Death of Strahd - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Death of Strahd

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
emjaysmash
Jun 27, 2006 9:57:37 I know it seems almost immpossibe, but there is a very slight chance that a PC could kill the Count. I was just wondering what sort of thing would happen if it really did take place? Would everything just vanish into nothing-ness? Would there even be a slight chance that Ravenloft would continue to exist?
#2
Mortepierre
Jun 27, 2006 12:29:55 This dead horse has been beaten so much it ain't funny anymore.

Truth be told, no one knows for sure.

The most likely scenario would be:
- the DP save Strahd (him being their favorite puppet and all)
- Barovia goes POOF!
- Strahd's dear grand-niece takes over (I weep for Barovia if that happens!)
- one of Strahd's relatives takes over (quite a few candidates there..)
- the whole setting goes down the drain
#3
zombiegleemax
Jun 27, 2006 13:03:01 --the PCs are stuck in a never ending loop of running through Castle Ravenloft (a la Groundhog Day)
--the world looks like one of the old NES cartridges that displays random blocks everywhere, but you can't do anything.
#4
zombiegleemax
Jun 28, 2006 4:39:29 One interesting possibility: Ardonk Szerieza is actually able to step into the power vacuum... and we end up with a sort of proxy fight between Gabby Aderre (who's been backing him recently) and her son (who will be very pleased to find that the Vistani's strong patron in Ravenloft is gone).
#5
rotipher
Jun 28, 2006 11:59:11 I'd never let Strahd die like that IMC, but if I were to allow it, I kinda like the idea of having Castle Ravenloft, itself, become the new darklord. If anyplace in the Land of Mists has the potential to become a kick-butt phantasmagora, it's that one -- no matter what Gaz I may have said about its resonance; I think that book waaaay underrated the sheer potency it merits as Ground Zero for the demiplane's birthplace -- and a chunk of the castle's already come to life, as it is.
#6
zombiegleemax
Jun 28, 2006 13:41:21 Ugh, why do people always have to wonder about killing "keystone" characters like this? What happens if you kill Elminister? What happens if you kill Paladine? What happens if you kill the Lady of Pain? What happens if you kill Strahd?

My personal feeling is you can't. In the case of a Dark Lord in a domain, the only way I see this even being feasible is if the Dark Powers want a new lord to take over. The rules get tossed out the window when the whole demiplane is controled by the dark powers. They do not have to let any death be permenant and they definately can find many ways to prevent this.

Again I have to wonder at the campaign that people are running when they find "keystone" world characters and destroy them. What is left in your campaign at this point? Destroying the gods themselves? Sounds really, really, exciting!!
#7
moonslayer
Jun 28, 2006 19:13:42 Once upon a time I was co-DMing our group on their first trip into RL. When asked what they planned to do by an NPC, one of them replied: "We're going to find Strahd, kick his ass, and force him to send us home!" The rest of the room got quite a laugh out of that.
#8
zombiegleemax
Jun 28, 2006 19:27:24 Killing Strahd is like when the cartoon kids beat Venger--he comes back next Saturday morning, fully recharged and ****** off. In other words, the PCs thinking they beat Strahd would be something the Dark Powers might do to mess with them.
#9
zombiegleemax
Jun 29, 2006 12:32:45 I once tried to Dm a group through every Ravenloft module, especially the Grand Conjunction series. Since the module’s appropriate character level did not match the chronological order of events, I used the mists to transport the group through time as well as location. The idea was that they would discover that they were key to many Ravenloft historical events. Eventually they would learn enough Ravenloft history to discover the time that “powerful heroes assault castle Ravenloft and are destroyed” happens sometime in Ravenloft’s past…..eventually these character would be high enough level to do the original Ravenloft adventure. They would realize the entire time that “They” were those powerful heroes, about to be destroyed!
However, the adventure as written makes it possible that the heroes will indeed kill Strahd. If they succeeded, my plan was to have them simply be carried by the mists to some other location. (or maybe even let them escape Ravenloft…….temporarily) and never know for certain what actually happened to Strahd. Eventually they would realize that somehow Strahd was still alive and that the whole scenario about them being destroyed by the Count was just propaganda…………..Strahd would probably be kept unalive by the Darkpowers to preserve Ravenloft (and their favorite pet), but his destruction could possibly unravel the entire domain.
(Maybe this is WOTC plan with the new Ravenloft module)
#10
rotipher
Jun 29, 2006 15:12:24 Really, it's not something that can be answered except by the individual DM who's running the campaign. Like so many other questions, it's dependent on what the dungeon master thinks the Dark Powers are, what their agenda is, and why they'd created Ravenloft (or at least Barovia) in the first place.

Do the Dark Powers IYC have a reason to keep Strahd von Zarovich around? Then no PC is ever going to kill him, and that's that.
#11
jonesy
Jul 01, 2006 16:44:24
Ugh, why do people always have to wonder about killing "keystone" characters like this? What happens if you kill Elminster? What happens if you kill Paladine? What happens if you kill the Lady of Pain? What happens if you kill Strahd?

Heh. That's not really hard at all nowadays. ;)
#12
bob_the_efreet
Jul 02, 2006 2:10:34
What happens if you kill Elminister?

