Barovia Village

Minimum PC Level

3: Flavor page 33 (the heroes will likely hit A, B and C before arriving at Barovia) ([1])

Ambient Audio

Rainy Barovia Village with weeping lady by Sword Coast Audio

Area Map

[2]

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Hooks & Events

Mad Mary's Weeping

Make sure that you mention Mad Mary's sobs as soon as the players pass the boundary of town. They'll be naturally intrigued by this, and will want to follow up. ([3])

(page 44) She's a creepy lady whose daughter, Gertruda, is gone. The heroes don't know it, but they will eventually meet Gertruda in Strahd's Castle (page 68. The doll Mad Mary is holding is detailed here. [4]

Muriel tries to lead party to Blood of the Vine Tavern

When the PCs exit Death House (or first arrive in Barovia from the Svalich Road, if you skipped DH), have a raven perch atop one of the houses flanking the street. This is Muriel, the wereraven, in animal form. She attempts to lead them to the Blood of the Vine tavern. ([5])

Dream Pastry Hag

When exploring, the heroes are meant to notice a hunched figure in rags. She sells dream pastries (see page 125). They are 1 gp each. The pastries put you in a happy dream-trance: DC 16 Con save, fail = incapacitated and 0 speed for d4+4 hours. The secret ingredient: Bones of innocent children! Seriously!

This old lady is actually a hag named Morgantha. She lives in the Old Bonegrinder windmill (see page 127). She can see through an eye that Cyrus Belview is wearing on a necklace in Castle Ravenloft (Cyrus is on page 77). She probably knows quite a bit about the interior of Castle Ravenloft. If the adventurers get in a fight with her, they will probably die. [6]

I consider the Dream Pastry event absolutely essential to building the depression of native Barovians in the players' minds, and for introducing them to a villain that they're nowhere near ready to combat (yet). I'd recommend placing Morgantha and her pastry cart either on the way from Death House to Blood of the Vine tavern; on the way from the tavern to the burgomaster's mansion; or on the way from the mansion to the church (and vice-versa). ([7])

Don't rely on your players to go exploring around Barovia themselves in order to trigger the Dream Pastry event; once they find the sanctuary of the tavern or the mansion, they're unlikely to leave unless Ismark or Ireena prompts them to go elsewhere. I personally described Morgantha as "glancing over her shoulder, as if taking caution toward anyone potentially following her," and slipping away into an alley street if pursued or addressed. If you place her immediately after Death House, it's almost guaranteed that the PCs will take interest - she's the first living person they've seen in Barovia, after all.[8]

Once a player gets close enough to talk in person, though, she turns on the Southern Grandma Charm to present herself as a defenseless peddler who only wishes to sell some delicious pies...[9]

Make sure to read up on the Night Hag statblock and lore before running the event, by the way. As /u/paintraina points out, the hags can really drive a narrative, especially at this early point in the game.[10]

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You must, must, MUST do this event. It's wonderful and sets up so much for later on. I would actually recommend having this event occur before anything else in the Village of Barovia. Morgontha and her cart of pies should be the first thing they see in the desolate streets. Of course, there're a few things I changed here.

Morgontha's Character

This is another character portrait I would not show your players.

Firstly, try to play Morgontha as the most loving, grandmotherly person in the whole wide world. She's kind to a fault and a shameless gossip (as many elder women can be as a stereotype). When she talks, do your best to make her tell round-a-bout truths instead of outright lies. That way, if your player's insight check her, she's got nothing to hide.

Morgontha is pretty sinister name, so have her introduced as Granny. If asked for her name, Morgontha replies honestly, but shows distaste for it. She says, "Why it's Morgontha, dear. But everyone just calls me Granny. Morgontha is much too formal!"

Furthermore, if your players check her and sense that she's a fiend, Morgontha sees that there's a tell on the PC's face and asks what's wrong. If prodded further, she tells the PCs a horrible story of how her mother had a nasty encounter with a witch that left its stain on the whole family. This also isn't a lie. Like her, Morgontha's mother was a night hag and Morgontha devoured her when she was younger. So technically, her mother did have a deadly encounter with a witch.

Morgotha knows a little bit about everyone in the village. She knows this information because she has to keep track of her clients, but outwardly just acts like a nosey grandmother. She'll actively ask male PCs why on earth they haven't settled down yet with a nice girl yet and asks the female PCs why they're so skinny. They should get some meat on their bones, for goodness sake!

First Meeting

When PCs first see Morgontha on the street, she's just finishing selling a pie to a villager. As the party approaches, they'll be able to overhear the villager thank Morgontha profusely and wish her safe travels. The villager is very normal and their obvious trust of Morgontha should throw PCs off guard.

Dream Pies

The dream pies smell fresh and delicious. Remember that the pies don't necessarily have to be made out meat, so long as they have kid parts inside them. This can include powered bone dust and other weird things. So describe to the players that she has a small variety of pies to offer:

Meat pies, some kind of maple nut pie, and a hearty pie with a potato base.

Mentioning the variety of ingredients with also throw your players off. Make sure to list meat pies first, though, so your players aren't thinking about meat by the time the list is completed.

