So, I'm running a new Ravenloft campaign! I'm excited, because I've studied Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft a lot and I'm so ready to get into this. But I have several problems.
SYNOPSIS: This is not just Curse of Strahd. I'm making up my own storyline, and it's partially improvised. All I've got is, the Mists sucked up my party and they found themselves in Barovia. They learned that Strahd has acquired some kind of new power, and that Barovia is no longer safe (that is, even less safe than before). Strahd has gained some control over the Mists because Tatyana was reincarnated as an evil dhampir and teamed up with Strahd willingly, breaking the cycle of obsession and disappointment previously haunting Strahd. The party escaped Barovia, but the borders shut behind them. They found themselves among a small remnant group of the Keepers of the Feather, within The Carnival. That's where we left off. I am facing several issues right now, mostly being:
I want each party member to have at least one dark thing in their background. Like trauma or a deep-seated fear. Three of them do, but the other three don't really have backstories. What should I do if they don't add a little dark past to their character?
The current idea of the campaign includes going through The Carnival, then Darkon, then Falkovnia, then Kartakass, then Hazlan, then back to Barovia. I'm worried because Darkon, Falkovnia, and Hazlan are all distinctly "disaster horror," and by the time we get to Hazlan maybe the constant threat of impending doom just won't hit as hard. How should I make sure they're always feeling that intensity and dread, so it doesn't get old?
My players agreed on a higher difficulty than our last campaign. So I'd like to ramp up the difficulty of puzzles and combat alike. But the thing is, my players are getting a little attached to their characters (and honestly I'm getting attached as well) Should I let their characters survive the whole time? Or should there always be a risk of death?
Those are my big questions right now. Any ideas for this are welcome, and if you have any questions or need for clarification, lemme know!
What should I do if they don't add a little dark past to their character?
Just explicitly ask them to add it.
How should I make sure they're always feeling that intensity and dread, so it doesn't get old?
That's not possible, anything that is constant will get old, you need variation to keep things interesting.
Should I let their characters survive the whole time? Or should there always be a risk of death?
If you want a feeling of intensity & dread they must die. D&D has tons of resurrection mechanics so you can always bring them back after they die but with some kind of permanent alteration - e.g. a scar, a phobia, a dark voice whispering in their ear...
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So, I'm running a new Ravenloft campaign! I'm excited, because I've studied Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft a lot and I'm so ready to get into this. But I have several problems.
SYNOPSIS: This is not just Curse of Strahd. I'm making up my own storyline, and it's partially improvised. All I've got is, the Mists sucked up my party and they found themselves in Barovia. They learned that Strahd has acquired some kind of new power, and that Barovia is no longer safe (that is, even less safe than before). Strahd has gained some control over the Mists because Tatyana was reincarnated as an evil dhampir and teamed up with Strahd willingly, breaking the cycle of obsession and disappointment previously haunting Strahd. The party escaped Barovia, but the borders shut behind them. They found themselves among a small remnant group of the Keepers of the Feather, within The Carnival. That's where we left off. I am facing several issues right now, mostly being:
I want each party member to have at least one dark thing in their background. Like trauma or a deep-seated fear. Three of them do, but the other three don't really have backstories. What should I do if they don't add a little dark past to their character?
The current idea of the campaign includes going through The Carnival, then Darkon, then Falkovnia, then Kartakass, then Hazlan, then back to Barovia. I'm worried because Darkon, Falkovnia, and Hazlan are all distinctly "disaster horror," and by the time we get to Hazlan maybe the constant threat of impending doom just won't hit as hard. How should I make sure they're always feeling that intensity and dread, so it doesn't get old?
My players agreed on a higher difficulty than our last campaign. So I'd like to ramp up the difficulty of puzzles and combat alike. But the thing is, my players are getting a little attached to their characters (and honestly I'm getting attached as well) Should I let their characters survive the whole time? Or should there always be a risk of death?
Those are my big questions right now. Any ideas for this are welcome, and if you have any questions or need for clarification, lemme know!
What should I do if they don't add a little dark past to their character?
Just explicitly ask them to add it.
How should I make sure they're always feeling that intensity and dread, so it doesn't get old?
That's not possible, anything that is constant will get old, you need variation to keep things interesting.
Should I let their characters survive the whole time? Or should there always be a risk of death?
If you want a feeling of intensity & dread they must die. D&D has tons of resurrection mechanics so you can always bring them back after they die but with some kind of permanent alteration - e.g. a scar, a phobia, a dark voice whispering in their ear...