One Night Strahd

ACT II: CoRnUe SnHi g hYt Os tUr aRh dENEMIES
THE TOWER

X. XI. XII.

THE COUNTERSPELL THE ROC THE PALADIN

Arcana, Insight, Nature, Intimidation, Religion, Investigation,
Acrobatics Perception Athletics

XIII. XIV. XV.

THE DRAGON THE RANGER THE ASTRAL PLANE

Arcana, Intimidation, Survival, Thieves’ Tools, Survival, Stealth,
Persuasion Nature Perception

XVI. XVII. XVIII.
THE SHIP
THE DJINN THE GOBLIN

Nature, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, Acrobatics, Stealth,
Athletics Intimidation Sleight of Hand

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY............................................ 300 SAMOVAR SERVICE.......................304
PREPARATIONS............................... 300
DENIZENS....................................... 301 A CHEERFUL VOICE......................... 305
KEY LOOT........................................ 301
TONE & TYPE................................... 301 WALL PUZZLE................................. 305

GERTRUDA........................................... 301 THE HUNGRY CHEST........................ 306

CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW..................... 302 HAPPY TO CHAT............................... 306
ASKING FOR HELP........................308
SCENES............................................... 303 HELEN IN EGYPT..........................308
THE STUDY...................................... 303 ASKING WHO SHE IS.....................308
BOOKS.........................................303 LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS...........309
FIREPLACE..................................303 AS THEY LEAVE............................309
SMALL YELLOW DUCK..................304 I WISH YOU WOULDN'T.................309
RUINED WINGBACK CHAIR............304 FINALLY... ................................... 310
SIMPLE DESK AND CHAIR.............304
END & LOOT..................................... 310
THE ZAROVICH TOME.................... 310

SUMMARY same ingénue portrayed by the original adventure.
She may be willing to help players, but they may go
hostile as soon as they realize she’s a vampire.

T HE ZAROVICH TOME rests in the King’s P R E PA R AT I O N S
Bedroom, in the Rooms of Weeping (3rd floor).
Unfortunately, the room is warded against entry, • Read the WALL PUZZLE section, noting the
the secret doors are barred from the inside, and the differences from a normal prismatic wall spell.
route from the study is blocked with a prismatic
wall. Players must use the books in the study to • Review GERTRUDA’s character entry, noting
decode the prismatic wall. If they're unlucky, they motivations and relationships.
may need to sacrifice someone to the Evil Chest
sitting by the fireplace. • Skim the encounter, then print and review
the CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW.
Inside the Bedroom, Gertruda idles contentedly
with her latest book. She is a powerful free-willed • Read the rest of the encounter with the
vampire in her own right, and the Envoy of the CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW at hand.
Dark Powers. Gertruda pretends initially to be the
• Prepare for questions players are likely to
ask Gertruda.

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DENIZENS

GERTRUDA, ENVOY OF THE DARK POWERS

KEY LOOT

THIGHBONE OF ST. MARKOVIA
GERTRUDA’S HEARTSEEKERS
THE CIPHERED ZAROVICH TOME

TONE & TYPE

This encounter is intended to offer a sharp contrast
to the CRYPTS that the other group is likely just
finishing up. It’s a puzzle-centric experience but can
sometimes devolve into a bloody mess if players are
the type to shoot first and ask never. Gertruda is
functionally indestructible and is literally the force
reincarnating players when they die. She won’t fight
them. Instead, she will attempt to talk players out of
attacking her, even enduring multiple direct attacks.

GERTRUDA

R EFER TO DRAMATIS PERSONÆ for a detailed
description of Gertruda. She will not leave
her nest under any circumstances—It’s not just
that she’s unwilling, she’s limited in how much she
can interfere by her role as the Envoy of the Dark
Powers.

If Strahd is the villain, she’s more eager to assist
the players up to the limit the Dark Powers will
allow. That limit is pretty far, so if they need a
place to take a short rest, she might be willing to
accomodate them.

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CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW

YES START NO

Read:

THE STUDY

Are players stuck?

Read:

A CHEERFUL
VOICE

Prismatic Wall Puzzle Are players stuck? NO Read:

Approximately 20 minutes YES HAPPY TO
CHAT
Refer to: WALL PUZZLE

Read:

THE HUNGRY
CHEST

NO Fed a player SNACKRIFICE
to the chest?

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SCENES • Red: “Kill the fire with the cold. Fail and burn.”

Below are the narrative components used by the • Orange: “Blowing on a cauldron cools it off—
encounter flow. Where possible, each notes down reach in and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”
the probable next vignettes. LOOT, MONSTERS, and
CONDITIONS are bolded in this section. Content • Yellow: “You can ‘force’ your way in, but don’t
intended to be read aloud verbatim is italicized. be a brute or you’ll be shocked at the results.”

STHTEUDY • Green: “This poisoned lock requires a mighty
key. If you can’t make your own, store-bought
T HIS ROOM IS A HUGE LIBRARY. At the far is fine.”
end, a blinding wall of rainbow light blocks off
an elegantly carved arch. Around you, there’s an • Blue: “Fire is the cure for the uncommon cold.”
endless array of books. You can hear the crackle of
a fire, and a few small curios dot the study. • Indigo: “Fight this layer like you would a
vampire or succumb to the Medusa’s stare.”
This is a modified prismatic wall spell, and serves as
the backbone of the WALL PUZZLE. If players head • Violet: “Do you still have a 3rd-level spell slot?
toward directly, go to WALL PUZZLE—this section Dispel this magic in the most obvious way.”
will be used when they explore the study.
• White: When pulled, this book opens a stairway
As players explore, use the subsections below. towards a chest in a huge glass case. Glancing
These contain hints and tools used to solve the around, it’s obvious this leads somewhere else,
WALL PUZZLE. as there’s no room for that space. Written on
the case in neat letters is “Kill your friend, win
Books a prize.”

As players explore the shelves, read: Fireplace
You find a wide array of books here, but only 8
that have colored spines. You think they match the A gorgeously decorated fireplace sits at the far
shifting colors of that radiant wall. end of the study from the rainbow wall. Antlered
women carved in lapis and jade are set into the
Each book contains a clue corresponding to its stone mantle.
color. Read the following when players check
a book. Upon inspection by players, read:
There’s a small ring on the top of the mantle,
gathering dust. It’s been a while since anyone
looked at this.

Players gain a RING OF WARMTH and one character
may attune it immediately.

If players keep looking and a character is
proficient with thieves’ tools, read:
Further inspection yields a small puzzle box in the
form of an odd cube made of steel. It is tucked into
the mantle in a slot that makes it sit flush with the
surface. Dust had hidden it and the dull grey finish
of the steel blended in with the stone of the mantle.
It takes some work with your tools to lift it out.

This is a variant of the infernal puzzle box. It takes
little effort for a player to solve it, almost as though

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THE TOME OF LORDS

it wants to be solved. Each time a character solves item. Failure damages the components, and after
it, once per character, it contains a sharp silver pin three failed checks, the materials are destroyed.
and a SPELLBEAD of absorb elements. If players use the study for research, they gain
advantage on both checks.
Small Yellow Duck
If players are successful, read:
Tucked into a little nook on one of the shelves is a After some work and fiddling, you fit the parts
curious little sculpture of a duck. It’s carved out of together. You’re not totally sure this is magical in
a semi-precious stone called yellow jasper, and it’s the classic sense, though it uses magic. The object
very simplified. It has an equally curious base made is a constellation of little metal balls, all joined
out of a material you’ve seen a few times called together by branching pipes, almost like two ferns
rubber. Still, it seems to just be a small yellow duck. facing each other. Given the yellowing of the
blueprints and the thick dust, this could easily be a
The duck has no magic aura. It will listen to players design that’s centuries old.
as they solve the puzzle. If needed, it can honk once
or twice inquiringly in Gertruda’s voice if players Players gain VENTILATING LUNGS and one player
are talking to it. Throwing the duck at the prismatic may immediately attune them.
wall provokes an indignant honk and destroys the
yellow layer. Samovar Service

Ruined Wingback Chair This black-and-gold Russian-style tea service is still
hot. The samovar sits on a small two-person table
This old leather chair is still usable but it’s marred in the corner of the study, with a single saucer and
by long claw marks in tight groupings. You can teacup set out alongside it.
almost imagine the fit of rage that left these marks.
It’s a map, of sorts, laying out a picture of a mental Close inspection reveals that the tea service is a
state: a predator left these slashes. They would be minor magical item that never runs out of tea. A DC
killing blows on flesh, and each is deep, clean, 15 Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal a bit of
and efficient. parchment just sticking out from under the saucer.

There’s no further function to this chair. It’s If players investigate, read: It’s a spell bead,
comfortable enough, and it could easily be mended. tied loosely to a bit of paper, labeled in half-familiar
script: “Passwall.”
Simple Desk and Chair
Players gain a SPELLBEAD of passwall.
Covered in blueprints, this desk sits under a window
where it would once have seen direct sunlight.
It hasn’t been used in a very long time. Under
the blueprints, there’s a small holy symbol of the
Morninglord. In the drawers, there’s components
that seem to match the blueprints. With some work
and some luck, you might be able to finish whatever
this was.

Players may make a DC 18 Wisdom (Medicine)
check followed by a DC 16 check with any artisan’s
tools they’re proficient in to complete this magic

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VA COHIECEERFUL weakened and injured from passing through the
wall by brute force.
I F THEY’RE LEAVING, read:
As you turn to go, there’s an assertive • If players cannot solve it using regular
“Hmmmmm,” at the precise frequency used by means and won’t risk passage, they can
bored clerks. use the HUNGRY CHEST to get a ROD OF
CANCELLATION. This magic item is keyed
Otherwise: specifically to the wall and destroys it if
While you search, you hear a silky sigh of the sort touched to it. Players holding the rod know this
that requires long practice and an affection for automatically.
modern art.
It differs from a normal prismatic wall in the
following ways:

• The layers of the wall may be dispelled in any
order, so that groups who are missing one
or two components are not blocked from
completing as much of the puzzle as possible.