Nothing! Nobody cares about Elminster.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 emjaysmash Jun 27, 2006 9:57:37	I know it seems almost immpossibe, but there is a very slight chance that a PC could kill the Count. I was just wondering what sort of thing would happen if it really did take place? Would everything just vanish into nothing-ness? Would there even be a slight chance that Ravenloft would continue to exist?
#2 Mortepierre Jun 27, 2006 12:29:55	This dead horse has been beaten so much it ain't funny anymore. Truth be told, no one knows for sure. The most likely scenario would be: - the DP save Strahd (him being their favorite puppet and all) - Barovia goes POOF! - Strahd's dear grand-niece takes over (I weep for Barovia if that happens!) - one of Strahd's relatives takes over (quite a few candidates there..) - the whole setting goes down the drain
#3 zombiegleemax Jun 27, 2006 13:03:01	--the PCs are stuck in a never ending loop of running through Castle Ravenloft (a la Groundhog Day) --the world looks like one of the old NES cartridges that displays random blocks everywhere, but you can't do anything.
#4 zombiegleemax Jun 28, 2006 4:39:29	One interesting possibility: Ardonk Szerieza is actually able to step into the power vacuum... and we end up with a sort of proxy fight between Gabby Aderre (who's been backing him recently) and her son (who will be very pleased to find that the Vistani's strong patron in Ravenloft is gone).
#5 rotipher Jun 28, 2006 11:59:11	I'd never let Strahd die like that IMC, but if I were to allow it, I kinda like the idea of having Castle Ravenloft, itself, become the new darklord. If anyplace in the Land of Mists has the potential to become a kick-butt phantasmagora, it's that one -- no matter what Gaz I may have said about its resonance; I think that book waaaay underrated the sheer potency it merits as Ground Zero for the demiplane's birthplace -- and a chunk of the castle's already come to life, as it is.
#6 zombiegleemax Jun 28, 2006 13:41:21	Ugh, why do people always have to wonder about killing "keystone" characters like this? What happens if you kill Elminister? What happens if you kill Paladine? What happens if you kill the Lady of Pain? What happens if you kill Strahd? My personal feeling is you can't. In the case of a Dark Lord in a domain, the only way I see this even being feasible is if the Dark Powers want a new lord to take over. The rules get tossed out the window when the whole demiplane is controled by the dark powers. They do not have to let any death be permenant and they definately can find many ways to prevent this. Again I have to wonder at the campaign that people are running when they find "keystone" world characters and destroy them. What is left in your campaign at this point? Destroying the gods themselves? Sounds really, really, exciting!!
#7 moonslayer Jun 28, 2006 19:13:42	Once upon a time I was co-DMing our group on their first trip into RL. When asked what they planned to do by an NPC, one of them replied: "We're going to find Strahd, kick his ass, and force him to send us home!" The rest of the room got quite a laugh out of that.
#8 zombiegleemax Jun 28, 2006 19:27:24	Killing Strahd is like when the cartoon kids beat Venger--he comes back next Saturday morning, fully recharged and ****** off. In other words, the PCs thinking they beat Strahd would be something the Dark Powers might do to mess with them.
#9 zombiegleemax Jun 29, 2006 12:32:45	I once tried to Dm a group through every Ravenloft module, especially the Grand Conjunction series. Since the module’s appropriate character level did not match the chronological order of events, I used the mists to transport the group through time as well as location. The idea was that they would discover that they were key to many Ravenloft historical events. Eventually they would learn enough Ravenloft history to discover the time that “powerful heroes assault castle Ravenloft and are destroyed” happens sometime in Ravenloft’s past…..eventually these character would be high enough level to do the original Ravenloft adventure. They would realize the entire time that “They” were those powerful heroes, about to be destroyed! However, the adventure as written makes it possible that the heroes will indeed kill Strahd. If they succeeded, my plan was to have them simply be carried by the mists to some other location. (or maybe even let them escape Ravenloft…….temporarily) and never know for certain what actually happened to Strahd. Eventually they would realize that somehow Strahd was still alive and that the whole scenario about them being destroyed by the Count was just propaganda…………..Strahd would probably be kept unalive by the Darkpowers to preserve Ravenloft (and their favorite pet), but his destruction could possibly unravel the entire domain. (Maybe this is WOTC plan with the new Ravenloft module)
#10 rotipher Jun 29, 2006 15:12:24	Really, it's not something that can be answered except by the individual DM who's running the campaign. Like so many other questions, it's dependent on what the dungeon master thinks the Dark Powers are, what their agenda is, and why they'd created Ravenloft (or at least Barovia) in the first place. Do the Dark Powers IYC have a reason to keep Strahd von Zarovich around? Then no PC is ever going to kill him, and that's that.
#11 jonesy Jul 01, 2006 16:44:24	Ugh, why do people always have to wonder about killing "keystone" characters like this? What happens if you kill Elminster? What happens if you kill Paladine? What happens if you kill the Lady of Pain? What happens if you kill Strahd? Heh. That's not really hard at all nowadays. ;)
#12 bob_the_efreet Jul 02, 2006 2:10:34	What happens if you kill Elminister? Nothing! Nobody cares about Elminster.