Curse of Strahd: DMs Guide- Chapter 5 Vallaki Special Events

[@AuntLoopy123]

I WANT someone to jokingly suggest that Blinsky become the new burgomaster. "You'd have to be CRAZY to be Burgomaster of Vallaki." "Oh, crazy like Blinsky. Have you SEEN his toys? And he's actually convinced they are cheerful." "YEAH! Crazy like Blinsky! Think about it. He won't hurt anyone. He just wants to make people happy. He'll fail at it, but at least he won't HURT people on purpose!" "OK, so, if we get rid of the Baron, we can hold an election, and write in Blinsky's name! Yeah!" "But, what about the Martikovs? They'd be good, as well, don't you think?" They would be. They're too busy running the inn, but that's why you HIRE HELP. As a Burgomaster, you CAN hire help. In fact, if there is any realism in the game, they already have several helpers. At minimum, they have help in the kitchen, help cleaning the rooms and doing laundry, and help in the stables. So, yeah, why not have the Martikovs be the new Burgomaster. Either one of them. They'd work together, anyway. We don't have to make it so that the only choices are the Baron and Lady Wachter. The burgomaster of the town is an ELECTED position, and does not require noble blood. Strahd, himself, changed burgomasters left and right at the beginning of his reign, and his only requirements were HONESTY and BEING ABLE TO DO THE JOB. He didn't require nobility. He just required that his taxes be paid on time, and in full.

[@Dadaph]

Vallaki was so much fun and it's so cool to hear about all the ways it can turn out. I decided to run the place like a sandbox, but I also wanted to stress my players a bit, so I gave them most the quests early on, so they picked whatever felt most urgent to them at the time: The PCs arrived late at night escorting Ireena, so the gate was closed off. However, a local noble named Vasili von Holtz, told the guards to let them in, earning the PCs trust and Ireena's gratitude. Some twists and turns later, the PCs had done some favors for the Baron, saved the winery, and stopped the Feast of St. Andal. Sadly, Izek had taken Ireena away during the tiger attack at the festival, so after having seen their friend Rictavio being chased off, Vasili convinced the PCs to enter the Baron's Manor, free Ireena, and deliver her to him. The PCs, through an amazing Insight roll managed to sense Vasili wasn't all he seemed, so Vasili told the group he was in fact, Rudolph van Richten, the Vampire Hunter who earlier saved the group from the six vampire spawns at the coffin maker's shop (which happened, the group almost TPKed there). Thus, Strahd, through his disguise as Vasili, not only manipulated the PCs to off Izek and give him Ireena, but through their actions, had Lady Fiona Wachter's takeover of the city succeed. The Baron and his wife were both sent to the gallows by the mob, but it didn't stop there. Having learned of Vasili's betrayal and true identity, some of the PCs felt a certain loyalty to the Baron and responsibility for what happened, so they brought his corpse to Krezk, went all back to Vallaki for the wedding dress, gave it to the Abbot, who then revived the baron and his wife (now both with permanent madness). Currently giving the Baron a few days to recover while the PCs are off to the Amber Temple. But I know the PCs plan to aid the Baron to take Vallaki back once they return, which I think will be a nice change of pace after surviving the Temple. On success, they'll be handed a nice little wedding invitation from their old friend Vasili and told to come to Castle Ravenloft.

[@NoFunAllowed]

awesome stuff!

[@AuntLoopy123]

OOOOOOH! Awesome! I LOVE what you're doing with Vasili! Hahahahahahaaaa! And Ireena thinks she's SAFE with him! It's so fitting for Strahd's character, too. He USED to be an honest man, before he turned to the dark side. Since then, he's discovered that he's GOOD at lying and deception.

