Curse of Strahd: Master Quest

Castle Ravenloft can be visited at any point in the adventure, even multiple times. For lower-level parties, staying here for long poses a significant threat.

All encounters assume a 4-player party of level 4 or 9 characters, for contrast. See also Random Encounters in Castle Ravenloft. Unless stated otherwise, Strahd encounters listed here only occur if Strahd is to appear there according to your party's Tarokka reading.

Castle Music

Entering the Castle

Notes:

• Entering through the Smokestack causes fire damage.
• Players who enter K88 and pass through K87 cannot exit this way unless they are Lawful Good.
• While it does not function as an entrance, the players can leave through the teleportation Brazier in K78.
• Falling from the Overlook (K6) results in instant death, regardless of the rules of Fall Damage.

Encounters: Walls of Ravenloft

Encounters: Main Floor

Notes:

• The dragons won't pursue PCs out of K7.
• The Gargoyles only attack if players return to K8 after leaving it once.
• When the Gargoyles attack, the turbulence of their wings put out all the wall torches, but not held ones.

Encounters: Court of the Count

Encounters: Rooms of Weeping

Notes:

• The Invisible Stalker originates from K36, but it can attack the players anywhere. It only appears if the PCs take the groom figurine out of the room.

Encounters: The Spires of Ravenloft

Notes:

• The Rug and Portrait won't attack unless disturbed.
• The Wandering Vampire Spawn are different for each location.
• The Heart of Sorrow and the minions who protect it are high up the shaft, near K58. The Heart itself floats ~210 feet from the base of the tower, making ranged attacks difficult.
• If the Heart takes damage from anywhere, four Vampire Spawn arrive three rounds later to counterattack.

Encounters: Larders of Ill Omen

Encounters: Dungeon and Catacombs

Custom: Khazan the Demilich

Khazan is an Acererak-like Demilich. This means he is not the degenerative form of Demilich, but the ascended form. His only remains are his skull in Crypt 15 of K84. The Crypt is not considered his layer, so his Challenge Rating is 21 (33,000 EXP). Change the text of this crypt to read:

A single skull sits atop a marble slab in the center of the crypt. It has black opals set in its eye sockets and shards of amber where its teeth should be. The floor below the slab is scattered with weapons and other adventuring equipment.

The equipment is from adventurers who were absorbed into Khazan's opals. Their souls were transferred to Khazan's phylactery, which remains in his Tower.

As a Demilich, Khazan managed to comprehend and subvert the elaborate spatial warping magic that entraps Barovia, projecting his mind to other planes of existance. He is the only creature to have done so, and Strahd is unaware of this.

While usually thirsty for souls, Khazan "isn't home" when the players arrive.

Custom Development

If your party contains a Warlock, consider the following:

Touching the skull or taking the Staff of Power summons Khazan back to Barovia, whereupon he interacts with your Warlock, offering to become its new patron. Perhaps this involves a combat encounter with the old patron, or some other puzzle.

Custom: Reviving Sergei

This can be done either with the last Wish charge of the Luck Blade, or via the Resurrection Dark Gift.