Y5. WALL OF FOG Yester Hill gets its name from a strange phenomenon that can be observed by anyone who looks into the mists from the hilltop or the western hillside: As you look west into the curtain of fog, you see a white fortress on a hill above a great city. The city appears quite distant, maybe a mile away. The fog obscures all detail, but you can hear what sounds like the echo of a church bell. The Dark Powers have created a false image of Strahd's ancestral home within the fog, just beyond reach. Strahd comes to the hill on occasion to gaze upon the city, even though he knows it can't be real. The image tantalizes him. Any creature that enters the deadly fog is subject to its effects (see the "Mists of Ravenloft" section in chapter 2). If the characters ask an NPC spellcaster about this part of the wall of fog, that person might relate an ancient legend about it. According to the mountain folk of Barovia, there was always a wall of mist near Yester Hill, even before the deadly mists entrapped all of Barovia. The ancient folk called the mist the Whispering Wall, for within it they could hear the whisper of voices from the past and the future. They believed that an ancient god gave up his divinity to preserve the world from destruction and that his last exhalation as a god produced this mist. Within it were all his memories of the world and all his visions of its possible futures, and with proper preparation, a seeker could go on a vision quest within it. Some students of the arcane contend that the Dark Powers took a bit of that fog and twisted it to create the mists of Barovia, and that perhaps Strahd's domain is just a dark memory in the Whispering Wall. SPECIAL EVENTS You can use one or both of the following special events while the characters explore Yester Hill. DRUIDS' RITUAL You can allow this event to unfold regardless of whether the characters have visited Yester Hill. Even if the characters don't experience this event as it happens, they can still deal with the aftermath. (see "Wintersplinter Attacks" in the "Special Events" section in chapter 12). Strahd travels to Yester Hill, arriving astride his nightmare, Beucephalus (assuming the characters didn't kill it in the catacombs· of Castie Ravenloft), or in bat form. Strahd's arrival prompts the druids in area Y3 to rise from their "graves" and begin their ritual. When the ritual begins, the druids use their actions to chant and dance about. To complete the ritual, the druids must chant for 10 consecutive rounds, with at least one of them chanting each round. If a round goes by and none of the druids are able to chant on their turn, the ritual is ruined and must be started anew. If the Gulthias tree t CHAPTER M I YESTER HILL 200 -;--�-�c:v��:::._ �7� -- (area Y4) has been reduced to O hit points, the ritual won't work. Druids who realize that the tree has been destroyed know enough not to attempt the ritual. Strahd observes the proceedings, defending the druids if they are attacked and retreating if outmatched. DEVELOPMENT If the characters are present when the druids complete the ritual, read: A thirty-foot-tall plant creature bursts out of the statue, sending twigs and earth flying. The creature resembles a dead treant with green light seeping out of it. The creature that erupts from the wooden statue is a tree blight (see appendix D) that the druids call Wintersplinter. The green light comes from the magic gem embedded in its "heart." The gem can be removed only when Wintersplinter is dead. The druids command Wintersplinter to travel north and lay waste to the Wizard of Wines vineyard (chapter 12). Although the characters might not understand what the druids are up to, they will no doubt wonder where the druids are sending the tree blight. As Wintersplinter travels north, its destination should become clear to characters who have previously visited the winery and the vineyard. Whether they try to halt its advance is up to them. Once the tree blight departs, Strahd commands the druids and berserkers to leave the hill so that he can be alone. As they flee into the woods, he gazes longingly at the image of his ancestral homeland to the west (see area Y5). BLOOD SPEAR OF KAVAN The spirit ofKavan, a long-dead barbarian chieftain, reaches out to one of the characters, preferably a barbarian, a druid, or a ranger. Read the following text to that character's player: You hear a whisper, a deep voice carried on the wind. "Long have I waited," it says, "for one who is worthy. My spear hungers for blood. Retrieve it, and rule these mountains in my stead, just like the mighty warriors from the early days of the Whispering Wall." The character feels drawn to one of the cairns on the hillside (see area Y2). When the character approaches within 30 feet of it, the presence of Kavan's magic spear (see "Treasure" below) under the rocks is felt. TREASURE The rocks of the cairn are heavy but can be rolled aside, revealing a blood spear (see appendix C) lying amid Kavan's moldy bones. Any creature can wield the spear, but only the character chosen by Kavan to wield it gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. ' /' '- V ",(.
CHAPTER 15: WEREWOLF DEN EST OF LAKE BARATOK IS A CAVE complex that the werewolves of Barovia use as a den. Characters who interrogate captured werewolves can learn the den's location. Most of the werewolf pack is out hunting when the characters first arrive, including the pack's leader, Kiril Stoyanovich. The werewolves call themselves the Children of Mother Night, because they all worship that deity. Recently, a schism formed within the pack as the result of a challenge to Kiril's leadership. The rift began when another werewolf, Emil Toranescu, questioned the treatment of children kidnapped by the pack. Kiri I would arm the children with weapons and force them to fight each other to the death until only one child was left standing. The winner would then be turned into a werewolf, ensuring what Kiril called "the strength and purity of the pack." Emil advocated keeping all the children alive and turning them into werewolves, thus increasing the pack's size. Emil believed that a larger pack would ensure the werewolves' survival, whereas Kiril saw a larger pack as too difficult to control and feed. This ideological divide couldn't be reconciled and led to many disagreements. The other werewolves were split between the two camps, and it seemed likely that either Kiri I or Emil would die before the conflict could be resolved. Then Kiri I disappeared for several days, causing the other werewolves to wonder whether he had fled or had been quietly disposed of by Emil and his allies. When Kiril returned, he was accompanied by a pack of several dozen dire wolves loyal to Strahd, and he brought word from Castle Raven loft that Strahd was not pleased with Emil's attempt to fracture the pack. The dire wolves took Emil back to Castle Raven loft to f�ce punishment, and · he was never seen again. Kiril reestablished his dominance, but his ideas and tactics didn't sit well with the pack'� older �emb�rs, and they certainly didn't please Emil's mate, Zuleika THE WOLVES BEGAN TO HOwt. They knew me. All the wolves of Barovia did. -Strahd von Zarovich in J, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire Toranescu. She knows she can't slay Kiri] on her own, and after what happened to Emil, the rest of the pack is unwilling to challenge Kiri l's authority and face Strahd's wrath. Kiri I won't let Zuleika hunt, so she's more or less confined to the den. TRAVEL THROUCH THE MISTS The werewolves serve Strahd out of fear, believing that Mother Night has blessed him with godlike powers and eternal life. Although he can't leave Barovia, Strahd can allow certain creatures to come and go, such as the Vistani. He periodically allows the werewolves to slip past the misty borders as well, so that they can bring or lure others into his domain. Unlike the Vistani, however, the werewolves can't come and go as they please. APPROACHING THE DEN When the characters first approach the werewolf den, read: Above the tree line, carved into the side of a rocky mountain spur, is a wide, torchlit cave that looks like the gaping maw of a great wolf. One hundred feet above the cave mouth (area Zl), farther up the sloping mountainside and not visible from the cave mouth or its vicinity, is a rocky ledge (area 28). A character can scale the slope to reach the ledge without the need for a climber's kit or ability checks. �or
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AREAS OF THE DEN The following areas correspond to labels on the map of the werewolf den on page 202. Mounted to the walls throughout the den are iron brackets containing lit torches. All areas are brightly lit, though shadows abound. Zl. CAVE MOUTH The open jaws of the wolf's head form a fifteen-foot-high canopy of rock over the cave mouth, held up by natural pillars of rock. The ceiling rises to a height of twenty feet inside the cave. Torches in iron brackets line the walls. From somewhere deep inside, you hear the echoing sounds of a flute. Some of the notes are discordantpainfully so. The guards in area Z2 spot characters in the cave mouth who aren't hidden. Characters can track the sound of the flute to area Z3. DEVELOPMENT If the characters arrive here with Emil Toranescu (see chapter 4, area K75a) in their company or their custody, he can command the other werewolves in the den not to attack the characters as they make their way inside. Z2. GUARD POST Here, the cave splits to the left and right. Standing on a five-foot-high ledge between the divide are two feral-looking women wearing shredded clothing and clutching spears. Aziana and Davanka, two werewolves in human form, stand guard on the ledge. They sound the alarm when they spot intruders. Any loud noise here can be heard throughout the den, bringing quick reinforcements from areas Z3 and ZS. The werewolves fight to the death. Z3. WOLF DEN Nine wolves and a werewolf in human form are here. The werewolf, Skennis, has 36 hit points and is too old to hunt. Left undisturbed, he plays an electrum flute (see "Treasure" below), though not very well. The wolves are huddled behind him and go where he goes. Though well past his prime, he fights to the death to defend the den, and he takes umbrage at anyone who kills any of his wolf allies. A five-foot-high stone ledge overlooks this large cave, which has a smoldering campfire at the far west end. The floor is covered with gnawed bones. -- If Skennis is reduced to O hit points, read: I The old man cackles. "When Kiri! returns," he says to you I with his last breath, "he'll skin you alive." TREASURE Skennis's electrum flute is nonmagical and worth 250 gp. Skennis also carries a pouch containing four 50 gp gemstones. Z4. UNDERGROUND SPRING A gash in the rocky ceiling allows the gray light and cold drizzle of the outdoors to seep into this dank, torch lit cave, where an underground spring forms a pool of water roughly forty feet across and ten feet deep. A five-foothigh ledge to the north overlooks the pool. A similar ledge spans the eastern wall, with a rough-hewn staircase leading up to it. A few crates sit atop the eastern ledge. The water is fresh. The ceiling is roughly 20 feet above the surface of the pool. The fissure in the ceiling is 3 feet wide at its widest point, and 6 inches at its narrowest. The crates on the eastern ledge contain heaps of adultsized clothing. Z5. DEEP CAVES I A maze of torch lit tunnels and caves expands in front of you. Bones lie strewn upon the floor. The ceiling here is 10 feet high. The bones on the floor are a warning system. They crunch loudly underfoot, and creatures have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to move silently through this area. Z5A. SOUTH CAVE I Bianca, a white-haired werewolf in wolf form who is Kiril Stoyanovich's mate, sleeps here. She reacts quickly to sounds of alarm, attacking any intruders she sees. 25B. NORTH CAVE Wensencia, a werewolf in wolf form, sleeps here with Kellen, a ten-year-old werewolf in wolf form. Kellen is a noncombatant with AC 10, 2 hit points, and a werewolf's damage immunities. He hugs a wooden doll that eerily resembles one of the characters, but is painted and dressed to look like a zombie. A tiny slogan etched into the zombie doll reads, "Is No Fun, Is No Blinsky!" When an alarm sounds, Wencensia takes Kellen to area Z7, locks him in one of the empty cages, and tells him to take human form, which he does. She then joins her fellow werewolves in the den's defense. Kellen was kidnapped from his home in Liam's Hold, · a hamlet near the Misty Forest in the Forgotten Realms CHAPTER 15 I WEREWOLF DEN t """"" . /�/ '�� _ _ ___,,•/_; � - ·1 )f -�
setting. He was afflicted with werewolf lycanthropy after winning one of Kiri l's despicable contests. Wencensia has been tasked with training this newest member of Kiri l's pack. Casting a greater restoration spell or a remove curse spell on Kellen ends his lycanthropy. Z6. KIRIL's CAVE I At the back of this cave hangs a curtain made of human skin. When home, Kiri I Stoyanovich sleeps here in wolf form. I Behind the ghastly curtain of stitched flesh is a 10-foot-high, 10-foot-wide tunnel with rough-hewn stairs leading up, interspersed with landings. The tunnel ends at a secret door, beyond which lies area Z8. The secret door is easy to spot from inside the tunnel (no ability check required). Z7. SHRINE OF MOTHER NIGHT Rough-hewn stairs lead down to a torchlit cave and a bizarre sight: wide-eyed children stand behind wooden bars and stare at you in terrified silence. The cave holds six wooden cages, their lids held shut with heavy rocks. Two of the cages are empty, and each of the others holds a pair of frightened children. A crude wooden statue stands between the cages. It bears the rough likeness of a wolf-headed woman draped in garlands of vines and night flowers. Piled around the statue's base is an incredible amount of treasure. A woman in shredded clothes kneels before the statue. Behind the statue, two maggot-ridden corpses hang from iron shackles bolted to the wall. The ceiling here is 20 feet high. The statue is a crude depiction of Mother Night. Kneeling before it is a werewolf in human form named Zuleika Toranescu, who is the wife of Emil (see chapter 4, area K75a). Believing her mate to be dead by Strahd's hand, she prays to Mother Night for guidance, hoping that the goddess might hold enough sway over Strahd to persuade him to free her beloved. Kiri] has ordered Zuleika to guard the prisoners. If the characters rescue Emil and return him safely to Zuleika, she gladly releases the children. If the characters confirm that Emil is truly dead, either by their hand or Strahd's, she still might let the prisoners go if the characters help her deal with Kiri! Stoyanovich, whom she blames above all. Zuleika sees the characters as the answer to her prayers and asks them to kill Kiri! when he returns from his latest hunt (see "Leader of the Pack" in the "Special Events" section below). Each of the eight children imprisoned here has AC 10, 1 hit point, and no effective attacks. To determine a child's age in years, roll ld6 + 6. The rocks piled atop CHAPTER 15 I WEREWOLF DEN ZULEIKA ToRANESCU each occupied cage can be knocked or lifted off, allowing the cages to be opened. The children are in shock. Those who are set free don't wander far from the characters for fear of being eaten by wolves and werewolves. The corpses hanging on the wall behind the statue are two Barovian adults, a man and a woman, killed by the pack and presented as offerings to Mother Night. The werewolves consider the feasting maggots to be emblematic of Mother Night's "feedings." When the flesh of these corpses has been eaten away, the pack searches for new offerings to take their place. TREASURE The treasure piled around the base of Mother Night's statue includes: 4,500 cp, 900 sp, and 250 gp (all coins of mintages foreign to Barovia) Thirty 50 gp gemstones and seven 100 gp gemstones Twelve pieces of plain gold jewelry (worth 25 gp each) and a finely wrought gold cloak-pin inlaid with shards of jet (worth 250 gp) An ivory drinking horn engraved with dancing dryads and satyr pipe players (worth 250 gp) • An ornate electrurn censer with platinum filigree (worth 750 gp) Anyone who steals from Mother Night is cursed. The werewolves know this, and thus don't go out of their way to guard the hoard. Any creature that takes treasure from this pile is haunted by horrible dreams every night lasting from dusk until dawn. The curse affects only the creature that did the pilfering and isn't passed on to anyone else who might come into possession of the item. Returning a stolen item to the treasure pile doesn't end the curse. A creature cursed in this way gains no benefit from finishing a short or long rest at night (resting during the day works normally, since the curse is dormant from dawn to dusk). A greater restoration or a remove curse spell cast on the creature ends the curse on it. The curse on the creature also ends if it leaves Barovia.
