Here is our problem:
We are being attacked by vampires whenever we attempt to leave Barovia by the way we entered it. We haven't yet learned who is behind these attacks, and it seems our DM is having a difficult time giving us the oppurtunity to discover it ourselves.
I would like to capture one of these vampire attackers, but have no idea how to do so. So far all our encounters have been the same. It attacks, we kill it, it turns to gaseous form and departs. I'd like a surefire way to incapacitate it so we can question it further.
BTW, whenever we attempt a Knowledge (religion) check to determine what we are against, the most anyone has rolled was enough to determine it is a vampire. Call it horrible luck.
2- Step 2: Find the vistani, they won't help you for free but with a little negociation they might agree to help you with divinations, a few boons etc in exchange for favors (wich is good because you'll get some fun role-playing to explore)
3-Step 3: Research again, and again (finding a copy of the Van Richten guides might help), figure out ways to ward them away (garlic, holy symbols, mirrors etc), so you don't get constantly ambushed
Step 4: Once you are properly prepared, assault, their lair in daylight (make sure you carry lots of wooden stakes, holy water etc). Find their coffins, stake them, chop of their heads afterwards (staking them only paralyzes them), sprinkle holy water of the corpse and burn them to ashes in a blessed fire
Step 5: Run away because if these vampires were working for Strad, you're in trouble...
1-Step one start investigating the source of the vampires. There should be folk legends in the local villages to support this (as in they can point the way to that cursed place...)
2- Step 2: Find the vistani, they won't help you for free but with a little negociation they might agree to help you with divinations, a few boons etc in exchange for favors (wich is good because you'll get some fun role-playing to explore)
3-Step 3: Research again, and again (finding a copy of the Van Richten guides might help), figure out ways to ward them away (garlic, holy symbols, mirrors etc), so you don't get constantly ambushed
Step 4: Once you are properly prepared, assault, their lair in daylight (make sure you carry lots of wooden stakes, holy water etc). Find their coffins, stake them, chop of their heads afterwards (staking them only paralyzes them), sprinkle holy water of the corpse and burn them to ashes in a blessed fire
Step 5: Run away because if these vampires were working for Strad, you're in trouble...
Well, let it be known we are being herded through "Expedition to Castle Ravenloft" first off.
I will take each of your steps and explain how the DM has made them ineffective (as we have tried most of them)
Step 1: Apparently no one in the village knows anything about no stinkin' vampires. We ask and typically the answer is along the lines of "oh dear, we don't know where they come from" or my favorite, "Legend has it..." after that I tune out, because my character has no tolerance for fairy tales, only facts.
Step 2: We saw the Vistani, at great risk. After talking with Madam Eva, I was about to see if I could cast fireball down her throat. Every word out of her mouth was a convuluted (sp?) riddle. Maybe this is the way she is supposed to be portrayed, but it was really aggravating to our party.
Step 3: We may need to do more of this.
Step 4: Twice we have encountered vampires in daylight, so I don't know if this is a valid procedure. As for the actual destroying, unless we find this information somewhere, we are clueless. No one has been able to roll a high enough Know (rel) to gain this information. Again, just poor rolls at bad times.
Step 5: As players, we know Strahd is behind this. As Characters, we've tried to leave numerous times in numerous ways, only to be told it doesn't work or to have horrible things happen.
I think we will be going up to castle ravenloft next session and that will finish things one way or the other...
And yes, that is how Madam Eva is supposed to be played, more or less.
- If madam eva didn't give you the information you needed (or you just simply didn't understand her 'riddles') then obviously you failed a diplomacy check along the way.
- I doubt very much your DM would appreciate you posting this on the Ravenloft boards.
- Even if he doesn't care, he's actually running the module very well. If your really having THAT much trouble with this, then talk to your DM. We can't really help you without revealing stuff about the module/vampires, and if you're failing your Knowledge (Religion) checks, that would be spoiling it.
Good day.
- I'll give you a hint: you'll never escape Barovia unless you complete this module your DM is trying to do.
Not really a big deal. I'll just re-create the same character for the next person who DM's (we have rotating DM duty).
- If madam eva didn't give you the information you needed (or you just simply didn't understand her 'riddles') then obviously you failed a diplomacy check along the way.
As stated above, I (and by extension, my character) have no patience for elusive and conniving persons. My diplomacy check is typically rolled with my caster level in d6's.
- I doubt very much your DM would appreciate you posting this on the Ravenloft boards.
Considering my DM never asked if we would be willing to adventure into Barovia, I honestly don't care what the DM appreciates. We were given no warning that we were to partake in this setting (we have been playing in the Forgotten realms for 6.5+ years now) and unfortunately, 3 of the 4 characters nvolved are the players favorites. A little background: We are a 5 man group. Each of us has created 3 characters. We rotate these characters, when a new person DM's. All of us take turns DMing and whoever is the DM assigns one player to control one his characters while he DM's. For this little trip into Barovia, our current DM decided he didn't want any of his characters to participate. Before we started the campaign we thought nothing of it. Now it's obvious he just didn't want to lose any of his characters. As stated above: I honestly don't care what the DM appreciates.
