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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Eilserus Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 18:52:12
Looks like the next adventure path is Curse of Strahd. Level 1 to 10.

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/return-ravenloft
24   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Joran Nobleheart Posted - 21 Jun 2016 : 18:58:36
I have the campaign, and I've played Ravenloft since 1999, when I bought the black box set. I'm also still running Curse of Strahd for my group.

Barovia is more of a classic D&D world feel like you're used to with Forgotten Realms, etc. The domains where firearms are more common are along the lines of a Renaissance level of technology. Mordent, Lamordia, Paridon are a few examples of that level of technology.
Petra_W Posted - 20 Jun 2016 : 21:54:58
Anyone got the book now? It seems to say, that you can "easily" import characters from other setting like Faerûn. But how? I though Ravenloft plays in a more technically advanced setting than medieval sword coast. Pistols and stuff, that my group may know from gnomes but rather not.
Rils Posted - 18 Apr 2016 : 17:56:27
If you intend to run it, it's a good buy. It's got great art, beautiful maps, and the adventure has a lot of content for something designed to only go through level 10. The campaign itself is very sandboxy, with a mechanic that allows for some replayability (using the Tarokka deck to randomize the locations of three McGuffins and a few other plot details) if you're really into it. In true Ravenloft style, the encounter areas are often much higher CR than the PCs, and the book even advises the DM to inform the players that due to the sandbox nature and challenges in the adventure, they should "be aware that's its easy to quickly get in over your heads." Our group is just starting on it, and I think we'll enjoy the campaign once, but wouldn't necessarily run it repeatedly.

Quick disclaimer, there is very little that's Realmsy about it - just a couple pages at the beginning with some plot hooks to get your PCs from FR into Barovia. I think it would be difficult to convert or cherry pick from it into other campaigns without losing the Ravenloft flair. Personally I'm not sure I would pick it up just for my collection, but like I said, if you intend to run it, it is (for us at least) turning into a fun and memorable change of pace. (We're only at level two and already had three PC deaths...)
Eilserus Posted - 18 Apr 2016 : 16:13:35
I haven't picked this up yet, probably will by end of month. Anyone have a copy care to chime in? Curious if its a good buy. Thanks. ;)
moonbeast Posted - 18 Apr 2016 : 14:13:31
@dead

Interesting points. Although I've always assumed that "time" is never the same between the planes. The passage of time in the Prime Material, for example, would not apply to the passage of time in the Seven Heavens of Celestia. A human epoch on Toril or Oerth, for example, may simply be a blink of the eye for the heavenly gods of Celestia. Or it might not. Trying to make further sense of this would simply cause insanity.
dead Posted - 17 Apr 2016 : 12:29:42
Is anyone concerned about the continuity problem of linking Curse of Strahd (and the Adventurers League modules) with 5E Forgotten Realms?

Let me explain...

First of all, CoS isn't exactly a remake of I6 as the original adventure was set in 528 BC. CoS is set in 735 BC. But let's assume the reason all the NPCs of I6 appear again in CoS (200 years after I6) is because they are all reincarnated souls.

If we accept the reincarnated souls theory, however, there's still a continuity issue. This is because 735 BC is five years before the Grand Conjunction. But if CoS is tied to 5E Forgotten Realms (particularly through the Adventurers League modules) then all the RL setting metaplot that has come before - the Grand Conjuntion, the Grim Harvest, etc. - should have occurred; ie. a lot of stuff has happened since 735 BC in the shared FR / RL multiverse.

Also, 5E FR's 100 year time advance after the Spellplague would have to be considered. (The Barovian calendar year should be more like 851 BC or thereabouts.)

Of course, the passage of time can be mysterious in the Domains of Dread but the spirit of what I'm saying is that time has passed and things have happened in the RL / FR shared multiverse since 735 BC.

The only way to explain this adventure's use with 5E FR is to say that the Mists not only transport our 5E FR heroes to Barovia, but also transport them back in time.
Rymac Posted - 23 Mar 2016 : 03:25:54
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

You forget that the site of Castle Daggerford was the original ancestral seat of Artor Morlin, the Baron of Blood.

