Barovia Adventure Hooks The domain of Barovia Barovia is a tiny, isolated domain in the the center of the Core. Ruled Ruled by the mysterious Count Strahd von Zarovich, this quaint little barony is plagued by countless terrors. The people are a superstitious breed and utterly terried of the night. Strahd is in actuality a vampire and a i!ard of great s"ill. Centuries ago he made a pact ith #eath, became a vampire and sle his brother Sergi to possess Tatyana, Tatyana, Sergie$s anc%. &n that blac" day Tatyana Tatyana thre herself herself from the alls of Castle Ravenloft, vanishing into the mists. 'or centuries Strahd has aited for the reincarnation of Tatyana, and though she has appeared numerous times, in each instance she has been ta"en from him. (ore information can be found on Strahd and Barovia in the adventures )*+ Ravenloft, Ravenloft, )- Ravenloft , , /ouse of Strahd, Strahd, Roots of 0vil, 0vil , and Thoughts and Thoughts of #ar"ness, #ar"ness, the core rule boo"s Realm of Terror, Terror, #omains of #read, #read, and the Ravenloft Campaign Setting, Setting , the accessories Children of the 1ight+ 2ampires, 2ampires , Children of the 1ight+ 3hosts and 3hosts and 'orbidden 4ore, 4ore, the 5rd edition boo"s Champions of #ar"ness, #ar"ness , Ravenloft 5rd 0dition, 0dition, Ravenloft #ungeon (aster$s 3uide, 3uide ,Ravenloft 6layers /andboo", /andboo" , Ravenloft 3a!ateer ) and Secrets of the #read Realms and Realms and nally, the novels ), Strahd, Strahd, ), Strahd+ The 7ar against 8!lian, 8!lian, 9ing of the #ead, #ead, 9night of the Blac" Rose, 4ord of the 1ecropolis, 1ecropolis , Tales T ales of Ravenloft Ravenloft, and 2ampire of the (ists. (ists .
Reginald de Curry 7hile in the Barovian ilds, the 6Cs are attac"ed by hat appears to be a small band of thieves. )nvestigation shos that the thieves ere each earing a small amulet ith unusual rune. Complications +
0ach amulet is a material focus of a domination spell. The amulets are similar to a design used by Strahd$s :ancestor: during the 7ar 8gainst 8!alin. The thieves are actually "idnapping victims from 2alla"i, including the current burgomeister$s daughter. daughter. The 9eepers of the Blac" 'eather are loo"ing for some of the "idnapping victims. )f the 6Cs "illed the :thieves:, they may be targets. )f not, the 9eepers may become allies. &nce ;s
Bela The 6Cs are traveling in the Barovian lands that that once belonged to 3undara". 3undara". They come across a very small hamlet, hidden deep in the oods. The place has been turned into a slaughterhouse, and the only survivor can be found hidden in a ell or some such. The survivor spea"s of a horrible monster than sept through and destroyed everything in its path. 8s the 6Cs investigate, they nd a fallen burial mound in the deep oods. )t is carved ith ancient runes, and if they can translate, it spea"s of an emissary of the dead god 0rlin, a bringer of death and destruction. They might discover a devout gundara"ite cultist, ho reveals that they freed the monster living ithin, in hommage to their
3od. /oever, the beast is uncontrolable and hopleslly insane. )t$s no running amo" across the countryside "illing everything in its path. )t may even eild a fe divine or diabloic poers, lending credence to its relationshp to 0rlin. &r perhaps, the 6Cs might be hired as muscle by the 0rlin cultists to help them. The 6Cs are hired muscle to help topple the great stone mound holding the savage 0rlinite demon in the ground. 8nd once they free the beast, it becomes their =ob to stop it.
Shadowking 8 thousand years ago the noble deni!ens of ancient 2ashar traded their on souls to a end called the Bargainer ;good ol$ )na=ira is his younger days, perhaps even before he gained his current form as an 8rcanoloth< to evade the rath of the gods over their lives of blasphemy and sin, signing their names in the Boo" of 9eeping to seal the pact. 8s their city collapsed around them and sun" into the ocean they died but rose again as hideously poerful undead called the Soulless. The #ar" 6oers of Ravenloft too" notice of the event and suc"ed the doomed city into Ravenloft, placing it in the depths under the coast of (ordent and the deni!ens under a special curse> hile they gained immortality they ill not en=oy it, aa"ing only for a single ee" every -years hen the cursed city rises out of the Sea of Sorros. The only ay they can brea" the curse is by reclaiming their souls. 8nd so, every -- years the Soulless enter the mainland, searching for the Bargainer ho deceived them. This time a group of the creatures arrived at Barovia and they are sloly closing in on )na=ira... )na=ira is aare that he created monsters and that even he cannot ithstand their combined might and so he as"s for the 6Cs protection, hiding himself as an innocent. The Soulless might hide themselves as tortured poor beings and li"eise see" the 6Cs aid. 1ote+ Stats for the Soulless appear in my upcoming article for ?uoth @ Terrors from the #eep. )f you actually ant to use this adventure hoo" before it comes out use the 2ileight from the Boo" of 2ile #ar"ness or an advanced 7ight hich can use spells from the 0vil domain as spell>li"e abilities a varying number of times per day.
