Act 4

Entering Barovia The book already gives you some decent options for introducing characters to the world of Barovia. But I’ll give you my thoughts all the same. (reddit)

Know your Players’ Characters

Whether or not your characters know each other before the beginning of this campaign will definitely influence how you run session 1. After all, a group that’s well acquainted would be better off jumping right into the mists than a band of strangers. I’ve seen more than once where the DM takes their players through a minor encounter in Faerun before whisking them off to CoS. Some bandits, perhaps? Or maybe throw in those werewolves that flee into the mists with the characters hot in pursuit. Something like this might provide the initiative characters need to trust one another. (reddit)

Straight into the Mists

That being said, I would not personally recommend that minor encounter at all. While I recognize that it can work and some DMs will prefer that kind of intro, I’m totally for taking your group and throwing them straight into the Barovian woods. Here’s why: (reddit)

One, it doesn’t matter whether or not the characters know/trust one another in the beginning. This is a horror story, so the more thrown off people are, the more scared they’ll be. You’ll automatically be more on edge if you suddenly find yourself lost in the woods with a bunch of strangers than some people you just fought together with or know intimately. (reddit)

Two, players often want to get straight to the story. Think about it. When you play a video game, long tutorials can become super annoying very quickly. Players don’t generally want to waste time with an event that isn’t story relevant. (reddit)

So skip the introduction and send them straight into the campaign! (reddit)

How to Actually Start Firstly, I would recommend arranging some quick, feasible intro to tell your players as to how they’re all together and in the woods somewhere in the first place. In the world of d&d, this is far easier than you’d think. (reddit)

My characters, for instance, were traveling with a merchant caravan. Two were on the run and one was on the general hunt for knowledge and they all ended up in the same group by coincidence. I told them this as exposition. As the caravan settled in for the evening, groups of people split off around a few different campfires and the characters all grouped around one fire in particular. I used this opportunity for them to go around the circle and describe their characters’ appearance as well as have a little role-play where they awkwardly introduced themselves. I made sure to keep this short and let my players’ characters’ all have their time. (reddit)

The next morning, they wake up and the caravan is gone. Not only that, but the forest around them is not the same forest that was there the previous night. And a thick fog surrounds them. Ta da! My players were in Barovia. (reddit)

When your characters are officially in the Svalich Woods, there are a few things you should describe to emphasize the atmosphere. (reddit)

This is not the same forest they came from. (reddit)

It’s very quiet. The normal, lively sounds of the woods are noticeably absent. Not only that, but the thick fog seems to carry every sound they make much farther than usual, making them all feel loud and exposed. (reddit)

Even though it’s morning, the light is dimmer than usual. The mist gives the whole world around them a hazy feel, illuminated by the sterile, white light of a sun far beyond their reach. (reddit)

THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO TAKE AWAY THEIR STUFF

Remember, the more desperate the situation, the more the horror shines through. When your characters wake in the morning, tell them that not only are their bedrolls gone, but the actual campfire itself is missing. They should be able to figure that this isn’t the work of some thieves with that information. (reddit)

Also, the armor that they doffed before bed is gone. They’re traveling backpacks are gone. Their lanterns are gone. Their weapons are gone. All your characters should have on them at this point are their clothes and a few choice items they wouldn’t take off. For instance, the super paranoid rogue character probably sleeps with a dagger in his pocket. Would one particular character sleep with their coin pouch on? Maybe. Or maybe they would have put it in their backpack which is now gone? Would everyone have taken off his or her shoes before bed? Little details like this will seriously stress your players out and make them feel that much more vulnerable. (reddit)

Don’t worry too much about this though. Death House has a good deal items and weapons to help make up for the loss. The point is to make them anxious enough to scavenge. This will also bring out their resourceful side. (reddit)

At this point, your characters can probably have a nice little role-play experience, panicking together. They’ll eventually come to the conclusion that they can’t stay where they are and start walking in some direction. The heavy mist prevents them from knowing North from South, but it really doesn’t matter which way they walk. Eventually they’ll come across an old dirt road that will lead them in the right direction, towards the Village of Barovia. (reddit)

What if your players decide to stay put?

Unfortunately, this is a little railroad-y, but you’re going to have to herd them a bit. To be fair, most of the beginning of this campaign is railroaded. But it is the beginning. We’ve got to give our players a direction somehow. Because your characters are quite defenseless at the moment, don’t throw anything horrible at them, though. (reddit)

What I had in my back pocket in case this happened was a wall of sinister mist that gradually got closer and closer to the party. I would tell them that this mist was far too dense to see through and their characters felt an overwhelming primal fear of it; felt that being swallowed by the wall of mist would most certainly be the end of them. (reddit)