our group just completed LMoP and upon leaving the mines they found themselves shrouded in the Mists of Ravenloft! (kinda railroady, I know, but gotta start somewhere...)
one player has decided she want to change characters. She wants to play a lunatic who wants out of Ravenloft. She settled on Warlock (GOO). I have decided to run a solo adventure for her new character so she can better understand the Warlock mechanics. As to her previous character I will have her ripped to shreads during the first encounter with Straad! This should help make the other players fear him!!
The story I have come up with is that Straad has raised her from her youth to harness her Claravoyant abilities to help him find his Motivation (havent done the tarot reading yet...) Her solo adventure will consist of being brought thru the Dungeon to the torture chamber where she is strapped down by Ghouls and Commanded by Straad to find the Motivation. She will be driven mad and attempt to escape. This should end in her battling the Skeletons or Shadow Demon from another part of the castle. She will get to see as Cyrus bypasses some of the traps leading to the dungeon (Stone Golems). That will give the other players a reason to let her join the party when they find her in the forest (she knows some of the castle? shes in!)
I know this brief solo is a railroad but I see it as a tutorial for her. What suggestios do y'all have to make this extra creepy and heavy on roleplay over combat?
a bit more info...
half-elf walock urchin.
What's the party's motivation in Ravenloft? It seems like it's to attack or rob Strahd's castle. Will that help the new PC escape Ravenloft? If so, their motives are aligned.
It is interesting that the new PC's tutorial is to escape from a complex the party will be storming later; be sure that, while she has enough information to be helpful, storming the complex feels like a new experience (perhaps a few changes happened since she left).
the party goal is escape ravenloft so party motives are to work together.
as to her escape she should only see two floors (the castle has 5 or 6) at most and even then i will make the path of escape fairly direct (dont want her to find too many traps!)
If I may make a small suggestion: even if the upcoming Warlock's current character is destined to perish, I wouldn't use Strahd himself. Let one of his less-powerful lieutenants do it. That way, the players have a more achievable short-term goal (destroy the lieutenant), and know who their true, ultimate enemy is.
In fact, a progression of encounters with Strahd's servitors and lieutenants can be used to better build the dread of the vampire lord without him having to actually appear until much later on, while allowing the party to level up and make progressive gains against Strahd's forces. When the last gasp of each servitor/lieutenant is a testament to the power and anger of their master, the player's imaginations will do most of your work for you.
awesome idea! i feel like i could introduce more than one of straads motivations thru the lieutenants! maybe even have straad focus on the love intrest (when he finally arrives) while the leiutenant focuses on the sphere of darkness or sunsword. could split the partys attentions and make for a more complex story...
this game starts this saturday and i dont feel prepared!!! aaahhhhhhhh!!!
i can use Helga as the leiutenant! thanks.
You're very welcome, reply back after the game, let us know how it went! 