Pacal A Stranger in Immol
4ate in the year A5@ BC a young pale>s"inned, red headed stranger arrived in )mmol. /e commsissioned the construction of a house and stayed at the Bolting Stag until it as completed. #uring this time he said fairly little and the things he did say ere nearly incomprehendable because almost half of his ords ere spo"en in dierent languages. 7hen the house as completed he moved in and has only rarely been seen in the eighteen years since then. &n the occasions he does venture outside the people marvel at his seemingly long>lasting youth. &ver the years every great once in a hile people are seen coming or going from the house. The people never stay at the )nn or associate ith the villagers in any ay. Recently a local half>'orfarian half> Thaani boy visited the man. /e has been unilling or unable to spea" about hat happened inside. This has resulted in some of the villagers concluding that due to his
eternal youth, pale>s"in, and seeming lac" of food stus that he must be a vampire. 1o all they need to due is hire some adventurers before it$s too late for the local boy.
Brothersale #uring the last days of the 1eureni )nvasion, the )rle">9han led his people bac" east, Deeing before the vengful Barovian armies. Their escape seem assured but in the edge of hills of Blea" 2istas near (ount Satooth, the Barovians caught up to the 1eureni and ould have destroyed them if not for the )rle">9han single>handly leading his people to brea" the Barovian lines alloing them to Dee into the hills. The escape as not ith cost to the 1eureni, for in the battle the )rle">9han had been mortally ounded by a un"non spearman, ith his dieing order he ordered bul" of his people bac" to their eastern stepes. /is most loyal retainers hoever, remained ith him till he breathed his last before placing their leader$s body ithin a cave on the side of mount Satooth and sealing the cave behind them ith magic, they left to =oin their people in the east voing to retreive the body at a later time hen they could ensure its safe return to the stepes. These loyal folloers never made it to the stepes, and ere slain by Barovian soldiers as they made for the border, and the )rle">9han$s body remained remained hidden in the cold, fro!en cave on (ount Satooth, being orshiped by his people far in the east as a god that had al"ed among them and being feared as a demon by the Barovians, the corpse o"e once more into the life of an ancient dead. the )rle">9han has remained in his tomb for years drifting in and out of dormancy trapped by the very spells that ere placed there to ensure his body ould not be disturbed. all it ould ta"e to free this monster on the orld is a foolish i!ard or a ill placed avalanche.
Alhoon 8n adventure hoo" for lo to mid level characters+ 8 small party of #uergar 6sychic arriors are captured ithin the mists and end up in Barovia. These #uergar ere the leaders of a small tradition of psychic arriors in their home plane and see" a ay out of Ravenloft. Since they "no nothing about the eEistance of the dar" poers and that magic cannot help them out, they ma"e their home in an abandoned mine in the Ballino"s and at nights they raid the nearby communities F trade caravans for gold to later pay a i!ard to send them home. They inltrate silently and invible houses and manors of the rich and the noble, "ill everyone and loot them. Then they depart silently leaving false evidence. 8lso they terrori!e, pay F train a local sheri or guard captain to send adventurers and other do>gooders astray or let them "no if anyone is at their trac"s. They have one or to captured "obolds to build them traps and a fe other slaves. They "eep a fe aberrations as guard pets and some corrupted F ostraci!ed darves they found as trainees.
Troile The Toy: There is a i!ard ho is no a toy ma"er and a magic item he has created is basically a toy ;ondrous item< ith the (a=or Creation spell in it. Gou put the material component in the :mouth: of the toy and you get bac" hat you ant. ) can$t come up ith anything ) really li"e.
Adamarou adds: /o about bloodH The toy has a mouth, rightH 6erhaps it$s a fanged mouth, and the 6C$s have to :donate: a fe Constitution points$ orth of blood to ma"e the item or" as it should. Temporary damage, but could still be a problem if they have to battle right aay. (aybe the 6C must ma"e a saving thro to remove his or her handarmristhatever body part from the thing$s mouth, or it =ust "eeps draining them, li"e a 1osferatu vampire. (aybe the toy>>hatever it is>>becomes fully charged only hen it is able to drain the equivalent of an adult human ;say Constitution points<. )t$s bite might also>>if you$re in an evil mood>>act as a sord of ounding, herein the ounds it inDicts on$t close eEcept through time and regular healing ;no magical aid or"s<. )t all depends on ho evil you ant to be. Alhoon adds: 8 fe people are abducted at night and they are found a fe days later completely drained from blood.