If players still fixate on the meat pies and ask kind of meat it is. Morgontha says something like, "Oh, Barovians use all kinds of meat. Especially since we've a dreadful lack of sunlight for good fruits and veggies. I myself prefer chicken, but there's also goat, deer, pig, and wolf meat depending on where you go. You'd think wolf meat would be more of delicacy, huh? Not here, deary! With Lord Strahd in charge there's more wolves in these woods than we know what to do with!"

Remember, redirect and overload with information. Surefire way to not answer crucial questions. ;)

No matter what, Morgontha will gift the party with a pie to share for dinner. Yes, they normally cost 1gp, but Morgontha wants to get people addicted to her wares. Just like a good drug dealer, the first shot's free. She just says that she'll wave the fee since they're new to Barovia and the journey into town must've been hard.

When Morgontha describes the dream pies and why they're so expensive (cause this will definitely come up when the PCs learn the price), she tells the PCs that it's a bit of magic her mother taught her before the witch killed her. The pies bring the eaters only the sweetest dreams, something poorly lacking in this dreary world. She should get a really sad expression on her face when she says this, honestly seeming grief stricken at the sorry state of the world.

Afterwards

No matter what happens, do NOT have the little after bit of this encounter where Morgontha visits a house and takes the child as payment. Don't ruin all the trust you've just built. If the players follow her, she just continues going house to house and selling her pies, as innocent as ever.

Morgontha will happily direct PCs towards the Blood on the Vine Tavern if they're looking for a place to stay for the night.

Bildrath's Mercantile

(Page 43) Unfair markup shopping.

Parriwimple's Stats: He might need to rough up the heroes in Bildrath's Mercantile (page 43). Parriwimple: (Gladiator, MM page 346) AC 14 HP 112! +7/+7/+7 13(2d8+4) Parry: +3 to AC against one melee attack.

Bildrath's Inventory

Items with inflated prices for outsiders like the PC party

Abacus	20gp[11]
Ammunition: [12]
Arrows (20)	10gp[13]
Blowgun needles (50)	10gp[14]
Crossbow bolts (20)	10gp[15]
Sling bullets (20)	40cp[16]
Arcane focus:[17]
Crystal	100gp[18]
Orb	200gp[19]
Rod	100gp[20]
Staff	50gp[21]
Wand	100gp[22]
Backpack	20gp[23]
Ball bearings(bag of 1000)	10gp[24]
Barrel	20gp[25]
Basket	40sp[26]
Bedroll	10gp[27]
Bell	10gp[28]
Blanket	50sp[29]
Block and tackle	10gp[30]
Bottle glass	20gp[31]
Bucket	50cp[32]
Caltrops (bag of 20)	10gp[33]
Candle	10cp[34]
Case, crossbow bolt	10gp[35]
Case, map or scroll	10gp[36]
Chain (10 feet)	50gp[37]
Chalk (1 piece)	10cp[38]
Chest	50gp[39]
Clothes, common	50sp[40]
Clothes, costume	50gp[41]
Clothes, fine	150gp[42]
Clothes, cold weather	200gp[43]
Crowbar	20gp[44]
Druidic focus:[45]
Sprig of mistletoe	10gp[46]
Totem	10gp[47]
Wooden staff	50gp[48]
Yew wand	100gp[49]
Fishing tackle	10gp[50]
Flask or tankard	20cp[51]
Grappling hook	20gp[52]
Hammer	10gp[53]
Hammer, sledge	20gp[54]
Healer’s kit	50gp[55]
Holy symbol:[56]
Amulet	50gp[57]
Emblem	50gp[58]
Reliquary	50gp[59]
Hunting trap	50gp[60]
Ink (1 ounce bottle)	100gp[61]
Ink pen	20cp[62]
Jug or pitcher	20cp[63]
Ladder (10-foot)	10sp[64]
Lamp	50sp[65]
Lantern bullseye	100gp[66]
Lantern hooded	50gp[67]
Lock	100gp[68]
Manacles	20gp[69]
Mess kit	20sp[70]
Steel Mirror	50gp[71]
Oil (flask)	10gsp[72]
Paper (one sheet)	20sp[73]
Parchment(one sheet)	10sp[74]
Perfume (vial)	50gp[75]
Pick Miner’s	20gp[76]
Piton	50sp[77]
Pole (10-foot)	50cp[78]
Pot iron	20gp[79]
Pouch	50sp[80]
Quiver	10gp[81]
Ram portable	40gp[82]
Rations (1 day)	50sp[83]
Robes	10gp[84]
Rope, hempen(50ft)	10gp[85]
Sack	10cp[86]
Scale merchant’s	50gp[87]
Sealing wax	50sp[88]
Shovel	20gp[89]
Signal whistle	50cp[90]
Signet ring	50gp[91]
Soap	20cp[92]
Spikes iron (10)	10gp[93]
Tent (two-person)	20gp[94]
Tinderbox	50sp[95]
Torch	10cp[96]
Vial	10gp[97]
Waterskin	20sp[98]
Whetstone	10cp[99]
Artisan’s tools:[100]
Brewer’s supplies	200gp[101]
Calligrapher's supplies	100gp[102]
Carpenter’s tools	80gp[103]
Cartographer’s tools	150gp[104]
Cobbler’s tools	50gp[105]
Cook’s utensils	10gp[106]
Leatherworker’s tools	50gp[107]
Mason’s tools	100gp[108]
Painter’s supplies	100gp[109]
Potter’s tools	100gp[110]
Smith’s tools	200gp[111]
Weaver’s tools	100gp[112]
Woodcarver's tools	10gp[113]
Forgery kit	150gp[114]
Gaming sets:[115]
Dice set	10sp[116]
Dragonchess set	10gp[117]
Playing card set	50sp[118]
Three-Dragon Ante set	10gp[119]
Herbalism kit	50gp[120]
Musical instruments:[121]
Drum	50gp[122]
Flute	20gp[123]
Horn	30gp[124]
Pan flute	120gp[125]
Shawm	20gp[126]
Starter Packs:[127]
Burglar’s Pack	160gp[128]
Dungeoneer’s Pack	120gp[129]
Explorer’s Pack	110gp[130]
Priest’s Pack	190gp[131]
Monster Hunter's Pack	330gp

