TEXT:  
   
  THE DARK LORD 
   
  The enemy is revealed, but time short and if you are not successful in your mission to Mount 
  Baratok, love will never die. Part fourteen and the finale of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts. 
   
  A four-hour adventure for 5th-10th level characters 
   
   
   
  Greg Marks 
  Designer 
   
  Adventure Code: DDAL04-14 
  Version 1.0 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Development and Editing: Claire Hoffman, Travis Woodall 
  Organized Play: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Adam Lee, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Matt Sernett 
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Robert Adducci, Bill Benham, Travis Woodall, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, 
  Alan Patrick 
   
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  2 
  Introduction 
  Welcome to The Dark Lord, a D&D Adventurers  
  League™ adventure, part of the official D&D 
  Adventurers League™ organized play system and the  
  Curse of Strahd™ storyline season. 
   This adventure is designed for 5th through 
  10th-level characters, and is optimized for five 
  8th-level characters. Characters outside this level 
  range cannot participate in this adventure. 
   The adventure starts in Orașnou, a small farming 
  village just outside of the Svalich Woods, north of 
  Barovia, within the Ravenloft campaign setting and 
  eventually travels through parts of the Quivering 
  Forest before ending on Mount Baratok. 
  The D&D Adventurers 
  League 
  This adventure is official for D&D Adventurers 
  League play. The D&D Adventurers League is the 
  official organized play system for DUNGEONS & 
  DRAGONS®. Players can create characters and 
  participate in any adventure allowed as a part of the 
  D&D Adventurers League. As they adventure, 
  players track their characters’ experience, treasure, 
  and other rewards, and can take those characters 
  through other adventures that continues their story. 
   If you’re running this adventure as a part of a 
  store event or at certain conventions, you’ll need a 
  DCI number. This number is your official Wizards of 
  the Coast organized play identifier. If you don’t have 
  a number, you can obtain one at a store event. Check 
  with your organizer for details. 
   D&D Adventurers League play is broken up into 
  storyline seasons. When players create characters, 
  they attach those characters to a storyline season, 
  which determines what rules they’re allowed to use 
  to create and advance their characters. Players can 
  continue to play their characters after the storyline 
  season has finished, possibly participating in a 
  second or third storyline with those same 
  characters. A character’s level is the only limitation 
  for adventure play. A player cannot use a character 
  of a level higher or lower than the level range of a 
  D&D Adventurers League adventure. 
   For more information on playing, running games 
  as a Dungeon Master, and organizing games for the 
  D&D Adventurers League, please visit the D&D 
  Adventurers League home at: 
   
  www.dndadventurersleague.org 
  Preparing the Adventure 
  Before you show up to Dungeon Master this 
  adventure for a group of players, you should do the 
  following to prepare. 
   Make sure to have a copy of the most current 
  version of the D&D Basic Rules or the Player’s 
  Handbook. 
   Read through the adventure, taking notes of 
  anything you’d like to highlight or remind yourself 
  while running the adventure, such as a way you’d 
  like to portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use 
  in a combat. 
   Get familiar with the monster statistics in the 
  Appendix. 
   Gather together any resources you’d like to use to 
  aid you in running this adventure--such as 
  notecards, a DM screen, miniatures, and 
  battlemaps. 
   If you know the composition of the group 
  beforehand, you can make adjustments as noted 
  throughout the adventure. 
  Before Play at the Table 
  Ask the players to provide you with relevant 
  character information: 
   Character name and level 
   Character race and class 
   Passive Wisdom (Perception)—the most common 
  passive ability check 
   Anything notable as specified by the adventure 
  (such as backgrounds, traits, flaws, etc.) 
  Players that have characters outside the adventure’s 
  level range cannot participate in the adventure 
  with those characters. Players can play an 
  adventure they previously played or ran as a 
  Dungeon Master, but not with the same character. 
   Ensure that each player has an official adventure 
  logsheet for his or her character (if not, get one from 
  the organizer). The player fills out the adventure 
  name, session number, date, and your name and DCI 
  number. In addition, the player also fills in the 
  starting values for experience, gold, downtime, 
  renown, and number of permanent magic items. He 
  or she fill in the other values and write notes at the 
  conclusion of the session. Each player is responsible 
  for maintaining an accurate logsheet. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  3 
   If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a 
  player’s character sheet to ensure that nothing looks 
  out of order. If you see magic items of very high 
  rarities or strange arrays of ability scores, you can 
  ask players to provide documentation for the 
  irregularities. If they cannot, feel free to restrict item 
  use or ask them to use a standard ability score array. 
  Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Player’s 
  Guide for reference.  
   If players wish to spend downtime days and it’s 
  the beginning of an adventure or episode, they can 
  declare their activity and spend the days now. 
  Alternatively, they can do so at the end of the 
  adventure or episode. Players should select their 
  characters’ spells and other daily options prior to 
  the start of the adventure, unless the adventure 
  specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the 
  adventure description to help give players hints 
  about what they might face. 
  Adjusting the Adventure 
  Throughout this adventure, sidebars provide 
  information to assist you in making adjustments for 
  smaller or larger groups and characters of higher or 
  lower levels than the adventure is optimized for. 
  This is typically used exclusively for combat 
  encounters.  
   You may adjust the adventure beyond the 
  guidelines given in the adventure, or for other 
  reasons. For example, if you’re playing with a group 
  of inexperienced players, you might want to make 
  the adventure a little easier; for very experienced 
  players, you might want to make it a little harder. 
  Therefore, five categories of party strength have 
  been created for you to use as a guide. Use these as a 
  guide, and feel free to use a different adjustment 
  during the adventure if the recommended party 
  strength feels off for the group.  
   This adventure is optimized for a party of five 
  3rd-level characters. To figure out whether you 
  need to adjust the adventure, do the following: 
   Add up the total levels of all the characters. 
   Divide the total by the number of characters. 
   Round fractions of .5 or greater up; round 
  fractions of less than .5 down. 
  You’ve now determined the average party level 
  (APL) for the adventure. To figure out the party 
  strength for the adventure, consult the following 
  table. 
  Determining Party Strength 
  Party Composition Party   
  Strength 
  3-4 characters, APL less than  
  Very weak 
  3-4 characters, APL equivalent  
  Weak 
  3-4 characters, APL greater than  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL less than  
  Weak 
  5 characters, APL equivalent  
  Average 
  5 characters, APL greater than  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL less than  
  Average 
  6-7 characters, APL equivalent  
  Strong 
  6-7 characters, APL greater than  
  Very strong 
  Average party strength indicates no recommended 
  adjustments to the adventure. Each sidebar may or 
  may not offer suggestions for certain party 
  strengths. If a particular recommendation is not 
  offered for your group, you don’t have to make 
  adjustments. 
  Running the Adventure 
  As the Dungeon Master of the session, you have the 
  most important role in facilitating the enjoyment of 
  the game for the players. You help guide the 
  narrative and bring the words on these pages to life. 
  The outcome of a fun game session often creates 
  stories that live well beyond the play at the table. 
  Always follow this golden rule when you DM for a 
  group: 
   
  Make decisions and adjudications that enhance 
  the fun of the adventure when possible. 
   
  To reinforce this golden rule, keep in mind the 
  following: 
   You are empowered to make adjustments to the 
  adventure and make decisions about how the 
  group interacts with the world of this adventure. 
  Doing so is especially important and applicable 
  outside of combat, but feel free to adjust the 
  adventure for groups that are having too easy or 
  too hard of a time.  
   Don’t make the adventure too easy or too difficult 
  for a group. Never being challenged makes for a 
  boring game and being overwhelmed makes for a 
  frustrating one. Gauge the experience of the 
  players (not the characters) with the game, try to 
  feel out (or ask) what they like in a game, and 
  attempt to give each of them the experience 
  they’re after when they play D&D. Give everyone a 
  chance to shine.  
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  4 
   Be mindful of pacing, and keep the game session 
  moving along appropriately. Watch for stalling, 
  since play loses momentum when this happens. At 
  the same time, make sure that the players don’t 
  finish too early; provide them with a full play 
  experience. Try to be aware of running long or 
  short. Adjust the pacing accordingly  
   Read-aloud text is just a suggestion; feel free to 
  modify the text as you see fit, especially when 
  dialogue is present.  
   Give the players appropriate hints so they can 
  make informed choices about how to proceed. 
  Players should be given clues and hints when 
  appropriate so they can tackle puzzles, combat, 
  and interactions without getting frustrated over 
  lack of information. Doing so helps to encourage 
  immersion in the adventure and gives players 
  “little victories” for figuring out good choices from 
  clues.  
  In short, being the DM isn’t about following the 
  adventure’s text word-for-word; it’s about 
  facilitating a fun, challenging game environment for 
  the players. The Dungeon Master’s Guide™ has more 
  information on the art of running a D&D game. 
  Downtime and Lifestyle 
  At the beginning of each play session, players must 
  declare whether or not they are spending any days 
  of downtime. The player records the downtime 
  spent on the adventure logsheet. The following 
  options are available to players during downtime 
  (see the D&D basic rules or the D&D Adventurers 
  League Player’s Guide for more information): 
   Catching up  
   Crafting (exception: multiple characters cannot 
  commit to crafting a single item)  
   Practicing a profession  
   Recuperating  
   Spellcasting services 
   Training  
  Other downtime options might be available during 
  adventures or unlocked through play, including 
  faction-specific activities.  
   In addition, whenever a character spends 
  downtime days, that character also spends the 
  requisite expense for his or her lifestyle. Costs are 
  per day, so a character that spends ten days of 
  downtime also spends ten days of expenses 
  maintaining his or her lifestyle. Some downtime 
  activities help with lifestyle expenses or add lifestyle 
  expenses. 
  Spellcasting Services 
  Any settlement the size of a town or larger can 
  provide some spellcasting services. Characters need 
  to be able to travel to the settlement to obtain these 
  services. 
  Help From Who!? 
  For the current storyline season, Curse of Strahd, the rules for 
  spellcasting services are changed for characters adventuring 
  in Barovia. In Strahd’s bleak domain, there simply aren’t any 
  settlements where spellcasters can accommodate such 
  needs, and those places of worship that might otherwise 
  provide spellcasting services are overrun with monsters. As 
  such, unless otherwise detailed in an adventure, the only 
  individual able to provide spellcasting services is Jeny 
  Greenteeth. This will no doubt lead to some uncomfortable 
  situations and unforeseen consequences. 
   
  Refer to Page 7 of the Adventurers League Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide for more details. 
  Spell services generally available include healing and 
  recovery spells, as well as information-gathering 
  spells. Other spell services might be available as 
  specified in the adventure. The number of spells 
  available to be cast as a service is limited to a 
  maximum of three per day total, unless otherwise 
  noted. 
  Spellcasting Services 
  Spell  
   
   
   
  Cost 
  Cure wounds (1st level)  
   
  10 gp 
  Identify   
   
   
  20 gp 
  Lesser restoration  
   
  40 gp 
  Prayer of healing (2nd level) 
  40 gp 
  Remove curse  
   
   
  90 gp 
  Speak with dead   
   
  90 gp 
  Divination  
   
   
  210 gp 
  Greater restoration  
   
  450 gp 
  Raise dead  
   
   
  1,250 gp 
  Acolyte Background 
  A character possessing the acolyte background requesting 
  spellcasting services at a temple of his or her faith may 
  request one spell per day from the Spellcasting Services table 
  for free. The only cost paid for the spell is the base price for 
  the consumed material component, if any. 
   
