Hi, looking for tips to make the next session pop. It’s been a few months due to work, illness and people just having life issues. I would therefore like to make this session as interesting as possible, also not sure when we’ll get another game so I want everyone to have fun.

scenario: CoS, in Vallaki, a player wanted to change characters and use a spelljammer race. I had their old character killed and immediately introduced their new character falling through the mists in space along with a mindflayer that was hunting them, this created some immediate stakes and allowed me to use something other than undead. So the session played out with the party venting after the friend died, the met the new character and we’re getting stalked by the mindflayer. The session ended with an intellect devourer ambushing the party and the rogue about to retaliate.

other things happening : the party may have broken a few laws and are about to face Valaki justice. There’s the assassin who killed their friend running around and this all took place after the vampire attack in Valaki which they survived because the vampires split up to cause maximum chaos. So there’s may threads all running parallel.

I’d like to use all this as a way to get the party to Ravenloft for the first time, kinda like the dinner invitation to “congratulate “ the party on messing up the vampire attack. When the situation is resolved they will encounter a black carriage offering to take them away from Valaki, and to visit Strahd.

Where I’d like some help, is how to make all this interesting and not just a fight of attrition to push the party out of town?

thanke in advance for any comments 

Quote from M3theston >>

Hi, looking for tips to make the next session pop. It’s been a few months due to work, illness and people just having life issues. I would therefore like to make this session as interesting as possible, also not sure when we’ll get another game so I want everyone to have fun.

scenario: CoS, in Vallaki, a player wanted to change characters and use a spelljammer race. I had their old character killed and immediately introduced their new character falling through the mists in space along with a mindflayer that was hunting them, this created some immediate stakes and allowed me to use something other than undead. So the session played out with the party venting after the friend died, the met the new character and we’re getting stalked by the mindflayer. The session ended with an intellect devourer ambushing the party and the rogue about to retaliate.

other things happening : the party may have broken a few laws and are about to face Valaki justice. There’s the assassin who killed their friend running around and this all took place after the vampire attack in Valaki which they survived because the vampires split up to cause maximum chaos. So there’s may threads all running parallel.

I’d like to use all this as a way to get the party to Ravenloft for the first time, kinda like the dinner invitation to “congratulate “ the party on messing up the vampire attack. When the situation is resolved they will encounter a black carriage offering to take them away from Valaki, and to visit Strahd.

Where I’d like some help, is how to make all this interesting and not just a fight of attrition to push the party out of town?

thanke in advance for any comments 

 

 Who needs an invitation? Maybe have it where they are in mid-fight of their lives, gets sucked away from Valaki and drawn into the Strahd world.. however, so to, did their foes.. and the only way they can return is either the party must seek out and destroy their foes, or their foes destroy them. Almost like sheer entertainment for Strahd. BUT, I will say, what you've done thus for, it certainly sounds interesting. Keep being different, cause players tend to like what's well, different.

Thanks for the reply. Not sure if getting sucked away might feel a bit convenient, but always a good backup. The idea with the enemies is interesting, I’ve got a couple npc/ enemies who this might work with. 

What if the punishment is actually being sent through a portal of what the place believes is death? Only to find their way into the realm of Ravenloft.

Or counterpoint their punishment is to see if they can survive the realm of Ravenloft. Though the punishers didn't know that. And if they come out the other side alive as it were they are absolved of their crimes.