FORTUNES OF RAVENLOFT lf your card reading reveals that a treasure is here, it's lying amid the other items at the base of the statue. The curse described above applies to this treasure as well. Z8. RING OF STONE A twenty-foot-diameter ring of stones dominates a rocky ledge on the mountainside. Within the ring, you see spattered blood and small, gnawed bones. Lying on the ground outside the circle are several spears stained with dry blood. The werewolf pack convenes here to watch their young prisoners fight with spears in the stone ring. The last child standing is bitten and turned into a werewolf; then the bodies of the dead are devoured, their bones picked clean. Set into the mountainside is a secret door that can be pushed open to reveal a tunnel with rough-hewn stairs leading down to area Z6. SPECIAL EVENTS You can use one or both of the following special events while the characters are exploring or resting in the den. LEADER OF THE PACK This event doesn't occur if the characters previously encountered and defeated Kiril's hunting pack (see "Pack Attack" in the "Special Events" section in chapter 11). Every hour the characters spend inside the werewolf den, roll a d20. On a roll of 18 or higher, the werewolf hunting party returns, dragging a dead mountain goat. It's a meager feast, at best. The party consists of Kiri! Stoyanovich (a werewolf with 90 hit points), six normal werewolves, and nine wolves. All the werewolves arrive in wolf form. If the wolves can see evidence of an assault on the den (such as if the guards at area Z2 are absent or dead), the werewolves assume hybrid form. Kiri I sends three werewolves up the mountainside to area Z8 to enter the den from above while he and the remainder of the hunting party make their way deeper into the den. DEVELOPMENT As long as Kiril lives, the characters can't negotiate with the werewolves. If Kiri) dies and the characters have the upper hand, the pack is willing to negotiate with them. If Emil Toranescu is present when Kiri! returns, Emil is determined to kill his rival and become the new pack leader. If he succeeds, he allows the characters to leave the den unmolested but refuses to release the kidnapped children unless Zuleika is present to convince him otherwise (because she fears that the characters might kill her husband if he doesn't let the children go). If both Kiri! and Emil die, Zuleika becomes pack leader and cuts all ties to Strahd. The ordinary wolves leave the pack once.Strahd becomes aware of this development. If the characters were drawn into Barovia KIRIL STOVANOVICl-4 by the "Werewolves in the Mist" adventure hook, the werewolf attacks on the Sword Coast come to an end under Zuleika's leadership. If she is also dead, a young but fierce werewolf named Franz Graza becomes pack leader. He is vicious and treacherous, showing the characters no mercy. DIE KINDER If the characters get the children away from the den while Kiril is alive, Kiri! reassembles his hunting party and pursues the lost prisoners relentlessly. If Kiri I is dead, the werewolf pack is too preoccupied with determining Kiri l's successor to organize a hunting party. If the characters aren't sure where to take the children, a wereraven (see appendix D) that has been spying on the den in raven form assumes hybrid form and suggests that they take refuge in the nearby village of Krezk (chapter 8). If the characters head that way, the wereraven scouts from overhead until the characters reach the village, whereupon it flies south to the Wizard of Wines winery (chapter 12) and reports what has happened to Davian Martikov. The children are understandably traumatized by their imprisonment in the werewolf den. They cry and scream the whole time they're with the characters. A calm emotions spell quells their anguish for the duration of the spell (no saving throws required). A character can try to silence the children for a longer period of time using intimidation, or by offering them hope (real or otherwise). The character must make a DC 15 Charisma (Intimidation, Persuasion, or Deception) check, as appropriate. If the check succeeds, the children remain silent until something happens to frighten them. If the characters take the children to Krezk, the villagers there look after the children and see that they are fed and properly clothed. If the characters take them to'Vallaki instead, the Martikovs allow the children to stay at the Blue Water Inn until the characters return to collect them. CfiAPTER 15 I WEREWOLF DEN
EPILOGUE TRAHD IS A DEADLY CHALLENGE FOR THE characters. If they confront the vampire too soon, without the benefit of magic items such as the Holy Symbol of Raven kind and the Sunsword, they will likely perish. Characters can improve their chances of survival by exploring the land of Barovia, defeating lesser evils, and gaining allies, magic items, and levels of experience. The outcome of the final showdown between Strahd and the characters determines how the adventure ends. STRAHD PREVAILS Once he is done toying with the characters, Strahd sets out to defeat them utterly, having concluded that none of them is worthy to replace him as the lord of Barovia. He won't be satisfied until all the characters are dead or turned into his vampire spawn consorts. If Strahd prevails, he seals the characters in the catacombs (chapter 4, area K84, crypt 23) and instructs his servants to hide all their magic items. With the characters out of the way, Strahd shifts his attention back to making Ireena Kolyana his bride. If she is still alive and within his grasp, Ireena is turned into a vampire spawn and sealed in her crypt beneath Castle Ravenloft. STRAHD DIES When Strahd is reduced to O hit points, he turns to mist and retreats to his coffin (see the Misty Escape feature in the vampire stat block). The vampire must be in his resting place to be utterly destroyed. If the characters finish off Strahd in his coffin, read: Strahd can't hide his surprise as death takes him into the black abyss. Surprise turns to rage, and the Pillarstone of Ravenloft trembles with fury, shaking dust from the ceiling of the vampire's tomb. The shudders abate as Strahd's burning hatred melts away, replaced at last with relief. The dark orbs of his eyes wither and sink into his skull as his corpse deteriorates before you. In.a matter of moments, only bones, dust, and noble garb remain. Strahd von Zarovich, the dark lord of Barovia, is dead and gone. RAHADIN'S REVENGE If Strahd dies but Rahadin yet lives, the dusk elf chamberlain appears moments.after Strahd's demise. When that occurs, read: "Master!" says a voice from behind you. An elf with dusky brown skin and long black hair, his face a mask of terror, looks on what you have wrought and screams. Rahadin has served Strahd's family for hundreds of years and doesn't take his master's defeat well. The dusk elf chamberlain draws his scimitar and tries to avenge Strahd. Grief-stricken, he can't be reasoned with. SERGEI AND lREENA This optional scene can be used after Strahd has been defeated. It assumes that Ireena Kolyana survived the adventure and hasn't yet been reunited with Sergei. On the morning after Strahd's demise, the characters feel drawn to Castle Ravenloft's overlook (area K6), and there they witness the following scene. Thick clouds fill the sky. Through the chilly morning mists, the land of Barovia is visible far below. There is peacefulness here. Rest has come to the valley for the first time anyone can remember. A light flashes behind you. Wheeling around, you see a stately man-a being of flesh and blood-in shining armor and a flapping cape. His countenance shows great strength of will, yet the forcefulness of his presence is tempered by his calm, sad eyes. His features are those of Strahd, yet subtly different. His voice is calm and peaceful. "My name is Sergei von Zarovich." He turns to lreena. "Tatyana, the time is at hand to rest. Come, my love and wife." He stretches forth his hand. lreena Kolyana's questioning eyes suddenly open with recognition and knowledge. Forgotten memories rush back to her. "Sergei!" she cries, springing to him with the grace of a doe. They embrace. lreena turns to you and says, "I am lreena Kolyana, but in my past I was Sergei's beloved Tatyana. Through these many centuries we have played out the tragedy of our lives. Now, with our deepest gratitude to you, that tragedy is over. It is time for joy to begin again." Shimmering light surrounds lreena and Sergei. Hand in hand, they walk east toward the edge of the overlook. Their feet do not touch the ground as they tread a path beyond this mortal world. Their invisible road takes them beyond the eastern precipice, their glow illuminating and thinning the clouds above Barovia. The clouds suddenly break open, letting shafts of glorious sunlight flood through. In the valley below, the strange fog dissolves. Barovia is free once more. EPILOGUE
ESCAPE FROM BAROVIA Strahd's death grants Barovia a reprieve. The fog that surrounds the land thins, and it no longer harms those who pass through it. The dark clouds that have loomed over the valley for centuries give way to sunshine, shocking the Barovians out of their despair. The Barovians take the sunlight as a sign that the evil in their land has been purged. Though escape is now possible, most Barovians realize that they have nowhere to go and no reason to leave. A few depart, fearing the return of the darkness or longing to see their ancestral homelands. Those who have souls can leave the valley, while those without souls fade into nothingness as they take their first steps beyond the edge of Strahd's former domain. AFTERMATH The bats, wolves, and dire wolves of Barovia lose their supernatural link to Strahd upon his destruction and become ordinary beasts, destined to be hunted down or driven to the farthest reaches of the Svalich Woods. Even after Strahd's death, Castle Ravenloft remains a haunted place shunned by all Barovians. Its dark immensity and threatening countenance are enough to deter locals from plundering or reoccupying it. THE RISE OF lSMARK If he survives the adventure, Ismark Kolyanovich becomes burgomaster of the village of Barovia. He is grateful to the characters for all they have accomplished and urges them to stay in Barovia and help him rid the land of its other threats, offering his village as a safe haven. VISTANI EXODUS Fearing that the Barovians might kill them for being spies and collaborators, the Vistani pack up their wagons and leave the valley with great haste. The Barovians are happy to see them go. VAMPIRE HUNTERS If he is still alive, Rudolph van Richten (see "Rictavio" in appendix D) leaves Barovia to live out his remaining days in solitude. His protege, Ezmerelda d'Avenir (see appendix D), isn't convinced that Strahd is truly dead. She also knows that there are other evils in Barovia to be conquered, so she elects to remain in the valley. CONSORTS UNLEASHED Upon his death, Strahd's vampire spawn are freed from his control, and each seeks a new destiny. Escher, in particular, leaves the realm, in search of new experiences and a way to become a vampire lord himself. If Patrina Velikovna lives, she begins to plunder arcane knowledge from Castle Ravenloft and the Amber Temple and prepares to become Barovia's new master. STRAHD's RETURN Ezmerelda's suspicion proves justified. Strahd's destruction is temporary, for his curse can't so easily be ended. The ancient Dark Powers with which Strahd forged his pact cause the vampire to re-form after a period of months-long enough for the Barovians to discover what it feels like to live a life of hope. When Strahd is reborn, the mists surround the land ofBarovia once more, and the Barovians' hope turns to horrible despair. Strahd remembers the defeat dealt to him and begins plotting his revenge. After the mists reappear, Madam Eva and her Vistani come back to the valley, the beasts of the land once more fall under Strahd's spell, and the burgomasters fortify their settlements, hoping against all hope that someone can save them from Strahd again.
APPENDIX A: CHARACTER OPTIONS CHARACTER BACKGROUND During character creation, players can select the following background for their characters, with your approval. It is appropriate for any character or campaign associated with eeriness or horror. HAUNTED ONE You are haunted by something so terrible that you dare not speak of it. You've tried to bury it and run away from it, to no avail. Whatever this thing is that haunts you can't be slain with a sword or banished with a spell. It might come to you as a shadow on the wall, a bloodcurdling nightmare, a memory that refuses to die, or a demonic whisper in the dark. The burden has taken its toll, isolating you from most people and making you question your sanity. You must find a way to overcome it before it destroys you. Skill Proficiencies: Choose one of Arcana, Investigation, Religion, or Survival Languages: Choose one exotic language (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon) Equipment: Monster hunter's pack (see sidebar), one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Gothic Trinkets table in this appendix) HARROWING EVENT dlO Event A monster that slaughtered dozens of innocent people spared your life, and you don't know why. 2 You were born under a dark star. You can feel it watching you, coldly and distantly. Sometimes it beckons you in the dead of night. 3 An apparition that has haunted your family for generations now haunts you. You don't know what it wants, and it won't leave you alone. 4 Your family has a history of practicing the dark arts. You dabbled once and felt something horrible clutch at your soul, whereupon you fled in terror. 5 An oni took your sibling one cold, dark night, and you were unable to stop it. 6 You were cursed with lycanthropy and later cured. You are now haunted by the innocents you slaughtered. 7 A hag kidnapped and raised you. You escaped, but the hag still has a magical hold over you and fills your mind with evil thoughts. 8 You opened an eldritch tome and saw things unfit for a sane mind. You burned the book, but its words and images are burned into your psyche. 9 A fiend possessed you as a child. You were locked away but escaped. The fiend is still inside you, but now you try to keep it locked away. 10 You did terrible things to avenge the murder of someone you loved. You became a monster, and it haunts your waking �reams. --� '·, /-.. 1 MONSTER HUNTER'S PACK You can buy a monster hunter's pack for 33 gp, which is cheaper than buying the items in it individually. It includes a chest, a crowbar, a hammer, three wooden stakes, a holy symbol, a flask of holy water, a set of manacles, a steel mirror, a flask of oil, a tinderbox, and 3 torches. FEATURE: HEART OF DARKNESS Those who look into your eyes can see that you have faced unimaginable horror and that you are no stranger to darkness. Though they might fear you, commoners will extend you every courtesy and do their utmost to help you. Unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them, they will even take up arms to fight alongside you, should you find yourself facing an enemy alone. HARROWING EVENT Prior to becoming an adventurer, your path in life was defined by one dark moment, one fateful decision, or one tragedy. Now you feel a darkness threatening to consume you, and you fear there may be no hope of escape. Choose a harrowing event that haunts you, or roll one on the Harrowing Events table. SUGGESTED CHARACTERISTICS You have learned to live with the terror that haunts you. You are a survivor, who can be very protective of those who bring light into your darkened life. PERSONALITY TRAITS d8 Personality Trait I don't run from evil. Evil runs from me. 2 I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. 3 I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. 4 I live for the thrill of the hunt. 5 I don't talk about the thing that torments me. I'd rather not burden others with my curse. 6 I expect danger around every corner. 7 I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimized. 8 I put no trust in divine beings. IDEALS d6 Ideal I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) 2 I'll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any) 3 I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good) . 4 I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic) 5 I like to know my enemy's capabilities and weaknesses before rushing into battle. (Lawful) · 6 I'm a monster that destroys other mo_r:isters, and anything else that gets. in my way .. (E _ vif) '/ APPEND TX A I CHARACTER OPTIONS
2IO BONDS d6 Bond I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy. 2 I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent. 3 My torment drove away the person I love. I strive to win back the love I've lost. 4 A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. 5 There's evil in me, I can feel it. It must never be set free. 6 I have a child to protect. I must make the world a safer place for him (or her). FLAWS d6 Flaw I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them. 2 I assume the worst in people. 3 I feel no compassion for the dead. They're the lucky ones. 4 I have an addiction. 5 I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope. 6 I talk to spirits that no one else can see. GOTHIC TRINKETS When rolling for a trinket, consider using this table, which is designed for a gothic game. TRINKETS dlOO Trinket 01-02 A picture you drew as a child of your imaginary friend 03-04 A lock that opens when blood is dripped in its keyhole 05-06 Clothes stolen from a scarecrow 07-08 A spinning top carved with four faces: happy, sad, wrathful, and dead 09-10 The necklace of a sibling who died on the day you were born 11-12 A wig from someone executed by beheading 13-14 The unopened letter to you from your dying father 15-16 A pocket watch that runs backward for· an hour every midnight 17-18 A winter coat stolen from a dying soldier 19-20 A bottle of invisibl� ink ·thatcan; only be-read ·at sunset 21-22 A wineskin that refills when interred with a dead person for a night 23-24 A set of silverware used by a king for his last meal 25-26 A spyglass that always shows the world suffering a terrible storm 27-28 A cameo with the profile's face scratched away APPENDIX A I CHARACTER OPTIONS dlOO Trinket 29-30 A lantern with a black candle that never runs out and that burns with green flame 31-32 A teacup from a child's tea set, stained with blood 33-34 A little black book that records your dreams, and yours alone, when you sleep 35-36 A necklace formed of the interlinked holy symbols of a dozen deities 37-38 A hangman's noose that feels heavier than it should 39-40 A birdcage into which small birds fly but once inside never eat or leave 41-42 A lepidopterist's box filled dead moths with skulllike patterns on their wings 43-44 A jar of pickled ghouls' tongues 45-46 The wooden hand of a notorious pirate 47-48 A urn with the ashes of a dead relative 49-50 A hand mirror backed with a bronze depiction of a medusa 51-52 Pallid leather gloves crafted with ivory fingernails 53-54 Dice made from the knuckles of a notorious charlatan 55-56 A ring of keys for forgotten locks 57-58 Nails from the coffin of a murderer 59-60 A key to the family crypt 61-62 An bouquet of funerary flowers that always looks and smells fresh 63-64 A switch used to discipline you as a child 65-66 A music box that plays by itself whenever someone holding it dances 67-68 A walking cane with an iron ferule that strikes sparks on stone 69-70 A flag from a ship lost at sea 71-72 Porcelain doll's head that always seems to be looking at you 73-74 A wolf's head wrought in silver that is also a whistle. 75-76 A small mirror that shows a much older version of the viewer 77-78 Small, worn book of children's nursery rhymes. 79-80 A mummified raven claw 81-82 A broken pendent of a silver dragon that's always cold to the touch 83-84 A small locked box that quietly hums a lovely melody at night but you always forget it in the morning 85-86 An inkwell that makes one a little nauseous when staring at it 87-88 An old little doll made from a dark, dense·wood and missing a hand and a foot_ 89-90 A black executioner's hood 91-92 A pouch made offlesh, with a sinew drawstring 93-94 A tiny spool of black thread that never runs out 95-96 A tiny clockwork figur!(le ·of a-dancer _ that's missing a gear and doesn't work' . - 97-98 A black wooden pipe that creates puffs of smoke that look like skulls 99-00 A vial of perfume, the scent of which only certain Creatures can detect .-.(· -�. �;_( :'·;
APPENDIX B: DEATH HOUSE You can run Curse of Strahd for 1st-level characters with the help of this optional mini-adventure, which is designed to advance characters to 3rd level. Players creating 1st-level characters can use the haunted one character background in appendix A, or they can pick backgrounds from the Player's Handbook as normal. Before the characters can explore the haunted townhouse known as Death House, you need to guide them to the village of Barovia. The "Creeping Fog" adventure hook in chapter 1 works best, as it introduces few distractions. Once the characters arrive in Strahd's domain, steer them to the village. For the duration of this introductory adventure, any attempt by the characters to explore other locations in Strahd's domain causes the mists of Raven loft to block their path. LEVEL ADVANCEMENT In this mini-adventure, the characters gain levels by accomplishing specific goals, rather than by slaying monsters. These milestones are as follows: • Characters who gain access to the secret stairs in the attic (area 21) advance to 2nd level. The stairs appear only under certain circ*mstances. Characters advance to 3rd level once they escape from the house (see the "Endings" section). HISTORY Death House is the name given to an old row house in the village of Barovia (area E7 on the village map). The house has been burned to the ground many times, only to rise from the ashes time and again-by its own will or that of Strahd. Locals give the building a wide berth for fear of antagonizing the evil spirits believed to haunt it. The wealthy family that built the house practiced the dark arts. Through seduction and indoctrination, they expanded their cult to include a small yet nefarious circle of friends. When word got out, the rest of the village turned a blind eye to the house and the nightly debaucheries happening within it. The cult tried to summon malevolent extraplanar entities with no success. The cultists also preyed on visitors, sacrificed them in bizarre rituals, and hosted morbid banquets to feast on their corpses. When nothing came of these ritualized murders, the cultists' activities became thinly disguised excuses to indulge their lurid fantasies. The ranks of the cult thinned as members began to lose interest in the debacle. Then Strahd von Zarovich arrived. The cultists regarded Strahd as a messiah sent to them by the Dark Powers. Drawn to Strahd like moths to a flame, they pledged their devotion for a promise of immortality, but Strahd turned them away, deeming the cult and its leaders unworthy of his attention. The cultists withdrew to Death House in despair. The cult's habit of trapping and devouring wayward visitors proved to be its downfall. On one occasion, the cult snared a band of adventurers whom Strahd had lured to his domain to be his playthings. A black car- --'f,,,,_. / -� / •\I riage arrived at Death House soon thereafter, and from out of its black heart stepped the vampire himself. The cultists tried to impress Strahd. In response, he slaughtered them for slaying his playthings. Centuries later, the cultists' spirits haunt the dungeons under the house. The building itself, it seems, is unwilling to let the cult be forgotten. ROSE AND THORN The characters are pulled into Strahd's domain by the mists of Raven loft. Forced to follow a lonely road (area A), they eventually arrive at the village of Barovia (area E). Once they reach the village, read: The gravel road leads to a village, its tall houses dark as tombstones. Nestled among these solemn dwellings are a handful of closed-up shops. Even the tavern is shut tight. A soft whimpering draws your eye toward a pair of children standing in the middle of an otherwise lifeless street. The children are ten-year-old Rosavalda ("Rose") and her seven-year-old brother, Thornboldt ("Thorn"). Thorn is weeping and clutching a stuffed doll. Rose is trying to hush the boy. If the characters approach the children or call out to them, add the following: After shushing the boy, the girl turns to you and says, "There's a monster in our house!" She then points to a tall brick row house that has seen better days. Its windows are dark. It has a gated portico on the ground floor, and the rusty gate is slightly ajar. The houses on either side are abandoned, their windows and doors boarded up. Characters who question the children learn the following information: The children don't know what the "monster" looks like, but they've heard its terrible howls. Their parents (Gustav and Elisabeth Durst) keep the monster trapped in the basem*nt. There's a baby (Walter) in the third-floor nursery. (Untrue, but the children believe it.) Rose and Thorn say that they won't go back in the house until they know the monster is gone. They can be convinced to wait in the portico (area IA) while the characters search the house. Although they appear to be flesh-and-blood children, Rose and Thorn are actually illusions created by the house to lure the characters inside. The children don't know that they're illusions but vanish if attacked or forced into the house. APPENDIX B I DEATH HOUSE t J 2Tr ---=:;:----P� ,, �-'-=."". � .. -(I';/ . \/' '\ . P-- - =:;::
212 7 The children died of starvation centuries ago after their insane parents locked them in the attic and forgot about them. They were too young and innocent to understand that their parents were guilty of heinous crimes. Their parents told them stories about a monster in the basem*nt to keep the children from going down to the dungeon level. The "terrible howls" they heard were actually the screams of the cult's victims. THORNBOLOT ' 0 THORN" DURST THE MISTS Characters who remain outside the house can see the mists close in around them, swallowing up the rest of the village. As more buildings disappear into the mists, the characters are left with little choice but to seek refuge in the house. The mists stop short of entering the house but engulf anyone outside (see chapter 2, "The Lands of Barovia," for information on the mists' effect). AREAS OF THE HOUSE The following areas correspond to labels on the map of the house on page 216. 1. ENTRANCE I ,• l A wrought-iron gate with hinges on one side and a lock on the other fills the archway of a stone portico (area lA). The gate is unlocked, and its rusty hinges shriek when the gate is opened. Oil lamps hang from the portico ceiling by chains, flanking a set of oaken doors that open into a grand foyer (area lB). Hanging on the south wall of the foyer is a shield emblazoned with a coat-of arms (a stylized golden t APPENDIX B I DE�HOU�E %{,.,J(--- s;:,,, •/-;;- DEATH HOUSE'S FEATURES Death House is aware of its surroundings and all creatures within it. Its goal is to continue the work of the cult by luring visitors to their doom. Various important features of the house are summarized here. The house has four stories (including the attic), with two balconies on the third floor-one facing the front of the house, the other facing the back. The house has wooden floors throughout, and all windows have hinges that allow them to swing outward. The rooms on the first and second floors are free of dust and signs of age. The floorboards and wall panels are well oiled, the drapes and wallpaper haven't faded, and the furniture looks new. No effort has been made to preserve the contents of the third floor or the attic. These areas are dusty and drafty, everything within them is old and draped in cobwebs, and the floorboards groan underfoot. Ceilings vary in height by floor. The first floor has 10-foot-high ceilings, the second floor has 12-foot-high ceilings, the third floor has 8-foot-high ceilings, and the attic has 13-foot-high ceilings. None of the rooms in the house are lit when the characters arrive, although most areas contain working oil lamps or fireplaces. Characters can burn the house to the ground if they want, but any destruction to the house is temporary. After ldlO days, the house begins to repair itself. Ashes sweep together to form blackened timbers, which then turn back into a sturdy wooden frame around which walls begin to materialize. Destroyed furnishings are likewise repaired. It takes 2d6 hours for the house to complete its resurrection. Items taken from the house aren't replaced, nor are undead that are destroyed. The dungeon level isn't considered part of the house and can't repair itself in this fashion. windmill on a red field), flanked by framed portraits of stony-faced aristocrats (Jong-dead members of the Durst family). Mahogany-framed double doors leading from the foyer to the main hall (area 2A) are set with panes of stained glass. 2. MAIN HALL A wide hall (area 2A) runs the width of the house, with a black marble fireplace at one end and a sweeping, red marble staircase at the other. Mounted on the wall above the fireplace is a longsword (nonmagical) with a windmill cameo worked into the hilt. The wood-paneled walls are ornately sculpted with images of vines, flowers, nymphs, and satyrs. Characters who search the walls for secret doors or otherwise inspect the paneling can, with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, see serpents and skulls inconspicuously woven into the wall designs. The decorative paneling follows the staircase as it circles upward to the second floor. A cloakroom (area 2B) has several black cloaks hanging from hooks on the walls. A top hat sits on a high shelf. 3. DEN OF WOLVES This oak-paneled room looks like a hunter's den. Mounted above the fireplace is a stag's head, and positioned around the outskirts of the room are three stuffed wolves.
