Café de Nuit

I think there was a chunk of time a few years ago where I was a fairly regular poster here, but I got busy with real life and the couple forums I posted in took a back seat. I check in from time to time, particularly if there's big Ravenloft news (see: new book release). 8+ year Eberron campaign sti...

Whoops! Thought I'd replied, but apparently I forgot. CoS has this to say: Barovians are made of flesh and blood. They are born, they live, they age, and they die. But not all of them-only about one in every ten-have souls. When a being with a soul dies in Barovia, that soul remains trapped in Strah...

That feels, perhaps, a bit too open-ended. My group would likely flounder with all the information, having been giving no direction and no specific clues that would lead them to any conclusion. Ideally, I think, I'd want them to start somewhat confused by what's in front of them, but quickly pick up...

My Curse of Strahd campaign is loosely connected to the overall campaign setting. I'm running a secondary narrative arc where the players are slowly learning that the demiplane was constructed and that not everything operates naturally. They are just about to have a meeting with S, as a cameo, in wh...

Something to note: in 5E, NPCs aren't statted up using PC classes. You're not constrained by the same limitations a PC has. There's no class levels or anything like that. You could give Gennifer any spells that are thematically-appropriate. Many spellcasting monsters and NPCs do use specific class-b...

It occurs to me that the description I've given of the Jekyll/Hyde transformation matches the description of the Holistic Purifiers described as one of the formulas of Alchemical Philosophy (VRA pg. 69). In fact, the example the Weathermay Twins use is that of a learned nobleman transforming into a...

I'm preferential to the first one. It's always nice to balance out the dread and despair with a few points of light.

As for using those prestige classes, I do plan to do that somewhat for reference but I want to use the warforged for loose reference as I don't want them to become just another flavor of warforged entirely. I want them if they change at all, to be at the very least, a flavor of "Alchemic Child...

True but they also can be clerics and are affected by spells that affect the soul. (such as Soul Jar or Soul Bind which do not fall under their immunities) I would assume no matter a lack of clarification that they at least have the qualities of a soul if not the specific distinction of those quali...

They don't but when you told me to adapt CoS I just went with it. If not just use broken ones or madmen with appropriate fluff to how they are confined or controlled if you plan to use the dungeon intact as I described in the past post. As for adapting Gaz I, I agree it would be better to perhaps f...

There is also the fact that Warforged (From Eberron), who use the living construct subtype are not immune to mind influencing effects and form a middle ground as they have no biological creature parts but they are meant to mimic life and have similar if slightly differing intelligence but still qua...

Well an alchemist who uses others may torture his victims and use parts of them which would hold ethereal resonance thus emotions of the victims to be sure. But since the character is the alchemist then they would have the emotions and perspectives of the alchemist as well. Perhaps have the player ...

I have a PC in my Curse of Strahd game that wanted to have amnesia, but with flashes of memory of his past. As much as I don't like this trope, I thought it could be interesting. The general concept was that he is a barbarian and was created by a kind alchemist that worked for Strahd. He has flashes...

If I were playing this, I'd be a little suspicious as a player if Strahd found "something just came up" and left us to our own devices. Perhaps if a third party puts them up to infiltrating the castle, that same third party would arrange a distraction for the party? Certainly. I assume th...

Depends on what your intents are. They come at the Castle as (uneasy) guest, or as angry invaders looking for revenge? I'd prefer uneasy guests, but have no issues if they're out for revenge, as long as they're kept somewhat in check. I'm not looking for them to fight Strahd. They're not ready for ...