One Night Strahd

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EVENTS

EVENTS

MITHRIL LILY Players deliver the MITHRIL LILY to GERTRUDA

Gertruda (Envoy) Generally, this happens in the ECLIPSE, if at all

Gertruda takes a long shuddering breath as the living silver burns her. She twirls the flower along her
fingers like a coin, back and forth. “This… wasn’t in the cards,” she says quietly. The spin of the stem sears
crosshatches on her hand like abstracted scales. “This is something new,” and the wonder in her voice
twirls the world around it.

Gertruda will not relinquish the lily under any circumstances, insisting:
“You have to let me make my choices.”

This event opens up additional ending possibilities and will be checked for in the GREENHOUSE
encounter. In future playthroughs, players can find Gertruda in the BENT BOUGH during the
DOG DAYS encounter.

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RAINBOWLESS Players plant any number of beans from the
CONNECTION BAG OF BEANS in Act III

Omu, Debtmonger This may be triggered multiple times if the players
have not defeated Omu, or only once if they have

If players have not defeated OMU, read:
Out of a small pool of impossibly black liquid, an equally ebon lotus blossoms into an obsidian pyramid the
size of a door. Omu strides through in his true form; no longer the affable behatted frogman, he strides out
confidently clad for war. His hammer, gauntlets and belt shine maliciously in the remaining light. “Hm,” he
croaks, “I try not to interfere in these things directly—for professional reasons, you understand—but what
could be more chaotic than rejecting one’s role in a myth?” Omu hefts his mighty hammer and throws it at
your foe, and the sound it makes when it connects is enough to make your eyes water. When you rub your
eyes, Omu and his pyramid are gone.

Otherwise, read:
Out of a small pool of impossibly black liquid, an equally ebon lotus blossoms into an obsidian pyramid the
size of a door. Omu strides through in his true form. Slumped and pouting, he regards you. “Defeating me
in my own home was not enough for you? You call me for aid, knowing you need none? Are you truly so
selfish?” Omu waves a single froggy hand and the weight of magic and chaos fills the air. Greed has a cost.

If players have not defeated OMU:
This event deals 2d6 + 5 magical bludgeoning damage to enemy creatures, who must also succeed on a
DC 17 CON save or be stunned for one round.

If players have defeated OMU:
Count up the number of creatures (allied and enemy) in play and assign each one a number. Roll a die large
enough to accommodate this number of creatures; the creature whose number is rolled is shapeshifted into
a frog with 1 hit point as per the spell polymorph, even if they are not normally able to be transformed.

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INTERCESSOR Players leave the beaten paths of the Castle

Gertruda & Brides This event happens once

First, run a complete pass of THIS PLACE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU as the characters wander aimlessly
around a deadly vampire’s castle lair. Then read:
Bloodied, you move through an ocean of shadow in the deepest places of the castle. In the cold still air,
huge pillars of machinery sit silent and brooding between giant wooden beams. There are things down
here with you, sharks scenting crimson on the strange currents. The Brides step out of the timber supports,
corrupt druidic magic leaving the wood scorched and twisted.

The tallest, broad at the shoulder, ash-blonde hair braided with living roses along her antlers, speaks—
Midsummer. She says in a mocking voice, “Oh mighty councilors of ash, lords of the sun,” as she spreads
her arms and conjures a mighty thunderstorm, “Witness me! I am Summer!” The crashing electricity arcing
from cloud to cloud illuminates the scale of this place. You must be a mile deep—how big is this castle?
A single huge crimson bolt lashes out.

All players must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. They take 10d6 necrotic damage on a failed save,
or half as much damage on a successful one, as they are savaged by the crimson lightning.

Midsummer stands, panting, terror in her eyes. You feel the brush of fur against your legs and wolves leap
and cavort among you in their summer coats. The huge machines around you begin to slowly spin.

“I think…” A little haggard voice says, “I think you will find that Summer is mine, still, little traitor-
cousin.” Standing between you is a woman. She is maybe thirty years old, armored in carved jade and
holding a morningstar. A sirocco picks up slowly, the hot wind of summer lashing you as it billows her
black demi-cloak. Her hazel eyes flash with pride as she regards you with a small nod.

“I am the Lord of Summer,” Gertruda says as her ball and chain flares with sunlight. She burns in it, her
cloak bleaching white, her skin catching fire, and she laughs and laughs and laughs as she lashes out. “They
are mine. My champions,” and ghostly wolves pin the Brides as Gertruda, Lady of Summer smashes them
with the sun. They wail in terror. From your vantage point, you can see past the murderous glee, see the
cost on her as she growls, “The deep sky and the roots of the earth are mine.”

As she crushes Midsummer’s skull, the Innocent One whispers, “I’ll never forgive you for what you did
to Winter.” Eventually, there is only ash and a wounded woman, her slim hands on her small knees. She
coughs up blood past her vampiric fangs and sinks to the floor. Green grass spreads around her. “Hi,”
Gertruda manages, “I, uh… probably can’t do that again.” Cuts open all over her body. “Can you help me
up?” She’s losing a lot of blood. She needs more than help standing up.

If players can’t or If players make an attempt to heal her, read:
won’t heal her, read: You help her up, and she leans on you all, bleeding out, grinning
You help her up, and she sheepishly as she stains you crimson. Channeled magic knits
leans on you all, bleeding out, her wounds with your help and Gertruda watches you in honest
grinning sheepishly as she surprise. She whispers, “You’re good friends. I don’t deserve this.
stains you crimson. “Thanks. I pulled you into hell. Like so many others.”
I hate to die on the ground.
Catch up later?” she whispers It takes 30 points of magical healing to save her.
as she fades into mist.

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If players do not heal her, If players couldn’t save her, If players saved her, read:
read: read: “You know,” she says, sitting
Her blood forms long petaled The little Vampire Lord is still in the grass and staring up
designs where it stained you, bleeding. Her ribs are broken, at the group of you, “this
pulsing gently with defensive and she grins at you. “You’re has never happened before.”
magic. The grass brittles really sweet. I’ll see you at the Gertruda looks a little less
beneath your feet and drifts greenhouse, but… This meant so lonely, smiling gently up at
away. much to me.” you. Even after the healing,
her wounds are terrible. It’ll
Characters’ maximum hit She hands you a glittering jade be quite a while before she’s in
points increase by 10, healing knife. “I made this for a friend. fighting shape.
them for 10 points, and they Never did give it to her. When
are each affected as per the we get through this, I’m fixing She hands you a glittering jade
death ward spell. that.” She fades to mist. knife. “I made this for a friend.
Never did give it to her. If we
She hands the players the get through this, I’m fixing
JADE KNIFE, MAKER variant. that.”

She hands the players the
JADE KNIFE, SOLAR
variant and will answer basic
questions. Weakened as she is,
she can’t push back against the
laws of the challenge enough
to offer much more. If pressed,
she’ll explain that she’s already
skirting the rules badly, and
the risk is enormous for her.

OUTRO
The machines do not slow as their designer departs. Rods of light lift into the air. You’ve seen this before!
This must be how the Fortune Teller works! Pictures form in the air. Each machine displays a single gigantic
tarot card. Each machine has a familiar sort of gate shimmering on its side.

In the bright cold light, you can see that the distant walls of this space are terraced with stairs like a
stepwell, and hundreds of doors lead here. No wonder you ended up here eventually, in the secret heart
of Ravenloft. The Roots of the Earth. It’s time to go, though. Where to?

This is how Gertruda and the Vampire Lord move around Ravenloft. The gates here will take players to
any of the remaining major encounters from ACT II, as well as the TREASURY and optionally, the
BLACK LAGOON.

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CONFESSION SPo nEeCnIiAg hLt Rs tUr aLhEd S
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Gertruda Players are struggling or flee an encounter without
gaining any items, allies, or other assets
This event happens once

Players have likely just been overwhelmed, either emotionally or mechanically.
The Confession event is intended to help players stabilize and characters catch up. Read:
Around the corner, you hear a woman humming a bar, then trying to sing. “Quantus tremor est futura...
futurus?… Oh damn, how does it go?”

If players do not approach, Gertruda will wander around the corner and catch up with them:
She doesn’t look threatening. She’s working on a sandwich dispiritedly as she tries to page through a
liturgical book with one hand. The woman is slim as an arrow, perhaps in her early thirties with a duffel
bag slung across her back, and when she grins at you, vampire fangs sparkle in the torchlight. There’s
something familiar about her as she says, “Hallo!”

If players attack her, Gertruda lets them get the first shot off. Read: She leans into the blow, then shivers
before glancing at you sadly. “Well. Hello, I suppose. There are easier ways to get my attention.”

It’s possible players will try to kill her in earnest, especially if they’ve just come from the Crypts.
In this case, she will cast time stop as a readied action before they can waste resources. Read:
She drops the book, makes a quick tidy gesture like tying a knot before you can continue. Time slows. Time
stops. She stares at you with real sadness. The effort has cost her, and her skin pales. Little cuts open up all
over. “I know you’re hurting, but please stop—you’re hurting me. Stop, or I’ll leave.” If players persist, she
leaves in mist and the event ends.