  However, no religions have established places of worship 
  here of sufficient size to provide spellcasting services. 
  Because of this, characters with the Acolyte background gain 
  no benefit from this trait. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  5 
  Character Disease, Death, and 
  Recovery 
  Sometimes bad things happen, and characters get 
  poisoned, diseased, or are killed. Since you might not 
  have the same characters return from session to 
  session, here are the rules when bad things happen 
  to characters.  
  Disease, Poison, and Other Debilitating 
  Effects  
  A character still affected by diseases, poisons, and 
  other similar effects at the conclusion of an 
  adventure can spend downtime days recuperating 
  until such time as he or she resolves the effect to its 
  conclusion (see the recuperating activity in the D&D 
  Basic Rules). 
   If a character doesn’t resolve the effect between 
  sessions, that character begins the next session still 
  affected by the debilitating effect. 
  Death  
  A character who is killed during the course of the 
  adventure has a few options at the end of the session 
  (or whenever arriving back in civilization) if no one 
  in the adventuring party has immediate access to a 
  raise dead or revivify spell, or similar magic. A 
  character subject to a raise dead spell is affected 
  negatively until all long rests have been completed 
  during an adventure. Alternatively, each downtime 
  day spent after raise dead reduces the penalty to 
  attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks by 1, in 
  addition to any other benefits the downtime activity 
  might provide.  
   Create a New 1st-Level Character. If the dead 
  character is unwilling or unable to exercise any of 
  the other options, the player creates a new 
  character. The new character does not have any 
  items or rewards possessed by the dead character. A 
  1st-level character may not continue in this 
  adventure, which is for character levels 5-10. 
   Dead Character Pays for Raise Dead. If the 
  character’s body is recoverable (it’s not missing any 
  vital organs and is mostly whole) and the player 
  would like the character to be returned to life, the 
  party can take the body back to civilization and use 
  the dead character’s funds to pay for a raise dead 
  spell. A raise dead spell cast in this manner costs the 
  character 1,250 gp.  
   Character’s Party Pays for Raise Dead. As above, 
  except that some or all of the 1,250 gp for the raise 
  dead spell is paid for by the party at the end of the 
  session. Other characters are under no obligation to 
  spend their funds to bring back a dead party 
  member. 
   Faction Charity. If the character is of level 1 to 4 
  and a member of a faction, the dead character’s body 
  can be returned to civilization and a patron from the 
  faction ensures that he or she receives a raise dead 
  spell. However, any character invoking this charity 
  forfeits all experience and rewards from that session 
  (both those earned prior to and after death during 
  that session) and cannot replay that episode or 
  adventure with that character again. Once a 
  character reaches 5th level, this option is no longer 
  available. 
  Resurrection Madness 
  In Barovia, the souls of the dead are as trapped as the souls 
  of the living. They become caught in the mists and can’t 
  travel to the afterlife. When a humanoid who has been dead 
  for at least 24 hours returns to life, either by way of a spell or 
  some supernatural means, it gains a random form of 
  indefinite madness brought on by the realization that its 
  spirit is trapped in Barovia, likely forever. To determine how 
  this madness is expressed, roll on the Indefinite Madness 
  table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Vampirism and Lycanthropy 
  Vampires and lycanthropes are not included in the 
  allowed rules for character creation or advancement 
  (see the D&D Adventurers League Player’s Guide). 
  These conditions grant characters powers and 
  abilities that are not suitable for organized play, and 
  typically impose a restricted or prohibited 
  alignment. As such, characters afflicted with 
  vampirism or lycanthropy must have the affliction 
  cured before the start of their next episode or 
  adventure. 
   Afflicted characters have the following options: 
   Lycanthropes can be cured with a remove curse 
  spell. This spell is available as a spellcasting 
  service for 90 gp (though Jeny Greenteeth might 
  have additional requirements; see “Spellcasting 
  Services” later in this guide). 
   Vampires can be cured by a wish spell cast by a 
  fellow player character (wish is not available as a 
  spellcasting service). Alternatively, a vampire 
  character can be slain and returned to life with 
  raise dead, at the normal cost of 1,250 gp. If a 
  character chooses to end a vampiric curse in this 
  manner, the Dark Powers (see Page 8, Adventurers 
  League Dungeon Master’s Guide) do not offer a 
  free raise dead, though Jeny Greenteeth might be 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  6 
  willing to make a deal (see “Spellcasting Services” 
  earlier in this guide). 
  An afflicted character who does not end his or her 
  curse is retired from play until able to do so by one 
  of the means above, or through the application of 
  DM rewards to the character. 
  The Demiplane of Dread 
  This adventure is set within the Ravenloft campaign 
  setting, in the lands of Barovia which exists in the 
  Demiplane of Dread. There are several atmospheric 
  and thematic elements to keep in mind at all times 
  while running your game: 
  The Land is Bleak 
  By the will of the Dark Powers, the sun never fully 
  shines in the lands of Barovia. Even during the day, 
  the sky is dimmed by fog or storm clouds, or the 
  light is strangely muted. Barovian daylight is bright 
  light, yet it isn’t considered sunlight for the purpose 
  of effects and vulnerabilities, such as a vampire’s, 
  tied to sunlight.  Nevertheless, Strahd and his 
  vampire spawn tend to stay indoors most of the day 
  and venture out at night, and they are subject to 
  sunlight created by magic. 
  Winter in Barovia 
  The winters are cold, wet, and stormy here. The natives of 
  the Demiplane are prepared—well, as prepared as they can 
  hope to be. 
   
  The characters, however, are unfamiliar with the realm. 
  Thankfully, the region they came from was experiencing the 
  worst winter in living memory, and are likely to possess 
  winter clothing. If they are not, then, preparations are in 
  order. The village has a single shop called The Hare & Hair 
  where they are able to procure such supplies if they wish. 
  A dark sentience infuses the very soil, twisting and 
  contorting everything within. In places where you 
  would normally expect wildlife such as deer, rabbits, 
  or squirrels, you instead find wolves, rats, and 
  mangy dogs. Vegetation is rotted and dead, and 
  forests are filled mostly with gnarled, thick trees 
  with bare branches. Colorful, vivacious things simply 
  do not exist. 
  The Denizens of Orașnou 
  Most Orașnou residents are mundane laborers, farmers, 
  fletchers and other folk who fall under common professions. 
  They typically have gaunt features, as crops often fail to take 
  root, and creatures of the night frequently kill and devour 
  their livestock. 
   
  Most are sullen, and often filled with fear, be it from the 
  lands themselves, what lies within them, Lord Strahd, or their 
  own recently deceased tyrant of a Burgomaster; Ivan 
  Randovich and his cronies. Be sure to play to the mindsets of 
  these people who live threadbare existences, constantly on 
  the precipice of horror during your roleplaying encounters.  
   
