Description: This book, written by Strahd himself, is bound in a thick leather cover with steel hinges and fastenings. His spellcasting ability is intelligence (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Strahd can purposefully take the battle there. Finally, Strahd is aware the party is coming for a real fight and he knows they are very strong by now. His realm is very small and there are very few subjects and towns. The Strand in 4th and on is a joke character at best. He might agree to give the Sunsword away, but his companions will rush and try to stop him or convince him not to.
Spellcasting Implement +29: Passive: +29 Implement bonus to Universal Spell Power.
I told my players this much up front - that they were in for a difficult journey.
His fire spells will not affect the dragons. October 26, 2017 at 8:12 pm Bard Spells for Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Fifth Edition (5e).
The purpose is to lead the PCs directly to the trap and have one or two of them activate it and fly all the way up to area K47.
I went as high as level 6 spells, and if I wanted to cast more than one, Strahd always brought some spell scrolls with him. Vampire Spawn will not be very effective against the party anymore, specially with the Symbol of Ravenkind with its sunlight and Hold Vampires ability. And still, there’s a line in the book that says that it isn’t enough and Strahd reforma months later. Particularly if they focus their attention on him in order to really fight against Strahd’s regeneration ability.
You really have to metagame the initiative order and decide who you want to avoid hitting Strahd, probably a paladin or cleric.
And that’s why you hear some stories of battles with Strahd that were too easy. There is a group of Barovian Witches in the castle, they can appear in group and all cast Tasha’s Hideous Laughter at the same time.
You would do well by scanning it, taking a picture or taking good notes of all the info in that page for fast reference in game.
For the final confrontation, the party is probably level 10. So there is no reason to respect the rules here, I’ll write a suggested (legal) spell list below but my real advice is, forget spell lists, forget spell slots and ignore Strahd’s supposed spellcaster level. I am preparing my campaign now. Anytime Strahd was in need of a certain spell, he just used it.
He appears invulnerable, but PCs will burn through these layers of protections fast, specially at higher levels, hence my advice of always having Strahd with some monster companions. There are two alternatives. They cannot be used commercially. Other stuff by James Plunkett can be referenced here: The most important part is to have a good time and to have the players believe you role played Strahd to his maximum. My players cried of anger because of this. The castle has virtually endless creatures to come and aid Strahd. Includes a much better fog system, which makes it look like real fog instead of just a distance-fade. This really has helped me better equip myself to make Strahd the harsh horror icon i want him to be. Obviously he would never achieve this goal by killing everyone. Obviously I restricted it to the Wizard’s spell list, but any spell was fair game.
I did this in a game and since the two targets of the trap were already hurt by the ongoing battle they were unconscious and dying from the trap. That’s the DM not playing Strahd to his full capacity and also forgetting how intelligent he is. What did Strahd do? Just roll or make a choice and that’s what accompanies Strahd at any given time. 4th level (3 slots): Blight, Greater Invisibility, Polymorph
The tarroka reading put both the Sunsword and Holy Symbol of Ravenkind in Vallaki so they got these items fairly quickly. Strahd knows his castle and it should be used as a weapon. I tend not to overuse this ability in combat because it works like a super Charm Person that needs no concentration and lasts 24 hours. Strahd is always protected by the Heart of Sorrow which equates to 50 extra HP. Reply, November 11, 2017 at 4:12 am Specially if the party includes elves or half-elves due to their innate resistance to charm effects. Base Damage: 8.25 Remember that Strahd is probably more intelligent than any in the party.
Cantrips (at will): Mage hand, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost A comprehensive list of all official Bard spells for Fifth Edition. I want to thank you for this read. Fighting Strahd in the wild or in town should be a tough encounter but Strahd has no need to stay until the end and might even wish to retreat at some point, leaving the party fighting with some minions or companions. This page was last edited on 12 February 2019, at 16:57. I’d say there are two main reasons not to kill visitors outright, the first one is his motivation to find a successor. While Strahd is really strong and an accomplished spellcaster, he is NOT stupid and understands that if he gets mobbed up by 5 PCs he won’t stand for a long time. After that is dealt with, or the connection with the heart stopped (Strahd can do this voluntarily as a bonus action) then Strahd really starts taking damage. This is the moment when Strahd stops being the honorable opponent and becomes reckless, shady and cruel. The game was more dramatic this way, my players really bought the idea of Strahd being a really powerful spellcaster and expected anything from him. Consider liking our Facebook page. He knows that being out of their reach, he can win. Again, wonderful work you have here.
There is a sneaky strategy I used with a group, it involves the elevator trap in area K61 (page 75).
And he’s eager to see if the foreigners are tough because the stronger they are, the more entertainment there is. There’s no reason why he would not equip for such an event.
Spellcraft +22 Spellcraft +22: Passive: +22 Competence bonus to the Spellcraft skill. After the final confrontation, what’s next to do is to solve the epilogue, depending on the PCs actions and whether they won or lost he fight. Nothing wrong with Strahd leaving for three rounds and coming back with 60 HP regenerated, this is war. Navigate Index. Did you like this guide? In my games he was equipped with a +2 half-plate to raise his AC to 18 and he also wielded a Vorpal Sword. Strahd can be reckless and be less evasive than he should.