A daily update cycle?! What in the world am I thinking? Maybe I wasn't. I said when I started this whole project that I wasn't sure what the final form would be.
It probably won't be seven posts a week though. It's exhausting.
Still, what's a project for if not to run into like slamming yourself into a brick wall until you're burned out and beaten to a pulp?
I wonder how much mental stress I can take. I think I'm taking the minor consequence, "a bit overwhelmed."
Anyways...
Welcome to Improvised Thursdays, where I give advice on the actual theme of the blog - how to improvise better.
As I make my way through Curse of Strahd I'm planning on providing something that I really wish the module provided - a list of improvisation suggestions for each chapter. I'm skipping the first chapter because I used a modified version of Death House to teleport my players directly to Ravenloft. Instead I'm starting off with Chapter Two.
Improvisation Guidelines: The Village of Barovia
The village of Barovia is the saddest place in the land, its residents so terrified of Strahd that they rarely venture from their homes. The village lies in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, buried under fog but still unable to hide from the vampire's sight.
Until recently, Strahd had been paying nightly visits to Ireena Kolyana, the adopted daughter of the village burgomaster. Ireena carries the soul of Strahd's beloved Tatyana and looks exactly like her. Strahd intends to make Ireen his bride, and turn her into a vampire.
That's how the introduction to the village reads. During your prep time, don't be afraid to change things up. I've given Strahd a flavor addition - he doesn't just feed off blood, but emotions. He hungers for hope the most, but also feeds on anger, terror, and other powerful feelings. This has left most of the villagers feeling muted and apathetic.
Once your finished with your prep, start the game. But invariably you'll be faced with a situation you aren't prepared for. When you do keep the following in mind:
- Barovia lies in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft. Strahd's eyes are everywhere. Maybe a raven watches the players cross the street. Maybe a dozen rats start following the players. Or maybe a villager offers to help the players somehow, only to turn them over to one of Strahd's monsters.
- Barovia is the real introduction to Ravenloft. Hit your players hard with the themes you are running with in your game. The themes I'm running with are "Hope is the enemy" and "Ravenloft's shadow touches everything - even you." Whatever your themes are, create scenes that slam them home.
- The book will tell you that most villagers rarely leave their home, and those that do are too frightened to interact with the players. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to do. Remember that Barovia is a sand box, and you aren't limited to the couple of scenarios in the book.
- A key element to the description of the village is that it's covered in fog. Remember that in your descriptions. Castle Ravenloft fades into view as the fog burns away. Or only the vague outline of the church can be made out through the thick mist. Or a heavy silence lies over the village, and the fog even seems to steal your footsteps.
That's pretty much it. Remember to think about the key NPCs that you need to introduce, especially Ismark and Ireena if you're going to play out Ireena's story. There's also a mad woman and some hags to play with that could come up as well.
Hopefully this helps someone. Enjoy your game!
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