I have been running Curse of Strahd for a little over a year now. This is my first time running a WotC module and I am generally enjoying the experience. One issue that I have run into is with the character of Ireena. I feel like I dropped the ball on her introduction and wasn't able to really "sell" the fact that she needs the party's help. The party could clearly tell she was in need of assistance, and have been traveling with her since, but it feels to me like there really isn't any motivation to help her. The module makes her one of Strahds three goals, but even as a DM I don't see any downside (for the party) if she falls into Strahd's hands.
Another point where I have fallen short with her is in combat. Firstly, the module itself doesn't provide stats for her (although the Roll20 version I have does). Secondly, I honestly am just really bad with running friendly NPCs in combat. Between paying attention to what the players are doing and thinking about what the monsters should be doing on their turn, the friendly NPCs just get lost and don't end up being helpful to the party.
Based off of certain interactions in the module, I can tell Ireena is supposed to be a very important NPC. Its awkward now that we are already so far into the module, but does anyone have tips on how I can make her character more engaging and motivate the party to help keep her from Strahd?
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For the combat issue you could ask the players to run her during combat. Give them her stats and they are ready. This will also emphasize that she is on the player's side, not working for the DM.
To properly introduce her you could have a classic campfire scene. Put the party through a really hard battle and when they rest, don't just handwave it as "you take a long rest", but instead tell them they settle around the campfire and Ireena asks the characters about their story and feelings. You can use the previous combat as an ice breaker.
"Woah, that was intense today. It reminds me of the werewolf attack we had three months ago. But at least this time no-one died."
Try to get the conversation started so the players get to know her and she gets to know the players. And maybe even the players learn something about each other's history that way.
For the combat issue you could ask the players to run her during combat. Give them her stats and they are ready. This will also emphasize that she is on the player's side, not working for the DM.
This is an excellent tip. Thank you.
As for introductions, I feel like it is already a bit late for that. She has been traveling with the party since session 2. Nonetheless, I will try to think of ways to flesh out her backstory some more
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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!
Honestly, I think she's an important plot point, but not an important character. She exists pretty much to die or to be dropped off somewhere "safe." The fact is, if Strahd gets her and turns her into a vampire, he'd get bored with her within a year or two, wall her up in a crypt, wait for Tatyana to be reborn again and start the whole cycle over. Strahd is genuinely a piece of crap human being. The dirty secret is that her real value to the party, besides being an excuse to be "the good guys" is as vampire bait. The reason Strahd can light in and flex on characters every few scenes is because they can't make him stand still. The reason they have to fight on his home turf in the castle instead of on ground that they've chosen and prepared is because they don't have anything he wants...or do they? But your characters aren't that kind of party...or are they?
If characters want to be responsible for training Ireena up and making her a badass, that might be an interesting way to go. Other ideas include Strahd turning her before the team can rescue her and having her attack them. That's the jump-scare ending of a couple of vampire movies. Strahd could turn her, she could regain her memories and immediately start plotting against Strahd to get revenge for Sergei and also the shit he put her through as Ireena. She'd have to move fast because she's under no illusions about what the professed love of a sadistic abuser is worth, but she already has a bunch of armed lunatics running around the valley who'd love to help her, aka your players.
Ireena matters to Strahd (as well as multiple other NPCs with weird obsessions), but there's no reason the PCs should especially care about her other than her possible use as bait.
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I have been running Curse of Strahd for a little over a year now. This is my first time running a WotC module and I am generally enjoying the experience. One issue that I have run into is with the character of Ireena. I feel like I dropped the ball on her introduction and wasn't able to really "sell" the fact that she needs the party's help. The party could clearly tell she was in need of assistance, and have been traveling with her since, but it feels to me like there really isn't any motivation to help her. The module makes her one of Strahds three goals, but even as a DM I don't see any downside (for the party) if she falls into Strahd's hands.
Another point where I have fallen short with her is in combat. Firstly, the module itself doesn't provide stats for her (although the Roll20 version I have does). Secondly, I honestly am just really bad with running friendly NPCs in combat. Between paying attention to what the players are doing and thinking about what the monsters should be doing on their turn, the friendly NPCs just get lost and don't end up being helpful to the party.
Based off of certain interactions in the module, I can tell Ireena is supposed to be a very important NPC. Its awkward now that we are already so far into the module, but does anyone have tips on how I can make her character more engaging and motivate the party to help keep her from Strahd?
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
For the combat issue you could ask the players to run her during combat. Give them her stats and they are ready. This will also emphasize that she is on the player's side, not working for the DM.
To properly introduce her you could have a classic campfire scene. Put the party through a really hard battle and when they rest, don't just handwave it as "you take a long rest", but instead tell them they settle around the campfire and Ireena asks the characters about their story and feelings. You can use the previous combat as an ice breaker.
"Woah, that was intense today. It reminds me of the werewolf attack we had three months ago. But at least this time no-one died."
Try to get the conversation started so the players get to know her and she gets to know the players. And maybe even the players learn something about each other's history that way.
This is an excellent tip. Thank you.
As for introductions, I feel like it is already a bit late for that. She has been traveling with the party since session 2. Nonetheless, I will try to think of ways to flesh out her backstory some more
Three-time Judge of the Competition of the Finest Brews! Come join us in making fun, unique homebrew and voting for your favorite entries!
Honestly, I think she's an important plot point, but not an important character. She exists pretty much to die or to be dropped off somewhere "safe." The fact is, if Strahd gets her and turns her into a vampire, he'd get bored with her within a year or two, wall her up in a crypt, wait for Tatyana to be reborn again and start the whole cycle over. Strahd is genuinely a piece of crap human being. The dirty secret is that her real value to the party, besides being an excuse to be "the good guys" is as vampire bait. The reason Strahd can light in and flex on characters every few scenes is because they can't make him stand still. The reason they have to fight on his home turf in the castle instead of on ground that they've chosen and prepared is because they don't have anything he wants...or do they? But your characters aren't that kind of party...or are they?
If characters want to be responsible for training Ireena up and making her a badass, that might be an interesting way to go. Other ideas include Strahd turning her before the team can rescue her and having her attack them. That's the jump-scare ending of a couple of vampire movies. Strahd could turn her, she could regain her memories and immediately start plotting against Strahd to get revenge for Sergei and also the shit he put her through as Ireena. She'd have to move fast because she's under no illusions about what the professed love of a sadistic abuser is worth, but she already has a bunch of armed lunatics running around the valley who'd love to help her, aka your players.
Ireena matters to Strahd (as well as multiple other NPCs with weird obsessions), but there's no reason the PCs should especially care about her other than her possible use as bait.