If players have not yet met Gertruda, she will introduce herself: “I’m the Envoy—of the Dark Powers,
I mean. Gertruda, at your service.”
Otherwise, read: “It’s just me. Are you okay? Are you going to be okay?”

If players do not attack, or stop attacking, read:
She sits down thoughtfully, then says “I was going to pretend this was a chance meeting, you know.”
The little Vampire Lord pulls her legs up against her chest, then rummages in her little duffel. “Here.”
She offers wax-paper wrapped packages—roast quail, buns with tofu, a block of fudge, some caramels.
“Sorry. About all of this. All of these people.”

Gertruda will answer any surface level questions honestly and completely. She’ll also answer questions
as per one casting of the commune spell. She knows most things about Ravenloft, though she cannot tell
players who the Lord currently is and cannot directly help players access the tombs.

This encounter has the following effects:
• Characters gain the benefit of a short rest.
• Gertruda gives them the HEARTSEEKERS. This can lead to two copies of that item.
• This group cannot go to the TOME encounter.
• This group skips THIS PLACE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU enroute to the next encounter.

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CHANGE OF PLANS Players give WINTER her sword, YEAR’S END,
out of sequence

Winter, That was Taken This event happens once

This event is only available if players have treated Winter with respect. Winter doesn’t require kindness, as
she is often actively trying to kill them, but aimless cruelty and manipulative behavior can easily convince
her that the characters aren’t fundamentally better than Strahd. If this happens, she’ll refuse the sword
until the ECLIPSE where she only appears if they have WINTER’S INTEREST.

If Winter respects the players, read:
The little vampire hugs the montante to her chest and stares at you for a long time. A slow rolling growl
hums off her, building and building until it is the rumble of the very last autumn storm—until it is an
avalanche. When she opens her eyes, ice forms everywhere her gaze falls. All she says is, “Change of plans.”

Leaning up, the lithe archdruid kisses you on the cheek. She is far colder than the dead, colder than
revenge, colder than certainty. The sword hangs in the air where she was, and Winter whispers,
“C’mon, gorgeous. We’re leaving.”

This encounter has the following effects:
• WINTER no longer appears during the ECLIPSE.
• WINTER’S INTEREST expires.
• THE GOOD WINE is destroyed.
• The LUCKBLADE loses a charge even if players have not acquired it.

If it has no charges, it is destroyed.
• Any fight involving the BRIDES no longer includes WINTER.
• If WINTER has essential speaking lines or needs to offer guidance,

she does so but speaks as the blade.
• Players lose YEAR’S END. It is replaced by WINTER’S FURY.

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RITES:

SUPPORTING PLAYER AGENCY

RULES & SCENES
TABLE OF CONTENTS

RATIONALE........................................... 57 SAMPLE RITES OF CHALLENGE............ 61
RULES................................................... 58 GUNSLINGER'S DUEL........................ 61
RUSTY CAGE..................................... 61
TIMING AND SELECTION................... 58 BESEECH THE DARK......................... 61
LAST STAND RULES.......................... 58 FORCE OF WILL................................ 62
RITES—GENERAL FORMAT & EXAMPLE... 59 SHEPHERDS..................................... 62
ROOFTOP STRUGGLE........................ 62
SPECIAL RITES.....................................60
LAST STAND..................................... 60 PLAYER HANDOUT: RITES..................... 63
EXIT STRATEGIES............................. 60

R AT I O N A L E similar mishaps. They also offer an important
way for players who are less tactically minded to
R ITES OFFER A STYLIZED WAY of writing overcome the densely mechanical threat of the
character moments on the fly, using vignettes Vampire Lord without compromising the feel of
and clear mechanics to allow a player to go beyond combat for other players.
the limits of their character without compromising
the sense of realism for other players. When some players fail and others succeed, it
should be a cause for celebration, not spite or
Rites form a key catch-up and narrative mechanic. disappointment. While a major combat must have
Rites are modified Scenes that can be invoked by consequences to have weight and verisimilitude,
players to gain key advantages. To trigger a Rite, those consequences should create rather than
a character generally spends inspiration and their destroy story moments. To be exactingly clear,
action. These vignettes are an essential part of the mechanics are a supremely useful and powerful
encounter, providing a key mechanic for players to construct. Rules should be broken only very
compensate for missing abilities, weak characters, gingerly, and only to create drama rather than
loss of reliable access to radiant damage, and other shortcuts. As a result, we have set out to create
a framework of mechanical constructs built on
familiar rules to empower players in a narrative way

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RITES

without destroying the fundamental economy TIMING AND SELECTION
of combat.
Rites are available at any time. Players can opt
This is still a set-piece fight, a sort of championship to trigger a Rite on their turn; you may also have
match, played out within well-defined rules and the Dark Powers suggest a specific Rite if a player
nebulous silent agreements, both forming the needs help. Rites are somewhat stronger than
kayfabe of D&D. The fight has been designed to the average unoptimized character’s attack, and
support the aggressive use of Rites to create a exist specifically to serve the needs of the players.
recovery mechanism. For GMs who do not normally They’re a great deal, after all! The Dark Powers are
provide inspiration, this is an excellent excuse always particularly eager to offer Last Stand. If a
to begin doing so at the most appropriate and player would like to try something novel instead of
climactic moment. Finales should be opportunities picking a skill or existing Rite, there are two good
for the final steps in character development as well ways to support it.
as challenging encounters.

RULES One is to let them propose a challenge and skill test,
and they can set the scene if they want. The Dark
EACH RITE IS A CHALLENGE that a player Powers, by which we mean you, might modify the
can initiate at the cost of their action and fiction to fit the milieu a little better. The other is to
inspiration, which is then run using a Rite. The ask them which challenge they’ll accept from a set
anatomy of a Rite and a dissected example can be of two or three Rites the Dark Powers are willing to
found in FORMAT EXAMPLE and samples covering offer. If you do this, try to make sure the challenge
most skills are provided. As a quick summary, at least relates to the skill they want to use. This is
a Rite consists of a narrative scene and a list of easier on the fly, but can be less satisfying.
skills the players can use. Two Rites, Last Stand
and Exit Strategies, have special rules and effects. LAST STAND RULES
However, most are sample narratives for RITE OF
CHALLENGE, used when a player invokes that rite. The one notable exception to much of this is the
If an encounter adds additional rites, this will be Last Stand Rite, which is used when a character
called out in the SPECIAL RULES sections of would make a death save and does not cost
that encounter. inspiration. That character is instantly killed upon
their completion of the Rite, destroyed by the
To use a Rite, pick or generate one that matches the terrible exertion of their heroic effort. We strongly
skills the player is attempting to use or the challenge recommend reminding players that Last Stand is
they’re trying to construct. First, read or replace available. It is particularly important because it
the intro text. Finally, all Rites use two different skill offers a powerful exit for doomed characters and
checks at DC 17 for the skill the player selected. creates inspiration instead of spending it. For a
Two successes nets the full effect, one success nets more cinematic game, allow players to use Last
the partial effect, and two failures triggers the Stand immediately upon becoming incapacitated.
negative outcome. Last Stand always deals 2d8 + 2 radiant damage and
always generates inspiration for two other players.

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RITES

GENERAL FORMAT

ENCOUNTERS, SECTIONS, MONSTERS, and CONDITIONS are bolded in this section.
Content intended to be read aloud verbatim is italicized.

CHALLENGE NAME

Any three skill checks (including Initiative) [DC17]

A narrative intro can be found here, used to set up the challenge. This can be replaced on the fly without
causing any problems. It is provided as an example of how the skills in the skill list might be used, rather
than the prescriptive way that they must be used. We do recommend that you use the general construction

of other challenges as an example to provide a consistent voice for the Dark Powers.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Failure Result Partial Success Success Result

EXAMPLE

GUNSLINGER'S DUEL

Acrobatics, Initiative, or Sleight of Hand [DC17]

You reach out to the Dark Powers and they answer:
Give fury a sweet voice in the crack of our gun’s song. Be our truth.

You blink. A revolver rests at your hip and the black sun hangs low overhead. The Vampire smirks at you
under a low brimmed hat as a chill wind whips her leather duster wide. Another blink will kill you.
Draw or die.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 radiant

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SPECIAL RITES

LAST STAND

None required, optionally replaces death saving throws

All your deaths draw close, and they whisper:
We crowd around your glory, our only warmth. Be our truth.

This is your dying flare. What do you do?
Allow the player to describe what cool thing happens as they sacrifice the last vestige of their life force,

their anger, and all of their hope. Expect many quotes and references to other media—
allow the player to ham it up if they feel like it.

A LWAY S :

Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant, give inspiration to two other characters

EXIT STRATEGIES

Athletics, Acrobatics [DC18]

You reach out to the Dark Powers, and they answer:
Conflict is the root operation by which all is computed. Understand, sweet heroes, tender glories,

that to run is still to fight. Ours is the truth that swallows all others.
So step away, step away, step away, and be our truth.

