Page 25 - Curse of Strahd_Neat

No matter how far a creature travels in the fog, or in Find the path: A child's spirit appears and guides the
which direction it goes, it gets turned around so that it caster to the desired location. The spirit can't be
eventually finds itself back in Barovia. harmed and doesn't speak.
, The area within the fog is heavily obscured (see "Vi­ Fog cloud: Misty, harmless claws form in the fog.
sion and Light" in chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook). Gust of wind: A ghastly moan accompanies the sum­
moned wind.
SUNLIGHT IN BAROVIA Mage hand: The summoned hand is skeletal.
By the will of the Dark Powers, the sun never fully Maze: The surfaces of the demi plane's maze are made
shines in the lands of Barovia. Even during the day, the of mortared skulls and bones.
sky is dimmed by fog or storm clouds, or the light is Phantom steed: The steed resembles a skeletal horse.
strangely muted. Barovian daylight is bright light, yet it Rary's telepathic bond: Characters linked together by
isn't considered sunlight for the purpose of effects and the spell can't shake the feeling that something vile is
vulnerabilities, such as a vampire's, tied to sunlight. telepathically eavesdropping on them.
Nevertheless, Strahd and his vampire spawn tend to Revivify: A creature restored to life by a revivify spell
stay indoors most of the day and venture out at night, screams upon regaining consciousness, as though
and they are subject to sunlight created by magic. waking from some horrible nightmare.
Spirit guardians: The spirits.appear as ghostly, skele­
tal warriors.
ALTERATIONS TO MAGIC Wall of stone: A wall created by the spell has ghastly
The land of Barovia resides in its own demiplane, faces sculpted into it, as though tortured spirits were
isolated from all other planes, including the Material somehow trapped within the stone.
Plane. No spell-not even wish-allows one to escape
from Strahd's domain. Astral projection, teleport, plane RESURRECTION MADNESS
shift, and similar spells cast for the purpose of leaving In Barovia, the souls of the dead are as trapped as the
Barovia simply fail, as do effects that banish a creature souls of the living. They become caught in the mists and
to another plane of existence. These restrictions apply can't travel to the afterlife.
to magic items and artifacts that have properties that When a humanoid who has been dead for at least 24
transport or banish creatures to other planes. Magic hours returns to life, either by way of a spell or some
that allows transit to the Border Ethereal, such as the supernatural means, it gains a random form of indefinite
etherealness spell and the Etherealness feature of incor­ madness brought on by the realization that its spirit is
poreal undead, is the exception to this rule. A creature trapped in Barovia, likely forever. To determine how this
that enters the Border Ethereal from Strahd's domain is madness is expressed, roll on the Indefinite Madness
pulled back into Barovia upon leaving that plane.
For the purpose of spells whose effects change across table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
or are blocked by planar boundaries (such as sending),
Strahd's domain is considered its own plane. Magic that BAROVIANS
summons creatures or objects from other planes func­ After his armies occupied the valley and slew its inhabi­
tions normally in Barovia, as does magic that involves tants, Strahd repopulated the area with human subjects
an extradimensional space. Any spells cast within such drawn from his other conquered lands. As a result,
an extradimensional space (such as that created by Barovians have a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion) are subject to the Barovians are deeply invested in their homes and
same restrictions as magic cast in Barovia. their traditions. They are wary of strange peoples and
While in Barovia, characters who receive spells from customs. The way Barovians deal with strangers can
deities or otherworldly patrons continue to do so. In ad­ be unsettling to those newcomers. Barovians have a
dition, spells that allow contact with beings from other tendency to stare openly, in silence, thereby express-
planes function normally-with one proviso: Strahd can ing their disapproval of anything that isn't familiar to
sense when someone in his domain is casting such a them. Barovians aren't talkative with strangers, to the
spell and can choose to make himself the spell's recipi­ extent of being pointedly rude, Most Barovians have
ent, so that he becomes the one who is contacted. violent tempers that boil up through their cus'tomary
silence when they are provoked. They -also have a.social
COSMETIC SPELL MODIFICATIONS. cohesiveness (thrust. upon ,them by their weird circum�
At your discretion, a spell can 6e �oqified·cosmeticaily stances) that can make tht:-:'m. acftogeth�r· ggainst outsid-
to enhance the ho.rrific atmosptt�r'fi._Here are:examples: ers if a Barovian is mistreat�d. ·
Barovians were a happy people.once, but their history
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Alarm: Instead of hearing a inerital ping wh e n the and current conditions aren't plef1san(�f one manages
alarm is triggered, the caster hears a scream. to win the trust of a Barovi�p.. one_ has a fri e nd for life
·
Bigby's hand: The conjured hand is skeletal. and a stalwart ally. · ·
Find familiar: The familiar is undead-not a celes­ Barovian children aren't happy-children. They are
tial, fey, or fiend-and is immune to features that raised in a culture of fear and told time and again not
turn undead. to wander too far from their homes or· enter the woods.
Find steed: The summoned steed is undead-not a ce­ They experience little hope or joy, and they are taught to
lestial, fey, or fiend-and is immune to features that _fear the devil �trahd above all.
turn undead.
CHAPTER 2 [ THE LANDS OF BAROVTA
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