-- George Krashos



That did slip my mind, and does make sense. I guess I'm itching for more than just Sword Coast material for the 5e Realms, even if it's only tangental. I can imagine we will see new material featuring Cormyr and the Dalelands at some point. Hopefully it doesn't need to be accompanied by another RSE.
George Krashos Posted - 23 Mar 2016 : 01:54:29
Yes he did. A bit sloppy in my wording. I meant that Artor was the ancestor.

-- George Krashos
hashimashadoo Posted - 23 Mar 2016 : 00:13:09
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos

quote:
Originally posted by Rymac

It's interesting that the suggested Realms entry-point to Curse of Strahd is Daggerford, when Daggerdale would have been a better fit, since there was vampire infestation the Dale's distant history. That would have been a nice touch to tie into older lore if they had done that.



You forget that the site of Castle Daggerford was the original ancestral seat of Artor Morlin, the Baron of Blood.

-- George Krashos



Ancestral? Didn't Artor have it built himself?
George Krashos Posted - 22 Mar 2016 : 21:32:03
quote:
Originally posted by Rymac

It's interesting that the suggested Realms entry-point to Curse of Strahd is Daggerford, when Daggerdale would have been a better fit, since there was vampire infestation the Dale's distant history. That would have been a nice touch to tie into older lore if they had done that.



You forget that the site of Castle Daggerford was the original ancestral seat of Artor Morlin, the Baron of Blood.

-- George Krashos
hashimashadoo Posted - 22 Mar 2016 : 19:56:12
quote:
Originally posted by Rymac

It's interesting that the suggested Realms entry-point to Curse of Strahd is Daggerford, when Daggerdale would have been a better fit, since there was vampire infestation the Dale's distant history. That would have been a nice touch to tie into older lore if they had done that.



Also, a character who helped end said infestation ended up coming to Barovia and fighting Count Strahd.
Rymac Posted - 22 Mar 2016 : 19:33:55
It's interesting that the suggested Realms entry-point to Curse of Strahd is Daggerford, when Daggerdale would have been a better fit, since there was vampire infestation the Dale's distant history. That would have been a nice touch to tie into older lore if they had done that.
Shadowsoul Posted - 22 Mar 2016 : 18:01:32
They've actually changed things regarding Strahd and Tatyanna.

Won't be purchasing this.
moonbeast Posted - 18 Mar 2016 : 02:39:14
Just received my copy of Curse of Strahd. This is a beauty. Also production values are quite high, and this includes the fold-out "poster map" (2 sided). One side is the town of Barovia and other mini-maps on the inset. The opposite side is a grand map of….. Castle Ravenloft itself. Such a good buy at $31 (Amazon lowest-price guarantee)
Wooly Rupert Posted - 19 Jan 2016 : 16:09:11
quote:
Originally posted by moonbeast

Technically, this is NOT a Realms-specific product like the previous APs (Tyranny of Dragons, Rage of Demons, Princes of Apocalypse take place in the Sword Coast).

Jeremy Crawford already Tweeted to clarify this, stating: "Barovia is where the DMG (p. 51) says it is: in the demiplane of shadow and dread". The WotC staff said that the Characters could start in about any setting (e.g. Eberron, Greyhawk, Faerun, whatever) and they will end up in the Demiplane of Shadows where the adventure takes place.

And the official WotC website states THIS:

Heroes from the Forgotten Realms and other D&D worlds can easily be drawn into Strahd’s cursed land. Once there, they must contend with the horrors of Barovia.

In fact, I'm glad it's NOT located in the Realms. The poor Sword Coast region has already been trampled and kicked around by hordes of rampaging Dragon cultists and Demon Lords for the first 2 years of the 5th Edition Era alone. And let's not forget all those Elemental Princes and their lackeys also rampaging in the Dessarin Valley (North Sword Coast). Give the Sword Coast a break. Let the new APs take place elsewhere.



It makes sense that Ravenloft isn't in the Realms... Since 2E, it's been its own setting with one-way connections elsewhere, and it's also difficult to just drop in an entire nation without a RSE.