Then: • Damage does not need to be dealt in a single
A cheerful and blasé voice from the far side of the blow to break a wall.
arcane wall calls out:
“Oh, don’t be squeamish. Very mortal, very • The yellow wall can be destroyed by
declasse. Just use the stupid chest and get my rod.” bludgeoning damage or by throwing the SMALL
There’s something instantly likeable about this YELLOW DUCK at it.
woman, that charisma wielded by the truly carefree.
• The indigo wall always sends characters to the
WPUAZLZLLE Ethereal Plane, and Gertruda will eventually fish
them out of there. She’s too softhearted to leave
T HE RAINBOW WALL in the study is a them, but she may gently tease them.
modified prismatic wall. This puzzle follows
three main rules: For players viewing the prismatic wall for the
first time, read:
This wall of searing light rotates through the colors
of the rainbow in sequence. The sequence is regular
enough that you could probably pick which layer’s
on top with some careful timing, but you have a
grim suspicion that you’d hit all the other active
layers after that. Still, could be useful as you figure
out how to disarm it.

• After the first player passes through
successfully, the wall collapses.

• Gertruda cannot dispel the wall, as she does
not have all the tools prepared. She also cannot
leave her sanctum on the other side until the
Eclipse under normal circumstances. She does
appear in specific other events, but always

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CTHHE HEUNSGTRY woman sprawled on the bed before the door is
slammed in your face. There’s a clattering along
A S YOU STEP INTO the hidden space, you find with a muffled voice:
a little dias around the chest in its glass case. “Oh Mother Night, sorry, didn’t think you’d come
Above it… Well, you’re pretty sure that whoever so quick! Let me just get dressed, sorry, sorry, I just
breaks this glass is going to die. Something about got caught up in my book and lost track of time.
the giant piston situated above and around the Come in, I’m decent! Heh.”
chest. There’s even a neat chest-shaped divot in
the center of it and a couple of runnels that would If players enter:
channel the blood and viscera into… is that a This place would be a mess if it wasn’t immaculately
jackal’s mouth where the lock should be? clean. Books are piled on every surface, even filling
much of the bed. A hammock has been strung above
the bed, and is also full of books. The woman who
greets you is a lean brunette with huge brown eyes
and an effervescent delight. She wears some sort
of short tunic hanging over strange blue pants. The
tunic has an upside-down silver cross painted on it.

If players vacillate, read in Gertruda’s voice: Gertruda introduces herself. She’s happy to chat for
“Yes, it’s a bit much for my tastes, but a rod of a while and says as much, but she’s at a very good
cancellation is damn hard to make. The stupid jackal spot in her book, and would like to eventually get
magic’s a perfectly acceptable shortcut, okay? It back to it. Nosy characters might see that the title is
gets... uhm... hungry.” Whoever’s talking, she’s very The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin, and
matter-of-fact about all this. that the binding is quite strange. She has a heavily
dog-eared and battered copy of Helen In Egypt by
If someone breaks the glass: H.D. near at hand. If players attack,
At least it was probably painless. The jackal snoot
licks its chops, then hacks up a rod that was PROCEED TO:
definitely a femur until recently. Can a chest wink?
That will remain a mystery as the space starts to I Wish You Wouldn't
close. You’ve enough time to grab the rod and
literally bounce out of the collapsing dimension.

HTOAPCPHYAT After 5 minutes, read:
Gertruda yawns and you realize with a start that
A S THE WALL DROPS, you hear a yelp as you she very definitely has fangs. She seems totally
catch a very brief glimpse of a very naked unconcerned as she munches on a golden apple.
As she finishes the apple, another appears in the
bowl with a tiny pop.

If players have a passive Perception higher
than 15, read:
As she moves around the room, the candle light
catches her from new angles. You’re pretty sure the
enormous light sculpture that told your fortune was
based on her.

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If players press her on this, she’ll happily admit and afterwards riveted there,
that was her. If they press further, she might even or had the prow itself been shaped
confide her role as the Envoy to them. Things could to her mermaid body,
get pretty unpredictable at that point, and if they
seem aggressive, she won’t mention it. curved to her mermaid hair?
was there a dash of paint
Players rustling around will find the door to the in the beginning, in the garment-fold,’
bathroom, where Irena’s effects were neatly piled
in a steamer trunk by Gertruda. She has, of course, Then in joy and glee, she continues much faster:
left the trunk open with the Zarovich tome sitting ‘did the blue afterwards wear away?
on top. She’s perfectly willing to let the players take did they re-touch her arms, her shoulders?
anything that isn’t clothes or a book other than did anyone touch her ever?
the Tome.
Had she other zealot and lover,
Asking For Help or did she alone worship her?
did she wear a girdle of sea-weed
If players ask for help directly, read:
“You’re very direct. It’s rather nice,” and as she or a painted crown? how often
stretches like a languid cat, her fangs catch the light did her high breasts meet the spray,
and her eyes burn with liquid fire. “Well. I mean, a how often dive down?"
little something else couldn’t hurt.” As she says this,
she undoes her bun. Tresses flood down, framing And as she finishes, she glows with sunlight. She
her face. She’s smaller than you thought—far from says simply, “She was her truth. God, I adored her.”
frail, but small. She offers you the three long lean
darts she had held her hair back with. They’re Gertruda won’t answer any questions about this
made of carved vampire fang, and she gives you without real persuasion, but it likely reveals that
the littlest smile. You’ve seen that grin before—the she’s much more than a vampire thrall.
Fortune-Teller.
Asking Who She Is
Players gain the HEARTSEEKERS.
Initially, she’ll demur or introduce herself just as
Helen In Egypt Gertruda and claim that she is a priestess of the
Morninglord. A Wisdom (Insight) check reveals that
If players ask about Helen In Egypt, read: she is telling the truth in most senses. To get more
“Oh! Harriet! I loved her best! She wrote like a out of her, players will need to make small talk. It’s
demon, an absolute demon, the best—the brightest, not that she’s eager to deceive them, it’s that she’s
the truest,” the little vampire gushes with delight. relishing being just a person.
It’s perfectly clear that stories are what she loves. If players do manage to get more out of her, read:
She notices your interest and… she blushes, “Fine! Fine, fine, fair and made, fairly played. I am
somehow. Her blush is golden, not red. la reine d'été, mighty councilors mine! Oh, I am
Then she pirouettes in joy and so slightly misquotes:

"was she oak-wood or cedar?

had she been cut from an awkward block

of ship-wood at the ship-builders,

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the Koroleva leta! Pretty lords of dust, know me If Irena is somehow present, read:
as I am.” And she seems to tower and tower and Gertruda blows a raspberry between her fangs
tower, a creature of fire and rainbow light and glory. at Irena. Irena’s lapsed affection for Gertruda is
"Lady of Summer, Envoy of the Dark Powers, Lord plain to see. While they’re clearly not lovers at the
of Desolation, last best friend of the doomed. This moment, you’d guess they have been. There’s some
is my truth! And,” the little vampire continues, as fear there too, the first time you’ve ever seen it on
she plops down on a pile of books. “Don’t die on me her face.
any more than you have to.”
Irena is furious with Gertruda, and a DC 20 Wisdom
She’ll say no more about this. She’ll talk about (Insight) check will reveal her deep frustration.
books, though. She’ll try to get the Tome as soon as she can, and
will be very aggressive in her use of Charm to do it.
Left Hand of Darkness If players have noticed her frustration and have a
passive Perception score of 18 or higher, they’ll be
If players ask her about Left Hand of able to see the charm take hold. Gertruda knows
Darkness, read: this may happen and thinks it’s hilarious.
“Oh! Oh, it’s wonderful, one of the few I re-read.
I saw it in a cafe in Bordeaux! I don’t speak much If Strahd is the villain and players attempt to leave
French but there was a girl, and I so desperately empty-handed, Gertruda is much more direct and
wanted to impress her. I made a hash of it, though, will give the players the Tome, Thighbone, and
I did, I did. In the end, she read it to me, translating Heartseekers.
in gorgeous fluid English as she read, reading the
best parts first aloud in French.” Read the following:
“Darlings, can you do something for me while
If players press about If players press about you’re up? I need you to take this book and beat
France, read: the woman, read: Strahd to death with a thighbone. It’d be a real
“Sorry! I’ve only been twice, “She was mortal. Asked favor.” There’s real anger, under centuries of
once just before the first me not to turn her. Don’t languor.
of the three really big wars. look at me like that, I’m
The other time, oh, late in not dispassionate. I’m a If players do not have the HEARTSEEKERS,
the 21st of their centuries monster, not a monster,” continue and read:
I think. I stayed a bit, then, she says fiercely and begins As you watch, she undoes her bun, sending waves
but… Didn’t travel much.” to cry before steadying of hair spilling over the shaved sides of her head.
herself. “Fuck, sorry. She As she works, she holds each hair stick in her teeth
was amazing.” before tossing the three needle-fine buyao to you.

As They Leave I Wish You Wouldn’t

It may be tempting, but do not let the players leave If players attack Gertruda, she weathers the first
without the TOME and THIGHBONE. barrage with sanguine sadness.