A LWAY S :

All player characters take 2d4 Necrotic damage as the Dark Powers take their due,
then move up to their speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

RITE OF CHALLENGE

Any Two Skills [DC17]

This rite allows a character to deal significant radiant damage in exchange for using both their action and
inspiration. They will pick two skills for the test. If possible, select a rite from the SAMPLE RITES OF
CHALLENGE to use. You may replace one of the skills chosen, but that should be done sparingly.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

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SAMPLE RITES OF CHALLENGE

When a player uses RITE OF CHALLENGE,
pick one of the following if convenient, adapting to their skill choices.

GUNSLINGER'S DUEL

Acrobatics, Initiative, or Sleight of Hand [DC17]

You reach out to the Dark Powers and they answer:
Give fury a sweet voice in the crack of our gun’s song. Be our truth.

You blink. A revolver rests at your hip and the black sun hangs low overhead. The Vampire smirks at you
under a low brimmed hat as a chill wind whips her leather duster wide. Another blink will kill you.
Draw or die.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

RUSTY CAGE

Athletics, Acrobatics, or Perception [DC17]

You reach out to the Dark Powers and they answer:
Brave is the knife that does not falter, that braves our knife. Be our truth.

You stare across the filigreed table at Patrina as a brass band plays the hits. She slides aside a cocktail
and holds out a knife. “I’ll take that wager,” the archmage drawls. "The game is ‘Rusty Cage.’
Slam the blade between your fingers as fast as you can."

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

BESEECH THE DARK

Arcana, Religion, or Persuasion [DC17]

You reach out to the Dark Powers and they answer:
Cut the world with your tongue and give fangs to our fancy. Be our truth.

The arcanaloth leans back in his chair and grins golden. “Alright, so bright, come now. Convince me.”
Eyes of smoke slurp up your words. It’s time to make a deal.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

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FORCE OF WILL

Intimidation, Persuasion, or Deception [DC17]

You reach out to the Dark Powers and they answer:
Throw your wanton will as war against our wicked world. Be our truth.

The scene doesn’t change, it just slows. The Doom of Barovia locks eyes with you, and you have a bare
moment where you can contest the Lord’s grip on destiny. The Lord is laughing.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

SHEPHERDS

Religion, Nature, or Animal Handling [DC17]

You reach out to the Dark Powers and they answer:
Throw your light on our dark places, display our majesties. Be our truth.
You are a lonesome shepherd beneath a cold sky. A wolf with human eyes paces at the edge of the firelight.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

ROOFTOP STRUGGLE

Survival, Acrobatics, or Perception [DC17]

You reach out to the Dark Powers and they answer:
Sweet is the sword that defies us, sweet as a tongue on our wounds. Be our truth.

A tile crunches as you fall onto your back foot. The Doom of Barovia bears down on you across
the rain-drenched roof, highlighted by the crack of lightning.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

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PL AYER HANDOUT:

RITES

As a quick summary, a Rite consists of a narrative scene provided by the GM and a pair of skill checks.
The stock set of rites can be found below, with the skill requirements listed in the top and a brief

description of their effects below that. Other than LAST STAND, rites cost an action and inspiration.

LAST STAND

None Required, optionally replaces death saving throws

Your character dies. Describe what happens as you sacrifice the last vestige of your character’s life force,
their anger, and all of their hope. Quotes and references to other media are expected—
ham it up if you feel like it.

Deal 2d8+2 Radiant to one target, give inspiration to two other characters

EXIT STRATEGIES

Athletics, Acrobatics [DC18]

This rite allows characters to reposition in exchange for an action, inspiration, and a small amount of
damage. They then have an opportunity to deal direct radiant damage to a single target.

A LWAY S :

All player characters take 2d4 Necrotic damage as the Dark Powers take their due,
then move up to their speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

No additional effect Deal 1d8 + 4 Radiant Deal 2d8 + 4 Radiant

RITE OF CHALLENGE

Any Two Skills [DC17]

This rite allows a character to deal significant radiant damage in exchange for an action and inspiration.
Pick two skills to test.The DM may replace one of the skills, and will then describe the challenge.

0 SUCCESSES: 1 SUCCESS: 2 SUCCESSES:

Take 2d4 Necrotic Deal 2d8 + 2 Radiant Deal 4d8 + 4 Radiant

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INCARNATIONS:
WHAT AND WHY
TABLE OF CONTENTS

RATIONALE........................................... 64 NARRATIVE FRAMING....................... 65
RULES................................................... 65 DEALING WITH FREQUENT DEATH.... 65
PLAYER HANDOUT: DEATH............... 67
EXCEPTION: AVAILABLE NPCS.......... 65 PLAYER HANDOUT: DEAD AGAIN....... 68

RATIONALE

I N GOTHIC HORROR, death is a constant. In D&D fashion—and of course, there are deadly vampires
and many other RPGs, a player’s agency is obviously happy to murder a player character. This means the
tied to their player character: kill the character, and problem must be handled directly. INCARNATIONS
the player loses agency. As traditional horror thrives provide an out, leaving players with something to
on the loss of agency and gothic horror thrives on lose and a clear system for how they return to the
death, this would seem convenient. Unfortunately, in world. An initial fear was that incarnations would
games and especially RPGs, loss of agency generally cheapen death, but by using them as a means of
leads to loss of engagement. When a character dies diegetic storytelling, the Incarnations system offers
and remains dead, that player is locked out of the considerable narrative weight and defines a clear end
game in every meaningful sense. Often, there’s a to the loss of agency. By keeping the costs of risk-
convenient NPC to control—but often, there’s not. taking low and frictioning death with content that’s
directly relevant to player interests, players remain
In One Night Strahd, characters die with some engaged even for the brief period of time where they
regularity. There are multiple key points where it is lose control.
possible to intentionally sacrifice yourself in heroic

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I N C A R N AT I O N S
EXCEPTION:
AVAI L A B L E N P C S

WHEN A CHARACTER DIES: IF THERE IS A FRIENDLY NPC AVAILABLE, such
as Winter, Maple, or Esmerelda, the player assumes
1. Their player receives a handout that guides them control of that NPC instead. This effect is generally
through a narrative scene. not optional, but it’s best not to force the matter
if the player pushes back hard. Above all else,
2. After completing the small choose-your-own preserve player choice. This still counts as a death.
adventure narrative, their character returns to the
game world in a new body. NARRATIVE FRAMING

3. Mechanically and practically, this uses a fresh WHEN A CHARACTER DIES, their spirit is bound
character sheet. Players are very strongly to the Domains of Dread. They find themselves in
discouraged from reusing the exact character they the Greenhouse Dream from the GLASS &
just played. DIAMONDS encounter. In actuality, this is the
Domain of Desolation and their Fortune-Teller was
4. Effects on that character end, except effects that the Lord Gertruda. Returning to the Greenhouse
specifically persist across incarnations. at the center of the dream, the dead character
inevitably encounters Gertruda and is sent back into
5. Magic items are retained, consumables are not the world in a new incarnation.
refreshed, and inspiration is lost.

DEALING WITH FREQUENT DEATH

SOME PLAYERS WILL INTENTIONALLY kill their characters to refresh per-long-rest resources. Others
will become extremely reckless. Some will just be terribly unlucky. As characters reincarnate over and over
again, strain begins to accumulate. There are also consequences for runs that use the scoring sheet, but that

probably won’t dissuade a stressed player from tossing their paladin off a cliff.

1ST DEATH The character is bound to the Domain of Desolation. Use the DEATH handout.
2ND DEATH Use the DEAD AGAIN handout for this and subsequent deaths.

3RD DEATH The character takes 10 damage for every death after the second, starting at 10 for
the third, rising to 20 for the fourth, and so on. This cannot reduce a character below
AND ONWARD 1 hit point.

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SPo nEeCnIiAg hLt Rs tUr aLhEd S
I N C A R N AT I O N S
WHO ARE YOU NOW?

DEATHplayer handout: DO YOU JUST SEE A NEW FACE? Do you forget
your old self? You have to use a new character sheet,
STONE. MOSS. EARLY AUTUMN. RUDDY DUSK. but you might be the same person in a real sense. The
Awareness trickles back. You turn your head options are detailed below, but either way you know
slowly through the pain. The afterlife is scrubland everything that happened up to your character’s death
and cobblestone. An eclipsed sun dangles in the sky, as the memories that flesh carried flood back to you.
painting the world in red and grey. In the center
of the island, there is a greenhouse built around a Ships & Axes An Acorn Is Not Its Oak
marble tower. A terrible sinking feeling fills you as Your old character persists Your new character regards
you turn to see the suspended bridges. There’s still in this new body. Your game the past self’s memories as
light in the greenhouse. It illuminates the terraced statistics change, but not foreign. Your old character
lilies and the whispering wind still carries their scent. your sense of self. is truly dead.

There is still absolutely nothing of interest here CATCH UP AGAIN
other than the bridges and the greenhouse.
YOU LOOK UP TO FIND YOURSELF inside the
ENTER GREENHOUSE tower where you’ve always been.