Zombies in red-marked houses

Strahd Zombies: You might want to cook up an encounter in a house with some Strahd Zombies (page 241). The zombies are fun - you can cut their limbs off when you do 5 damage or more. If you have a group that likes combat, this is an entertaining way to keep them satisfied as they explore. [132]

Meet Ismark at Blood of the Vine Tavern

(page 43) the heroes can meet Ismark here. Ismark wants the group to meet his sister Ireena, who plays a gigantic role in this adventure.[133]

Your players will also come across Ismark when they visit the tavern, who will happily buy the party a round of drinks and invite them to sit with him.[134]

SIDE NOTE: If the PCs still have Lancelot the dog with them, Ismark will recognize the pooch. This might give him further incentive to invite the players to side with him. He might ask where they found Lancelot and tell them the dog used to belong to Mad Mary's daughter. If the PCs relate the events of Death House, they will obviously impress Ismark and inadvertently convince him that they're worthy enough to protect Ireena.[135]

For the most part, I stuck pretty closely to the book with this NPC. I made Ismark honest to a fault. He's kind but also has an air of perpetual exhaustion, like the weight of his responsibilities is always one straw away from breaking him.[136]

When the players meet Ismark, he's desperate. His father is dead and his sister is in danger, so he's willing to settle for very little in the way of help. Everyone in the village is too smart and/or afraid to go against Strahd's desire for Ireena, but outsiders might be easier to convince. Or buy. He openly admits this fact with a sad, bitter smile.[137]

If asked about the 3 Vistani in the Tavern, Ismark calls them Vistani spies. He doesn't know that the sisters aren't either of those things. His prejudice is apparent, but at the same time, he's never met any other Vistani to compare them too.[138]

Ismark's kindness to the PCs as well as the promise of reward should get the party to follow him home.[139]

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Tavern owners recommend to meet Madame Eva at Tser Pool

Two things to keep in mind at Blood of the Vine Tavern. One is that the sisters suggest that the heroes meet Madame Eva. [140]

In his article in Dragon Plus issue 6, Ed Greenwood wrote about the menu of this tavern: "Stews and ale and warm round loaves of dark nut bread with strong yellow-green cheeses of unfamiliar local varieties."

Ismark brings PCs to Burgomaster's Mansion

(page 45) Our heroes meet important people.

Strahd's Army

Strahd had wolves and zombies attack the house for weeks. The stress caused their father, the Burgomaster, to die. [141]

Strahd got to Ireena

Strahd visited her twice, but the memories are hazy. She remembers the blazing hunger in his eyes. [142]

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When the players get to Ismark's home, they'll be introduced to Ireena and given the details on the job.

Escort Ireena

For the most part, I played this section as written. Ismark wants to protect his sister, who'd being targeted by Strahd. Strahd's been known to take consorts every so often, but neither of the siblings know that Ireena is somehow special.[143]

Ismark promises the reward of 50 gold pieces to the characters to escort Ireena to safety. Note that he specifically says, "to safety." Not, just Vallaki or Kresk or whatever, but until she is safe. Ismark doesn't put a great emphasis on this point, though, in case the PCs refuse the job. He's desperate and a little fine print isn't something he's afraid of. He will happily suggest Vallaki as a destination though.[144]

Unfortunately, Ismark isn't able to accompany the party or his sister to Vallaki. Since their father is dead, someone has to govern the village and Ismark is too lawful to let his duties slide.[145]

I did this specifically to manage the number of NPC party members in my group. I knew that Ireena might be a pretty long term companion and that my party would likely pick up at least one or two more along the way, so I didn't want to overburden the group with mindless extras. So, Ismark stays behind.[146]

The Burgomaster's Burial

Even as Ismark and the players are working out the details, Ireena pops up and out right refuses to leave until her father is rightfully buried. The players will have to agree to this if they want to move forward.[147]

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SIDE NOTE

Should the party still have Lancelot the dog, Ismark offers to care for it after the PCs leave with Ireena. He doesn't recommend returning Lancelot to Mad Mary since he doubts she would care for the poor old dog with the sorry state of her mind.[148]

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We Need to Bury the Dad

Ireena and Ismark want to bury their dad, but there are screams coming from the church. The heroes need to bury the dad. Ireena and Ismark won't do anything until this is done. [149]

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Backup Hook: Mad Mary Visits

Oh God, Another Crying Trap[150]

If you're using my guides, you likely had your PCs tackle the Death House. And Death House began with a pair of isolated, crying children. We all know how that turned out. Having your players then encounter another distinct victorian townhouse with the sounds of a crying woman inside is not going to sit pretty with them. Players might indulge you as the DM and go explore the obvious story hook. But most likely, they'll say a prayer and avoid it.[151]