  As is the case with most of the denizens of Barovia, most 
  of the people that reside in the village don’t possess a soul. 
  These people are empty shells created by Strahd’s 
  consciousness to populate his domain. However, about one 
  in every ten people in Barovia are actually possessing of a 
  soul—the souls of the original denizens of Barovia before its 
  transition into the Demiplane. When a being with a soul dies 
  in Barovia, its soul remains trapped until it is reincarnated 
  later. Souls tend to wear clothing with a splash of color or 
  have other features that demonstrate even a small bit of 
  individuality. 
  Alterations to Magic 
  The land of Barovia resides in its own demiplane, 
  isolated from all other planes, including the Material 
  Plane. No spell—not even wish—allows one to 
  escape from Strahd’s domain. Astral projection, 
  teleport, plane shift, and similar spells cast for the 
  purpose of leaving Barovia simply fail, as do effects 
  that banish a creature to another plane of existence. 
  These restrictions apply to magic items and artifacts 
  that have properties that transport or banish 
  creatures to other planes. Magic that allows transit 
  to the Border Ethereal, such as the etherealness spell 
  and the Etherealness feature of incorporeal undead, 
  is the exception to this rule. A creature that enters 
  the Border Ethereal from Strahd’s domain is pulled 
  back into Barovia upon leaving that plane. 
   For the purpose of spells whose effects change 
  across or are blocked by planar boundaries (such as 
  sending), Strahd’s domain is considered its own 
  plane. Magic that summons creatures or objects 
  from other planes functions normally in Barovia, as 
  does magic that involves an extradimensional space. 
  Any spells cast within such an extra-dimensional 
  space (such as that created by Mordenkainen’s 
  magnificent mansion) are subject to the same 
  restrictions as magic cast in Barovia. 
   While in Barovia, characters who receive spells 
  from deities or otherworldly patrons continue to do 
  so. In addition, spells that allow contact with beings 
  from other planes function normally—with one 
  provision: Strahd can sense when someone in his 
  domain is casting such a spell and can choose to 
  make himself the spell’s recipient, so that he 
  becomes the one who is contacted. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  7 
  Cosmetic Spell Modifications 
  At your discretion, a spell can be modified 
  cosmetically to enhance the horrific atmosphere of 
  Ravenloft. A few examples are presented below: 
   Alarm. Instead of hearing a mental ping when the 
  alarm is triggered, the caster hears a scream. 
   Bigby’s Hand. The conjured hand is skeletal. 
   Find Familiar. The familiar is undead instead of 
  being a celestial, a fey, or a fiend, and is immune to 
  features that turn undead. 
   Find Steed. The summoned steed is undead 
  instead of being a celestial, a fey, or a fiend, and is 
  immune to features that turn undead. 
   Find the Path. A child’s spirit appears and guides 
  the caster to the desired location. The spirit can’t be 
  harmed and doesn’t communicate. 
   Fog Cloud. Misty, harmless claws form in the fog. 
   Gust of Wind. A ghastly moan accompanies the 
  summoned wind. 
   Mage Hand. The summoned hand is skeletal. 
   Maze. The surfaces of the demiplane’s maze are 
  made of mortared skulls and bones. 
   Phantom Steed. The steed resembles a skeletal 
  horse. 
   Rary’s Telepathic Bond. Characters linked 
  together by the spell can’t shake the feeling that 
  something vile is telepathically eavesdropping on 
  them. 
   Revivify. A creature restored to life by a revivify 
  spell screams upon regaining consciousness, as 
  though waking from some horrible nightmare. 
   Spirit Guardians. The spirits appear as ghostly, 
  skeletal warriors. 
   Wall of Stone. A wall created by the spell has 
  ghastly faces sculpted into it, as though tortured 
  spirits were somehow trapped within the stone. 
  Count Strahd Von Zarovich 
  Lord Strahd is the Darklord of Barovia. He rules his domain 
  from Castle Ravenloft as Strahd IX; a descendent of Strahd I. 
  In actuality, Strahd I and Strahd IX are the one and the same--
  a vampire. As a mortal, Strahd fell in love with Tatyana 
  Federovna; the bride of his younger brother Sergei. In his 
  jealousy, Strahd murdered his brother and became the 
  Darklord of Barovia; which was swept away into the 
  Demiplane along with its ruler. Since then, Strahd is cursed to 
  seek incarnations of Tatyana for eternity. NOTE: Strahd is not 
  present in this adventure. 
  Not Without Humor 
  The bleak and oppressive landscape must give way 
  now and then to some moments of respite, not only 
  does this break up the taxing mindset that Ravenloft 
  can evoke, but it also provides good chances for 
  horror to sneak back up on players just as they least 
  expect it. 
  Adventure Background 
  I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in 
  secret, between the shadow and the soul.  
  -Pablo Neruda, XVII (I Do Not Love You...) 
  This is the story of a tortured soul, Esmae 
  Amarantha; a girl from the village of Barovia and the 
  daughter of a local chandler. In her youth, Esmae 
  was a beauty to behold, and desired by many, but 
  unfortunately not desired by the one she truly loved. 
  Witnessing the bearing of Count Strahd Von 
  Zarovich on one of the few trips where he left Castle 
  Ravenloft, and the way in which he wielded his 
  absolute power, the girl became smitten with the 
  Darklord of Barovia. Strahd’s love, however, 
  belonged to Tatyana Federovna, who occupied 
  Strahd’s thoughts completely. 
   Esmae was rejected, spurned, and ignored all for 
  some empty-headed girl that kept her true love’s 
  attention. But the Dark Powers will never afford 
  Strahd the happiness that he seeks, and so when the 
  latest incarnation of his desire was taken from him 
  yet again, he grew wrathful and full of spite. Strahd 
  grasped at the chance to cause another the lasting 
  pain that he himself was cursed with. He accepted 
  Esmae into his service, and she became one of the 
  Barovian Witches, an order which serves Strahd as 
  some of his most powerful agents. Always close to 
  the object of desire but never with her love, her 
  bitterness grew. Worried about her fading beauty 
  and dwindling lifespan, Esmae was motivated to 
  attract Strahd’s attention and possess true love at all 
  costs. 
   Esmae enlisted the aid of four followers which she 
  calls her Obsessions, each with their own fixation 
  that drives them. With their help, she found her way 
  into The Breached Vault within The Amber Temple, 
  and communed with the trapped vestige of the 
  Evening Glory, a dead god representing love eternal 
  through undeath. The vestige promised her that love 
  need never die, and Esmae freed the vestige and 
  merged with it, greatly increasing her power and 
  bestowing upon her unique abilities. Esmae now has 
  the power to expand Strahd’s domain for 
  undetermined periods of time and encompass other 
  lands outside of Barovia. She need only collect four 
  of Tatyana's possessions so that she can enact her 
  plan to transform herself into an undying vision of 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  8 
  Tatyana that can love and be loved by 
  Strahd…forever. 
   She sent her minions into the domain to find the 
  four items. The first Obsession was Glovia Falinescu, 
  heartbroken mother and educated healer that 
  sought to return her daughter Isabella from the 
  dead. She would recover Tatyana’s Powder Box for 
  her mistress. Graxxygak, the second Obsession was a 
  lost soul confused and in pain since his death. His 
  desire to recover his missing heart was exploited by 
  Esmae to find Tatyana’s Gloves. Greedy beyond 
  compare, the Burgomaster of Orașnou, Ivan 
  Randovich betrayed his people for love wealth and 
  found Tatyana’s Comb for Esmae. Lastly, the fourth 
  Obsession was the mongrelfolk Omou who suffered 
  as an outcast from the village of Orașnou. He would 
  locate Tatyana’s Mirror.  
   With all four items in her possession, she plans to 
  climb the slope of Mount Baratok were it meets the 
  edge of the Quivering Forest. Her goal is the snowy 
  ruin of Boszórkan keep that she has made her lair 
  and where her fellow witches await her return. 
  Adventure Overview 
  Instead of a man of peace and love, I have become a 
  man of violence and revenge. 
  -Hiawatha 
  The adventure begins with the characters in the 
  Seven Tables Inn with some of the residents of 
  Orașnou, taking stock of how to proceed. In previous 
  adventures they have identified their enemy as the 
  witch Esmae Amarantha, learned of her plan, and 
  recovered a magical locket that can be used as a 
  weapon against her. Unfortunately, they have failed 
  to stop her from acquiring everything she needs to 
  complete her ritual and they have no idea where she 
  is. A Tarokka reading performed by Sybil points 
  toward Jeny Greenteeth as the only person powerful 
  enough locate Esmae and the party sets off into the 
  Quivering Forest to enlist her aid, but before they 
  can leave, Jeny walks into the village.  
   Jeny believes she can scry upon Esmae, but she 
  needs a coven to do it, and unfortunately she has no 
  sisters in Barovia. She can use replacements (who 
  must be female arcane casters), but it will exhaust 
  them and anyone who participates will be in no 
  shape to face Esmae. This excludes the characters, 
  but Sybil immediately volunteers. They need a third, 
  and there are several options which the characters 
  might choose from. Jeny also needs a number of 
  focus items from Barovia that are representative of 
  obsession. Each one will be bound to a character and 
  offer them some benefit, and flaw... 
   When the characters arrive to enlist the aid of the 
  third spellcaster, they find that NPC under attack by 
  minions of Esmae. If they fail to save the NPC, they 
  must find another option.  
   With coven in place, the women enact the ritual 
  with terrible cost, but Esmae is now exposed. She 
  has traveled to Ruins of Boszórkan Keep on Mount 
  Baratok and plans to enact the ritual this very night. 
  The characters are transported to the area, but are 
  warned that their presence will be known. The 
  characters have no choice but to brave the ruin and 
  stop Esmae before it is too late.  
  Adventure Hook 
  Love is merely a madness; and, I tell you, deserves as 
  well a dark house and whip as madmen do; and the 
  reason why they are not so punished and cured is that 
  the lunacy is so ordinary that the whippers are in love 
  too.  
  -William Shakespeare, As You Like It 
  If the characters begin this adventure from within 
  the Forgotten Realms or a setting other than 
  Ravenloft, have them be transported to the 
  Demiplane of Dread just outside Orașnou via an 
  unnaturally thick fog or mist while traveling 
  overland, preferably at night. Proceed to “Welcome 
  to Barovia”, below.  
   If the adventurers are already trapped in Barovia, 
  they have likely made Orașnou their home and so 
  they are waking for a new day at the Seven Tables 
  when Sybil and the residents of the village come to 
  them for aid. This works particularly well if the 
  characters have just participated in DDAL04-13 The 
  Horseman. If they have not, Sybil or the other 
  residents may need to fill them in on some of the 
  most recent events. Adjust accordingly during Part 1. 
  Welcome to Barovia  
  Some characters may be arriving from Faerûn for 
  the first time. For those characters describe a heavy 
  fog bank rolling through their travel path while they 
  are in the Quivering Forest, and when it eventually 
  clears, they are on the outskirts of a small mountain 
  village. It’s heavy-handed, but such is the way of the 
  Demiplane.  
   Any character that participates in this adventure 
  earns The Demiplane of Dread story award if they 
  do not have it already. They should be made aware 
  that until this story award is removed, they may not 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  9 
  participate in any adventure that does not take place 
  in Barovia.  
  Curse of Strahd Adventures  
  The adventures for the Curse of Strahd Season of Dungeons 
  and Dragons Adventurers League deliver the most impactful 
  experience when played in numeric order (i.e.: 04-01, then 
  04-02, and so on) but this is not required. Please carefully 
  read the following pages and be prepared to adjust 
  encounters, especially where key NPCs are concerned! 
  Although DM tips may be found in the adventure, they are 
  unlikely to cover every table or situation.  
   
  For a Ravenloft game, the world itself should be treated 
  with great respect—it is a character unto itself, and the Dark 
  Powers rarely respond positively to hand-waving and outright 
  dismissal…  
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  10 
  Part 1. In Need of Friends 
  Love and Hate are not opposites; they are siblings 
  birthed by obsession. 
  —Steve Maraboli 
  In the Cards 
  This encounter begins assuming that the characters 
  are eating a late breakfast in the Seven Tables 
  surrounded by the acquaintances they have met 
  during the adventures set in Barovia. Adjust the 
  NPCs accordingly, based on the personalities the 
  characters may have never met or have died in the 
  course the group’s adventures.  
  The winter wind blows viciously; shaking the walls and 
  rattling the windows as you huddle around the fireplace of 
  the Seven Tables, oatmeal with honey in your bowl next to a 
  fresh dark bread. You are not alone. As expectant faces look 
  to you for salvation. Sybil Rasia shuffles her Tarokka while the 
  tax collector Scartia Kurtz watches, her hand atop the head of 
  her basset hound Frederick. Gregori Wurlbach, the Hare & 
  Hair's owner, passes a pitcher of cider to Fillar Esven, owner 
  of the Eyes of Midnight. Fillar seems momentarily distracted 
  by the firelight's gleam in the pitcher's beaten copper before 
  setting it on the table.  
   
  Sybil begins to lay the cards upon on the table in a cross 
  pattern. When she flips the first card it is blank, nothing but 
  solid black. Gregori gasps. Sybil flips another and it is the 
  same, and the next and the next. When she scoops up the 
  cards and shuffles them, you see their faces have all returned 
  to normal.  
   
