Ravenloft preparations and intro

For discussion of the Expedition to Ravenloft
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erilar
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Ravenloft preparations and intro

Post by erilar »

Ken, could you please create a folder in the forums for the upcoming Ravenloft campaign?

Here's your prep info, guys. The module is written for (4) 6th level characters. 30 pt buy and standard equipment per our chart, prestige classes only if approved by me in advance. (I'd like the other DMs' advice as per how to handle the fact that we'll probably have more than 4 characters per session. I'm currently thinking to just go with all 6th level chars, and the decreased xp gain will eventually even things out.)

I'm going to rule that the PCs know and have adventured with each other previously. This will allow table talk and meta decisions to be made by the players, ensuring class balance and the like.

I'll defer to the Greyhawk veterans to determine the actual location of Barovia within the world. It's a Romania-type locale, in a mist-enshrouded forest valley in the SE foothills of a large mountain range.


Having recently returned from a successful sacking of the haunted dungeons of Castle Indeterminate, your adventuring party settles into an evening of revelry and celebration in your favorite local tavern.

The next morning, you are awakened, bleary-eyed and disoriented, to a vigorous pounding on the doors to your private rooms. Constable Grignard, a local official of some power, has a task for your merry band.

It seems that a merchant caravan conveying, in part, a cherished family heirloom was intercepted and pillaged by brigands. He has charged your band with retrieving this item. He will not divulge the specific identity of the heirloom, but assures you that it is marked with his family crest, and gives you a ring bearing the same as an example.

The constable offers a very tidy reward for the safe return of the item, enough to make even your cleric's eyes light up, although not enough to seem overly fishy.

The caravan was traveling through a remote area known as Barovia - possibly a week's ride from your current location. Grignard believes that the human and halfling "gypsies" who travel throughout Barovia are transporting the stolen goods. The constable points out in a round-about fashion that Barovia - and hence the smugglers' headquarters - is situated just outside the jurisdiction of any larger governments, including the province in which you currently reside...

After the proper preparations, your party sets off towards Barovia. About a days' ride from the village of Barovia itself, you come upon an inn and settle in for the night.

With the dying of daylight, a fog creeps across the land, clutching everything in its clammy grasp. Inside the Weary Horse Inn, though, the fire is warm enough, and if the few patrons are sullen and stare at you a little boldly, at least the food and drink are good.

For an inn's common room, it's quiet. It holds no more than a handful of customers. They keep their voices low, and even the clink of their mugs seems subdued as the fog gathers outside. When the door swings open, every head turns to see who has arrived.

This new arrival loudly stamps the mud off his boots in the doorway, then strides confidently over, throwing a letter down on the table in front of you.

"The village of Barovia is in need of heroes," he says in a thick accent. "You'll do as well as any." Without another word, he turns to leave.

The letter reads as follows:

Hail to thee of might and valor:

I, a lowly servant of the township of Barovia, send honor to thee. We plead for thy so desperately needed assistance within our community.

The love of my life, Ireena Kolyana, has been cursed by the witches of Lysaga Hill, and even the good people of our town are powerless to free her from this enchantment. She wastes away under the witches' curse and I would have her saved from this menace.

There is much wealth in this community. I offer all that might be had to thee and thy fellows if thou shalt but answer my desperate plea.

Come quickly, for her time is at hand! All that I have shall be thine!

Kolyan Indirovich,
Burgomaster of Barovia


"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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NukeHavoc
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Post by NukeHavoc »

Done.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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EvilGenius
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Post by EvilGenius »

Great Gooly-Moogly! The Horror begins!!!! :oops: :shock:

well, if we're seriously going to go get big bad Strahd (shudder), we better have a well prepared, competent party.

Here are my suggestions. Please take them as that, just suggestions.

I'd recommend sticking as much as possible with single class characters or characters whose primary attributes stack. So if going with a fighter guy, doing ranger/fighter would not detract from overal BAB (good), but rogue/fighter would give lower BAB (bad). spellcasters need the higher level spells available from being single classed.

We're going to need a cleric. A good ol' undead-turning-healing-and-protecting people cleric. I volunteer (and others are obviously welcome).

A strong single class paladin would be a great addition, IMO, as would a strong, competent bard.

We'll probably need 1 or 2 strong front line fighters (pally/fighter, fighter/fighter).

We're going to need a good dungeon delving rogue. Other stealthy charactes are fine, or characters with info gathering skills, but we're going to need to be able to search for and disarm traps and unlock doors.

And a straight-class wizard (to maximize spell level capability).
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T1Mirage
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Post by T1Mirage »

I could go with playing a paladin or wizard.

I don't have much luck with rogues or bards - but would take bard over a rogue most days.

re: paladin and Lance pointed this out - would the paladin stalker / inquistor be good for this campaign for some devirsity but probably requires levels.
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Post by Lars Porsenna »

I was thinking of doing a bard/rouge myself. Never played a bard so this may make things interesting...

