Introduction - Curse of Strahd

Introduction. Under raging storm clouds, a lone figure stands silhouetted against the ancient walls of Castle Ravenloft. The vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich stares down a sheer cliff at the village below. A cold, bitter wind spins dead leaves about him, billowing his cape in the darkness. Lightning splits the clouds overhead, casting stark white light across him. Strahd turns to the sky, revealing the angular muscles of his face and hands. He has a look of power-and of madness. His once handsome face is contorted by a tragedy darker than the night itself. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. The wind's howling increases as Strahd turns his gaze back to the village. Far below, yet not beyond his ken, a party of adventurers has just entered his domain. Strahd's face forms a twisted smile as his dark plan unfolds. He knew they were coming, and he knows why they have come-all according to his plan. He, the master of Ravenloft, will attend to them. Another lightning flash rips through the darkness, its thunder echoing through the castle's towers. But Strahd is gone. Only the howling of the wind-or perhaps a lone wolf-fills the midnight air. The master of Ravenloft is having guests for dinner. And you are invited. Running the Adventure Curse of Strahd is a story of gothic horror, presented here as Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game adventure for a party of four to six adventurers of levels 1-10. A balance of character classes is helpful, since the adventurers will face a variety of challenges. Each character class will certainly have its moment to shine. A Classic Retold This adventure is a retelling of the original Ravenloft adventure, which was published in 1983 by TSR, Inc. In the years since, the original has gained a reputation as one of the greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventures ever, and it went on to inspire the creation of a campaign setting of the same name in 1990: Ravenloft, home of the Domains of Dread. Module I6: Ravenloft, written by Tracy and L...