Mad Mary's looking for help

After the players meet Ireena and get somewhat situated, Mary comes and knocks at the front door quite profusely. Ever cautious, Ismark jesters that the party and Ireena should stay down and quiet while he goes and answers the door. They've had a lot of unwelcome visitors recently, so he's not about to take chances.[152]

When he opens the door, Mad Mary pushes her way into the house.[153]

This is actually a good sign for Ismark and Ireena. Mary has not only come during the day, but also entered the house uninvited. Believe it or not, this alleviates some of their anxiety.[154]

The players will overhear Mary's frantic rambling. She begs Ismark to help her daughter and is obviously distraught. If the players intervene, and they likely will, she'll latch onto the first PC who spoke and beg them to help her child.[155]

As Mary rambles on about Gertruda, make it sound like Gertruda is a lot younger than she is. In Mary's eyes, her daughter is still a little kid, no more than seven or eight, and all her speech implies this fact.[156]

After the players alleviate some of Mary's hysteria with their reassurances, Ismark will walk her back to her home, leaving the party alone with Ireena. Ireena will then tell the party that Gertruda ran away into the mists over a week ago and is most likely dead. Despite all their promises, there's nothing the party can do.[157]

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A Good Time to Rest

After all the traveling and NPC chatting, your PCs are safely at the Burgomaster's mansion. They've learned a whole lot and met some people and have got some story quests. This is an excellent time for the evening to set in. Ismark agrees that he and the PCs should get the Burgomaster's body to the cemetery in the morning for the funeral.[158]

Dream Pies

MAKE SURE to remind your players about the dream pies so that they try them.

If Ireena or Ismark see the pies, they politely decline any if offered. While they don't know what the pies are truly made of, they've seen their addictive properties and know what people look like at their worst. They have nothing against the pies, they're just not of interest to the siblings.[159]

Ismark and Ireena would only recommend that each player has a small portion of the pie, just in case. Otherwise, they see no harm in trying it once.[160]

The players who indulge in the pie are delighted by the taste. It's quite flavorful, quite unexpected for food from this dreary world. When they sleep that night, they have bright, beautiful dreams full of color. In the dreamworld, they feel hopelessly safe and loved. And then they wake up feeling more empty than usual.[161]

During the night, you might still have PCs take watches, just in case. Nothing will actually happen on this night. Strahd's giving his beloved time to morn the death of her father. But perhaps someone on watch might hear the sounds of footsteps encircling the house in the night, before leaving. Players who've eaten pie can't be woken until morning.[162]

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Church: Doru and the Priest

Keep note of what time it is in the game. If it is midnight, the march of the dead happens (page 48). If you've ever played or run Ravenloft before, maybe have old characters as some of the ghosts, just for fun. You could also have these ghosts be the spirits of the dead adventurers found in the cells on pages 80-82.[163]

March of the Dead

I took out this event and this bit of lore from my campaign entirely. Here's why.

The Purpose of the March

Besides the fact that this is a spooky event, its actual narrative purpose is to dishearten PCs. It's supposed to show them that they aren't the first adventures to come to Barovia nor the first to face Strahd. It's meant to show them that all those that came before died and so will they most likely. This is actually a pretty good motivation, if not for a few facts.

Why I think it Doesn't Work

The Chosen Ones Complex

Unfortunately, we are all victims of narrative. We see this in movies and video games all the time. Yes, the ancient evil has been trapped in the mountain for the last 999 years. But this year, it's definitely breaking free because this year is the one in which the setting takes place. Yes, many kids have tried to face the chess champion and failed, but you're going to beat him because obviously you're the main character in this story.

The same mindset can't help but take hold of your players and therefore takes away from the original purpose of the March.

Isolation is Scarier than Premonition

You can tell someone their destiny one hundred times, but that won't stop them from fighting it. In fact, telling someone that they can't do something is often a big motivator to actually do that thing. This entire event is one big premonition; a prophesy telling your players that they're going to die facing Strahd. But instead of frightening, this will likely only motivate them further.

Now, if you want to spookily motivate them, then go for it. Use this event to its fullest. However, if you want to focus on scaring your players, take out this event and this haunting.

Isolation is hella frightening. As human beings, we find safety in numbers and look for companionship to function. You may say you're a loner, but if you had to go into the creepy basement you'd probably want someone with you. Telling your players that adventurers come through Barovia all the time takes away that isolation. It makes their presence in this land normal. And normal means safe. That's a big "nope" for a horror campaign.

Far Fewer Outsiders

The book tells us that Barovian natives are used to seeing outsiders and so don't react very strongly to foreign races. This is no longer true.

To make all of Barovia more isolating, not just the village, drastically reduce the number of outsiders that come through the mists. Now, only handful of outsiders come to Barovia every couple decades. This way, people like Ismark who are only in their 20s may never have even seen an outsider in their entire lives.

Natives now react strongly to your PCs' odd races. They may be fascinated by your non-human PCs or be extra distrustful. The reaction will vary from one NPC to another.

Strahd's Playthings

Yes, Strahd likes to torment adventurers. Having fewer of them coming through his lands doesn't change that. It just means he plays with his food a little longer before eating it. After all, what are a few decades to someone who can't die?