Two padded chairs draped in animal furs face the hearth, with an oak table between them supporting a cask of wine, two carved wooden goblets, a pipe rack, and a candelabrum. A chandelier hangs above a cloth-covered table surrounded by four chairs. Two cabinets stand against the walls. The east cabinet sports a lock that can be picked with thieves' tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. It holds a heavy crossbow, a light crossbow, a hand crossbow, and 20 bolts for each weapon. The north cabinet is unlocked and holds a small box containing a deck of playing cards and an assortment of wine glasses. TRAPDOOR A trapdoor is hidden in the southwest corner of the Aoor. It can't be detected or opened until the characters approach it from the underside (see area 32). Until then, Death House supernaturally hides the trapdoor. 4. KITCHEN AND PANTRY The kitchen (area 4 A) is tidy, with dishware, cookware, and utensils neatly placed on shelves. A worktable has a cutting board and rolling pin atop it. A stone, domeshaped oven stands near the east wall, its bent iron stovepipe connecting to a hole in the ceiling. Behind the stove and to the left is a thin door leading to a wellstocked pantry (area 4B). All the food in the pantry appears fresh but tastes bland. DUMBWAITER Behind a small door in the southwest corner of the kitchen is a dumbwaiter-a 2-foot-wide stone shaft containing a wooden elevator box attached to a simple ropeand-pulley mechanism that must be operated manually. The shaft connects to areas 7A (the servants' quarters) and 12A (the master bedroom). Hanging on the wall next to the dumbwaiter is a tiny brass bell attached by wires to buttons in those other areas. A Small character can squeeze into the elevator box with a successful DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The dumbwaiter's rope-and-pulley mechanism can support 200 pounds of weight before breaking. 5. DINING ROOM The centerpiece of this wood-paneled dining room is a carved mahogany table surrounded by eight highbacked chairs with sculpted armrests and cushioned seats. A crystal chandelier hangs above the table, which is covered with resplendent silverware and crystalware polished to a dazzling shine. Mounted above the marble fireplace is a mahogany-framed painting of an alpine vale. The wall paneling is carved with elegant images of deer among the trees. Characters who search the walls for secret doors or otherwise inspect the paneling can, with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, see twisted faces carved into the tree trunks and wolves lurking amid the carved foliage. Red silk drapes cover the windows, and a tapestry depicting hunting dogs and horse-mounted aristocrats chasing after a wolf hangs from an iron rod bolted to the south wall. ---- :; ........... --;; � -··· �:,,. /.� \ 1 · The silverware tarnishes, the crystal cracks, the portrait fades, and the tapestry rots if removed from the house. 6. UPPER HALL Unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls of this elegant hall. Hanging above the mantelpiece is a wood-framed portrait of the Durst family: Gustav and Elisabeth Durst with their two smiling children, Rose and Thorn. Cradled in the father's arms is a swaddled baby, which the mother regards with a hint of scorn. Standing suits of armor Aank wooden doors in the east and west walls. Each suit of armor clutches a spear and has a visored helm shaped like a wolf's head. The doors are carved with dancing youths, although close inspection and a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check reveals that the youths aren't really dancing but fighting off swarms of bats. The red marble staircase that started on the first floor continues its upward spiral to area 11. A cold draft can be felt coming down the steps. 7. SERVANTS' ROOM An undecorated bedroom (area 7A) contains a pair of beds with straw-stuffed mattresses. At the foot of each bed is an empty footlocker. Tidy servants' uniforms hang from hooks in the adjoining closet (area 7B). DUMBWAITER A dumbwaiter in the corner of the west wall has a button on the wall next to it. Pressing the button rings the tiny bell in area 4A. 8. LIBRARY The master of the house used to spend many hours here before his descent into madness. Red velvet drapes cover the windows of this room. An exquisite mahogany desk and a matching high-back chair face the entrance and the fireplace, above which hangs a framed picture of a windmill perched atop a rocky crag. Situated in corners of the room are two overstuffed chairs. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves line the south wall. A rolling wooden ladder allows one to more easily reach the high shelves. The desk has several items resting atop it: an oil lamp, a jar of ink, a quill pen, a tinderbox, and a letter kit containing a red wax candle, four blank sheets of parchment, and a wooden seal bearing the Durst family's insignia (a windmill). The desk drawer is empty except for an iron key, which unlocks the door to area 20. The bookshelves hold hundreds of tomes covering a range of topics including history, warfare, and alchemy. There are also several shelves containing first-edition collected works of poetry and fiction. The books rot and fall apart if taken from the house. APPENDIX BI DEATH HOUSE __ .,. _______ - - ! 213
SECRET DOOR A secret door behind one bookshelf can be unlocked and swung open by pulling on a switch disguised to look like a red-covered book with a blank spine. A character inspecting the bookshelf spots the fake book with a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check. Unless the secret door is propped open, springs in the hinges cause it to close on its own. Beyond the secret door lies area 9. 9. SECRET ROOM This secret room contains bookshelves packed with tomes describing fiend-summoning rituals and the necromantic rituals of a cult called the Priests of Osybus. The rituals are bogus, which any character can ascertain after studying the books for 1 hour and succeeding on a DC 12 Intelligence (Arcana) check. A heavy wooden chest with clawed iron feet stands against the south wall, its lid half-closed. Sticking out of the chest is a skeleton in leather armor. Close inspection reveals that the skeleton belongs to a human who triggered a poisoned dart trap. Three darts are stuck in the dead adventurer's armor and ribcage. The dart-firing mechanism inside the chest no longer functions. Clutched in the skeleton's left hand is a letter bearing the seal of Strahd von Zarovich, which the adventurer tried to remove from the chest. Written in flowing script, the letter reads as follows: My most pathetic servant, I am not a messiah sent to you by the Dark Powers of this land. I have not come to lead you on a path to immortality. However many souls you have bled on your hidden altar, however many visitors you have tortured in your dungeon, know that you are not the ones who brought me to this beautiful land. You are but worms writhing in my earth. You say that you are cursed, your fortunes spent. You abandoned love for madness, took solace in the bosom of another woman, and sired a stillborn son. Cursed by darkness? Of that I have no doubt. Save you from your wretchedness? I think not. I much prefer you as you are. TREASURE Your dread lord and master, Strahd van Zarovich The chest contains three blank books with black leather covers (worth 25 gp each), three spell scrolls (bless, protection from poison, and spiritual weapon), the deed to the house, the deed to a windmill, and a signed will. The windmill referred to in the second deed is situated in the mountains east of Vallakie(see chapter 6, "Old Bonegrinder"). The will is signed by Gustav and Elisabeth Durst and bequeathes the house, the windmill, and all other family property to Rosavalda and Thornboldt Durst in the event of their parents' deaths. The books, scrolls, deeds, and will age markedly if taken from the house but remain intact. 10. CONSERVATORY Gossamer drapes cover the windows of this elegantly appointed hall, which has a brass-plated chandelier APPENDIX B I DEATH HOUSE ---;-,?--"" . -;-� -< • .,_I/. ·� .. � ' I \l/ \ / I, J_ �-' ' - --- --- hanging from the ceiling. Upholstered chairs line the walls, and stained-glass wall hangings depict beautiful men, women, and children singing and playing instruments. A harpsichord with a bench rests in the northwest corner. Near the fireplace is a large standing harp. Alabaster figurines of well-dressed dancers adorn the mantelpiece. Close inspection of them reveals that several are carvings of well-dressed skeletons. 11. BALCONY Characters who climb the red marble staircase to its full height come to a dusty balcony with a suit of black plate armor standing against one wall, draped in cobwebs. This suit of animated armor attacks as soon as it takes damage or a character approaches within 5 feet of it. It fights until destroyed. Oil lamps are mounted on the oak-paneled walls, which are carved with woodland scenes of trees, falling leaves, and tiny critters. Characters who search the walls for secret doors or otherwise inspect the paneling can, with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, notice tiny corpses hanging from the trees and worms bursting up from the ground. SECRET DOOR A secret door in the west wall can be found with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. It pushes open easily to reveal a cobweb-filled wooden staircase leading up to the attic. 12. MASTER SUITE The double doors to this room have dusty panes of stained glass set into them. Designs in the glass resemble windmills. The dusty, cobweb-filled master bedroom (area 12A) has burgundy drapes covering the windows. Furnishings include a four-poster bed with embroidered curtains and tattered gossamer veils, a matching pair of empty wardrobes, a vanity with a wood-framed mirror and jewelry box (see "Treasure"), and a padded chair. A rotting tiger-skin rug lies on the floor in front of the fireplace, which has a dust-covered portrait of Gustav and Elisabeth Durst hanging above it. A web-filled parlor in the southwest corner contains a table and two chairs. Resting on the dusty tablecloth is an empty porcelain bowl and a matching jug, A door facing the foot of the bed has a full-length mirror mounted on it. The door opens to reveal an empty, dust-choked closet (area 12B). A door in the parlor leads to an outside balcony (area 12C). DUMBWAITER A dumbwaiter in the corner of the west wall has a button on the wall next to it. Pressing the button rings the tiny bell in area 4A. TREASURE The jewelry box on the vanity is made of silver with gold filigree (worth 75 gp). It contains three gold rings (worth 25 gp each) and a thin platinum necklace with a topaz pendant (worth 750 gp). --.:-:_:-..... /. --'l �· \(
13. BATHROOM This dark room contains a wooden tub with clawed feet, a small iron stove with a kettle resting atop it, and a barrel under a spigot in the east wall. A cistern on the roof used to collect rainwater, which was borne down a pipe to the spigot; however, the plumbing no longer works. 14. STORAGE ROOM Dusty shelves line the walls of this room. A few of the shelves have folded sheets, blankets, and old bars of soap on them. A cobweb-covered broom of animated attack (see appendix D) leans against the far wall; it attacks any creature approaching within 5 feet of it. 15. NURSEMAID'S SUITE Dust and cobwebs shroud an elegantly appointed bedroom (area 15A) and an adjoining nursery (area 15B). Double doors set with panes of stained glass pull open to reveal a balcony (area 15C) overlooking the front of the house. The bedroom once belonged to the family's nursemaid. The master of the house and the nursemaid had an affair, which led to the birth of a stillborn baby named Walter. The cult slew the nursemaid shortly thereafter. Unless the characters already defeated it in area 18, the nursemaid's spirit haunts the bedroom as a specter. The specter manifests and attacks when a character opens the door to the nursery. The specter resembles a terrified, skeletally thin young woman; it can't speak or be reasoned with. The bedroom contains a large bed, two end tables, and an empty wardrobe. Mounted on the wall next to the wardrobe is a full-length mirror with an ornate wooden frame carved to look like ivy and berries. Characters who search the wall for secret doors or otherwise inspect the mirror can, with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check, notice eyeballs among the berries. The wall behind the mirror has a secret door in it (see "Secret Door" below). The nursery contains a crib covered with a hanging black shroud. When characters part the shroud, they see a tightly wrapped, baby-sized bundle lying in the crib. Characters who unwrap the blanket find nothing inside it. SECRET DOOR A secret door behind the mirror can be found with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check. It pushes open easily to reveal a cobweb-filled wooden staircase leading up to the attic. 16. ATTIC HALL This bare hall is choked with dust and cobwebs. LOCKED DOOR The door to area 20 is held shut with a padlock. Its key is kept in the library (area 8), but the lock can also be picked with thieves' tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. ----- S-::-. • ,,,,,.. .. \/ 17. SPARE BEDROOM This dust-choked room contains a slender bed, a nightstand, a small iron stove, a writing desk with a stool, an empty wardrobe, and a rocking chair. A smiling doll in a lacy yellow dress sits in the northern window box, cobwebs draping it like a wedding veil. 18. STORAGE ROOM This dusty chamber is packed with old furniture (chairs, coat racks, standing mirrors, dress mannequins, and the like), all draped in dusty white sheets. Near an iron stove, underneath one of the sheets, is an unlocked wooden trunk containing the skeletal remains of the family's nursemaid, wrapped in a tattered bedsheet stained with dry blood. A character inspecting the remains and succeeding on a DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check can verify that the woman was stabbed to death by multiple knife wounds. If the characters disturb the remains, the nursemaid's specter appears and attacks unless it was previously defeated in area 15. SECRET DOOR A secret door in the east wall appears only when certain conditions are met; see area 21 for more information. 19. SPARE BEDROOM This web-filled room contains a slender bed, a nightstand, a rocking chair, an empty wardrobe, and a small iron stove. 20. CHILDREN'S ROOM The door to this room is locked from the outside (see area 16 for details). This room contains a bricked-up window flanked by two dusty, wood-framed beds sized for children. Closer to the door is a toy chest with windmills painted on its sides and a dollhouse that's a perfect replica of the dreary edifice in which you stand. These furnishings are draped in cobwebs. Lying in the middle of the floor are two small skeletons wearing tattered but familiar clothing. The smaller of the two cradles a stuffed doll that you also recognize. The Durst children, Rose and Thorn, were neglected by their parents and locked in this room until they starved to death. Their small skeletons lie in the middle of the floor, plain as day, wearing tattered clothing that the characters recognize as belonging to the children. Thorn's skeleton cradles the boy's stuffed doll. The toy chest contains an assortment of stuffed animals and toys. Characters who search the dollhouse and succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check find all of the house's secret doors, including one in the attic that leads to a spiral staircase (a miniature replica of area 21). APPENDIX B I DEATH HOUSE ---·--------;
216 t APPENDIX B I DEATH HOUSE �-��� ... T .r�--� . /,,.� - I \I/ ·, 1 -- _"' __ (_ -� ·" \.