The Neon Madonna closes her enormous book,
resting it on alabaster knees. Those hurricane eyes
slice you up. She’s smiling wide as a supernova.
Kneeling, indulgent, Famine whispers with expectant
pleasure, “Come on back to me. Come here.”
Grinning with mountainous fangs. Your crude flesh
crawls toward her. Fangs. A willing fawn leaping for
the crocodile. Fangs.

THE GREENHOUSE SPRAWLS FOR MILES you If you resist, take If you approach
don’t remember. The eclipse never moves and never inspiration as she willingly, gain 5
ends. You follow the light to a lily lagoon, black and whispers… temporary HP...
green. Angular wavelets rock a dense mat of leaves
and flowers like a silent lullaby. At the far end, a “Sadly, there’s no other way. Great hands of fire lift you
foundry rests on a giant green pad-raft. It abuts a Sure as starfire, lovely.” up. You feel life flow into
singular lily bloom with petals wider than a dragon’s She blows you a kiss as you you as those endless teeth
wing. Smoke and light pour from both. shake off the vision punch through you
and and
The lilypad lord is home. Omu nods in your direction.
“Hero, you don’t look so hot.” Armored in slate, You see your friends around you. “It’s time to go,”
he works a glowing-hot lily on an anvil. The lily a small sad singsong soprano says. Time to go.
grows hotter and hotter while he works it until he
quenches it in the lagoon. The steam annihilates the WELCOME BACK!
overgrowth and you have a clear view of yourself in
the mirrorblack. Let the GMs know you’re good to go, and they’ll
guide you to your group.

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I N C A R N AT I O N S
WHO ARE YOU NOW?

ADEGAADINplayer handout: DO YOU JUST SEE A NEW FACE? Do you forget
your old self? You have to use a new character sheet,
STONE. GRASS. SUMMER. EVENING. CICADAS. but you might be the same person in a real sense. The
Awareness trickles back again. You turn your options are detailed below, but either way you know
head slowly through the pain. The afterlife is green everything that happened up to your character’s death
rolling hills and cobblestone. There is a rum-colored as the memories that flesh carried flood back to you.
stain where the sun should be. In the center of the
island, there is a greenhouse built around a marble Ships & Axes An Acorn Is Not Its Oak
tower. A terrible sinking feeling fills you as you turn Your old character persists Your new character regards
to see the suspended bridges. There’s still light in the in this new body. Your game the past self’s memories as
greenhouse. It illuminates the terraced lilies and the statistics change, but not foreign. Your old character
whispering wind still carries their scent. your sense of self. is truly dead.

There is still absolutely nothing of interest here CATCH UP AGAIN
other than the bridges and the greenhouse.
YOU LOOK UP TO FIND YOURSELF inside the
ENTER GREENHOUSE tower where you’ve always been.

The Neon Madonna steadies her enormous sword,
resting it on alabaster knees. Her scarred hands
are covered in blood past the elbow. She’s staring
at you and it burns. Kneeling, exhausted, War
whispers with heartbreak in her voice, “Oh, come
on back to me. Come here.” She is fire and blood.
Your orphaned flesh crawls toward her. Fire. A child
headed off to war. Blood.

THE GREENHOUSE SPRAWLS FOR MILES you If you resist, spend If you approach
don’t remember. The eclipse never moves and never two Hit Dice… willingly, take 5
ends. You follow the light to a lily lagoon, black and damage...
green. Angular wavelets rock a dense mat of leaves “I know no other way. Sure
and flowers like a silent lullaby. At the far end, a as our natures, darling.” Great bloodied hands lift
foundry rests on a giant green pad-raft. It abuts a She blows you a sad kiss you up. You feel life flow
singular lily bloom with petals wider than a dragon’s as you struggle awake into you as those endless
wing. Smoke and light pour from both. and eyes swallow you
and
The lilypad lord is home. Omu nods in your direction.
“Oh no, back again? You’d better hurry back to your “Time to go,” a small sad singsong soprano says.
friends, they miss you.” Armored in slate, he works a “Please be safe.” You see your friends around you.
glowing-hot lily on an anvil. The lily grows hotter and
hotter while he works it until he quenches it in the WELCOME BACK!
lagoon. The steam annihilates the overgrowth and
you have a clear view of yourself in the mirrorblack. Let the GMs know you’re good to go, and they’ll
guide you to your group.

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HUNT ENCOUNTER RULES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RATIONALE........................................... 69 MAP FORMAT EXAMPLES...................... 71
RULES................................................... 69 MAP FORMAT & KEY.......................... 71
LOCATION FORMAT EXAMPLES............. 70 STARTING PLAYER MAP.................... 72
GAMEMASTER MAP........................... 73

R AT I O N A L E use. Some locations allow the tests to be retried,
often with some additional risk.

HUNT ENCOUNTERS OFFER a faster approach Players will generally determine which location
to running complex chase sequences. These is next using the map provided for a hunt. This is
rules are also used to structure more abstract almost always done by picking a location that is
pursuits like the harrowing climb down Yggdrasil connected to their current location or explicitly
in the DOG DAYS encounter. Hunts work by first listed as an outcome from their current location.
providing a set of locations and their connections, Next, all Locations use two consecutive skill checks
then defining the behavior of each location for the skill the player selected. Two successes nets
individually. This graph provides the structure the full effect, one success nets the partial effect,
for both running the encounter and player and two failures triggers the negative outcome.
advancement in the encounter. Hunts aim to create
a sense of motion instead of a sense of place, and A dissection of the map format and an example map
are often used instead of dungeon maps. can be found in Map Format Examples. Each hunt
encounter comes with a few different maps. The
RULES first one is always the initial player map and the last
one is always the GM map. Sometimes additional
E ACH LOCATION IS COUCHED as a set of skill maps serve as a scaling tool. Interstitial maps are
challenges, rewards, and risks that players travel also provided so that at certain points, or as a
to as they move through the phases of the hunt. The result of revelations, players can be handed a canon
anatomy of a Location and a dissected example can map to replace their marked one if they’d like. It is
be found in Format Examples. As a quick summary, recommended to print one copy of each map.
a Location consists of a narrative scene, special
effects, the possibility of an encounter with the For hunt encounters, check their SPECIAL
Hunting Monster, and a list of skills the players can RULES for specific monster behaviors. As always,
ENCOUNTERS, SECTIONS, MONSTERS, and
CONDITIONS are bolded. Content intended to be
read aloud verbatim is italicized.

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HUNT ENCOUNTERS

L O C AT I O N

GENERAL FORMAT AND EXAMPLE

LOCATION

Encounter: Yes or No Retries: Yes or No Skill List, such as History or
Acrobatics [DC16]

A narrative intro can be found here, used to set up the challenge. This can be replaced on the fly without
causing any problems. It is provided as an example of how the skills in the skill list might be used,
rather than the prescriptive way that they must be used.

Most locations will have at least some hints on how to run them as well as more detailed narratives
and fuller mechanics.

0 SUCCESSES:

Failure Result, generally a forced encounter at a disadvantage or damage.

1 SUCCESS:

Partial Success may be narrative only. Often, the only resource lost is time.

2 SUCCESSES:

Success Result, generally in some measure of detail. Players can normally decide if they want to fight.

BLAZONED PINE

Encounter: Yes Retries: No History, Insight, Survival [DC16]

T here’s a set of trail blazes carved into this pine in the middle of a small clearing. The iconography is
intricate and looks like it was inscribed lovingly. Some small effort was made to hide it a long time ago.

There’s nothing else in the clearing. It’s tidy—maybe conspicuously so. Feel free to mention that if players
are inquisitive but have failed their tests. Engagement should always be rewarded.

0 SUCCESSES:

There’s a map scratched here!
It’s a lie. Hand players the Incorrect Map. If they select a location that includes Deep or Barrow in its name,
go immediately to combat with the Hunting Monster.

1 SUCCESS:

There’s a map scratched here! This looks… deeply wrong. Deceitful, even.
Hand players the Incorrect Map but cross off any place that includes Deep or Barrow in its name.

2 SUCCESSES:

The map is a lure, intended to guide you into some sort of lair. But forewarned is forearmed. You could go
there. You could bring mighty vengeance down on them.
As per 1 success, but players may intentionally trigger combat to get a surprise round.

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MAP FORMAT & KEY

Location All connections are bidirectional Location
Name OR Name

Library Will be described only in the text Vault
Dashed connections are hidden

AND
Accessible using the skill checks

Tome Library Vault
Bedroom
Locations may include: Study Tiefling
• Places or whole routes
• Details of a place Maid
• Key Objects
• Characters

Way of GOAL:
Shadow
RITUAL CIRCLE

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STARTING PLAYER MAP

START

Library

Study

GOAL:

RITUAL CIRCLE

It’s pretty empty! That’s intentional.
Players will end up mapping the simple space as they move through it.

There are even reasons some areas might get two visits.