  "It is the same every time I have tried. Our foe, the witch 
  Esmae, must be near but I cannot see her. If we are to find 
  her, we will need a seer more powerful than I." 
  The characters have the chance to discuss how to 
  proceed, or catch up on events that they have 
  missed. Marku and Crina Grelon who run the Seven 
  Tables are in the kitchen but can come out if the 
  characters call for them. The NPCs can impart any of 
  the following: 
   The village's troubles have been the work of 
  Esmae Amarantha, though her exact goals are 
  unclear.  
   While her past is not known, she did travel to the 
  Amber Temple and extract the vestige of a dead 
  god known as the Evening Glory. This deity once 
  held sway over love eternal, through the power of 
  undeath, a love is so strong that not even death is 
  allowed to quench it. 
   Esmae was working through four Obsessions: the 
  village healer Glovia Falinescu, the ghost of a half-
  dragon troll Graxxygak who came here from the 
  Moonsea, the Burgomaster Ivan Randovich, and 
  the mongrelfolk Omou.  
   The four collected various items for her: a powder 
  box, a pair of gloves, a comb, and a mirror. 
   Sybil's visions suggest that Esmae intends to use 
  these items in some sort of ritual, and if so, she 
  will become even more powerful and the people 
  and land from Faerûn may become permanently 
  trapped in Barovia.  
   Esmae's whereabouts are unknown. Attempts to 
  divine her location have failed. She is believed to 
  be very powerful while merged with the 
  remaining shreds of the Evening Glory.  
   The characters are in possession of a magical 
  locket that was used by Esmae to draw the vestige 
  of the Evening Glory from its prison in the Amber 
  Temple. They should be able to use it to do the 
  same to Esmae.  
   The Order of the Feather has chosen to reveal 
  themselves to the characters and a select few in 
  the village. They have been watching and wish to 
  help by giving the characters some provisions.  
  Give the characters a chance to ask questions or 
  make suggestions. Any attempts by the characters to 
  divine Esmae's location or knowledge concerning 
  her or her plans fail. 
   If the characters do not come to it themselves, 
  Sybil eventually suggests Jeny Greenteeth as 
  someone who has shown unusual levels of power 
  despite the limitations imposed by Barovia. It is 
  clear, they need help, and they have little time to 
  gather it. It seems as if there is no other choice by to 
  approach the hag. Jeny has shown an interest in 
  learning more about Barovia, and potentially 
  escaping, so it may be possible that she will be 
  agreeable to aiding the party (see Treasure below). 
  Friends and Allies 
  The following NPCs are present and the DM should 
  use any of them to help the players understand what 
  is occurring. If there are other NPCs from Orașnou 
  that you or the players have formed an attachment 
  to and that remain alive, feel free to add them.  
   Fillar Esven. Fillar is a wereraven and doesn’t 
  hide his affliction all that well. He's a tall, thin man 
  with a long crooked nose, pointed features, and 
  thick, backswept, black hair. He dresses primarily in 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  11 
  black and darkened shades of gray. He has dark, 
  beady eyes and bony fingers. He is also quite skittish 
  and seems to constantly be assessing his 
  surroundings and moving in abrupt, jerky motions 
  while doing so. He is a corvid at-heart and becomes 
  defensive and even hostile if someone steals from 
  him. Fillar is a member of the Order of the Feather 
  that seeks to fight the evil of the devil Strahd and his 
  minions. He has brought some provisions collected 
  by the Order to aid in the fight. 
   Gregori Wurlbach. Gregori is a soft, balding man 
  with gnarled hands who runs the Hare & Hair—a 
  general store of sorts. He has worked hard for the 
  comforts that he enjoys in the village. Fair minded, 
  he often overlooks his own profits in favor of his 
  community and friends. Unlike other denizens of the 
  duchy, Gregori is friendly and welcoming of 
  outsiders and is a proponent of the adventurers. 
   Sybil Rasia. Sybil is a young to middle aged Gur 
  (the Faerûnian equivalent of the Vistani) woman and 
  like the characters, she originally hails from Faerûn. 
  Since being trapped in Barovia, her second sight has 
  become substantially more keen, and she uses it to 
  figure out how to return her family and the lands 
  from the Moonsea back to their homeland. Despite 
  her youth, she is the matriarch of her family and 
  radiates wisdom and strength.  
   Scartia Krutz. The tax collector is a stout human 
  woman of the Gundarakite ethnicity. She is gruff and 
  a bit nervous. All other members of the village's 
  ruling council (the healer Glovia Falinescu, the tax 
  collector Eugen Adi and the Burgomaster of Orașnou 
  Ivan Randovich) have been killed by the characters 
  in previous adventures. While Scartia is in control of 
  the village by order of responsibility, she has barely 
  been able to pay the village taxes to Count Strahd 
  von Zarovich and worries what disaster will fall 
  next. She happily agrees to anything that gets the 
  newcomers out of Barovia.  
  Treasure 
  Fillar has brought some provisions at the behest of 
  the Order of the Feather. He gives the characters a 
  potion of greater healing, a scroll of lesser restoration, 
  10 silver arrows, and explorer’s pack that appears to 
  be cobbled together from random pieces. Any 
  character that has the favor Eye of the Raven from 
  DDAL04-04 The Marionette also receives their 
  choice of a potion of healing or a potion of animal 
  friendship. 
  The Hag's Arrival 
  The sweetest smiles hold the darkest secrets... 
  -Sara Shepard, Flawless 
  Once the characters have discussed how to proceed, 
  there is a commotion in the village outside.  
  A commotion draws your attention to the window. The 
  murmur of a crowd and the scream of a child are directed 
  towards a decrepit, hooded human woman as she leans on a 
  gnarled staff and limps towards the Seven Tables. Her stringy 
  grey hair whips on the wind past a great hooked nose. Her 
  twisted claw of a hand reaches for the door, "Did someone 
  call me?" 
  Jeny Greenteeth, the hag of the Quivering Forest, and 
  its most powerful fey creature, has found her powers 
  growing substantially since coming to Barovia. At 
  first she was delighted with her newfound power, 
  but then the voices began to make her offers. A dark 
  creature of the fey, she has no concern over the taint 
  it may cause to what remains of her soul, but she is 
  well aware that such offers are not without cost and 
  so she has become wary. Now she seeks to exit 
  Barovia, preferably with her new power intact.  
  Roleplaying Jeny Greenteeth 
  Jeny Greenteeth is the living and breathing personification of 
  hate and malice. She loathes humanity with every fiber of her 
  being and lives to make it miserable. However, she is an 
  exceptional actor and plays the sweet, doting grandmother 
  without fail. Only when she is certain that her audience is not 
  receptive to her act does she break character and reveal her 
  true form and demeanor. 
   
  Quote: "Hush now dearie, or I'll carve out your eyes, too." 
  Jeny plays the helpful grandmother with an edge. 
  She desires to exit Barovia and bring the Quivering 
  Forest with her when she returns home. However, 
  she wants to be asked, and possibly rewarded for 
  doing what she intends to do anyway.  
   Jeny can share the following: 
   Jeny claims to be just an old woman of the 
  Quivering Forest, but admits that she has unusual 
  powers. She doesn’t admit to being a hag, but 
  should someone accuse her of being one, she does 
  not deny it (though she might suggest such a blunt 
  character might want to watch their manners 
  because if she was a hag, the consequences for 
  angering her might be dire). 
   Jeny has powerful scrying abilities, but she hasn’t 
  been able to connect them with whoever is the 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  12 
  cause behind the troubles for the Quivering Forest 
  and Orașnou, though she has little care for the 
  Barovians. Her chief concern is the Quivering 
  Forest.  
   She does know that Count Strahd Von Zarovich is 
  not responsible because she has been able to 
  divine upon him. She believes that Strahd is also a 
  powerful wizard and has allowed her attempts, 
  possibly to direct her from wasting time on him.  
   The empowering of the Obsessions as minions and 
  the collection of specific—but otherwise 
  seemingly meaningless items—suggests a 
  powerful spellcaster who is seeking to perform a 
  ritual.  
   Jeny does have an idea however. A coven could 
  enact powerful scrying rituals that should be able 
  to locate their quarry. Unfortunately, none of her 
  "sisters" are present in Barovia and so she needs 
  two replacements.  
   Replacements must be female arcane spellcasters. 
  However, as any replacements found are not her 
  "sisters" it is likely they will pay a price for 
  participated in the ritual and will be in no shape 
  for facing Esmae for many days, if at all. This rules 
  out the characters. Who should she choose? 
   If asked about the toll, Jeny is vague, but says it 
  will be exhausting beyond the physical. Magic 
  always has a price. 
   Jeny also needs a focus for each of the characters 
  that will serve to bind them to the target so she 
  cannot hide herself again. This must be an object 
  from Barovia, and should be emotionally tied to 
  what drives the enemy: love, obsessions or 
  revenge seem likely. This is in addition to the 
  magical locket that can be used to draw the vestige 
  out of Esmae.  
   When the characters are ready, the group must 
  travel inside the Quivering Forest to enact the 
  ritual where Jeny is strongest.  
  Coven "Sisters" 
  She never knew when enough was enough. She only 
  knew how to love from every corner of her soul, even 
  the shadowy corners of her lonely heart. 
  -S.M. Pastore 
   Once hearing what is needed to find Esmae, Sybil 
  immediately volunteers. As a seer herself, it is logical 
  and she is willing to do anything to get her family 
  out of this dark place. Jeny nods as if expecting it and 
  then looks to the characters to suggest a third. If a 
  character demands to be the third, with a wicked 
  smile Jeny tells them that they will likely be unable 
  to participate in the hunt for Esmae but if the little 
  girl thinks the characters would be better served 
  without her, who is Jeny to deny her? Assuming the 
  character is still insistent, Jeny relents. Ensure the 
  player is clear that this is likely the end of the 
  adventure for their character if they make this 
  choice.  
   Assuming the players agree to choose another 
  female arcane spellcaster, there are three likely 
  choices: 
   Aya Glenmiir. The elven wizard from Phlan is an 
  expert in abjuration magic, but is at least in the 
  area. In fact, the characters recently learned that 
  she has set up a camp in a cave nearby recovering 
  from injuries gain while defending the eves of the 
  Quivering Forest (DDAL04-13 The Horseman). She 
  has the advantage that she has been working to 
  escape Barovia since arriving and it's clear that 
  she would likely be willing to help. Aya is the 
  default choice if the players are unable to come up 
  with any options or if they simply don't have an 
  opinion.  
   Ixusaxa Terrorsong. The leader of the Cult of the 
  Dragon in the Moonsea region who masterminded 
  the invasion and conquering of Phlan, as well as 
  the murder of the town’s Lord Regent. Recently a 
  captive of orcs and also an elven wizard, Ixusaxa 
  has the advantage of having been researching 
  Esmae and trying to understand what ritual she 
  has been up to. Also, given her crimes it is likely 
  that many of the characters would not feel bad 
  about Ixusaxa paying any price, no matter how 
  heavy. She is also the one that discovered the way 
  to use the magical locket to withdraw the vestige 
  from Esmae. Of course, it is also possible in 
  previous Season 4 adventures (DDAL04-12 The 
  Raven or DDAL04-13 The Horseman) that the 
  characters may have killed her. If more than half of 
  the characters have slain her, assume she is not 
  available for the characters to choose. Assuming 
  she has survived, she also has a camp in a cave 
  near the village that Sybil arranged.  
   Ghosts of Amber Temple. It is possible that one or 
  more characters may be possessed by one of the 
  female ghosts of the Amber Temple (DDAL04-10 
  The Artifact). Instructor Rabenovich (bard), The 
  Penticolfax (abjurer), or Magister Krausenatti 
  (alchemist). All of them want to re-imprison the 
  Evening Glory and they have experience working 
  magic in Barovia and in cooperative ritual magic. 
  To use one of the ghosts, a character must be 
  willing to use the locket to draw her forth. This 
  ends the possession. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  13 
  Focus Object 
  When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will 
  not underestimate the power of obsessive love. 
  -J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 
  For the ritual to work, each character needs a 
  Barovian object that ties them to the magic. It also 
  allows the characters to track Esmae in a general 
  sense, regardless of what she might do to screen 
  herself from detection. However, particularly apt 
  choices may offer additional benefits to the owner. 
  Of course, it may also enhance certain drawbacks as 
  well, though Jeny neglects to note that.  
   The following objects found in Season Four 
  adventures have particular benefits/drawbacks (See 
  the Appendix:  
   Esselios the Raven (DDAL04-01 Suites of the Mists) 
   The cursed Vistani tambourine (DDAL04-02 The 
  Beast) 
   The silver dagger Alina used to cut her baby free 
  of her womb (DDAL04-02 The Beast) 
   Lazlo or Alina's wedding ring (DDAL04-03 The 
  Executioner) 
   Butler's Ring (DDAL04-04 The Marionette) 
   Marionette Control Box (DDAL04-04 The 
  Marionette) 
   Lela's jewelry from the mortu Hanzi (DDAL04-05 
  The Seer) 
   Redcap rhyme (DDAL04-06 The Ghost) 
   Any of the goods extorted by Eugen (DDAL04-08 
  The Broken One) 
   The pearl-studded mask (DDAL04-09 The 
  Tempter) 
   Any portion of The Fidatov treasure (DDAL04-09 
  The Tempter) or any coins paid by Ivan Randovich 
  the Burgomaster (various). 
   Devotional Object for a ghost wizard of Amber 
  Temple (DDAL04-10 The Artifact) 
   A possessing ghost wizard of Amber Temple 
  (DDAL04-10 The Artifact) 
   Lodestone necklace (DDAL04-11 The Donjon) 
   Tarnished silver crown (DDAL04-11 The Donjon) 
   One of Omou's art objects (DDAL04-13 The 
  Horseman) 
   If a character does not have an item, Jeny provides 
  a cup of her special "pork" stew made from some 
  meat she caught in Barovia. It should work just 
  fine.  
  Development 
  The adventure proceeds assuming that the 
  characters are going to retrieve Aya. If that is not the 
  case, adjust accordingly. If they go for Ixusaxa, 
  simply replace mentions of Aya with Ixusaxa, but 
  otherwise the Part 2 runs the same. If the characters 
  use one of the ghosts of the Amber Temple, Part 2 
  instead occurs as they travel into the woods to enact 
  the ritual.  
  How Do I Use This Locket? 
  The characters have in their possession a magical locket 
  recovered in DDAL04-10 The Artifact and attuned to Esmae in 
  DDAL04-13 The Horseman such that they can use it to draw 
  the vestige of the Evening Glory out of Esmae. Ixusaxa and 
  Jeny both believe that it must be presented forcefully in 
  some manner to do so; likely in a way similar to how it was 
  used to pull for the possessing ghosts in the Amber Temple. 
  They suggest being obvious and loud but are stumped on 
  details as to how to do it and exactly what will happen.  
   
