Curse of Strahd: DMs Guide- Intro & Chapter 1

[@JohnTCampbell1986]

"Doing it completely randomly lets you flex your dm muscles" Me, a first time DM contemplating strahd as his first campaign because he's heard it's a good one to run for beginners: Stacking the deck it is then.

[@NoFunAllowed]

haha fair enough!

[@jakehare7769]

The Sunsword is already explicitly a sentient entity, so I always make it contain the soul of Sergei.

[@hemmelgarndesigns]

For the tarot reading I did an in between choice of rigging vs fate. I drew the cards randomly as I was planning the campaign. That way it was left up to fate and if I really did hate the cards I could reshuffle to get a reading that made more sense. Then, at the first session I just made sure those cards were on top. So it was semi random but also allowed me to know what elements of the story I needed to flesh out beforehand.

[@NoFunAllowed]

haha fair enough!

[@thewizzik6202]

Literally just pulled all of the cards this weekend. 19:48 No assisting character and strad is inside his mother's tomb with the sun sword.

[@Janshevik]

Regarding the hook, this last book gave me idea if characters choose Eberron options (you know dragonmarks and stuff) Just before the Mourning happens, the characters are hurrying to be evacuated from Cyre on a lightning rail. While they make to the train, they do not make in time to escape the catastrophe, they hit their head hard and they pass out. When they wake up, they see almost everyone dead on the train, outside only fog and darkness. While they trying to realize what is happening, the train at some point stops and opens the door. Characters do not lose time to run away from the cursed train, barely taking their belongings, maybe pillaging some of dead people. Soon afterwards Cyre 1313 resumes its voyage.

[@NoFunAllowed]

i dig it!

[@thegingergod3122]

I've played CoS before, both as a player and a DM, and find that it's the only 5e module I actually like. I'm actually thinking of restoring the complete land of Barovia for a game, including many elements from I6 Ravenloft, and Ravenloft setting from 2nd and 3.x. I also have an idea for the Tarokka reading. When the party goes to see Madam Eva have Strahd use his power over the land to limit her reading, making it so she is only able to reveal the Tome of Strahd's location and who your ally is. She then must draw another card to reveal who can help you find the rest of the items... revealing the Tempter/Queen of Diamonds card for Arabelle. Keep Tempter out of the high deck for convenience, so neither Arabelle nor Vasilka can be your ally. Strahd's magic is making it so that every card pulled gives the drawer 1 level of exhaustion per card. While his magic allows him to limit her vision, it doesn't allow him to see into her tent or know the outcome of the drawings. After saving Arabelle and explaining the situation she will attempt to draw as well, but only reveals the location of the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind as well as someone who can draw more cards as the sudden exhaustion frightens her. She draws the Mists/Queen of Spades, for Ezmerelda. If I rebuild the extended setting I'll have the Holy Symbol located in one of the other areas not in CoS. Ezmerelda is far less happy about being asked for a reading, and requires a persuasion check to convince her. If it fails do the drawing in secret for the locations needed. She reveals the location of the Sun Sword as well as Strahd's location. With the expanded lands version all of the cards that would put the Tome or Holy Symbol in the castle will instead place them in the extended map, and the sword will always be located in the castle or in another area heavily controlled by Strahd. Finally I have an idea for the Dark Lord card. Instead of it simply being that you have no ally, instead make it so that Strahd is intensely watching the party for any sign of a potential replacement. But instead of simply finding them wanting, he will attempt to mold a character who is Lawful aligned or Evil aligned into being his replacement as both the Count of Barovia but also it's new Dark Lord.

[@NoFunAllowed]

Awesome stuff! I dig the old school stuff, and with Van richtens guide coming out, there can be even more to flesh out!

[@LJupiter89]

Every time I run this campaign, I'll do 3 readings ahead of time and go with my favorite combo. The cool thing with Barovia I feel is things can always change in a sense that what was obscured before could be visible now, or etc. When addressing the risks of items being stacked on each other, etc. I like that I can essentially blame the dark powers on everything 😂😊🤙 On top of that- I always make Ismark beefier and more useful, he's always an essential npc for my groups as i made him what is essentially a Vanhelsing-- due to his sister being one of Strahds goals. It always plays so well, lol. That does mean sometimes they have more than one NPC traveling with them or assisting with Strahd, but that just drives the party to fight harder to keep their allies safe - the alternative being trapped forever as a ghost 😂😂😂

[@powerlessburger]

I think for the Tarokka cards, myself personally, i like to stack the deck so i can plan the story out before session 1. Then if the players actually choose to have their fates read i let those cards change things. Gives them a feeling of control over the story but also let's me have a plan (even if it all falls apart after they start lol)

[@daniellewis2609]

It is amazing how you go through every peice of important information and explain it incredibly thanks so much and keep going my man!