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HUNT ENCOUNTERS

GAMEMASTER MAP

Hunting START
Monster:
Read:
GLABREZU
A MURDER
MOST FOUL

Tome Library Vault

Study Bedroom

Way of GOAL: Tiefling
Shadow Maid
RITUAL CIRCLE

The final player map will likely resemble this.
One thing to note is that the Tiefling Maid might ask them to go back and find the vault because she
won’t tell them where the ritual circle is unless they can destroy her infernal contract. This would let players

revisit the Library to look for the Vault. Players might also opt to take more direct persuasion.

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OSPTCIOONRALINRUGLE:

While entirely optional, we have included a score table as an additional way to play through this module.
One Night Strahd encourages many repeat playthroughs, and even after a playgroup has discovered all
of its secrets, we wanted to give them a reason to keep coming back. While this is not intended for a first

playthrough, a very small selection of groups may want to see their score at the end.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RATIONALE........................................... 73 ACT II................................................ 74
SCORING A RUN.................................... 73 ACT III............................................... 75
SCORING SHEET.................................... 74 ACT AGNOSTIC.................................. 76
ENDGAME TALLIES........................... 76
ACT I................................................. 74

R AT I O N A L E enough variety to support repeat play, it seemed
natural to include a scoresheet for players who want
A NYONE ATTENDING A convention today to return to Barovia for new challenges.
will find a well-stocked game room full of
people running their own one-shot adventures or SCORING A RUN
official Adventurers League content. In Ye Olden
Days of D&D, before the game gained broader F IRST, PRINT THE SCORING SHEET at the
popularity and support for its player base, TSR end of this section. It is strongly recommended
released a number of modules styled as tournament that the players are warned before taking actions
adventures. In these modules, parties would not that directly result in significant score losses, such
only be racing against the clock to complete an as taking a Great Patron’s deal in TOTALLY SAFE
adventure during their allotted time in the game GHOST CANISTERS.
room, but also to see who could get the highest
score based on what they accomplished during DMs may award bonus points for actions not listed
their run. on the score sheet. These points should range
from +1 to +3 per deed, and total no more than
This scoring mechanic lives on in many arcade 15 additional points. These should also award
video games, but for the most part it is absent from inspiration to the appropriate character(s), as should
modern Dungeons & Dragons, save for oblique any actions on the score sheet worth positive points
references in forward-ported classic modules. Since (besides those derived from the endgame tallies).
ONS was originally conceived as a one-shot with

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SPo nEeCnIiAg hLt Rs tUr aLhEd S +5
SCORING
+4
SCORING
+4
ACT I +1

ANY ENCOUNTER +3
+3
One of the 4 Treasures is gained: +1

GLASS & DIAMONDS +3
+1
Completed:
-2
SUNLIT SHRINE +1/character
+3/character
Brides completely wiped out:
YEAR'S END found: +4
+5
DOG DAYS
+1
Feypact wolves saved: 75
Plunge Taken:
OPENER found

AMBER DEPTHS

Arcanaloths defeated without making a deal:
Made a deal with Arcanaloths that wasn’t one of the default options:

TOTALLY SAFE GHOST CANISTERS

Every Great Pact made:
No Great Pacts taken:
No pacts, Great or Lesser, taken:

ACT II

ANY ENCOUNTER

Tome deciphered
One of the 4 Treasures is gained:

THIS PLACE IS TRYING TO KILL YOU

SPARROWHAWK found:

SPo nEeCnIiAg hLt Rs tUr aLhEd S
SCORING

DINNER DATE

Players discover the deception before combat: +2

Each character successfully cursed by The Misery: -1

THE BASILICA

The Abbot is briefly redeemed: +3

Players take The Quiet Road: +1

THE CRYPTS

A character succumbs to the Bucephalus trap: -1

Irena claims either the LUCK BLADE or the STAFF OF POWER: -3

Players fully breach the Vampire Lord’s Tomb early: +3

Esmerelda killed: -4

THE TOWER

Arcanaloth taken to The Tower: -3

Players make it through The Tower with no losses: +3

Characters become cartoon spiders: -1/character

THE TOME

Players breach the prismatic wall with only the spells and items they began play with: +5

Each magic item gained in The Tome that is used to overcome the prismatic wall: -1

Players attack Gertruda in her room: -5

ACT III +4

ANY ENCOUNTER -1
+5
Tomb puzzle solved:
+8
THE ECLIPSE +8

Every incorrect guess for the sequence to Irena’s Tomb:
Getting the sequence to Irena’s Tomb correct on the first try:

THE FINALES

Vampire Lord defeated:
Gauntlet completed:

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SCORING +1
+3
Ending achieved: Loss: +5
Ending achieved: Qualified Victory: +8
Ending achieved: Victory: -1
Ending Achieved: Total Victory: -3
Ending Achieved: Hidden Path:
Every Tchotchke unlocked: -2
Every Secret unlocked: +2
+1
ACT AGNOSTIC +1
+3
Every player over 10 players: +7
Treasury encounter completed: +4
Black Lagoon Triggered: +4
...& Bailed: -1
...& Left With A Bargain: +1
...& Omu defeated: +1
Mithril Lily delivered: +2
Winter redeemed: +5
Alchemy jug curse activated:
HAWK’S HOME created: -2
WINTER’S FURY created: -2
Players gain one of the hidden familiars: -2
Players gain both hidden familiars: -2
-1
ENDGAME TALLIES +1
+2
Each character killed: +2
...by the Vampire Lord's Charm or bite: +1
Four or more character deaths: +3
Each short rest taken:
Every Rite used: 77
Every Rite with 1 success:
Every Rite with 2 successes:
Every NPC ally that survived:
Each character alive after the finale:
Each character that never died:

SPo nEeCnIiAg hLt Rs tUr aLhEd S

one night strahd

ACT I:

FIGHT ME,
I'M RIGHT

HERE

ACT I: FIGHo nTe Mn iEg h,tI'sMt r aRhIdGHT HERE

GLASS & DIAMONDS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY............................................. 80 SCENES................................................ 83
PREPARATIONS................................ 80 GLASS HOUSES................................ 83
DENIZENS........................................ 80 AVAILABLE STONES.......................... 84
KEY LOOT......................................... 81 GOOD FENCES.................................. 85
TONE & TYPE.................................... 81 END & LOOT...................................... 88
TAROT CARD TO ENCOUNTER MAPPING... 81 PLAYER HANDOUT: GEAR PACKETS... 89
PLAYER HANDOUT: LATE ARRIVAL.... 90
OMU, DEBTMONGER.............................. 82 PLAYER HANDOUT: ROGUE'S GALLERY... 91
WHAT HE CAN TELL PLAYERS.......... 82

SUMMARY remaining GEAR PACKETS to bring that player
quickly up to speed.

GLASS & DIAMONDS serves as a lightweight P R E PA R AT I O N S
introduction to ONS and the forces in play.
Unusually, it is intended to be run as players arrive, You’ll want to print multiple copies of the player
as soon as a majority of players are present. This handouts and organize the item card packs.
allows GMs to squeeze as much time out of the Note the highly scripted nature of the tarot
session as possible, and ensures that players who reading. Only the locations of the treasures are
show up early don’t get bored. It serves to ground intended to vary.
the adventure, set the stakes, and gear the players
up. This is basically the last step of character Review the DEALING THE ACES sub-section
creation. A tarot card reading is used to lay out in the GOOD FENCES scene. This controls
the structure of the adventure, offering little hints the randomization and is critically important.
of what is to come, and players get the ROGUE’S Optionally, you’ll want a stacked deck of tarot
GALLERY handout. Finally, in the DEALING cards if you intend to do a physical reading.
THE ACES section, the key items are assigned to
encounters and then players are ushered into the DENIZENS
adventure proper.
DEBTMONGER OMU, THE DEATH SLAAD
For players who arrive late, use the LATE ARRIVAL NEON MADONNA, THE ORACLE
and ROGUE’S GALLERY handouts along with the

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GLASS & DIAMONDS

KEY LOOT this section are to cleanly introduce the characters,
narrow the scope of the world, and serve as the
ROBE OF NEEDFUL ITEMS wide mouth of the funnel. As a result, a key goal
GEAR PACKETS here is to manage the transition from silly to grim
in a way that doesn’t produce mood whiplash.
TONE & TYPE Omu may be charming and a little silly, but he’s still
a death slaad tasked with helping the players by
The two major touchstones for the design of ONS unknown and evil forces. Their oracular dame is a
are gothic horror and neo-noir. The major goals of pillar of neon light and cruelty wielding a tarot deck
carved from bone. This is a bad place to be.

TAROT CARD TO ENCOUNTER MAPPING

For GMs, the following chart shows which encounter is associated with which tarot cards.

THE SUN: TEMPERANCE: THE LOVERS: HIEROPHANT:
Sunlit Shrine Dinner Date The Crypts The Basilica

WHEEL of THE WORLD: THE HERMIT: THE TOWER:
FORTUNE: The Amber The Tome The Tower
Dog Days Depths of Lords

These representations are used in GOOD FENCES to give players a map of the order of encounters,
as well as to place the key treasure items randomly into encounters. They also appear here and there
throughout the adventure as markers and symbols. The MASTER FLOWCHART and ADVENTURE

SUMMARY provide an overview of how the encounters are stitched together.

