%% date:: [[2023-10-31]] %% # [[001_20231031]] ## Session Summary > [!tldr] [[001_20231031]] > ^summary %% ## Video [Video](https://youtu.be/Pj-VuVRBcs4) [TWC Video](https://youtu.be/IrDPPdA8cK8) Notes: https://notes.nicolevanderhoeven.com/ttrpgs/Strahd+Must+Die+Because+It's+Halloween/001_20231031 00:00:00 Our fortunes are told 00:03:21 Andy wants to roll as a player 00:05:19 Andy demands my notes 00:07:28 Beautiful but impossible dice 00:08:59 Introduction: Vandross 00:10:49 Introduction: Ralonan Fare 00:11:30 Introduction: Adam 00:12:21 Introduction: Isaari Sterling 00:14:27 Introduction: Hunter 00:17:12 We enter Castle Ravenloft 00:20:01 Encounter: wyrmlings 00:40:38 Dinner with Strahd 00:42:37 Massive organ 00:47:22 Andy was distracted by the rules lawyer 00:59:27 Lulu's decisive and in charge 01:00:28 Antagonising your healer isn't a good career move 01:01:14 Going upstairs 01:01:55 Demanding light from the cleric 01:08:23 Finding the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind 01:09:26 Not really a cleric... 01:17:36 Meeting the accountant 01:24:12 He never gets wet 01:35:12 Isaari finally kills the accountant 01:38:02 Meeting Helga 01:40:30 Have you ever polished his sword? 01:41:30 Do his wives polish his sword? 01:41:48 You can come if you're good... 01:43:38 Strahd has been giving her fillings 01:43:59 Encounter: Helga the vampire 01:54:49 Hurrying to find the armoury 01:58:16 Encounter: Strahd 2 02:00:00 Training to be his mate 02:01:06 Strahd commands Isaari to come 02:02:53 Round 1 - Isaari's turn (10-page backstory) 02:04:02 Adam's turn (Magic Missile) 02:05:55 Strahd's turn (bites Isaari) 02:08:34 Strahd is so hot 02:09:12 Ralonan's turn (Andy tries to do my job) 02:11:17 Hunter's turn (Rage) 02:16:08 Vandross's turn (first Psionic Strike) 02:22:04 Saving from charm and attacks of Opportunity 02:25:53 Round 2 - Isaari's turn (Daylight) 02:27:15 Adam's turn 02:29:26 Strahd's turn (nopes out) 02:35:41 The staircase gets slippery 02:42:17 Two Vandrosses (Andy can't multitask) 02:43:10 Encounter: Mongrel folk 02:54:12 Encounter: Shadow demon 02:55:19 Andy dancing 02:56:14 Round 1 - Vandross's turn (flaming tongue) 02:58:22 Isaari's turn (missed EB) 02:59:02 Hunter's turn (Wild Magic surge) 03:01:38 Elven man's turn (make a Wisdom save) 03:05:09 Ralonan's turn (manacles) 03:07:36 Adam's turn (lightning bolt) 03:09:50 Shadow demon's turn (claws Ralonan) 03:10:46 Round 2 - Enter Strahd 03:13:07 Vandross's turn (doesn't want to slap us) 03:17:03 Andy can't slap Isaari 03:17:17 Isaari and Hunter follow orders 03:18:03 Elven man's turn (escapes manacles) 03:20:01 Ralonan's turn (Elven man's dead) 03:20:50 Adam's turn 03:22:55 Shadow demon's turn (misses Vandross) 03:23:30 Round 3 - Strahd's turn (charms Vandross) 03:24:49 Vandross's turn (follows orders) 03:28:59 Ralonan's turn (nat 20 bloodies shadow demon) 03:30:35 Adam's turn (Magic Missiles uncharms Vandross) 03:35:04 Strahd's legendary action (grapple) 03:36:09 Goldfish can learn (and swear) 03:37:12 Shadow demon's turn 03:37:57 Round 4 - Strahd's turn (fireball) 03:39:17 Vandross's turn (action surge) 03:44:15 Ralonan's turn 03:45:27 Adam's turn (shocking grasp) 03:47:26 Shadow demon's turn 03:48:03 Round 5 - Strahd's turn 03:49:39 Vandross's turn (nat 20) 03:54:15 Ralonan's turn 03:56:38 Round 6 - Strahd's turn (fireball) 03:59:55 Vandross's turn (healing) 04:02:22 Ralonan's turn (dash to kitchen) 04:03:16 Adam's turn (Strahd has 17 HP now) 04:04:31 Round 7 - Strahd's turn (yes, Master) 04:06:51 Vandross's turn (forgot his Psi-Powered Leap) 04:07:38 Isaari's turn (fails with Eldritch Blasts) 04:10:41 Ralonan's turn (HDYWTDT) 04:13:57 Andy has glazed over ⭐ Crafting and playing new characters, and getting to inhabit them. I really liked that we got to come in at Level 8, where we're already differentiated and unique. I also enjoyed having a break from the main story, but not from D&D or from you all. ⭐ Adam having already foreseen everything and being absolutely confident about it. ⭐ Andy getting to be a player and getting a nat 20 as a player, too! ⭐ Lulu being a decisive himbo. But still a tiefling. :D ⭐ Vandross and Isaari flirting with Helga the vampire. ⭐ Getting bitten by Strahd. Can't hunt a vampire without getting bit. ⭐ I love the Gothic horror of this setting, and the story of this profoundly evil, casually cruel man. ⭐ Playing Isaari. I liked the idea of pretending to be a cleric but actually being a morally questionable warlock. 🪄 I'd gotten to use some warlocky stuff. Not much I could do between the charm and the poor rolls, but that can't be helped. 🪄 We would play one-shots more. It's fun to shake up the dynamic at the table every now and then. %% --- ## Recap ![[No games found#^summary]] --- ## Log In black carriage on the way to Castle Ravenloft. We've been preparing for this for some time now. Strahd must die. Nobody else has triumphed. [[Madam Eva]] is a fortune teller whose carriage this is. She offered us a ride if we let her read our fortunes. - [ ] 6 of swords: history to help us understand our enemy. (Accountant says he never stands in water. Helga says he's vain.) - [x] 10 of swords: holy symbol of great hope - *Holy symbol of Ravenkind* - [ ] 8 of stars: power and strength. Tells us of a weapon-- a sword of sunlight. (Accountant says maybe armory?) - [ ] 20: Strahd's enemy that will help us greatly in our final stand against Strahd. - [ ] 11: He is a creature of darkness, beyond mortality. This card will lead us to him. (Accountant says that he's at the crypt.) Vandross Ephrates - olive skin - full plate - looks like he's come from far afield - intense eyes - longbow across his back and two swords sheathed: a great sword and a shortsword - quiet, angry, buff Ralonan Fare - black-haired elf merchant thief - born in Barovia and sick of what Strahd is doing Adam - human male - his grandmother is Madam Eva - big hat - convinced we're going to see it because he's foreseen it Hunter - tiefling barbarian with a broken horn ![[Pasted image 20231031205226.png]] Ornate outer doors, fluttering torches in sconces Second set of doors - Round 1 - Ralonan: 31 piercing damage and disengage - Red wyrmling dragons turn to stone - Adam: waits for Vandross and "distracts" them - Vandross: Attacks twice + bonus action - Isaari: - Round 2 - Hunter runs up the stairs and encounters an elf that is descending the stairs. He's very quiet and wears a gray cloak over black studded leather armour - Adam *Dimension Doors* with me. We hear organ music and come across a dining table with a place set for each of us. We see an amber liquid in glasses. On the west, between mirrors, is a massive organ. Portcullis slams shut. Drawbridge gets pulled up. Castle courtyard is visible through arrow slits. We find the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* but nobody can use it! Old accountant guy says Strahd is waiting for us at the crypt. Helga was the daughter of a bootmaker and she had to become Strahd's servant.