[@NoFunAllowed]

thank you and no problem!

[@jorgan6260]

Best video in my gm reserch out of everything I have seen. Great job.

[@NoFunAllowed]

thank you so much!

[@mr.quantum4543]

My envision of strahd is that he tries to make the party unsure if he's the bad guy or not. Maybe he was never seen in his true form wrecking the lands. He's always in his shapeshifter form doing it. Always appearing and appealing to the populace of barovia that he can help in some way. The people believe he isn't just a bad guy in a castle menacingly looking down on everyone. He's a psychologically mind wrecking machine. Play his as such. Have him protecting people, and randomly, the monsters leave after he fights off his own monsters to appeal to the townsfolk. Have the party witness it not knowing strahd actually killed and sent away his own minions. Make him look misunderstood until the cat is out of the bag that this dude is a pycho.

[@killNecairus]

Just being able to listen to this, while working or doing anything has been so helpful! Thank you

[@majajajajajaty]

Super helpful brother, can't wait to see this channel grow, you just earned a sub 👍

[@NoFunAllowed]

Thank you thank you!

[@aryahailie9027]

Thanks so much for the help in these videos! I know im 2 years late but this is my first time I am going to be DMing a campaign so im super excited. Hook: either Plea for Help or Mysterious Visitors sound really fun to play out. I am entirely rigging the tarot card reading lol. As for Strahd its probably going to be the Highly intelligent guy who knows it.

[@Bi0nicFurY]

I'm 4 sessions into mine ( first time dm too) how is yours going?

[@laurenbraun37]

I really loved my character in curse of strahd and wish I could bring her back for future campaigns. Her bubbly personality was a great contrast for the depressing atmosphere.

[@NoFunAllowed]

haha gotta have sunshine to combat the rain!

[@andyryan4484]

I made my ending that if they killed strahd in his coffin they woke up the next day back in the tavern they got the first hook allowing my players to stay playing... of course they were all half raddled with insanity but that could slowly be cured once out of Barovia.

[@thewizzik6202]

The people without souls are interesting to me but I feel like there could be more. Like a secret society of soulless people that try to trap adventurers And keep them to kill them when a new baby is born, so that their own child has a soul. Or they try to transfer souls into themselves to fill the void

[@XXPURPLEDUDEXX]

I’ve re watched this series a few times and it’s been extremely helpful. Thank you for all your work and content!

[@NoFunAllowed]

thank you so much!

[@damioncastellano5299]

I will like and comment to help your channel grow but I'm not allowed to watch these as I'm playing in a Strahd game right now. The campaign guides are really good, the best out there that I've seen and your work is appreciated!

[@NoFunAllowed]

thank you! I know theres people playing and DMing out there, thats why I will always try and hit multiple campaigns so theres at least something to watch!

[@Elmtreeemily]

There is so much content here it could be its own college course.

[@GuilhermeFechner]

Do you think it would be a good idea to have Strahd show up in disguise as a commoner/trader or even as a Vistani, and fool the PC's? And then once the PC's find the 1st artifact and find out about strad's true history, he might reveal himself to snatch the relic from the players? For me it makes more sense that he would use more deception especially at the beginning

[@NoFunAllowed]

It really comes down to thr strahd you want to present. Is he a mastermind manipulator, is he bold and open, is he cunning. There's so many ways to approach it, and wheat you have so far looks like it'd be a fun time!

[@GuilhermeFechner]

@@NoFunAllowed Thanks! I have so many doubts because I'll be a GM for the 1st time since I was a teenager. And apart from the adventure itself, I have another concert: Fantasy Grounds or Roll20? Or any other?

[@NoFunAllowed]

@@GuilhermeFechner Roll20 is super simple and is free for your players which is nice!

[@subatoistormborn5499]

This is great! Your insight and these videos allow me to relly fine tune and know these modules before running them. Great work! Now i just need to improve my voice game lol

[@NoFunAllowed]

Thank you! Voices can be tough for sure, but as long as your not self concious, you can just roll with it and have fun!