If they try and Irena is the villain, read: Read:
“Oh, can you give these back to Irena? She took off Your spells and blades burn and slash. She goes to
without them just as we were starting to have fun. one knee, driven down by the onslaught, and stares
Paladins, right?” The vampire pouts performatively at you intently. “I wish you wouldn’t,” Gertruda
then winks with clumsy charm. says softly. She’s small and very alone, but there’s
nothing frail here. Her gaze is iron. “I understand,

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but I wish you wouldn’t,” the Vampire Lord says, SAINT MARKOVIA. They may also get the
softly. She does not fight back. HEARTSEEKERS. As they leave, Gertruda can be
seen packing up her now-compromised sanctum. If
If players continue, Gertruda will cast wish. players help, she’s gently grateful—she loved this
place once, very dearly, and both coming here and
In Gertruda’s character voice, as though she is leaving are painful processes.
narrating as the DM, read:
“I wish you wouldn’t,” she says one more time, THE ZAROVICH TOME
but this time her eyes blaze with neon jazz and her
hands seem to grab the world. You are drowning in It’s important that players take the TOME and
sunlight. “I am not an animal. I am not a convenient prioritize it. Gertruda will clarify this if players don’t
roll on some loot table. I am a woman,” rolls some decide this on their own. It’ll take time to decipher
distant voice in a fluid tongue. You find yourselves and requires 8 hours to read as a result. If players
alone in the library, with silence and sunburn as make a DC 25 Intelligence (History) check, they’ll
your only companions. The archway that held the realize it’s a book cipher using a copy of a seminal
prismatic wall is gone entirely. There’s nothing for novel about vampires. This reduces the time to read
you here. down to 2 hours, which might be enough for them
to warn the other party about Irena or Strahd. If
The encounter ends immediately. Do not go to characters also found BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA
END & LOOT. in the SUNLIT SHRINE INTERIOR, they can
translate it immediately.
Otherwise, if they apologize, she’s understanding
enough but she remains wary. She understands Contents of the Tome if Irena is
primal fear better than anyone, and she knows what the villain:
it’s like to be alone, desperate, and unable to trust.
Return to the section where the attack occurred. The Tome details Irena’s various deaths, including
her stint as a vampire that saw Gertruda turned.
Finally… More immediately of interest, it covers Irena’s
eventual coerced marriage to Strahd, her conversion
When players have left, to a vampire, her death, and then her return. It lays
out the deals she made with Patrina and Gertruda
PROCEED TO: to overthrow Strahd the first time, including her
visit to the Amber Temple before her marriage.
End & Loot Extracting a chronology is difficult, as it’s written by
a few different authors including Irena. Ultimately, it
ELNODO&T makes it clear that Strahd is imprisoned in the Tower
and that Irena is now Lord of Ravenloft.
P LAYERS ALWAYS LEAVE with the Tome,
detailed below, and the THIGHBONE OF If players investigate the book itself and have
either an artificer or wizard in the party:
It looks like this book was designed to help Gertruda
bring any new incarnation of Irena up to speed and
allows Irena to store memories. It hasn’t been used
that way in a long time.

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Contents of the Tome if Strahd new tomb. This covers the location (the crypts
is the villain: behind Fanu’s Fastness), the unlocking (stake
each bride on the right bier), and finally, the fact
The TOME fills in a few details about Ravenloft, that the tomb proper is on the Ethereal. Players
specifically cluing players in that divinations are can use the HEARTSEEKERS to find a route
normally answered by Strahd and that souls are to the Ethereal, wish themselves there, or even
trapped here in a cycle of terrible rebirth. It also double-back to ask Gertruda.
covers much of Strahd’s history, his obsession with
Irena, her eventual turning, and then their endless 2. The most important information in the Tome is
struggle for lordship of Ravenloft. The Tome also that Strahd must be destroyed in the flesh and
contains two pieces of information that will be then killed again in his Ethereal fastness where
difficult to find elsewhere, as most creatures are his spirit has its throne. This lets players know
unable to betray the Vampire Lord directly. how the two boss fights work, and that Strahd
These are: has split himself, effectively projecting from the
Ethereal. The physical incarnation is normally
1. Recent entries, in what you assume are Strahd’s referred to as Strahd’s Hate, if a specific name is
own hand, describe his work to construct a needed for disambiguation.

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one night strahd

ACT III:

I'LL BE
BACK

ACT oInIeI:nIi g'Lh tLsBt rEa hBdACK

THE ECLIPSE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY............................................ 314 GREAT HALL................................320
PREPARATIONS............................... 314 DINNER DATE...............................320
DENIZENS....................................... 314 TREASURY...................................320
KEY LOOT........................................ 314 THIS PLACE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU. 320
TONE & TYPE................................... 314 BLACK LAGOON...........................320
THE EYE.......................................... 321
SPECIAL RULES................................... 315 THE BAYING..................................... 321
CRITICAL CHANGES..........................315 FAILSAFE VARIANT.......................322
WOLF HAUNTED.......................... 315 GATHERING THE QUICK.................... 322
LAST STAND REMINDER............... 315 LAST STOP...................................323
WOLVES...........................................316 JACKAL'S HOUSE CALL.................... 323
MECHANICS................................. 316
DESCRIPTION............................... 316 STRAHD FLOW..................................... 324
BUR..................................................317 HE RISES......................................... 325
DESCRIPTION............................... 317 THE BAD BOOK................................ 325
MOTIVATIONS & WHAT HE KNOWS. 317
CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW................ 319 EVIL FORTUNE................................ 326
POOR WOLF..................................... 326
SCENES............................................... 320 DECEMBER ROMANCE..................... 327
INTRO.............................................. 320 VERIFICATIONS & VAMPIRES............ 328
THE CRYPT..................................320
STRAHD'S TOMB...........................320 VERIFICATIONS............................ 328
BASILICA......................................320
QUIET WAY...................................320 VAMPIRES....................................330
TOWER.........................................320
LIBRARY (TOME)...........................320 IRENA FLOW........................................ 330
COLD FURY.......................................331
WHAT LIES BELOW...........................331
END OF THE RAILS.......................... 332

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SUMMARY

THE ECLIPSE MARKS THE TRANSITION from
ACT II’s nonlinearity into the broad funnel
of ACT III. It gathers players for the final team
swap, shows the passage of time, and lets
players know that this is the endgame.
Finally, it serves as an additional
resource sink, though it is intentionally
a relatively small one.

P R E PA R AT I O N S

THE ECLIPSE is a short TONE & TYPE
encounter but activates
some additional systems. This is where things get even
We recommend that you: spookier, and a few hanging plot
threads are tied up. It’s intended
1. As always, print the to be played pretty straight, with
encounter flow. the exception of the corner case

2. Review the rules for where Bur hams it up. The wolves
the RITES, as they aren’t aggressive, but they do slowly
become a more prominent chase players through the castle. Wolves
component headed into roaming a castle would scare the hell out of most
the finale. people in real life; however, landing it is difficult
due to the sense of unreality that comes with it.
3. Review in particular the rules Once again, we rely on the Fortune Teller for that.
for LAST STAND, and be ready Gertruda also grants access to the LAST STAND
to explain them. rite during this encounter if players have not already
needed it, a critical component of the Rites system
4. Finally, review the CRITICAL necessary for the Finale to function correctly.
CHANGES section.

5. Read the rest of the module if you have time.

DENIZENS

BUR THE ARCANALOTH
THE WOLVES

KEY LOOT

LUCKY END

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SRPUELCEISAL the final confrontation at this point, so it’s a good
opportunity to build hype and fear.

THE SAINT’S TOMB in the CRYPTS offers
protection and a chance to take a long rest, but

there’s a very good chance players will have already

The Eclipse does three flow-critical things: used it or forgotten. If players take advantage of
this, they’ll find themselves surrounded by a sea
1. It unlocks the LAST STAND rite for all players. of wolves when they exit. These wolves will vanish

2. It unlocks infinite moderately troublesome over time, but will attempt to drive the players into
wolves. the final confrontation.

3. It gathers all players for non-stage games, as in Last Stand Reminder
GATHERING THE QUICK.
If players have not used the LAST STAND rite,
CRITICAL CHANGES this is an opportunity to remind them in character
why they should use it. The LAST STAND rite is
THE ECLIPSE has two major effects: described in the CORE RITES section of the RITES
players become WOLF HAUNTED and the rules. In summary, it allows a dying character to take
LAST STAND rite unlocks. a final shot in exchange for forgoing death saves.
This in turn grants inspiration to other players,
Wolf Haunted creating a virtuous cycle of access to the rites.

Players are now haunted by ghostly wolves, This is a key mechanic that accomplishes three
beginning in the BAYING scene. Introduce wolves important things:
regularly using the repeatable descriptions in the
Wolves section. If players encounter TAILOR during 1. It validates player death by making it more of
the TPKU section, she’ll tell them that these are the a choice.
Ghost Wolves and that they signal the rise in earnest
of the Vampire Lord. 2. It ensures deaths are short, getting players back
into the game quickly.

Mechanically, the main effect is that any attempt to 3. It creates a powerful catch-up opportunity and
take a long rest is interrupted by countless small and a reliable source of radiant damage.
harmless annoyances. Because of their dreamlike
movement, standing guard isn’t effective. Since they You should spend a moment to explain this to
lack ontological inertia, killing them doesn’t stick. players. If you like, you can use the text below:
Trying to sleep through this will result in mortal Gertruda is curled on the back of a great ghostly
peril, and may even cause an actual encounter wolf, book in one hand, holding on lightly to the
with the GHOST WOLF SWARM. There should plush grey fur. “If you’re dying," she tastes the word
be considerable and aggressive warning expressed thoughtfully, “Die angry. This is the truest offer of
through increased aggression before this happens. our trust.”
If more than 45 wolves are killed, which is possible
with some play groups, we recommend using the Last Stand allows you to forgo death saving throws
GHOST WOLF SWARM if you have time. If time is in exchange for describing your heroic exit, dealing
short, instead just keep pouring in more wolves. a last burst of radiant damage, and providing
inspiration for your allies. This does not modify the
If players aren’t unsettled, feel free to have the respawning mechanic.
wolves talk to them. They should be headed to

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WOLVES DESCRIPTION

When wolves appear, and they’ll appear often going

forward, use one of these descriptions.

