What would you change?

[Tobias Blackburn]

I always liked Drakov's curse. This great military leader (albeit evil) desires empire and expansion (Hitler what?) yet he is bottled up in a small(ish) domain. All of his military attempts at expansion are doomed to fail. The beast is stuck in a cage to small for it. Every defeat is like a sharp stick being plunged into his flesh. Can you imagine the unbridled rage Drakov feels, not to mention the undertones of inadequecy. Of course, I like your curse as well, both work IMO.

I think the problem is, it doesn't seem so much like a curse because Drakov doesn't understand that he's doomed to failure. If I understood HuManBing correctly, that was the reason he created a slightly different curse (which I like, by the way).

It isn't whether he knows he's doomed to failure that's important, it's that he can never achieve his goal and suffers the frustration and shame that comes with it. Dominic doesn't know why he repulses women he likes, nor does Mordenheim know why he can't revive his wife. This doesn't make their curses any less potent.

A curse that forces Vlad to make war or die forces him to battle eternally. It becomes less a matter of him wanting to do it as being forced to. On the other hand, by preventing him from succeeding each war becomes a personal act, something he doesn't need to do but wants too. He controls most of the Core's grain and could bring them down that way, but he wants real conquest. The current curse slashes away at the image he wants to present.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Actually, when you think about it, Drakov's [canon] curse would be far less effective if he *knew* that he's being denied victory by forces that are totally beyond his control (i.e. nature of the demiplane + DPs). As he doesn't understand how the other nations' borders work -- he can't close his own, remember? -- and doesn't realize that the fates (=DPs) are conspiring to block his every attempt at conquest, Drakov is forced to lay all of the blame somewhere else: his weakling troops, his incompetent subordinates, his inept informants, or (in his gloomiest moments, which he'll admit to nobody and struggles desperately to deny) ultimately upon himself.

It's his utter dread of this last possibility -- the fear that he really *is* nothing more than the crude thug his employers in Taladas always dismissed him as, unable to expand a nation or even rule it effectively -- that Drakov's shying away from, every time he executes another battle-commander for screwing up, or spikes more peasants to smother his own self-doubt in the power-rush of his victims' helpless terror. If he knew he was *cursed* to fail, he'd have somebody else to blame -- the DPs -- so while he'd still be helpless to conquer, he wouldn't feel as frustrated or as shamed by his terrible track-record. Much better to keep him in the dark, frantically pointing wrathful fingers at everybody but himself, while those losses keep right on piling up and making him look evermore incompetent.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

The VRG's always stated (repeatedly) that there is no such thing as a standard monster in Ravenloft, so having a ghost that can age a vampire or a vampire that could be aged by a ghost's aging attack is feasable.

While the variability of Ravenloft monsters is a given, I'm not sure this is a sufficient excuse for Lyssa's power-boost. VRGtV also suggests that a vampire's increased abilities with age are actually the result of centuries of *practice*, during which they familiarize themselves with more of their inherent capabilities, rather than the passage of time alone. Exposure to a ghost's age-aura wouldn't grant Lyssa the practice necessary to boost her power, even if it *did* increase her age in the chronological sense.

Besides, according to her backstory, that ghost would be the last being in the world to *want* to make Lyssa more powerful. Ghosts' abilities are variable, but they *aren't* random; they're reflective or symbolic of the ghost's personality, intentions, and past habits from life. If anything, I'd expect the ghost of Lyssa's murdered ex-boyfriend to exhibit powers that *hurt* vampires (e.g. a sunlight-aura), not strengthen them.

Not that it can't work IYC; I just think it's something I'd rather eliminate altogether than shoehorn it in. As I posted earlier, I have Lyssa having spent a few subjective centuries in Arak (now the Shadow Rift) IMC, which accounts for how she 'aged' so rapidly.

[HuManBing]

In my mind, the Dark Powers are at their most gleeful when they play cat and mouse with a victim fully aware of their intervention. If you have a Drakov who just never learns from his mistakes, then the sole mover in that scenario is a stubborn, hubristic military leader.

While I'm not arguing that those don't exist (hah!), I do think he would be a more tortured soul if there was an element where the PCs could identify with WHY he's doing it. At the moment, his motivations sort of make sense if you accept that he's a bloodthirsty lunatic whose pride is too overwhelming for his sense to ever break through. But the PCs never get a sense of "There but for the grace of the Gods, go I".

If you want a character who is just pure evil for the sake of it and never has a further dimension that PCs can feel some spark of sympathy for, then the current Drakov suffices. Many source materials even point out that he is the butt of many insults and jokes among other darklords, who feel (with some justification) that he is just irredeemably ignorant.

If the Dark Powers give him a curse such as the bloodletting requirement, that puts an element of reason behind his acts. They don't excuse them - but that's not the point. They merely explain them.