7hat happenedH Somebody has crafted or stolen the :toy: mentioned in the magic item design help thread and found a ay to increase the duration of the ma=or item creation spell -- times+ To use the item to permanently drain constitution instead of doing temporary ability damage. So the villain uses hirelings or allies or horrid abominations heshe controls to abduct people and have them completely drain of blood, in order to create valuable items that heshe sells soon after. Since the average human has I > 5 constitution, the duration of each item created is I-- > 5-- times more. So for 3olden or silver items the duration ould be J > * months ;assuming the item has a caster level of -<. This time is more than enough for the villain to sell the items and get rich.
Igor the Henchman Gears ago, an evil ereolf as slain by pious village fol". The creatureKs soul, hoever, still resides ithin the creatureKs pelt. 8ll those ho ear the pelt of the beast become ere creatures themselves, under the control of the original beastKs vengeful spirit. Strange murders have been occurring by night in the countryside. The bodies are alays found lying decapitated on the road. 6aranoia ta"es hold of the tonsfol". )n truth, this is the or" of a pac" of vargouilles that have recently appeared in the region. The creatures have come through a mystic portal hidden somehere in the local cemeteryKs crypt and since then strive to increase their numbers.
Cure 8n adventure seemingly involving Strahd in person but herein he in fact "eeps to the bac"ground+ A Stallion !or Strahd
This adventure begins in Barovia. The young and foppish Boris von Zarovich, little loved by his immediate family, has decided that his fortune lies ith proving his orth directly to the great family patriarch and ruler of Barovia, Count Strahd von Zarovich L). 8s there can be no question of going to Castle Ravenloft empty>handed, Boris has
hit upon the perfect gift+ the most fearsome blac"s stallion on the plains of 1ova 2assa. Boris conded his intentions to the 2istani in the hope that they could be hired to nd and steal the creature. 8lthough they declined politely the insultingly small sum of gold on oer, the rauni of the tribe as "ind enough to consult, Mfor a minor service to be named later,N her tarot dec" as to here and hen the stallion might be found. 7ith a somehat cryptic anser in hand, Boris retired to reformulate his plans. Being a i!ard, and not an especially distinguished one at that, Boris had no appetite to see to the business himself. 8nd the more he considered spending his gold on hired mercenaries the less he li"ed that alternative. )nstead, as a von Zarovich lord should, he ould delegate the deed to adventurers. 8nd to insure that his commands ere scrupulously heeded, he ould appear before them in the guise of the lord of Barovia himself. Thus the adventurers hile in Barovia suddenly nd their sleep disturbed by the somehat melodramatic entrance and presence of his eEalted lordship, Count Strahd von Zarovich L), ho charges them ith the recovery of the ercest blac" stallion on the plains of 1ova 2assa and gives them the 2istani directions as to place and time. 8s"ed about a reard, Boris attempts his best malevolent smile and replies+ MThe goodill of the 4ord of the land.N The party should have some chance of unmas"ing the ruse ithout further ado. Should they do so and visit some tting punishment upon Boris, they ill have thereby come into the good graces of the real lord of Barovia ho ill recompense them for their intelligence and eort. 8t the eEtreme this could be in the form of an invitation to Castle Ravenloft. 0qually, they ill have nothing to fear from Boris ;hether they left him dead or alive< for Strahd andor the 2istani ill see to him once and for all. Should the ruse not be uncovered immediately, the party is o to 1ova 2assa. 8 hint that all is not ell is the constant harassment of olves so long as the party is in Barovia. )n 1ova 2assa the harassment is by plains cats. The adventurers ill be challenged by the frontier guard and ill be attac"ed should they be suspected of being horse thieves. The real challenge begins hen the party arrives to claim the stallion for it is a hell> blooded 1ightmare. 8nd it leads a half>do!en li"e>minded horses. 8ll are li"ely to ght to the death and none ill be ta"en alive save by eEtraordinary means. Should the adventurers have failed in their mission, they may be loathed to return to Barovia. )n any case 1ova 2assa is by no means safe for they ill soon be pursued for the capital crime of horse murder. Should the adventurers put their hands on some credible alternative ;or recall that nothing as said about the stallion being alive< and escape 1ova 2assa ith it, aaiting them patiently at the site here they ere charged ith returning to is Boris von Zarovich. &nly he is nailed to a tree and quite dead. ;There isnKt much blood on or about the tree or left in the corpse should they care to notice.< 8OEed to him is a sign that reads+ M/ere hangs a man guilty of the high crime of impersonating his eEalted lordship of Barovia, Count Strahd von Zarovich L).N )deally, the players come upon the corpse by night. )t is certainly dead but still slightly arm. )n this case ta"ing it don and burying it ould be a dreadful mista"e. 'irst,
Strahd ould be displeased and second Boris ould rise as a vampire under StrahdKs control, pretty much assuring a third meeting ith the upstart. 8lternatively, he may rise as some other type of undead, for he still oes the 2istani a service . . .
