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| Character levels | 6-13 |
|---|---|
| First published | 1993 |
House of Strahd is an adventure module for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993.
| | |
| Character levels | 6-13 |
|---|---|
| First published | 1993 |
House of Strahd is an adventure module for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993.
In House of Strahd, the player characters are stranded in Barovia, and must breach a haunted castle and destroy its master, the vampire-wizard Strahd von Zarovich. Elements that made the original Ravenloft module are still present, such as Madame Eva, the mysterious gypsy fortuneteller, Strahd's variable objectives (determined randomly, so the adventure can be replayed), and the deadly catacombs with the moving black ceiling. The revision introduces some new creatures (meld monsters, gargoyle golems), develops Strahd's tactics (with sections labeled "Strahd's Opportunities" that suggest attack routines triggered by the party's actions), and adds a Time-Track Table (so the referee can anticipate the sunset). [1]
TSR published House of Strahd (module code RM4) in 1993. It was updated from the I6 Ravenloft module to include rules from the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The module credits the original work by Tracy Hickman and Laura Hickman, [2] but was revised by Bruce Nesmith, who along with Andria Hayday created the Ravenloft campaign setting. [3] The module consisted of one 64-page book, and one 32" x 21" map sheet. Editing was by Richard W. Brown, with a cover by Dana M. Knutson and illustrations by Clyde Caldwell and James Crabtree. [1]
Rick Swan reviewed House of Strahd for Dragon magazine #205 (May 1994). He said that House of Strahd for the Ravenloft setting was the "best thing to come flapping out for this setting in many a moon", declaring the original 1983 classic I6 Ravenloft module one of the finest adventures and that "the re-issue improves on the original". He called Strahd's castle, consisting of almost 100 rooms, "an architectural masterpiece, as opulent as it is creepy" and of the main villain, declared that a "high-level necromancer of incomparable cunning, Strahd holds his own with Count Dracula as one of horror's most memorable bloodsuckers". Swan felt that the "elements that made the original so much fun" were still there, but it was the updating "that pushes the revised version over the top" and notes that Nesmith "touched up the descriptions, clipping the clutter and beefing up the sensory details". Swan suggested that House of Strahd "may be impossible to beat", and related that he had "played it three times (twice in its original version) and haven't come close. But, as with the best Call of Cthulhu adventures, winning is incidental to the scenery and the scares. Your party may bite the dust, but they'll be smiling when they do." Swan concluded his review by stating: "Flawlessly staged and breathtakingly suspenseful, House of Strahd should be a part of every Ravenloft campaign, even if it means the demise of beloved PCs (which it well might). If you've resisted the Ravenloft setting so far, here's all the excuse you need to get on board." [1]
Gene Alloway reviewed the product in a 1994 issue of White Wolf . [4] He rated the game at 2 of 5 for Concepts, a 3 for Complexity and Value, and a 4 for Appearance and Playability. He stated that it is "solid and enjoyable" but provided an underwhelming update. He gave it an overall rating of 3.5. [4]
One criticism of this module is that, since it was printed as part of the Ravenloft campaign setting, many pertinent details are not reprinted from the boxed set, making it rather difficult to run House of Strahd as a stand-alone adventure. [5]
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a pocket dimension or demiplane, called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called "domains", brought together by a mysterious force known only as the Dark Powers. Each domain is tailored to and mystically ruled by a being called a Darklord who is forever trapped and surrounded by magical mists surrounding the domain. Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire in the original AD&DRavenloft I6 module 1983, became the first Darklord, both ruler and prisoner of his own personal domain of Barovia. How Count von Zarovich became the darklord of Barovia was detailed in the novel I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire. As originally established in the Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set known as "the Black Box" released in 1990, the Ravenloft campaign setting was located in the Ethereal Plane. As a physical manifestation of that plane, lands, monsters and even people were created out of the mysterious mists, and the realm acted as a prison where one could enter or be transported, but means of escape were few. Other Ravenloft Domains and Darklords were eventually added in various AD&D 2nd edition products establishing a core continent attached around Barovia which could be traveled to by others if their respective lords allowed entering or leaving their borders; while some Domains remained isolated in the mists and were referred to as Islands.
Dragonlance is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived Dragonlance while driving in their car on the way to TSR for a job interview. Tracy Hickman met his future writing partner Margaret Weis at TSR, and they gathered a group of associates to play the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The adventures during that game inspired a series of gaming modules, a series of novels, licensed products such as board games, and lead miniature figures.
Tracy Raye Hickman is an American fantasy author. He wrote the Dragonlance novels with Margaret Weis. He also wrote role playing game material while working for TSR and has cowritten novels with his wife, Laura Hickman. He is the author or co-author of over 60 books.
Ravenloft is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. The American game publishing company TSR, Inc. released it as a standalone adventure booklet in 1983 for use with the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game. It was written by Tracy and Laura Hickman, and includes art by Clyde Caldwell with maps by David Sutherland III. The plot of Ravenloft focuses on the villain Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire who pines for his lost love. Various story elements, including Strahd's motivation and the locations of magical weapons, are randomly determined by drawing cards. The player characters attempt to defeat Strahd and, if successful, the adventure ends.
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Laura Curtis Hickman is an American fantasy author, best known for her works in game design and fantasy novels cowritten with her husband, Tracy Hickman. She was one of the first women to write and publish a tabletop adventure.
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