  Note: The characters do not know this but to use the 
  locket, the character must use an action to present it 
  forcefully to Esmae and loudly demand the Evening Glory 
  depart her body. Esmae then must attempt a DC 15 Charisma 
  saving throw to prevent the vestige from being pulled out. 
  The DC increases by 5 for attempt made to entrap the 
  vestige. 
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  14 
  Part 2. In Search of Aid 
  Love is nothing but an overrated emotion that brings 
  nothing but pain to those unfortunate enough to 
  suffer from it.  
  —Carole Mortimer, Uncertain Destiny 
  Aya Glenmiir is set up in a cave near Orașnou, 
  sensing a need to be nearby. Unfortunately, Esmae 
  has also been watching for allies of those who have 
  tried to thwart her Obsessions. Shortly after the 
  characters arrive, she sends someone to eliminate 
  Aya.  
   Note: This encounter assumes the characters have 
  come to find Aya. If that is not the case, adjust as 
  described in Part 1. 
  Help Us 
  The smell of campfire smoke and pines surround the 
  sheltered mouth of a shallow cave. Inside an elven woman 
  with black hair turns a spit while reading a book in her lap.  
  Aya is browsing her spellbook when the characters 
  arrive; pondering how best to continue her efforts to 
  find a way home. Once the situation is explained to 
  her, she is more than willing to join the coven, 
  though she admits that she does not trust Jeny 
  Greenteeth and urges the characters to be careful of 
  any gifts Jeny might bestow.  
  Roleplaying Aya Glenmiir 
  Aya is a female elf of about 300 years. She has long, black 
  hair and radiant green eyes, along with a bit of an ego. She’s 
  well aware of the allure and mystery that her racial heritage 
  evokes, and has no reservations against capitalizing on it. She 
  is quick with a coy smile and a twist of the hair if it gets her 
  what she wants. But despite this, she is quite brilliant, 
  especially when the Weave is discussed. Aya has been 
  trapped in Barovia and has been traveling the domain looking 
  for a way to escape. She was recently a captive of the 
  Bloodhand orcs.  
  Do You Have Any Candy? 
  After a few minutes of discussion, the characters 
  hear crying from nearby tree line.  
  A sniffling catches your attention. A small Barovian boy hides 
  in the pines, clutching a stuffed animal and trying to hide 
  from your gaze. Seeing you, the child nervously steps into the 
  open while wiping his tearstained face on his coat sleeve.  
   
  "Can you help me? I'm can't find my mama and I'm lost." 
  The boy is actually the oni Vid, in the form of a 
  human boy. Vid is a creature from the Vanishing 
  Hills that recently came into Esmae's service when 
  he realized that he was at a disadvantage alone in a 
  new land. He has been ordered to find and kill Aya. 
  To aid in this, Esmae has given him an enchanted 
  stuffed animal that he can turn into a giant ape. If 
  Vid fails to beat the characters Passive Insight 
  (Deception +8), the character notices that his accent 
  sounds more Faerûnian than Barovian.  
   Vid tries to get within twenty feet of the cave, 
  possibly trying to hand his toy, which he calls 
  Bertock, to one of the characters hoping to catch 
  them by surprise when it changes form. Vid uses the 
  large animal to back the characters into the cave to 
  more effectively use his cone of cold and sleep spells. 
  Once cast, he uses invisibility and hides while he 
  dismisses his Change Shape to maximize his damage. 
  His goal is to kill Aya, and he passes up obvious 
  openings if it brings him closer to her. If it is clear 
  that he can’t succeed, he flees rather than give up his 
  life. 
   The animal obeys Vid and fights until dead, at 
  which point it transforms in to a giant child's toy; it's 
  stuffing gaping from its wounds. 
  Adjusting this Encounter 
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: Replace the giant ape with a brown 
  bear. 
   Weak Party: Replace the giant ape with a giant crocodile. 
   Strong Party: Increase the hit points by 20 and damage by 
  5 for both the oni and the giant ape. Increase the oni's 
  spell save DC by 1. 
   Very Strong Party: Add a brown bear. Increase the hit 
  points by 20, to hit by 1, and damage by 5 for all three 
  monsters. Increase the oni's spell save DC by 1. 
  Development 
  Here are ways to address some likely complications: 
   Capturing Vid: Between his ability to fly and cast 
  invisibility or gaseous form, capturing Vid is a 
  challenge. If the characters do successfully restrain 
  him, he admits to originally hailing from the 
  Vanishing Hills and being trapped in Barovia just 
  like the characters. In his dreams he met a woman 
  calling herself Esmae Amarantha who offered him 
  the chance to return to Faerûn if he killed an elf 
  wizard near the village of Orașnou. He never met her 
  in person, but when he awoke from his dream, 
  Bertock was there, as was the knowledge of where 
  to find Aya.  
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  15 
   Vid is not especially loyal to Esmae and is happy to 
  sell her out in exchange for his life but unfortunately, 
  he does not know where she is. He describes her as 
  tall, beautiful human woman with long black hair 
  that fluttered on an unseen breeze. Her skin was 
  pale, but not to the extreme and in his mind's eye 
  she wore a long black sleeveless gown whose bodice 
  was decorated with black lace. Around her neck was 
  a black ribbon from which dangled a silver wolf's 
  head. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check recalls that this sounds similar to Strahd’s 
  heraldry that the character has seen throughout the 
  domain. Her eyes were dark and intense, yet sad. 
   What if Aya Dies: If the unlikely event that Aya 
  dies, the characters need to return her to life or 
  retrieve Ixusaxa or one of the possessing ghosts 
  instead. If the characters are not capable of raising 
  Aya, Jeny is willing to do so free of charge, though 
  still tries to negotiate and asks what the characters 
  have to offer her before volunteering to do it for free. 
  If she is offered any payment, she accepts it quickly 
  be the character can rethink their offer.  
  Treasure 
  Vid carries four rubies worth a total of 400 gp. 
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  16 
  Part 3. Magic Always Has a 
  Price 
  Find what you love and let it kill you. 
  —Charles Bukowski 
  Once the characters have recruited the last member 
  of Jeny's temporary coven, they must travel nearby 
  into the Quivering Forest. Jeny has a place prepared 
  to undertake the ritual. Unfortunately, Esmae again 
  plans to disrupt the hag's plans.  
   DM Note: This encounter assumes the characters 
  have brought Aya as the third. If that is not the case, 
  replace her with the appropriate NPC. 
  General Features 
  The following details apply to the clearing in which 
  the ritual takes place: 
   Light. It is late afternoon in a winter shrouded 
  forest, so while there is bright light in the clearing 
  the forest itself is dim light. 
   Standing Stones. The stones are 10 ft. tall with a 
  rough surface that makes climbing them relatively 
  easy (DC 10 Strength (Athletics)). The stones are 
  planted too deep in the ground to be pushed over.  
  Leading you into the trees Jeny calls over her shoulder, 
  "Watch your step, children. You never know what's under the 
  leaves." With a chuckle she points towards a skull and 
  skeletal arm poking from beneath the fallen leaves.  
   
  After a few minutes of walking the old woman walks into a 
  clearing free of snow. Three standing stones ring a cauldron 
  that is boiling over a fire. A nearby flat rock has a variety of 
  pouches, vials and flasks close at hand. Three separate 
  circles, one of chalk to the north, one of flower petals to the 
  southeast, and one of fresh innards to the southwest.  
   
  "Take your places ladies," Jeny says as she steps into a 
  circle made of viscera.  
  Jeny asks each character to place their focus object 
  within the cauldron. The item is undamaged, 
  regardless of its construction. Jeny warns that once 
  the ritual begins, the coven cannot be disturbed and 
  should anything happen or appear it will be up to 
  the characters to deal with it. The characters must 
  not allow the ritual to be stopped once it begins, no 
  matter the cost. 
  The three women raise their arms and begin to chant in 
  unison. Jeny cuts the palm of her hand and flicks a few drops 
  of blood into the cauldron which roars to life with blue flame. 
  Jeny smiles and works her magic effortlessly, but the strain 
  on Aya's face is clear. Sybil however, looks as if she suddenly 
  bears a great weight, and streaks of white rapidly flow 
  through her black hair.  
   
  Over the women's incantation, you here a rustling in the 
  undergrowth and slurring sibilant voices give voice to a 
  threatening rhyme: 
   
  "Old Mother hag,  
   
  Stirring her pot, 
   
  Gathering her minions, 
   
  All for naught. 
   
  Swallowing her lies,  
   
  Each does their part, 
   
  Rip open their chests,  
   
  And eat out their heart." 
  Twisted creatures begin crawling into the clearing. Vaguely 
  human-like with greenish brown, warty skin, and shaggy 
  mane of think hair, each creature has a large fanged maw 
  taking up more than half of its missive misshapen head. Each 
  of the creatures has a heart-shaped, bruised indentation on 
  their chest.  
  Esmae's power has grown dramatically since 
  bonding with the Evening Glory. She now senses 
  powerful individuals that can thwart her, and has 
  taken steps to end that possibility. Twisting a group 
  of farm folk into Goblyns, she has ordered them to 
  kill Jeny Greenteeth and her minions, and now that 
  Jeny has started the ritual, the characters are the 
  only thing that stands in their way. At the start of the 
  combat, three goblyns attack obvious foes while 
  three more watch from cover out of sight looking for 
  an opening.  
  Goblyns of Ravenloft 
  Goblyns are humanoid creatures that have been transformed 
  by powerful magic and are not actually the goblins that 
  characters from the Realms may have seen before. Goblyns 
  are utterly loyal to their creator; in this case Esmae who 
  created them as an exercise of her new found power. 
  Goblyns do not sleep or grow bored, but obsessively eat and 
  seek to do their master's bidding. 
  After three rounds (or sooner if the first wave of 
  goblyns are defeated), continue with the following 
  read aloud text: 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  17 
  The strain of the ritual is clearly taking its toll. A streak of grey 
  flows down Aya's hair and her youthful elven appearance is 
  marred by lines. Sybil is barely recognizable. Where once 
  there stood a human woman in the fullness of life, there is a 
  now a stooped old woman, barely more than a skeleton with 
  skin stretched taut, wheezing out arcane words of power. 
   