Lordly Will Reuse is intended:

T HE WOLVES ARE NUMBERLESS and barely • The wolf trots amiably through the door. It has
real. Glancing away is enough to make them jagged crinkled scarring across its back.
appear, and though they seem hallucinatory, they’re
visible to all players. They die in one hit, leaving • The wolf rests a thoughtful head against your
behind a very real corpse. However, that wolf will leg. It’s hungry.
reappear soon. Like real wolves, they aren’t hostile
or particularly aggressive. • Three or four scarred muzzles push the door
open. The wolves stare at you. Their eyes are a
MECHANICS gentle hazel.

In general, the wolves are a spooky non-combat • You glance over your shoulder as a wolf nibbles
presence. Under normal circumstances, wolves only thoughtfully at your hand. Others trot along,
harry players if they try to take a long rest. They’re keeping pace.
effectively the presence of the Vampire Lord, who
may even engage players in conversation through • Taller than the others, the pregnant wolf keeps
one of the wolves if they aren’t spooked enough. her distance as best she can while still watching.

• A sleepy red-coated wolf lifts its head from your
bedroll.

• Wolves weave in and out among you, sniffing
while some chew at your packed food.

• A wolf with a broken tail paces plaintively in the
corner of the room.

If enough wolves are killed, this can summon the • Three wolves sit in a thoughtful conference,
GHOST WOLF SWARM. If the ghost wolf swarm is watching you.

killed, the wolves continue to harry players, though • A huge silver-streaked wolf watches you from
in much fewer numbers. At this point, a determined the wrong side of a window.
party might snatch a long rest. Some characters are
likely Blighted and go insane when they see wolves. • Mist steams off the big wolf ahead of you.
Those characters will not benefit from the long rest. It paces backward warily.
Players may solve this with remove curse, and we
recommend you allow it. • A whole pack of timber wolves has made this
room their home now.
If they try resting twice, the Vampire Lord will show
• Sounds of slurping around a corner give way to
wolves lapping at a working fountain.

up with the Ghost Swarm, effectively triggering an • Two wolves bark and titter up ahead, attending
alternative showdown—one that’s very likely to be to some opaque pack business.

extremely fatal. • A distant organ rings out, and the wolves behind
you answer in a hopeful howl.

• A wolf with a hunting horn around its neck licks
at your blood with—you hope—unwarranted
optimism.

• You look back at the wolf corpse to see three
other wolves pacing sadly around it, heads low.

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• If Strahd is the villain, he knows that Strahd’s
Hate and Strahd must both be killed.

T HIS IS THE SAME ARCANALOTH from the • He believes it is possible for the players to win,
AMBER DEPTHS. Bur appears here only if though likely quite difficult.
he was not killed in the Amber Depths and no deal
was made. While we appear to use him to “punish” • He knows about the Dark Powers in detail.
player characters, his actual purpose is precisely
the opposite. Parties that allowed Bur to escape • Bur is pretty sure that they’re not gods
completely are likely to be struggling by this point, or devils. He knows they watch through
and Bur always seeks a magic item they aren’t the Eye.
making much use of. In exchange, he provides
• He can and will reiterate to the players
that the Dark Powers are not omnipotent
in any classical sense, and normally can
only interact with the world through small
nudges and emissaries.

access to the final boss, information on key spells to • Gertruda is their Envoy and is probably very
expect, and can even help translate the TOME. dangerous to fight directly. He’s tried.

DESCRIPTION • He has access to any two spells wizard players
might want to copy and is happy to offer that
Scruffy and affable, the jackal-headed demon is gratis.
certainly the same one your parties met earlier.
He seems interested in making a deal. What’s he • He knows that Vasilka—Irena’s Throne-
actually after? Sphinx—tends to use maelstrom and that Irena
always uses animate objects.

• He knows that Sergei will defend Irena’s Tomb.

M& OWTHIVAATTHI OENKSNOWS • He will assist in translating the TOME and can
help players gain access to the Ethereal.

Bur wants out. Unfortunately, while Ravenloft is not
his homeplane, Gertruda knows his true name and
always eventually summons him back. Still, he wants
out for a bit. He can only escape at this point if
the Lord of Ravenloft is defeated. He’s given up on
trying to use the Throne to gate the Lord’s soul to
Hell and win a longer reprieve. He feels players owe
him for not murdering them and for letting them
use the boons of the Amber Depths. He also aims to
help in a way that won’t get him killed by Gertruda.

Like Omu, Bur knows most everything about
Ravenloft, but he’s only able or willing to divulge
the following:

• Time starts passing fast once the Eclipse hits.
The Lord will act soon.

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CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW

Read: Read:
LAThSeTnSrTeAadN:D
INTRO
THE BAYING

NO YESLast Stand Unused?

Read:

LAST STAND
REMINDER

Read:

GATHERING
THE QUICK

NO Arcanaloths YES
Driven Off?
Read:

JACKAL'S
HOUSE
CALL

STRAHD If The Current IRENA
Villain Is...
Go to:
Go to:
IRENA FLOW
STRAHD FLOW

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SCENES Quiet Way

Below are the narrative components used by the You step out into a great open-air quarry.
encounter flow. Where possible, each notes down
the probable next vignettes. LOOT, MONSTERS, and Tower
CONDITIONS are bolded in this section. Content
intended to be read aloud verbatim is italicized. Atop the tower, you can see the sky for the first time.

INTRO Library (Tome)

T HE INTRO VARIES BY which location players Light streams in suddenly from the great bay
are in when the Eclipse begins. windows. They open onto a balcony, and then the
roof tears away.
The Crypt
Great Hall
The sea of blood starts to rise. You are forced to
retreat up a great spiral staircase to a huge balcony There is a lonesome howl. The roof tears away,
landing. Some fire has burned away most of the ancient stone exploding under terrible heat and
delicate trellis roof, and the sky demands attention. some unspeakable updraft.

Irena’s Tomb Dinner Date

The skylight’s dust catches fire. Radiant You hear a terrible crack and the whole room tilts.
shockwaves pour down on you as the shutter slates It falls as the buttress below slams through the
of the roof clatter open to reveal an enormous floor and tears away the roof. The stone facade falls
quartz window. That summer sun is too close—too away, revealing a great steel frame and the sky.
hot. It looms too large.
Treasury
Strahd’s Tomb
The false stars above you fade, revealing an open
Of course, the rose garden should have a glass roof. glass dome structure with a clear view of the mist-
It didn’t seem important until a dull yellow light drenched skies.
started to pour through. The Brides, except Winter,
step carefully into shadowed nooks. This Place Is Trying To Kill You

Basilica You step out onto the gentle slope of the castle’s
vast rooftop and take a moment to catch your
You’re halfway across the dead hills of the abbey breath—before you hear a crackling hum.
grounds when...
Black Lagoon

Wait until players leave, then use QUIET WAY.

PROCEED TO:

The Eye

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THE EYE To begin the end, read:
A distant howl echoes close by. As you look for
the source, you feel fur brush your legs. Countless

timber wolves race around you and among you.

THE GOLDEN SUN FLASHES, crumples, and They make no move to attack, but they prance
unfolds in a bloodied shockwave. It stretches and caper along with you in canine excitement.
towards you. Its fire is filling up the sky until huge Sometimes, they stop to look up at the great eye or
interlocking bars of shadow splay across its face. cock an ear towards it.

In the negative space, an eye takes shape. It blinks, Among them, atop them, bouncing like a dancer
once, starfire burning out from its pupil. There, from back to back, there is an elfin thing slim as
more and more languorous eyes wink wide. They a speartip. You’ve seen her before: The Fortune
peel open like seedbores in a lily pod until the red Teller, Gertruda. She wears a diadem of sunlight that
face of the sun is sliced into countless seeking rays sears her brow. She throws her arms wide as she
pouring out of countless seeking eyes. pirouettes in joy under a bruised sky and dying sun:

You are seen. You are watched. You are loved. “This is the one thing that never gets old! You
fucking heroes, you beautiful beasts.”
If players are in a group that was unable to see
the sky, a convenient window allows them to get a She falls in delight, landing side-saddle on the great
glimpse. wolf that she danced on. There is blood on her
hands and her face, and her hazel almond eyes glow
Shortly, read: with the crimson fire. She says—the Dark Powers
Where the sun was, a huge eye looms in the sky, say—“No death of yours will ever last. You’ve won
lidded with hard lines of black shadow. In the pupil, our hearts and broken our fast. Be our truth!”
there are countless more eyes. The sun peeks from
each of them, turning their seeking gaze into red Gertruda will answer a couple quick questions before
spotlights. Slowly, they all begin to focus on you. lying down to watch the Eclipse among the wolves.

You are seen. You are watched. You are loved. If players linger with her, and Irena is the
villain, read:

PROCEED TO: Finally, quietly, in a voice more human: “I love…
loved. I loved Irena. From the bottom of my little
The Baying heart as a cleric, a thrall, an equal, an enemy, as
her darling. We’ve been everything to each other

over 500 years.” There’s a pause you could drop a

TBHAEYING heart into, just wide enough. “I told myself what I
hated was me, that it was how I helped. That these
sins bound me to her orbit, her truth. But she’d’ve
done it without me—is doing it without me. I’m not
responsible for her. To her. The story continues, will
always, because the dialectic demands. Me, I’m just

scenery.” You realize Gertruda is crying as she falls

T HIS IS RUN SEPARATELY for each group, to silent and curls up to look anywhere but the eclipse.
give each group a chance to ask Gertruda their All nonmagical lights are extinguished. Only

questions and to make it more personal. player-owned light sources can be relit. The castle

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goes dark. The remaining mechanical changes are “Sorry! He got away from me! Oh, poor Poe,
discussed in Critical Changes under SPECIAL RULES. you must have been very worried.” The Envoy
starts, pauses, and seems to start over. “I'm going
Finally, read: to visit your friends. Come with me. You need to
For its part, the eye drifts through the sky along the see them before the end!” Blood still drips off her
sun’s old track. You can feel time passing now, in all friendly face.
the little ways we never notice. Hunger catches up
to you, and you start to tire a little now. It’s like the For the other, read:
world is finally in motion. The wolves seem to nod The rest of your allies come around the corner, led
their approval. They are gone, except in the twitch by one of the big ghostly wolves and an after-image
of your peripheral vision. of the Fortune Teller. The Envoy grins at you with
coy caprice, clearly uncontrite, running a hand
Failsafe Variant through her hair in a studied show of shame. The
effect is ruined by the trails of blood it leaves in
If players are truly unwilling to progress, they may her curls.
trigger an attack by the Vampire Lord and the
GHOST WOLF SWARM. The Vampire Lord will depart Once gathered, read:
after two turns if they don’t have access to the tomb Below you, there is a huge grinding sound. Old
yet. Otherwise, this may be the final battle. They are, gears begin to turn as the castle comes to life. There
after all, literally in Dracula’s house. is a rushing sound too, as pipes creak under load.
Somewhere down below, an organ begins to play in
PROCEED TO: full-throated affirmation of your damnation. The
Innocent One kisses the wolf’s cheek happily, and
Gathering The Quick bows theatrically low, prancing away.