[@TheShadowwalker007]

Remember, you can also remove cards entirely from your deck before you deal the cards out at the table. I removed a bunch of cards I knew I did not want my players to get. This give you a controlled random result

[@NoFunAllowed]

True true

[@MollymaukT]

I did a "semi-rigged" card shuffle. For the items (after reading the whole book) I decided it'd be stupid for them to be in some places like Vallaki or in the Vistani camp so I tried to figure out some places that would otherwise be hard to make the party explore. I had the Sunsword be Vladimir's blade that can either be gifted to the party or taken by force in Argynvostholt, the amulet be in the Amber Temple and the Tome be with Van Richten. I found out too late that the Sword was powerful as fuck and I should have but it in the Temple and the amulet in Argyn, also having my party's paladin light up the sword right before they decide its time to go to the castle would've been more badass. For the NPCs I removed a few like Parriwimple, Arabelle and Donavich. In hindsight I'd would have rigged to be Ezmeralda. For Strahd's location I went full random

[@NoFunAllowed]

awesome stuff!

[@alexenglish8923]

About to run a COS campaign and am reading the book now, still trying to think about how to such a non linear campaign, ive very excited

[@NoFunAllowed]

it is a great module, but you gotta prepare enough! sandboxs are tricky!

[@matttale7918]

Players: wait, you can’t leave it up to fate! How will your sanity handle the unpredictable nature of the cards Me making up this hypothetical situation because I have yet to buy CoS or DM: :))))

[@unrulyarcana2394]

... I kinda just started CoS on accident, like yesterday. I wasn't planning on it but it suddenly fit. Ty for having these guides so I can study up a bit. As far as the intro, I basically went with creeping fog, only a powerful being (Azazel) dropped them off in the woods as the fog was rolling in. Hard to explain, but it fit the current story which had went off the rails a bit. Lol

[@NoFunAllowed]

haha sounds like an awesome start to what is sure to be an amazing adventure!

[@nicolo4219]

I'm going to rig the deck just a bit, i've got really skilled players so i'm gonna cut out the Revenant ally (far too powerful he would ruin the fun) And will cut the treasure in the vistani camp because it makes no sense and also having the Sunblade or the Holy Symbol from the get-go would also ruin the difficulty.

[@kazeyuki8493]

I'm currently running CoS as my first campaign, there currently in still the death house after 6 sessions, but they only survived until now because of the goblin veteran that is helping them who is going to die by the hand of the shambling mound. My plan with the card reading is to put in only locations that are not in the same place and for the enemy it's going to be ireena as my DMPC probably with the sidekick stats.

[@SweetPeteInTheBackSeat]

I'm kind of astonished 6 sessions in they're just that far. Are they short sessions?

[@SweetPeteInTheBackSeat]

I wouldn't be surprised by 2-3, to be clear The enemies there feel really strong for level 1-2

[@momqabt]

Since I'm running a multi stage campaign, CoS is a part of it but it's not that cut and dry. So my players are going to do Phandelver but on their way they'll get introduced to Schwartzhafen (your Barovia equivalent). Since I'm not commenting on the channels vids in chronological order this might seem strange but: here they meet the so far orphan streeturchin characters twin sister Ivanka (Irena) and her half brother, who convinces her to go to another city where their pather is the priest and blah blah too long to type out. They'll get a mysterious tarot reading during the trip where they see an empty noose on the other side of the creek at the crossroads. The tarot will be mysterious cause I don't want to spoil just yet. Also, one of the characters will hear a tune she'll recognise, it's the song her one true love the bard (lol, and yes she wrote this backstory deliberately xD ) played to woe her. The bard vanished so, here's her ploothook ;) Along the way the half brother dies, so begrudgingly Ivanka will later become a paladin, and as the characters are exiting they'll be invited to dine with the local lord (Strahd). He will dine With them, talk and may or may not insert quests I want the party to do outside of Schwartzhafen and will allow them to leave. So on to phandelver. You get my point. Since this is a higher level party I'm gonna be doin a lot of monkeying with creatures and stats. Also, since I'm a veteran masquerade and dark ages and werewolf player I've already scared the everliving shit out of my players with my vampires. And I have big plans for Strahd, who in my game is a Methuselah, just like my may or may not be bbeg who they're already working for....ancient vampires who's interests might not align.... Yes, I am evil.

[@NoFunAllowed]

awesome stuff! theres tons to work with in there!

[@momqabt]

@@NoFunAllowed there's tons of work put into CoS and Warhammer Fantasy, and Vampire lore and games...I'm talkin bout the interview with a vampire, Dracula, the hypothetical that Kain was the first vampire, there are different types of vampires per culture (Aztec, Sumerian etc) and my players had some near tpks so it's only prudent of me to give them And this module it's due.