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OMU, • He believes it is possible, though likely quite
difficult, for the players to win.
DEBTMONGER
• A Wisdom (Insight) check reveals he is
being forthright on this point.

Death Slaad • If players push, he may provide a little
guidance in light of this during item
OMU IS A MIGHTY LORD selection.
of war, dedicated to the
annihilation of order and • He’s aware of the Deva
the spread of raw entropic and the Furies, and can guide
doom. Mostly, he hangs out players to select appropriate
with his friend, Gertruda. equipment if they ask what
He acts as the guide and they might face or how
referee of the magic item they should prepare.
draft. However, he is not
physically present, instead • In the Strahd run:
filling this role using the Omu is aware of
project image spell. This may Argynvost’s fate: his
lead players to believe that he is remains are still in
a wholly illusory creature; he will do Barovia, and like all
nothing to dissuade them. things they have been
bent to the Vampire
WHAT HE CAN TELL PLAYERS Lord’s will. He cannot tell
the players that Argynvost directly
Omu knows most of the lore players might be protects Strahd’s coffin, but he will hint
curious about, but he’s only able or willing to Argynvost now embodies the killing cold of
divulge the following: Barovia’s mists.

• The Vampire Lord of Ravenloft has returned and • In the Irena run:
certain relics will be necessary to defeat them. Omu is aware of Vasilka’s existence and will
comment that she was once intended as the
• Barovia has been reduced to a silent ruin of bride of Strahd von Zarovich, in an attempt to
floating isles, much like the one you are on. free the realm from its fate; as often the case in
Barovia, this hope was a false one.
• A past Lord was determined to annihilate
all threats to their rule. • He will admit that he is a death slaad and has
made his home here for a very long time.
• Almost no mortal survives in that place,
except as tormented ghosts. • He knows about the Dark Powers, though only
vaguely, despite serving them fairly directly.
• As a result, the vampires you meet are
likely to be quite hungry. • Like everyone except perhaps Gertruda, he
doesn’t actually know if they’re demons,
• It has been almost fifty years since the last gods, or inevitables. He has suspicions but
incursion of adventurers, by the internal won’t discuss it.
reckoning of Barovia. He also mentions that time
runs differently inside, often in fits and starts. • He can and will reiterate to the players that
the Dark Powers are not omnipotent in any
classic sense, and can only interact with the
world through small nudges and emissaries.

• Feel free to disclose this if players feel the
struggle is fundamentally hopeless.

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SCENES were staring off the edge of the world—perfectly
normal, no cause for alarm. You’re safe on this
Below are the narrative components used by the little spur of land floating above an endless grey
encounter flow. Where possible, each notes down mist. You can see other islands, an archipelago of
the probable next vignettes. LOOT, MONSTERS, and rhinestones glittering in a tarnished silver sky.
CONDITIONS are bolded in this section. Content
intended to be read aloud verbatim is italicized. Players will need a minute or two to orient
themselves, but don’t let it devolve into exploration
GHLOAUSSSES yet. The goal is to get them into the draft as quickly
as reasonably possible.
THE INTRO CAN BE started as soon as you
have three or more players. Other adventurers After two to five minutes, read:
will arrive at the Glass House later in this encounter The island you’re on is an expanse of scrubland
when their players arrive for the event. and cobblestone. In the center of the island, there
is a greenhouse built around an octagonal tower
When you’re ready, read: of marble, both banded with silver. The only other
You’re recruited by the Church of Tymora to structures are suspended bridges leading to other
defeat the Vampire Lord of Ravenloft. Their islands. The late afternoon sun is dim enough
oracles predicted you’d sign the contract. Tymora’s that someone’s left an oil lamp burning in the
fatemakers insist this means you’ve already signed greenhouse. It illuminates a profusion of flowers,
contracts, an argument given weight by… and the slow wind of this place carries the smell
of lilies.
Ask each player in turn what offer was enough to
get their character to accept the job. If a player has There is absolutely nothing of interest here other
trouble, feel free to suggest wealth, valor, or piety. than the bridges and the greenhouse. If players do
not enter, each island they visit will have the same
Once players have chosen, continue to read: structure. They are in a looping between space, the
Just a smash and grab, they said. They also assured antechamber of the Domains of Dread.
you their gate was perfectly safe. There’s been time
for some doubt to creep in during your endless fall When players approach the greenhouse,
through the nothingness, behind the gate. Finally,
consciousness becomes the smell of burning ink and PROCEED TO:
then nothing at all. Available Stones

Cobblestone. Moss. Early autumn. Afternoon,
cloudy. Awareness trickles back. Your vision is
out of focus. There’s just grey. You turn your head
slowly through the pain. Your vision was fine: you

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SAVTAOILANBLEE S printed out and built out of the magic item cards.
Picking a pack binds those items to the player,
THE GREENHOUSE HAS a single door of rose and they persist across characters. A player can
quartz etched with concentric octagons. only have one pack at a time. Packages can only
It pushes open easily and a little shop’s bell jingles. be traded as whole bundles, and even that is
Water lilies in little terraced paddies fill the space, discouraged as it can lead to malfeasance and
broken up by stacks of uniform grey boxes. Each frustration. For example, though a consumable can
box has a long label, but the shop bell jingles again be tossed to another player character to use, that
before you can investigate. A cultured-looking character couldn’t carry it in advance.
frogman sweeps in, accompanied by the swish of a
long coat and the tinny taste of chaos. The bipedal Variant: Duplicate Packs. The adventure is
frog doffs his top hat and bows deeply, in a manner balanced with the assumption that packs are
that would be comedic if he didn’t maintain eye not repeated, but if it’s necessary to keep things
contact with you the entire time. “Omu, lilypad lord moving, Omu will offer one duplicate of each pack.
and curio consignor. Very pleased to meet you, I’ve This can lead to imbalances, and worse, may leave
heard great things.” the party without sufficiently diverse options.
Players often pick the relatively simple items when
Players can ask questions of OMU, though he’ll pressed, and the packs are set up to ensure that isn’t
only answer one or two before getting down to the an available option for every player.
business at hand. Refer to his entry for what he
knows and will answer. He will not indulge more Variant: Respec. If players are legitimately
than five or six minutes of questions. If players go struggling, or your group is more casual, whenever
hostile, it is revealed that this is just a projected a character dies, they can switch out their pack if
image of Omu. they have not yet used consumable resources from
it and all charged items are at full charge.
At the five minute mark, or sooner if questions have
died down, read: After draft is completed,
“Mmm, mm, yes, mm. Excellent, well, let’s get you
all geared up. Each of you gets a robe and picks a PROCEED TO:
magic box. I hope you like it! It’s yours… forever.” Good Fences

All player characters start with a ROBE OF USEFUL
ITEMS with the following patches:
Armor of their choice, 1 silvered weapon of their
choice, 30 ft. of silk rope, 5 stakes, 20 silvered
ammunition of your choice, a spyglass, a compass, a
hide shield, and a tombstone.

Players pick a single pack from the list of packs:
Players can now review the packs of magic items,
listed in the GEAR PACKETS section. As per the
PREPARATIONS, it’s a good idea to have these

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GFEONOCDES LOCATION CARDS

AS YOU FINISH PICKING GEAR, the frogman She continues:
gets more businesslike. Omu ushers you into “And now, my soldiers of fortune, let’s see what
the marble tower. Here, frost drifts through the the cards foresee.” A delicate hand made of lily
air in coils. Cold light spills from diamondine rods flowers, nested and self-intersected, curls up from
on the floor; pink, green, red, and white. As you the floor. In it, there is a deck of cards. A card drifts
watch, the rods drift into the air and form a sketch up—The Devil. It hangs in the air, wreathed in mist.
of an enormous face. The tangle of colors and fog “The Lord of Ravenloft hides. You must seek.”
fills in the rest. Waifish and exquisite, the woman More cards are dealt, hiding the Devil in among
in the light smiles at you enigmatically. Other faces them. They are:
assemble themselves around her, though they are still
as ice. “Welcome, beautiful travelers,” she smirks. • The Sun - “The Woods and the Brides”
“Let me introduce you to our cast.”
• The Wheel - “Yggdrasil and the Wolves”
Hand out the ROGUE'S GALLERY hand-out.
Players don’t need to read the cast now, and often • The World, Reversed - “The Amber Depths and
won’t. It’s intended as a checklist for later. The Dark Powers”

• The Tower - “The… uh… Tower and the Heart
of Sorrow”

• The Hierophant - “The Basilica and the Furies”

• Temperance - “The Great Hall and a date
with destiny”

• The Hermit - “The Library and the Tome”

• The Lovers crossed by The Queen of Swords -
“The Crypts and an Ally”

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DEALING THE ACES • Pentacles is the HOLY SYMBOL OF RAVENKIND
• Swords is the SUN BLADE
Now, the lily-handed seer tosses four more cards • Cups is the MORNINGSTAR’S KISS
into the air towards Temperance, The Hierophant, • Staves is the DRUID’S SPINE
The Wheel, and the Sun:
Ace cards can only be dealt to the following cards,
• The Ace of Pentacles - “Sunrise’s symbol” which means only their associated locations can
• The Ace of Swords - “Sunset’s sword” contain a key item:
• The Ace of Cups - “Moonlight’s lash”
• The Ace of Staves - “Nightfall’s armor” • The Sun for “The Woods” which represents the
SUNLIT SHRINE encounter.
The first set of cards represents the encounters,
as seen in the TAROT CARD TO ENCOUNTER • The Wheel for “Yggdrasil” which represents the
MAPPING section. The second set of cards, the DOG DAYS encounter.
aces, controls which encounters will contain which
key items. • The Hierophant for “The Basilica” which
represents THE BASILICA encounter.

