tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post4114327912519596527..comments2024-03-23T05:46:31.832-07:00Comments on Power Score: Dungeons & Dragons - How to Run Curse of StrahdSeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-49826300364820982722018-03-04T13:16:14.258-08:002018-03-04T13:16:14.258-08:00I'm currently running a group through a couple...I'm currently running a group through a couple of adventures in Lost Tales of Myth Drannor to get them up to level 3, and when those are done I'll be pushing them through the mists and into Curse of Strahd. I've already talked to the group about this, and they are really excited to do this adventure.<br /><br />I wanted to say that this outline is awesome and will help me plan out what needs to happen and when/where. I'm going to take some stuff from here and combine it with my own stuff, and I hope it comes out. But this is a great start; you've already done the hard part!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01515844270748656573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-1087679961607408202018-01-01T15:51:40.943-08:002018-01-01T15:51:40.943-08:00As a 40 year veteran of DMing, this is the best pl...As a 40 year veteran of DMing, this is the best planning outline I've read. Clearly a very experienced DM wrote this. Thank you.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14273776644447496544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-18325139338127221152017-07-01T14:07:34.093-07:002017-07-01T14:07:34.093-07:00Thanks so much for this. I'm getting ready to...Thanks so much for this. I'm getting ready to run CoS for a group of friends as a first time DM. I've been reading through the book obsessively and watching/listening to Dice, Camera, Action at time where I can't read. Between you and Chris Perkins I feel really well prepared to tackle my first foray into DMing.<br /><br />I can already see areas where I would make different choices (I really hope my players go to Argynvostholt) but your outline has given me dozens of new ideas about how to use things like the Skeletal Rider, Trinkets, and Dreams to really sell the setting and move the characters along without railroading them. I'm really looking forward now to working out my own outline now. Thanks!TehTpyoKingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-82534943353993356862017-05-15T18:21:08.050-07:002017-05-15T18:21:08.050-07:00thank you so much for this write up! an incredibly...thank you so much for this write up! an incredibly helpful tool for a newer DM like me :) <3<br /><br />appreciate it!chiinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-21160149982001774532017-05-09T14:59:02.020-07:002017-05-09T14:59:02.020-07:00Learning DnD: Awesome, I'll add a link in the ...Learning DnD: Awesome, I'll add a link in the guide!Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-21531828398410822062017-05-01T18:28:58.505-07:002017-05-01T18:28:58.505-07:00Here's some recaps from our curse Of Strahd ga...Here's some recaps from our curse Of Strahd game: https://www.learningdnd.com/category/campaigns-and-stories/<br /><br />Thanks for the advice!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02396626506529232382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-1584038235505455412017-03-19T19:37:56.480-07:002017-03-19T19:37:56.480-07:00Amazing work and effort. Purchased over at the Gui...Amazing work and effort. Purchased over at the Guild after spending time reading here. Sly Flourish link sent to your page. Great work and thanks. Going over the book from scratch is daunting and I've been playing forever. Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07915602111321428584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-57251814019664728262017-02-05T11:52:06.146-08:002017-02-05T11:52:06.146-08:00Hey great blog! I am new to CoS and trying to run ...Hey great blog! I am new to CoS and trying to run my players through it and have a pretty good handle on most things. However one thing still bothers me. The region map. I don't want to draw it, but I also don't want the players having full access to all of it at once. <br /><br />What is the best/easiest way you've seen to deal with this?<br /><br />ThanksWilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12015283363433796109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-26416711858092969762017-02-03T23:40:08.914-08:002017-02-03T23:40:08.914-08:00Thank you for sharing your work ! I am currently r...Thank you for sharing your work ! I am currently running CoS. The characters went already to half of the places and I was feeling that the dark ambience was somehow decreasing as a conseqence of the sandbox. I will definitely use some of your ideas to reboost the campaign. <br /><br />Some of my ideas that could be of interest to other DMs:<br /><br />-We started with characters at level 1. I used the Ravenloft netbook "The Forgotten Children" - Barton De Foret as an introduction to the horror of Ravenloft. The house was located in the Svalich woods. The dad was a lumberjack.<br /><br />-I was concerned about showing Sthrad before they were ready. So I used one infant to hassle them on behalf of Shtrad. <br /><br />-They had to join a caravan lead by a Vistani to cross a misty area. This helped me to indroduce some NPCs. In the caravan, there was also a hidden werewolf. And some travelers were found dead every night. There was some kind of investigation to find out wwho was the murderer.<br /><br />-To guide them a little bit and provide them with some background information, I placed pieces of the journal from Van Richten everywhere. This way, I can ensure that they have reasons to go nearly everywhere.Sammynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-83715723564830119542017-01-13T22:16:22.620-08:002017-01-13T22:16:22.620-08:00Silverdust: That's just the way I would do it....Silverdust: That's just the way I would do it. I felt like there was more than enough stuff to fill a million sessions, and I threw out all the content that looked boring to me. I think I would have dreaded running the druids, because I find druids generally dull and I hate twig blights. Also, I want the focus to be on Strahd. I don't want to have that "filler episode" feel in any of my sessions. Thanks!Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-51269381899353298362017-01-13T06:49:01.154-08:002017-01-13T06:49:01.154-08:00I'm running this adventure now, so I'm gra...I'm running this adventure now, so I'm grateful for this. However, I think this is a very minimalist approach. The druids loyal to Strahd are very proeminent in the adventure. Leaving them out seems cheap. No werewolves either? And Argynvostholt is probably one of the best dungeons I've ever seen in terms of history. Without these enriching details, the whole adventure will look like a 'kill this guy' dungeon crawl, and I feel many people wouldn't enjoy it that way.Silverdusthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444839743315302323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-79331405819026451052016-10-14T18:03:25.290-07:002016-10-14T18:03:25.290-07:00titoy2k: No problem! Thanks for the encouragement,...titoy2k: No problem! Thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it!Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-50023248799267632942016-10-08T14:40:21.865-07:002016-10-08T14:40:21.865-07:00Thanks for this. A lot of incredibles ideas and a ...Thanks for this. A lot of incredibles ideas and a tremendous help for DM's.<br />Thanks again!!titoy2khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14874341020726878644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-9179246992498237822016-10-06T18:38:38.561-07:002016-10-06T18:38:38.561-07:00matthew: No problem! It was definitely worth it. T...matthew: No problem! It was definitely worth it. Thanks!Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-57314263191316677962016-10-03T17:49:10.850-07:002016-10-03T17:49:10.850-07:00Thank you so much for taking the time to make this...Thank you so much for taking the time to make this!!!matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08709385446701829344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-17489570926539667402016-09-27T21:06:35.064-07:002016-09-27T21:06:35.064-07:00TheGame: You are most welcome!TheGame: You are most welcome!Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-38107358411721654272016-09-26T03:42:07.502-07:002016-09-26T03:42:07.502-07:00Thank you so much for all the valuable advices!Thank you so much for all the valuable advices!TheGamenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-54615441600830545082016-09-24T22:32:42.455-07:002016-09-24T22:32:42.455-07:00Gaz: Awesome! Thank you. If you have the time, wat...Gaz: Awesome! Thank you. If you have the time, watch Dice, Camera Action. It really lodges the adventure in your brain to the point that you'll be able to run it really smoothly.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-6869926659206091222016-09-22T05:34:58.099-07:002016-09-22T05:34:58.099-07:00Awesome Post!! I'll be following this pretty m...Awesome Post!! I'll be following this pretty much as is for the major plot outline after my players finish (maybe that should read survive) Death House. Lots of really good ideas and little touches that I'll be borrowing as well (got the perfect vain PC that I'm going to use the repeatedly and worsening aged reflection) and will be including a lot of your other ideas. Thanks for sharing!Gaznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-37392054190373091262016-09-12T19:28:28.562-07:002016-09-12T19:28:28.562-07:00Chris Traill: Awesome, thank you! The book is giga...Chris Traill: Awesome, thank you! The book is gigantic and definitely is a real project to run. Good luck with your game! Watch Dice, Camera, Action if you have the time - that show makes everything crystal clear.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-71706153825795184692016-09-10T22:19:20.719-07:002016-09-10T22:19:20.719-07:00Great Post. I am quite new to Dming in the long ru...Great Post. I am quite new to Dming in the long run and the book feels sometimes all over the place. this gives a good foundation on how i can follow the rest of my campaign.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05281282320963244629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-81607329364375803032016-07-19T23:26:54.720-07:002016-07-19T23:26:54.720-07:00Anonymous: Thank you! I am glad it is useful! I li...Anonymous: Thank you! I am glad it is useful! I like how you added in the Raven Queen, she really should be involved in this adventure in some way. That sounds like an awesome NPC. I hope your game goes well!<br /><br />Ben Scerri: Thanks! Yeah, the outline definitely doesn't account for player curveballs. I think that as long as you are familiar with the locations in the book and have a basic grasp of the story, you can "ride the lightning" for a session. Then you can regroup and prepare properly for next session. Worst case, you can just have the group take a ten minute break and quickly go through the book and get a basic idea of what to do. Thanks for the kind words and good luck!Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-22428076938820742122016-07-19T01:18:46.746-07:002016-07-19T01:18:46.746-07:00Thanks for the write up. Lots of cool ideas, and t...Thanks for the write up. Lots of cool ideas, and threads which have spawned more ideas!<br /><br />I've been searching for a way to make good notes on CoS, and this outline method should work well. Not sure how to handle it for more sandbox play, as I tend to let my players go or do anything, but I'll give it a go.<br /><br />Thanks heaps :)Ben "Bee" Scerrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15181609205825291002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-79001454127055189732016-07-18T20:18:05.588-07:002016-07-18T20:18:05.588-07:00I've just begun running this campaign and I re...I've just begun running this campaign and I refer to this article almost DAILY. This so great!! As far as things I myself have added I've created a pretty over-powered NPC named "Revansa Sabie Dans". She's a wereraven-revenant, one I'm using to build the origins of the wereravens of Barovia. She began as the personal agent/bodyguard of Queen Ravenovia, but when the queen passed Strahd used it as a way to frame and imprison Revansa. She was outfitted with tons of sweet gear (as she WAS the Queen's personal servant) like a custom magic whip I designed because Im a huge Castlevania nerd. She was turned into a wereraven by the Raven Queen who personally took an interest in throwing a wrench into the Dark Powers' game (this was JUST before Strahd turned and Barovia was spirited away by the mists). She's basically the parties guide in the shadows, helping them along and in the end confronting Strahd with them. She's blind and mutee, as they are carried over aspects of from when Strahd tortured her. She sees with a magic item I also made, a "Mask of Trueseeing". It's basically just a renaissance mask.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-422181426312081107.post-36844173362536438432016-05-12T19:42:47.174-07:002016-05-12T19:42:47.174-07:00Anonymous: You can do that with the deck, just be ...Anonymous: You can do that with the deck, just be careful when you read the flavor text as it might say tings that don't match the card you drew. 2.5 hours is a good amount of time for D&D! I'm glad this was useful - Curse of Strahd a great adventure, you should definitely give it a shot.Seanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07263753821685936593noreply@blogger.com