ROSE AND THORN If either the dollhouse or the chest is disturbed, the ghosts of Rose and Thorn appear in the middle of the room. Use the ghost statistics in the Monster Manual, with the following modifications: , The ghosts are Small and lawful good. They have 35 (10d6) hit points each. They lack the Horrifying Visage action. They speak Common and have a challenge rating of 3 (700 XP). The children don't like it when the characters disturb their toys, but they fight only in self-defense. Unlike the illusions outside the house, these children know that they're dead. If asked how they died, Rose and Thorn explain that their parents locked them in the attic to protect them from "the monster in the basem*nt," and that they died from hunger. If asked how one gets to the basem*nt, Rose points to the doll house and says, "There's a secret door in the attic." Characters who then search the dollhouse for secret doors gain advantage on their Wisdom (Perception) checks to find them. The children fear abandonment. If one or more characters try to leave, the ghost-children attempt to possess them. If one of the ghosts possesses a character, allow the player to retain control of the character, but assign the character one of the following flaws: A character possessed by Rose gains the following flaw: "I like being in charge and get angry when other people tell me what to do." A character possessed by Thorn gains the following flaw: "I'm scared of everything, including my own shadow, and weep with despair when things don't go my way." A character possessed by the ghost of Rose or Thorn won't willingly leave Death House or the dungeon below it. Both ghosts can be intimidated into leaving their hosts with a successful DC 11 Charisma ( Intimidation) check made as an action. A ghost reduced to O hit points can reform at dawn the next day. The only way to put the children's spirits to rest is to put their skeletal remains in their tombs (areas 23E and 23F). The children don't know this, however. DEVELOPMENT If the party lays the children's spirits to rest, each character gains inspiration (see "Inspiration" in chapter 4, "Personality and Background," of the Player's Handbook). 21. SECRET STAIRS A narrow spiral staircase made of creaky wood is contained within a 5-foot-wide shaft of mortared stone that starts in the attic and descends 50 feet to the dungeon level, passing through the lower levels of the house as it makes its descent. Thick cobwebs fill the shaft and reduce visibility in the staircase to 5 feet. The secret door and shaft don't exist until the house reveals them, which can happen in one of two ways: The characters !i,nd Strahd's letter in the secret room behind the library (area 9). -- �-�;·;;:,--· . '._/ -·-· ·· DUNGEON FEATURES The dungeon level underneath Death House is carved out of earth, clay, and rock. The tunnels are 4 feet wide by 7 feet high with timber braces at 5-foot intervals. Rooms are 8 feet tall and supported by thick wooden posts with crossbeams. The only exception is area 38, which has a 16-foot-high ceiling supported by stone pillars. Characters without darkvision must provide their own light sources, as the dungeon is unlit. As the characters explore the dungeon, they see centuries-old human footprints in the earthen floor leading every which way. The characters find the replica secret door in the attic of the doll house (area 20). Once the house wills the secret door into existence, characters find it automatically if they search the wall (no ability check required). Characters who descend the spiral staircase end up in area 22. 22. DUNGEON LEVEL ACCESS The wooden spiral staircase from the attic ends here. A narrow tunnel stretches southward before branching east and west. GHOSTLY CH ANTING From the moment they arrive in the dungeon, the characters can hear an eerie, incessant chant echoing throughout. It's impossible to gauge where the sound is coming from until the characters reach area 26 or 29. They can't discern its words until they reach area 35. 23. FAMILY CRYPTS Several crypts have been hewn from the earth. Each crypt is sealed with a stone slab unless noted otherwise. Removing a slab from its fitting requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check; using a crowbar or the like grants advantage on the check. 23A. EMPTY CRYPT The blank stone slab meant to seal this crypt leans against a nearby wall. The crypt is empty. 23B. WALTER'S CRYPT The stone slab meant to seal this crypt leans against a nearby wall. Etched into it is the name Walter Durst. The crypt is empty. 23C. GUSTAV'S CRYPT The stone slab is etched with the name Gustav Durst. The chamber beyond contains an empty coffin atop a stone bier. 23D. ELISABETH'S CRYPT The stone slab is etched with the name Elisabeth Durst. The crypt contains a stone bier with an empty coffin atop it. A swarm of insects (centipedes) boils out of the back wall and attacks if the coffin is disturbed. 23E. ROSE'S CRYPT The stone slab is etched with the name Rosavalda Durst. The chamber beyond contains an empty coffin on a stone bier. APPENDIX B I DEATH HOUSE --·----·
If Rose's skeletal remains (see area 20) are placed in the coffin, the child's ghost finds peace and disappears forever. A character possessed by Rose's ghost when this occurs is no longer possessed (see also the "Development" section in area 20). 23F. THORN'S CRYPT The stone slab is etched with the name Thornboldt Durst. The chamber beyond contains an empty coffin on a stone bier. If Thorn's skeletal remains (see area 20) are placed in the coffin, the child's ghost finds peace and disappears forever. A character possessed by Thorn's ghost when this occurs is no longer possessed (see also the "Development" section in area 20). 24. CULT INITIATES' UARTERS A wooden table and four chairs stand at the east end of this room. To the west are four alcoves containing moldy straw pallets. 25. WELL AND CULTIST UARTERS A 4-foot-diameter well shaft with a 3-foot-high stone lip descends 30 feet to a water-filled cistern. A wooden bucket hangs from a rope-and-pulley mechanism bolted to the crossbeams above the well. Five side rooms once served as quarters for senior cultists. Each contains a wood-framed bed with a moldy straw mattress and a wooden chest to hold personal belongings. Each chest is secured with a rusty iron padlock that can be picked with thieves' tools and a successful DC 15 Dexterity check. TREASURE In addition to some worthless personal effects, each chest contains one or more valuable items. 25A. This room's chest contains 11 gp and 60 sp in a pouch made of human skin. 25B. This room's chest contains three moss agates (worth 10 gp each) in a folded piece of black cloth. 25C. This room's chest contains a black leather eyepatch with a carnelian (worth 50 gp) sewn into it. 25D. This room's chest contains an ivory hairbrush with silver bristles (worth 25 gp). 25E. This room's chest contains a silvered shortsword (worth 110 gp). 26. HIDDEN SPIKED PIT The ghostly chanting heard throughout the dungeon gets discernibly louder as one heads west along this tunnel. A successful DC 1? Wisdom (Perception) check reveals an absence of footprints .. Charac;ters searching the floor for traps find a 5-foot0 long, 10-foot-deep pit hidden under several rotted wooden planks, all hidden under a thin layer of dirt. The pit has sharpened wooden spikes at the bottom. The first character to step on the cover falls through, landing prone and taking 3 (ld6) bludgeoning damage from the fall plus 11 (2d10) piercing damage from the spikes. 27. DINING HALL This room contains a plain wooden table flanked by long benches. Moldy humanoid bones lie strewn on the dirt floor-the remains of the cult's vile banquets. In the middle of the south wall is a darkened alcove (area 28). Characters who approach within 5 feet of the alcove provoke the creature that lurks there. 28.LARDER This alcove contains a grick that slithers out to attack the first character it sees within 5 feet of it. Any character with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score under 12 is surprised by it. The alcove is otherwise empty. 29. GHOULISH ENCOUNTER The ghostly chanting heard throughout the dungeon is noticeably louder to the north. When one or more characters reach the midpoint of the four-way tunnel intersection, four ghouls (former cultists) rise up out of the ground in the spaces marked X on the map and attack. The ghouls fight until destroyed. 30. STAIRS DOWN It's obvious to any character standing at the top of this 20-foot-long staircase that the ghostly chants originate from somewhere below. Characters who descend the stairs and follow the hall beyond arrive in area 35. 31. DARKLORD'S SHRINE This room is festooned with moldy skeletons that hang from rusty shackles against the walls. A wide alcove in the south wall contains a painted wooden statue carved in the likeness of a gaunt, pale-faced man wearing a voluminous black cloak, his pale left hand resting on the head of a wolf that stands next to him. In his right hand, he holds a smoky-gray crystal orb. The room has exits in the west and north walls. Chanting can be heard coming from the west. The statue depicts Strahd, to whom the cultists made sacrifices in the vain hope that he might reveal his darkest secrets to them. If the characters touch the statue or take the crystal orb from Strahd's hand, five shadows form around the statue and attack them. The shadows (the spirits of former cultists) pursue those who flee beyond the room's confines. The skeletons on the wall are harmless decor. CONCEALED DOOR Characters searching the ro_om for secret doors find a concealed door in the middle of the east wall with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check. It's basically an ordinary (albeit rotted) wooden door hidden under a layer of clay. The door pulls open to reveal a stone staircase that climbs 10 feet to a landing (area 32). ,,__.,. . ...,._ -��' , .. \ /'
TREASURE The crystal orb is worth 25 gp. It can be used as an arcane focus but is not magical. 32. HIDDEN TRAPDOOR The staircase ends at a landing with a 6-foot-high ceiling of close-fitting planks with a wooden trapdoor set into it. The trapdoor is bolted shut from this side and can be pushed open to reveal the den (area 3) above. DEVELOPMENT Once the trapdoor has been found and opened, it remains available to characters as a way into and out of the dungeon level. 33. CULT LEADERS' DEN The door in the southwest corner is a mimic in disguise. Any creature that touches the door becomes adhered to the creature, whereupon the mimic attacks. The mimic also attacks if its takes any damage. A chandelier is suspended above a table in the middle of the room. Two high-backed chairs flank the table, which has an empty clay jug and two clay flagons atop it. Iron candlesticks stand in two corners, their candles long since melted away. 34. CULT LEADERS' QUARTERS This room contains a large wood-framed bed with a rotted feather mattress, a wardrobe containing several old robes, a pair of iron candlesticks, and an open crate containing thirty torches and a leather sack with fifteen candles inside it. At the foot of the bed is an unlocked wooden footlocker containing some gear and magic items (see "Treasure" below). Two ghasts (Gustav and Elisabeth Durst) are hidden in cavities behind the earthen walls, marked X on the map; they burst forth and attack if someone removes one or more items from the footlocker. The ghasts wear tattered black robes. TREASURE Characters searching the footlocker find a folded cloak of protection, a small wooden coffer (unlocked) containing four potions of healing, a chain shirt, a mess kit, a flask of alchemist's fire, a bullseye lantern, a set of thieves' tools, and a spellbook with a yellow leather cover containing the following wizard spells: 1st level: disguise self, identify, mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil and good 2nd level: darkvision, hold person, invisibility, magic weapon These items were taken from adventurers who were drawn into Barovia, captured, and killed by the cult. 3 5. RELi UARY The ghostly chant emanating from area 38 fills this room. Characters can discern a dozen or so voices saying, over and over, "He is the Ancient. He is the Land." The cult amassed several "relics" that it used in its rituals. These worthless items are stored in thirteen niches along the walls: A small, mummified, yellow hand with sharp claws (a goblin's hand) on a loop of rope • A knife carved from a human bone • A dagger with a rat's skull set into the pommel An 8-inch-diameter varnished orb made from a nothic's eye An aspergillum carved from bone A folded cloak made from stitched ghoul skin A desiccated frog lashed to a stick (could be mistaken for a wand of polymorph) A bag full of bat guano A hag's severed finger A 6-inch-tall wooden figurine of a mummy, its arms crossed over its chest • An iron pendant adorned with a devil's face The shrunken, shriveled head of a halfling A small wooden coffer containing a dire wolf's withered tongue The southernmost tunnel slopes down at a 20-degree angle into murky water and ends at a rusty portcullis (area 37). 36. PRISON The cultists shackled prisoners to the back walls of alcoves here. The prisoners are long gone (their bones litter the floor in area 27), but the rusty shackles remain. SECRET DOOR A secret door in the south wall can be found with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check and pulls open to reveal area 38 beyond. TREASURE Hanging on the back wall of the cell marked X on the map is a human skeleton clad in a tattered black robe. The skeleton belongs to a cult member who questioned the cult's blind devotion to Strahd. Characters who search the skeleton find a gold ring (worth 25 gp) on one of its bony fingers. 37. PORTCULLIS This tunnel is blocked by a rusty iron portcullis that can be forcibly lifted with a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check. Otherwise, the portcullis can be raised or lowered by turning a wooden wheel half-embedded in the east wall of area 38. (The wheel is beyond the reach of someone east of the portcullis.) The floor around the portcullis is submerged under 2 feet of murky water. 38. RITUAL CHAMBER The cult used to perform rituals in this sunken room. The chanting heard throughout the dungeon originates here, yet when the characters arrive, the.dungeon falls silent �s the chanting mysteriously.stops. APPENDIX B [ DEATH HOUSE • f 219 --·-----:�::.-' I :;,,,-.="",�,-:::\ ·•
The chanting stops as you peer into this forty-foot-square room. The smooth masonry walls provide excellent acoustics. Featureless stone pillars support the ceiling, and a breach in the west wall leads to a dark cave heaped with refuse. Murky water covers most of the floor. Stairs lead up to dry stone ledges that hug the walls. In the middle of the room, more stairs rise to form an octagonal dais that also rises above the water. Rusty chains with shackles dangle from the ceiling directly above a stone altar mounted on the dais. The altar is carved with hideous depictions of grasping ghouls and is stained with dry blood. The water is 2 feet deep. The ledges and central dais are 5 feet high (3 feet higher than the water's surface), and the chamber's ceiling is 16 feet high (11 feet above the dais and ledges). The chains dangling from the ceiling are 8 feet long; the cultists would shackle prisoners to the chains, dangle them above the altar, cut them open with knives, and allow the altar to be bathed in blood. Half embedded in the east wall is a wooden wheel connected to hidden chains and mechanisms. A character can use an action to turn the wheel, raising or lowering the nearby portcullis (see area 37). The hole in the west wall leads to a naturally formed alcove. The half-submerged pile of refuse that fills it is a shambling mound, which the cultists dubbed Lorghoth the Decayer. It is asleep but awakens if attacked or if the characters summon the cultists but refuse to complete their ritual (see "One Must Die!" below). A character standing next to the mound can discern its true nature with a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check. "ONE MusT Drn!" If any character climbs to the top of the dais, read: The chanting rises once more as thirteen dark apparitions appear on the ledges overlooking the room. Each one resembles a black-robed figure holding a torch, but the torch's fire is black and seems to draw light into it. Where you'd expect to see faces are voids. "One must die!" they chant, over and over. "One must die! One must die!" The apparitions are harmless figments that can't be damaged, turned, or dispelled .. Characters on the dais when the·cl/ltists appear must sacrifice a creature on the altar or face the cult's wrath; characters can ascertain what must be done with a successful DC 11 Intelligence (Religion) or Wisdom (Insight) check. To count as a sacrifice, a creature must die on the altar. The apparitions don't care what kind of creature is sacrificed, and they aren't fooled by illusions. If the characters make the sacrifice, the cultists fade away, but their tireless chant of "He is the Ancient. He is the Land," echoes again in the dungeon. Strahd is aware APPENDIX B j DEATH HOUSE of the sacrifice, and Death House now does nothing to hinder the characters (see "Endings" below). If the characters leave the dais without making the sacrifice, the cultists' chant changes: "Lorghoth the Decayer, we awaken thee!" This chant rouses the shambling mound and prompts it to attack. It pursues prey beyond the room but won't leave the dungeon. It can move through tunnels without squeezing and completely fills its space. At the start of the shambling mound's first turn, the chant changes again: "The end comes! Death, be praised!" If the shambling mound dies, the chanting stops and the apparitions vanish forever. ENDINGS The mists of Raven loft continue to surround Death House until the characters stand atop the dais and either appease or defy the cultists. Strahd is satisfied either way, prompting the mists to recede. THE CULT Is APPEASED Death House harbors no ill will toward a party willing to sacrifice a life to appease the cult. Once the sacrifice is made, the characters are free to go. Upon emerging from the house, the characters advance to 3rd level. THE CuLT Is DENIED If the characters deny the cult its sacrifice and either destroy the shambling mound or escape from it, Death House attacks them as they try to leave. When they return upstairs, they must roll initiative as they discover several architectural changes: All the windows are bricked up; the bricked-up windows and the outer walls are impervious to the party's weapon attacks and damage-dealing spells. , All the doors are gone, replaced by slashing scytheblades. A character must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to pass through a blade-trapped doorway unscathed. A character who spends 1 minute studying the blades in a particular doorway can try to take advantage of a momentary gap in their repeating movements and make a DC 15 Intelligence check instead. Failing either check, a character takes 2dl0 slashing damage but manages to pass through the doorway. Any creature pushed through a doorway must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take the damage. The blades can't be disarmed. Every room that contains a fireplace, an oven, or a stove is filled with poisonous black smoke. The room is heavily obscured, and any creature that starts its turn in the smoke must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take ldlO poison damage. The interior walls become rotted and brittle. Each 5-foot-section has AC 5 and 5 hit points, and can also be destroyed with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. Each 5-foot section of wall that's destroyed causes a swarm of rats to pour out and attack. The swarm won't leave the house. Keep track of initiative as the characters make their way through the house. Once they escape, they advance to 3rd level, and the house does no more to harm them. ,._.._,,.,..__ -.;; ..... -
APPENDIX C: TREASURES Scattered throughout Barovia are ancient treasures that can be brought to bear against Strahd von Zarovich and his fell servants. The locations of three of them-the Tome of Strahd, the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, and the Sunsword-are determined by the results of the card reading in chapter 1. The other items can be acquired as characters discover their whereabouts during the course of the adventure. TOME OF STRAHD The Tome of Strahd is an ancient work penned by Strahd, a tragic tale of how he came to his fallen state. The book is bound in a thick leather cover with steel hinges and fastenings. The pages are of parchment and very brittle. Most of the book is written in the curious shorthand that only Strahd employs. Stains and age have made most of the work illegible, but several paragraphs remain intact and readable. If the characters acquire the Tome of Strahd and want to read these paragraphs, show the players the "From the Tome of Strahd" section in appendix F. If Strahd sees, or learns from a minion, that the tome has fallen into the party's possession, all of his other objectives (see chapter 1, "Into the Mists") are put on hold until the book is recovered. When Strahd attacks, his preferred target is whoever has the tome. MAGIC ITEMS The magic items described here, if they are found, can play significant roles in the adventure. BLOOD SPEAR Weapon (spear), uncommon (requires attunement) Kavan was a ruthless chieftain whose tribe Jived in the Balinok Mountains centuries before the arrival of Strahd von Zarovich. Although he was very much alive, Kavan had some traits _in common with vampires: he slept during the day and hunted at night, he drank the blood of his prey, and be lived underground. �n battle, BLOOD SPEAR GuLT><IAS STAFF he wielded a spear stained with blood. His was the first blood spear, a weapon that drains life from those it kills and transfers that life to its wielder, imbuing that individual with the stamina to keep fighting. When you hit with a melee attack using this magic spear and reduce the target to O hit points, you gain 2d6 temporary hit points. GULTHIAS STAFF Staff, rare (requires attunement) Made from the branch of a Gulthias tree (see the blights entry in the Monster Manual), a Gulthias staff is a spongy, black length of wood. Its evil makes beasts visibly uncomfortable while within 30 feet of it. The staff has 10 charges and regains ld6 + 4 of its expended charges daily at dusk. If the staff is broken or burned to ashes, its wood releases a terrible, inhuman scream that can be heard out to a range of 300 feet. All blights that can hear the scream immediately wither and die. Vampiric Strike. The staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff. On a hit, it deals damage as a normal quarterstaff, and you can expend 1 charge to regain a number of hit points equal to the damage dealt by the weapon. Each time a charge is spent, red blood oozes from the staff's pores, and you must _ succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be �fflicted with short,term madness (see "Madness" in chapter 8 · of the Dungeon Master's Guide). Blight Bane. While you are attuned to the staff, blights and other evil plant creatures don't regard you as hostile unless you harm them. AP:eEND!X C I TREASURES
