u/Br0wnieCharles3

I've looked around here and couldn't find any opinion about this: I'm thinking about not including Strahd's location in Madame Eva tarokka reading, the idea is, I don't like the idea of fixing where the final conflict will be so early on, what do you think?

Btw the other locations for now are:

-sun sword in Amber Temple

-symbol of ravenkind (reskinned as a lamp of the morning light) will be with the Abbot who corrupted it's power to use it for his experiments

-tome of Strahd is with Viktor in Vallaki burgomaster mansion

-fated ally, is kinda of ireena, but I'll send them to Berez to find Marina's statue and a pendant which will make Irina remember her past lives and become a stronger ally + the world card, which will be interpreted as "look around and you'll find some allies in this world", to encourage them to make more allies

So, i was reviewing the different locations and where my players will have to go for the different quests (artifacts and magic gems) and I've realised that i was going to put too many things in Berez, one gem, the skull of Argynvost and the fated ally (statue of Marina with a pendant that gives Irina her memories making her the actual ally). So I've come up with an idea: Strahd had brought home the whole skeleton of the dragon to show it in the castle as a sign of victory. Then when he made Ludmilla his bride (i made her a smart mage/scientist/necromancer) she asked him for it to conduct some experiments, so she made a Zombie Dragon and put him in the Silver Mines (i decided they would be on the hill outside of Castle Ravenloft) to protect all the silver, as by the pact made by Strahd with the werewolves, and still having control over it in case they decide to betray him. So now Argynvost is once again guarding a hoard, so my players will have to beat him and try to bring him back to the revenants to obtain their "blessing" (the lighthouse bonus) and their alliance for the final battle. Any feedback or adjustments are welcome!

Hi y'all, I'm currently running Curse of Strahd for three friends, they are about to meet Ireena, and she'll travel with them for a while or at least is expected. Reading around the CoS subreddit I've found that most people use one of two Sidekick options for her, the warrior or the expert. I was envisioning her more a Charisma based character, Noble stat block as base but I'd love to give her a semblance of a Valor Bard, without making her a leveled character. Out of the three official options for sidekick classes found in Tasha's, I've only found a paladin homebrew. How would you make a Bard version of a sidekick? If it already exists link it here please, otherwise I'd love some help building it!

Hi y'all, I've started dming CoS recently and I'm deep into world building these days, and an idea popped into my head: what if part of the party's objectives is to collect as many allies and factions to ultimately revolt against Strahd? Of course this will depend on my party and their choices, but I'm thinking about letting them understand that helping certain factions and increasing the number of allies will help in the final moments. I tought about this because in the end the only actual faction against Strahd is the martikovs and Van Richten. In my mind they'll gain strategic alliances when aiding and completing certain quests/requests, example the revenants, or they free yester hill from the duids and the berserkers will come back to live there very grateful with the party. Or they resolve the problems between werewolves (in my version one group is very neutral and chill minding their own business, while the evil ones have the den) and gain alliance with them. Ultimately this would result in some kinds of boons from each faction and help during hard moments, i can imagine the werewolves arriving to attack baba lysaga scarecrows, or the revenants pop up in ravenloft to help if they get overwhelmed, so a prize for good diplomacy and helping around barovia. Some factions like the vistani i think will still be neutral, or the hags that work for themself only, but where there's room for alliance that should be paid off with something. What do you think?

Hi y'all, I've finally started CoS, and it's a blast so far! Still early on (finishing Durst Manor), but I'm already prepping the main plot lines. While preparing the tarokka reading I've realised how much I don't like the tome as is, so I decided to try and make it something different. Inspired by some variations it's an item to be attuned with and to be spent time with, but I want to make it a lore encyclopedia on demand, let me explain: the players can actually ask it questions, and if it's plausible that Strahd had written about it in the last 700 years, then it tells them. I'm thinking it'll need some kind of roll to establish the quality of the info, like a Charisma check to convince the book or something, so a 10 will give basics and a 20+ the most dark secrets. This way instead of me lore dumping on the players, they can ask about what actually interests them, and if i need to hint at something, i can insert it as a connection to what they are asking (almost everything is connected in Barovia). What do you think? Sorry fo any mistake, english isn't my first language :)

Hi, I'm about to start this great module with my three players. After reading the module and a couple big mods (mainly Mandy and Dragna), I've decided to write Ireena this way and i need feedback:

She won't be an helpless damsel to be escorted around and defended from Strahd, she's out for vengeance. I've decided that in the moment of her death Tatiana's essence was absorbed by a pendant around her neck, which if found by subsequent reincarnations of Tatiana would unlock all her memories and those of the different versions that found it along the years. Every time she was able to find the pendant she would then remember and try to kill Strahd, failing again and again. Now with my party she'll find the pendant and help them kill Strahd. Bonus, the sun sword have her husband soul in it, in the end they will be reunited to get their revenge on Strahd. I'm thinking to point to the pendant location using the ally card from Madame Eva, and i was thinking about putting it in old bonegrinder (probably the last version of Tatiana died there). What do you think about this? The party will be of only 3 players so adding a capable sidekick could be useful. Before the pendant she's a warrior, then becomes a vengeance paladin. Looking for some feedback, excuse any grammar mistake, english isn't my first language.