[3.5]Expedition to Castle Ravenloft Campaign Journal

[arguskos]

Well, it looks like this campaign may be coming to a rather rapid end....

Spoiler

Show

This seems a reasonable justification for my belief that this particular motivation brings Strahd to his most dangerous

Technically, Circle of Death is a sixth level spell, which, with minimum ability score to cast, puts it at DC 19. That's how I've run it.

In most campaigns, player death is a real possibility. In Ravenloft, that goes at least double.

Regarding seriousness, I think that the players start to take the module seriously, no matter their demeanor around the table, when they start losing faith in their eventual victory. I think they're close to that point.

Yeah, that was my thought. I figured it would be a really difficult damn adventure.... but I didn't even come CLOSE to expecting this. o.O

As for the Circle of Death... it's not a cleric spell, meaning I though Danovich couldn't ever cast it. It's just a random "wtf is this?"

I only have one thing to say to this.

ZOMGWTFSPQR

Well, okay. Two things: Your players are awesome for going along with it.

Yup, that was my reaction. The whole "you're all vampires, have fun with that now" was pretty strange. Definitely NOT the outcome I expected.

Oh, and to be honest, it was their idea to advance things 5 years, and have Fahima, Sir Urik, and the new characters (of the three players turned into vampires) go back and purge Barovia completely. Oh, and the several cities that Strahd has been using the PC Vampires to conquer.

Wow, I mean just...

Wow.

We played on the weekend, got the Sunsword, killed Vampire Perriwhimple, killed Madam Eva and all her Vistani (after she pissed us off for the last time), took control of the nearby fane after killing all the guardians contained therein(swamp fane?) and my character got the power of... wait for it.... permanent non-detection. Wooo. The lamest of all the fanes, and yet it somehow increases the power of Strahd enough to increase his CR by 1.

Oh, and we cleared the ghouls out of the graveyard, consecrated the church, and started the rebuilding process. And buried the Burgomaster.

So far, I think we're doing pretty well, but I'm not looking forward to having to fight Strahd for control of the Fanes.

In regards to your party, don't they have a cleric of any sort to remove the negative levels? And why for the love of god did they split up? Splitting up is always the way that the party is killed, in any old school game. I understand that one of the party members was hurting, but it would have been better for him to be with the party than to be alone, if nothing else it means that they can keep an eye on him so that nothing else bad can happen to him.

1. That was Madam Eva's fane? That's the Forest Fane, and yeah, it REALLY sucks. Nondetection= +1 CR? In the words of a friend of mine, "lolwat?"

2. Yeah, damn, you guys are kicking some serious ass. Sword, Fane #1, Eva dead, church reconsecrated, ya'll are doing really well. Did Ashlyn leave you guys, or did she stick it out to help give you a hand? If so, see if your DM will level her up as you gain levels too (if she's helping you out personally). Same for Sir Urik and Ireena. It might help to have them nearby when you have to meditate at the Fanes, since Strahd IS going to come and attack you. Have you guys figured out what his secondary goal is yet, or still in the dark on that one?

3. As for splitting up the party... you have no idea. I've warned them SOOO many times, but they just never really listen to me. >_> I keep saying "guys, don't break up the party, don't do it, it's a bad idea, guys, listen, seriously now, DON'T BREAK UP THE PART- oh, NOW you listen to me!!" *sigh* Well, I think this really made them realize that this isn't a joke, you split up, you DIE. As for the clerics, I guess no one looked at their spell list (even though I mentioned they might want to check for anti-negative level spells). *cries*

I'm just excited for this next "Return to Castle Ravenloft"-esque adventure. Given that Strahd just won, and has his bride, his dynasty, and everything he wants, I've been thinking about what his next steps are. I figure, he's going to keep expanding his little "family" by having each PCV (player character vampire) go and begin subverting cities in his name. The best part about this is that it gives the new party a clear and present target for their wrath, since Strahd took Fahima's friends and allies, and nearly got her too, and now the PCV's are busily subverting cities in the name of their new master.

I think it's a fun idea, but that's just me. Anyone else have different suggestions as to what Strahd would do now?