222 liOLY SYMBOL OF R1WENKIND HOLY SYMBOL OF RAVENKIND Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a cleric or paladin of good alignment) The Holy Symbol of Raven kind is a unique holy symbol sacred to the good-hearted faithful of Barovia. It predates the establishment of any church in Barovia. According to legend, it was delivered to a paladin named Lugdana by a giant raven-or an angel in the form of a giant raven. Lugdana used the holy symbol to root out and destroy nests of vampires until her death. The high priests of Ravenloft kept and wore the holy symbol after Lugdana's passing. The holy symbol is a platinum amulet shaped like the sun, with a large crystal embedded in its center. The holy symbol has 10 charges for the following properties. It regains ld6 + 4 charges daily at dawn. Hold Vampires. As an action, you can expend 1 charge and present the holy symbol to make it flare with holy power. Vampires and vampire spawn within 30 feet of the holy symbol when it flares must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a target is paralyzed for 1 minute. It can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns to end the effect on itself. Turn Undead. If you have the-Turn Undead or the Turn the Unholy feature, you can expend 3 charges when you present the holy symbol while using that feature. When you do so, undead have disadvantage on their saving throws against the effect. Sunlight. As an action, you can expend 5 charges while presenting the holy symbol to make it shed bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30 feet. The light is sunlight and lasts for 10 minutes or until you end the effect (no action required). APPENDIX CI TREASURES ------·---�-- !CON OF RAVENLOFT Wondrous item, legendary (requires attunement by a creature of good alignment) The Icon of Raven loft is a 12-inch-tall statuette made of the purest silver, weighing 10 pounds. It depicts a cleric kneeling in supplication. The icon was given to Strahd by the archpriest Ciril Romulich, an old family friend, to consecrate the castle and its chapel. While within 30 feet of the icon, a creature is under the effect of a protection from evil and good spell against fiends and undead. Only a creature attuned to the icon can use its other properties. Augury. You can use an action to cast an augury spell from the icon, with no material components required. Once used, this property can't be used again until the next dawn. Bane of the Undead. You can use the icon as a holy symbol while using the Turn Undead or Turn the Unholy feature. If you do so, increase the save DC by 2. Cure Wounds. While holding the icon, you can take an action to heal one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. The target regains 3d8 + 3 hit points, unless it is an undead, a construct, or a fiend. Once used, this property can't be used again until the next dawn. le.ON OF RAvENLOFT SAINT MARKOVIA'S THIGHBONE Weapon (mace), rare (requires attunement) Saint Markovia's thighbone has the properties of a mace of disruption. If it scores one or more hits against a vampire or a vampire spawn in the course of a single battle, the thighbone crumbles into dust once the battle concludes. As a youth, Markovia followed her heart and became a priest of the Morninglord soon after her eighteenth birthday. She proved to be a charismatic proselytizer --
and, before the age of thirty, had gained a reputation for allowing no evil to stand before her. Markovia had long considered Strahd a mad tyrant, but only after his transformation into a vampire did she dare to challenge him. As she rallied her followers and prepared to march on Castle Ravenloft, Strahd sent a group of vampire spawn to her abbey. They confronted Markovia and were destroyed to a one. Suffused with confidence born of righteous victory, Markovia advanced on Castle Ravenloft. A great battle raged from the catacombs to the parapets. In the end, Markovia never returned to Barovia, and Strahd long afterward walked with a limp and a grimace of pain. It is said that he trapped Markovia in a crypt beneath his castle, and her remains linger there yet. The essence of Markovia's saintliness passed partly into her bones as the rest of her body decomposed. Her remaining thighbone is imbued with power that inflicts grievous injury on the undead. SAINT MARKov1A's THIGHBONE SUNSWORD Weapon (longsword), legendary (requires attunement) The Sunsword is a unique blade once possessed by Strahd's brother, Sergei von Zarovich. In its original form, it had a platinum hilt and guard, and a thin crystal blade as strong as steel. Strahd employed a powerful wizard named Khazan to destroy the weapon after Sergei's death. The first part of the process required the hilt and the blade to be separated, which Khazan accomplished. While Khazan was busying himself destroying the blade, his apprentice stole the hilt and fled. Khazan later located his apprentice's mutilated corpse in the Svalich Woods, but the hilt was nowhere to be fou.nd. To avoid the vampire's wrath, Khazan told Strahd that the entire weapon had been destroyed. ---- The hilt, which is sentient, knows that it can never be reunited with its original crystal blade. It has, however, gained the properties of a sun blade. Sentience. The Sunsword is a sentient chaotic good weapon with an Intelligence of 11, a Wisdom of 17, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and normal vision out to a range of 60 feet. The weapon communicates by transmitting emotions to the creature carrying or wielding it. Personality. The Sunsword's special purpose is to destroy Strahd, not so much because it wants to free the land of Barovia from evil but because it wants revenge for the loss of its crystal blade. The weapon secretly fears its own destruction. -·, APPENDIX C I TREASURES 223
APPENDIX D: MONSTERS AND NPCs Barovia is a land of vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. In addition, adventurers who explore this unholy realm encounter other things that go bump in the night, including creatures born out of Strahd's evil. The new monsters that appear in this adventure are described below, along with several of the vampire's allies and enemies-souls whose fates are entwined with those of the adventurers. Strahd himself appears here as well. The monsters and NPCs are presented in alphabetical order. NEW CREATURE$ BY CHALLENCE RATINC Creature CR Creature CR Baba lysaga 11 Pidlwick II 1/4 Baba Lysaga's creeping 11 Rahadin 10 hut Rictavio s Broom of animated atk. 1/4 Strahd's animated 6 Barovian witch 1/2 armor Ezmerelda d'Avenir 8 Strahd von Zarovich 15 Guardian portrait Strahd zombie lzek Strazni s Tree blight 7 Madam Eva 10 Vladimir Horngaard 7 Mongrelfolk 1/4 Wereraven 2 Phantom warrior 3 THE ABBOT No creature in Barovia is older than the master of the Abbey of Saint Markovia in Krezk. This nameless holy figure, whom others call the Abbot, was drawn to the abbey after Saint Markovia died by Strahd's hand. He sought to restore the abbey after it fell to corruption, but was himself corrupted. Angel in Disguise. The Abbot is a deva that has lived for millennia. He typically assumes the form of a strikingly handsome human priest in his late twenties or early thirties. More than a hundred years ago, the deva was sent from the Upper Planes to honor the legacy of Saint Markovia. He reopened the abbey and began tending to the physically and mentally ill. In so doing, he hoped to bring some much-needed light to Barovia. His efforts worked for a while, but then the Dark Powers began to corrupt him. Imperfections. The Abbot's fall from grace started when the Belviews-a family of sickly, inbred leperscame to the abbey seeking salvation. The deva rid them of their diseases, an act for which they were eternally grateful, but could not cure them of certain human defects that had been present since birth. The Abbot became consumed with a prideful, obsessive desire to rid the poor Belviews of their lingering imperfections. The Belview family, however, bad strange ideas of what it meant to be perfect. They didn't want to be ordinary humans. They want�d the eyes of a cat, wings to fly like a bat, the strength of.a'.mll.le, and the guile of a snake. In short, they �raved bestial tra,its, and the Abbot, taking pity on them, yiel��? to the· ir mad desires. Enter Vasili van Holtz. The Abbot's early experiments proved fatal to their subjects, but the Belviews insisted that he keep trying. One day, a Barovian lord named Vasili von Holtz visited the abbey. The Abbot knew at once that the man was evil, but von Holtz stressed that he only wanted to help. He furnished the Abbot with forbidden lore plucked from the Amber Temple {chapter 13), then helped the Abbot transform the Belviews into mongrelfolk-maniacal humans with bestial deformities and traits. The Belviews were happy, albeit insane. Only then did von Holtz reveal himself to be Strahd von Zarovich. Somehow the deva realized that any attempt to slay Strahd would be futile-that the ancient curse upon the land meant that the vampire could never truly die, at least not in Barovia. Bride ofStrahd. Strahd confided in the Abbot, lamenting his curse and telling the deva that he wished nothing more than to escape Barovia. His performance garnered the deva's sympathy, and the Abbot, playing into Strahd's hands, set for himself the goal of finding a cure for Strahd's "malady." The Abbot is now convinced that the cure lies in reuniting Strahd with his lost love and, in so doing, ending Barovia's curse. The Abbot has recently completed work on a flesh golem bride made from the body parts of dead women. While the Belviews languish in the abbey's madhouse, the Abbot is giving his creation lessons in etiquette and ladylike conduct so that "she" can be formally presented to Strahd and win his love. Strahd has no interest in a flesh golem bride, but he enjoys corrupting this once angelic being and driving the Abbot to commit further acts of depravity. Statistics. Use the deva stat block in the Monster Manual, but change the Abbot's alignment to lawful evil. THE ABBOT'S TRAITS Ideal. "I want to rid Barovia of its sickness. By giving the devil his heart's desire, I bring salvation to him and his land." Bond. "I love the creatures I create, including my beautiful golems and mongrelfolk." Flaw. "I can't be corrupted. My heart is pure, my intentions noble and good." ANIMATED OBJECTS Animated objects are crafted with potent magic to follow the commands of their creators. When not commanded, they follow the last order they received to the best of their ability, and can act independently to fulfill simp _ le instructions. Some animatep. objects might converse fluently or adopt a persona, but most are simple automatons_.. , Constructed Nature: An animated ·object doesn't requi:e c':ir, food, dfirik, 0 0f sleep>,\ ?: i : ·: • '. . : . The·inagi<;: thit animatei, ail'objec:f' is dispelled wfien .' thJ cqnstruct,(jr.ops to'·O·hit: 1>oints. ;,ui'animated object , . ·re,dti�elto'6hirpo.i�ts becom�S:_ina,riimkt,; ahd i$to�' ;:. '· damaged to.Be of.mµch us�. o'i'�a·1�i to�anyonei.: . . ,: ·- � .. . APPENDIX D [ MONSTERS AND NPCS t '\7--sv
BABA LYSAGA's CR EEPING HuT Baba Lysaga built a hut atop the rotting stump of a giant tree that was felled long ago. It was only after she embedded a magic gemstone in the hut that the whole thing was imbued with a semblance of life. When she wills it to do so, the hut pulls its gigantic roots free of the earth and shambles around like a spidery behemoth, shaking the ground with every step. The hut attacks with its flailing and stomping roots. It can also use its roots to fling large rocks. Hut Interior. The hut is a 15-foot-square, ramshackle wooden building with a gently sloping thatch roof. Its furnishings have been bolted to the floor, since the hut lurches from side to side when it walks. Heart of the Hut. The gemstone that has given life to Baba Lysaga's hut was previously buried in the Wizard of Wines vineyard. The gem was one of three imbued with life-giving magic that made the grapevines in the vineyard healthier, guaranteeing the finest wines. Baba Lysaga stole one of the gems and perverted its magic, using it instead to animate her wooden hut. Removing the gem from the hut renders the hut incapacitated. That task is easier said than done, however. The glowing green gem is contained in a cavity in the -- - - * s tSS-5# Hi EE BABA LYSAGAS CR EEPING HUT Gargantuan construct, unaligned Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 263 (17d20 + 85) Speed 30 ft. STR 26 (+8) DEX 7 (-2) CON 20 (+S) INT l (-5) Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +O, Cha +O Damage Immunities poison, psychic WIS 3 (-4) - CHA 3 (-4) Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, prone '. Senses blindsight 120 ft. (blind beyond this radius), · passive Perception 6 LanguagesChallenge 11 (7,200 XP) Antimagic Susceptibility. The hut is incapacitated while the magic gem that animates it is in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the hut must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for l minute. Siege Monster. The hut deals double damage to objects and ; structures. a stump, beneath the rotted floorboards of the hut. The floorboards can be ripped up with a successful DC 14 Strength check or smashed by dealing 10 damage to them. Once the floorboards are out of the way, a creature can reach into the cavity and snatch the gem. But if someone attempts this while the hut is alive, the cavity sprouts wooden teeth, becoming a mouth that bites anything that tries to remove the gem; a creature trying to remove the gem must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, the creature claims the stone without getting bitten. On a failed save, the creature is bitten for 10 (3d6) piercing damage and fails to obtain the gem. BROOM OF ANIMATED ATTACK A broom of animated attack is easily mistaken for a broom of flying. It attacks any creature that grabs it or tries to ride it. Flying Broom. Some brooms of animated attack allow their creators to ride them, in which case they behave like typical brooms of flying. A broom of animated attack, however, can carry only half the weight that a broom of flying can (see chapter 7, "Treasure," of the Dungeon Master's Guide). b:ri - n · -- c --Sa a,. •• S=S-4> - ±E BROOM OF ANIMATED ATTACK Small construct, unaligned Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 17 (Sd6) Speed Oft., fly 50 ft. (hover) STR 10 (+O) DEX 17 (+3) CON 10 (+O) INT l (-5) Damage Immunities poison, psychic WIS 5 (-3) CHA l (-5) Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 7 LanguagesChallenge 1/4 (SO XP) Antimagic Susceptibility. The broom is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the . broom must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for l minute. · False Appearance. While the broom remains motionless and : isn't flying, it is indistinguishable from a normal broom. 1 ACTIONS · Multiattack. The broom makes two melee attacks. 55 �ACTIONS �----=-������������������� ,. Broomstick. Melee Weapon Attack: +S to hit, reach S ft., one l target. Hit: 5 (ld4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. ; Multiattack. The hut makes three attacks with its roots. It can replace one of these attacks with a rock attack. ;;,,;, . . I { :_- ;� • ' ·1 Root. Me lee Weapon Attack:+ 12 to hit, reach 60 ft., one target. ':''·/': :;. , \·. ; Hit: 30 (4dl0 + 8) bludgeoning damage. i\?_:::�\"T,:>-t Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 120 ft., one . .;,,-t}\:.: � target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage. . �� ,,, . .f'· . . .. f - - _::= - ft - ?? .. # -< Ff ;e L .J. REACTIONS , Animated Attack. If the broom is motionless and a creature f . 1 grabs hold of it, the broom makes a Dexterity check contested , .• by the creature's Strength check. If the broom wins the contest, -·, it flies out of the creature's grasp and makes a me lee attack a& ·i against it with advantage on the attack roll. �! -
GUARDIAN PORTRAIT A guardian portrait looks like a finely rendered and beautifully framed work of art, usually depicting someone important in a realistic manner. The picture and its frame are bound with powerful magic and are inseparable. Living Image. The eyes of the figure depicted in the painting are imbued with darkvision, and they appear to follow creatures that move in front of them. Innate SpeJJs. When a guardian portrait attacks, the figure in the painting animates and moves as though alive (albeit in two dimensions). The guardian portrait has no effective melee attacks, but it has a repertoire of innate spells that it can cast. When it casts a spell, the figure painted on the canvas makes all the appropriate somatic gestures and verbal incantations for the spell. STRAHD'S ANIMATED ARMOR The armor that Strabd wore into battle when he was alive lives on today as a headless, animated suit of plate armor. The armor is painted burgundy and adorned with golden angelic motifs. Thing of Evil. Strahd imbued his automaton with a sliver of his being, bequeathing unto his armor a malevolence not found in most animated objects. He also fortified his armor and placed a number of permanent spell effects on it to make the armor a better castle defender. The armor understands Common but obeys only the commands of its master. GUARDIAN PORTRAIT Medium construct, unaligned Armor Class 5 (natural armor) Hit Points 22 (5d8) Speed O ft. STR 1 (-5) DEX 1 (-5) CON 10 (+O) Damage Immunities poison INT 14 (+2) WIS 10 (+O) CHA 10 (+O) Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Common, plus up to two other languages Challenge 1 (200 XP) Antimagic Susceptibility. The portrait is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the portrait must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or become unconscious for 1 minute. Innate Spellcasting. The portrait's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12). The portrait can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: 3/day each: counterspe/1, crown of madness, hypnotic pattern, telekinesis False Appearance. While the figure in the portrait remains motionless, the portrait is indistinguishable from a normal painting. -- 5TRAHO's ANIMATED ARMOR STRAHD'S ANIMATED ARMOR Medium construct, lawful evil Armor Class 21 (natural armor) Hit Points 112 (l 5d8 + 45) Speed 30 ft. STR 17 (+3) DEX 13 (+l) Skills Perception +3 CON 16 (+3) INT 9 (-1) Damage Resistances cold, fire Damage Immunities lightning, poison WIS 10 (+O) CHA 9 (-1) Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 13 Languages understands Common but can't speak Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Antimagic Susceptibility. The armor is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the armor must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for l minute. False Appearance. While the armor remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal suit of armor. ACTIONS Multiattack. The armor makes two melee attacks or uses Shocking Bolt twice. Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 3 (ld6) lightning damage. Shocking Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit (with advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing armor made of metal), range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) lightning damage. APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS - -· -= . ·;_-·-��/ft2:\ ������������
BABA LYSAGA Two women gave life to Strahd von Zarovich. The first was Queen Ravenovia van Roeyen, Strahd's biological mother. The second was the queen's midwife, a devout follower of Mother Night named Baba Lysaga. Although it was the former who raised Strahd and enabled him to follow in his father's footsteps, it was the latter who sensed a potential for greatness and darkness in Strahd surpassing that of any other mortal. Lysaga believed then, as she believes now, that she is Strahd's true mother. BABALYSAGA Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), chaotic evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 120 (l 6d8 + 48) Speed 30 ft. STR 18 (+4) DEX 10 (+O) Saving Throws Wis +7 CON 16 (+3} Skills Arcana +13, Religion +13 Senses passive Perception 13 INT 20 (+5) WIS 17 (+3) CHA 13 (+l) Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Giant Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) Shapechanger. Baba Lysaga can use an action to polymorph into a swarm of insects (flies), or back into her true form. While in swarm form, she has a walking speed of 5 feet and a flying speed of 30 feet. Anything she is wearing transforms with her, but nothing she is carrying does. Blessing of Mother Night. Baba Lysaga is shielded against divination magic, as though protected by a nondetection spell. Spellcasting. Baba Lysaga is a 16th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to Other Mother. When Strahd was still a baby in his crib, Baba Lysaga cast protective spells on him and crept into his nursery on stormy nights to sing magical rhymes to him. She also placed the "spark of magic" in him, ensuring that he would become a spellcaster. Baba Lysaga's unhealthy attachment to the baby Strahd did not go unnoticed. After she received several disturbing reports, Queen Ravenovia was forced to banish the midwife from the kingdom. Lysaga never saw Strahd again, but she has succeeded in staying alive to witness the triumphs of her beloved boy, who, in her mind, is eternally blessed. Despite the horrors Strahd has wrought, Lysaga still envisions him as the perfect child she delivered into the world. Strahd is the only thing in her life that matters to her. Mother Nearest. During her exile, Baba Lysaga made countless sacrifices to Mother Night, pleading with the goddess to afflict Queen Ravenovia with ill health and visit death upon her. Lysaga eventually got her wish, and after Strahd settled in the valley of Barovia, Lysaga moved as close to him as she dared to. In the filth-ridden depths of her heart, Lysaga knows that Strahd would never accept her as his true mother, nor could she bear his rejection. As a result, she has never confronted him. She would rather exist in perpetual denial, whiling away the days, months, and years practicing fell magic and looking for ways to help her "son." Raven Bane. Baba Lysaga has allies in Castle Ravenloft-a coven of witches. Through the aid of these witches, Lysaga recently uncovered a potential threat to Strahd: a secret society of wereravens ca lied the Keepers of the Feather, a group that uses ordinary ravens as their spies. hit with spell attacks). Baba Lysaga has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): acid splash.fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, sleep, witch bolt 2nd level (3 slots): crown of madness, enlarge/reduce, misty step 3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic,fireba/1, lightning bolt 4th level (3 slots): blight, Evard's black tentacles, polymorph 5th level (2 slots): cloudki/1, geas, scrying 6th level (1 slot): programmed illusion, true seeing 7th level (1 slot): finger of death, mirage arcane 8th level (1 slot): power word stun ACTIONS Multiattack. Baba Lysaga makes three attacks with her quarterstaff. Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (ld6 + 4) bludgeoning damage, or 8 (ld8 + 4) bludgeoning damage if wielded with two hands. Summon Swarms of Insects (Recharges after a Short or long Rest). Baba Lysaga summons ld4 swarms of insects. A summoned swarm appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of Baba Lysaga and acts as her ally. It remains until it dies or until Baba Lysaga dismisses it as an action.
