for those who have fought with Strahd von Zarovich

shadow_blade · Post by **shadow_blade** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:01 pm

hi all i am currently playing ravenloft at the moment and the one and only thing that annoys me in there is Strahd von Zarovich with his intellegence and constant surprise attacks we currently have the legendary sword of kas and the sun sword but for some reason he wont come and fight us

any ways i was just wondering what happend to those who have faught him and how you did it

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 2:56 am

I haven't played Ravenloft, but if you give me your party and level, I can give some general advice...

shadow_blade · Post by **shadow_blade** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:05 am

1. my pc 4/4 rogue,assassin
2. lvl 7 wizard
3. lvl 7 cleric
4. lvl 6 fighter
5. lvl 5 ranger
6. 4/4 monk,shadowdancer

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Fri Apr 18, 2008 3:33 pm

It's a bit late to think about strategy, but I wonder how you qualified for Prestige Classes on lvl 4, when they require 10 & 8 ranks respectively? Some houserule that could be used to your advantage?
Which books do you have acces to?

shadow_blade · Post by **shadow_blade** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:17 am

it's a bit of a long story but we were captured by orks and sent into slavery. where the orks where planning to dign under the turfwalls defenses. well we managed to escape and get the turfwall and hold them off. we later realised what was happening and signed our seleve up to the army we started in a small town but that went underseige so we got sent to the grey citadel and fought and killed 230 orks in total then got taken down by an orge fortuantly for us one of the ork leaders saw us fighting and took us to join them and be trained. so the dm said basically said the prestiege class was what we were going to be when working for the orks the opposite of what we already were. the reason the others are not like that is because they died in the dwarven glory hole mines

and we are running off v.1 player handbook and dungeons masters guide

GawainBS · Post by **GawainBS** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:43 am

Well, your Wizard and Cleric should prepare some Divination spells. They can help you prevent surprises. Also, some Death Wards (Not sure about the name, it offers protection from Energy Drain, Death Effects, or the like) could be handy against a Vampire. The Cleric might consider becoming a Raven Knights, that's a Ravenloft PrC AFAIK.
High Spot checks are useful, and See Invisibility and the like. Maybe the Ranger's Animal Companion's Scent (if it has it) can help you out.
I think that at these levels, you're not yet meant to fight Strahd. The DM is using Hit & Runs to build up the tension.

shadow_blade · Post by **shadow_blade** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 5:13 am

thanks i will remember that for staurday. we were mostly using locate object with the cleric because we needed to find the two parts of the sun sword (blade,hilt) and it was a painful trying to find some where to rest long enough to get spells back. the worst thing strahd has done so far is make me look like him with an later spell and put silence on me so i couldnt tell the other member as they where stabbing and shooting me.

Addis Hellfire · Post by **Addis Hellfire** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 1:01 am

Ha, I just played a game of Ravenloft a few hours ago. Only problem is, since we had a Ravenloft fanatic in our group, the DM pretty much changed everything around, and I myself am not too experienced in that setting. However, these things seemed to help (it may be common sence though, and it depends on the DM's style):

Avoid places like closets. Trust me, avoid them like the plague. Doors tend to close when you enter them and a incorporal creature that can level drain with a annoyingly hard DC is usually waiting.

The courtyard (where the main gate/drawbridge is) is pretty much certain death. At least, for one player. Ravenloft tends to kill a PC when an escape is made. Last time we tried to get out, our half-ogre fighter got his eye gouged out and head ripped off by some . . . ghouls? . . . demonic ghouls . . . ? We didn't stick around to see what killed him and the gate was closing.

Is the GM using the actual module "Ravenloft"? If so, is he rolling dice or flipping cards? I ask because Strahd's actions/locations are kinda random based on the role (You could find him on a chair playing a piano at one moment, than he could be sitting at the dining room table you just walked past a moment later. Depends on the cards). I won't tell you specifically what he does, but that does usually come into play. (Of course, the GM could totally ignore that, up to him/her).

The most relevent advice I could give you about actually fighting Strahd is *drum roll* Do not fight him. Really, do not fight him. I don't remember exactly how nasty he is, but he could (unless he rolls a one on all attacks . . . ) easilly slaughter you even with the sunsword (the second sword doesn't ring a bell). Go to him in the day time, just watch your back (and front . . . and sides . . . and top . . . and so on . . . ). I've never had a successful battle with Strahd himself.

If you do want to fight him, (spoiler warning)

Spoiler

mention things about his (hidden) past. I mean, he murdered his brother Sergei over a woman whom he later killed. That does usually convince him to deal with you personally. Kill his gypsys, that will piss him off. Start to actually destroy Castle Ravenloft (good luck).

Those are some tips for Ravenloft I can give you from a player's prospective. Hope they help.

Ribzlibz · Post by **Ribzlibz** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:19 pm

Addis Hellfire wrote:Ha, I just played a game of Ravenloft a few hours ago. Only problem is, since we had a Ravenloft fanatic in our group, the DM pretty much changed everything around, and I myself am not too experienced in that setting. However, these things seemed to help (it may be common sence though, and it depends on the DM's style):

Avoid places like closets. Trust me, avoid them like the plague. Doors tend to close when you enter them and a incorporal creature that can level drain with a annoyingly hard DC is usually waiting.

The courtyard (where the main gate/drawbridge is) is pretty much certain death. At least, for one player. Ravenloft tends to kill a PC when an escape is made. Last time we tried to get out, our half-ogre fighter got his eye gouged out and head ripped off by some . . . ghouls? . . . demonic ghouls . . . ? We didn't stick around to see what killed him and the gate was closing.

Is the GM using the actual module "Ravenloft"? If so, is he rolling dice or flipping cards? I ask because Strahd's actions/locations are kinda random based on the role (You could find him on a chair playing a piano at one moment, than he could be sitting at the dining room table you just walked past a moment later. Depends on the cards). I won't tell you specifically what he does, but that does usually come into play. (Of course, the GM could totally ignore that, up to him/her).

The most relevent advice I could give you about actually fighting Strahd is *drum roll* Do not fight him. Really, do not fight him. I don't remember exactly how nasty he is, but he could (unless he rolls a one on all attacks . . . ) easilly slaughter you even with the sunsword (the second sword doesn't ring a bell). Go to him in the day time, just watch your back (and front . . . and sides . . . and top . . . and so on . . . ). I've never had a successful battle with Strahd himself.

If you do want to fight him, (spoiler warning)
Spoiler
mention things about his (hidden) past. I mean, he murdered his brother Sergei over a woman whom he later killed. That does usually convince him to deal with you personally. Kill his gypsys, that will piss him off. Start to actually destroy Castle Ravenloft (good luck).
Those are some tips for Ravenloft I can give you from a player's prospective. Hope they help.

jesus! ive never played ravenloft but it sounds brutal...

shadow_blade · Post by **shadow_blade** » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:47 pm

yeah it is the most brutal adventure i have ever been on it is an evil genius vampire in command if army of undead. every type of undead!. not to mention his years of trap setting and ability to use magic. good tip on the closet if i hadnt already done that =p i had to double foot kick strahd in the chest to smash the closet door open to get out. we have killed him 3 times now and all of them in full combat with him helps with the sun sword and a aspen wood spear man that hurts him.