Castle Ravenloft: Advancing Challenges - Count Strahd

[ksbsnowowl]

As with the other thread I started, this is for advancing the main bad guy from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, as it is designed for characters levels 6-10, and my 3 players are entering the adventure at 9th/10th level (10th level Druid, 9th level Fighter, and a changeling Rogue 5/Warlock 4).

In the module as designed, the PC's enter the adventure at 6th level, and over the course of the extended quest, level to 10th level, and drop Strahd's CR from 15 to 12 by stripping him of his Fane Signs.  Strahd is a 10th level Wizard with 70 HP's.

As my PC's are basically 4 levels above where they should be, but because they are only a group of 3, rather than 4 (though with a tough animal companion), I was thinking to add 3 or 4 levels to Strahd.  The easy answer would be to add 3 levels of Wizard, though it would do nothing but grant him 3 casting levels (and 7th level spells), an average of 19.5 HP's, and one feat from HD levels.

Another interesting option would be to give him the 3 level PrC Master Vampire from Libris Mortis.  It only grants 2 caster levels, but might give him some nice bonuses.  I've got a question about the "More Spawn" class ability.  It says it increases the HD of spawn that the vampire can have under control to twice his HD + Cha mod (example, 10HD vamp with 18 Cha can have 28 HD of vamp spawn controlled).  But the vampire template doesn't limit the HD of the spawn under control of a top vampire; it only limits the number of individuals the vampire may control as equal to twice the top vampire's HD.

At any given time a vampire may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own Hit Dice

So, which is it?

If I do go the Master Vampire route, I may give him the 4th level boost, meaning he still gets 3 extra caster levels.

I'll probably give him the Improved Toughness feat at his 12th HD, thus helping shore up that weakness.

Thoughts? Alternate suggestions?

[altpersona]

thematically master vamp..

but, i would be tempted to give him a curve ball to throw... maybe some ToB?

[Stratovarius]

I'd probably recommend the Master Vampire template. As for the HD cap, I'd use the one most advantageous to making the adventure challenging.

[ksbsnowowl]

but, i would be tempted to give him a curve ball to throw... maybe some ToB?

What exactly are you thinking here?  Strahd is a wizard (necromancer), and will be a deadly one at that while within his own domain.  What Tome of Battle abilities would really be a great boost to him over advancing spellcasting?

[ksbsnowowl]

I'd probably recommend the Master Vampire template.

Eh, you mean the Prestige Class?  Or is there a template that does something similar?  I vaguely remember some on-line template that did something like that, but my google fu is poor.

[Stratovarius]

Monster Class, Template, all the same thing (misused word).

[altpersona]

idk...

i guess my default would be 1 regular class and x (silly jpm non eveil..)

lemme dig out my book and maybe i can say something more intelligent later..

[ksbsnowowl]

Ah, my google fu has recovered.  The Vampire Lord Template from WotC may also be an option.  Won't grant more caster levels, but would grant 10 more HP's all on its own (for +3 LA). Also grants Fast Healing 8, as well as many of the immunities that Strahd alone already gains, so it might be appropriate.  The only thing I'd have to maybe tone down is the immunity to destruction via sunlight (change it to expire after the destruction of the Dayheart, as normal in the adventure).

[woodenbandman]

A Jade Phoenix Mage would be pretty sweet. Although from what I can gather fighting people over the head isn't really Strahd's strong suit. He's a necro, so maybe give him a few levels of Malconvoker(it is an arcane PrC, right?), or some levels of something that boosts undead controlling. Have you picked up Libris Mortis? There's a lot of cool thematic undead feats, that are actually pretty good. Maybe some levels of Binder would suit him.

[ksbsnowowl]

No offense, but JPM just doesn't fit thematically with Strahd.  Blasphemy, I know, but I try to at least give a passing glance to flavor in regards to PrC's.