[@JWPanimation]

Nice to get a basic overview of the module without a pitch for a pay walled add on.

[@NoFunAllowed]

haha thank you!

[@mrsdisneyvillian]

bless you for this!

[@NoFunAllowed]

bless you for listening!

[@72hawkj]

Was a divine soul sorcerer. Was the only member of the party who could use it. Well, two of the three anyway.

[@NoFunAllowed]

Haha there's always a way!

[@jeremybrocknblue5593]

I really would like to run COS with experienced players but play this adventure backwards……. Strahd is actually the good guy. Not a vampire, hes rich and paranoid. Most of Barovia are werewolves and vampires and you better get your ass to Strahds castle to survive the night. It might be fun and will completely throw off experienced players who have played COS before.

[@NoFunAllowed]

A unique twist!

[@funnybusiness6491]

In your opinion, which is the best adventure hook? It sounds like mysterious visitors gets the players caught up in the story a little bit quicker, given that Vistani share some of Strahd’s background. Right now I am nearing the end of LMOP. In the game, there is a map that they players find in Wave Echo Cave which, as far as I can tell, serves no purpose. Maybe that map leads to the Fog hook?

[@NoFunAllowed]

the hook will really depend on the type of adventure you want to run. If the mists take them, then they are lost and have no clue whats going on. If they chase wolves, they have a purpose, but now must find a way out. If they talk with the vistanni, they may seek a noble goal. If Arrigal tricks them into the land, they will feel betrayed and lost. I like all of the hooks equally but in different ways. It really sets up the type of adventure you want and the PCs motivations. Me and DragnaCarta talked a bit about the hooks as well and how they shape the campaign!

[@brandontsosie4514]

I randomized the deck and drew before the campaign so i know what to make it with... the sword is in babayaga hut

[@Th3RazieI]

How do you get to draw those cards? Find the map with them being laid out from 1-2 but no option to actually draw them?

[@NoFunAllowed]

In roll20, it is in the "collection" tab! it should be near the bottom!

[@jhfh3112]

This has got to be the least newbie-friendly campaign book they released. I remember opening it, skimming through the chapters and just yelling at it. What's the structure here? Why are the chapters in this order? What drives the characters from place to place? WHAT HAPPENS? It spends quite a bit of time talking about Strahd and his motives, but doesn't explain that the story you tell with him is one that you're supposed to invent on your own, reacting to what the players do as they visit the locations in Barovia in any order they like. It also doesn't account for its random encounter table being very deadly at level 3 and a pushover at level 7, and offers no alternative approach to travel. It gives you a table of 'suggested levels' for each location, but then allows the players to find these places after they're well over-levelled for it to be of interest. CoS has a huge online following and I think if it wasn't for that community of fan works and improvements to the module it wouldn't have the reputation it holds. I've managed to have a lot of fun running it, but damned if I didn't need help.

[@NoFunAllowed]

haha we all need help on this one! I know I will be making a ton of videos on the locations and how to incorperate Strahd into the module!

[@notimeforwargames3048]

I agree, Curse of Strahd is so popular in the online DND5e community, but after finishing the campaign as a player and feeling very confused throughout most of the experience, I read the module on my own and realized that the DM had actually ran it as written, and even improved it in some areas, but it still made no sense. COS as a module is very convoluted, and there really is no plotline to speak of, a new DM running this module would have an incredibly difficult time trying to piece all of the seemingly random and unrelated events and characters together into some kind of coherent story. I get that this module is based on classic modules and stories from years past that people have a lot of nostalgia for, but there is so much extraneous information in this book that really serve no purpose to the core of the story. I appreciate this video and all others who try to make the module make sense, cause it really needs a lot of work to be enjoyable for payers.

[@NoFunAllowed]

@@notimeforwargames3048 haha oh yes, when I start diving into making this module an actual story, it is going to require a ton of work haha

[@momqabt]

Also, I AM getting an actual tarot deck for this game...and the deck of meny things lol

[@NoFunAllowed]

the deck of many will spell disaster for all haha!

[@multiversedm]

Strahd vs. Tomb Tapper? lol

[@rafaelarroyo3098]

I will use alignment because the pcs are not of good alignment so hahaha no one will be able to use it!!!

[@tresser8798]

Rigging a tarot reading is so gross 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 what's the point if it's not up to fate

[@NoFunAllowed]

I love leaving it up to fate haha!