Strahdtroopers (Curse of Strahd Guide, II)

In part I, we discussed a few subjects, including character creation. But my suggestion in this part comes even before that. In the next part, I'll try to organize the trove of awesome advice you can find online about this campaign (you can start here, and take a look at the source of the picture below).

In order to make this easy, I'll use a "problem/solution" format for my ideas.

Problem: nobody cares about the metaplot. 

Curse of Strahd has an amazing story about Strahd's rise and fall in Barovia - it is the background for the whole campaign. This one one of the best bits of the module - everything is there for a (more or less) explicit reason.

The problem is that, usually, PCs don't seem to care. Strahd is just a monster to be defeated. Yes, ti might be cool to realize that the vampire-killing sword was one used by his brother, but in the end the important bit is that it is a vampire-killing sword and the PCs are trying to kill vampires.

Anyway, the book does a half-decent job of throwing bits and pieces from the story to the PCs, but sometimes this is done through talking NPCs, which isn't a great way to tell stories or to draw the players attentions.

My idea is doing things differently. I haven't tried that yet... But hear me out.

Source.

Solution: in session one, you are Strahdtroopers.

Session one is about a group of young, brave soldiers (premade characters). They are loyal to the glorious King Barov until the king is slain by a rival lord - a man, many claimed had a pact with dark powers.

Now the king's son, the young Strahd, only twelve or thirteen years old and a but traumatized but full of bloody vengeance, is eager to bring justice to the villain.

Of course, the PCs are enlisted to help.

Though a series of very short scenes, the PCs help Strahd to defeat the villain and conquer his lands. They infiltrate the lands with the help of the benevolent Vistani - although they soon realize that the righteous one among this people shy way from Strahd bloody methods and eventually leave the valley.

But the killings do not bother most of Strahd's soldiers. They are fighting some kind of monster, someone who made Strahd and his (even younger) brother (now protect in a convent) orphans. Someone who eats bones or bathes in the blood of virgins, or something. His soldiers are certainly showing no mercy, and he even has some strange creatures on his side!

This first party of the adventure is bloody... slain PCs might come back from the dead, but they might as well take a new PC on part two.

In any case, the villain is defeated. Strahd wins the day. He builds/names a castle in honor of his widowed mother. He is popular among the people - they seem to be happy to ignore the harsh treatment of criminals and suspect foreigners. At least Barov is avenged and there is no more war in sight.

In the second part of the adventure, though another series of short scenes, the PCs (now respected veterans) go around Barovia hunting monsters looking for threats. But there are few threats, and few monsters, in this time. A few barbarians in the mountains, evil druids, starved wolves who sent strangely adept at attacking people. Except for the Amber temple - no one goes there, and if they do, they die.  Just little hints of what's to come.

Strahd, however, becomes increasingly somber and more cruel. He visits that damned temple from time to time, and nobody knows why. If your players are like mine, they will quickly come to hate Strahd.

Finally, a wedding is announced. Strahd's brother, Sergei, is about to marry Tatyana - even though everyone can see how Strahd looks at her. The soldiers might even joke at this, very discreetly. But everyone is optimistic.

In the final scene, the PCs discover Sergei slain by Strahd, who immediately goes after Tatyana. when they reach the monarch, Tatyana is already jumping from a balcony.

Strahd's soldiers (and probably the PCs too) turn against him and kill him. But he refuses to die. He is a vampire now. Everyone that keeps attacking is slain.

There is no winning this battle. Surviving soldiers that manage to flee get to see the mists growing thicker while the sun seems to disappear forever. There is no escape. Everyone dies.

Or, at least, this is how I see it.

If you want to change some details. it doesn't matter - this will become legend, and there will be no way to tell which parts are true. Eventually, the PCs will hear this story from someone in Barovia - maybe a descendant from one of the soldiers?

Of course, this all sounds very railroad-y. If a way of "showing, not telling" Strahd's story. PCs are doomed, but maybe they can accomplish something that will change Barovia for centuries - albeit in very small ways. Or maybe it is THEIR sword who becomes a vampire killer after it kills Strahd for the first time? And they could came back as undead, of course - maybe HELPFUL undead?

Make sure your players are up for this type of adventure before beginning. With premade PCs, you can run this in less than two hours. But I cannot say for sure, since I haven't tried.

What do you think?