The most melee that Strahd will engage in will be a nasty ambush wherein he will put up a wall of force behind the party, dimension door in front of them, unleash a cloudkill, and then wade among the PC's, in the cloudkill (to which he is immune) energy draining them as they suffer Con damage.  It will be fun.  It'll be even better if I do give him the Vampire Lord template, as that gives him fog cloud at will.  Hard to know to run from the cloudkill if you never see it coming due to the thick fog.

[JaronK]

Palemaster is another fun PrC to consider using. 

JaronK

[altpersona]

how about Ur? or truenaming ?

[ksbsnowowl]

how about Ur? or truenaming ?

Why get away from increased wizard casting?  I'm not seeing the benefit of picking up 3 levels of Urpriest over 3 levels of wizard.  Three levels of Wiz (or wiz PrC) would boost me from 5th to 7th level spells.  What benefit would 1st-3rd level cleric spells have over that?

Oh, and I don't have Tome of Magic.

[altpersona]

yes, three levels of wiz caster are following the commandments.

im just looking outside the box...

what makes sense is the master vamp, or the malcon or one of those 100% synergistic options..

[Blade2718]

He's a specialist Necromancer, right?  Why not Master Specialist?

[ksbsnowowl]

He's a specialist Necromancer, right?  Why not Master Specialist?

Now that, sir, might just be an excellent idea.

[rubberduck]

unfortunatly master specialist for necromancy only offers crap OR stuff the vampire is already capable of

make him a monster of legend(i know technically this does not go but who cares
beeing able to see perfectly in deeper darkness and beeing able to cast deeper darkness among the other good stuff like immunities whould significally pump the cr)
the setting already says that he has gained a lot power from his bounding to Barovia

or you could turn him from wizard to cleric (so he can wield better weapons, don better armor and heal his own wounds)

[Blade2718]

Or, you know, change his specialty. =)   Only relatively minor tweaking involved (spells, spellbook, maybe feats) since most Wizards would pack the same gear and pick the same skills.

[CountArioch]

I suggest a total re-write.

First off, his CR is too high, they stacked a lot of irrelevant templates on him that doesn't increase the challenge that much.  Find some other reason for destroying the fanes. 

Pretend he was created in a desecrated area.  Maybe by someone with the corpsecrafter feat.   

Add maybe 1 or 2 levels of fighter, then Eldritch Knight.  Keep in mind that Strahd was a pretty hardcore warrior before becoming a vampire and studying magic.  (Necromancer doesn't seem like a good choice though story-wise, in the novels he was more a dabbler in the dark arts, not a master.  He knows necromancy, but I wouldn't call him a necromancer.)

I gave Strahd a Magebane Longsword +2 and a mithral twilight breastplate +2. 

[ksbsnowowl]

I suggest a total re-write.

First off, his CR is too high, they stacked a lot of irrelevant templates on him that doesn't increase the challenge that much.  Find some other reason for destroying the fanes. 

Pretend he was created in a desecrated area.  Maybe by someone with the corpsecrafter feat.   

Add maybe 1 or 2 levels of fighter, then Eldritch Knight.  Keep in mind that Strahd was a pretty hardcore warrior before becoming a vampire and studying magic.  (Necromancer doesn't seem like a good choice though story-wise, in the novels he was more a dabbler in the dark arts, not a master.  He knows necromancy, but I wouldn't call him a necromancer.)

I gave Strahd a Magebane Longsword +2 and a mithral twilight breastplate +2.

Could anyone tell me in general terms what Strahd's build was like in the original Ravenloft adventure?  Does anyone here know or have access to the module?

Some of the fanes do legitemately add to his CR, but the non-detection one doesn't really do so; it just makes it difficult to track him down and actually get to the point where the CR is relevant.  The Resistance 10 to Fire, Acid, and Sonic, and the +6 force armor bonus do legitemately increase his CR, but maybe not by +2 (maybe it should be +1 combined...)

I'm not really seeing how some levels of fighter will make him much of a tougher encounter.  He gains nothing from the fighter's higher HD, and his HP's are my main concern for leveling him up.  Some figher and EK levels will get him some bonus combat feats and a higher BAB - but I doubt he'll be in melee much anyway (though I admittedly could very well could be wrong on that).