[@Dadaph]

​@@AuntLoopy123 I had him realize he could not touch Ireena direcly before turning her (because every other time he did that before, the dark powers came and snatched her away), which is why he turns to manipulation to get others to do his dirty work. Since last time, the PCs actually managed to dine with Strahd before his wedding at Ravenloft, and while one PC who had been turned to a werewolf caused a scene at the chapel, the rest of the group managed to get Ireena and through dumb luck make their way through the dungeons and find the teleporter. Currently running a cat-and-mouse game with Strahd trying to figure out where the players have put Ireena (she's at Argynvostholt), while they're going back to Ravenloft to try to get the beacon lit. Not really sure where to go from here because it's about to turn into a war. Strahd is pissed and the PCs know they're still alive only because Strahd used to be entertained by them. Getting close to the end of the campaign now, but its been a crazy fun ride!

[@MamanYossi]

Thats great, but what if i'm using the campaign hook that includes Vasili's letter?

[@AuntLoopy123]

For the Festival of the Blazing Sun, I have written bright and upbeat lyrics for the village choir to sing, to a dull, down-beat tune in a minor key (My niece is composing it for me, but she doesn't know what it's for. I just gave her the rhythm, and a brief description). I will have the guards hand out packets to all the people, and they'll open it when the Baron directs it, to find their kazoo inside (I bought a package of kazoos), so that everyone in attendance at the festival can join the choir, when it comes to the instrumental verse. Yes, kazoos. What is a more cheerful instrument than a kazoo? My group REALLY love whimsy, after all. I got the idea from thinking about Blinsky, who is TRULY CONVINCED that his "happy toys," are, indeed, happy. I even got clips of the ghost children from the movie Coraline, for him to have as dolls on display in his shop, for sale. "Happy Boy," "Happy Girl," and "Laughing Girl" are the names of his "Happy Children" doll set. Of course, "Laughing Girl" is actually screaming, but he DOES NOT GET IT. So, yeah, kazoos and cheerful words, to a spooky melody just FITS in Vallaki. I have also decided that if the characters support the laughing man, and protest his arrest, they CAN succeed in persuading the Baron that "He was laughing for JOY! The festival is a SUCCESS! We should ALL be laughing for JOY!" if they roll high enough, and convince some other citizens to join them in "laughing for joy." But it will be a DC 20 Persuasion check.

[@Tara-fc2wo]

Oooh, I like the idea of Izek escaping with Ireena to Old Bonegrinder and teaming up with the hags. Maybe I'll have him keep her drugged out on dream pastries, so she stays still and peaceful like his dolls.

[@NoFunAllowed]

creepy stuff!

[@daviddcain]

I'm getting ready to run CoS for the first time and I just wanna say these videos are sooo helpful. I'm watching them all in order as I read the book and I don't think I've ever felt this prepared. Great stuff.

[@NoFunAllowed]

Thank you! There is a bunch to prepare with this module, so it was good making this series for me as well haha

[@rocketshawk2200]

My fiancee and I are from New Orleans, but could not make it home for Mardi Gras this year for obvious reasons. I ran a Mardi Gras festival in Vallaki for her and my other players, with a full-on parade and consumable items to catch. One of the floats, called ""Sinners and Thieves," had townspeople dressed up in offensive, exaggerated Vistani attire. This was how I looped in Tyger Tyger, as Fluffy (as we named her) was trying to grab the krewe and batting around at the float.

[@NoFunAllowed]

I dig the Mardi Gras! Great way to tie in events here!

[@AuntLoopy123]

I like that you pointed out the racism of judging the Vistani as "All of them are evil!" by punching up at the people who harshly judge the Vistani. Personally, I will make SOME of the Vistani evil, and some of them good, and some neutral. SOME of the Vistani do, indeed, serve Strahd. Others, in particular the women who have the gift of Sight (Such as Madame Eva and the young girl who gave them their reading just before entering Barovia), serve Mistress Fate, and are determined to help the Fate-Touched, because their mistress wills it. I'm also making the Vistani follow a rule of "Each family is led by the eldest son, unless there is a woman with the Sight in that family, in which case, SHE is in charge, as soon as her power manifests, at puberty." This means that Arrigal has just been supplanted as his family's leader by Magda, his 12-year-old sister. She allows him to serve Strahd, but makes comments about "his TRUE master," because she believes that ALL Vistani, whether they know it or not, actually serve Mistress Fate. So, basically, Madam Eva, Magda, and any other female Vistani who has the Sight, will be supporting the party, regardless of their alignment. Arrigal IS evil, but if the party rescues (sorry, can't remember the name) the Vistani girl, he'll be loyal to them, and act as a double-agent with Strahd. All others are randomly generated, anyway, except for the few who are named, but I can't remember off the top of my head. Randomly generated NPCs are random, and may be good, bad, or in-between. But any randomly generated female Vistani will also have a roll for if she has the Sight, and if she does, regardless of what she WANTS or thinks about it, WILL be supportive of the party, in her own way, even if she supported Strahd before she got the Sight. I think a Mardi Gras is a great festival, and now I'm almost hoping that the party don't take down the Baron right away, just so that we can have a Mardi Gras festival, that somehow manages to be dark and depressing, in Vallaki.

