Curse of Strahd Solo Run (OOC)

[RandomWombat]

Yyyup, no clue.

As for the missing portion of the map, it's just the first floor again. I found a map that had both the first floor and some of the exterior, so I used that and then the map from the book for the other floors. And then slapped a google image on since the mapmaker forgot stonehenge was outside.

[Prehysterical]

Rolling crit damage: (1d4)[2]

[Prehysterical]

RW, I don't know if you missed it, but you forgot the crit damage.

[RandomWombat]

Oh, so I did. Added that on.

[Prehysterical]

Crit damage part deux: (1d4)[1]

Crit harder: (1d8)[5]

[Prehysterical]

Nature: (1d20-1)[10]

[RandomWombat]

Spoiler: Lycanthropy

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Kellon is aware that, like vamparism, lycanthropy is a curse that can be spread like a disease. It can be passed along by the bite of a creature which carries the curse. However, he does not know the symptoms and signs leading up to the transformation.

He does know that the transformation typically happens on the first full moon after infection... and that apparently every night in Barovia is a full moon, because the moon has not waned an inch.

[RandomWombat]

With this long rest, the party advances to Level 4! That means that Kellon can take that War Caster Feat you wanted.

[Prehysterical]

Time to roll the dice for HP!

(1d8)[1]

[Prehysterical]

I am going to go ahead and take that reroll:

(1d8)[2]

Yikes. The funny thing is, that's not even that much worse than average.

[RandomWombat]

Can't win 'em all.

[RandomWombat]

I've also updated the first post with some of the side characters and antagonists, and known information about them.

[RandomWombat]

I think some of the tokens have occasionally been appearing in the wrong place, as well. Roll20's been acting up with desync issues again lately. I refreshed to make sure and most of it seemed correct, except where Ismark ended up, which I've corrected.

[Prehysterical]

That explains some things. I saw a wolf right on top of Ismark and wondered how it could occupy the same space.

As for Wrath of the Storm, it has been a combination of forgetting and my natural video game mentality of hoarding resources in an unproductive manner. I'm that guy who dies in Call of Duty while holding all of my grenades.

Considering how much craziness is going on in this battle, I've got reactions to burn. Zap him.

(2d8)[14]

Good night, RW.

[RandomWombat]

Post updated. The Barovian noble was able to finish it off, which freed Tsymbaly to ready an attack against the armed zombie approaching. It was unfortunately not enough to make it miss, so the noble is still unconscious, but the armed zombie is now somewhat damaged and prone.

Edit: Oh right, I can do Spider's turn too now.

[Prehysterical]

All right, so mechanically, how does closing one of the doors work?

[RandomWombat]

Opening or closing a door takes the Use/Pick Up Item action, I believe.

[RandomWombat]

Bildrath's Mercantile

Spoiler: Adventuring Goods

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Bildrath sells any item in the Adventuring Gear section of the Player's Handbook at a 20% markup, rounded up to the nearest coin.

Spoiler: Weapons and Armor

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Club - 1 sp
Dagger - 3gp
Javelin (3 available) - 8 sp
Sickle - 3 gp
Battleaxe - 50 gp
Shortsword - 30 gp
Longsword - 100 gp
Whip - 10 gp

Padded Armor - 5gp
Leather Armor - 15 gp
Hide Armor - 20 gp
Chainmail - 80 gp
Ring Mail - 50 gp

Spoiler: Scrolls

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Scroll of Protection from Good and Evil - 500 gp
Scroll of Identify (2 available) - 500 gp
Scroll of Darkvision - 800 gp

Spoiler: Other

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Ingots of Silver - 20 gp
Alchemist's Ice - 60 gp
(Inflicts 1d4 cold damage on hit and at the start of target’s turns. Target may use an action to make a Dex save to remove the substance. Can also be used to freeze a 10ft. radius area of standing water)
Opium - 30 gp
(Opium is a drug used for both its pain numbing effects and for recreational enjoyment. The drug grants 2d6 temporary hitpoints when smoked, and suppresses pain effects for 1 hour.
Wis save vs addiction. Withdrawal causes 2 damage to Wis per day. Two successful saves in a row are required to shake addiction.)
Decorative Tarokka Card (Merchant) - 20 gp

[Prehysterical]

Insight check on what going into the cave might mean: (1d20+5)[7]

[RandomWombat]

Kellon isn't quite sure. He can tell that something is inside, but not what it is.

