Curse of Strahd

DIFFICULTY CLASS RANGES

SECRET DCs

Never reveal exact DCs for checks or saves. Instead, inform players if a task is easy, moderate, hard, etc.

PROFICIENCY DICE:

Rather than flat bonuses, use proficiency dice (d4-d12 based on level) to add volatility to skill checks.

FEAR:

When confronting overwhelming threats, a failed WIS save causes the frightened condition for 1 minute.

HORROR:

When experiencing something horrific, a failed CHA save results in madness.

Examples: Seeing a mangled body, witnessing a creature devouring a human, learning a terrible truth, watching a horrible death.

CALM EMOTIONS:

Removes frightened condition, short-term madness (long-term if combined with short rest), and despair (if combined with short rest).

TRIGGERS:

Make a WIS save when:

• Taking rest in unsecured location
• Waking after losing a party member
• Suffering lingering injury
• Seeing madness in a party member
• Encountering major setback

EFFECTS:

1. Apathy - Disadvantage on death saves and initiative. Flaw: "I don't believe I can make a difference."
2. Dread - Disadvantage on all saving throws. Flaw: "I'm convinced this place will kill me."
3. Insanity - Disadvantage on INT/WIS/CHA checks & saves. Flaw: "I can't tell what's real anymore."

RECOVERY:

After short rest, attempt WIS save to end despair. Calm emotions, lesser/greater restoration remove despair.

REST MECHANICS

SHORT REST:

• Roll only 1 Hit Die + CON modifier

LONG REST (UNSECURED):

• Roll remaining Hit Dice + CON modifier
• Regain 1 Hit Die
• Prepare spells

LONG REST (SECURED):

• Regain all hit points
• Regain half Hit Dice
• Prepare spells

EXHAUSTION:

Gain 1 level every 12 hours without long rest

If below 50% HP or exhausted before a long rest, make WIS save or gain nightmare effect and only restore half HP normally recovered.

NIGHTMARE TABLE (d20):

1. Pursued by Wolves: You're running through endless woods as a pack of wolves closes in, their hot breath on your neck.
2. Family Slayer: You murder your own family members one by one, waking just as your blade strikes the last.
3. Torture Chamber: Your loved ones torture you for hours with rusty implements, their faces twisted in glee.
4. Sleep Paralysis: Demons sit on your chest, carving symbols into your flesh while you can't move or scream.
5. Zombie Transformation: You're devoured by zombies piece by piece, then wake up feeling your body still changing.
6. Body Horror: Your teeth keep growing uncontrollably, piercing through your cheeks and lips.
7. Insect Infestation: Your skin crawls with insects that burrow into your flesh, laying eggs beneath.
8. Buried Alive: You wake in a coffin underground, pounding on the lid as dirt fills your mouth.
9. Doppelgänger: An exact double of you murders your companions while they beg you for help.
10. Endless Falling: You plunge endlessly through fog, seeing shadowy figures watching your descent.
11. Feast of Flesh: You're served a delicious meal that turns out to be human flesh - and you keep eating.
12. Drowning in Blood: You're submerged in a lake of blood that fills your lungs with each gasp.
13. Skin Peeling: Your skin begins sloughing off in sheets, revealing muscle beneath.
14. Eyes Everywhere: Eyes open all over your body, all weeping black tears.
15. Clockwork Heart: Your heart is replaced with a ticking clock that slows... and stops.
16. Mirror Self: Your reflection steps out of the mirror and strangles you.
17. Vampire Bride: Strahd turns you into a spawn, forcing you to hunt your own party.
18. Living Doll: You shrink to doll size while spiders carry you to their web.
19. Eternal Funeral: You attend your own funeral daily, watching your corpse decay over time.
20. The Dark Gift: A shadowy entity offers you great power in exchange for your soul - and you accept.

LINGERING INJURIES

When failing a death save by 5+, suffering a critical hit, or dropping to 0 HP, make CON save or gain lingering injury.