Vistani's Guests

One thing in which the book heavily hints is that the Vistani often bring outsiders to Barovia. I took out this bit of lore entirely. I'll do a bigger write up on the Vistani in my next post about Tser Pool, but know that in my version of Barovia, the Vistani do not escort people in and out of Barovia. Pretty much at all. So that's another way outsiders are limited in the campaign.

Overall, limiting the number of people passing through the mists makes the mists seem stronger. Imagine there's a literal wall around a prison. If inmates are known to walk through that wall all the time, or hitch rides out with the wardens, the walls don't seem as limiting. However, if no one ever really comes or goes, those walls seem all the more absolute.

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Tser Pool Tarokka

If your PCs don't seem like they'll want to take the detour to Tser Pool, have Ismark suggest that they take a detour/pit stop in order to learn more about how they defend themselves from Strahd's wrath. (reddit)

Roadside Encounters

If your players do go roaming around Barovia, or take their sweet time getting to the Blood of the Vine tavern, feel free to throw in one of these two encounters along the way: ([164])

A child with a dead pet (cat or dog) runs up to them. Unlike many other Barovians they have a soul, and are dressed in bright red clothes. They ask the PCs to heal their pet, believing them to only be sleeping. Bonus points if you've got a cleric or paladin in the party. ([165])

Two men are fighting in the street over a small paper bag. The bag contains a pair of dream pastries that one of them, Braden, just purchased from Morgantha that morning. The other man, Javaris, is going through a horrific withdrawal from a lack of the pastries, and will kill Braden if it means getting his hands on another fix. Both men are heavily addicted to the pastries, and will only relent if forcibly separated. ([166])

Mad Mary's House

This townhouse isn't really described in the module, so I thought I'd expand upon it to provide more of a narrative environment for the players. ([167])

The first floor contains a small kitchen with a broken glass on the floor and a rotted meal for two set on a table covered with a dirty blue tablecloth. Mary had poured herself a glass of wine to steady her nerves after realizing Gertruda's disappearance, and dropped it on the floor in anguish. A small sitting area contains a fireplace, two comfortable armchairs, and a dirty rug. Stairs lead up from here to the second floor. ([168])

The second floor contains a bathroom with an unemptied chamber pot and a bowl of dirty washwater. Mary is in her own bedroom, which holds a writing desk and a bed. Gertruda’s door is slightly ajar, and a tray holding a broken tea kettle and cup has shattered on the floor before it. Mary was bringing Gertrada tea when she found her daughter missing, and dropped it in her horror. ([169])

Gertruda's room holds a clumsily handwoven dress, a shelf holding fairytales and a hairbrush, a rug with a chewed-up bone, and an open window. Strahd stole Gertruda through the window one week ago. ([170])

When the party enters Gertruda's room, the Death House dog (see my post on running Death House) jumps up onto the bed and curls up beside the pillow, whining. He was raised by Gertruda as a puppy, and fled through a hole in the walls after Mary neglected to feed him, eventually wandering into Death House when tempted by the scent of food. ([171])

Blood of the Vine Tavern

The Tavern will likely be the player's first stop after meeting Morgontha. They'll be looking for someone to talk to and there frankly isn't much else in town. Bildrath's Mercantile is a fine store, but the high prices will likely scare players off.

The Vistani Owners

Alenka, Mirabel, and Sorvia are the Vistani owners of the tavern. In my version of Barovia, the Vistani are much more benign than the book makes them out to be. I'll be doing a much more detailed write up in my Tser Pool post.

For now, know that these three Vistani aren't actually Vistani anymore. They're considered Mortu, or Vistani outcasts. The sisters are no longer welcome amongst any Vistani tribes or caravans and have no friends of their own people. They may be Vistani by race, sure, but they are Mortu by culture.

As a result they have none of their classic Vistani power. They don't have the Evil Eye power or the ability to curse someone and they see nothing when they look at a Tarroka card.

Strahd himself finds these three pretty deplorable by their Mortu status and actively refuses to use them as his allies. Though the book says these three are Strahd's spies, they are not in this version. Strahd is a lawful individual with a healthy respect for the Vistani, so he would never associate himself with a Mortu. Instead, he uses the barkeep, Arik, to spy on the tavern, using his soulless eyes for his scrying spell.

The sisters are exceptionally cruel individuals and shallow by nature, like the popular girls in high school who bully with trickery and deceit. When Alenka, Mirabel, and Sorvia were teenagers, they shunned the Vistani way of life, actively mocking the beliefs of their own people in favor of being enamored by life in solid houses that didn't smell of horse butts (Their words). However, they showed their true cruelty when they tricked another Vistani teenager into a forced romance with a couple Barovian men for a night. They were marked as Mortu and cast out quickly after.