[@mtheman4221]

A festival I did was actually in the name of the Players. The party did some good deeds, and the Baron (who at this point was running out of ideas) decided to host "The Festival of the Virtuous Strangers", with them as the centerpiece.

[@WylRobins0n]

My players have never completed the campaign via a single trip to Ravenloft Castle.. They get the invite(s) and several quests which require them to delve into the castle, but in my runs through CoS; the castle is a repeat location, much like Vallaki. I usually bump up the power scale however, ending the game around level 15 or 16.

[@NoFunAllowed]

I absolutely dig multiple trips to the castle!

[@AuntLoopy123]

I am interpreting the spells Gentle Repose and Ceremony as this: Gentle Repose keeps the body from deteriorating, so that it can be raised, via Raise Dead, long past the time it normally would work. However, Gentle Repose DOES NOT protect it from being turned into undead. However, Ceremony (Funeral Rites) prevents anything from turning the body into undead, unless they literally use a WISH spell to do so. I'm also having it so that the party CAN break the curse on Death House, IF they put all the remains in their proper crypts AND cast Ceremony (Funeral Rites) on ALL of them. My reason for this is that the house resets overnight - just long enough for the party to celebrate their victory, and then be gutted the next morning, when they see Rose and Thorn out in the street, all over again. BUT, the priest in Village of Barovia will give them a hint, in the form of conductiong Ceremony (Funeral Rites) over Kolyan Indirovich, explaining that the spell is powerful, and prevents the body from being raised as undead, except by a Wish spell. Hopefully, that will give them the idea. AND, if they ask him to, AND they have rescued his son (by killing and reviving him, which is well within their power, at this time), then he will be willing to leave the church in his son's hands, once the son "takes holy orders," via his own Ceremony, they all get a full night's rest, and then face the morning and the house with enough spell slots for five castings of Ceremony. I want to do that, in order to foreshadow that Strahd CAN be defeated once and for all, but only IF they do THE RIGHT THING. I actually found a Rite they can perform to banish the Dark Power that created the demi-plane, thus returning Barovia to the Material Plane, and freeing all the trapped souls, so I want to set that up. Death House is GREAT for foreshadowing like that.

[@matttale7918]

I’d imagine Lady Wachter would host festivals in reverence to Strahd only to either have her faith and allegiance destroyed as she sees how much of a terrible person Strahd is, or she buckles down on her devil worship

[@NoFunAllowed]

either way can work well... well, not for her anyway haha

[@phoenixambrosecchia8421]

I couldn't make out who you suggested Strahd disguise himself as... something Von Holtz?

[@NoFunAllowed]

Vassili Van Holtz. That is Strahds cover that he uses from time to time. The written letter in Wacther house is signed by a one Vassili Van Holtz!