• Temperance for “The Great Hall” which
represents the DINNER DATE encounter.

The default locations for the treasures are determined by either the current villain
or the desired difficulty, per the chart below. For each run of the module, pick a column.

This will determine the tarot reading and map it to a set of locations for the treasures.

TREASURE LOCATION STRAHD ARC IRENA ARC HARD MODE
BY ARC
The Wheel Temperance
Ace of Pentacles Temperance Dog Days encounter Dinner Date encounter

Holy symbol of ravenkind Dinner Date encounter Temperance The Hierophant
Dinner Date encounter Basilica encounter
Ace of Swords The Sun
Sun blade Sunlit Shrine encounter The Sun The Sun
Sunlit Shrine encounter Sunlit Shrine encounter
Ace of Cups The Hierophant
Morningstar's kiss Basilica encounter The Hierophant The Wheel
Basilica encounter Dog Days encounter
Ace of Staves The Wheel
Druid's spine Dog Days encounter

Once you have picked a column, read the pairs out.
For example, “the ace of pentacles—the sunrise—will cross The Wheel, Yggdrasil.”

As the cards fly through the air, players have their place that ace card at the location they’d prefer.
first opportunity to measurably change the game Once all the locations are finalized, read the final
here, though only repeat players are likely to use pairs out.
it. Using sleight of hand, players can try to control
where the cards land, and thus where the key items For example, “the ace of pentacles—the sunrise—
appear. While first-time players are likely to only crosses The Wheel, Yggdrasil.”
use this to make one of the two “Sun” items appear
early, repeat players can get an edge based on their PROCEED TO:
builds. For each ace, players may make a single DC
16 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check as it falls to End & Loot

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ELNODO&T For single group play, generally, players should go
through the Yggdrasil gate. Read:
T HE CARDS COME TO REST, and then form “Time to go be heroes. You should probably go
two columns. Between them, the Devil hovers, right, for Yggdrasil.”
then burns away in a shock of neon light. Two gates
slowly open on the facing walls of the octagonal If groups go right, they will go to the DOG DAYS
room, one at her left and one at her right. encounter and upon completing it, they will go
to the SUNLIT SHRINE. Groups who go left
Curious players may ask the order of the cards. to the Woods will go directly to the SUNLIT
The order roughly charts a probable flow through SHRINE encounter, which leads to the SUNLIT
the one-shot. SHRINE INTERIOR. This will skip the DOG DAYS
encounter, as written.

For two group play, read:
“Time to go be heroes. You’ll find The Woods on
the left, Yggdrasil on the right.”
Players who go left to the Woods will go to the
SUNLIT SHRINE encounter, which leads to the

The order is below: SUNLIT SHRINE INTERIOR. If players go right,
they will go to the DOG DAYS encounter.

THE SUN WHEEL Each character must have a set of magic items from
TEMPERANCE WORLD the gear packet that they picked. If a character
THE LOVERS HERMIT would forgo this, have their player pick a packet.
HIEROPHANT TOWER That character will find the gear in their pack when
they arrive. Characters will also have received a
ROBE OF NEEDFUL ITEMS.

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G E A RPLAYEPR HAANCDOKUTE: T S

Demon armor Staff of the python Ring of evasion
Ring of detect magic Saddle of the cavalier Sovereign glue
Potion of etherealness
Oil of sharpness Marble elephant

Cape of mountebank +1 Rapier +1 Trident of fish command
Silver raven messenger Boots of elvenkind Immovable rod
Dust of disappearance
Necklace of fireballs Feather token (tree)

+1 Spear Belt of dwarvenkind Lantern of revealing
Ioun stone (regen) Cloak of displacement Decanter of endless water

Spellbead, fly Cursed alchemy jug Ring of warmth

Bracers of defense Portable hole +1 Quarterstaff
Elemental gem +1 Wand of the war mage Spellbead, creation
Potion of speed
Spellbead, contingency Bead of force

Tentacle rod Spellbead, planar binding Lightning javelin
Cloak of elvenkind Spellbead, healing spirit Lightning javelin
Ring of shooting stars Spellbead, infernal calling Dragon scale mail (silver)

Eldritch claw tattoo Berserker axe Grey bag of tricks
Lifewell tattoo Chime of opening Bracers of archery
Spellbead, dawn Spellbead, counterspell
Psychic absorbing tattoo

Bag of beans +1 Whip Astral shard
Necrotic absorbing tattoo +1 Kite shield Spellbead, programmed illusion
Spellbead, aura of vitality
Spellbead, heroes' feast +1 Bloodwell vial

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DRAFT

LATEplayer handout: The GMs will have the set of remaining item
packages. The package you pick will persist across
ARRIVAL your characters thanks to the evil magic of this
place. Packages are bundle deals and items cannot
T HE ISLAND YOU’RE ON is an expanse of be taken without taking the entire bundle. You can
scrubland and cobblestone. In the center of take only one bundle.
the island, there is a greenhouse built around an
octagonal tower of marble, both banded with silver. CATCH UP
The only other structures are suspended bridges
leading to other islands. The late afternoon sun is Boredom or courage will eventually take you inside
dim enough that someone’s left an oil lamp burning the marble tower. If this is not the case, your current
in the greenhouse. It illuminates a profusion of character wanders the Dream Between forever
flowers, and the slow wind of this place carries the and hangs out with a rad chaos toad. Your next
smell of lilies. character starts at the top of this document. Inside
the tower, you find…

A giantess made of light and implication leans
against the stones of the far wall, reading quietly.
She is unselfconsciously naked and pays you no
attention. In front of her, great tarot cards hang in
the air where they form the fortune-teller’s cross.
The same cards decorate four of the eight walls,
forming some sort of checklist. Two enormous
windows dominate the remaining two walls. Two
parties of adventurers, one in each window.

There is absolutely nothing of interest here other If you wait, the giantess If you pick a screen,
than the bridges and the greenhouse. gestures towards a screen upon touching it, you’ll
with a little grin. If you find yourself joining that
touch it, you’ll find yourself adventuring party.
joining that party.

Enter Greenhouse Take Bridges First WELCOME!
A frogman greets you from If you do not enter, each
between the rows of lilies, island you visit will have Let the GMs know you’re good to go, and they’ll
visible at first only by his the same structure. You guide you to your group.
tophat. He gestures calmly are in a looping between-
towards an array of boxes, space, the antechamber of Your party will fill you in on the prophecies.
each with miniature items the Domains of Dread.
in them. “Hi ho, take a box,
just one box.”

He has already returned to
his gardening.

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R O G UPLEAY'ESR G A LHANDOUT:L E RY

These are the faces that appeared around the Neon Madonna.

ZAROVICH GERTRUDA PATRINA

Ageless vampire, Darling sage, prettiest, Wizard-goddess of the tower.
your foe for sure. and very best. A lioness with human eyes.

A helm of acid-scarred iron A book bound in red,
with glowing eyes. hanging open.

THE ABBOT BUR

Angel and architect. Most cunning arcanaloth.
A black quill writing fast. A jackal disintegrating.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SUMMARY............................................. 93 BRIDES OF ZAROVICH................... 102
PREPARATIONS................................ 93 SCENES............................................... 103
DENIZENS........................................ 93
KEY LOOT......................................... 93 INTRO: BAD NOON RISING................ 103
TONE & TYPE.................................... 93 WANDERING OFF............................. 105
SCALING........................................... 93 OUTRO: ESCAPE!............................. 105
OUTRO: DEATH DO US PART............. 105
SPECIAL RULES....................................94 OUTRO: GOT MULCHED.................... 106
THE BRIDES.......................................... 95 DIRECT CONFRONTATION................ 106
COMBAT FLOW................................. 107
FALLEN DRUIDS............................... 95 END & LOOT..................................... 107
DESCRIPTION................................... 95 LOCATIONS.......................................... 108
ADDITIONAL TACTICS........................ 95 GREAT CAIRN................................... 108
WINTER, THAT WAS TAKEN............... 95 ANCIENT ROAD.................................110
CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW...................... 96 OSSIFIED DRYAD............................... 111
HUNT MAPS........................................... 97 SWORD............................................. 113
FORMAT EXAMPLE............................ 97 DEEP WOODS....................................114
INITIAL PLAYER MAP......................... 98 FOREST LAKE...................................115
RUNNABLE GM MAP.......................... 99 WINDY CLIFFS..................................116
MAP................................................. 100 SHRINE DOOR................................... 117
COMBAT FLOW..................................101

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SUMMARY 5. Print at least one copy of each map.
6. Print and review the Brides’ COMBAT FLOW.