Of course it eliminates some element of choice for Drakov, but it's fitting punishment for his numerous depredations prior to becoming a darklord. Azalin and Strahd are both being punished for their sins - and neither of them really has a way out of their predicament.

Also, it makes for an interesting moral decision for whomever would oust Drakov. In the current setting, somebody could conceivably get rid of the Kingsfuhrer and his Talons and then assume control of Falkovnia as a benevolent ruler. But if you place a visible curse like the bloodletting requirement on the throne and whoever sits there, then the PCs are going to think twice about removing him. After all, if they were in the same situation, they might very well rationally come to a similar decision.

Either way, I appreciate the comments and hope that mine will be taken in the same light as others' - suggestions and options. Thanks to all for their input!

[Manofevil]

In the current setting, somebody could conceivably get rid of the Kingsfuhrer and his Talons and then assume control of Falkovnia as a benevolent ruler.

I would dispute this. In the current setting, assassination plots are almost doomed to failure. The DPs have set things up so that their favorite butchers are almost impossible to backstab. I remember reading in the Black Box likes to pace a particular balcony that overlooks a great amount of his land. Now suppose an elven marksman was hiding outside the castle in whatever cover he could find and spotted him up there. I am convinced that if the marksman decided to take the shot presented, the DPs would cause a gust of wind to blow at the last minute forcing the arrow shot off target. The DPs have all kinds of ways to keep the DarkLords spreading grief. How else do you thinks they've kept Strahd and Tatyana apart for this long? At least, this is my impression.

[cure]

The adventure with Dr. Mordenheim and Adam borders on being ridiculously out of character when as motivation to the party the doctor transplants wereboar hearts into them. Either they do his bidding and eventually get their own inners returned or they end their days as lycanthropes. This struck me as clumsy in the extreme and decidedly too supernatural for a Lamordian scientist. I will grant that it is horrible, but if some less invasive motivation could not be found, should not at least wereboars been kept out of the picture? Set something, a fungus, a slime, an ooze, growing in them that will devour them from within or that will drive them mad. Or alter their blood chemistry making them reliant on the doctor to live. Dissolving their bones, or threatening to, should they not play along would be much more in character.

[Tobias Blackburn]

While I'm not arguing that those don't exist (hah!), I do think he would be a more tortured soul if there was an element where the PCs could identify with WHY he's doing it. At the moment, his motivations sort of make sense if you accept that he's a bloodthirsty lunatic whose pride is too overwhelming for his sense to ever break through. But the PCs never get a sense of "There but for the grace of the Gods, go I".

I think the current curse has more empathy potential that one that forces him to spill blood. Drakov isa bully who desires to be seen as a true king and powerful conqueror. He constantly pursues something that he can never have, throwing away the lives of his people again and again in a quest for an unattainable goal. That kind of obsession isn't too hard for the players to understand.

Being forced to spill blood to survive has less empathy value. It is less "there but for the Grace of God" and more "He staked the wrong vistani". It is no longer a personal failing that torments him than it is an action he needs to perform to stay alive. As you described it as being tied to the throne it isn't Drakov's curse but the Kingdom's curse, one more suited to torment a hard yet fairly benevolent dictator, something that Vlad ain't.

EDIT:
The Dark Powers do play cat and mouse games, but they're slightly more subtle (sometimes). You mentioned that Vlad's current curse makes him a man who just won't let his pride see through the fact that he can't win. If you want to look at him like that you have to see Strahd, Ivan, Ivana, Adam, Mordenheim, Azalin, Malken, Dominic, Jackie, and all the others in the exact same light. Every single one of them is kept back from one thing, something that they can never have no matter how they try. This obsession is at the core of their curse. With Vlad he extends it to be willing to throw away lives upon lives in a hopeless crusade, something that any hero should be able to empathize with. Sometimes you have to back down from a fight if the cost is too high. Most leaders won't (or don't) admit that. You empathize with Vlad for his desires for his accomplishments and abilities to recieve recognition. They don't and it spurs him onto further actions which compound his failure. If you don't think a darklord's curse is appropriate you just need to change the light you're viewing it in.

[Jack of Tears]

Things I have changed:

I made Bluetspur a moon of Ravenloft.

I made Adam and Mordenheim co-dark lords.

Kept Liza, ignored the whole artificial aging thing ... rather, I made her more manipulative and let her power arise from skill rather than a poorly envisioned power increase.

Changed Dominic's curse to make it worse. Now he charms anyone he speaks to in more than passing. Thus he can have no friends, no interesting aquaintances, everyone around him is a fawning sicophant. Sure he has power .. but it is a lonely kind of power, which he can share with no one - only those women he becomes interested in are ever resistant to his power .. and they will have nothing to do with him.

Ignored the grand conjunction and the changes to il-aluk.

And, well, much more .. but those are the few people here might be interested in.