[@howardibleinc.7317]

Ireena had the player help her sneak out of Barovia without Ismark knowing, for Ireena she is trying to protect her brother when the players arrive in Vallaki they findout about the upcoming festival but they are only passing through on their way to take Ireena to Krazk. After leaving Vallaki the end up at the Vistani camp where they find out Ismark is their fated allie. Fearing that Strahd my know this as well Ireena tells the party that they must go back for Ismark. When they arrive back in Vallaki it is the day of the festival so as they make their way through the festival the tiger escape. Using this to his advantage Izek kidnaps Ireena and has the players jailed. Lady Wachter sends in Arrigal to help the players escape. Once back a lady Wachter's home she tells them of her fears that the burgomaster has gone mad and about the curse they have put on her daughter. Lady Wachter informs the players that she will findout where Izek has taken Ireena but she needs them to help her get Vallakovich. Once the players remove Vallakovich from power ladt Wachter come through on her word and informs the players of Ireena and Izek's location. Once the players have saved Ireena they return to last Wachter to that Ireena can thank her personally. The player with Ireena will continue to Barovia to pick up Ismark. From there they will head for the wizard of wines to get the amulet forcing yet another stop in Vallaki where they find lady Wachter settling in to her new position and the troubling story of missing bones and the cathedral. That quest line will play out as normal except that it was lady Wachter orchestrated their theft. The attack will be orchestrated by one of Strahd's jealous wives. Strahd will oust lady Wachter to the town and kill the wife for even thinking about harming Ireena.

[@TheFaceoffdg]

Do you have any advice relating to the pc’s taking over vallaki? After the blazing sun festival the party got on the barons bad side. Tl:dr they were banished, didn’t accept that, killed izek, and locked up the baron in his own dungeon. They also have fiona locked in the same dungeon 😅

[@NoFunAllowed]

the people may lead a revolt against these fiendish outsiders who invite nothing but terror on the people! Conversely, Strahd and his minions may sow the seeds of chaos to make the town turn against the party!

[@TheFaceoffdg]

Probably the later i’d say. The party turned against the baron when he failed at burning fiona on the wicker sun bc of the suddden downpour. Some in crowd laughed at him which promped him to have the guards turn on the crowd. So no good will towards the baron there

[@him7676]

I'm going to go ahead and play this campaign and go ahead and release thar tiger and then go ahead and get arrested and then go ahead and tpk

[@NoFunAllowed]

I swear I got better about it!

[@AuntLoopy123]

Viktor has Misty Step, Greater Invisibility and Fly. He CAN get away, without issue. Just first cast Greater Invisibility, then Misty Step UP, and cast Fly on the way down, so he can fly away, completely unseen. By the time the spell wears off, he's outside of town, and able to hide, or just re-cast. He can be invisible AND he can fly, three times each. He'll be just fine, even if they grab him in the first place.

[@daniibrahim7454]

Invisibility is a concentration spell and fly as well…

[@MarshmallowMadnesss]

Ireena got dumped at the church. Izek found her already. Not sure what to do now with her plot.

[@NoFunAllowed]

theres a ton of things you can do with that! especially if her brother or strahd wants the party to intervene

[@MamanYossi]

Great as usual! Im courios to see which quezt you have add around Vallaki, where can I find it?

[@kentanakamura89]

Quite informative I wish I discovered this before starting CoS. Will you be covering rise of tiamet as well? I was hoping to segway my party shortly after Strahd to that and I'd like to have an actual experienced DM's perspective and input on it while I read up

[@NoFunAllowed]

I plan on covering all the adventures at some point! these things do take time though haha

[@kentanakamura89]

@@NoFunAllowed well keep at it looking forward to it! We probably won't even get close to that campaign anytime soon. What with us rotating weekends between Strahd, Icewind Dale, and Avernest lol

[@FireMan1240]

I'm adding lady walked her to the internet with strahd at his castle at least the first one I'm going to try to play two of my players off each other trying to become the new dark lord and have scrod be the Puppet Master

[@gameon_ct]

Vallaki is 2 spoopy 4 me

[@NoFunAllowed]

There's a lot going on here for sure haha

[@gameon_ct]

@@NoFunAllowed actually my players are bout to spend their 4th session in Vallaki because it's a huge exposition dump of a town haha

[@NoFunAllowed]

@@gameon_ct Haha oh yes! This is the center point of the campaign, so there is a ton to cover!

[@TheFaceoffdg]

@@gameon_ct Gotta ration that out, lots of stuff going on, and I'm adding stuff for some reason...