  Before you have time to ponder the cost these women are 
  paying, growls echo as more of the fanged creatures stream 
  into the clearing. 
  The remaining three goblyns try to swarm around 
  the same target, preferably one that has been 
  avoiding melee combat. After a round of combat 
  with the second wave, read or summarize the 
  following: 
  Sybil utters a strangled cry as she collapses to the ground, 
  scattering chalk dust on the breeze. Looking at the sky 
  through milky white eyes she chokes, "I see her." Then 
  wracked by a wet cough, she spits up blood over her 
  timeworn face and then breathes no more.  
   
  Looking at the desiccated corpse, Jeny shakes her head. "I 
  told you that there would be a cost little sister, but your price 
  was well paid. I see our foe in the ruins of a keep astride a 
  mountain." 
   
  The woods echo with growls and a dozen more fanged 
  monsters break through the leaves. Aya's fingers work fast, 
  and a circle of green light forms on the ground. "Go now, it 
  will take you to the enemy." 
   
  Jeny offers a wide smile, "Yes, go. I will clean up here."   
  It should be clear that there is a massive number of 
  goblyns swarming the area and it will take time to 
  defeat them all, even if the characters survive. Aya 
  urges the characters to step into the circle and she 
  will teleport them to where they need to go. She has 
  already paid the hag's price for this power, and so 
  there is no reason to waste it.  
  Development 
  If a character insisted of being one of the three 
  "sisters" of the coven, they suffer significant effects 
  as their life force is drained away to power the hag 
  magic that they have no right performing. During the 
  ritual, the character permanently ages 150 years and 
  suffers four levels of exhaustion until they complete 
  a long rest. If the years added to their age exceed 
  their racial life span, the character dies at the end of 
  the ritual. There is no saving throw to avoid these 
  effects.  
   This kills a normal human like Sybil. Elves like Aya 
  or Ixusaxa are aged, but survive. If the third is one of 
  the ghosts, it has no effect given their undead state. 
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  18 
  Part 4. Ruins of Boszórkan 
  Keep 
  Here in the forest, dark and deep, I offer you eternal 
  sleep. 
  -Death, The Poor Little Rich Girl 
  Green warmth fades away as you find yourselves on the side 
  of a mountain. To the south you seen the domain of Barovia, 
  Lake Zarovich a break in the trees below and the Old Svalich 
  Road a thin muddy line in the snow beyond. To the north, 
  there is only mist. A small crumbling keep hugs the side of 
  the cliff face a spear's toss away and seems your only 
  possible destination.  
   
