Curse of Strahd: Master Quest

Calendar

Assuming the Barovian lunar cycle to be 28 days.

• b - ~1yr Doru rebels against Strahd, but fails and becomes a vampire spawn.
• b - 54 (New moon) Strahd bites Ireena the first time.
• b - 26 (New moon) Strahd bites Ireena for the second time.
• b - ~14 Wolves start attacking the Burgomaster's house nightly.
• b - 7 Gertruda goes missing from Mad Mary's house.
• b - 3 The Burgomaster dies, and the attacks on their house stop.
• b - 1 The players enter Death house. Strahd knows that someone has gone in, but he doesn't know who.
• b The PCs' first morning/day in the Village of Barovia.
• b + 1 Escher visits Ireena's home. If she is there, he takes her to Strahd to be bitten a final time. She then becomes a vampire. Otherwise, Escher reports his failure to Strahd and is punished.

Encounters

Challenge below is based on a 4-player party of level 3 characters. See also Occupants of Barovian Houses.

Notes:

• Donavich will try to prevent the PCs from killing his son, and will be overcome with despair if he dies.
• Custom: Escher only visits if the players decide to stay in the Village another night after burying the burgomaster. He flees if reduced to half health.
• Custom: There is a bottle of Holy Water on the mantlepiece of the first floor of the Burgomaster's house. Ismark will tell a PC to throw it at Escher (2d6 radiant on hit).

NPC: Ismark Kolyanovich

Ireena's brother and son of the dead burgomaster. Dies if reduced to 0 hitpoints.

NPC: Parriwimple

Nephew of Bildrath the shopkeep.

Override: He has 6 INT and doesn't have a shield (total AC 14).

NPC: Donavich the Priest

Town priest and father of Doru.

Quest: Bury the Burgomaster

Original Text: p. 47

Donavich speaks the following prayer during the burial:

The sun rises as a life sets. Morninglord, we bask in your glow and are humbled. Protect us always from evil, as we cannot protect ourselves. Please, deliver your son from this hell, O Lord.

The funeral and burial take 1d4 + 1 hours.

Afterwards, Donavich speaks to the players privately. He suggests they take Ireena as far from the castle as possible. Either the Abbey in Krezk, or Vallaki as a last resort.

Custom Development

Assuming the PCs have agreed to escort Ireena, they then need to decide when to leave. If they leave immediately, they will evade Escher's attack. However, night may fall while they're on the road. See Night at Old Bonegrinder.

Otherwise, Ireena offers their home for the night. However, this is the end of the second lunar cycle since Strahd first bit Ireena, and he intends to fully turn her tonight. Strahd himself waits atop a hill in the forest, meditating over what this night will mean for him. He sends Escher to fetch Ireena in his stead.

In the middle of the night, Ireena wakes up with a scream. When found in her room, she is sweating and hyperventilating. She says, panicked:

"It's here."

Ismark tells her to stay in her room while he takes the PCs downstairs to challenge "Strahd". He warms them:

• Don't look him in eyes.
• Don't invite him in.

The sound of wolves howling fills the town. When the PCs open the front door, read:

A handsome young man with dusty blonde hair stands in the doorway. He wears a fine purple suit, several rings, and has piercings in his ears. He peers into the room with confidence.

Ismark is terrified and says nothing. After an opportunity for RPing by the players, they notice Ireena standing behind them in a trance. Her mouth is agape and her eyes are wide. Escher says:

"It's time. Madam, may I come in?"

Ireena says "yes" if not immediately stopped by the PCs. Escher then attacks, trying to capture Ireena (although he should fail at this). Afterward, Ismark admits to the PCs that "that wasn't him". Morning comes soon after.

Custom Quest: Escape Barovia

The players may want nothing to do with Barovia and its troubles. If they ask an acquaintance how to leave, they will be told not to attempt the mist themselves. The Vistani can leave freely, and sell potions to help travellers do the same.

Quest: Escort Ireena

If the characters meet Ismark the Lesser, he will offer them drinks and ask them to help escort his sister to Vallaki.

Custom Development

If Ismark and Ireena are both alive when you arrive at Vallaki, they leave the party and stay at the Blue Water Inn. 2 days later, Ismark is crippled by Izek, and Ireena is captured. However, Izek doesn't try to Geas her until the night the players return to Vallaki and discover Ismark's injury/death.

If Ismark dies before you reach Vallaki, Ireena refuses to stay there alone.

Development

Original Text: p. 156

If Ireena is brought to the blessed pool (S4) in Krezk, she can reunite with Sergei and be taken to safety. Custom: The PCs receive 2,000 EXP for saving Ireena in this way.

Custom Development

If the players take Ireena to the abbey (and don't interact with the Shrine in Krezk, or fail its interaction) and they allow the Abbot to meet her, he will recognize her as Tatyana's reincarnation. He will calmly offer to bring her to Castle Ravenloft to be with Strahd, and give a rational explanation to the PCs about how (he believes) doing so will save Barovia.

If the PCs resist, the Abbot will magically transform her clothes into a wedding dress (ignoring continuity with the dress fetch-quest) and attempt to capture her, claiming it is for Barovia's salvation. If the players resist him, he will grapple Ireena on his turn and then attempt escape. If he gets outside, he will fly her to Castle Ravenloft and present her to Strahd. Strahd marries her and turns her into a Vampire Spawn.

The players can stop the wedding, if they hurry. Strahd plans to marry her at midnight in Ravenloft's Chapel (K15). The castle is 58 hexes away from Krezk. If they arrive at the Chapel in time, the Abbot is there to oversee "Barovia's salvation", and will try to prevent the players from interfering. To consummate their marriage, Strahd will drink Ireena's blood for the duration of the fight (1 minute), after which she will die.

• If the Abbot defeats the characters, Strahd gets his good ending.
• If the Abbot is defeated, Strahd will stop drinking Ireena's blood and engage the characters. If the players manage to escape with Ireena, she will die that night from blood loss. See Handling the Body.