CoS 2
CoS 2 is a roleplaying campaign using a modified Curse of Strahd module using the DnD 5e system set in Forgotten Realms (Faerûn/Demiplanes of Dread), run by Gunnar Petzäll as DM and the Zeta group (Masen, Tobias, Staffan, Darío) as players.
The campaign follows a group of Forgotten Realms characters who end up in in a forgotten realm, with varying motivations to mostly make the world a better place.
House Rules
- General Dice Rules
- General DnD 5e house rules (all sorts)
- Barovian Sleep (nightmares may prevent some HP restoration; overcome with time)
- Lingering Injuries (debuffs and scars when taking 50% max HP or being downed)
Session prep
Main Cast
Current level: 1.
| Player | Character | Sheet | Ini | HP | AC | Per | Hit | DC | Str | Dex | Con | Int | Wis | Cha | Prof | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel | Torbjoern | Link | [ Link] | +4 | 12 | 15 | +3 | +6 | n/a | +0* | +4* | +2 | +0 | +1 | +0 | +2 |
| Staffan | Jormund | Link | [ Link] | +6 | 15 | 14 | +0 | +5 | n/a | +5* | +1 | +5* | -1 | +0 | +1 | +2 |
| Tobias | Aelfric | Link | [ Link] | +3 | 15 | 14 | +0 | +5 | n/a | +5* | +1 | +5* | -1 | +0 | +1 | +2 |
Planning
- S1 2022-11-26 - as planned - 4/5 (face 2 face)
- Tobias unavailable
- S2 2022-12-05 - as planned - 5/5 (Discord)
- S3 2022-12-12 - as planned - 5/5 (Discord)
- S4 2023-01-23 - as planned - 5/5 (Discord)
Summary
Yet again, Yester Hill
The party got Ezmeralda's wagon from Krezk and headed towards the wizard of Wines to have a night's rest there. On the way, several of the party members were individually approached by vestigial powers from around Barovia, similarly to Bigwig's connection with the Fanes, and they seemed eager to offer the enemies of Strahd help, some also wanted additional help in the "Amber Temple" up Mount Ghakis to the south, a place where the dusk elf healer and leader Kasimir Velikov said he wanted to go in order to find the powers to resurrect his long dead sister (killed by Strahd). Garth grew larger, Ziff gained some muscles and Nibbins gained an unseeing eye on the site of his head.
The party arrived unmolested at Wizard of Wine, despite the late hour, and shared some information with Davian Martikov and his family while having dinner. Davian asked if they had seen Muriel Zalenski, but they had not. They were given hay mattresses and blankets to sleep and Davian had his sons carry out the night watch.
[Day 17 23:00]
- Note: Bigwig was at some point earlier visited by the Swamp Fane, the Weaver, a young dark woman with 6 black eyes and smooth voice, and asked to strengthen his bond with The Ladies Three and he accepted, prior to the experiences of the rest of the party.
(Session 51 - 2024-04-23 - [Day 18 07:00] all +Greg)
Start with a short rest as some party members felt poorly from dreams.
Party headed towards Yester Hill but found a group of forest people that seemed to lie in ambush. They were engaged and dispatched.
Short session, mostly social.
(Session 52 - 2024-05-07 - [Day 18 10:00] -Garth)
With magical aid, snuck around the top of Yester Hill towards the Creepy Tree finding 13 sages including some sort of "arch druid" chanting. Darling identified large magical auras surrounding the tree. Bigwig rushed in, threw out the arch druid which was quickly pummeled to death by the party before the sages even noticed what was going on. With a roar from the party, many sages were frightened. When the sages recovered, however, a barrage of nature's necrotic energies surrounded several party members, even pushing Garth to his knees.
(Session 53 - 2024-05-14 - [Day 18 11:00] all)
The battle against the sages was punishing. They started out taking turns on some sort of chanting, slowly bringing life to the creepy tree that Bigwig identified as a Gulthias Tree, a sort of vampiric arboreal monstrosity, which also tried to grapp or hurt the intruders at every turn. The sages used magics that boomed across the hilltop, attracting the attention of the several groups of forest people around, albeit confused at first.
The battle raged with the looming threat of dozens of forest people coming to see if the sounds were a sign of some sort of danger.
(Session 54 - 2024-05-21 - [Day 18 11:02] all)
Eventually, only one sage remained fleeing behind a wall of stone as the adventurers desperately tried to destoy the Gulthias Tree. Barely hanging on, exhausted from combat and physical punishment, Zif leaps inside a surprised mouth-like gap of the tree, managing to swing her oversized swords at its interior while Bigwig acted bouncy ball to avoid getting stuck in its maws. With further aid of the whole team, X deals a lethal blow to something akin to a neural pathway and the tree stops moving with a deep groan.
Now getting surrounded on all sides, cries aroudn them seem more intent and some forest people are outright running at the party. With great physical effort they managed to skirt two oncoming groups and outrun their pursuers getting in to the edge of Svalich Woods, which made the escape slightly easier.
Getting to the northern side they noticed Davian and three younger family members of the Martikovs fighting off smaller groups of forest people, the ground littered with their corpses and the Martikovs looking quite worse for wear, one even on his knees. The attackes were swiftly expedited and everyone went a bit further to get on to Ezmeralda's wagon and make the escape.
Back at the vineyard they rested and had some food, awaiting their pursuers but nobody came. They strategised and agreed to fortify the vineyard to try to get some quality rest in case the forest people regroups to attack. Plenty of eyes to patrol, and Darling provided magical alarms in addition to that for the night. Poles were dug into the earth, forcing any advancing groups into particular funnels.
During dinner, Darling ate one of her magic mushrooms, summoning two dust mephits from the ground, named Traxeiastoleas and Stegnotirio.
As night started to settle, not a word was heard from Yester Hill. The hours passed into night and most attempted to recuperate some of their strength with a couple on guard at all times.
Then one of Darling's alarms went off...
(Session 55 - 2024-05-28 - [Day 18 23:50] -Zif)
Links