  As the sun sets, you find that the items you had placed 
  inside Jeny's cauldron are now at your feet in the swirling 
  snow. 
  Once the characters pick up their focus item, they 
  instantly know its benefits and hindrances, as well 
  as the general direction and distance to Esmae (she 
  is in the keep). Unfortunately for them, Esmae also 
  knows they have arrived.  
  Outside the Keep 
  While the small keep looks ill-kempt and likely 
  wouldn't stand up to a protracted siege, the walls are 
  mostly intact. Some pieces have crumbled here and 
  there, but the walls are still 13 to 15-feet high. The 
  front gate is open. The trail ends at the keep which 
  overlooks a north-south pass more than two 
  hundred feet below which terminates in the mist. 
  Due to the proximity to the edge on one side and the 
  tall wall on the other, there is no way to safely go 
  around or get behind the keep. Given the snowy 
  winds and ice-covered conditions, the walls can be 
  climbed by a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check.  
   A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) identifies 
  tracks which a subsequent successful DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Survival) identifies them as humanoid, horse, and 
  wagon tracks. It is impossible to determine more do 
  to the weather. A DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  of the gate notes limited wear and suggests that it 
  has seen very little use, though there has been some 
  recently.  
   High Winds. While fighting outside or in Area 1 or 
  Area 2, the characters are exposed to high winds. 
  Ranged weapon attacks suffer disadvantage. It is 
  difficult to keep open flames lit.  
   Light. The is setting as the characters arrive. After 
  two minutes, the last of it dips below the horizon 
  and it is night. There is no moon and the stars are 
  blocked by clouds. It is dark.  
  Inside the Keep 
  Inside the keep, it is cool and dark and things are 
  decaying unless otherwise noted in the individual 
  descriptions.  
  Area 1: The Gatehouse 
  A rusted gate hangs open at an angle permitting entry to a 
  ramshackle gatehouse but further passage to a courtyard is 
  blocked by a portcullis in the far wall. Dead weeds and 
  shrubbery poke through the broken flagstones and piles of 
  snow.  
  The roof of the gatehouse has collapsed allowing the 
  struggling light into the room. The rubble has been 
  pushed into the corners and is difficult terrain.  
   From outside, the characters can see through the 
  gate and the portcullis beyond to note a large 
  courtyard further on. There are no obvious foes in 
  sight, however a successful DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check notes an arrow slit in the 
  northeastern corner (from Area 3) that is partially 
  obscured by the snow. Those characters with a DC 
  22 passive Perception or higher (based on the 
  assassin's Stealth check) also note a shadow move 
  in the darkness beyond. The arrow slit grants three-
  quarters cover (+5 AC and Dex saving throws). 
   Foliage. The plants in the courtyard are 
  terrorvine; a dangerous thorny vine native Barovia 
  similar to wild roses. Any character moving along 
  the sides of gatehouse, such as to explore the rubble 
  or attack through the arrow slit, must succeed in a 
  DC 10 Dexterity saving throw to avoid being nicked 
  by a thorn and taking 1 point of piercing damage. 
  Those that take damage must succeed in DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw (poison based) or fall 
  prone and incapacitated in the vines (taking an 
  addition 1d4 piercing damage) as their mind is 
  overcome with extreme terror. Afflicted characters 
  can attempt another saving throw at the end of their 
  successive turns. Those who successfully save are 
  Frightened for 1 round, but then are immune to the 
  vine's effects until they complete a long rest.  
   Gate and Portcullis. A successful DC 20 
  Intelligence (Investigation) made while searching 
  the gate notes that the gate is not jammed open, but 
  simply hangs halfway down as if it was stopped 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  19 
  while only partially lowered. The chains that raise or 
  lower the gate are inside the wall and cannot be 
  reached, though a character might try to brace or 
  jam the gate at the DM's discretion. The gate and the 
  portcullis to Area 2 can be lifted in one action a 
  successful DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check.  
   Surprise. If the characters enter through the 
  Gatehouse, as opposed to trying to climb or fly over a 
  wall, the assassin in Area 3 waits to spring his trap. 
  He is watching for roughly half of the characters to 
  enter, one of the characters succumb to the 
  terrorvine, or when it is clear the party is sending 
  just one scout forward.  Once that happens, he 
  triggers the level that drops the gate. A character 
  that is under the gate can attempt a DC 15 Dexterity 
  saving throw to avoid taking 7 (2d6) points of 
  bludgeoning damage and being restrained beneath 
  it. Those that succeed in the saving throw can decide 
  whether to jump a space forward or back.  
   Once the gate is down, the assassin attacks from 
  behind the arrow slit, taking full cover between 
  shots. It is likely he gets to attack with surprise. If 
  that becomes ineffective, he hides and prepares to 
  strike once someone gets into the courtyard.  
   At the same time, the phantom warrior in Area 2 
  comes to investigate the ruckus and attacks anyone 
  in Area 1.   
  Adjusting this Encounter 
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: Remove the phantom warrior  
   Weak Party: Replace the phantom warrior with a shadow. 
   Strong Party: Replace the phantom warrior with a wraith.  
   Very Strong Party: Add a shadow to Area 2. 
  Area 2: The Courtyard 
  Snow covers the uneven, open air courtyard. Paths are 
  tracked through the snow to a single door to the north and a 
  set of grand double doors to the east. A wagon is parked in 
  the southwest corner.  
  At first glance the courtyard appears empty but 
  anyone succeeding a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check hears the sounds of moaning carried on the 
  wind, as if someone was suffering a great pain. A 
  phantom warrior patrols this courtyard, bound by 
  Esmae, and laments his torment. If the characters 
  have already faced, the phantom warrior in Area 1, 
  he is no longer here but his wailing (un)lives on.  
   Doors. The single plain door to the north leads to 
  Area 3 and is locked (DC 20 Dexterity check made 
  with thieves' tools). The double doors to the east are 
  carved with one door showing a handsome man and 
  the other an elegant woman; each gazing longingly 
  toward the other while standing upon a piles of 
  stones. A careful examination and a successful DC 15 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check notes that the man 
  has fangs and the woman's dress is stained by blood 
  dripping from her neck. The stones that they stand 
  upon are actually a mound of hearts. The double 
  doors are not locked.  
   Tracks. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) 
  check notes several sets of Medium size humanoid 
  boot prints moving between both doors and the 
  wagon. There are also hoof prints from a horse 
  leading to the double doors.  
   Wagon. The wagon is an enclosed delivery-style 
  wagon. The name Amarantha is painted on the side, 
  above three candles, peeling badly from age. Inside 
  the tools of a chandler hang dusty in the back amidst 
  blocks of wax, wicks and molds. Painted on the 
  inside wall, across from a workbench, is a painting of 
  dark haired, mustachioed man wearing a wax 
  stained apron. His hand rests upon a thin girl of 
  maybe ten winters with midnight hair and darkly 
  intense eyes that follow as one moves about the 
  wagon. 
   Treasure. A wax bust of a man's head sits lovingly 
  in a velvet lined box. Those who have seen the 
  marble bust in DDAL04-04 The Marionette or have 
  seen the man himself, recognize Strahd von 
  Zarovich. The bust is oddly heavy though, as Esmae 
  used her father's skull to mold the wax around so 
  that both the men she loved would always be with 
  her. Breaking open the bust reveals the skull, but 
  renders the work worthless. Otherwise, the bust is 
  worth 25 gp to the right buyer.  
  Area 3: The Guardroom 
  The southern wall is lined with empty weapon racks and beds 
  are to the south. An arrow slit is in the western wall opposite 
  a door.  
  This room is occupied by János Anatall, an assassin 
  from Vallaki in the employ of Esmae. János is in awe 
  of his mistress's power and beauty and worships her 
  from afar. Ever since she merged with the Evening 
  Glory his devotion has only grown. He hopes to die 
  in her service that he might be reborn as undead so 
  he can prove his love. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  20 
   Bunks. He has stashed away a journal under the 
  mattress of one of the bunks, which a successful DC 
  12 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals. It is 
  filled with childish attempts at romantic poetry, 
  descriptions of murders committed in her Esmae's 
  name to prove his devotion and a general 
  explanation of the Evening Glory's faith. The last 
  entry mentions that he looked upon the painting of 
  Tatyana Federovna that Esmae keeps and he 
  believes that Esmae is more attractive as she is now. 
  None the less, he will still love her once she is 
  transformed into a creature of the night with 
  Tatyana's likeness. 
   Racks. The weapon racks are empty, those János 
  has hidden his key to the secret door in Area 4 
  behind one of them. It can be found with a successful 
  DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.  
   Treasure. János Anatall carries 100 gp in Barovian 
  currency, a potion of healing, and one of the two keys 
  needed to open a door to Area 8. 
  Area 4: Library 
  The three walls opposite the door are covered in shelves of 
  tomes, scrolls, and small framed paintings. The room is 
  overpowering with the smell of spices coming from a brazier 
  hung above eye level in the center of the room. A fountain is 
  built into the center of the northern wall, depicting a woman 
  crying; her tears collecting in the basin. A stone cup rests on 
  the lip of the fountain.  
  This library is a treasure trove of information, 
  though much of it second hand or conjecture, 
  concerning Strahd von Zarovich, his brother Sergei, 
  Tatyana Federovna, and the Amber Temple. It is also 
  one half of the puzzle to find the hidden stair (area 
  8).  
   Illumination. The lit brazier provides dim 
  illumination, along with some minimal warmth. 
   Smells. The brazier is filled with a spicy incense 
  that permeates the room. The scent is not 
  unpleasant but is overpowering. All Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks based on smell are made at 
  disadvantage. Anyone succeeding on a DC 20 
  Wisdom (Perception) check notices a faint acrid 
  smell in the room as well (the fountain). 
   Fountain. The statuette of the woman in the 
  fountain bares a strong resemblance to the paintings 
  of the woman around the room (Tatyana). The liquid 
  is cold and clear. Unfortunately, it is also cursed. The 
  mountain spring that feeds the fountain is 
  transmuted into a strong acid. Anyone coming into 
  contact with the acid takes 22 (4d10) acid damage. 
  The fountain radiates conjuration magic if checked.  
   Secret Door. A successful DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check notices faint scuff marks on the 
  floor suggesting that a shelf on the eastern wall can 
  be moved. The shelf rests on hinges and can be 
  easily slide open to reveal a door. In the center of the 
  door there is one indentation in the shape of a key. 
  There is no actual keyhole to insert a lock pick into 
  or even visible mechanism to access, so the key must 
  be found. 
   Unknown to the characters, the door is locked by 
  two different magically controlled locks (one 
  controlled here and one controlled by the secret 
  door in area 7). If the key found in Area 3 is pressed 
  into the indentation, there is an audible click of a 
  lock disengaging. Unfortunately, this also activates a 
  magical trap and does not unlock the second lock. 
  The second lock is only disengaged by unlocking the 
  secret door in Area 7. 
   If a character attempts to open the door without 
  having disengaged the second lock, a cloudkill (spell 
  save DC 15) fills the room and lasts for 10 minutes. 
  The cloud does not expand out of the room. A 
  successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check 
  can locate the trap. A successful DC 20 Dexterity 
  (Thieves' Tools) can disable the trap once it has 
  appeared, but this does not open the door. A dispel 
  magic or similar effect suppresses the trap and the 
  magical locks for 10 minutes, but leaves the metal 
  rods that extend from the door into the walls and 
  floor in the locked position so the door cannot be 
  opened. Doing 100 points of damage to the door can 
  batter it down, though like most objects it is immune 
  to psychic and poison damage.  
   Shelves. The shelves are filled with tomes and 
  scrolls in various hands along with several paintings 
  and drawings of Strahd, Sergei, Tatyana, the Amber 
  Temple, and Castle Ravenloft. A character may 
  search the library for useful information taking 10 
  minutes. For each increment of 5 by which a 
  character’s Intelligence (Investigation) check results 
  in, they receive one unique piece of information until 
  there is no more information to find. For example, a 
  character that rolls a 17 on their check would learn 
  three things. 
   Strahd fell in love with his brother Sergei’s 
  betrothed, a woman named Tatyana. She died 
  before Strahd could possess her.  
   There are more pictures of Tatyana than any other 
  person or place. In some of the pictures she can be 
  seen sitting in front of a powder box while 
  admiring herself with a hand mirror, combing her 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  21 
  hair with a silver comb, or dressed in a fine gown 
  with matching gloves.  
    Strahd is cursed to live forever and in each 
  generation Tatyana is reborn and will die before 
  he can possess her. There are several stories of 
  Strahd rushing to a woman that appears as 
  Tatyana, only to have her die in some freak 
  accident.  
   There are powerful, dark deific beings imprisoned 
  in the Amber Temple. One of them is called the 
  Evening Glory, the god of love through undeath 
  who teaches that love is immortal and can never 
  die.  
   There are ample histories concerning rituals for 
  transformation into the appearance of others. If to 
  be permanent, most require personal items of the 
  person that caster wishes to become.  
  Any lore taken from this room immediately bursts 
  into flame and is consumed. The Dark Powers would 
  not have the wrong people hold this knowledge.  
  Area 5: The Watchtower (Ground Level) 
  The pass below can be seen through the cracked window of 
  this watchtower. A cool draft whistles through the broken 
  panes fluttering the blankets of half a dozen beds scattered 
  around a central table with benches on either side. A 
  staircase rises to a second floor.  
  This room is used as a barracks by the Witches of 
  Barovia that follow Esmae. There are six unmade 
  beds piled with furs, each with a trunk next to or 
  under it.  
   Sound. Those with a passive Perception equal to 
  or higher than DC 15 hear heated—but whispered—
  voices up the stairs. It sounds like an argument that 
  at least three people are trying to keep quiet. The 
  specific details cannot be made out without getting 
  closer.  
   Spear Trap. The fourth stair on the stair case is 
  trapped. Stepping on it causes several spears to 
  thrust out from the eleventh stair (+8 melee weapon 
  attack, 22 (4d10) piercing damage), catching a 
  Medium size creature in the torso or a Small size 
  creature in the head. The trap can be found with a 
  DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check and disabled with 
  a DC 15 Dexterity (thieves' tools), or simply by 
  avoiding the fourth stair. If the trap is deployed it 
  makes enough noise to alert the enemies in Area 6. 
   Trunks. The characters may search through the 
  trunk to find several sets of clothes to fit male and 
  female humans as well as some personal items. 
   Treasure. Inside the trunks, there are a number of 
  personal knickknacks, jewelry and loose coins 
  totally a value of 150 gp. Getting to them requires a 
  successful DC 15 Dexterity (thieves' tools) check.  
  Area 6: The Watchtower (Upper Level) 
  An arcane circle and pentagram symbol dominates the center 
  of this room, each point illuminated by tall iron candelabra. A 
  table on the northern wall covered in paper, books, candles, 
  and bottles. A painting of Lord Strahd is on the western wall.  
  The Barovian Witches use this room as a general 
  ritual chamber. When the characters arrive, 
  Nikolaos Salahori is here with a few other 
  members of Esmae's retinue (two Barovian witches 
  and two thugs) that have begun to have second 
  thoughts about their mistress's plan. Nikolaos is the 
  senior most member of the band after Esmae and he 
  believes that pretending to be Tatyana is quite likely 
  a betrayal of their ultimate lord and master, Strahd. 
  He is trying to convince the others that they should 
  flee Esmae's service and warn Strahd of her betrayal.  
  Adjusting this Encounter 
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: Remove one Barovian witch and both 
  thugs. 
   Weak Party: Remove one Barovian witch and one thug. 
   Strong Party: Replace both thugs with a goblyn.  
   Very Strong Party: Add a goblyn. 
   Illumination. The candelabras, in addition to the 
  magic noted below, fill the room with bright 
  illumination.   
   Candelabrum. The center candle of each 
  candelabrum is a different color and is unlit. Lighting 
  the candle as an action triggers a stored spell and 
  can be done even if the character is not capable of 
  casting spells or does not have the spell on their 
  spell list. The magic of these candles ends if Esmae is 
  defeated. The candles and their associated spells are: 
   Black. Phantasmal killer 
   Blue. Witch bolt 
   Green. See invisibility 
   Purple. Dominate person 
   Yellow. Dispel magic 
  The spells are cast using Esmae’s spellcasting ability 
  (+9 spell attack, DC 17) using a 5th-level spell slot. If 
  the spell requires concentration, the creature 
  lighting the candle must maintain concentration. The 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
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  creature lighting the candle chooses the target of the 
  spell.  
   Painting. The painting of Strahd is enchanted such 
  that the Dark Lord can look through its eyes at his 
  whim. Those in the room may attempt a DC 20 
  Wisdom (Insight) to get a "bad feeling" when he 
  watches.  
   Pentagram. Any creature standing in the 15-ft. 
  diameter symbol on the floor has advantage on 
  attack rolls and saving throw against any foe with 
  Touched by the Mists story award. Any creature 
  with the Touched by the Mists story award that 
  enters the symbol must succeed in a DC 15 Charisma 
  saving throw to leave the circle. The symbol can be 
  destroyed using an action by any character without 
  the Touched by the Mists story award. 
   Worktable. The table details a number of quasi-
  religious rituals for the worship of Strahd and the 
  Evening Glory. It also has a wide selection of magical 
  spell components worth 120 gp and the spellbook of 
  one of the witches.  
   Treasure. On the workbench is spell components 
  worth 120 gp and the witch's spellbook. If the 
  characters negotiate to have the witches leave, they 
  take the spellbook and components with them.  
  The Witches 
  The witches are close to being swayed by Nikolaos' words, 
  but when the characters enter, they are immediately on the 
  defensive and prepared to fight. If a character immediately 
  shows that the party means no harm, they are willing to talk. 
  They know that if successful Esmae will take an undying 
  version of Tatyana's form and plans to use that shape and the 
  Evening Glory's power to seduce Strahd. Appeals to Strahd's 
  unquestioned authority, or threats that Strahd will take 
  vengeance against the witches may sway them to avoid 
  combat and flee. If a character succeeds in a DC 25 Charisma 
  (Intimidate or Persuasion) check the witches gather up their 
  belongings and flee the keep. The DM should award 
  advantage for particularly good roleplaying. Nikolaos will go 
  so far as to give the characters the keep to the secret door in 
  area 7 and tell them were to find the door; though he 
  neglects to tell them of the trap. Fearing Esmae's wrath, they 
  refuse to help fight her. They know the power of the Evening 
  Glory is immense. They will say that Esmae has already begun 
  the ritual in a chamber above the great hall and if the 
  characters wish to stop her, they will have to hurry. 
   