[RandomWombat]

So, we're not even halfway through the adventure yet, but it's been pretty enjoyable running a solo module. Would you be interested in running more of them in the future? I've been looking at other modules and reviews of them, and most of them look pretty fun. A few might work better as a duo adventure as well if we can find someone reliable. They require the players to manage larger numbers of NPCs and sometimes control them in battle, which would normally be split among a party of 4-6.

Here's a little list of the ones that look the most interesting:

Baldur's Gate - Descent into Avernus: Despite the name, only the first chapter is in Baldur's Gate. This one follows the storyline of the city of Elturel, which was dragged into the first layer of the Nine Hells, Avernus. Most of the module takes place in Hell, so it's a pretty major departure from the mundane, and it's supposed to be pretty fast paced. There is a lot of dealing (sometimes in the business sense) with high level powers like devils, demon lords, and Tiamat.

Icewind Dale - Rime of the Frostmaiden: This would feel a little like revisiting Children of the Snow again, as it takes place in the far north. The first half of the adventure is fairly sandboxy, much like Curse of Strahd, exploring the Ten-Towns and getting stronger for the more intense second half. It doesn't hold hands much and has multiple branching decision points and endings.

Tomb of Annihilation: This has been compared to an Indiana Jones adventure. It takes place in a tropical land and extensive jungles, exploring ancient ruins for mysterious artifacts to solve why resurrection magic around the world suddenly stopped working right. Some of the criticisms are that it requires a party that's comfortable with roleplaying, as there is a lot of just traveling around and they kind of have to make their own fun outside of random encounters between the important bits.

Out of the Abyss: This is one of the big whoppers. It starts with the party captured by Drow and needing to escape, and segues into leading an actual army against Demon Lords in the second half. The players are expected to divvy out responsibilities for the NPCs during what are more or less mass battles. The PbP structure makes this easier of course, but this is one of the ones that might be best with a duo party. One side benefit is that, like Curse of Strahd, it comes with plenty of potential Companion Character NPCs baked in ready for me to make into party members.

Storm King's Thunder: This is another big whopper, but admittedly not as huge as Out of the Abyss. It revolves around the giants competing to determine a new hierarchy of their kind, with political intrigue and very high stakes combat - giants are no joke. It may not require a second player beyond some NPC, but I might recommend running two characters for this one if going it solo.
Due to its place on the timeline, it happens concurrently with Out of the Abyss and Tyranny of Dragons, but it would generally be better to run those first - their effect on it is more profound than its effects on them.
It also takes place in many of the same locales as Rime of the Frostmaiden, so if running them before or after one another in the same continuity makes for some interesting potential ripples.
It is also designed to easily use other low tier shorter modules, such as Lost Mines of Phandelver or Waterdeep Dragon Heist as a lead up to it. This adventure seems to be designed around weaving into and interacting with other modules, kind of like an MCU crossover.

Tyranny of Dragons: Another big whopper, but also not as huge as Out of the Abyss. It involves a dragon cult attempting to free Tiamat from her prison in Avernus. This could either take place before or after Descent into Avernus, probably determining just how ticked off Tiamat is if a player pops in for a visit during Descent into Avernus. This one is somewhat notorious for being railroady, mainly the first half. It also has some balance issues in the encounters, being one of the first adventures printed for 5e, but that's nothing that can't be adjusted.

[Prehysterical]

Glad to hear it! I feel like Icewind Dale would be most up my alley, even if it is somewhat of a retread of Children of the Snow. I feel like I've been spoiled too much on Baldur's Gate and Tomb of Annihilation. Tyranny of Dragons would be my second choice.

Now, RW, please don't take this as me knocking your DMing of 5e, but would you be willing to consider doing some PF stuff again? There are several character concepts that I have wanted to try that just can't work in a group setting. For example:

• A dwarf metal wizard specializing in clockwork. Group play never allows for time to craft the really cool clockwork stuff.
• A disgraced hobgoblin luchador looking to regain his honor.
• A tiefling grimspawn with deathsight (yes, very specific) working as a midwife and laypriest of Pharasma. His primary concern is acting as a doctor and delivering babies. He would either be an alchemist or an investigator.
• A snow elf mounted skirmisher on an elk mount.
• A half-orc beast rider. I originally made him up for Serpent's Skull, so I have a backstory in mind if we did that. Ultimate goal is to put him on a dinosaur.
• A kasatha blade dancer (think she's a bard). Made for Jade Regent, but we didn't even finish the first book. I hear that the caravan mechanics need some work, but I like the idea of traveling in a caravan.