7. Review the rest of the encounter.

T HE PLAYERS ARE TRAPPED in the woods 8. Print a selection of premade characters from
between worlds—apologies to C.S. Lewis—and the Accessible set. You may need them for speed
hunted by the Brides of Strahd who patrol these of play.
border reaches. They must find the Sunlit Shrine and
enter Ravenloft proper. This is a running encounter, Gotta Go Fast?
managed using the HUNT RULES, and leads to If speed is absolutely critical, refer to the HUNT
the first major magic item the players will acquire. ALTERNATIVES section under special rules.
In the shrine, there are also clues that might help
prime the players for the adventure ahead. DENIZENS

In the Strahd arc, they will likely need to return here THE BRIDES
while they are chased by Strahd’s Hate so that they DIRE WOLVES
can activate the gate. It also contains a hint about
the dual nature of Strahd. For Irena, this serves as KEY LOOT
a set of hints about where her tomb might be and
provides some of the information necessary to THORNBOW
unlock it. YEAR’S END

P R E PA R AT I O N S TONE & TYPE

The following points are the minimum concepts and Starting with the suggestion of a battle then rapidly
prep that a DM needs to run this encounter. While devolving into a game of cat and mouse, this is
we recommend a detailed reading of the entire an encounter that would comfortably be at home
encounter, if you’ve got to rush or wing it, here’s in the pages of pulp sword-and-sorcery or gothic
what you need to do: horror. Combined with the fantastic strangeness
of reincarnation, the deadly power of the druidic
1. Ensure that you have selected your boss arc. vampires, and the woods themselves, this encounter
is intended to provide a strong introduction to the
a. While we recommend that this be completed horror and triumph of ONS. Still, it’s not intended
prior to running the module, things happen. to be a senseless meat grinder. If players are getting
destroyed by it, then this is a good sign that scaling
b. This encounter must match the chosen arc, options will be necessary going forward. As such,
as it is on the critical path for recovery this also serves as a trial by fire, in keeping with
modes later. both theme and content.

c. Ensure both GMs agree if running in two SCALING
party mode.
This encounter helps calibrate the level of scaling
2. Print the Brides and review their abilities. future encounters will require. It has built-in

3. Review the suggested ENCOUNTER FLOW, and
skim the INTRO scene.

4. Review the HUNT RULES, found just after
the RITES.

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“pressure gates” that can be used by players to SUNLIGHT
exit the threatening phase of the encounter. Based BREAKS THROUGH
on the flow throughout this encounter, you can
comfortably assess the power and versatility of the The encounter automatically ends if four characters
party’s initial character balance. While this isn’t a die, as an insurance mechanism against problematic
perfect tool due to the reincarnation system, it’s still outcomes or massive slowdown. When a character
a good first-pass measure of power. dies, reference the block below. The normal respawn
rules apply here.
SRPUELCEISAL
It’s a good idea to note the number of deaths. In
THIS ENCOUNTER USES HUNT RULES, a general, this encounter should cause no more than
lightweight set of mechanics intended to keep one character death. More than two character
combat short and break up the cadence. During this deaths indicates that the party is meaningfully
encounter, we strongly recommend that skill test unprepared for combat; four is a bad sign. This
DCs be announced rather than hidden information. may be a character build issue, but it may also
indicate that players are simply less interested in the
particulars of combat. Either way, we recommend
down-scaling encounters going forward unless
they rally measurably. Most encounters have some
scaling options included.

WHEN A CHARACTER DIES:
As your friend dies,

HUNT GOAL 1ST Their reincarnation slams into the
DEATH broken woods, piercing through
Players win if they reach the Sunlit Shrine or if they the clouds like a spear thrown from
kill all the Brides. In the latter case, they eventually unknown hands.
mosey into the shrine wearing the antlers of their
foes—antlers optional, but recommended. 2ND Sunlight is starting to pour through
DEATH the holes that your incarnations
HUNT ALTERNATIVES have punched in the sky.

The HUNT RULES do add additional complexity. If 3RD The Brides pull back, primordial
you would prefer not to use them, you can instead DEATH dread surfacing on their faces as
run a straight combat encounter with the Brides. another javelin of light heralds
This will require the addition of 4 dire wolves, and your return—all, that is, except
the Brides should rely on ranged abilities. Treat for the smallest one. Her face is
them as 6th-level casters for their produce flame enigmatic.
cantrips. For advanced groups, Winter opens the
fight with call lightning, but is otherwise unchanged. 4TH The lancing rays of sunlight scatter
It may be tempting to use her full stat block, but we DEATH the fallen druids, and as one,
strongly recommend against it. they wheel off and sprint away,
changing into great dire wolves as
they run. They vanish into the last
of the mist as it burns off.

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TBHRE IDES WINTER
Strange and small and fey, this albino vampire
wears a druid’s staff across her back. Little
ripples of frost spread where she looks. Reckless
in immortality, her deep curiosity about you is
matched by her martial skill.

FALLEN DRUIDS We recommend adding significant characterization
to two of these vampires at most. Winter is likely
F OR THE FULL ENTRY on the Brides, see the to be useful later. Consider these backstories and
CHARACTERS section. While the Brides had descriptions as an intentionally sparse starting
other names once, all that remains now are the ritual point for the characters. The default voice and
titles they held in life and now cling to in death. character for them is fairly monstrous—they have
little choice in their actions now—but you may
They are: wish to change this.

• Midsummer, That Was Given ADDITIONAL TACTICS
Midsummer was the first to stray, falling deeply
in love with Strahd during his life.

• Solstice, That Was Found The Brides almost always avoid direct combat,
Twin of Midsummer, Solstice was a close friend relying on their speed and tree stride in
to both Midsummer and Strahd in life. emergencies. If they’re caught in direct combat,
they’re capable enough, but they’ll tend to get
• Autumn, That Was Loved spiked down. That’s okay, though—if players are
Partner of Solstice, Autumn took the blood struggling, letting them have a chance to smash a
when her beloved did. Waste not, want not. skull isn’t the worst consequence. This encounter
is intended to measure how well players can handle
• Spring, That Was Kept more complex combats. If they’ve failed, you don’t
Spring, eldest of the sisters, feared death more need to drag it out. You know what you need to
than her sisters did. Most familiar with rebirth know, and the Brides are predators. As per their
and the loss of self it carries, Spring could not Hungry weakness, they can’t resist sometimes.
resist the promise of eternal life.
Finally, the Brides will sometimes use the produce
• Winter, That Was Taken flame cantrip. By default, they are treated as 4th-
Least of the Vampire Brides, her conversion to a level casters, so this is almost always inferior to
vampire was wholly unwilling. Strahd’s murder their thornbows. It is used primarily to soften the
and suborning of Winter had no personal damage output of the Brides.
component; she was simply the last remaining
druid of the circle whom he did not control.
When he killed her, it was with all the interest
given to a third bottle of wine.

DESCRIPTION WINTER,
THAT WAS TAKEN
MIDSUMMER
Tall and cruel, eyes glinting with stolen life, her Vampire Archdruid
full figure and fine furs suggest a life of luxury and
blood. There’s no softness to her at all, and she While it should never be necessary to use Winter’s
regards you with the inexorable hunger of a mantis “feasted” form, her stats are provided here as an
eyeing a fly. individual higher challenge monster.

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This block is intended primarily to be used by the completeness. She has fed recently, and has access
fail-over system in THE ECLIPSE, which may cause to the True to Her Nature trait in her stat block as
a player to end up playing as WINTER. We do a result.
not recommend running her as part of the hunt,
but she is provided here as well for the sake of

CORE ENCOUNTER FLOW

Read:

INTRO: BAD
NOON RISING

Hunt Rules

SUNLIT SHRINE

HUNT MAP
At any time, if...

Sunit Shrine Brides are 4 or more Players Players
reached? defeated? players spoiling for wander off?

drowned? a fight?

YES YES YES YES YES

Read: Read: Read: Read: Read:

OUTRO: OUTRO: OUTRO: GOT EJECTED WANDERING
ESCAPED! DEATH DO US MULCHED OFF

PART

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FORMAT EXAMPLE

Location All connections are bidirectional Location
Name OR Name

Will be described only in the text Vault

Dashed connections are hidden
AND

Accessible using the skill checks

Library

Object Entrance Room
Route Character
Locations may include:
• Places or whole routes

• Details of a place
• Key Objects
• Characters

GOAL

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Initial Player Map

ThMoenBstreirds:es START

Great Cairn

Ancient Road

Goal:
Sunlit Shrine

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KEY

All connections are bidirectional
OR

Will be described only in the text
Dashed connections are hidden

AND
Accessible using the skill checks

Runnable GM Map

ThMoenBstreirds:es START

Ossified Great Cairn
Dryad

Sword

Forest Lake Ancient Road

Windy Cliff

Shrine Door Deep Woods
Goal:

Sunlit Shrine

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