Q U I C KGATHERING THE For Strahd’s arc, read:
She glances back over her shoulder with a grin and
H ERE, PLAYERS ARE GATHERED, and throws arms wide. Then she draws a circle on the
group swaps are permitted. In stage games, floor as she pirouettes, and she is gone.
where possible, this should be done as a reprise
component, supporting a small Q&A. Otherwise, it For Irena’s arc, read:
can be done as part of the scene set for each group, As she walks, she weaves a mighty spell in one hand.
following exchanges. On the other, she counts slowly. One. Two. Three.
Four, and she is gone on cue. There is a theatrical
For one group, read: yelp of feigned surprise.
A friendly wolf bounds around the corner, yipping
cheerfully before skidding to a halt by slamming For hammier games, read:
into Gertruda. Her sunlight diadem bounces off her The singing of a great bullfroggy throat joins the
head and she scrabbles for it, stopping to look up at organ, and you know what they say: It’s not over til
you as the wolf slobbers her with doggy glee. the frog-demon sings. Let’s finish this.

If the Arcanaloth escaped and no deal was made,

PROCEED TO:

Jackal's House Call

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Last Stop “Oh no, I am undone by these brave heroes. Now
I must bargain with them—unforeseeable and
This is the point of no return for the finale. After unpreventable!”
this, the adventure branches fully based on the boss
arc chosen. From here, you’ll go to the outro for the Bur is a very hammy actor. He can’t help the players
boss of this run. unilaterally unless “defeated,” but he long ago
found a loophole in that. Critically, he can hold two
• For Strahd, go to the STRAHD FLOW, and entirely separate conversations, so feel free to have
begin with HE RISES. both GMs play him simultaneously.

• For Irena, go to the IRENA FLOW, and begin Otherwise, the Arcanaloth will seek to get them to
with COLD FURY. trade a major magic item that they aren’t using for
their lives and a boon. He will sweeten the deal with
JACKAL’S information, and can even cast the spells necessary
to open the Ethereal Gate, if Strahd is the villain.
HOUSE CALL If Irena is the villain, he’ll warn them about the
Little Mothers and can be cajoled into providing the
“ N OW, SO SWEET to meet old friends when in combination for the binary lock to her tomb.
the warmth of the noon day sunny.” A furry
snout rests on your shoulder. You feel the pressure Finally, before leaving, Bur will cast wish once.
of a clawed finger gun against your spine. “Now, He will always choose the option that grants
you treat with sweet old fiends! When then to set immunity to a single spell or effect. He lets players
forth our boon, say, sonny?” pick, but will suggest options based on what may be
useful. While this sounds extravagant, there’s a very
If players attack, roll initiative, but the Arcanaloth’s real chance he just killed someone and/or took a
readied action goes off immediately. Bur casts magic item.
disintegrate at whoever got held up, and can be
counterspelled. Resolve the spell as normal, without After resolving,
applying disadvantage. It’s bad enough as is.
RETURN TO:
As soon as players deal meaningful damage to him,
he will fall to the ground and cry out: Last Stop section in
Gathering The Quick

ACT oInIeI:nIi g'Lh tLsBt rEa hBdACK
THE ECLIPSE

STRAHD FLOW

Read:

HE RISES

HE RISES

routes on the
first satisfied

condition.

Read:

DECEMBER
ROMANCE

Read: Read:

THE BAD VERIFICATIONS
BOOK & VAMPIRES

Read: Go to:
THEaHndUNT
EVIL
FORTUNE TOMB OF STRAHD

Read:

POOR WOLF

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HE RISES BTHOE OBAKD

T HE AIR IS GETTING TERRIBLY COLD, and
the dying sun offers nothing except a reminder
that you are watched. Watched and loved as only

we love, best and most reluctant friends! Be our T HE TOME WEIGHS HEAVY ON YOU.
truth. A great sad howl goes up from the wolves as Translated, it lays out the architecture of
they trot about nervously. Above and below that, Strahd’s resurrection. First, his spirit finds its full
then, something else—something more bestial and strength on the Ethereal Plane in his true tomb.
yet more human. Then his Hate begins to walk the world. Each will

If the players have WINTER’S INTEREST, YEAR’S seek out eight souls of might and heroism. Your
END, and have TRANSLATED THE TOME: presence here is no accident—a conflict delicious
and ordained. A dialectic of violence, an argument

PROCEED TO: about existence.

December Romance If he rises true, he will sweep a cloak of terror over
the planes again. You will be his first and most

beloved victims, and your souls will never escape

Ravenloft. Both his Hate and his Spirit must die, and

Otherwise, in order, go to only one of the following: then he must be staked in his tomb. Only then will

the Lord of Vampires perish.

If players have TRANSLATED THE TOME, There is a final ominous note: The Hate finds this

PROCEED TO: book abhorrent, and will seek to destroy the carrier.

The Bad Book STRAHD’S HATE will always target the person
carrying the Tome first. This can be used to force

If Esmerelda is alive, him into unfavorable engagements. The Tome
provides the exact location of the Ethereal Gate,

PROCEED TO: and suggestions for alternative ways to reach the
Ethereal. If ESMERELDA is alive and below 70 hit

Evil Fortune points, her hit points are set to 70.

If none of the above are possible, PROCEED TO:

PROCEED TO: Verifications & Vampires

Poor Wolf

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EFOVRILTUNE WPOOOLRF
“ T HANK YOU, I’ve never made it this far
before. Let’s see how this ends,” the ghost B EFORE YOU STANDS ONE of the ghostly
murmurs. In the freezing light of the eclipse, wolves. This one spasms and shakes as red light
Esmerelda begins to pull her research notes out of begins to pour out of great gashes that open before
a satchel. After a few minutes of cross-referencing, your eyes. With terror it looks at you and begins
she looks up in horror and gestures for you to look. to howl in pain. What comes from that tormented
On the pages, you see a tableau of a giant wolf— throat, though, is the voice of Strahd, Vampire Lord
and the sun, a familiar dull crimson, is in its teeth. of Ravenloft, Death of Summer.

“Mother Night, last patron of the doomed…” “O, I approach, I approach, I approach. I am their
Esmerelda begins to pray, “See us and remember us.” truth, and I want to see you run. Be seeing you soon,
little wasps.” The wolf, dying, winks slyly at you.
In tones of bells and autumn, a voice answers:
“I am the shepherd goddess, first foe of wolves. If players take time to bury or otherwise pay
There is a price.” their respects to the wolf, and have not killed
many wolves, read in Gertruda’s voice:
She shudders. Nods. Lilies will grow here and they will break the stone.
“The crib is empty.” She cuts her ghostly hand. This wolf was not his to take, but it was yours to
“The hearth is cold.” Grey spirals curve upward. bury. Be my spear, give voice to the dialectic of
our violence.
Esmerelda reads something in those coils and her
old books. She says, “We must hunt Strahd’s Hate, Three huge DIRE WOLVES, lilies braided into their
which wanders the land in flesh as a great wolf. He fur, join the party. Players may control them as
must die both deaths, for he has hidden his soul. I needed, and they will permit characters to ride
will go with those who give chase.” them. Use the stats for the standard dire wolf,
except that these start with 15 temporary hit points.
If ESMERELDA is below 70 hit points, her hit points
are set to 70. Three characters gain one point PROCEED TO:
of inspiration. In her notes and with the added
information available to her, Esmerelda is aware Verifications & Vampires
of the Ethereal Gate in Strahd’s tomb, though not
precisely how to raise it or activate it.

PROCEED TO:

Verifications & Vampires

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RDOE CMEAMNBCE ER with this very sword as her own sisters drank her
dry. He was proud of that.
T HE WOLVES BEGIN to circle suddenly, and
you realize that there is a little figure at bay “Oh,” is all she says as she hugs the blade close.
atop a pillar here. Winter, That Was Taken, last and
least of the Brides. She watches the wolves with Regardless of any further successes, Winter will not
evident dread and they watch her with equally fight the party if they need to stake her. Read:
evident hunger. This is the first fear you’ve seen on She listens to you. Nods, once, blood starting to
her face. At your elbow, Gertruda rests her hand. steam off her as the hierarchical imperative of
“Do we show her mercy?” The Envoy asks. vampire obedience begins to kill her. She grits her
teeth. A fang cracks. “You need to get to the Shrine.
If the players say no, the wolves knock the pillar The Henge is the key.” She falls to one knee.
over and devour her. She’ll respawn in the tomb of
Strahd, catatonic, and her story ends here. Return To proceed, the players will need the HEART-
to HE RISES. SEEKERS and the LUCK BLADE. To use the
heartseekers, a player character must invoke the
If the players say yes, Gertruda will give their elbow Dark Powers using the contact other plane feature
a little squeeze. She sees much of herself in Winter, of the items.
and is secretly pleased the players are at least not
going to summarily execute the vampire. If they lack either item, return to HE RISES
after reading:
There’s nothing you can do. It’d take a wish,
a sacrifice, and contact with some otherworldly
intellect. She catches fire as her blood burns
her alive, falling to ash as the sword clatters to
the ground.