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The barkeep is an excellent opportunity to introduce the idea of the Soulless to the PCs. I described his motions and voice as emotionless, even robotic, and my players were thoroughly creeped out by his manner and drab clothes. As they made their way through town, they very quickly drew a mental line between the life-infused characters of Ismark, Ireena, and the Vistani, and the Soulless Barovians. ([172])

They likely won't understand why many of the people in this land are so dour and depressed; while you can have Ismark or Ireena share the (correct) superstition about Barovian souls, I preferred to leave it a mystery. They'll eventually find out from the midwife in Krezk, or might never discover the truth at all. My players fixated on the dream pastries as a potential cause for this depression, but aren't quite sure that they're right. ([173])

The Burgomaster's Mansion

To draw immediate attention to Ireena, and to hint even more heavily at Strahd's vampiric nature, I gave Ireena a scarf that she wears to conceal the marks of Strahd's predations. I also added a trinket inside of the mansion to add a little atmosphere and history to a fairly low-detail area. Here, the PCs found a child's drawing of a "man with dark, shaggy hair and a demonic left arm coated with jagged scales" - Izek. Ireena drew pictures of the "monster man" as a child, but forgot this piece long ago, and doesn't recall what drew her to make it. ([174])

There's a high probability that your PCs will arrive at the mansion thoroughly exhausted from their trials in Death House. If that's the case, have Ismark offer them the opportunity for a long rest overnight, or through the afternoon and evening if you want them to have the chance to see the March of the Dead. ([175])

Doru and Donavich

I quite liked the idea of a previous poster that, if Doru is killed, Donavich becomes withdrawn and inconsolable; when the PCs leave, the belltower rings a single time. If the party returns, they find that Donavich has hung himself from the bell's rope. ([176])

My players pretty much instantly viewed Doru as a Monster To Be Defeated, which is pretty much the way he comes off if you run his introduction by the book. Still, a good amount of the text seems to imply that the PCs should have a fair chance to gain the information that Doru knows about Strahd and the Mad Mage. If that's the case, you can make him more sympathetic and less monstrous by playing up his desperation and having him pleading for "just a little blood." ([177])

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Ireena and Ismark should give the PCs a bit of a warning about the church. After all, the state of Donovich and his son is well known town gossip.[178]

Doru's Backstory

The book tells us that Doru was part of a march against castle Ravenloft that ended pretty tragically. I changed this.[179]

Instead, Doru is yet another consort that caught Strahd's eye. If you read my post on Strahd you'll know that, to me, he's a little bit bi. While Strahd prefers women, he's had some male consorts along the way. It's more about power to Strahd, anyway, which appeals to his abusive nature.[180]

Doru was a young, frail boy sheltered by the church and his father. Strahd found Doru only vaguley appealing by himself. However, the chance to do something so fun as screw with the church made Doru a promising target. Strahd seduced Doru and turned him, only for Donovich to find out and lock his son in the cellar.[181]

In my mind, this happened almost a decade ago instead of only a year prior. I figure, why would Strahd pursue Doru when Ireena is literally right around the corner? Now, Ireena would have been a small child when Strahd came to town and he would have been far less likely to pay her any notice.[182]

Donovich spends his every waking hour praying for Doru's soul and hoping his son will come back to him.[183]

Ismark Accompanies

For this side quest, Ismark stays with the party while Ireena stays at home. Ireena really wants to come and stubbornly fights with Ismark, but to no avail. She's already getting the assurance that her father will rest peacefully, so staying safely behind the walls of their home for another day isn't too much to ask.[184]

This also keeps that nice limit on the number of NPCs fighting with the party at a given time.[185]

The Burgomaster's Burial

The following morning, the party wakes up nice and refreshed and ready to bury a dead dude. A couple of the stronger PCs will help Ismark carry the coffin across town.[186]

Meeting Donavich will be pretty strained. The party should feel really bad for this broken shell of a man. The screams of his son coming from beneath the floorboards will also be quite disconcerting. But Ismark will be able to quietly convince the priest to leave his praying for just enough time to conduct a funeral.[187]

The funeral goes off without any issues. At this point, the PCs should be super tense. Nothing terrible has happened to them in a while and they're expecting shit to hit the fan soon. The more you can push the atmosphere and the longer you can hold this tension, the better.[188]

Strahd Attends the Funeral

Even though Ireena isn't present, this is still his beloved's father. And the Burgomaster's death is very much Strahd's fault and he knows it. The man's death isn't something that Strahd wanted to happen and he honestly laments the Burgomaster's passing, if only because it pains Ireena so.[189]

As the funeral progresses, Donovich will begin reciting the final rites and prayers. During this time, have PCs roll perception. At least one of them should be able to spot a figure standing beyond the cemetery fence shrouded in mist. The figure is a tall man, too obscured to really see, but it appears he's wearing all black and is bowing his head as if in prayer.[190]

Confronting Doru

If Ismark and Ireena told the party the details of Doru's story, they may accept that it's a terrible tragedy and leave it be.[191]

More likely, nosy players will be nosy and want to help.[192]

Donovich

No matter what the PCs say, they cannot convince Donovich to kill his son or to advocate the killing of his son. Unless the argument is borderline award winning with some enchantment magic on the side, Donovich can't let his son go.[193]

Donovich knows that his son is still within the monster he's become and he knows in his heart that one day the Morning Lord will set Doru free. What's left of Donovich's sanity relies on this belief. Shattering that hope would destroy Donovich entirely.[194]

However, PCs can still offer to take a look at Doru and Donovich happily agrees. He's willing to do just about anything for the sake of his son. However, he warns the party repeatedly that no harm can come to his son.[195]

If at any point the PCs seem like they're going to kill Doru, Donovich will descend into the undercroft himself and actively fight them. He'll do absolutely anything to protect his boy.[196]

Into the Undercroft

I debated on how much Doru's thirst would have effected him and what it would take to make him sane again. And here's what I figured: Doru is starving. Like, hardcore. He's a vampire so he can't actually die, but he's in a lot of pain. A measly pint of blood isn't going to be enough to make him feel better.[197]

