Roleplaying Strahd
Strahd believes his soul is lost to evil. He feels neither
pity nor remorse, neither love nor hate. He doesn't suffer
anguish or wallow in indignation. He believes, and has
always believed, that he is the master of his own fate.
When he was alive, Strahd could admit to letting his
emotions get the better of him from time to time. Now,
as a vampire, he is more monster than man, with barely
a hint of emotion left. He is above the concerns of the
living. The only event that occasionally haunts him is
the death of Tatyana, but his view of the past is bereft of
romance or regret. In his mind, her death couldn't have
been prevented, and what is done cannot be undone.
In life, Strahd lived to conquer. In undeath, he conquers still-not realms, but people, driving good souls to
become corrupt and destroying those who won't yield.
Characters who try to appeal to Strahd's humanity will
be gravely disappointed, because there is little humanity
left in him. If they ask Strahd why he's preying on Ireena
Kolyana, he tells them that Ireena's body is the host for
Tatyana's soul, and Tatyana's soul belongs to him.
Strahd can be seductive and subtle when he chooses
to be, especially if a person is clever or attractive. Men
and women of beauty and cunning amuse Strahd for a
time-playthings to possess or discard as he desires.
If he senses a lack of cohesion in a party of adventurers, he preys on that weakness and tries to drive a
wedge between the characters by promising to help
one at the expense of another. If Strahd senses evil in
a person, he cultivates that tendency by offering to turn
that character into a full-fledged vampire after helping
Strahd destroy the rest of the party. Ultimately, Strahd
doesn't honor his promise, instead turning the character
into a vampire spawn under his control.
When Strahd Attacks
Strahd isn't a villain who remains out of sight until the
final scene. Far from it-he travels as he desires to any
place in his realm or his castle, and (from his perspective) the more often he encounters the characters, the
better. The.characters can and should meet him multiple times before the final encounter, which most likely
takes place in the location determined by the card reading. His combat details are_;wailable,in appendix D.
When Strahd wants to terrprize the characters, he
pays them a visit, either .µntler· the cloak . of night or beneath overcast skies duriqg the day. If they're indoors,
he tries to charm or goad a character into inviting him
inside (along with his vampire spaWn; if they are present). Strahd and his minions never attack Ireena.
These encounters are meant to test the characters, not
kill them. After: a few rounds of toying with them, Strahd
and his creatures withdraw. If the characters retreat,
Strahd is likely.to allow them to flee, savoring their fear
and believing he has broken them.
Appearance
Mentality
Personal history
In life, Strahd von Zarovich was a count, a prince, a
soldier, and a conqueror. After the death of bis father,
King Barov, Strahd waged long, bloody wars against his
family's enemies. He and his army cornered the last of
these enemies in a remote mountain valley before slaying them all. Strahd named the valley Barovia, after his
deceased father, and was so struck by its scenic beauty
that he decided to settle there.
Queen Ravenovia lamented the death of Barov and
was fearful of Strahd. War had made him cold and arrogant. She kept her younger son, Sergei, away from
the battlefield. Strahd envied the love and attention his
mother visited upon his brother, so in Barovia he remained. Peace made Strahd restless, and he began to
feel like his best years were behind him. Unwilling to go
the way of his father, Strahd studied magic and forged a
pact with the Dark Powers of the Shadowfell in return
for the promise of immortality.
Strahd scoured his conquered lands for wizards and
artisans, brought them to the valley of Barovia, and commanded them to raise a castle to rival the magnificent fortresses of his ancestral homeland. Strahd named the
castle Ravenloft, after his mother, to demonstrate his
Jove for her. When it was complete, Strahd commanded
his mother and brother to come to Barovia and stay with
him. Sergei eventually took up residence at Raveoloft,
but Ravenovia passed away while traveling to her namesake. In sorrowful disappointment, Strahd sealed his
mother's body in a crypt beneath the castle.
Strahd's attention soon turned to Tatyana, a young
Barovian woman of fine lineage and remarkable beauty.
