Ravenloft-Some Spoilers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ravenloft-Some Spoilers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
metaridley18
03-10-07, 07:08 AM *Caution Spoilers about Ravenloft*

Well, we just finished up playing our first marathon session of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft. We have four players, a soulknife/illumine soul, a rogue, a warlock, and a sorceror. The warlock is taking the place of the healer, and the illumine soul is thanking pelor that he channels positive energy. It was a marathon session, I'm the DM, and the players managed to kill the zombie in the church.

Now, is it just me, or is this adventure extremely HARD and unforgiving? There's no real support, the challenges are almost overwhelming, and the cleric in the church had a scroll of Circle of Death with, if I read it right, had a DC of 19 or die, and a 70% chance of casting it successfully. There was almost no way to avoid getting hit by this spell, and the best chance the party had of not dying was about 50%? Does anyone else find this module to be really hard??? Responses please!!!!
mearrin69
03-10-07, 12:40 PM I reckon this should be in the Adventures forum...but, if you'll check there, you'll find a number of threads about this.

The adventure is tough but my group is doing okay so far. They're about to perform rituals at the fanes to strip them from Strahd. No deaths but some sort of close calls.

I removed the CoD scroll and replaced it with Mass Inflict Serious Wounds (or something similar, I forget). I've also edited bits of the story to give the players more foreshadowing of potentially killing blows (e.g. there's no real hint that you might get zombied so I showed them firsthand what happens by killing a citizen and bringing them back before their first encounter with the zombies).

The castle is coming up (they've been there for a fairly cordial dinner and met Strahd already) and they know it's going to be a slog fest. There are certainly a couple of areas in the castle that are going to be dicey (e.g. traps that shoot you out the side of high towers or transpose you with wights) but I'm going to let the dice fall where they may for the most part.
M

FYI, they just hit 8th level. I am giving 'story' awards and 'roleplaying' awards where appropriate. I put dinner with Strahd at CR7 even though there was no real danger (banner of truce which he and they honored) because it took most of a session and it was interesting and much information was gathered on both sides.
metaridley18
03-10-07, 03:20 PM OOps, I didn't know where to put it. Thanks, though. I guess I'll repost it there, or just look.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
metaridley18 03-10-07, 07:08 AM	Caution Spoilers about Ravenloft Well, we just finished up playing our first marathon session of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft. We have four players, a soulknife/illumine soul, a rogue, a warlock, and a sorceror. The warlock is taking the place of the healer, and the illumine soul is thanking pelor that he channels positive energy. It was a marathon session, I'm the DM, and the players managed to kill the zombie in the church. Now, is it just me, or is this adventure extremely HARD and unforgiving? There's no real support, the challenges are almost overwhelming, and the cleric in the church had a scroll of Circle of Death with, if I read it right, had a DC of 19 or die, and a 70% chance of casting it successfully. There was almost no way to avoid getting hit by this spell, and the best chance the party had of not dying was about 50%? Does anyone else find this module to be really hard??? Responses please!!!!
mearrin69 03-10-07, 12:40 PM	I reckon this should be in the Adventures forum...but, if you'll check there, you'll find a number of threads about this. The adventure is tough but my group is doing okay so far. They're about to perform rituals at the fanes to strip them from Strahd. No deaths but some sort of close calls. I removed the CoD scroll and replaced it with Mass Inflict Serious Wounds (or something similar, I forget). I've also edited bits of the story to give the players more foreshadowing of potentially killing blows (e.g. there's no real hint that you might get zombied so I showed them firsthand what happens by killing a citizen and bringing them back before their first encounter with the zombies). The castle is coming up (they've been there for a fairly cordial dinner and met Strahd already) and they know it's going to be a slog fest. There are certainly a couple of areas in the castle that are going to be dicey (e.g. traps that shoot you out the side of high towers or transpose you with wights) but I'm going to let the dice fall where they may for the most part. M FYI, they just hit 8th level. I am giving 'story' awards and 'roleplaying' awards where appropriate. I put dinner with Strahd at CR7 even though there was no real danger (banner of truce which he and they honored) because it took most of a session and it was interesting and much information was gathered on both sides.
metaridley18 03-10-07, 03:20 PM	OOps, I didn't know where to put it. Thanks, though. I guess I'll repost it there, or just look.