He's been down here for almost ten years without so much as a drop of blood. The players may try to satiate him with some of their own blood, but it's going to take a lot. If they offer a small amount to Doru, it's going to lead to a battle when Doru's thirst takes over his sanity.[198]

Should a battle ensue, do everything in your power to get the players to run away. Between Donovich screaming at them to leave his son alone and the hardcore healing abilities of a vampire spawn to a low-level party, this isn't a battle that should go down.[199]

Outcomes

If the party kills Doru, even accidentally, Donovich is devastated. To borrow from this post, "If Doru is killed, Donavich becomes withdrawn and inconsolable. When the PCs leave the church, they can hear the church bell ring a single time. If the party returns to the church, they find that Donavich has hanged himself from the bell's rope."[200]

If Doru escapes, he flees into the woods towards castle Ravenloft. He'll likely come across some wolves or deer and drain them dry along the way, regaining some semblance of his mind. With nowhere else to go, he'll go to Strahd.[201]

If Doru is recaptured down in the undercroft, things will proceed without change.[202]

My players actually recommended that Donovich keep feeding Doru a little blood at a time to help him. I haven't actually rolled the results of this yet, but when the time is right, I plan on rolling to see a couple things. Whether Donovich gives Doru too much and dies from exsanguination, for instance. If Doru got out during a feeding and killed his father before fleeing. If the feedings actually go well and Doru and his father are having civil conversations again. Who knows?[203]

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Church Graveyard

The March of the Dead is a fascinating encounter that really sets up the Herculean/Sisyphean task that the PCs have ahead of them (i.e., defeating Strahd). My players loved it, so make sure they get to the graveyard in time for the event! I took the advice of another DM to have Ireena coyly suggest that something "interesting" happens in the graveyard at midnight to get them there. ([204])

Strahd Encounter

Unlike many other DMs, this is where I chose to place my party's first Strahd encounter. By now, his reputation has been buffed by Ismark, Ireena, and Donavich, and the players are reaching the point where their imaginations are running wild. What better time to have Strahd confront Ireena - and her new accomplices - than the burial of her late father? ([205])

(Note: This encounter is pretty much wholesale stolen from here.)

In the minutes just before dawn, fog rolls in. The sound of wings flapping fills the air. A massive swarm of bats bursts out of the fog and flies into, past, and through the party. The swam scatters. ([206])

The group hears growls from the darkness. Snarling wolves creep out from the mist and surround the adventurers. Ireena draws a dagger and Ismark draws his longsword and shortsword. ([207])

A figure appears on the roof of the mausoleum - Strahd. He gives Ireena ("Tatyana") his condolences on her father's passing, even complimenting him. If you want to make things a little more cinematic, you can have Ireena challenge him. Otherwise, you can have Strahd ask her to introduce the party to him. You may want to have Ismark tell the party before this that Strahd will hold power over them if he finds out their names (false). The PCs will likely refuse to hand that information over, allowing Strahd to charm it out of them in a future encounter. ([208])

Regardless of how the PCs respond, Strahd introduces himself and charms Ireena into approaching him. If you want to go full movie-style, you can use the following description text:

Strahd holds out a hand toward Ireena. "Tatyana, my love. You have paid your respects to your father. Let these kine put his flesh under the earth. Come to me, my darling."

Ireena hugs her dagger closer to her chest. "Never."

Strahd eyes her for a moment, then holds up a finger. He crooks it, lazily. The mists swirl around his feet, and you can see his red eyes flare in the darkness. "I do not recall asking. Come, Tatyana." ([209])

Ireena jerks, then begins to approach him, dropping her dagger, a mix of fear and yearning etched on her face.

If none of the PCs try to stop her, Ismark will hold her back. At this point, Strahd will direct his wolves to attack.

This should be a difficult encounter, especially because it's likely that the PCs are enjoying the results of a long rest now. I used 8 wolves for 4 PCs, but don't forget that Ismark is a CR 2 Veteran. Don't be afraid to use Ismark to his full potential (my players now love keeping him around), but do remember that his first priority is to Ireena, rather than his own safety. If he goes down, let the wolves drag his body away, unconscious/presumably dead, for use as a vampire spawn later. ([210])

If Ireena reaches Strahd's perch, he swoops down and flies off with her into the night. I had her move at a slow rate of 10 ft./turn, visibly jerking as her unconscious mind struggled to keep her back. This provides a nice time limit for the encounter, and tells the players that losing combats can have serious consequences. If Ireena is stopped, however, in the aftermath of the fight, she collapses to her knees, stabbing a dead wolf over and over in powerless frustration. ([211])

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The most important part to DM Barovia is to read the special events section. The dream pastries event is just spectacular, and you are missing out if you can't incorporate it in some way. If you take nothing else away from this write up, it will be a success. (reddit)

Mad Mary: Both of the parties who I ran did Death House prior to really experiencing Barovia. As a result they were very hesitant to investigate another villager in distress right away. (reddit)