PLus (as Bob indicates) the two classes "stack" better than my other choice (sorcerer/rouge).

Damon.
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erilar
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Post by erilar »

Bob is correct in assuming that this adventure will be difficult (encounter-wise) and that the players should work on maxxing their characters' effectiveness. Think Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil - the fights will be very challenging, and some characters will probably die along the way.

Regarding the prestige classes George mentioned for paladins - what book are they from so I can review them?

Divine spell casters should note that several special Ravenloft-specific prestige classes will be available to them as the adventure progresses. I'll take a quick look at these over lunch so I can give hints to what they might be (caster-centric, combat-centric, etc.).
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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Post by Hardcorhobbs »

I was also thinking a bard. I have fun playing them. Straight bard though. Gnome Illusionist Bard :wink:

We'll have to fight it out Damon *D20 ROLL OFF* :twisted:
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Post by Jonkga »

George was talking about the Shadowbane Inquisitor and the Shadowbane Stalker, both from the Complete Adventurer book. If we are starting at 6th level, they both require a skill pre-req of 8 ranks, and one requires a +5 BAB, and since they are cleric/rogue and paladin/rogue prestige classes (at least by design), then it almost makes it impossible to already have levels of these classes before the adventure starts.

I of course will bow to the will of the group, and certainly of the DM, but I'd be inclined to say that we should probably go without these classes for this adventure, especially if there are Ravenloft-specific paths available to PC's that can be uncovered during the campaign. Just my two cents.

Lance, if you don't have Complete Adventurer, you can borrow mine to review the classes.
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Post by Jonkga »

Bard is a good choice, folks. Remember, Melchior was the only PC to completely survive through the RttToEE adventure, from start to finish.

I won't be going Bard this time, however. I was considering a Rogue who specialized in Use Magic Device and tried passing himself off as a Wizard, but that seems better for a Dark City style campaign, and not for Ravenloft.

So, I am going to go fighter for this campaign. He'll be a front-line, protect the others (who are better at figuring out what's going on, completing the mission, etc.) type of fighter. Good-aligned and honorable, not mercenary in his approach. But, definitely a wade into the fray type of fellow.
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Post by EvilGenius »

That's exactly what I was thinking when I suggested a bard (and when I made Torthen also, and when I created a magical item for Richlen that used bardic spells). :) The bardsong abilities are just awesome for supporting the party.
Jonkga wrote:Bard is a good choice, folks. Remember, Melchior was the only PC to completely survive through the RttToEE adventure, from start to finish.
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Post by EvilGenius »

How about it, Ken? Wizard for you? :)
erilar wrote:Bob is correct in assuming that this adventure will be difficult (encounter-wise) and that the players should work on maxxing their characters' effectiveness. Think Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil - the fights will be very challenging, and some characters will probably die along the way.
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Post by EvilGenius »

I was reading over these classes this morning and I actually really like them a lot. In reading the flavor text, it occured to me that they were almost certainly designed to be used with the god Pholtus, from Greyhawk. That can certainly fit with the setting if we're talking about NE Great Kingdom or Blackmoor.

The notes on adapting the classes do point out that removing some of the flavor text makes it pretty simple to put the prestige classes anywhere as a more moderate group of skilled clerics/paladins.

I agree that for the intro, they probably aren't doable, but I think they'd be neat to build toward. I was briefly considering the Stalker (priest/rogue), and while the spell progression doesn't suffer hardly at all, the turn undead abilities don't advance at all. I'm thinking that's not a good limitation to build into the party cleric (though if we have TWO clerics .....).
Jonkga wrote:George was talking about the Shadowbane Inquisitor and the Shadowbane Stalker, both from the Complete Adventurer book. If we are starting at 6th level, they both require a skill pre-req of 8 ranks, and one requires a +5 BAB, and since they are cleric/rogue and paladin/rogue prestige classes (at least by design), then it almost makes it impossible to already have levels of these classes before the adventure starts.

I of course will bow to the will of the group, and certainly of the DM, but I'd be inclined to say that we should probably go without these classes for this adventure, especially if there are Ravenloft-specific paths available to PC's that can be uncovered during the campaign. Just my two cents.

Lance, if you don't have Complete Adventurer, you can borrow mine to review the classes.
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Post by NukeHavoc »

EvilGenius wrote:How about it, Ken? Wizard for you? :)
Probably, but I'll need to think on it. Bards have been growing on me (as witnessed by my last few characters)
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Post by NukeHavoc »

Actually, I might do something really radical and play a paladin, 'cause I hear they're all the rage these days. Plus I think there's this really nifty sunsword lying around somewhere in Castle Ravenloft...
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me. I'll try and be a tad more quiet as I desperately struggle to break free -- and save all creation!" -- Doctor Strange
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Post by Lars Porsenna »

I think if I loose the roll-off to Corey, I'll probably play a cleric of some sort...

Damon.
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