Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit Campaign Session #99

 

Session 99-  A Dimensional Detour to Castle Ravenloft Part 3

11/12/2023

• Rams struggle with Sasha, but when they use Holy Water on her she 

  stops regenerating and becomes easier to kill.

• Rams go into Sir Erik Vonderbucks crypt and discover his gilded corpse, 

  but decide not to mess around with it.

• Rams are shocked to discover a crypt has Shelby’s name inscribed on 

  the door and enter to find a corpse that strongly resembles Shelby, but 

  when it is touched it disappears.

• In Chef Bascal Ofenheiss, Rams trigger a fire trap.  They survive and 

  find an electrum and jeweled spork.

• Rams enter Strahd’s Tomb.  In the east alcove they awaken the bride 

  Ludmilla Vilisevic.  They fight and kill her.

• In the center alcove they awaken the bride Anastrasya Karelova and 

  Ferika finds the Sunsword.

• Several rounds into fighting Anastrasya, Strahd shows up and awakens 

  the 3rd bride, Volenta Popofsky.

• Shelby drives Volenta to flee by using the power of the Mace of Terror.

• After several rounds against both Strahd and Anastrasya, Ferika kills 

  Strahd with the Sunsword.  Anastrasya and Volenta die instantly when 

  Strahd is killed.

• Rams burn the Tome of Strahd to ensure that Strahd remains dead.

• Ireena hugs all the Rams while sobbing with relief.

• Tim, Fecus, Ferika, and Shelby awaken in Room #44 as if they had 

  had a dream of the adventure in Castle Ravenloft.

• They have artifacts and weapons they didn’t have when they went to 

  sleep.

• Electrum and jeweled spork 250 GP

• Gold tiara 750GP

• 10 gold bracelets 100GP each

• Black and crimson head scarf sewn with precious jewels 750GP

• Platinum necklace with black opal pendant 1500GP

• Platinum mask shaped like a skull 750GP

• 10 Platinum rings with gems 250GP each

• Sasha, Ludmilla, Anastrasya, and Volenta killed = 7200XP

• Strahd Von Zarovich killed = 13,000XP

• Total XP = 27,700XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive 9233XP

• Ferika and Shelby each receive 4616XP

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit Campaign Session #98

 

Session 98-  A Dimensional Detour to Castle Ravenloft Part 2

11/5/2023

• The Sunsword is located in Strahd’s Tomb, but Ireena has never been 

  down to the crypt level, so she isn’t much help to Rams as they move 

  down to that area.

• They enter Sergei’s Tomb (Strahd’s brother) and find Sergei’s exquisitely 

  preserved body and +2 armor.

• In Ariel the Heavy’s crypt they encounter the Ghost of Ariel.  They kill the 

  ghost.

• Entering Saint Markovia’s crypt, a poison dart trap is triggered.  Within 

  the tomb it smells of roses and a strangely ornamented thighbone is 

  resting on the marble slab.  Picking it up, a ghostly form informs Rams 

  that the Vampire Strahd must be destroyed and that Saint Markovia’s 

  Thighbone is a weapon that can be used against him.

• In Tasha Petrovna’s crypt, Rams take a sun-shaped holy symbol worth 

  25GP.

• In King Katsky’s crypt, Rams acquire a glider, musket, gunpowder and 

  20 silver shot balls.

• Rams enter Sasha Ivliskova’s crypt and are surprised by her waking up 

  and asking for her husband, Strahd.  When she realizes that they aren’t 

  him she immediately attacks.

• The fight with Sasha continues into the next session.

• +2 Armor

• Saint Markovia’s Thighbone

• Sun-shaped holy symbol 25GP

• Glider

• Musket, gunpowder, 20 silver shot balls

• Ariel the Heavy Ghost killed = 1100XP

• Total XP = 1125XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive 375XP

• Ferika and Shelby each receive 187XP

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit Campaign Session #97

 

Session 97-  A Dimensional Detour to Castle Ravenloft Part 1

10/29/2023

• During the 2nd watch, the Rams on watch observe a strange mist move 

  into Room #44 where they have set up camp for the night.

• Tim and Shelby dream of Tiamat’s green head telling them “By blood or 

  by deed you and your companions are sworn to aid and protect the 

  hunted from the devil of Barovia.”  Fecus and Ferika have a similar 

  dream, but instead of Tiamat delivering the message, it’s a version 

  of themselves.

• Tim, Fecus, Ferika, and Shelby wake up in a fast moving carriage 

  sitting opposite from a veiled gypsy woman (Madame Eva).

• Madame Eva pulls divination cards for the four Rams.

• Warrior (Strahd’s Tomb) location of Sunsword

• Merchant (Wine Cellar) location of Icon of Ravenloft

• Priest (Chapel) location of Tome of Strahd

• Tempter (Treasury) location of Strahd 

• The carriage pulls up to Castle Ravenloft.

• Rams are greeted by the castle chamberlain Rahadin and led into the 

  dining hall, where Strahd is playing the organ and Rams meet Ireena.

• Strahd tells Rams that they must defeat him to save the soul of Ireena 

  and if they fail she must become his bride.  Then he disappears like he 

  was an illusion.

• Rams eat some of the sumptuous looking food and are surprised how 

  bland it tastes.

• Ireena offers to show them around parts of the castle she is familiar 

  with, and Rams follow her to the chapel where the Tome of Strahd is 

  located.  A bowl of Holy Water is set on the altar and Rams fill up vials 

  and water skins.

• Shelby acquires a Mace of Terror from a corpse in the chapel.