Blood on the Vine Tavern: Both groups gravitated here right after Death House. This is a good place to meet new party members (you will probably need to replace some characters after Death House). I got caught off guard the first time I ran the conversation with Ismark. You need to know a few important things off the top of your head because the players will quiz you. Know how long his families manor has been under attack (a few weeks now), how long his father has been dead (3 days), and how he died (Natural causes/heart attack from stress). The players will look at Ismark favorably, and I think it is because he seems to be a good person in an otherwise depressing setting. Use Ismark to motivate the PCs to bring his sister to Vallaki (reddit)

Indirovich Manor: Straight forward. I allowed one group spend the night here so they wouldn't have to bury Kolyan at night. I also had Ismark decide to stay in Barovia as he is now the Burgomaster. He promises to help the PCs if they help him move Ireena. (reddit)

Church in Barovia: The PCs will end up heading here with Kolyan. I had Ismark and Ireena stay in the manor to keep Ireena safe. They had already paid their respects to their father. On the way to the Church is when I had the event with the Dream Pastries occur. Keep in mind that the hag will likely kill the PCs if they really decide to try to kill her. I tried my best to play her as a spry old crone to keep them from really teeing off and being content with stopping her for the time being. I made the mistake of not reading the Night Hag entry in the MM prior to the encounter. Don't make that mistake. These Hags are super cool and can really drive a narrative. Both of my groups did the same thing at the church - they asked a few questions to the priest about his vampire spawn son, and then interred Kolyan into the family crypt and GTFO. They didn't want to hang around the graveyard at night time to watch the parade. It's actually amazing how much the PCs avoid being outside at night in this module. (reddit)

Notes on Ireena: In the two groups I ran, I treated Ireena very differently. In Group A, I had Ireena be played by another player. In group B, I played her as a straight NPC. Having done both, I would HIGHLY recommend Ireena be played by another player. Let them read all the things Barovian people know, and the description of Ireena. This has really had a couple of huge benefits: (reddit)

The DM isn't talking to his/herself when Ireena and another NPC are in the scene. I try my best to have as little NPC-NPC interaction as possible, and this can't be done very well with Ireena as an NPC. (reddit)

You don't need to keep track of Ireena's combat stats. (reddit)

Through Ireena, you can subtly guide the PCs to certain areas. (reddit)

When the player who plays Ireena finds out that Izek is her brother - it's a huge payout. Lots of gasps around the table. These are the moments DMs live for. (reddit)

Tser Pool Encampment: Another thing I learned is that PCs LOVE tarot card readings and fortune telling. If Ismark or Ireena hint that Madam Eva is a skilled diviner and it might be wise to stop by her camp, they will take the bait. Honestly there should have been more reasons in the campaign to get the PCs to go the Madam Eva, because so much hinges on the Tarokka reading. Do everything in your power short of railroading to get them to go here. If it seems like they are going to miss it, have them find Tarokka cards in their pockets, or other random spots and they will get the hint. I also used the fortune reading as another milestone. The PC's being level 4 before the encounter the hazards of Bonegrinder and Vallaki will really help them. (reddit)

The road to Vallaki: The size of the map and relative travel speeds mean that you are rolling for a random encounter every 4 hexes or so. I let the players take turns rolling and when someone hits a random encounter, I let them roll the encounter. People like rolling. As for what happens when they roll the encounter, sometimes I use what they rolled but just as often I'll choose an encounter I like more. (reddit)

A general bit of DM advice: Have callbacks. When the players do something in the story that could be referenced later, make a note of it and make damn sure you set up a situation where they will see a call back to their actions. Players love this stuff, and it creates an intense feeling of agency and immersion. For instance, one group encountered the bundle of clothes in a tree as a random encounter. I decided they were more likely to encounter wereravens soon so I described a few black feathers in the clothes. The PC's wanted to cut a corner off of the cloak and put the clothes back in the tree. I made a note that at some point one of the patrons in the Blue Water Inn would have a corner cut off of their cloak. When they saw the Wereraven patron with a cut cloak, they went nuts. This sort of thing is really difficult if you haven't read ahead in the module, so try to read ahead and come back and review the section they are heading in to. (reddit)

After each session, I write down stuff like this so I don't forget to incorporate it. My Post-session notes might be just "cut cloak on wereraven, (Warlock Character Name) traded lock of hair to Vistani spy for fake potion, Hag will haunt (Rogue Character Name) because of assault outside Bonegrinder" Then when you recap the previous session, make sure to touch on these story points - TV series will do this all the time, they touch on plot points before the episode that are going to be developed in the episode. (reddit)

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Leaving Barovia

With the Burgomaster buried, Ireena is ready to head out to Vallaki. Depending on how badly the confrontation with Doru went, your players may want to spend another night in the village. Ireena and Ismark are pretty heavily against this. They want to get going quickly and they're actually really right about that.[212]

With the Burgomaster laid to rest, Strahd no longer has a reason to let up his pursuit of Ireena. If the players stay the rest of the day and then the night, Srahd will come and attack the house again. This guide has a great chart laid out on how a siege of the mansion might go.[213]

Ismark and Ireena assure the players that they can likely reach Tser Pool before nightfall, which should be a relatively safe place to make camp. Ismark also tells the PCs that there's a Vistani tribe at that location as well who are pretty friendly to visitors, unlike the evil women that own the tavern.[214]

If your players are hurting from fighting Doru, they don't have any fights on the road. If they have nicely avoided fighting throughout the Village of Barovia, you may want to throw in a random encounter of wolves along the way. Either way, they approach the Vistani camp around dusk.[215]