Strahd doesn't consider the wereravens a serious threat, but Lysaga has chosen to make them the bane of her existence. After much searching and scrying, she discovered a wereraven refuge at the Wizard of Wines winery (chapter 12), and she has begun to wage war against it. In addition, she has forged an alliance with the mad druids that haunt Yester Hill (chapter 14), convincing them that she gave birth to Strahd, whom the druids consider a god. With the druids on her side, she expects to rid Barovia of its wereraven menace. Gifts of Mother Night. The goddess Mother Night has bestowed magical gifts on Baba Lysaga as rewards for her ceaseless devotion to Strahd. Her skin has the resilience of stone, she is resistant to harmful magic, and she is shielded against divination magic. Mother Night has also imparted to Lysaga the secret of longevity, which requires her to bathe in the blood of beasts on nights of the new moon. Failure to do so causes Lysaga to age rapidly, becoming mere dust and bones in a matter of seconds. BABA LYSAGA'S TRAITS Ideal. "No love is greater than a mother's love for her son." Bond. "I am the mother of Strahd. Anyone who disputes this fact can rot." Flaw. "I will not rest until the last of my son's enemies are destroyed." BAROVIAN WITCH The mad women and men known as Barovian witches forge pacts with Strahd and the Dark Powers of Ravenloft in exchange for magic and longevity. They prefer to live in the shadows and can see in the dark. When traveling in the open, they use alter self spells to assume less conspicuous forms. They also use these spells to grow long, sharp claws with which they can attack. Brothers and Sisters ofStrahd. Barovian witches have no scruples. They will deal with anyone in return for power. They will also betray anyone for the same reason. The only thing they fear is Strahd, and his wish is their command. Barovian witches sometimes refer to themselves as the brothers and sisters of Strahd, though never to Strahd's face. Pack Rats with Cats. Barovian witches are obsessive collectors, each believing that almost anything found-a piece of broken bone, a dead rodent, a handful of dust, or some other worthless item or substance-could be valuable or useful as a spell component, a ritual object, or a potion ingredient. Barovian witches use the find familiar spell to call forth familiars. They are particularly fond of cats, though snakes and toads are also common. These animals lurk amid the clutter of the witches' lairs, seldom wandering far from their vile masters. - BAROVIAN WITCH Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil Armor Class 10 Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) Speed 30 ft. STR 7 (-2) DEX 11 (+O) CON 13 (+l) Skills Arcana +4, Perception +2 INT 14 (+2) WIS 11 (+O) Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) CHA 12 (+l) Spellcasting. The witch is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The witch has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost 1st level (4 slots): ray of sickness, sleep, Tasha's hideous laughter 2nd level (2 slots): alter self. invisibility ACTIONS · Claws (Requires Alter Self). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (ld6 + 1) slashing damage. This 1 attack is magical. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1 d4) piercing damage. APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS
BLIGHT, TREE Blights (as described in the Monster Manual) are evil, ambulatory plant creatures, and a tree blight is a particularly enormous variety. It looks like a dead tree or treant, 30 feet tall, with spongy wooden flesh, thorny branches, and rubbery roots that trail behind it. It has blood for sap and is so saturated with blood that it doesn't catch fire easily. Vicious Carnivore. A tree blight feeds on warmblooded prey and takes perverse delight in causing carnage. It strikes with its heavy branches and crushes prey to death with its roots. It can open its gaping, toothfilled mouth and bite a creature caught in its roots. The roots of a tree blight can be severed, though cutting them causes the blight no harm. Blight Animosity. A tree blight will often fight alongside other kinds of blights, but it hates other tree blights and will attack them given the chance. Tree blights also hate treants, and the feeling is mutual. TREE BLIGHT Huge plant, neutral evil Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 149 (l3dl2 + 65) Speed 30 ft. STR 23 (+6) DEX 10 (+O) CON 20 (+5) INT 6 (-2) Condition Immunities blinded, deafened WIS 10 (+O) Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception l 0 CHA 3 (-4) Languages understands Common and Druidic but doesn't speak Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) False Appearance. While the blight remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead tree. · Siege Monster. The blight deals double damage to objects and structures. ACTIONS Multiattack. The blight makes four attacks: two with its branches and two with its grasping roots. If it has a target grappled, the blight can also make a bite attack against that target as a bonus action. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8 + 6) piercing damage. Branch. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage. Grasping Root. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature not grappled by the blight. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the target takes 9 . (ld6 + 6) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns. ' The root has AC 15 and can be severed by dealing 6 slashing damage or more to it at once. Cutting the root doesn't hurt the . blight but ends the grapple. EZMERELDA n'AVENIR Ezmerelda d'Avenir, a Vistana, is the protege of Rudolph van Richten-despite the fact that her first encounter with the vampire hunter was anything but pleasant. Witness to Tragedy. When Ezmerelda was a little girl, her family kidnapped van Richten's teenage son, Erasmus, and delivered him into the clutches of a vampire. Even today, years later, she can still hear Erasmus's pleas for mercy. That event haunted her childhood. Van Richten tracked down Ezmerelda's family soon after the kidnapping, but not before the Vistani had sold the boy. Though van Richten could have done them harm, he instead interrogated Ezmerelda's mother and father on the whereabouts of his missing son. Satisfied with their answers, he spared their lives before departing with the information they had given him. Ezmerelda witnessed van Rich ten's act of mercy and was deeply moved by it. Van Richten's Tragic Tale. At the age of fifteen, Ezmerelda, still troubled by what her family had done to van Richten, ran away from h.ome. After many harrowing adventures, she tracked down van Richten two years later. Thinking she was a Vistana assassin, he put a sword to her throat and threatened to spill her blood. Ezmerelda convinced him that she genuinely wanted to help him find his missing son, whereupon van Richten told her the saddest of tales. He had found his son, who had been transformed into a vampii:e spawn. When Erasmus pleaded to his father for salvation, van Richten granted his request by ending his existence. Farewell. Ezmerelda remained by van Richten's side for two years, helping him track down and slay many creatures of the night. But because van Rich ten could never bring himself to fully trust a Vistana, he kept
EZMERELDA n'AVENIR Medium humanoid (human), chaotic good , Armor Class 17 (+7 studded leather armor) Hit Points 82 (lld8 + 33) Speed 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 19 (+4) Saving Throws Wis +3 CON 16 (+3) INT 16 (+3) WIS 11 (+O) CHA 17 (+3) Skills Acrobatics +7, Arcana +6, Deception +9, Insight +3, Medicine +3, Perception +6, Performance +6, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +7, Survival +6 Senses passive Perception 16 Languages Common, Elvish Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Special Equipment. In addition to her magic armor and weapons, Ezmerelda has two potions of greater healing, six vials of holy water, and three wooden stakes. Spel/casting. Ezmerelda is a 7th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). Ezmerelda has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation 1st level (4 slots): protection from evil and good, magic missile, shield 2nd level (3 slots): darkvision, knock, mirror image 3rd level (3 slots): clairvoyance, lightning bolt, magic circle 4th level (1 slot): greater invisibility secrets from her. The two vampire hunters got on each other's nerves, and their arguments became more frequent. At last, Ezmerelda suggested that they part company with some shred of their friendship still intact, and van Richten agreed. Ezmerelda's Secret. Since bidding farewell to van Richten, Ezmerelda has amassed a sizable personal fortune, some of which she used to buy a wagon to carry her vampire-slaying paraphernalia. On one of her less successful adventures, a werewolf bit off her right leg below the knee, and although she avoided being afflicted with lycanthropy, Ezmerelda was sidelined for months. She commissioned a master artisan to craft a prosthetic lower leg and foot. After several tries, he delivered a prosthesis that restored her mobility. She has since adapted well to the false appendage and takes care to hide it from view. The Great Vampire Hunt. While in the company of a Vistani caravan, Ezmerelda heard a rumor that Rudolph van Richten had gone to Bar.ovia to slay the most powerful vampire of them all. She decided that he might need help and traveled for months to reach Strahd's domain. She rode her wagon to Vallaki and learned about an old tower that seemed the sort of place van Richten would use as a base. When she arrived there, she found some of van Richten's belongings, but of the vampire hunter there was no sign. Al_ti;iough she is anxious to learn the whereabouts of her mentor, she is also eager to earn his trust and respect. To that end, she has been poring over van Richten's research and learning about_Strahd and .- . - . ' -"""'/ '\ ACTIONS Multiattack. Ezmerelda makes three attacks: two with her +7 rapier and one with her +7 handaxe or her silvered shortsword. +1 Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (ld8 + 5) piercing damage. +1 Handaxe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (ld6 + 3) slashing damage. Silvered Shortsword. Me/ee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1 d6 + 4) piercing damage. Curse (Recharges after a Long Rest). Ezmerelda targets one creature that she can see within 30 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed. While cursed, the target has vulnerability to one type of damage of Ezmerelda's choice. The curse lasts until ended with a greater restoration spell, a remove curse spell, or similar magic. When the curse ends, Ezmerelda takes 3d6 psychic damage. Evil Eye (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). Ezmerelda targets one creature that she can see within 10 feet of her and casts one of the following spells on the target (save DC 14), requiring neither somatic nor material components to do so: animaffriendship, charm person, or hold person. If the target succeeds on the initial saving throw, Ezmerelda is blinded until the end of her next turn. Once a target succeeds on a saving throw against this effect, it is immune to the Evil Eye power of all Vistani for 24 hours. Castle Ravenloft, with every intention of dispatching the vampire herself. Tarokka Deck. Ezmerelda keeps a deck of tarokka cards in her wagon (chapter 11, area Vl). Although the cards aren't magical, Ezmerelda can use them to perform a card reading for the characters (see chapter 1), like the one that can be performed by Madam Eva. EZMERELDA n'AVENIR's TRAITS Ideal. "Evil that feeds on the innocent is the worst of all evils and must be destroyed." Bond. "My mentor and teacher, Dr. Rudolph van Richten, is like a father to me." Flaw. "I go where angels fear to tread." IZEK STRAZNI Izek and his sister were born in Vallaki. One morning, their father and their uncle took them fishing on Lake Zarovich. On the way back to town, a dire wolf attacked Izek and bit off his right arm. His father carried Izek back to town while his uncle distracted the beast. His sister ran and hid in the woods and was never seen again. . . : .Unlike his sister� Izek was born·without a soul. As tim� wore on, he. forgot.his lost: siste�. and learned to _cope wit�-hi1 d,isa&ility. . _ · .. · · . · · . · . Orphaned Killer. 'I:iek's parents succumbed fo their · grief, leaving him an orphan. He·becarrt�; sociop�th: . Other childrert ru_tqlessly mocked hi.hi bec3:ti�� of his APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS
dead family and his missing arm, but he was a large boy and had no trouble killing them and disposing of their bodies. He was eventually caught in the act and brought to the burgomaster. Instead of punishing the boy for his crimes, Baron Vallakovich pardoned Izek and took him into his home. Izek has been loyal to the burgomaster ever since, enjoying the power of his position and the comforts of his master's mansion. When he isn't enforcing the burgomaster's will, Izek drinks copious amounts of wine. Fiendish Gift. After years of doing Baron Vallakovich's dirty work, Izek awakened from a drunken stupor one morning to find that he had grown a new arm to replace the one he had lost. The new appendage has barbed spines, elongated fingers, and long nails. He can create fire with the snap of his fiendish fingers and has used the flames to put the fear of the devil in every Vallakian. Do/1 Collector. Perhaps more disturbing than his fiendish arm and his murderous nature is Izek's collection of dolls, which he keeps in his bedroom in the burgomaster's mansion. Izek often has dreams of a beautiful young woman, and for years he has forced a local toymaker named Gadof Blinsky to craft dolls in her likeness. The woman is Ireena Kolyana, although Izek doesn't know her name. Family Is Forever. Izek has dreams of Ireena. If he spots her, he tries to take her by force to the burgomaster's mansion. If he succeeds, he holds her captive in his bedroom (chapter 5, area N3j). Unknown to Izek and Ireena, they are brother and sister. Ireena fled after Izek was attacked by the dire wolf and became lost in the woods. She wandered for days in shock until she was IZEK STRAZNI Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor) Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45) Speed 30 ft. STR 18 (+4) DEX 15 (+2) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+O) Skills Intimidation +8, Perception +2 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) WIS 9 (-1) CHA 15 (+2) Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when lzek hits with it (included in the attack). ACTIONS Multiattack. lzek makes two attacks with his battleaxe. Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one tar . get. Hit: l3 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 15 (2dl0 + 4) when used with two hands. Hurl Flame. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) fire damage. If the target is a flammable ·., object that isn't being worn or carried, it catches fire. APPENDTX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS PATRINA VELIKOVNJ\ found and adopted by Kolyan Indirovich in the village of Barovia. Izek covets her in an unwholesome way and won't allow anyone or anything to come between them. lZEK STRAZNI'S TRAITS Ideal. "Fear is a powerful weapon. I use it to get what I want." Bond. "I am loyal to my master, Baron Vallakovich, for he brought me into his home. I owe him my life, but he isn't family." Flaw. "I would do anything, kill anything, to find my sister." KASIMIR VELIKOV Kasimir, a mutiliated and grief-stricken dusk elf, has been trapped in Barovia for centuries. His people were on the verge of being annihilated by Strahd's armies when they surrendered. Strahd left the few survivors to the mercy of the Vistani, who bore them to the valley of Barovia, where they have lived ever since. Old Friends. Kasimir's allegiance to the Vistani is so strong that he adopted the name of the Vistana who welcomed him into his clan, a man named Velikov. Although Velikov passed away more than a century ago, Kasimir continues to live among Velikov's descendants. Unfortunately, in his view, these modern Vistani are neither as noble nor as enlightened as their forebears. Not one to press the issue, Kasimir hopes to outlive the present leadership and see a ret'urn to the old ways. Dreams of the Damned. Kasimir's sister, Patrina Velikovna, is sealed in the catacombs below Castle Raven loft. Convinced that she was the concubine of the devil Strahd, Kasimir and his fellow dusk elves stoned Patrina to death. As punishment for depriving him of his bi:ide, Strahd butchered all the women in the dusk elf tribe, and Kasimir's ears were cut off to punish him for
instigating the stoning. He wears a cowl to conceal his mutilation. Kasimir's feeling of loss is tinged with simmering rage. Patrina now speaks to her brother in dreams, telling him how years of guilt and regret have dispelled all evil thoughts from her mind and cleansed her tortured soul. But Kasimir remains unconvinced by her assertions, because he knows that Strahd has corrupted Patrina and led her down a path of evil and deceit. For that reason, Kasimir wants to see the vampire destroyed so that his sister can be rescued from her eternal damnation. Secrets of the Amber Temple. Patrina has told Kasimir that the Amber Temple, an ancient vault hidden in the Barovian mountains, is where Strahd forged his pact with evil powers and discovered how to become a vampire. Kasimir has been spying on the temple for years, but he needs adventurers to help him survive its perils. He thinks that the secret to breaking Strahd's pact and freeing Barovia from its curse might be hidden there, but more important, he believes that the Amber Temple holds the secret to bringing the ancient dead back to life. With the characters' help, Kasimir thinks he might be able to find out how to restore Patrina to flesh and blood, whereupon he can travel to Castle Ravenloft and end his sister's torment. Kasimir has no inkling that Patrina is using him for exactly that purpose, and that her ultimate goal is to become as powerful a vampire as Strahd. Statistics. Use the mage stat block in the Monster Manual, with the following adjustments: Kasimir's alignment is neutral. Kasimir has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. Kasimir has the Fey Ancestry feature, which means he has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put him to sleep. Kasimir wears a ring of warmth and carries a spellbook (see chapter 5, area N9a, for a list of the spells it holds in addition to his prepared spells). KASIMIR VELIKov's TRAITS Ideal. "I failed my people and my sister, and now I must atone or be damned." Bond. "I seek to return my long-dead sister, Patrina, to life-even at the cost of my own life." Flaw. "I believe my sister can be redeemed." MADAM EVA The fortune-teller Madam Eva lives among the Vistani but-isn't truly one of them. She appears to be in her seventies, but she is, in fact, much older. Royal Blood. Madam Eva is Strahd's half-sister, though Strahd is unaware of this fact. Her real name is Katarina, and she is the daughter of a Vistani woman whom King Barov, Strahd's father, took to his bed during one of his many crusades. Madam Eva knows she is Strahd's half-sister but has told no one of the royal blood flowing through her veins. Mother Nisht; Over four hundred years ago, Katarina came to Ba�ovia arid ins_inuated herself into· Strahd's court, working as a.maid in Castle Ravenloft. She came to know the castle like the back of her hand, and she MADAM EVA Armor Class l 0 Hit Points 88 (16d8 + 16) . Speed 20 ft. STR 8 (-1) DEX 11 (+O) Saving Throws Con +S CON 12 (+l) INT 17 (+3) WIS 20 (+S) CHA 18 (+4) Skills Arcana +7, Deception +8, Insight +13, Intimidation +8, Perception +9, Religion +7 Senses passive Perception 19 Languages Abyssal, Common, Elvish, Infernal Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Spellcasting. _ Madam Eva is a 16th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). Madam Eva has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): light, mending, sacred flame, thaumaturgy l st level (4 slots): bane, command, detect evil and good, protection from evil and good 2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoration, protection from poison, spiritual weapon 3rd level (3 slots): create food and water, speak with dead, spirit guardians , 4th level (3 slots): divination.freedom of movement, guardian of faith 5th level (2 slots): greater restoration, raise dead 6th level (1 slot):find the path, harm, true seeing 7th level (1 slot): fire storm, regenerate 8th level (1 slot): earthquake ACTIONS Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach S ft., one target. Hit: 2 (ld4) piercing damage. Curse (Recharges after a Long Rest). Madam Eva targets one creature that she can see within 30 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed. While cursed, the target is blinded and deafened. The curse lasts until ended with a greater restoration spell, a remove curse spell, or similar magic. When the curse ends, Madam Eva takes Sd6 psychic damage. Evil Eye (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). Madam Eva targets one creature that she can see within 10 feet of her and casts one of the following spells on the target (save DC 17), requiring neither somatic nor material components to do so: animal friendship, charm person, or hold person. If the target succeeds on the initial saving throw, Madam Eva is blinded until the end of her-next turn. Once a target succeeds on a saving 1 throw against this effect, it is immune to the Evil Eye power of all Vistani for 24 hours. was · present for the wedding of Sergei and Tatyana. Af- ., ter.Sfrahd went mad apd mtinl,ered.hjs brother,.she fled the castle and tookrefuge _ witli.the.Vis'tani.:Liiter, she forged·a pact wit�·µie goddes� Mohi-�tl'fight, trading'·· her'youth'for thitp6wer,t6 ·undo the evirthat Strahd'had' . , �r&'\i_gfit: M.othei Night: transforf!1e<l Kaf11rina into ail. '. ageiess crone giftec;l. with the power of riiagici,!;l foresight. · In the guise of Madart1Eva, ' sh� 'u$eS:�his 'ahiHty t.o help . - . - � . APPENDlX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS 233 ' I
Strahd. She can send her Vistani out in their wagons to visit other worlds and bring adventurers to Strahd's domain, in hopes that they will find a way to destroy the vampire or set Strahd free. For the Love of Strahd. The Dark Powers of Ravenloft would consider Madam Eva a worthy choice to replace Strahd as the master of Raven loft, but she has al1 the power she desires and doesn't seek to supplant him. She would rather help Strahd find someone else to succeed him, although she has grave doubts about her ability to locate such an individual. None of Madam Eva's Vistani kin know her true identity or purpose. They puzzle over her desire to remain in Barovia. MADAM EvA's TRAITS Ideal. "I wish Strahd to be free of his curse." Bond. "The Vistani are my people now." Flaw. "The people whose fates I divine aren't important. They are but the means to an end." MONGRELFOLK Mongrelfolk are humanoids that have undergone, or whose ancestors underwent, horrific magical transformations, to the extent that they retain only a fraction of their original being. Their humanoid bodies incorporate the features of various beasts. For example, one mongrel folk might have the basic body shape of a dwarf with a head that combines the features of a cat and a lizard, one arm that ends in a crab's pincer, and one leg that ends in a cloven hoof. Another might have the skin and horns of a cow, the eyes of a spider, frog's legs, and a scaly lizard's tail. Each mongrelfolk's mad combination of humanoid and animal forms results in its having a slow, awkward gait. Sound Mimicry. Mongrelfolk have misshapen mouths and vocal cords. They speak fragmented Common mixed with various animal cries and nonsense. They can effectively imitate sounds made by beasts and humanoids that they've heard. Mongrelfolk aren't sophisticated enough to use these sounds as a covert form of communication, but they can use the sounds to lure enemies into a trap or otherwise distract them. Outcasts. Mongrelfolk are seldom welcome in other humanoid societies, where they are abused, enslaved, or shunned. They typically live on the fringes of civilization in ruins, deserted buildings, or other places that other humanoid races once lived in or built. They tend to be timid and skittish outside their homes and fiercely territorial within their lairs. . ... _ . Camouflage Experts. Mongrnlfolk often--hide their deformities under cloaks.and��w[s. Jn this ;vay; they . ,.. , ... ' , . . can sometimes pass · �s-stout:htimari� or thin dwarves. They are fond of ca�ouflage,' attaching.leaves and twigs to their cloaks, making brown paint to cover: their skin, . and weaving grass nets under which they can hide: They use such camouflage while hunting in the wild or while ·standing guard outside their lairs. Until it is seen, a camouflaged mongrelfolk has advantage on Stealth checks made to hide. ·• t APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS 234· - MONGRELFOLK Medium humanoid (mongrelfolk), any alignment Armor Class 11 (natural armor) Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8) Speed 20 ft. STR 12 (+l) DEX 9 (-1) CON 15 (+2) INT 9 (-1) WIS 10 (+OJ Skills Deception +2, Perception +2, Stealth +3 Senses passive Perception 12 Languages Common Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) CHA 6 (-2) Extraordinary Feature. The mongrelfolk has one of the following extraordinary features, determined randomly by rolling a d20 or chosen by the DM: 1-3: Amphibious. The mongrelfolk can breathe air and water. 4-9: Darkvision. The mongrelfolk has darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. 10: Flight. The mongrelfolk has leathery wings and a flying speed of 40 feet. 11-15: Keen Hearing and Smell. The mongrelfolk has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. 16-17: Spider Climb. The mongrelfolk can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. 18-19: Standing Leap. The mongrelfolk's long jump is up to 20 feet and its high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start. 20: Two-Headed. The mongrelfolk has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked unconscious. Mimicry. The mongrelfolk can mimic any sounds it has heard, including voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check. ACTIONS Multiattack. The mongrelfolk makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claw or dagger. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (ld4 + 1) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target, Hit: 3 (ld4 + 1) slashing damage. Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (ld4 + l) piercing damage. Horrific Offspring. It's.possible to·restore a·mongrelfolk to its original form using a greater restoration spell, but the same can't be said for a mongrelf9lk's offspring . Only mongrelfolk that are made. by°magic can be restored to their original forms. Mcfogrelfolk that" are born are true mongrelfolk arid not the subJects of a spell or an effect that cah be undone. Mongrelfolk can breed with other humanoids, but nearly all children _ born to such parents are mongrelfolk. (About one child in every hundred is born looking like . its. non-mongrelfolk parent.) ·· ' ·'t:·