- Even if he doesn't care, he's actually running the module very well. If your really having THAT much trouble with this, then talk to your DM. We can't really help you without revealing stuff about the module/vampires, and if you're failing your Knowledge (Religion) checks, that would be spoiling it.
"he's actually running the module very well" Is kinda funny considering this DM has constantly fumbled some basic rules. The "mists" that continue to pop up allow a saving throw of some kind and are a mind affecting effect (pardon my inaccuracies right now I have no books on-hand), yet not one person got a saving throw the first 4 times we entered it. As well, one of my creations, a construct, isn't affected by the mists, and we had to ask him to read the description of the effect aloud to confirm it. He's bungled tripping rules, surprise rounds, initiative, DR, spells and spell-like abilities, so excuse me if I lack confidence in him.
Good day.
later.
Honestly, I am looking for some honest ways to hold a vampire to force it to answer some questions. That's it. I already thought of a readied action to cast Anti-magic shell when it goes gaseous, but I can't cast that spell for another level or two. Seriously that's all I started this thread for.
In regards to the vampire paralyzing, I can only offer clever 'tricks' that former DMs have allowed ME to do, but which aren't exactly in the rules.
One is very simple. Gaseous Form moves at a rate of 20ft per round. Thats pretty slow. I once was able to catch the vampire in an air-tight jar (as gaseous form is not actually incorporeal).
Another is (somehow) making him helpless so you can drive the stake through his heart, which simply paralyzes him, not kills.
If you can somehow surround it with running water or garlic, it will not be able to escape. Of course, it has eternity to sit there, and you don't.
A new spell in the spell compendium called Spark of Life removes the undead template for a number of rounds, meaning you could potentially use a simple Hold Person or stronger spell. this is of course if your DM allows this book.
Besides that, I have no idea. If you don't want to do the module though, I would just stop wasting the DMs time (and yours) and tell him you're not interested.
Considering my DM never asked if we would be willing to adventure into Barovia, I honestly don't care what the DM appreciates. We were given no warning that we were to partake in this setting (we have been playing in the Forgotten realms for 6.5+ years now) and unfortunately, 3 of the 4 characters nvolved are the players favorites.
Does the DM usually ask your permission every step of the way? ("Is it ok if I use a beholder? no? ok... how about if there's a trap down this corridor?") If you have such contempt for your DM, why do you play with him? If you aren't willing to walk from the table and find a DM who is more your style, would it kill you to go with the flow a bit and play the adventure the DM prepared? In a few sessions, you can be back in the Realms blasting monsters with your fireballs and grabbing loot.
For this little trip into Barovia, our current DM decided he didn't want any of his characters to participate. Before we started the campaign we thought nothing of it. Now it's obvious he just didn't want to lose any of his characters. As stated above: I honestly don't care what the DM appreciates.
And if he did lose a character, couldn't he play the same trick you suggested and just "re-create the same character for the next person who DM's"? What's the point of protecting his own PC's from himself?
I'm not trying to flame here... I just don't understand the DM vs. PC antagonism. It's not like a videogame walkthrough. We could give you all the tips and tricks in the world, and your DM is free to disregard them all via Rule 0. Without seeing him in action, I can't say if he's a good DM or not, but it seems the things that are annoying you most about the adventure aren't due to the DM, they're due to the adventure being in a different style than you're accustomed to.
(And consider yourself lucky that the DM chose one of the most mainstream and hack/slashy adventures from the Ravenloft line. God help you if he was running The Evil Eye, The Nightmare Lands or Bleak House)
I can't put it any better than kwdblade just did:
If you don't want to do the module though, I would just stop wasting the DMs time (and yours) and tell him you're not interested.
Tonight the group walked out of the DM's game.
No one in the group except the DM were having fun, and we told him so. He conceded that, and will hand off DM responsibilty to the next player in a couple weeks.
This whole thread is now moot.
Tonight the group walked out of the DM's game.
No one in the group except the DM were having fun, and we told him so. He conceded that, and will hand off DM responsibilty to the next player in a couple weeks.
To be perfectly blunt, it sounded that way.
That having been said, it also sounded like you gave it a bona fide attempt in character, too. The whole issue of "Players know secrets, but we'll role-play characters as if they didn't" seemed very professionally done, by your account.
Too bad it didn't work out, and I hope you guys get a chance to revisit the Demiplane of Dread under more expert guidance next time...
I wondered if there was something I could do as DM to make it fun for them, but as of yet, nothing.
I think this could be a learning experience to try and see what a DM could do better to run RL. Given, RL isn't a setting for all players or DMs. I just wish I knew more Tips and Tricks to really DM RL well, without screwing things up.
I guess thats my two cents...
-Emjaysmash