Curse of Strahd Reloaded Update: Beneath Ravenloft

Life events, a bout of COVID, and a week-long trip slowed me down a bit, but I'm excited to share that I'm officially done writing the rough draft of the content for Arc P: Ravenloft Heist! Specifically, since my last update, I've made the following additions to the arc:

• Added new loot to the Element Room, including brooms of flying

• Added a new encounter and ambush with the witches' coven in the Cauldron room, including three new Barovian witch statblocks

• Added a new puzzle/combat encounter once the players retrieve Argynvost's skull from the Hall of Bones

• Added a new zombie plague spreader plotline through the coven's quarters and guards' quarters in the basement

• Added a new letter from Rahadin to Strahd in the chamberlain's office

• Added new encounters with shadows in the western stair and archer's post

• Added a trapped Pidlwick II near the base floor of the Heart of Sorrow's tower

• Reworked the magical trapdoors in the dungeon hall to teleport victims to the torture devices in the torture room

• Designed mechanics for the torture devices in the torture room

• Added an encounter with Volenta in the torture room

• Designed the players' meeting with Emil Toranescu in the dungeons

• Reworked the teleportation brazier's riddle and destinations

• Added additional encounters with a zombie and vampire spawn in the catacombs

• Reworked the puzzle for retrieving and claiming Khazan's staff in his crypt

• Tweaked the defenses around Strahd's tomb and coffin

• Added the spear of the Huntress to King Dostron's crypt

• Added an encounter with Rahadin in the catacombs

• Designed the players' encounter with the Icon of Ravenloft (now renamed the Icon of Dawn's Grace) from Saint Markovia's crypt

• Added a confrontation with Rahadin in the catacombs

• Added the amulet of Ravenloft, which allows Rahadin to trigger the castle's defenses following his defeat, forcing the players to flee

With this, we're getting steadily closer to the release of v2.0.8 and Arc P: Ravenloft Heist! After this, I just need to: (1) add/revise statblocks for the Brides and Rahadin; (2) edit/proofread Arc P; (3) complete map diagrams for each section of the castle; and (4) make edits and proofreading changes to published arcs.

For now, here's a quick preview of two scenes from the catacombs: the vampire spawn's hunt and Khazan's crypt.

The Vampire Spawn. Players who fight the zombie south of Crypt 2, or who attempt to avoid the zombie by descending to North Crypts, Third Row via any other intersection, draw the attention of a vampire spawn lurking amidst the catacombs. Read:

You hear a rustling in the distance. Out of the corner of your eye, you catch a flicker of movement against the arched ceiling of the catacombs to the south—and then you blink, and it vanishes from sight.

The vampire attempts to remain hidden from the players by clinging to the ceiling, remaining within the shadows, and staying constantly on the move. If able to do so without detection, the vampire opens the stone door to Crypt 14 (p. 88) and clings to the edge of the shaft, waiting for a character to investigate; when a creature comes within reach, the vampire attacks with its unarmed strike and attempts to drag its prey down into the shaft before dropping it down into the vault below. If the players avoid the open door to Crypt 14, the vampire spawn exits the crypt and continues to skulk through the catacombs.

The vampire also attacks the players if cornered, or if it finds a character isolated from the rest of the party. (Like all of Strahd’s minions, however, the vampire never attacks Ireena.) No matter the case, once the vampire has isolated and attacked its prey, it attempts to grapple them with its unarmed strike, then hungrily drains them of blood using its bite.

Players with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 16 or more occasionally hear distant rustling or catch glimpses of the vampire’s shadow out of the corner of their eye, indicating its current location.

Khazan's Crypt. Speaking the name “Khazan” inside Crypt 15 does not cause a staff of power to materialize. Instead, the back wall of the crypt is engraved with eight arcane runes and the inscription: “The one who marks my seal with their mastery may prove themselves worthy to inherit my legacy.” A player with proficiency in Arcana, or who makes a successful DC 10 Intelligence (Arcana) check, identifies the runes as the symbols of the eight schools of magic. The order of the symbols, moving clockwise around the engraving, is: illusion, abjuration, necromancy, conjuration, divination, enchantment, transmutation, evocation.

A creature can cast a spell into an engraved rune, similar to a ring of spell storing. If the spell cast is of the same school of magic as the school the rune represents, the rune glows with the color of its corresponding school of magic: evocation (red), divination (silver), illusion (purple), transmutation (green), conjuration (brown), abjuration (yellow), enchantment (pink), and necromancy (blue).

The runes must be activated in the same order as the buttons on the door of Khazan’s tower at Lake Baratok. The two possible proper sequences are:

* evocation, divination, illusion, transmutation, conjuration, abjuration, enchantment, necromancy

* necromancy, enchantment, abjuration, conjuration, transmutation, illusion, divination, evocation

If a spell of the wrong school is cast into a rune, or if the runes are activated in the wrong order, the eight runes erupt with magical energy. Each creature within the crypt must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 5d8 thunder damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one. Once the runes release this energy, they become inert for the next twenty-four hours.

If the proper sequence is activated, a staff of the archmagi materializes above the marble slab and hovers in place, crackling with magical power. The first character to grab hold of the staff must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful save. If the character releases the staff, it vanishes. If this occurs, the runes cannot be activated again for one year.

If the character continues to hold the staff, glowing, blue lines of pure, arcane energy begin to snake through its veins, beginning with the creature’s hand. While holding the staff in this way, the character can feel a wild, defiant magic raging within it.

You can get full access to my in-progress drafts by joining the Patreon as a paid member. All working drafts and outlines for future arcs, as well as a changelog and Trello board of upcoming edits, can be found on the Patreon Bronze Masterpost.

I can't say exactly when the next release will be, but I'm feeling optimistic, especially now that June has finally settled down. Stay tuned for forthcoming updates!