I completely missed the boat on PF 2, so I have no idea if you even look at the old rules anymore, but a lot of these character concepts just don't translate well into 5e. How do you feel about that?

[RandomWombat]

Glad to hear it! I feel like Icewind Dale would be most up my alley, even if it is somewhat of a retread of Children of the Snow. I feel like I've been spoiled too much on Baldur's Gate and Tomb of Annihilation. Tyranny of Dragons would be my second choice.

Those two are probably some of my favorites from a brief read, mainly because of one thing they do that none of the other modules really do: provide a selection of background hooks to get characters directly involved and invested in some element of the adventure or its setting. Icewind Dale has the 'Character Secrets' section, many of which come with some benefit not unlike the campaign traits in a PF Adventure Path. Tyranny of Dragons has a special Bonds section replacing the usual backstory-generating assistance that the backgrounds have, full of direct connections to the adventure's main allies and antagonists.

They are also conveniently a really good way to build NPCs that have that same connection to the story.

Now, RW, please don't take this as me knocking your DMing of 5e, but would you be willing to consider doing some PF stuff again? There are several character concepts that I have wanted to try that just can't work in a group setting. For example:

• A dwarf metal wizard specializing in clockwork. Group play never allows for time to craft the really cool clockwork stuff.
• A disgraced hobgoblin luchador looking to regain his honor.
• A tiefling grimspawn with deathsight (yes, very specific) working as a midwife and laypriest of Pharasma. His primary concern is acting as a doctor and delivering babies. He would either be an alchemist or an investigator.
• A snow elf mounted skirmisher on an elk mount.
• A half-orc beast rider. I originally made him up for Serpent's Skull, so I have a backstory in mind if we did that. Ultimate goal is to put him on a dinosaur.
• A kasatha blade dancer (think she's a bard). Made for Jade Regent, but we didn't even finish the first book. I hear that the caravan mechanics need some work, but I like the idea of traveling in a caravan.

It's a shame Tomb of Annihilation got spoiled, cause that half-orc would be right at home in Chult!

I have nothing against the PF setting, but the game itself just started to feel bogged down and bloated to me. The sheer number of features meant combing for something you wanted could take hours, and despite all the fun flavorful options the high-end content really seemed to expect players to powergame hard. Making important NPCs takes a long time, and a lot of monsters need to be rebalanced on the fly. One of the things I like about 5e is how simple and easy it is to run.

That said, I don't think it would be terribly difficult to convert a PF Adventure Path to 5e. I've converted 3.5 and PF creatures before, and it's usually as simple as lowering the absurdly bloated numbers. Jade Regent is one I really wanted to play, but never got a chance to, so I'd be down to convert that if you want.

[Prehysterical]

Well, background hooks do provide an easier way to get into the narrative of the story when you're not super familiar with it.

I will admit that the only part of Tomb of Annihilation was the tomb of that archlich whats-his-face. It just sounded like an exercise in pure metagame misery. I think if we found a way around running that particular part, I would be more inclined to give it a try, especially if there is the opportunity to ride dinosaurs.

I can respect that sentiment. So long as we find a way to translate mechanics, I'm up for continuing with 5e. I would love to finally be able to play Jade Regent, even if having a four-armed player character might be a bit of a challenge. At the very least, her build might be easier to translate since I don't have to pick up very specific traits to make her abilities work.

[RandomWombat]

I haven't looked super deep into Tomb of Annihilation, so I can't speak to how it plays out later on. I'll take a look sometime and see what it's all about.

And the blade dancer bard should be pretty easy to translate, College of Swords is thematically similar. Converting kasatha shouldn't be too tough either, they share a lot of similarities with thri-kreen which already have a pretty decent 5e conversion that could be adjusted in a few places, like shifting the claws and bite into something else.

Are there any PF Feats or such you'd want to see translated in some way?

