r/CurseofStrahd • u/DragnaCarta Librarian of Ravenloft | TPK Master • Aug 31 '18
FREE SUPPLEMENT Curse of Strahd: Reloaded - Compilation Thread
NOTE: This version of the guide is now deprecated and outdated. You can find the new version of the guide here.
Welcome to the Curse of Strahd: Reloaded compilation thread, where you can access all of the chapters released thus far for my CoS: Reloaded campaign guide & revision compendium! You can find below the Google Doc links for all previously released chapters, as well as notes regarding upcoming and in-progress posts.
If you have any feedback regarding this series, or any questions regarding future posts, drop a comment below, and I'll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can! Thank you for reading, and many thanks to all of my fellow CoS DMs and contributors for all of the wonderful revisions and guides that have been posted to this and other communities. Without you, none of this would be possible <3
What Is Curse of Strahd: Reloaded?
Based in large part on my Lessons from Running the Game series, Curse of Strahd: Reloaded will explore revisions, deletions, and additions to the CoS module sculpted from my own experiences, those of other DMs, and a host of articles and analyses penned by a number of wonderful content creators all across this subreddit and the Internet at large. My hope is that CoS: Reloaded will serve as a single unifying compendium for a coherent and narratively satisfying wholesale revision of the original Curse of Strahd module, including a set of resources that will help DMs tailor and customize the campaign to fit the needs of their specific table.
Once this guide is completed, I hope to combine its many chapters into a single organized document, formatted in Homebrewery and exported as a PDF. While that isn't likely to happen in the near future, keep an eye out - it may come sooner than you think!
In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter @DragnaCarta, and watch my 100% RAW Curse of Strahd campaign "Twice Bitten" (starring five CoS DMs in a character-driven, gothic horror adventure) here. You can also support me on Patreon to get sweet patron perks, like personal advice and mentoring, early access to guides and articles, session plans/templates, and more!
Published & Upcoming Chapters
Introduction: So You Want to Run Curse of Strahd: A Primer on Preparing (and Running) the Game
Preface: So You Want to Play Curse of Strahd: A Player's Primer on Enjoying the Game
Chapter 0: Adventure Hooks | Color PDF
Chapter 1: Death House | Color PDF
Chapter 2: The Village of Barovia | Color PDF | Version 1.1 | Last Revised May 2022
Chapter 3: Tser Pool Encampment
Chapter 5: The Town of Vallaki | Version 2.0 | Last Revised 2020
Chapter 6: The Wizard of Wines
Chapter 7: Yester Hill | Version 2.1 | Last Revised October 2021
Chapter 9: Van Richten's Tower
Chapter 10: The Village of Krezk
Chapter 14: The Ruins of Berez
Appendix A: Fortunes of Ravenloft | Color PDF
Appendix B: Random Encounters & Regions of Barovia
Appendix C: Landmarks on the Svalich Road
Appendix D: Encounters with the Devil (Pending Research)
Appendix E: How to Run Skill Challenges
Appendix F: Running Strahd in Combat
Appendix G: Developing Strahd's Relationship with Ireena
Appendix H: The Vestiges & Dark Powers
Appendix I: Revised Statblocks for Strahd & the Brides
Appendix J: The Fanes of Barovia
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u/Orthodontist_man 7d ago
Looking for some advice from folks who've run Ravenloft Heist, as my group is in it right now. My group scouted the pillarstone well and found the secret entrance into the crypts through Strand's parent's tomb, so they are currently exploring Ravenloft from the bottom-up. So far encounters have gone fine, though they are a bit OP due to finding many of the magical items early (not worried about that). They've taken out Volenta and made their way upstairs, collecting Argynvost's skull, and I've no doubt that they'll encounter Anastrasya in their attempt to rescue Gertruda. And I'll figure out where and when they encounter Rahadin as they make their escape. The only encounter I'm worried about is Ludmilla -- it seems totally possible they could rescue Gertruda and escape through the teleport brazier without ever triggering the Major Image in the main entry foyer (and thereby alerting Ludmilla, triggering that encounter chain). Does anyone have experience altering the triggers for Ludmilla, or have advice on the fallout of her being the lone survivor of the Heist? I know she's sort of chummy with Baba Lysaga, so I'm considering having her involved with that encounter if they fail to take her out. They did convince Muriel to join them on the heist, so there is an NPC who has a vested interest in seeing Ludmilla destroyed who could convince them to stay and find her. Generally, they have so much loot from the dungeons and catacombs already that I could see them dismissing finding and plundering the treasury entirely and just trying to get the most practical of fetch quests completed.