Read: If players have both, read:
Winter watches you, balanced precariously. You could use the heartseekers to ask. You could
“I think it’s mine. I think you have my sword,” she use the luck blade’s wish to answer. You have a
says, straining against invisible laws to even speak. unique chance to save her from Strahd's grasp.
“Please, give me my sword.” Be your truth.

If players refuse, before returning to HE If players opt not to help, read:
RISES, read: Winter nods proudly as she catches fire. Her blood
She watches plaintively, then in silence steps off the betrays her, burns her alive. The little vampire falls
broken rock. Down, into the waiting wolves. But to ash as the sword clatters to the ground.
they do not pounce. They just circle quietly as she
lies there staring up at the sky. She does not speak If players decide to help, and a player is willing to
to you again. use the HEARTSEEKERS, remind them that it might
drive them mad. If they proceed, this consumes both
Otherwise, if players give her the sword, read: contact other plane from the HEARTSEEKERS and
It is her sword. Year’s End. The blade of Winter. Slim one charge of wish from the LUCK BLADE.
and elegant as she is lean and wan, the greatsword
suits her—or perhaps she suits it. She turns it slowly Following that, read:
in her hands, watching the dying light catch it. You “Here’s your answer: fuck the order of things and
know from the Tome that she died fighting Strahd fuck the rules,” Gertruda says proudly—proud of
you?—as she takes the luck blade from you, steps

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forward, and joins it to Year’s End. In the same V E R I F I C AT I O N S
motion, the Innocent One tears open Winter’s
throat with her diamond fangs. The albino druid It’s possible players may not have enough
screams in shock and pain. information directly to proceed if they hit POOR
WOLF, or may still be unclear on what to do. If this
“I claim and free you, Little Winter. I demand no is the case, ask for Insight, Survival, History, and
obedience, take none, accept none. Your overdue Religion checks. Other skills might be permitted,
revenge will be my lance, my truth.” such as using Deception or Stealth to game out how
the trick was done by walking through how they
Winter collapses, bloodless but inexplicably alive. would do it. For each skill, read the highest DC they
She is free of Strahd after hundreds of years. We are passed and all lower DCs.
surprised at last, our hopes surpassed. Be our truth.
Insight
Have players mark down that they SAVED WINTER.
She’s too damaged to fight without one final On 15 or greater, if players have unlocked
sacrifice, however. If a player wishes to take control STRAHD’S TOMB: You have actually seen the
of WINTER, their current character is bound to standing stones before, as a small diorama in
the blade which becomes LUCKY END. It is a the strange Sunlit Shrine far above. There was a
sentient artifact weapon, containing their current mechanism there?
character’s intellect and personality, combining the
properties of the LUCK BLADE, including its current S u r v i va l
charges, with YEAR’S END. It also gains one major
beneficial property, per the table in the Dungeon On 15 or greater: If you were a real bastard with
Master’s Guide. Otherwise, this will happen the next a lot of time on your hands, there’d be a trick to
time a character would reincarnate through the your tomb, and the key to the trick would be as far
Greenhouse Dream. from the tomb as possible. What’s the furthest point
other than the tower?
PROCEED TO:
History
Verifications & Vampires
On 25 or greater: There was a mural in the Sunlit
VVEARIFMICAPTIIORNES S& Shrine, Strahd’s cloak flowing into the form of a
giant wolf.
T HIS SCENE SERVES to ship the players out
into the GAUNTLET and BOSSFIGHT. On 15 or greater: Some truly mighty vampires can
split their essence. You might need to kill him twice.
For groups that are not clued in, use the
VERIFICATIONS subsection. Religion

Otherwise, head on to the VAMPIRES subsection. On 25 or greater: Among the greatest of the
vampire lords, there is the ability to hide one’s tomb
in the realm of spirits, in the Ethereal.

On 10 or greater and players haven’t checked his
tomb: It couldn’t hurt to check his physical tomb.

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VAMPIR ES Players trapped in the twin-hunt scenario are likely
to get pretty roughed up. Resist the urge to remedy
If players are lost... this. This is fine: failure must have costs to have
As a final fallback, simply have Strahd’s Hate hunt narrative weight.
one party while Strahd hunts the other. This will
make it extremely clear that there are two faces to If players are ready...
this particular vampire. For doing this, simply run Players have what they need, and should pick which
both parties through the Strahd Gauntlet Encounter, group is headed where. As a reminder, the Ethereal
THE HUNT, using the stats of STRAHD’S HATE for Gate is actually in Strahd’s Tomb, hidden in the
both cosmetically different forms. This should be a standing stones that rise when the tomb is unlocked.
pretty rare outcome, and if players get it quickly, However, the Gate can only be engaged by either
chase one group to the TOMB OF STRAHD and misting STRAHD’S HATE or STRAHD, OR by
move that group into the BOSSFIGHT. Otherwise, completing the ECLIPSE PUZZLE described in
things could get bad fast. THE HUNT, found in the SUNLIT SHRINE.

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IRENA FLOW

Read:

COLD FURY

Can players open YES
the tomb?

NO

Read:

WHAT LIES
BELOW

Can players open YES
the tomb?
Go to:
NO
DARK AUDIENCE
Read:
and
END OF THE
RAILS TOMB OF STRAHD

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COLD FURY WBEHLAOT LWIES

T HE CASTLE HUMS with evil life. All that is C REATURES STALK OUT of the shadow,
warm is swallowed by the hungry stone. Irena beaten, cowering. The Brides. One, the
strides in, the wolves cavorting around her. She smallest, steps forward:
drags Gertruda by the hair, lifts her so that she can “We would guide you for a small price. Please.”
look on. There is an honesty to her, built of hunger.

“I will devour them, Envoy, and break your toys. The Brides want a sacrifice. Players can’t force them
You will watch as I feast, as my shadow falls long.” to help without magical coercion or persuasion.
Gertruda fails to look upset. “I do not find your They are used to pain and have suffered endlessly.
insolence as seductive as I once did.” If players wish to persuade the Brides, they need to
have THE GOOD WINE or have dealt with Strahd in
The Envoy pouts mockingly and whispers, “We will the TOWER, whether by destroying him, pitching
see, at the throne! We will love you all and always, him, or some other way.
oh mighty lords of dust. Be our truth.” Crimson
light pours from her hazel eyes like smoke and Irena Direct Aid
does not seem to hear her.
• WINTER’S INTEREST, carrying THE GOOD
Irena speaks, and the castle answers. Stone grips WINE, and TRANSLATED THE TOME: Do not
you. The floor below you begins to collapse. As you prompt for this. It only arises if players seek to
fall into darkness, the vampire goddess strides away recruit Winter and the conditions are met. If
up the stairs. You land in the crypts, battered but a player character or currently dead character
alive. Vampires require living prey, after all. is willing to allow themselves to be bound to
YEAR’S END, consuming THE GOOD WINE
Players land as a group in the CRYPTS, in the in the process, WINTER becomes a player
middle of the shallow sea of jellied blood. One character without the character loss counting as
group will have to go confront Irena in her throne a death for scoring. In addition, she now wields
room. The other group must make it to IRENA’S YEAR’S END and it gains a minor beneficial
CRYPT and do battle with Sergei as they try to property, per the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
make sure someone will be there to stake the tyrant.
Players should split into their final groups.

If players already understand the situation, and have
the ability to access IRENA’S TOMB,

PROCEED TO: • Sacrifice: Generally, the Brides want to eat
a player character. It’s that simple. If players
The Tomb of Irena assent, hand the person who gets short straw
the WINTER, FALLEN DRUID sheet. Smallest
AND of the Brides and deadliest, she’s now their
ride to hell. She’s more powerful than a player
The Dark Audience character, since this is a catch-up mechanic in
disguise.
Otherwise,
Guidance Only
PROCEED TO:
• Charisma or THE GOOD WINE: Deception or
What Lies Below Persuasion work here. Intimidation works too,
if players are scraping the bottom of the barrel.

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To persuade them, players must pass two out SHRINE, which is unlikely, or have a character with
of three checks at DC 16. It’s not particularly an Intelligence score of 18 or higher and inspected
difficult if the conditions are met. the shrine, they know five torch positions.

If any condition is met, they’ll tell players the crypt Insight
combination for Irena’s Tomb and guide players to
THE DARK AUDIENCE. Players who fail this safety On 25 or greater: The Sunlit Shrine was practically
net will have to proceed to END OF THE RAILS. the same as Irena’s cenotaph. You remember the
combination.
On Winter
Players know 5 torches from the shrine.
You should mention that Winter was not turned
willingly, though it’s been a long time, and she is On 15 or greater: There was something in the
unlikely to betray the party. However, it’s up to Sunlit Shrine. Maybe the torches were the same as in
the player who gets her if either of those things Irena’s tomb?
remain true. She has fed recently, obviously, and
thus has access to TRUE TO HER NATURE. The Players know 1 additional torch, unless they wrote
player can decide if she has access to the memories down the full set of 5 from the shrine.
of their character. Maybe some of their soul is
bound to hers? Maybe they’re both in there now? S u r v i va l
Maybe memory was in the blood? Maybe she’s been
watching? Maybe reincarnation isn’t serial, and On 20 or greater: One of the torches is marked
she’s always been them in some horrible time-loop with a small lily and the oil is fresh.
almost too cruel to consider? It’s up to them. She’s
not an NPC anymore—she might even make it out Players know one additional torch.
of here. It’s extremely important that you let the
player be who they want. On 15 or greater: You could follow the faint scent
of the Envoy’s lilies to wherever Irena seeks her
ETNHDEORFAILS confrontation.

