D&D 5E Curse of Strahd Level 5 party help

[Jaiken]

My players have finished Lost Mines of Phandelver and have decided to move onto Curse of Strahd. Where should I start them? The party is level 5.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Have them emerge from the Mists at the West Gate and they can explore from there. They can sandbox their way to Krezk or Vallaki or really anywhere they want to go (but safer for them to end up in a walled village).

 

[Muso]

Level 5 is a good level to start CoS. Some initial locations can be tough for low level PCs. Start from the east end of the map as suggested by the adventure itself. Death house should be powered a bit to make it challenging, but the remaining encounters are fine. Basically you just have to reduce the levelling pace in order to reach the final dungeon at the right level.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Have them emerge from the Mists at the West Gate and they can explore from there. They can sandbox their way to Krezk or Vallaki or really anywhere they want to go (but safer for them to end up in a walled village).

Yeah, if it were me... I'd have the party emerge from the mists on the west side of the Baratok Valley on the Old Svalich Road and have the first thing they come across is the sight of the stone abbey above the treeline, clinging to the snowy mountainside. They then come across the dilapidated road sign that points northward to the village of Kresk, where they see the gatehouse enclosing a village and a faint bell ringing in the distance. If the party goes up to the gate and is denied entry, then the Burgomaster Dmitri Kreskov can direct the party to go find out what happened to their wine delivery and send then to the Wizards of the Wines... and then they are off and running.

The one thing I would say, having run Curse of Strahd before for two separate groups... is that I don't think it is nearly as imperative to get the players to go see Madam Eva at nearly the same speed as the adventure tries to direct them (if a group comes in on the east end of the map at the Village of Barovia.) If I was to run CoS again... I'd let the players explore the lands a lot longer before putting forth the "The Count of the Valley is a vampire and here's the old woman who can give you a reading to find everything you need to destroy the vampire" thing... since it just redirects the party's actions away from the sandbox nature of the adventure. Especially if you run the tarroka card reading without jerry-rigging the selections, because if you do it completely randomly there's a good chance you could end up with like all the requisite locations to be INSIDE the Castle... thereby sending the party on a direct route there and never wanting to leave.

Give the players the time to clean up the Wizards of the Wines, enter Kresk, and then find out about Count Von Zarovich and his proclivities via the Abbot and his flesh golem Bride. Depending on how the Abbot and party get on they can do the "find a bridal dress" quest for the Abbot, and then a bit later on if they succeed you could have the party's first encounter with Von Zarovich be when he arrives (at the invitation of the Abbot) to a dinner party in order to introduce Vasilka to him as his bride-to-be. That way you can treat Strahd as perhaps just an eccentric lord and he can then invite the party to the castle at a later date. You also have Ezmerelda d'Avenir onsite in the abbey as well in case you do want to introduce the vampire plot sooner-- like perhaps she crashes the dinner party of the Abbot, Vasilka, the party and the Count and when she fires her crossbows at Strahd he is forced to turn to mist and escape, thereby clueing the party in to who he is.

 

[pukunui]

Yeah, if it were me... I'd have the party emerge from the mists on the west side of the Baratok Valley n the Old Svalich Road and have the first thing they come across is the sight of the stone abbey above the treeline, clinging to the snowy mountainside. They then come across the dilapidated road sign that points northward to the village of Kresk, where they see the gatehouse enclosing a village and a faint bell ringing in the distance. If the party goes up to the gate and is denied entry, then the Burgomaster Dmitri Kreskov can direct the party to go find out what happened to their wine delivery and send then to the Wizards of the Wines... and then they are off and running.

The one thing I would say, having run Curse of Strahd before for two separate groups... is that I don't thing it is nearly as imperative to get the players to go see Madam Eva at nearly the same speed as the adventure tries to direct them (if a group comes in on the east end of the map at the Village of Barovia.) If I was to run CoS again... I'd let the players explore the lands a lot longer before putting forth the "The Count of the Valley is a vampire and here's the old woman who can give you a reading to find everything you need to destroy the vampire" thing... since it just redirects the party's actions away from the sandbox nature of the adventure. Especially if you run the tarroka card reading without jerry-rigging the selections, because if you do it completely randomly there's a good chance you could end up with like all the requisite locations to be INSIDE the Castle... thereby sending the party on a direct route there and never wanting to leave.

