Homebrew Lore of Strahd: Divine Magic

I talk about my Curse of Strahd game a lot on this blog, and I hint at a lot of the changes and additions that I've made to the lore. But I haven't had a place to really delve into those changes. Until now. Welcome to the official Homebrew Lore of Strahd column, where I dive into the personal tweaks I've added to the game. Today we are starting off with divine magic in Ravenloft.

Divine magic is powerful in the hands of the righteous and the faithful. It thrives on hope, even in the darkest places. After all, without light there can be no darkness. Without hope there can be no despair. Except in Ravenloft. For there are some places dark enough to extinguish even the last ember of hope in a darkened heart.

Besides, darkness is the natural state of the universe. Those who say that without light there can be no darkness have it backwards. Without darkness there can be no light.

The Crucible of Souls

Deep in the bowels of Castle Ravenloft there is a room containing the Crucible of Souls. The Crucible is a power artifact. Powered by the agony of a thousand souls, maintained by a cult of thirty two dark cultists, the Crucible form a block between Ravenloft and the divine. No god has been able to overcome it's power, and the only divine magic in Ravenloft is that which Strahd allows.

When Strahd wants to let a god have power in his land, he can place a divine symbol of that god into the crucible. Until he takes it out again, divine power from that deity can flow into his realm. But cutting it off is as easy as removing the symbol.

Strahd often places the symbols of the deities that his toys play with. After all, it wouldn't do to allow new divine casters in Ravenloft to believe that he could cut off their magic in an instant. He often lets them keep their power until the final confrontation, and then leaves the clerics and paladins helpless before him.