IT’S POSSIBLE PLAYERS may not have enough It’s the throne room, guys. One of the fights had to
information to proceed. If this is the case, ask be in the throne room.
for Insight, Survival, History, and Religion checks.
Other skills might be permitted, such as using On 10 or greater: One of the torches is still very
Deception or Stealth to game out how the trick was faintly warm.
done by walking through how they would do it. For
each skill, read the highest DC they passed and all Players know one additional torch.
lower DCs. Finally, they can brute force the tomb. If
players wrote down the combination in the SUNLIT History

On 15 or greater: She’s probably headed to her
throne room. You’ve seen maps and models of this
place, and traveled the halls at agonizing length.
You could find your way.

Players know to head to the throne room for one
half of the finale.

Religion

On 23 or greater, if players do not have the STAFF
OF POWER:

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“His name is power” is a fragment of a common
invocation. Generally, you’d say the name after that.

Players know how to summon the STAFF OF POWER.

On 15 or greater: Some priests of the Morninglord
love a secret numerology, expressed in naughts and
crosses. A pattern like that could be hidden in the
lighting of torches.

Players know one additional torch.

Investigation

On 18 or greater: There is… some wear here, in
Irena’s tomb. A little more soot here or there.
A pattern.

Players know two more torches.

On any check: There’s likely something below
Irena’s tomb. It might be better to call it a cenotaph,
and those often mark the entrance to a crypt
instead of being the crypt itself.

Brute Forcing The Tomb

Players will have to try roughly half of the
combinations, and the torches take quite a while to
light. During this time, Irena’s terrible ascendance
goes unchecked.

If players have fewer than 3 torches known:
The organ grows in volume, and then halts. The
Winter Bride approaches from the dark, silver
chains binding her antlers, her eyes wrenched out.
“Come. She’ll wait no more,” she says and guides
you to the throne room.

All remaining enemies start with 20 temporary hit
points. Winter will not enter the throne room under
any circumstances.

Otherwise:
Just in time. The organ music winds down as the
lead cenotaph melts, revealing the way down.
It’s time. Some must go below to hold the tomb.
Others must find Irena in her throne room and
reduce her to mist. There’ll only be a short window
to stake the vampire queen.

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TOIRMENBA GOAFUNITRLEETN: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY............................................ 336 CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW..................... 340

PREPARATIONS............................... 336 MAP...................................................... 341

DENIZENS....................................... 336 MAP BY ZONE....................................... 342

KEY LOOT........................................ 336 COMBAT FLOW..................................... 343
TONE & TYPE................................... 336 SERGEI, THE PROFANE KNIGHT....... 344
SCALING.............................................. 337 SERVANTS OF THE DEAD................. 345
SERGEI, DAMNED LOVE........................ 338
DESCRIPTION.................................. 338 SCENES............................................... 347
TACTICS.......................................... 338 INTRO.............................................. 347
BUCEPHALUS...................................... 338 ALTAR STATES................................. 347
ASSASSINS.......................................... 339 COMBAT FLOW................................. 348
USE................................................. 339 THE PROFANE KNIGHT..................... 349
FIGHT ARCHITECTURE & TACTICS....... 339 THE GRIP......................................... 349
ENEMY MANIFEST............................ 339 REVENANTS.................................... 349
ENTRANCES.................................... 339 OUTRO............................................. 349
VICTORY.......................................... 349
QUALIFIED VICTORY..........................351

DAMAGE SPLITTING......................... 339 LOSS................................................351

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SUMMARY 4. Print and review the RITES: RULES & SCENES
section from Rites.

If you have more time to finish prep:

O NCE THE TOMB-LOCK is undone, the false 5. Review the ENCOUNTER FLOW then print it.
bier in Irena’s Cenotaph in the crypts melts
in a great heaving wave of molten lead to reveal 6. Review the scenes in conjunction with the
the route into her actual tomb, far below in the ENCOUNTER FLOW.
bedrock that supports Castle Ravenloft. Deep in
the Pillarstone, players find an enormous hall, 7. Revisit the COMBAT FLOW, keeping in mind
apparently empty save for a single intricately carved the Rites rules.
block of lapis at the far end. It has been carved to
form a cyclopean dias and an elegant coffin with Rites
ornate effigy. It cannot normally be opened and
must be forced either with tremendous strength and Rites become available to players as soon as the
arcane effort or a considerable sacrifice of blood AMBER SARCOPHAGI encounter is complete,
and wine. which provides the narrative framing for them.
LAST STAND becomes available during the ECLIPSE
encounter. Even if you’re in a hurry, we recommend
reviewing Rites. They are designed to allow a more
varied range of players to engage with the FINALE.

During their attempt to open the coffin, they DENIZENS
are assaulted by Sergei atop Bucephalus and the
Servants that he commands. The Pillarstone is the SERGEI, FALLEN PALADIN
Gauntlet for the Irena arc. This is effectively the BUCEPHALUS, THE NIGHTMARE
final boss for one of the two groups, seeing them SERVANTS OF THE DEAD (THREE)
trapped in Irena’s tomb and trying to hold off Sergei
and his forces. As a result, it’s the climactic action KEY LOOT
for one side of the story—the players trapped there
must depend on their allies above to defeat Irena None
so that they can finish the job. This is designed to
create the sense of a siege without the mechanical TONE & TYPE
weight and interminable combat that comes with
most approaches to siege simulation.

P R E PA R AT I O N S Again, the two major touchstones for the design
of ONS are gothic horror and neo-noir. Here, we
The following is the minimum concepts and prep close out the rising action with a brutal climax.
that a DM needs to do for them to be able to run For the team above, their experience centers on
this encounter. While we recommend a detailed the gothic horror of an unstoppable malevolent foe
reading of the entire encounter, if you’ve got to rush confronted at the seat of her power. Below, here in
or you plan to wing it, here’s what we think you the Pillarstone, the team tasked with staking Irena
need to do: find themselves trapped on the backfoot. Neither
the attackers nor the defenders are happy with
1. Print the Profane Knight and Assassins stat the terrain, both are fairly evenly matched, and
blocks, found in DENIZENS. the battle is a splashy high-velocity affair. In short,
this leans hard into the neo-noir aspects of the
2. Review the suggested COMBAT FLOW, and adventure.
skim the INTRO scene.

3. Skim or read the rest of this section.

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SCALING

As a direct combat encounter, scaling this is more delicate and more straightforward.
This is a wave combat, so it’s relatively easy to adjust if needed. A wipe here should be avoided

if possible unless players are refusing to engage with the danger they’re in.
LOW DAMAGE is generally a safe pick.

WEAKER If people have brought less optimized characters, or simply play combat in a cinematic
GROUP instead of tactical style, we recommend putting a round limit on combat by having the
coffin open in 5 rounds.

LOW For tank-heavy parties or low damage-per-turn parties, reduce damage on all enemy

DAMAGE attacks by 4. This helps blunt the Aura effect.

NO If the playgroup has nothing out front, lower the flight speed of all enemies by 20 feet.
TANKS

NO If players have made no effort to gain access to range by this point, and are not using
RANGE the staves and reach weapons provided by the adventure, they’re likely to have serious
problems with this fight. Lowering the room’s ceiling to 15 feet means that reach
weapons will work.

NOBLE If the fight is going truly badly, do not attack downed player characters. This will lead
FOE to them bouncing up using healing word, but that’s acceptable and potentially even
positive.

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DESCRIPTION

The description for Sergei is found in the section
that introduces him. He does not appear until the
end of the first round of combat.

TA C T I C S

SERGEI, Unlike the Vampires, the Profane Knight only
regenerates from the Choking Grasp & Forceful
DAMNED LOVE Choke actions. As a result, he spends the
majority of his time deep in melee combat.
Profane Knight A significant portion of his damage potential
comes from the Aura effects of the Servants who
M ECHANICALLY, SERGEI IS probably the arrive with him, and most of his mobility comes
most intricate enemy other than the Lords of from his nightmare mount. However, his ability
Ravenloft. He does serve as the final boss for one to put up a blade barrier and then lean hard
side of the adventuring party, so this is probably into concentration checks means that player
acceptable. However, we strongly recommend that mobility will be limited.
you familiarize yourself with his stats and mechanics
before running the adventure. Alternatively, you can He will generally open with blade barrier, then use
use a modified storm giant to replace the Profane arcane hand once he’s lost concentration. There’s
Knight, as detailed in the Knight’s description. no competition for his bonus action, so the hand
This will lead to a significantly different feel and a is almost always a serious asset. Finally, the arena
somewhat more straightforward fight. for this fight is large, with lots of cover and a high
ceiling. As the enemies use flight aggressively,
scaling options actually includes lowering the ceiling.

BUCEPHALUS

Nightmare

H E WAS A HORSE. He’s named after another
famous horse. These days, he’s a fiend.
Traditionally, nightmares are used to abuse their
ability to jump in and out of the Ethereal by
combining readied actions from their riders with
the oddities of the independent mount rules. While
this can lead to extremely memorable fights, it
also has some problems with power fluctuation,

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complexity, and legitimacy. As a result, Bucephalus &FAIRGCHTHTAITCECTTIUCRSE
is actually rolled into the Profane Knight stat block
used for Sergei rather than run as an independent
creature. If you fall back to the modified storm
giant for Sergei, Bucephalus can either be omitted
or added as an independent monster.

ASSASSINS PREPPING FOR THIS ENCOUNTER means
being ready to improvise. This makes it pretty
Servants of the Dead important to understand why certain choices were
locked in for the COMBAT FLOW. This section
THESE MITHRIL-CLAD ASSASSINS have covers the basics of the fight, piloting these
served Sergei across a hundred lives, forming monsters in case you need to improvise or wish to
the core of his deadly cavalry. Once priests and reuse them, and a few specific tips.
servants of the Morninglord, they now draw their
strength from the Dark Powers. ENEMY MANIFEST

USE Generally, we recommend 3 Servants and 1 Profane
Knight. It may be necessary to introduce an
Mounted on perytons, these assassins are used to additional Servant or two, but they should spawn
round out the combat with Sergei. They extend the as a third wave unless players are annihilating the
sunlight vulnerability mechanic used throughout the Servants without spending any resources.
module in a new direction and serve as a capstone
experience. Their perytons are factored into their ENTRANCES
stat blocks and are not intended to be run as
separate monsters. The Servants enter from the far end and begin to
split up immediately. Sergei enters at the end of the
first turn from the north wall. Each of these is tied
to a scene, found in the COMBAT FLOW diagram,
but you can use these scenes early. The COMBAT
FLOW also provides some advice for how to open,
but you may need to modify that—blade barrier or
arcane hand as an opening lair action from Sergei
can feel oppressive.

