I am looking for help regarding the Curse of Strahd adventure from any other DMs who have previously done that module.
The area of concern is that the party will soon be approaching the Vistani camp outside of Vallaki. Now, to start the campaign, I used the "Plea for Help" story hook which features Arrigal (one of the vistana from the previously mentioned camp) delivering a letter to the party calling for their aid.
Now the party doesn't know Arrigal by name, but will undoubtedly recognize him when they see him at the encampment. Arrigal has probably trapped many adventuring parties in Barovia using this same trick.
Has anyone else run CoS with that adventure hook and had any similar experiences? Any recommendations on how to roleplay Arrigal here? Does he feign ignorance, make up excuses, or genuinely not remember the party?
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This is really up to you! A fourth option would be for him not to be there when the party comes to the camp, if you want to avoid a confrontation. Curse of Strahd is really that open ended. What’s your concern? That a fight will break out?
I’d consider what serves the story, behavioral tendencies of the party, and what other plot elements are in play. For example, has Arabelle been found yet? If not, the party may get focused on that quest and not linger on Arrigal.
i didn’t use Arrigal for the initial plot hook, although if I had I’d probably take the tack that he waits to see if the party recognizes him, and if so laugh it off at first with a “no hard feelings” cavalier attitude. If the party attacks him, keep in mind that he is a dangerous foe for low level characters. He’d likely avoid a fight to avoid interfering with the count’s plans for them (unless provoked).
If the party attacks him, keep in mind that he is a dangerous foe for low level characters. He’d likely avoid a fight to avoid interfering with the count’s plans for them (unless provoked).
I am afraid that at least one (if not more) party member will feel it necessary to fight him for what he did, at which point it could escalate to a fight in the camp. Maybe having him away from the camp at the beginning would be a good idea. Or maybe Ill just have a larger presence of vistana there in order to dissuade them from starting a fight. Thanks
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Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews!Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Sounds like a reasonable concern! Combat in CoS can get out of hand quickly. Barovia is a brutal place for players accustomed to fighting their way through problems. This is why I love the module; it’s more sophisticated that way.
That said, attacking Arrigal is a role-playing response to what he did! I like your idea of using large numbers or other hints to encourage caution. A nice outcome might be one player itching to fight him, while the other players hold him/her back. Rich for storytelling: “We’ll get our revenge later.”
Good luck!
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I am looking for help regarding the Curse of Strahd adventure from any other DMs who have previously done that module.
The area of concern is that the party will soon be approaching the Vistani camp outside of Vallaki. Now, to start the campaign, I used the "Plea for Help" story hook which features Arrigal (one of the vistana from the previously mentioned camp) delivering a letter to the party calling for their aid.
Now the party doesn't know Arrigal by name, but will undoubtedly recognize him when they see him at the encampment. Arrigal has probably trapped many adventuring parties in Barovia using this same trick.
Has anyone else run CoS with that adventure hook and had any similar experiences? Any recommendations on how to roleplay Arrigal here? Does he feign ignorance, make up excuses, or genuinely not remember the party?
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
*Spoiler Alert*
This is really up to you! A fourth option would be for him not to be there when the party comes to the camp, if you want to avoid a confrontation. Curse of Strahd is really that open ended. What’s your concern? That a fight will break out?
I’d consider what serves the story, behavioral tendencies of the party, and what other plot elements are in play. For example, has Arabelle been found yet? If not, the party may get focused on that quest and not linger on Arrigal.
i didn’t use Arrigal for the initial plot hook, although if I had I’d probably take the tack that he waits to see if the party recognizes him, and if so laugh it off at first with a “no hard feelings” cavalier attitude. If the party attacks him, keep in mind that he is a dangerous foe for low level characters. He’d likely avoid a fight to avoid interfering with the count’s plans for them (unless provoked).
I am afraid that at least one (if not more) party member will feel it necessary to fight him for what he did, at which point it could escalate to a fight in the camp. Maybe having him away from the camp at the beginning would be a good idea. Or maybe Ill just have a larger presence of vistana there in order to dissuade them from starting a fight. Thanks
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Sounds like a reasonable concern! Combat in CoS can get out of hand quickly. Barovia is a brutal place for players accustomed to fighting their way through problems. This is why I love the module; it’s more sophisticated that way.
That said, attacking Arrigal is a role-playing response to what he did! I like your idea of using large numbers or other hints to encourage caution. A nice outcome might be one player itching to fight him, while the other players hold him/her back. Rich for storytelling: “We’ll get our revenge later.”
Good luck!