Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[Fax Celestis]

I'm probably going to be running Expedition to Castle Ravenloft for my IRL group one of these upcoming days. Anyone have any startling suggestions, or notice inconsistencies in the book that I may not yet have noticed?

[Merlin the Tuna]

Apparently there is literally no ending. As in, an entire chapter of the book got omitted or something. I'm not sure exactly what the story is with that -- I haven't even seen the thing, much less run it -- but I distinctly remember there being a colossal boop-up with the printing.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Be sure to set the mood, and take control of the situation early. A friend of mine tried to run it many moons ago, and it degenerated into Monty Python quotes and general buffoonery before we even made it past the worgs in the woods.

[tannish2]

if you want it to be a challenge dont let players play paladins of freedom radiant servants of pelor or mages of the arcane order (this gets rid of the wizard-nerf that goes on in that campaign) and dont let them **** around until they gain enough levels to summon critters to escape then teleport to the settings major city, stock up on items, and return. this happened to me onece. i was a paladin of freedom/fighter/rog. we had very few challenges. not one character died before we got access to revivify.

[PMDM]

Be sure to set the mood, and take control of the situation early. A friend of mine tried to run it many moons ago, and it degenerated into Monty Python quotes and general buffoonery before we even made it past the worgs in the woods.

This seems like a more group specific problem than a setting specific problem.

Anyway, in Castle Ravenloft, your characters need to die. Period. Ravenloft was made during the 80s. In the 80s, beating a video game was the goal itself. So the games could have been punishingly difficult. So just finishing the game was the challenge. Same way with castle Ravenloft. They shouldn't have a picnic of a time with Ravenloft. Don't let them get overpowered, and don't let them get off track.

[Mike_Lemmer]

Make sure they have a pure divine caster; trying to get through the new Ravenloft w/o Restoration or Death Ward is an exercise in pain. Make sure they have a few scrolls o fit too, for the inevitable "Our cleric is 3rd level now".

[leperkhaun]

watch out someone being a cleric with extra turning and the (i think this is the feat) Disciple of the Sun.

my cleric had that and after 1 session i remade him. He had something like 14 or so turning attempts and couple spend an extra attempt to destroy the undead instead of just turning it.