PHANTOM WARRIOR PHANTOM WARRIOR A phantom warrior is the spectral remnant of a willful soldier or knight who perished on the battlefield or died performing its sworn duty. It appears like a translucent version of its living self. Task Driven. Although one is often mistaken for a ghost, a phantom warrior isn't bound by a yearning to complete some unresolved goal. It can choose to end its undead existence at any time. Its spirit lingers willingly, either out of loyalty to its former master or because it believes it must perform a task to satisfy its honor or sense of duty. For example, a guard who dies defending a wall might return as a phantom warrior and continue guarding the wall, then disappear forever once a new guard assumes its post or the wall is destroyed. The period between the time it died and the time it rises as a phantom warrior is usually 24 hours. Faded Memories. A phantom warrior retains the alignment and personality it had before it died, and it remembers how it died. Memories of its life from shortly before it died are hazy, and older memories are forgotten. A phantom warrior can usually remember the last ldlO + 10 days of its life; everything that happened before that is an impenetrable fog. Forceful Presence. Although they are incorporeal, phantom warriors can harness the energy around them to deflect incoming attacks and strike with great force. An invisible sheath of energy surrounds a phantom warrior's ghostly armor, shields, and weapons, which become as hard as steel yet don't impede the warrior's ability to move through wa)ls and other solid objects. Undead Nature. A phantom warrior doesn't require air, food, drink, or.sleep. · PHANTOM WARRIOR Medium undead, any alignment Armor Class 16 Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) Speed 30 ft. STR 16 (+3) DEX 11 (+O) CON 16 (+3) Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4 INT 8 (-1) WIS 10 (+O) CHA 15 (+2) Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages any languages it knew in life Challenge 3 (700 XP) Ethereal Sight. The phantom warrior can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vice versa. Incorporeal Movement. The phantom warrior can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (ldlO) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. Spectral Armor and Shield. The phantom warrior's AC accounts for its spectral armor and shield. ACTIONS Multiattack. The phantom warrior makes two attacks with its spectral longsword. Spectral Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (ld8 + 3) force damage. Etherealness. The phantom warrior enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet it can't affect or be affected by anything on the other plane. PIDLWICK II After her husband died in battle, duch*ess Dorfniya Dilisnya set her sights on becoming Count Strahd von Zarovich's bride, but she failed to win his love. Her visits to the castle were nonetheless frequent, and she never traveled without her fool, the delightful Pidlwick. The little man was like a ray of sunshine in Castle Raven loft, and though he failed to amuse Strahd, he delighted Tatyana and Sergei with his jokes and gambols. As a result, Strahd didn't object whenever Pidlwick and the duch*ess came to visit. Eager to please and desiring to return the courtesy, the duch*ess commissioned the legendary toymaker Fritz von Weerg to build a clockwork effigy of Pidlwick as a gift for Strahd's family. Although the duch*ess's heart was in the right pJace, the·effigy didn't have Pidlwick's abilities, and it failed to entertain anyone. Even though,Pidlwick himseif had spent_ �o�ths training it, the effigy couldn't speak, and its inovements . were more awkward than amusing. APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS
�36 Small construct, neutral evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 10 (3d6) Speed 30 ft. STR 10 (+O) DEX 14 (+2) CON 11 (+0) Skills Performance +2 Damage Immunities poison INT 8 (-1) WIS 13 (+l) Condition Immunities paralyzed, petrified, poisoned Senses passive Perception 11 CHA 10 (+0) Languages understands Common but doesn't speak and can't read or write Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Ambusher. During the first round of combat, Pidlwick II has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't had a turn yet. ACTIONS Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (ld4) bludgeoning damage. Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (ld4 + 2) piercing damage. A harsh winter trapped the duch*ess, her fool, and.her fool's effigy in Castle Raveoloft for several months. The duch*ess subsequently succuri1beq to 'illriess, after which Tatyana asked Pidlwickto remain at Castle Raven loft. One Pidlwick Too Many. Von Weerg was no ordinary toymaker, aod he put a little of himself into all his creations, which is to say his works had a touch of their creator's madness. Pidlwick II knew that it had no purpose as long as Pidlwick remained in Castle Ravenloft, so it pushed Pidlwick down a long flight of stairs, killing him. Everyone else thought it was an accident. In the days that followed, Pidlwick II tried its best to fill its nameAPPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS �v7--�·----- . L / -�\M._1�_ _ · _______ _ sake's shoes, but the effigy's mere presence was upsetting to Tatyana, and it was never called on to perform. Eventually, it was shut away like a discarded toy. Evil Toy. Pidlwick II was kept in a small closet adjacent to one of the guest bedrooms. On rare occasions when someone stayed there, Pidlwick would sneak out of the closet in the middle of the night, smother the guest with a pillow, and then retreat back to the closet. The castle staff never considered that the effigy might be responsible, instead assuming that the guests had died in their sleep. But Strahd was not fooled. He came to realize fairly quickly that the clockwork effigy had begun to display a murderous nature. Rather than have Pidlwick II destroyed, Strahd kept the fool around to dispose of irksome guests from time to time. After the deaths of Sergei and Tatyana, the castle became virtually abandoned, and there were no more guests for Pidlwick II to "entertain." The clockwork effigy emerged from its closet and found new places to hide. It fears Strahd and eagerly follows anyone who gives it the attention it craves. Pidlwick II is basically an oversized toy-a 4-foot-tall mechanism stuffed with gears, springs, and other components expertly fitted together to impart a semblance of life to it. Its skin is made of stitched leather pulled taut over an articulated wooden frame. Pidlwick II has rubbed soot around its eyes and mouth, giving it the triangular eyes and jagged grin of a jack-o'-lantern. PIDLWICK Il's TRAITS Ideal. "I wish I could make people happy." Bond. "I would like to find someone-anyone-who isn't afraid of me and who enjoys my company." Flaw. "When I'm upset, I do bad things." RAHADIN Rahadin, the dusk elf chamberlain of Castle Ravenloft, has served Strahd's family faithfully for nearly five hundred years. He is Strahd's eternal servant, a longtime comrade-in-arms, and a ruthless warrior who has killed thousands in his lifetime. Exile. Rahadin was exiled for refusing to bow down to a dusk elf prince whom he considered weak and corrupt. When the dusk elves later declined to pay fealty to King Barov, Rahadin helped Barov conquer them. The elf kingdom's royal line was obliterated, the dusk elves hunted like rabbits. The few that survived were either subjugated or forced to live among the Vistani. So pleased was Barov with Rahadin that the king made the dusk elf an honorary member of his family. Chamberlain. After Barbv died, Rahadin continued to fight as one of Strahd's genera:ls. · Wh�n .the wars ended and Strahd turned pis attention to building Castle Ravenloft, Rahadin saw to it that �izards-and artisans were brought to Barovia. Years later, Strahd appointed Rahadin his castle chamberlain. Rahadin was pleased to do whatever Strahd asked of him, and he instilled terror in the-castle staff by routinely flogging those who didn't perform their duties to his exacting standards.
When a dusk elf named Patrina Velikovna came knocking on Strahd's door, Rahadin could see that she intrigued Strahd, but Rahadin was suspicious of her motives. Patrina tried to seduce Strahd with the prospect of immortality-something Strahd desi.red above all. She told him of a vault of forbidden lore called the Amber Temple, where the secret of gaining immortality was hidden. While Strahd was off exploring the temple, Rahadin handJed all of his master's affairs and began searching for a woman who could tear Strahd away from Patrina Velikovna. In this task, he failed. His goal was fulfilled, however, when Sergei, Strahd's brother, found Tatyana. Tatyana was Strahd's type-a woman of exquisite beauty and gentle manner. When Strahd returned to Ravenloft, the young woman instantly caught his eye, and Rahadin had the pleasure of informing Patrina that her presence at the castle was no longer desired. Rahadin's loyalty didn't waver after Tatyana died and Strahd became a vampire. Rahadin continued to do his master's bidding. Eager to put Tatyana out of his mind, Strahd lured more women to the castle, taking several of them as brides before draining their lives and turning them into vampire spawn. Rahadin would see to it that these women were lavished with jewels and fine clothes, and made comfortable during their stay in Ravenloft. Executioner. Patrina Velikovna and her people were living among the Vistani when they heard ofTatyana's death and Strahd's curse. The ageless Patrina returned to Ravenloft in the hope of winning Strahd's love. This time, it was clear that Patrina craved Strahd's power and that Strahd would never love her. Rahadin assumed that Patrina would suffer the same fate as those women who had come before her. He was proven wrong when Patrina's own people stoned her to death to keep Strahd from claiming her as his wife. RAHADIN Medium humanoid (elf), lawful evil Armor Class 18 (studded leather) Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54) Speed 35 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 22 (+6) CON 17 (+3) Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +7 INT 15 (+2) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 18 (+4) Skills Deception +8, Insight +7, Intimidation +12, Perception +11, Stealth +14 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 21 Languages Common, Elvish , Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Deathly Choir. Any creature within 10 feet of Rahadin that isn't protected by a mind blank spell hears in its mind the screams of the thousands of people Rahadin has killed. As a bonus action, Rahadin can force all creatures that can hear the screams to make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. Each creature takes 16 (3dl0) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Strahd was upset that the dusk elves had taken Patrina from him. After securing her body and entombing it in the catacombs of Raven loft, Strahd sent Rahadin to punish the dusk elves. Rahadin slew the female elves so that the males couldn't breed. He also sliced off the ears of Patrina's brother, Kasimir, who had orchestrated the stoning. Screams of the Dead. So dreadful a creature is Rahadin that anyone who stands within 10 feet of him can hear the howling screams of the countless men and women he has killed in RAHADIN his lifetime. Ra had in can't hear them, nor would he be haunted by them if he could. The only thing he cares about is Strahd von Zarovich, for whom he would gladly give his life. RAHADIN'S TRAITS Ideal. "Loyalty is everything." Bond. "I am a son of King Barov von Zarovich, and I will serve his son-my brother and lord-forever." Flaw. "I have slain thousands of men. I will slaughter thousands more to preserve the von Zarovich legacy." Fey Ancestry. Rahadin has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put him to sleep. Innate Spellcasting. Rahadin's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence. He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: 3/day: misty step, phantom steed 1/day: magic weapon, nondetection Mask of the Wild. Rahadin can attempt to hide even when he is only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena. ACTIONS Multiattack. Rahadin attacks three times with his scimitar, or twice with his poisoned darts. Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (ld6 + 6) slashing damage. Poisoned Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, ranged 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (ld4 + 6) piercing damage plus 5 (2d4) poison damage. APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS ��-- �����---!' ( 237 -- -- 7-�:s
RICTAVIO Medium humanoid (human), lawful good Armor Class 12 (leather armor) Hit Points 77 (14d8 + 14) Speed 30 ft. STR 9 (-1) DEX 12 (+1) CON 13 (+1) Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +7 INT 16 (+3) WIS 18 (+4) CHA 16 (+3) Skills Arcana +9, Insight +7, Medicine +7, Perception +7, Religion +6, Sleight of Hand +4 Senses passive Perception 17 Languages Abyssal, Common, Elvish, Infernal Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Special Equipment. In addition to his sword cane, Rictavio wears a hat of disguise and a ring of mind shielding, and he carries a spell scroll of raise dead. Spellcasting. Rictavio is a 9th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell at· tacks). Rictavio has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): guidance, light, mending, thaumaturgy 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, detect evil and good, protection from evil and good, sanctuary 2nd level (3 slots): augury, lesser restoration, protection from poison 3rd level (3 slots): magic circle, remove curse, speak with dead 4th level (3 slots): death ward.freedom of movement 5th level (l slot}: dispel evil and good Undead Slayer. When Rictavio hits an undead with a weapon attack, the undead takes an extra 10 (3d6} damage of the weapon's type. ACTIONS Multiattack. Rictavio makes two attacks with his sword cane. Sword Cane. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (ld6 + l) bludgeoning damage (wooden cane) or piercing damage (silvered sword). RICTAVIO Several months ago, a colorfully dressed half elf bard came to Barovia in a carnival wagon, with a pet monkey on his shoulder. He took over an abandoned tower on Lake Baratok before rolling into the town of Vallaki several months later. Claiming to be a carnival ringmaster in search of new actors, he began regaling locals with tales of distant lands. Monster Hunter. The half-elfringmaster is,.in fact, a legendary human vampire hunter .named Rudolph van Richten. Van Richten's tale is a sad one. A scholar and doctor from a land called Darkon, he married his childhood sweetheart, Ingrid, and together they had a son, Erasmus. When he was fourteen, Erasmus was stolen away by Vistani and sold to a vampire named Baron Metus to be used as a companion. By the time van Richten found his son, it was too late: the baron had already transformed Erasmus into a vampire spawn. Erasmus begged his father to end his suffering, which van Richten APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS did by pounding a wooden stake through his son's chest. Baron Metus avenged that deed by killing van Richten's wife, and van Richten has lived with the horror of his family's destruction ever since. After destroying Baron Metus in turn, van Richten sought revenge against the Vistani and took up a life of hunting evil monsters. The Waiting Game. Van Richten isn't a young man anymore. He knows his road is coming to an end, but his work isn't done. He has come to Barovia to kill Strahd von Zarovich, the greatest vampire of them all. Van Richten has studied Strahd for years and knows he can't hope to best the vampire in a straight-up confrontation: he must wait for the right moment to strike. He has good evidence to suggest that Strahd periodically hibernates in his coffin, sometimes for years, when all is quiet ia the realm. While he bides his time, van Richten hides in plain sight with the aid of a hat of disguise, his thoughts protected by a ring of mind shielding. He is trying to learn more about the Keepers of the Feather-a society of wereravens that oppose Strahd-while trying not to expose the secret society to their mutual enemy. He thinks the wereravens might prove helpful when the time comes. Van Richten also wants to take out as many of Strahd's spies as he can, starting with evil Vistani. Man with a Plan. Van Richten doesn't know that his former protege, a good-aligned Vistana named Ezmerelda d'Avenir, has come to Barovia looking for him. He taught her many of his monster-hunting techniques, but she doesn't know all of his tricks and disguises. So far, their paths haven't crossed. In the event that van Richten becomes aware of Ezmerelda's presence, he does his utmost to protect her without putting his own plans in jeopardy. If he can manipulate a party of adventurers into keeping an eye on her; he will do so. Van Richten works alone. A curse placed on him long ago by a Vistani seer brings doom to those he befriends. Furthermore, he believes too much is at stake to risk exposure. Consequently, if he tbfoks he's in danger of being unmasked, he retreats to his tower (see chapter 11) or some other quiet corner of Strahd's domain. RICTAVIO's TRAITS Ideal. "Evil cannot go unchallenged." Bond. "To protect those I love, I must keep them distant and hidden from my enemies." Flaw. "I am cursed. Thus, I will never have peace." --
STRAHD VON ZAROVICH With his mind sharp and his heart dark, Strahd von Zarovich is a formidable foe. Courage and lives beyond measure have been lost to him. Reread chapter 1, "Into the Mists," to understand his personality and goals. Although Strahd can be encountered almost anywhere in his domain, the vampire is always encountered in the place indicated by the card reading in chapter 1, unless he has been forced into his tomb in the catacombs of Castle Raven loft. STRAHD'S TACTICS Because the entire adventure revolves around Strahd, you must play him intelligently and do everything you can to make him a terrifying and cunning adversary for the player characters. When you run an encounter with Strahd, keep the following facts in mind: • Strahd attacks at the most advantageous moment and from the most advantageous position. Strahd knows when he's in over his head. If he begins taking more damage than he can regenerate, he moves beyond the reach of melee combatants and spellcasters, or he flies away (using summoned wolves or swarms of bats or rats to guard his retreat). Strahd observes the characters to see who among them are most easily swayed, then tries to charm characters who have low Wisdom scores and use them as thralls. At the very least, he can order a charmed character to guard him against other members of the adventuring party. THE VAMPIRE'S MINIONS Whenever Strahd appears in a location other than his tomb or the place indicated by the card reading, roll a d20 and consult the Strahd's Minions table to determine what creatures he brings with him, if any. STRAHD1 S MINIONS d20 1-3 4-6 7-9 10-12 13-15 16-18 19-20 Creatures ld4 + 2 dire wolves ld6 + 3 ghouls ld4 + 2 Strahd zombies (in this appendix) 2d4 swarms of bats ld4 + l vampire spawn 3d6 wolves None If the characters are in a residence, Strahd's creatures break through doors and windows to reach them, or crawl up through the earth, or·swoop down the chimney. The vampire spawn (all that's left of a party of adventurers that Strahd defeated long agq) can't enter the characters' location unless invited. HEART OF SUR.ROW . Strahd can afford fo be bc:ild in his tactics, for he has additional protection in th</form of a giant crystal heart hidden inside Castle Ra:ven,loft. ·' Any damage that Strahd takes is transferred to the Heart of Sorrow (see chapter 4, area K20). If the heart absorbs damage that reduces it to O hit points, it is destroyed, and Strahd takes any leftover damage. The Heart of Sorrow has 50 hit points and is restored to that number of hit points each dawn, provided it has at least 1 hit point remaining. Strahd can, as a bonus action on his turn, break his link to the Heart of Sorrow so that it no longer absorbs damage dealt to him. Strahd can reestablish his link to the Heart of Sorrow as a bonus action on his turn, but only while in Castle Ravenloft. The effect of the protection afforded by the Heart of Sorrow can be chilling to behold, as damage to Strahd is quickly undone. For example, a critical hit might dislocate Strahd'sjaw, but only for a moment; then the vampire's jaw quickly resets itself. The ability of the Heart of Sorrow to absorb damage is suppressed if it or Strahd is fully within an antimagic field. LAIR ACTIONS While Strahd is in Castle Ravenloft, he can take lair actions as long as he isn't incapacitated. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Strahd can take one of the following lair action options, or forgo using any of them in that round: Until initiative count 20 of the next round, Strabd can pass through solid walls, doors, ceilings, and floors as if they weren't there. • Strahd targets any number of doors and windows that he can see, causing each one to either open or close as he wishes. Closed doors can be magically locked (needing a successful DC 20 Strength check to force open) until Strahd chooses to end the effect, or until Strahd uses this lair action again. Strahd summons the angry spirit of one who has died in the castle. The apparition appears next to a hostile creature that Strahd can see, makes an attack against that creature, and then disappears. The apparition has the statistics of a specter. • Strahd targets one Medium or smaller creature that casts a shadow. The target's shadow must be visible to Strahd and within 30 feet of him. If the target fails a DC 17 Charisma saving throw, its shadow detaches from it and becomes a shadow that obeys Strahd's commands, acting on initiative count 20. A greater restoration spell or a remove curse spell cast on the target restores its natural shadow, but only if its undead shadow has been destroyed. . . 5TRAHD° s· (REST . .. APPENDfX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS v-·-=- _),/ 239
240 STRAHD VON ZAROVICH Medium undead (shapechanger), lawful evil Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 144 ( 17d8 + 68) Speed 30 ft. STR 18 (+4) DEX 18 (+4) CON 18 (+4) ... INT 20 (+5) Saving Throws Dex +9, Wis +7, Cha +9 WIS 15 (+2) CHA 18 (+4) Skills Arcana +15, Perception +12, Religion +10, Stealth +14 Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elvish, Giant, Infernal Challenge 15 ( 13,000 XP) Shapechanger. If Strahd isn't in running water or sunlight, he can use his action to polymorph into a Tiny bat, a Medium . wolf, or a Medium cloud of mist, or back into his true form. While in bat or wolf form, Strahd can't speak. In bat form, his walking speed is 5 feet, and he has a flying speed of 30 feet. In wolf form, his walking speed is 40 feet. His statistics, other than his size and speed, are unchanged. Anything he is wearing . transforms with him, but nothing he is carrying does. He reverts to his true form if he dies. While in mist form, Strahd can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. He is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and . stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist . can do so without squeezing, and he can't pass through water. He has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and he is immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage he takes from sunlight. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Strahd fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Misty Escape. When Strahd drops to O hit points outside his coffin, he transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that he isn't in running water or sunlight. lf he can't transform, he is destroyed. While he has O hit points in mist form, he can't revert to his vampire form, and he must reach his coffin within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in his coffin, he reverts to his vampire form. He is then paralyzed until he regains at least l hit point. After l hour in his coffin with O hit points, he regains l , hit point. Regeneration. Strahd regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least l hit point and isn't in running water or sunlight. lf he takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of his next turn. Spellcasting. Strahd is a 9th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting · ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following wizard spells prepared: - Cant rips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost - 1st level (4 slots): comprehend languages.fog cloud, sleep ,. 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, gust of wind, mirror image 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead,fireba/1, nondetection -· 4th level (3 slots): blight, greater invisibility, polymorph ' 5th level (1 slot): animate objects, scrying APPENDIX D I MONSTERS AND NPGS Spider Climb. Strahd can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without having to make an ability check. Vampire Weaknesses. Strahd has the following flaws: Forbiddance. He can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants. Harmed by Running Water. He takes 20 acid damage if he ends his turn in running water. Stake to the Heart. If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into his heart while he is incapacitated in his coffin, he is paralyzed until the stake is removed. Sunlight Hypersensitivity. While in sunlight, Strahd takes 20 radiant damage at the start of his turn, and he has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. ACTIONS Multiattack (Vampire Form Only). Strahd makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack. Unarmed Strike (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (ld8 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, Strahd can grapple it (escape DC 18) instead of dealing the bludgeoning damage. Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by Strahd, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (ld6 + 4) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and Strahd regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under Strahd's control. Charm. Strahd targets one humanoid he can see within 30 feet of him. If the target can see Strahd, the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed. The charmed target regards Strahd as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. The target isn't under Strahd's control, but it takes Strahd's requests and actions in the most favorable way and lets Strahd bite it. Each time Strahd or his companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until Strahd is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect. Children of the Night (1/Day). Strahd magically calls 2d4 swarms of bats or swarms ofrats, provided that the sun isn't up. While outdoors, Strahd can call 3d6 wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in ld4 rounds, acting as allies ofStrahd and obeying his spoken commands. The beasts remain for l hour, until Strahd dies, or until he dismisses them as a bonus action. ------------------------ LEGENDARY ACTIONS r� Strahd can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Strahd regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. Move. Strahd moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Unarmed Strike. Strahd makes one unarmed strike. Bite (Costs 2 Actions). Strahd makes one bite ?ttack.