Give the players the time to clean up the Wizards of the Wines, enter Kresk, and then find out about Count Von Zarovich and his proclivities via the Abbot and his flesh golem Bride. Depending on how the Abbot and party get on they can do the "find a bridal dress" quest for the Abbot, and then a bit later on if they succeed you could have the party's first encounter with Von Zarovich be when he arrives (at the invitation of the Abbot) to a dinner party in order to introduce Vasilka to him as his bride-to-be. That way you can treat Strahd as perhaps just an eccentric lord and he can then invite the party to the castle at a later date. You also have Ezmerelda d'Avenir onsite in the abbey as well in case you do want to introduce the vampire plot sooner-- like perhaps she crashes the dinner party of the Abbot, Vasilka, the party and the Count and when she fires his crossbows at Strahd he is forced to turn to mist and escape, thereby clueing the party in to who he is.

This is a fantastic idea! I'm bookmarking this post so I don't lose it, as I am keen to run CoS again someday, and I might just do it this way!

 

[DEFCON 1]

This is a fantastic idea! I'm bookmarking this post so I don't lose it, as I am keen to run CoS again someday, and I might just do it this way!

Yeah, I've now run the Village of Barovia three different times (once as part of the original I6, twice with CoS)... and I'm interested in seeing how things might go without immediately going for the Ireena and Madam Eva plots and focusing on other things in the Valley instead.

 

[MerricB]

My general advice is that you want to have the Tarokka reading as soon as possible. Until then, the party won't have a clue of what to do. Now, if you're inventing your own stories, go for it, but Curse of Strahd has a fairly simple overall structure:

• The party learn about Strahd and the horrors he has brought upon the land
• The party have the reading, and learn what they need to find to defeat him
• The party seek for those artefacts (make the clues as to where they are obvious!), having memorable adventures along the way. Strahd occasionally appears and causes terror.
• The party, in possession of the artefacts, confront Strahd.

The Ireena storyline is just one entry point - albeit one that I adore. At level 5, I'd use the Burgomaster's letter introduction, and then have fun from there.

Cheers!

 

[Stormonu]

My players have finished Lost Mines of Phandelver and have decided to move onto Curse of Strahd. Where should I start them? The party is level 5.

Start them in the town of Barovia. They'll be fiiiine.

 

[Jaiken]

Yeah, if it were me... I'd have the party emerge from the mists on the west side of the Baratok Valley on the Old Svalich Road and have the first thing they come across is the sight of the stone abbey above the treeline, clinging to the snowy mountainside. They then come across the dilapidated road sign that points northward to the village of Kresk, where they see the gatehouse enclosing a village and a faint bell ringing in the distance. If the party goes up to the gate and is denied entry, then the Burgomaster Dmitri Kreskov can direct the party to go find out what happened to their wine delivery and send then to the Wizards of the Wines... and then they are off and running.

The one thing I would say, having run Curse of Strahd before for two separate groups... is that I don't thing it is nearly as imperative to get the players to go see Madam Eva at nearly the same speed as the adventure tries to direct them (if a group comes in on the east end of the map at the Village of Barovia.) If I was to run CoS again... I'd let the players explore the lands a lot longer before putting forth the "The Count of the Valley is a vampire and here's the old woman who can give you a reading to find everything you need to destroy the vampire" thing... since it just redirects the party's actions away from the sandbox nature of the adventure. Especially if you run the tarroka card reading without jerry-rigging the selections, because if you do it completely randomly there's a good chance you could end up with like all the requisite locations to be INSIDE the Castle... thereby sending the party on a direct route there and never wanting to leave.

Give the players the time to clean up the Wizards of the Wines, enter Kresk, and then find out about Count Von Zarovich and his proclivities via the Abbot and his flesh golem Bride. Depending on how the Abbot and party get on they can do the "find a bridal dress" quest for the Abbot, and then a bit later on if they succeed you could have the party's first encounter with Von Zarovich be when he arrives (at the invitation of the Abbot) to a dinner party in order to introduce Vasilka to him as his bride-to-be. That way you can treat Strahd as perhaps just an eccentric lord and he can then invite the party to the castle at a later date. You also have Ezmerelda d'Avenir onsite in the abbey as well in case you do want to introduce the vampire plot sooner-- like perhaps she crashes the dinner party of the Abbot, Vasilka, the party and the Count and when she fires her crossbows at Strahd he is forced to turn to mist and escape, thereby clueing the party in to who he is.

This sounds great. I will do this.

 

[TheSword]

My players have finished Lost Mines of Phandelver and have decided to move onto Curse of Strahd. Where should I start them? The party is level 5.

Personally I think level 5 is high for Strahd. Though if they were new to D&D with Phandelver it might be ok if they’re a small group 3-4 players. Though I would skip to Vallaki and beef up the encounters.

The problem is that powerful PCs with level 5 resources destroy the horror aspect of the game because they’re just too darn capable. Curse of Strahd is best played under leveled not over leveled.

I ran it for 3 experienced players appearing in Barovia out of the mists at level 1 surrounded by wolves and it was just right.