I've just started my CoS campaign, we just completed our second session, and the PCs have made it out of Death House. Outlining future sessions, in session four they'll meet Ismark in the tavern and he will share some info about Strahd. This will ultimately be the first they've really heard about him, so how much is too much? I want Ismark to tell the PCs enough to make them nervous/afraid.
They interacted with Strahd at the end of session two but didn't know it was him. But I'm planning a nice encounter with him at the end of session four. So help me set that up! Thanks in advance!
About Strahd and vampires, the Barovians believe the following:
Strahd von Zarovich is a vampire, and he dwells in Castle Ravenloft. No one is welcome at the castle.
The devil Strahd is a curse placed on the land because of a forgotten sin of the Barovians’ ancestors. (This is untrue, but Barovians believe it nonetheless.)
A vampire must rest in its coffin during the day. At night, it can summon wolves and vermin to do its bidding. A vampire can transform into a bat, a wolf, or a cloud of mist. In its humanoid form, it can dominate you with its powerful gaze.
A vampire can’t enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.
Running water burns a vampire like acid, and sunlight causes a vampire to burst into flame.
So that's the outer limits of information gained. The rest is about setting the mood. Ismark is a guy who has been cursed to live with this monster coming after his sister. He's already lost his father. His whole town, the place where he grew up, the town to which he is the rightful hereditary burgomaster has turned its collective back on him. He can't even get any help burying his father. Strahd is straight up toying with his family at this point. He's at the tavern trying to get drunk enough to face another night under siege and whoever walks through the door of the tavern, whatever warforged, minotaur, dragonborn, aaracockra, walks through the front door, he is going to ask for their help. Nobody who can speak Common and is carrying a weapon is too outlandish-looking to trust with his sister's life. He knows strangers ride into town every so often. None of them know how Barovia works, if they did, they'd avoid him like the plague, too. So as little info as he needs to give them to get to yes and get them committed is his starting position.
The way I think it works is if he comes up to them and starts his pitch, but before he can give too much detail about Strahd, or say the word vampire, the Vistani yell something like "Silence, you fool! Do not utter that accursed name! I warn you travelers! This one carries the mark of the devil upon him! To follow him is to court something worse than death itself!" and then kick them out onto the street. Then something creepy happens on the walk back to the house and he tells them a bit more, then they get to the house and meet Ireena and she tells them a bit more.
I've just started my CoS campaign, we just completed our second session, and the PCs have made it out of Death House. Outlining future sessions, in session four they'll meet Ismark in the tavern and he will share some info about Strahd. This will ultimately be the first they've really heard about him, so how much is too much? I want Ismark to tell the PCs enough to make them nervous/afraid.
They interacted with Strahd at the end of session two but didn't know it was him. But I'm planning a nice encounter with him at the end of session four. So help me set that up! Thanks in advance!
Well, you've got the basics:
So that's the outer limits of information gained. The rest is about setting the mood. Ismark is a guy who has been cursed to live with this monster coming after his sister. He's already lost his father. His whole town, the place where he grew up, the town to which he is the rightful hereditary burgomaster has turned its collective back on him. He can't even get any help burying his father. Strahd is straight up toying with his family at this point. He's at the tavern trying to get drunk enough to face another night under siege and whoever walks through the door of the tavern, whatever warforged, minotaur, dragonborn, aaracockra, walks through the front door, he is going to ask for their help. Nobody who can speak Common and is carrying a weapon is too outlandish-looking to trust with his sister's life. He knows strangers ride into town every so often. None of them know how Barovia works, if they did, they'd avoid him like the plague, too. So as little info as he needs to give them to get to yes and get them committed is his starting position.
The way I think it works is if he comes up to them and starts his pitch, but before he can give too much detail about Strahd, or say the word vampire, the Vistani yell something like "Silence, you fool! Do not utter that accursed name! I warn you travelers! This one carries the mark of the devil upon him! To follow him is to court something worse than death itself!" and then kick them out onto the street. Then something creepy happens on the walk back to the house and he tells them a bit more, then they get to the house and meet Ireena and she tells them a bit more.
Ismark isn’t going to tell the party too much, he wants their help…. Not to scare them off.