[Prehysterical]

Yeah, seems like College of Swords would work just fine.

*looks at list of thri-kreen abilities*
Wow, they seem stacked. Here are my suggestions for tweaks:

• Remove darkvision, reduce speed to 30 ft, get rid of natural armor, chameleon carapace, natural weapons, poisonous bite, and sleepless.
• Keep standing leap. I would suggest swapping out the thri-kreen weapons for the spinal sword for balance sake, but I'm never going to use the spinal swords. Stat adjustments are fine.
• Something along the lines of "additional +2 bonus to Dex AC" or "treat Dex score as 4 higher for the purpose of AC".
• Either advantage or proficiency on Constitution and Survival checks in desert environments
• Proficiency in Stealth and Perception
• Not sure how terrain rules work, but ignore terrain penalties in desert

What do you think?

I think everything I need is actually in 5e. The changes to how knocking creatures unconscious (and choosing to leave them at 0) was the hardest part of the character to get right. The Dual Wielder feat also lets her eventually go blade blender. I am assuming that whenever rules specify off-hand, that counts for all of them? How are the attack options affected? Does she get to attack with all four arms or only two?

[RandomWombat]

Yeah, kreen have a lot of stuff. Though they also have the disadvantage of not being able to talk to most people. The main things that can be pulled from it are the multiple limbs and the standing leap, since Kasatha have similar.

Spoiler: Kasatha Race 5e

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Ability Score Increase: +2 Dex, +1 Wis

Base Speed: 30

Defensive Training: When unarmored, you have a base AC of 12 + your Dex modifier. When wearing light armor, your AC receives a +1 bonus. When wearing medium armor, your maximum Dex modifier is +3 instead of +2.

Standing Leap: As part of your movement, you can make a long jump up to 30 feet, or a high jump up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.

Multiple Limbs: Your four arms let you wield multiple weapons. However you can wield only one two-handed weapon at a time. When wielding more than one weapon, the regular rules for fighting with two weapons still apply. When you use the attack action, as long as you wield light weapons, you get to make an extra attack using your bonus action with any of the other weapons you wield, without adding your ability modifier to the damage roll (unless negative).
Also, you can only benefit from the use of a shield once, no matter how many you carry.

Kasatha Weapon Training: You are proficient with the spinal sword.
(Spinal swords will be treated as having the stats of a shortsword, plus a +1 DC bonus to poison saves)

Desert Runner: You have Advantage on ability checks and saving throws to resist Exhaustion from running, forced marches, thirst, starvation, and hot or cold environments. Difficult terrain caused by sand imposes no penalties upon you.

Proficiency: You have Proficiency in Stealth.

Languages: Common and Kasatha

Does that seem about right?

With the bonus action to attack with an off-hand weapon she would only get to use one of them in 5e, but there are other benefits to having a bunch of free hands. Don't need to drop a weapon to tag in a new one, fight while holding a macguffin, shield doesn't prevent dual wielding.

I'll also be including Bucklers, which will be smaller shields with a +1 bonus instead of +2, and will be available to bards and rogues (and classes usually proficient in normal shields) in addition to their other proficiencies. Sandru uses one, so I had it added for him already.

And what plans do you have for backstory/campaign traits as to how she joins up with the Sandpoint caravan?

[Prehysterical]

Those racial traits look pretty good, except I still think that they should have proficiency in Stealth and Perception.

Before we get too much further along the tracks, should we make another OOC thread to get that started? Just so we don't have two pages about building a character for another game?

[RandomWombat]

Proficiencies as a racial bonus are pretty rare, so it'd probably have to be one of the two rather than both.

And of course, this is all plans for a future project. Probably after we finish Curse of Strahd.

[Prehysterical]

In that case, the proficiency bonus would be more fitting to go with Stealth.

To answer a previous question, Arra is part of the story because she was actually adopted by Koya. She was born with purple skin and golden eyes, which mark her as Voidborn among the kasatha. They view her birth as a curse and her parents are forced to abandon her in the desert to die to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the stars. Koya hears the unwanted babe's crying and takes her in. Arra views Koya as her true mother, even if they are not blood family. She has a tenuous relationship with Sandru. They both love Koya, but it's obvious that Arra is the adopted child and the odd one out.