can all be the same age and have visited at roughly the same time.
If the ultimate goal is to keep the group together maybe... don't make them kids. Returning to level one is just a consequence of being able to go home. Or upscale more adventures.

[loki_ragnarock]

Skip Death House and you'll be fine. They might have an easy time on Barovia Town, but things will start to pick up in difficulty right after that.

This matches my experience. There're enough bad things out there that any speedbump encounters can be swept under the rug for challenge still useful for setting tone. I'd use milestone leveling in Barovia, either way, so it might be a minute until they level up again, but they'll also feel like they earned it when it happens.

[Intregus182]

I've run strahd multiple times and twice with PCs starting at 5th level.

You dont need death house but it is a really fun and creepy mini adventure even if the combat is easy. The only change I'd make would be in the basement. Make the final monster be a challenege. They won't expect it after an easy time in the rest of the house. And/or make the final boss of the basement a dark power that grants one pc a dark gift. You can find those in Van Richtens guide to ravenloft.

Barovia isnt that challenging anyway even if they were level 3(which is what level they are after death house) so starting level 5 is no problem.

One thing to keep in mind though is the distance between the towns isnt very far according to the scale of the map. Like vallaki is half days journey maybe 1 full days journey and almost no one from barovia has ever been there....but if you scale the map so everything is slightly more spaced out like making vallaki a 2 day trip then it makes more sense since NO ONE wants to be caught outside overnight in Barovia.

[JLandan]

So, the consensus seems to be 5th is okay.

Suggested changes:
A) skip Deathhouse or run Deathouse as easy, but upscale BBG at end a little
B) space out some distance between towns

These are pretty small changes. It makes me wonder that it starts at 1st at all. It reminds me of how deadly it was when I was a player in Frostmaiden at 1st. Thanks for responses.

[KorvinStarmast]

run Deathouse as easy, but upscale BBG at end a little
Maybe throw in
a few ghasts with the ghouls and a
wight with the shadows as its minions
and toss in a few
wights in the prison cells in the basement.
and then upscale the end monster to taste. Don't have an undead in mind but I may think of one a bit later. There were some cool undead warriors in Lost Tamoachan that might fit.

[Intregus182]

So, the consensus seems to be 5th is okay.

Suggested changes:
A) skip Deathhouse or run Deathouse as easy, but upscale BBG at end a little
B) space out some distance between towns

These are pretty small changes. It makes me wonder that it starts at 1st at all. It reminds me of how deadly it was when I was a player in Frostmaiden at 1st. Thanks for responses.

Technically id say it starts at level 3 since you're encouraged to take them through death house.

Also if you haven't run or played CoS it has become 5Es adventure with the "most TPKs"....whether thats true or not is irrelevant. Its a fun campaign and can be very difficult for PCs if they dont have reliable sources of radiant damage.....and thats the POINT! So have fun!

[Kurt Kurageous]

As a DM who's run it about eight times now, you are fine to bring them in at the eastern gate. Sure village of barovia may be too easy, but its easier to ramp up than scale back.

Another suggestion I know of but have never done is, put them in on the WESTERN end of the Old Slavich Road. That is immediately level appropriate.

It mucks with the story sequence a bit, but that can be instantly salvaged by Esmerelda dong her card reading thing and suggesting they go first to the village of barovia because she has heard rumors one of the locals is having trouble with "The Devil" himself.

[Kurt Kurageous]

Suggested changes:
B) space out some distance between towns


Yeah, Frostmaiden sucked because you needed greater restoration the moment you encountered, well, you know, those things!

I don't recommend spacing stuff out. Somewhere on reddit there are several travel time calculators between locations. As mentioned travel for the wise is restricted to daytime, taking away half of the hours you could be on the road/resting. Thats is doubling the distance already.

If I was running it, I'd make sure almost any neutral NPC who overheards the party planning on stopping overnight outside of a village warns them of the folly of that plan.

If they do, this is a gift to the DM. The party will be attacked unto exhaustion by the "children of the night." This of course is an opportunity for you know who to take their measure individually and as a team in combat. And when the party is on the verge of a TPK, guess who appears and says, "Gud Evening."

But I've said "too much," and am afraid to pull the thread away from the OP...