Strahd believed her to be a worthy bride, and he lavished Tatyana with gifts and attention. Despite Strahd's
efforts, she instead fell in love with the younger, warmer
Sergei. Strahd's pride prevented him from standing
in the way of the young couple's Jove until the day of
Sergei and Tatyana's wedding, when Strahd gazed into
a mirror and realized he had been a fool. Strahd murdered Sergei and drank his blood, sealing the evil pact
between Strahd and the Dark Powers. He then chased
Sergei's bride-to-be through the gardens, determined to
make her accept and love him. Tatyana hurled herself
off a castle balcony to escape Strahd's pursuit, plunging
to her death. Treacherous castle guards, seizing the
opportunity to rid the world of Strahd forever, shot their
master with arrows.
But Strahd did not die. The Dark Powers honored
the pact they had made. The sky went black as Strahd
turned on the guards, his eyes blazing red. He had become a vampire.
After slaughtering the guards, Strahd saw the faces
of his father and mother in the thunderclouds, looking
down upon him and judging him. He had destroyed the
family bloodline and doomed all of Barovia. The castle
and the valley were spirited away, locked in a demiplane
surrounded on all sides by deadly fog. For Strahd and
his people, there would be no escape.
Strahd has been the master of Ravenloft for centuries
now. Since becoming a vampire, he has taken several
consorts-none as beloved as Tatyana, but each a person of beauty. All of them he turned into vampire spawn.
Although he feeds on the hapless souls of Barovia, they
provide little nourishment and no comfort. From time
to time, strangers from faraway lands are brought to his
domain, to play the vampire's game of cat-and-mouse.
Strahd savors these moments, for though these strangers offer him no lands to conquer, they aren't so easily
destroyed and therefore provide a welcome diversion.
Strahd believes that the key to his escaping Barovia
lies in finding someone worthy to rule in his stead, but
his arrogance are so indomitable that no one is ever
good enough in his eyes. He believes in his cold heart
that only a von Zarovich as great as he or his father
could sway the Dark Powers to release him.
Personality
Motivation
Turn Ireena Kolyana
Strahd's unrequited love for Tatyana drove him to slay
his brother, Sergei. Some time ago, Strahd glimpsed
the young woman Ireena Kolyana in the village of Barovia and felt extreme deja vu. Ireena looked exactly like
Tatyana! Strahd now believes that Ireena is the latest
reincarnation of Tatyana, and thus he seeks to claim her.
Strahd's evil courtship has led him to visit Ireena
twice. On both occasions, he charmed his way into her
home-the house of her adopted father, the burgomaster of the village of Barovia-and drank her blood. He
intends to kill Ireena during their next meeting and turn
her into his vampire spawn consort.
Chapter 3 gives details about Ireena and where to find
her in the village of Barovia. ·
Find Rudolph van Ritchen
Although he is usually focused on making Ireena Kolyana his bride, Strahd has been distracted by reports
that a legendary vampire hunter named Rudolph van Ritchen has come to Barovia. It takes more than one
old man with a death wish to frighten Strahd; nevertheless, the vampire has his spies searching Barovia for
van Richten. Strahd would like very much to meet the
old vampire hunter, lock him in the dungeons of Castle
Ravenloft, and slowly break his spirit.
Chapter 5 describes the town ofVallaki, where van
Richten currently resides incognito.
Search for a Successor or Sconsort
Strahd can sense the a:rrival ofoew.bloodfo his·domain.
When newcomers enter Barovia, he shifts his attention
from Ireena Kolyana and van Ritchen to his new guests
so that he can determine whether any of them is worthy
to be his successor or consort. (Eventually, he decides
that none of them can replace him as master of Barovia,
but he doesn't arrive at this coriclusion immediately.)
Strahd pays close attention to adventurers who are
charismatic and arrogant, like himself. He focuses his
attacks on them, to see how much they can withstand.
If they crumble easily, he loses interest in them. If
they exhibit great fortitude and defiance, his interest is
piqued-even more so if the character displays uncommon knowledge or beauty. Such a person might not be
worthy to succeed him, but the man or woman might
provide amusement to Strahd as a new possession.
Social
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Count/King