LINGERING INJURIES TABLE (d20):

1. Lose an Eye: Disadvantage on Perception and ranged attacks. Blind if both eyes lost.
2. Lose a Hand: Can't hold items with two hands or more than one item at a time.
3. Lose an Arm: Cannot use two-handed equipment. Disadvantage on STR checks.
4. Lose a Foot: Speed halved. DC 10 DEX save after Dash or fall prone.
5. Lose a Leg: Speed reduced to 5ft without prosthesis or crutch.
6. Internal Injury: DC 15 CON save before any action or lose action/reactions.
7. Broken Ribs: As Internal Injury but DC 10. -5ft movement.
8. Horrible Scar: Disadvantage on Persuasion, advantage on Intimidation.
9. Festering Wound: Lose 1 max HP/day. Die at 0. DC 15 Medicine check daily to heal.
10. Concussion: Disadvantage on INT/WIS checks and saves.
11. Nerve Damage: Random limb becomes useless for 1d4 hours daily.
12. Hearing Loss: Disadvantage on sound-based Perception checks.
13. Limp: -5ft speed. DC 10 DEX save after Dash or fall prone.
14. Minor Scar: No mechanical effect but visible disfigurement.
15. Twitching Limb: Disadvantage on DEX checks with that limb.
16. Chronic Pain: Disadvantage on CON saves vs exhaustion.
17. Fractured Skull: Vulnerability to bludgeoning damage.
18. Rotting Flesh: Creatures within 10ft must make CON save or be sickened.
19. Phantom Pain: Random bouts of incapacitating pain (10% chance each hour).
20. Soul Wound: Vulnerability to necrotic damage. Undead sense you from 60ft.

Healing: Requires magical healing or Medicine checks (DC 15, 10 successes)

REMOVE CURSE

REMOVE CURSE DC TABLE:

• Most Curses - DC 15
• Vistani Curses - DC 16-20
• Lycanthropy - DC 30

SPECIAL RULE:

Spellcaster must make ability check with spellcasting ability. On natural 1, suffer 1d12 psychic damage and can't cast remove curse until after a long rest.

LIVING CURSES (d6):

1. Wandering Wound: 1d4 damage appears daily on body. Heals normally.
2. Hungry Shadow: Consumes light sources 2x faster within 10ft.
3. Echoing Scream: Critical fails cause distant screaming (attracts monsters).
4. Blood Ink: Any writing appears written in blood after 1 hour.
5. Reverse Aging: Lose/gain 1 year visibly each dawn. No mechanical effect.
6. Door Whisperer: All doors creak open slightly when unattended.

Rules: Apply when Remove Curse fails by 5+. Curses grow stronger weekly until broken.

REVENANT RESURRECTION

When a character dies, their soul may enter a humanoid corpse 1d20 hours later (DM's choice).

REVENANT TRAITS:

• Type: Undead (Medium or Small)
• Darkvision: 60 feet
• Languages: Add Abyssal
• Resistances: Resist necrotic, vulnerable to radiant
• Regeneration: Bonus action to regain HP equal to proficiency die (recharge on short rest)
• Turn Immunity: Immune to effects that turn undead
• Vengeful Tracker: Know location of creature responsible for death
• Unsightly: Disadvantage on Persuasion/Animal Handling/Performance, advantage on Intimidation
• Death: At 0 HP, die permanently and become DM-controlled ghost

DARK GIFTS (d6):

1. Vampiric Hunger: Heal 1d6 HP when you deal killing blow to living humanoid. Lose 1 max HP/day until you feed.
2. Shadow Pact: Gain Misty Step 1/day. Each use turns your eyes blacker permanently.
3. Hag's Deal: Advantage on INT saves. Your laughter occasionally sounds like a hag's cackle.
4. Werewolf's Fury: +2 damage to melee attacks. Moonlight reveals your eyes glow amber.
5. Ghostly Whispers: Understand all languages. Hear distant sobbing when alone.
6. Strahd's Favor: +1 to CHA saves. Your shadow sometimes moves independently.

Rules: Offer after character death or when a PC fails 3 death saves. Reversible only by Remove Curse + quest.

VISTANI CURSES

Vistani can curse those who wrong them (WIS save, DC = 8 + prof + CHA). Removing curses deals psychic backlash (1d6-5d6 depending on severity).

Examples: Prevent fine motor skills, cosmetic changes, item disappearance, vulnerability to damage type, disadvantage on ability checks, end attunement, blindness/deafness.

EVIL EYE:

10ft range, duplicates animal friendship, charm person, or hold person (CHA-based save DC). On save, Vistana blinded until end of next turn.

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS

CHECK FREQUENCY:

Every 30 minutes on roads/wilderness (maximum 2 per 12 hours)

• Road: Encounter on d20 roll of 18+
• Wilderness: Encounter on d20 roll of 15+

DAYTIME ENCOUNTERS (d12 + d8):

NIGHTTIME ENCOUNTERS (d12 + d8):

ENVIRONMENTAL DESCRIPTIONS