[Augustus]

One of the things I've been toying with is creating an Illithid over-network; basically meaning the illithid have a hand in most happenings in the Core through subtle suggestions as is their natural inclination. My DP's find the Illithid conspiracies, proxy experiments and machinations very amusing and will not allow them to suceed.
Some say that something like this isn't Gothic, I disagree. To find out that abberant predators are in control of everything is world-shattering and isolating. This isn't naked horror, it is all-encompasing.
k flame suit on jk/

[HuManBing]

I also did not like the changes to Il Aluk and the formation of Necropolis. It ranks much higher than the formation of the Shadow Rift on my personal scale of Undesirable Blots on the Landscape. Death is a faintly interesting character but Necropolis is either very brief or very boring for non undead and slightly ridiculous.

Rather than say it never happened, which would be a bit of a shame, I am trying to think up of a grand plot where Azalin and his (numerically superior) army of Kargat operatives are infiltrating Necropolis with an eye to overthrowing Lowellyn Dachine and his minions. I think the state of mind might be very much like the Soviets operating in Poland, or the political intrigues of the Qing dynasty in China - a large nation is trying to enforce its will on a defiant smaller nation where the leader is ensconced in a strong power base.

Azalin might be able to send undead operatives armed with newborn paraphernalia to knock out the Necropolitan leadership.

Certainly Azalin would relish the opportunity to regain his capital city and send his erstwhile servant screaming on his way to oblivion...

[William Blackmoor]

What did i change...?

I blasted Necropolis away with the charged Rift Spanner, returning Il Aluk (although with traces of the past and some eyrie positiv energy-related effects, you may look it up in the "Getting rid of Necropolis"-thread).

Replaced Sri Raji's killed darklord Arijani with his mother who now posses as an avatar of Kali and rules the Land in her sons name, keeping his death a secret.

Had an elf-warlord who lost his family to Drakov conquer Silbervas as an insult to Drakov (who fought the elf but lost, as the elf is almost as ruthless against humans as Drakov is against non-humans) Now Drakov even lost part of his realm to a new darklord.

Had Inza change into a shadowy fey-like creature impersonating the Dark Queen of Sithican mythology. Soth is gone exept for the Blessed Knight.
Sithicus humans are clearly painted as a minority.
Added a pocket domain to sithicus southern woods, were a banshee queen rules the former capital of Kaelinost (remember the ghoul-queen seduced by the god Chemosh who is responsible for the wichtlins in the Dragonlance setting?)
Re-added an own religion to the elves, using the krynnish pantheon.

Eyrie Keep's first darklord Kravon returned in the body of his ursurper. Used the keep to explain the language similarieties between Sithicus and Liffe.

Added the "Post Vecna-Burning Peaks" cluster to Vechors eastern boarder. Added a strong but dark LotR-feeling to the setting (yes still working on "The Lord of the Broken Ring"-Adventure I once posted here).

Added Bluetspur to the Core's "Underdark", neighboring the El Koth caves of Hazlan.

Added the Shadowborn-cluster to the north-west of Darkon

Had a succubus (inspired by the devil below London) take control of central Paridon via her reality wrinkel, acting as a queen (Anne II) . Sodo lurks in the shadows, fighting his shadow-war with the marikith.

Enlarged I'Cath into a china-like realm, conncting it to Rokushima T. (Soon to merge with the Steaming Lands).

Connected a sumerian-style version (although I kept many elements of Dark Sun) of Kalidnay to the Amber Wastes.

Probably going to let my player, who's character is distantly related to Strahd and wants to kill him since Day One, slay the darklord of Barovia at the end of my campagin (set in a distant possible future of Ravenloft) only to let the character take Strahd's place (yes, he failed 3 powerchecks already )

[alhoon]

You aren't much of a canon person, are you?

[William Blackmoor]

Quite the opposite my dear Alhoon.
I'm very much in favor of the canon, but many of these changes occured due to the actions of my group and I'm a hard but fair DM. For example, they killed Arijani, but I took care that almost no one knows about it. If my group returns to Sri Raji they themselves will wonder if Arijani has returned from the dead.
The domains I connected or enlarged served their purpose at the time and may at the whim of the Dark Powers seperate or shrink again. I think it's the nature of Ravenloft. If you take into acount how many domains connected in the beginning of the demiplane, it's very strange, that they more or less stopped connecting since the Great Conjunction (yes, we know it's because we, the customers, don't want to buy a new map every year )

[alhoon]

Yes, but domains connecting with each other and then connecting with the core again is (IMO) something that is very rare.
Although I understand your need for continuity in your adventures and campaigns would make most of these changes "canon" at least in your game.

[William Blackmoor]

You are refering to the Shadowborn Cluster, yes? there's a simple reason I connected it to the core: because of the Circle every Knight of the Shadows has to visit once a year. I was just fed up with this mist travelling and wanted something stabel for my player's knight of the shadows.