STRAHD ZOMBIE Strahd zombies are undead that serve the vampire Strahd von Zarovich. Created from the long-dead guards of Castle Ravenloft, they were called into being through dark magic by Strahd himself. Loathsome Limbs. A Strahd zombie's gray-green flesh looks soft, and its bones seem brittle. Any good hit from a bludgeoning or slashing weapon severs part of the zombie's body. Strahd zombies are suffused with STRAHD ZOMBIE Medium undead, unaligned Armor Class 8 Hit Points 30 (4d8 + 12) Speed 20 ft. STR 13 (+1) DEX 6 (-2) Saving Throws Wis +O CON 16 (+3) Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned INT 3 (-4) -a. ,I., WIS 6 (-2) · Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 CHA S (-3) Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't speak Challenge 1 (200 XP) Loathsome Limbs. Whenever the zombie takes at least 5 bludgeoning or slashing damage at one time, roll a d20 to determine what else happens to it: 1-8: One leg is severed from the zombie if it has any legs left. · 9-16: One arm is severed from the zombie if it has any arms left. 17-20: The zombie is decapitated. If the zombie is reduced to O hit points, all parts of it die. Until , then, a severed part acts on the zombie's initiative and has · its own action and movement. A severed part has AC 8. Any damage it takes is subtracted from the zombie's hit points. A severed leg is unable to attack and has a speed of S feet. A severed arm has a speed of 5 feet and can make one claw ' attack on its turn, with disadvantage on the attack roll. Each time the zombie loses an arm, it loses a claw attack. If its head is severed, the zombie loses its bite attack and its body is blinded unless the head can see it. The severed head · has a speed ofO feet. It can make a bite attack, but only against a target in its space. The zombie's speed is halved if it's missing a leg. lf it loses both legs, it falls prone. If it has both arms, it can crawl. With only one arm, it can still crawl, but its speed is halved. With no arms or legs, its speed is O feet, and it can't benefit from bonuses to speed. ACTIONS : Multiattack. The zombie makes three attacks: one with its bite I and two with its claws. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach S ft., one target. Hit: 3 (ld4 + 1) piercing damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach S ft., one target. Hit: 4 (ld6 + 1) slashing damage. ' . ...... � horrible necromantic magic that allows their severed body parts to continue to attack. All parts of a Strahd zombie are considered one and the same creature, so damage to any part damages the whole creature. Undead Nature. A Strahd zombie doesn't require air or sleep. VLADIMIR HORNGAARD Vladimir Horngaard joined the Order of the Silver Dragon at a young age and quickly earned the friendship of its founder, the silver dragon Argynvost. When he became a knight of the order, he traveled to distant lands to wage war against the forces of evil. The dragon stayed home and, in the guise of a human noble named Lord Argynvost, brought new initiates into the order. Enemies ofStrahd. Vladimir found himself fighting Strahd's armies time and again as they swept across the land. When it became clear that Strahd couldn't be stopped, the knights of the order led hundreds of refugees to Argynvost's valley, but Strahd tracked them to their sanctuary and overwhelmed them with a vast force. Vladimir, whom Argynvost had made a field commander, couldn't hold back the evil tide and was killed, only after the heartbreak of witnessing Strahd himself slay Vladimir's beloved, his fellow knight Sir Godfrey Gwilym. With the battle won, Strahd surrounded Argynvostholt. Rather than cower in his lair, Argynvost emerged and battled Strahd's armies to the bitter end. Deadly Vengeance. Unwilling to accept his failure, Vladimir returned as a revenant. So great was his hatred of Strahd and his thirst for vengeance that those feelings fueled the spirits of many of his fellow knightsincluding Godfrey-to come back as revenants as well. Vladimir continued to wage the hopeless war, even as Strahd tightened his grip on the valley. Vc/lOIMIR HoRNG/1/IRO
When Strahd became a vampire, Vladimir and his revenants should have gone to their eternal rest. But Strahd's deeds were so heinous that Barovia and the knight's spirits became trapped behind curtains of mist. Blinded by Hatred. Vladimir hates Strahd but doesn't want to see the vampire given his final rest. Vladimir wants Strahd to suffer forever for the deaths of Godfrey and Argynvost, the destruction of their order, and all the other crimes of which the vampire is guilty. Vladimir believes that all of Barovia has been swept into hell, and he wants to make sure that Strahd stays trapped in it forever. It angers Vladimir that he and his fellow knights are also trapped, but in Vladimir's mind, such is the price of keeping the vampire confined. Even his love for Godfrey is now just a dim memory shrouded by his hate. Were Vladimir to let go of his hatred, his spirit would find peace and could remember the warmth of love. Were Strahd to be defeated, even temporarily, the mists surrounding Barovia would fade, allowing the spirits of Vladimir and his knights to enter the afterlife. Nevertheless, Vladimir would rather savor Strahd's torment than bring peace to his fallen order or peace to the land of Barovia. Gone are the days of honor and valor. Statistics. Vladimir Horngaard has the statistics of a revenant with the following modifications: Vladimir's alignment is lawful evil. His Armor Class is 17 (half plate). He has 192 hit points. He speaks Common and Draconic. , Vladimir wields a +2 greatsword with a hilt sculpted to resemble silver dragon wings and a pommel shaped like a silver dragon's head clutching a black opal between its teeth. As an action, he can make two attacks with the sword (+9 to hit). It deals 20 (4d6 + 6) slashing damage on a hit. Against Strahd, Vladimir deals an extra 14 (4d6) slashing damage with the weapon. , Vladimir has a challenge rating of 7 (2,900 XP). VLADIMIR HORNGAARD'S TRAITS Ideal. "Vengeance is all I have left." Bond. "I have sworn oaths of allegiance to the Order of the Silver Dragon. Broken though the order may be, my allegiance never dies." Flaw. "Destroying Strahd would end the vampire's torment, and that is something I will never allow." WERE RAVEN Wereravens are secretive and extraordinarily cautious lycanthropes that trust one a�other but are wary of just about everyone else. Although �killed,at bl�nding into society, they keep mostiit.o':tlxe�selv�sr respect local laws, and strive to'do gC>qc(�h'e.n,i}�r�b'�sible/ ...•. · In their human-anfhy.titic l°fdr/ns, we�etavenkJ�vor · . light weapons .. They Jre reluctarti to make bhe �h�cks.in ,' raven form for fear of spreading their c·urse tosth��e who ; don't deserve it qr who would abuse it. : .. .... ·.·, . . A.Kindness ofWereravens. Wererav:eris refer to their ·• '\· . · · ,:'. · Jightly knit groups as kindnesses. A kindness of were- :· · ravens usually numbers between seven and twelve indi '-viduals. Not surprisingly, wereravens get along weli with ravens and often hide in plain sight among them. APPENDJX D I MONSTERS AND NPCS Charitable Collectors. Wereravens like to collect shiny trinkets and precious baubles. They are fond of sharing their wealth with those in need and, in their humanoid forms, modestly give money to charity. They take steps to keep magic items out of evil hands by stashing them in secret hiding places. Characters as Wereravens. The Monster Manual has rules for characters afflicted with lycanthropy. The following text applies to wereraven characters specifically. A character cursed with wereraven lycanthropy gains a Dexterity of 15 if his or her score isn't already higher. Attack and damage rolls for the wereraven's bite are based on whichever is higher of the character's Strength and Dexterity. The bite of a wereraven in raven form deals 1 piercing damage (no ability modifier applies to this damage) and carries the curse of lycanthropy; see the "Player Characters as Lycanthropes" sidebar in the lycanthropes entry in the Monster Manual for details. WERERAVEN Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), lawful good Armor Class 12 . Hit Points 31 (7d8) Speed 30 ft. (fly 50 ft. in raven and hybrid forms) STR 10 (+O) DEX 15 (+2) CON 11 (+O) Skills Insight +4, Perception +6 INT 13 (+l) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 14 (+2) Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons ' Senses passive Perception 16 Languages Common (can't speak in raven form) Challenge 2 (450 XP) Shapechanger. The wereraven can use its action to polymorph into a raven-humanoid hybrid or into a raven, or back into its human form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its human form if it dies. Mimicry. The wereraven can mimic simple sounds it has heard, such as a person whispering, a baby crying, or an animal . chittering. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check. ACTIONS Multiattack (Human or Hybrid Form Only). The wereraven makes two weapon attacks, one of which can be with its hand crossbow. · 1 Beak (Raven or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 · to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: l piercing damage in raven j form, or 4 (ld4 + 2) piercing damage in hybrid form. If the . target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution !. • L ; saving throw or be cursed with wereraven lycanthropy. t . I ( Shortsword (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1 d6 + 2) piercing damage. Hand Crossbow (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (ld6 + 2) piercing damage. .'. "I r
APPENDIX E: THE TAROKKA DECK The Vistani have long been masters of fortune-telling. In the hands of a Vistani seer, a deck of tarokka cards can tell tales of the future and provide answers to many a dark and mysterious question. Although the workmanship and artistic quality of the cards can vary from deck to deck, the ability of the cards to call forth information about the future is far more valuable than the monetary worth of a deck. Anyone can craft a deck of tarokka cards, but only someone ofVistani blood can imbue the cards with the gift of prophecy. Once they are crafted and empowered, they must be stored in accordance with ancient tradition, or they lose their efficacy. When not in use, tarokka cards must be wrapped in silk and stored in a wooden box. COMPOSITION A tarokka deck has fifty-four cards, each of which has its own name. Forty of them comprise the common deck, which is divided into four suits: swords, coins, stars, and glyphs. Each suit contains cards numbered one through nine, plus a tenth card that is called the master of that suit. A card can be referred to by its suit designation or by its name. For instance, the three of glyphs is also known as the healer, and the wizard card is also known as the master of stars. The remaining fourteen cards make up the high deck, which symbolizes the natural forces of the multiverse. These cards are represented by a crown symbol and are the most powerful cards in the deck. HIGH DECK The cards that compose the high deck aren't considered to be one suit, although they are often denoted with a crown icon to mark their importance. Rather, each card is an important power in its own right. If one of these HIGH DECK Represents cards comes out in a casting and seems to contradict the prediction of an earlier card, the Vistani always assume that this card takes precedence. COMMON DECK The four suits and their respective cards are described in more detail below. SWORDS This suit symbolizes aggression and violence. It is the suit of warriors, be they paladins, soldiers, mercenaries, or gladiators. It also symbolizes the power of governments and leaders, whether noble or corrupt. STARS This suit symbolizes the desire for personal power and control over things beyond the ken of mortals. It is the suit of arcane mages, sages, and intellectuals. It also represents the triumph of magic, science, and reason over religion, mysticism, and superstition. COINS This suit symbolizes avarice and the desire for personal and material gain. It is also symbolic of gluttony, lust, and obsession. On the side of good, this suit can suggest the accumulation of wealth for the benefit of a charity or a just cause. On the side of evil, it embodies the worst aspects of greed. It speaks to the power of gold, and how that power can build or destroy nations. GLYPHS This suit symbolizes faith, spirituality, and inner strength. It is the suit of priests and those who devote themselves to the service of a deity, a higher power, or a heightened philosophy. On the side of good, it represents willpower and dedication. On the side of evil, the suit signifies weakness of character, self-doubt, and betrayal of one's ideals or beliefs. It symbolizes health and healing, as well as illness and disease. Name Artifact Beast Broken One Darklord Donjon Ghost Executioner Horseman Innocent Marionette Mists The importance of some physical object that must be obtained, protected, or destroyed at all costs Raven Seer Tempter �7 \/ Great rage or passion; something bestial or malevolent hiding in plain sight or lurking just below the surface Defeat, failure, and despair; the loss of something or someone important, without which one feels incomplete A single, powerful individual of an evil nature, one whose goals h�ve enormous and far-reaching consequences Isolation and imprisonment; being so conservative in thinking as to be a prisoner of one's own beliefs The looming past; the return of an old enemy or the discovery of a secret buried long ago The imminent death of one rightly or wrongly convicted of a crime; false accusations and unjust prosecution Death; disaster in the form of the loss of wealth or property, a horrible defeat, or the end of a bloodline A being of great importance whose life is in danger (who might be helpless or simply unaware of the peril) The presence of a spy or a minion of some greater power; an encounter with a puppet or an underling Something unexpected or mysterious that can't be avoided; a great quest or journey that will try one's spirit A hidden source of information; a fortunate turn of even.ts; a secret potential for gcJo�, \ //_::;, _ -� Inspiration and keen intellect; a future event, the outcome of which will hinge on a clever mind One who has been compromised or led astray by temptation or'f6oli;h·ness; .one who tempts cithersfor evil ends . ' - . . - . : � -. . . : ........ - ; .. ' ------ --- � �' ..... : '.· -- �;;� , '
SWORDS Card Master of swords One of swords Two of swords Three of swords Four of swords Five of swords Six of swords Seven of swords Eight of swords Nine of swords STARS Card Master of stars One of stars Two of stars Three of stars Four of stars Five of stars Six of stars Seven of stars Eight of stars Nine of stars COINS Card Master of coins One of coins Two of coins Three of coins Four of coins Five of coins Six of coins Seven of coins Eight of coins Nine of coins GLYPHS Card Master of glyphs One of glyphs Two of glyphs Three of glyphs Four of glyphs Five of glyphs Six of glyphs · �even of gl)'.phs Eight of glyphs _Nine of glyphs Name Warrior Avenger Paladin Soldier Mercenary Myrmidon Berserker Hooded One Dictator Torturer Name Wizard Transmuter Diviner Enchanter Abjurer Elementalist Evoker Illusionist Necromancer Conjurer Name Rogue Swashbuckler Philanthropist Trader Merchant Guild Member Beggar Thief Tax Collector Miser Name Priest Monk Missionary · Healer;.> /.,· � ,{ . Shepherd Dn:iia· Anarchist Charlatan Bishop Traitor APPENDIX E I THE TAROKKA DECK Represents Strength and force personified; violence; those who use force to accomplish their goals Justice and revenge for great wrongs; those on a quest to rid the world of great evil Just and noble warriors; those who live by a code of honor and integrity War and sacrifice; the stamina to endure great hardship Inner strength and fortitude; those who fight for power or wealth Great heroes; a sudden reversal of fate; the triumph of the underdog over a mighty enemy The brutal and barbaric side of warfare; blood lust; those with a bestial nature Bigotry, intolerance, and xenophobia; a mysterious presence or newcomer All that is wrong with government and leadership; those who rule through fear and violence The coming of suffering or merciless cruelty; one who is irredeemably evil or sad*stic Represents Mystery and riddles; the unknown; those who crave magical power and great knowledge A new discovery; the coming of unexpected things; unforeseen consequences and chaos The pursuit of knowledge tempered by wisdom; truth and honesty; sages and prophecy Inner turmoil that comes from confusion, fear of failure, or false information Those guided by logic and reasoning; warns of an overlooked clue or piece of information The triumph of nature over civilization; natural disasters and bountiful harvests Magical or supernatural power that can't be controlled; magic for destructive ends Lies and deceit; grand conspiracies; secret societies; the presence of a dupe or a saboteur Unnatural events and unhealthy obsessions; those who follow a destructive path The coming of an unexpected supernatural threat; those who think of themselves as gods Represents Anyone for whom money is important; those who believe money is the key to their success Those who like money yet give it up freely; likable rogues and rapscallions Charity and giving on a grand scale; those who use wealth to fight evil and sickness Commerce; smuggling and black markets; fair and equitable trades A rare commodity or business opportunity; deceitful or dangerous business transactions Like-minded individuals joined together in a common goal; pride in one's work Sudden change in economic status or fortune Those who steal or burgle; a loss of property, beauty, innocence, friendship, or reputation Corruption; honesty in an otherwise corrupt government or organization Hoarded wealth; those who are irreversibly unhappy or who think money is meaningless Represents Enlightenment; those who follow a deity, a system of values, or a higher purpose Serenity.; inner strength and self-reliance; supreme confid_ence bereft o,f ar�ogance Those who spread wisdom and faith to others; warnings of the spread offear and ignorance .. tfealirig;.a·contagious illness, disease,.or curse; those w.ho::practice the healing arts,:" • . . .>· • . - ., _.. . • •. • •• Those who protect others; one who bears a burden far too great to be shouldered alone The ambivalence and cruelty of nature.and those who feel. dra\v�·to·it;. i . n�e/tur,mo(· A fundamental change brought on by one whose beliefs are being put to the test Liars; those who prpfess to believe one thing but actually: b'elieve:ano,the'r: ·' Strict adherence to a code or a belief; those who plot, plan, and scheme Betrayal by someone close and trusted; a weakening or loss of faith
APPENDIX EI THE TAROKKA DECK --- �(;> -- - - -
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APPENDIX E \ THE TAROKKA DECK • 7 . I