DAMAGE SPLITTING

The COMBAT FLOW provides some rules for
targeting, but those are worth explaining. Like the
Furies, these rules are intentionally intended to
dilute the killing power of these enemies.

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CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW

START 8 MINUTES

Read:

INTRO

Brief Exploration
of Tomb

Read: Coffin 8 MINUTES
Opened
ALTAR
STATES

Begin:

COMBAT FLOW

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341

SOUTH AECTASoInTITOeI:MnEIiBg'NLOh tLFTIsRBRtErEANaAhNBdACCEK NORTH
LANE LANE
CENTER
LANE ZONE 3

ZONE 2

ZONE 1

DIAS

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COMBAT FLOW

PRE The following is an example of a combat flow, with each part explained.

NAME
Titles

Precombat preparations can be found here, under PRE, along with the relevant lair actions
if they are not varied.

1 M: This holds a movement plan.
M: Move.
A: This covers the suggested action for the first
turn, denoted by the 1 to the left.

B: This lists the bonus action to be used, if any.

R: This holds a suggested reaction.

Legendary actions will be described in red at the
bottom, generally in order of use with causes.

2

As above, for the second turn. Markers may be
used in the timeline to the left as a way to show
other events.

This feature is not used in this encounter.

R: Reaction.

3

As above, for the third turn, and as a suggestion for turns beyond that.

This is denoted by the dotted arrow leading off page.

This arrow will be solid if a second page is provided.

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Sergei, The Profane Knight
Vampire Apologist, Assassin-Saint

PRE

SERGEI enters combat at initiative 1 on round one. Read the PROFANE KNIGHT.

Special Conditions: If all SERVANTS have fallen, immediately read REVENANTS and spawn a
SERVANT. This can occur at most once.

1 M: Move to highest HP character.
A: Multiattack (Estoc, Choking Grasp).

Read THE GRIP if Choking Grasp hits.

Choke, Reposition, Choke if Choking Grasp hit.
Otherwise, Reposition then Swift Strikes.

Lair

SERGEI casts blade barrier.

2 M: Move to highest AC character.
A: Multiattack (Estoc, Choking Grasp).
If SERVANT's aura affects a player, Reposition to
that player, then Swift Strikes.
Otherwise, Choke, Reposition, Choke.

Lair

SERGEI casts arcane hand if blade barrier is down.

3 M: Move to nearest in SERVANT's
aura or highest HP, while
B: If arcane hand is up, use Forceful Hand to position avoiding MARKED.
characters in SERVANT's aura.

A: After move, Multiattack (Estoc, Estoc).

Prefer Choke if possible.
Otherwise, Reposition then Swift Strikes.

Lair

Arcane hand if possible, or darkness if arcane hand is already lost.

4 M: Move to MARKED target if
A: Multiattack (Estoc, Choking Grasp). possible.

B: Arcane hand's grasping hand on lowest HP.

Prefer Choke, Swift Strikes.
Otherwise, Reposition, Swift Strikes.

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PRE Servants Of The Dead

Assassin Cavalry of the Imperial Court

Tactical Note: SERVANTS avoid sunlight and prefer only one SERVANT be in melee at a time.
This lets them maximize their aura while minimizing their risk.
Special: The 1st SERVANT to act gets 10 temporary hit points. This triggers once.

1 1st Servant, M: Center, Zone 2.
1st Servant, A: Others, M: South, Zone 2.
Melee if possible, then shroud self.

Remaining Servant, A:
Ranged if possible, then shroud self.

2 1st Servant, M: Dias Edge.
1st Servant, A: Others, M: South, Zone 3.
Melee highest HP, then shroud self.

Remaining Servant, A:
Ranged, preferring lowest HP targets in auras
then shroud self.

3 All, M: Join SERGEI if possible,
All, A: otherwise make a best effort.
Melee, preferring targets that are not MARKED
and picking one target each if possible.

4 All, M: Join SERGEI if possible,
All, A: otherwise make a best effort.
Melee, preferring highest HP target.

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SCENES • The north and south walls are 110 feet long,
and the east and west are 120.
Below are the narrative components used by the
encounter flow. Where possible, each notes down • The crypt at the west end adds 10 feet,
the probable next vignettes. LOOT, MONSTERS, and making it even closer to square.
CONDITIONS are bolded in this section. Content
intended to be read aloud verbatim is italicized. • You see the marks of both hoof and claw in
the dust.
INTRO
• Any remaining food or rations rots, as if
T HE TOMB IS CAVERNOUS, easily 100 feet on exposed to necrotic energy.
a side. Everything is still, and everything is cold.
The only light is what you’ve brought with you. • Divine Sense detects the general proximity of at
least three fiends.
As players advance or light the space, read:
The floor is the polished bedrock of Barovia, inlaid • Withered lilies dot the floor, so close to dust
with creeks and rivers of mithril. At first, the design that you didn’t notice them at first.
seems random—until you recognize it as a stylized
circulatory system. Each river-vein leads back to • Beside the tomb, there’s a small neat pile of
a great dias of lapis lazuli, carved from the same books. They look a little out of place.
block as the coffin resting on it.
• There are signs of ancient battle here, buried
in dust.

• Above, a single skylight is dark. It looks like it
might illuminate the tomb, except the dias.

If they proceed,

MOVE TO:
Altar States

If players bail, let them. Failing to stake and finish ALTAR STATES
Irena ends very badly for them.
I RENA’S COFFIN CAN ONLY be opened by a
Players who explore can find the following pieces of sacrifice of blood or wine, or by powerful magic.
information: A sufficiently determined thief might be able to
crack it open, if it feels narratively appropriate.
• There’s regular movement down here, as shown We recommend letting players spend roughly 4-5
by tracks in the dust. minutes on this. At that point, the coffin begins to
open of its own accord.
• There are no fixtures for light—nothing that
comes down here needs light to see. Either way, read:
Strange dovetails and odd latches begin to slide
• Runes for a teleportation circle have been open. Mist hisses from the gaps. Across the seamless
worked into the wall around the door you came surface of the coffin, hidden bars lift free. Pieces
in through. slide out of place like a puzzle box solving itself.
Slowly.
• Players who mar the circle gain a surprise
round against the Servants.

• The space is arranged so that you enter in the
east and the coffin sits due west at the far end.

• It’s almost perfectly square, perhaps 110
feet long?

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ACT oInIeI:nIi g'Lh tLsBt rEa hBdACK
TOMB OF IRENA

As soon as the coffin starts to open, the little crack to support a more interesting and less optimized
of a skylight slowly brightens with the same dim red approach to combat.
light of the eclipse. The great eye hangs low in the
sky and watches the players with interest. WHEN A CHARACTER DIES:
As your friend dies,
This counts as dim light. It also probably counts as
terrifying. After a beat pause or two, read: 1ST The strange mithril patterns in
Dull red light begins to stream in. Shutters clatter DEATH the floor swallow each drop of blood
open, one after the other, revealing an enormous hungrily. A ruby light pulses from the
skylight that illuminates everything but the dias. The coffin. One of the eight locks opens.
eye that swallowed the sun watches you through the
shutter slats. 2ND A shockwave of cold echoes from
DEATH your friend as they collapse, broken,
The crackle of a teleportation circle behind you to the ground. Behind you, a lock
suggests you're not alone, and the coffin is still slams open.
cycling open. Hooded figures mounted on great
masked birds stalk in through the gate—one, 3RD Another death, another lock. You
two, three total. Their mithril armor gleams in DEATH can hear a heartbeat starting, and
the crimson dusk. Even this dim light seems to the mithril veins begin to pulse.
discomfort them as they unsheathe long silvery
knives. And then they fade from view. 4TH In Irena’s voice, as though she is
DEATH narrating as the DM, read:
PROCEED TO: You bring to me the sacrament of
Combat Flow 5TH violence, and lay it at my coffin altar,
DEATH my forge.
COMBAT FLOW
6TH In Irena’s voice, as though she is
T HE COMBAT FLOW DIAGRAMS in the DEATH narrating as the DM, read:
beginning of “Tomb of Irena” serve as strong I will wake soon, fatted on death.
suggestions. You should be able to use them for most 7TH These locks will not hold.
of the combat with relatively little adjustment if you DEATH
prefer, and it will help keep the game moving at a In Irena’s voice, as though she is
fast clip. The tactics used are balanced to create a 8TH narrating as the DM, read:
fight that is compelling but not automatically lethal. DEATH Know that you are the implements
of my metamorphosis. I require two
Should you decide to customize the Boss behavior, more of your little lives.
it is important to remember that using the offensive
capabilities of these monsters to their maximum In Irena’s voice, as though she is
effect will be fatal to almost all parties. The goal is narrating as the DM, read:
to create an extremely dangerous fight that ranges I will drown you in my truth, reduce
far beyond the normal fare of ranged attacks, you to mere materials.
disables, and fireballs. They are somewhat stronger
than normal level-appropriate bosses, in an effort In Irena’s voice, as though she is
narrating as the DM, read:
Your purpose here is finished. Feel
free to complete your little dance.

END OF COMBAT:
This encounter ends when either the players as
a whole have suffered a total of 8 deaths, if the
players wish to give up, or when Sergei reaches 0
hit points. Either way, go to Outro.

348