Campaign Guide

A Handy Dandy Guide To The Games I Tweet About

The Road Goes Ever On

My first DMing experience, running since January 2017

Originally set in the area around Daggerford, the party has been taken to the realm of Barovia (Curse of Strahd module) and already beset with horrors there. There's a tyrannical vampire lord in control of the realm and they are trapped there.

I keep, generally, to published books and some Unearthed Arcana, though I do have a few house rules and I'm sure we'll add to them as time goes on.

PCs Include:

• Amalia (Lia), half-elf celestial-pact warlock. A newer addition to the party, charming but has let slip some important secrets, much to several people's dismay. Her beauty and tongue is a double-edge sword.

• Regina, aasimar glamour bard. Bubbly and charming (charismatically and magically), likely the happiest person in all of Barovia.

• Ulec Brewthane, dwarven champion fighter. Brusque, bold. He wants to hit the thing. Churches and religion make him uncomfortable. Carries a wicked-looking great-axe pried from the dead fingers of a slain orc warchief.

Prominent NPCs Include:

• Strahd von Zarovich. Vampire lord of the realm of Barovia, known by many as “The Devil”. Most Barovians know that the Vistani are his spies. The party has encountered him twice thus far. The first time, they were attacked by his wolves, which killed Zavari (former PC, see below), while he observed. They eventually killed the wolves before Strahd disappeared into the mists.

The second time, he approached them after they had fought off several zombies. He made it clear that he did not like the fact that they had taken Ireena/Tatyana (see below) beyond his reach. Lia attempted to excuse this, citing the “water monster” and he charmed her in response before giving her an invitation for all of them to have dinner at his castle.

• Ismark Kolyanovich, human man in his late 30's with silver blonde hair, burgomaster of Barovia (the town, not the realm). Wanted to get his sister, Ireena to a safe place and asked the party for help doing so. Unlike most Barovians, he is not dour and afraid of everything.

• Ireena Kolyana, human woman in her late 20's with striking auburn hair. More reserved than her brother (she was adopted), she tends to follow his lead. But there are times when you can see a deep fire burn in her eyes, and you know there's something more there. She has been taken beyond anyone's reach by a good spirit that appeared in the blessed pool in Krezk. This spirit called her Tatyana and she said that she remembered this prince and holy man and descended into the pool with him.

• Dorina Vinshaw, human woman in her 30's with dark brown hair to her waist. One brown eye and one green. The party has seen her as as a raven, as well as a bit of magic she's cast. She told Brannon that she is a part of a secret organization dedicated to taking down Strahd.

• Izek Strazni, human man in his late 30's with a face like a brick and a fiendish right hand that shoots fire. They met him in Vallaki and he appeared to be after Ireena. The only words he ever spoke were, “GIVE HER TO ME” before the party knocked him unconscious.

• Urwin and Danika Martikov, human man and woman in their late 40's from Vallaki. Owners of the Blue Water Inn. The party has agreed to retrieve their order of wine from the Wizard of Wines winery for them in exchange for information and possibly an item they're looking for...

• Davian Martikov, human man in his late 70's to early 80's. Patriarch of the Martikov family and owner of the Wizard of Wines Winery.

• Rictavio/Rudolph van Richten, human man in his 70's. Disguised as a carnival ringmaster, secretly a vampire hunter. Joined the party in Vallaki after they told him of Madam Eva's card reading mentioning “an entertaining man with a monkey.”

Former PCs:

• *deceased* Zavari, winged tiefling wild sorcerer. She loved fire and would take to the skies to rain it down upon her foes. Brannon keeps her focus (a dagger) with a braided lock of hair around the hilt to remember her by.

• Brannon Harkness, half-elf swashbuckler rogue/ranger. Very charismatic, flirts with everyone (including Ismark and Ireena, see NPC's). Favors a rapier but carries a bit of an arsenal.

• Hrorgrim (Grim), dwarven war cleric (Tempus). Pensive, not prone to rash behavior. Wields an artifact mace of Lathander (the Morninglord) that was bestowed upon the party after they assisted in ending the siege of the North Keep of an order of knights to Lathander.

Out of the Abyss

Set in the Forgotten Realms, campaign running the Out of the Abyss module. Most of the party started the campaign captured in a drow prison in the underdark and have been making their way through a variety of trials since then. Various terrors met them in the underdark, including several demon lords (Demogorgon, Zuggtumoy, and Orcus). Their time on the surface has been more pleasant, though there is fiendish activity there as well.

Some house rules for fun times, including allowing both ASIs AND feats at the appropriate levels.

PCs include:

• Gaius, human scout rogue. Always eating candy. Hasn't told the party outright that he's a thief. Very good at stabbing things. Gives everyone he meets nicknames. In a relationship with Jack, which Nordak and Roscoe have finally picked up on. 

• Jack, half-elf valor bard/swashbuckler rogue. Foul-mouthed but quite world-savvy. A literal and figurative Jack of All Trades, she runs support during battles. 

• Nordak, dwarf life domain cleric (Ilmater). Friendly, studious, and generous, he tries to get along with everyone. Takes the front line in fights in order to protect everyone else. He and Gaius are not friends.

• Roscoe, halfling circle of the moon druid. Cheeky and brave, he often likes to wild-shape just to show off or because he wants to do something different than be in halfling form. Naive, often to a fault.

Former PCs:

• Cloak, barely adult svirfneblin (deep gnome) deep stalker ranger. Ever-curious, not entirely polite or the best-smelling, she is unusually slender (about 55-60lbs) and jovial for a svirfneblin. Is very insistent that she be called Cloak (unusual, given gnomish tendencies for nicknames). Wears all grey leathers and a cloak. Left the party after finding her missing brother in Waterdeep.