A new journey – and story arc! – begins! On the road up to the mist-choked mountain pass, Ralston and Andrej whip up a circus act to secure their place amongst the Vistani, casting Dragomir as the whipping boy. When it appears the Vistani might be taking them down the river, the heroes must decide…
Things get a bit bitey, as our heroes face off against Ingrid the vampiress and a pair of elephantine wolves inside the Vistani’s circle of salt. Expect a quantity of near-death experiences, garnished with horrifying transformations, and topped off with a hand-delivered missive from someone very Dark and Lordly…
DM Scott welcomes a guest expert on all things Gothic: Dr. Sam Hirst, of Manchester Metropolitan University. Scott and Sam chat about the tangled origins of Gothic fiction; some of Sam’s favourite Gothic tropes and subversions; and how Gothic is Ravenloft, anyway?? Dr. Hirst is on Twitter as @RomGothSam, and runs the Gothic resource hub,…
The Darklord’s gaze has fallen upon the heroes, which means it’s time to make tracks! But since their best chance to hide from Strahd involves joining a cabal of sinister circus freaks, is the cure worse than the disease?
The sinister Vistani have appeared in every iteration of Ravenloft since the beginning… but are they an essential staple of Gothic fiction, or a culturally offensive stereotype? Scott and Gayle discuss the problematic legacy of the Vistani, and Scott describes how he has adapted them to suit his campaign.
A new story arc begins! The heroes agree it’s time to get out of town, so they introduce themselves to the Vistani, a band of traveling performers who can either help to protect them on the road… or pose a whole new set of threats!
“Well, let’s just roll for initiative, shall we?” The Burgomaster’s mansion is under siege! As the unholy servants of Strahd seek to draw our heroes out, like lambs to the slaughter, Dragomir proves that he has the spirit of the wolf within him. Also in this episode: the mystery of the heroes’ centuries-long sleep is…
In a tête-à-tête with any dungeon masters who might be listening, Scott the DM explains what changes he made to The Curse of Strahd campaign prior to its debut, plus what narrative details he has tweaked over the course of the first 10 episodes or so. SPOILER ALERT: Gamers beware! This episode contains spoilers for…
After much deliberation on who gets to sleep in which spooky bedroom, the heroes of Barovia snuggle down at the Burgomaster’s house for a much-needed long rest. But it’s hard to sleep when you’re surrounded by murmuring phantoms, zealous avengers, and hysterical priests. Also: what’s that rule about vampires in your house? “Always invite them…
Join the gang for a relaxed (read: inebriated) comparison between 5th Ed D&D and previous editions. Laird expresses his desire to come back as a lich; Scott applauds the ethics of Hades; and David takes a nostalgic rampage down Barbarian Lane.