I wonder if the module will retain the Hotel California aspect of the Ravenloft setting -- "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave!"
Eilserus Posted - 19 Jan 2016 : 12:56:31
I really hope any future realms APs end up in different areas too. I suppose the Dales/Moonsea area is off limits due to the Adventurer's League, but plenty of other places open.
moonbeast Posted - 19 Jan 2016 : 07:01:31
Technically, this is NOT a Realms-specific product like the previous APs (Tyranny of Dragons, Rage of Demons, Princes of Apocalypse take place in the Sword Coast).

Jeremy Crawford already Tweeted to clarify this, stating: "Barovia is where the DMG (p. 51) says it is: in the demiplane of shadow and dread". The WotC staff said that the Characters could start in about any setting (e.g. Eberron, Greyhawk, Faerun, whatever) and they will end up in the Demiplane of Shadows where the adventure takes place.

And the official WotC website states THIS:

Heroes from the Forgotten Realms and other D&D worlds can easily be drawn into Strahd’s cursed land. Once there, they must contend with the horrors of Barovia.

In fact, I'm glad it's NOT located in the Realms. The poor Sword Coast region has already been trampled and kicked around by hordes of rampaging Dragon cultists and Demon Lords for the first 2 years of the 5th Edition Era alone. And let's not forget all those Elemental Princes and their lackeys also rampaging in the Dessarin Valley (North Sword Coast). Give the Sword Coast a break. Let the new APs take place elsewhere.
Irennan Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 21:55:49
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

quote:
Originally posted by Irennan

Well, at least it's not yet another apocalypse...



Oh, you didn't see the thing about the Raven Weave, Mystra's Death XLII, and The Return of the Schmoo?





Please, don't give them ideas
Wooly Rupert Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 21:47:11
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan

Well, at least it's not yet another apocalypse...



Oh, you didn't see the thing about the Raven Weave, Mystra's Death XLII, and The Return of the Schmoo?

Irennan Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 20:46:42
Well, at least it's not yet another apocalypse...
Wooly Rupert Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 19:57:00
quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR

Yeah, the domains of the Darklords are pretty much prisons created just for them, so its a lot harder for them to escape than it would be someone that is just some random adventurer that showed up. The more corrupt a person becomes, the harder it is to leave. As far as I know, the only Darklords to get out were Soth and Vecna, and Soth got out on a technicality that Hickman and Weis never wanted him there in the first place.



Though, as I recall, the official excuse was something along the lines of he was tormenting himself more than the Dark Powers could, so they let him go. Can't say I liked that excuse, but I similarly wasn't entirely cool with Soth being flipped to Ravenloft, anyway.

I think I personally would have spun his escape from Ravenloft as being because his curse tied him to Krynn, so the Dark Powers simply couldn't hold on to him that long. Or maybe Takhisis snatched him back.
KnightErrantJR Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 19:48:55
Yeah, the domains of the Darklords are pretty much prisons created just for them, so its a lot harder for them to escape than it would be someone that is just some random adventurer that showed up. The more corrupt a person becomes, the harder it is to leave. As far as I know, the only Darklords to get out were Soth and Vecna, and Soth got out on a technicality that Hickman and Weis never wanted him there in the first place.
Eilserus Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 19:44:58
Yes, that was a relief. I was worried they would end up dumping every adventure they made into the Realms, even ones that don't really make sense. I've never been a huge fan of Ravenloft, but maybe this will interesting. I always have had a disconnect with that setting. If Strahd or Azalin can't get out, chances are the PC's won't either etc. thus end of campaign. Though maybe that's different since they are tied to their domains or something, I'm not well versed in Ravenloft lore at any rate.

Curious to see how it turns out. I'm surprised, I didn't figure them leaving the Realms so quickly so to speak.

KnightErrantJR Posted - 18 Jan 2016 : 19:11:34
From the Adventurers League site, it sounds like you will start out in the Realms and then be transported to Barovia via the mists. In fact, you can't play a character that has started playing Season Four content in non-Season Four adventures until you find a way out of the demiplane. So it doesn't sound like they are shoehorning Barovia into the Realms, which I like.

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