• Rams decide to explore the balcony and encounter 2 Strahd Zombies.

• After killing the zombies, Rams are led to the wine cellar by Ireena.

• Searching the casks, Shelby encounters a Black Pudding and Rams 

  kill it and discover the Icon of Ravenloft in the shattered cask.

• Tome of Strahd

• Icon of Ravenloft

• Mace of Terror

• 2 Strahd Zombies killed = 400XP

• Black Pudding killed = 1100XP

• Total XP = 1500XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive 500XP

• Shelby and Ferika each receive 250XP

A Dimensional Detour to Castle Ravenloft for Halloween

    I got the idea to do a Castle Ravenloft Halloween game while watching Sly Flourish videos on YouTube last winter. Here is a link to Mike's article that details the method he uses to run Castle Ravenloft as a one-shot game.  Here is a link to James Introcaso's article that outlines a similar approach that I also found helpful.

    About 5 or 6 weeks before Halloween this year, I asked my players if they had any interest in doing a special game for Halloween.  They expressed enthusiasm for the idea, so I started planning the details for how I would go about running Castle Ravenloft from the 5e Curse of Strahd adventure.  I knew for my game I wouldn't be able to pull this off as a one-shot due to our tight 2 hour weekly sessions.  So I planned for a 2 to 3 session Halloween Extravaganza.  

    My players' characters are currently exploring the 1st level of the mega dungeon Dwimmermount.  The Mists of Ravenloft would be their conveyance into that demi-plane/dimension.  The session before Halloween, the PCs chose to rest within Dwimmermount which was convenient for me to have the Mists arrive and pull the PCs out of a deep sleep and into a carriage with Madame Eva.

    After deciding how to get the PCs into Ravenloft, next I started thinking about win conditions and I determined that death in Ravenloft wouldn't be perma-death in the campaign.  If they died in Castle Ravenloft, they would wake up in Dwimmermount as if from a terrifying dream.  I also started thinking about PC level.  The 4 characters going into Ravenloft were LotFP; a level 8 Magic-User, a level 8 SPC, a level 6 Fighter, and a level 4 Cleric of Tiamat.  It has been quite the grind to level for the two level 8 characters.  I had read that the recommended character level range for Castle Ravenloft was 7-9 for 5e characters.  With my limited knowledge and experience of 5e, I knew that LotFP characters might be at a disadvantage.  I decided on a temporary character advancement to 9th level that would carry through to the regular campaign if the PCs defeated Strahd.  I did all the rolling for the temporary leveling hit points and spells.

    If you want to find out how this game preparation turned out, keep reading the blog over the next several days as I post session reports.

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit Campaign Session #96

 

Session 96-  Meeting the Spawn of Arach-Nacha

10/22/2023

• Rams explore Rooms #26 and #27 and fought 3 Crab Spiders

• Room #36 Shrine to Tycho

• Room #39 4 Spider Crabs fought

• Room #41 meet and bargain with Spawn of Arach-Nach who is 

  willing to make Kobolds from Dwarven Statues for Rams if they kill 

  the Mad Guran.

• Rams kill Guran, his last 6 Kobolds, and 1 Crab Spider.

• Room #44

• Room #45 Burn Yellow Mold and finds stairs that go down (2A)

• Rams set watches and camp in Room #44

• 8 Crab Spiders killed = 200 XP

• 6 Kobolds killed = 60 XP

• Guran killed = 25 XP

• Yellow Mold killed = 50 XP

• 6132 CP 61 XP

• Dwarven Chain Mail +1

• Dwarven Warhammer 1d6+1

• Total XP = 396 XP

• Tim and Fecus each receive = 132 XP

• Hirelings each receive = 66 XP

Ox ---> Tiger --->Rabbit Campaign Session #95

 

Session 95-  Are Kobolds Really just Rabid Wiener Dogs?

10/15/2023

• After taking an uneventful rest period in Room #57, Rams 

  continue their exploration of the Path of Nirgal (Mavors).

• Rooms #48 and #49

• Room #47 is a map room with 6 Orcs…treasure

• Room #46 Storage and 9 Giant Rats… treasure

• Room #43 Storeroom with Thulian Chainmail (pg 327)

• Room #42 Mosaics defaced with Dwarven Graffiti.

• Room #38 16 Kobolds with 9 CP each (144 total)

• Room #37 1 gallon of Azoth is collected

• Room #34 Dwarven Statues and 8 Kobolds with 14 CP each (112)

• Room #35 Holy Phalange  (pg 322)

• Room #33 5 Barrels of oil.

• Room #32 10 Kobolds 8 CP each (80)

• Room #31 Bone Cave

• Room #28 Moon Pool Fecus drinks

• Room #24 700 SP and 40 GP

• Room #25 Key

• Room #23 10 Kobolds 22 CP each (220)

• Room #29 Shriekers, Rams leave them alone

• Room #30 Dwarven Entrance Cave

• 6 Orcs killed = 60 XP

• 9 Giant Rats killed = 90 XP

• 44 Kobolds killed = 440 XP

• CP 2556 = 25 XP

• SP 700 = 70 XP

• GP 1940 = 1940 XP

• Comb 30 GP = 30 XP

• Gold Necklace 200 GP = 200 XP

• Jeweled Pin 800 GP = 800 XP

• 4 Rhodochrosites (50 GP each) = 200 XP

• Sardonyx (75 GP) =75 XP

• Rock Crystal (100 GP) = 100 XP

• Star Rose Quartz (100 GP) = 100 XP

• Total XP = 4130 XP

• Tim and Fecus each  = 1376 XP 

• Hirelings each = 688 XP