  If the characters refuse to let them leave or take their 
  belongings, or fail to convince them, they attack. If Nikolaos 
  and at least two of the others are defeated, the remaining 
  enemies can be forced to surrender. 
  Area 7: The Great Hall  
  This great hall reeks of blood and burning meat. A hunch of 
  meat chars in a roaring fireplace in the north east corner. A 
  statue of a beautiful woman painted in blood is in a 
  windowed alcove on the eastern wall, viscera and offal piled 
  around it. The storm rages outside in the pass below. A 
  tapestry on the western wall depicts a view from the pass 
  below of Boszórkan Keep against the night sky. A pile of half 
  eaten meat, topped with a skinless horse's head is on the 
  table in the middle of the room. 
  The great hall appears empty when the characters 
  arrive. The fire elemental (see below) watches in 
  the form of the fire in the fireplace.  
   Illumination. The moonlight through the 
  windows and the blazing fire provide bright 
  illumination.  
   Smell. The room smells strongly of the burning 
  horse haunch and the offal around the statue.  
   Fireplace. The fire in the fireplace is actually a fire 
  elemental which attacks if the characters trigger the 
  firestorm trap or open a door to leave this room. 
   Secret Door. A successful DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check notices faint scuff marks on the 
  floor suggesting that a section of the wall behind a 
  tapestry on the western wall can be opened. The 
  wall rests on hinges and can be easily slide open to 
  reveal a door. In the center of the door there is one 
  indentation in the shape of a key. There is no actual 
  keyhole to insert a lock pick into or even visible 
  mechanism to access, so the key must be found. 
  Unknown to the characters, the door is locked by 
  two different magically controlled locks (one 
  controlled here and one controlled by the secret 
  door in Area 4). If the key found Area 6 is pressed 
  into the indentation, there is an audible click of a 
  lock disengaging. Unfortunately, this also activates a 
  magical trap and does not unlock the second lock. 
  The second lock is only disengaged by unlocking the 
  secret door in Area 4. If a character attempts to open 
  the door without having disengaged the second lock, 
  a firestorm (DC 15) fills the room but does not 
  expand into the rooms beyond. A successful DC 20 
  Intelligence (Investigation) check can locate the trap. 
  A successful DC 20 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) can 
  disable the trap once it has appeared, but this does 
  not open the door. A dispel magic or similar effect 
  suppresses the trap and the magical locks for 10 
  minutes, but leaves the metal rods that extend from 
  the door into the walls and floor in the locked 
  position so the door cannot be opened. Doing 100 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
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  points of damage to the door can batter it down, 
  though like most objects it is immune to psychic and 
  poison damage.  
   Statue. A statue of Tatyana is in the alcove 
  surrounded by the bloody offal of a slaughtered 
  horse. On its chest, painted in blood, is a holy symbol 
  of the Evening Glory; a hand with a heart in the 
  palm. Placing one's hand on the holy symbol causes 
  the victim to collapse Prone to the floor and rapidly 
  experience the myriad of deaths experienced 
  Tatyana: falls, crushing, stabs, poison, etc... All of it 
  swift succession, it is a confusing and painful blur 
  until it ends with an image of her standing on the 
  mountainside before Boszórkan Keep in a long black 
  sleeveless gown whose bodice was decorated with 
  black lace. Around her neck is a black ribbon from 
  which dangled a silver wolf's head. She smiles and 
  turns as it seeing the character raising a hand in 
  greeting, a bloodless heart-shaped cut through her 
  palm. This experience takes one round and requires 
  the character to succeed in a DC 15 Wisdom saving 
  throw or gain one level of madness.  
  Adjusting this Encounter 
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: Lower the fire elemental's AC and to hit 
  by 1 and decrease its hit points by 20. 
   Weak Party or Strong Party: No change. 
   Very Strong Party: Increase the fire elemental's AC and to 
  hit by 1, increase its hit points by 20 and its Multiattack 
  allows it to make three attacks instead of two. 
  Area 8: The Secret Stair (Ground Level) 
  Beyond the secret door, there is a large landing with a spiral 
  stair rising through the ceiling above. The von Zarovich 
  heraldry is carved large on the northern wall. 
  This room can only be entered by unlocking both 
  secret door, found in Areas 4 and 7. Both doors are 
  obvious and can be safely opened from the inside of 
  area 8. 
  Area 9: The Secret Stair (Upper Level) 
  The spiral stair comes to another landing with a door in the 
  eastern wall and another bas relief carving, this one of a 
  pentagram in a circle with a snarling wolf's head in the 
  center, on the northern wall.  
  Sofi Ellanani, the youngest of the Barovian witches 
  stands guard here with a suit of Strahd's animated 
  armor. If Sofi hears the characters coming, she 
  directs to the armor to the top of the stairs to defend 
  them against all comers while she goes into area 10 
  to warn her mistress and joins in her defense. 
  Area 10: Ritual Chamber 
  Sweet as sugar, hard as ice. Hurt me once, I'll kill you 
  twice. 
  -Jeffree Star 
  A man and a woman dance nearly naked, upon a floor slick 
  with arcane symbols painted in blood. Wax puddles amid the 
  symbols from squat candles placed every few feet. The 
  windows to this floor are broken open and a bitter winds 
  blows snow into the room, but it is quickly beaten back by 
  the roaring bonfire in the center of the southern half of the 
  room.  
   
  A woman with pale skin, black hair and dark intense eyes 
  stands behind the flames wearing a black dress and gloves, a 
  silver comb in her hair and hand mirror and powder box close 
  at hand. She smiles and for a moment surrounded by a black 
  mist and her form flickers to that of the woman you have 
  seen depicted in the statues and paintings on the first floor. 
  But then it is gone and Esmae Amarantha remains. Lighting a 
  candle and dropping it to the floor she calls, "Soon, love will 
  never die!" 
  Esmae Amarantha, joined with the vestige of the 
  Evening Glory, along with a Barovian witch and a 
  thug are close to completing the ritual. When the 
  characters enter, they attack. The thug moves to 
  engage immediately and if warned, the witch has 
  cast alter self and does the same. If not, she relies on 
  supporting the thug. Esmae tries to keep at range 
  and use her spells to great effect. In order to ritual 
  going she must use one action every round for ten 
  rounds while possessed by the Evening Glory, either 
  her own or a legendary action. If she cannot do so, 
  the ritual is disrupted. In addition, she saves her 
  legendary resistance ability for effects that prevent 
  her from casting the ritual, banish her, or exorcise 
  the Evening Glory. The DM should make it clear that 
  magical power is building and the flickering between 
  Esmae and Tatyana's bodies are accelerating and it 
  is clear that she is staying Tatyana longer and longer. 
  A clock is ticking.  
   Illumination. The moonlight through the 
  windows and the blazing fire provide bright 
  illumination.  
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
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   Bonfire. A creature beginning their turn in the 
  bonfire takes 14 (4d6) fire damage.  
   Floor Glyphs. The glyphs upon the floor fill the 
  room with magic. Creatures with the Touched by 
  the Mists story award receive half the effects of all 
  healing magic while in this room unless they succeed 
  in a DC 17 Constitution saving throw each time they 
  are affected by a magical healing spell, item, or 
  effect.  
  Adjusting this Encounter 
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter. 
  These are not cumulative.  
   Very Weak Party: Remove the Barovian witch and the 
  thug. Remove Esmae's 6th and 7th level spell slots. It takes 
  Esmae 15 rounds to complete the ritual. 
   Weak Party: Remove one thug. Remove Esmae's 7th level 
  spell slot. It takes Esmae 12 rounds to complete the ritual. 
   Strong Party: Add a Barovian witch. It takes Esmae 9 
  rounds to complete the ritual. 
   Very Strong Party: Add a Barovian witch and a thug. Give 
  Esmae another 30 hit points and increase her AC by 1. It 
  takes Esmae 8 rounds to complete the ritual. 
  Development. If warned by the Sofi Ellanani from 
  Area 9 of the characters approach, the Evening Glory 
  blesses the thugs and witches in the room. They are 
  affected as though they had been the targets of: bless 
  (+1d4 on attacks and saving throws), blur 
  (disadvantage to be hit by attacks that rely on sight), 
  and false life (+15 hit points). If the Evening Glory is 
  exorcised, these effects end. 
   If the Evening Glory is exorcised, read the 
  following boxed text: 
  Presenting the locket and loudly demanding the Evening 
  Glory leave Esmae, a black mist pours from the witch's eyes, 
  nose, mouth and ears. The mists form into a transparent 
  image of a pale, blonde woman with ice blue eyes and 
  bloodless hearts cut through her hands. She looks sadly 
  towards Esmae and then flows into the locket.  
   
  "Noooooo! Love never dies! There's still time. I can make 
  him love me. I will kill you as a wedding gift!" Esmae turns 
  her full fury against you. 
  When the Evening Glory is banished, Esmae loses: all 
  damage immunities, all condition immunities except 
  charmed, blessing of the Mother Night, and two 
  legendary actions per turn. In addition, her kiss no 
  longer heals her. 
   Treasure. If Esmae can be defeated the characters 
  find expensive candles inscribed with the symbol of 
  the Evening Glory worth 250 gp, jewelry worth 1000 
  gp, an ivory icon of the Evening Glory worth 200 gp 
  and a painting of Tatyana worth 200 gp. In addition, 
  Tatyana's gloves, comb, powder box and hand 
  mirror are each worth 25 gp. In addition, Esmae 
  wears bracers of defense and has a spellbook. 
  Conclusion 
  The adventure’s conclusion depends primarily on 
  whether or not the characters defeated Esmae in 
  time. 
  The Adventurers Fail 
  If the characters do NOT defeat Esmae and the 
  Evening Glory in ten rounds read the following 
  boxed text: 
  Esmae's body writhes and takes a new form. She is Tatyana 
  Federovna reborn! Looking you with a crocked smile and 
  blood red eyes she gives a full throated laugh in a whole new 
  voice. Pointed fangs are clearly visible.  
   
  "You have failed! Love lives forever!" With that Esmae 
  shifts form into a bat and flies into the night.  
  The characters did not defeat Esmae and so the 
  lands of the Quivering Forest do not return to 
  Faerûn. The characters must find their own way 
  home. The characters gain access to the Failure’s 
  Cost downtime activity (see Downtime Activities, 
  below).  
  The Adventurers Succeed 
  Moments after Esmae and her followers are 
  defeated, her schemes begin to unravel:  
  You feel a painful pulling upon you as though you suffer a 
  great heart break; a mixture of longing, sadness and joy. 
  Mists rise up from the floor swirling around you. Instead of 
  smoke and candle wax, you smell the scents of spring. 
  By undoing Esmae's schemes, the characters, NPCs, 
  and locations from Faerûn are no longer bound to 
  the Domain of Dread. All of them return to where the 
  mist took them from. Soon people around Phlan 
  speak of the character's deeds in fighting the 
  creatures of the mists. 
   Each character must now make a choice: return to 
  Faerûn or stay in Barovia (possibly because the 
  player wishes to play more adventures set in 
  Barovia). 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
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   If the character wishes to leave, they gain the 
  Escape from the Demiplane of Dread story award 
  and wake up in the Quivering Forest not far from 
  Plan. It is spring and they are in Faerûn. The locket 
  containing the Evening Glory is nowhere to be found. 
  Characters that are members of a faction are 
  awarded with the completion of a secret mission 
  upon checking in with their local faction 
  representative. 
   If the character to stay in Barovia, they gain access 
  to the Return to the Keep downtime activity (see 
  Downtime Activities, below). 
   Whether the characters stay or not, they gain the 
  The True Meaning of Love story award. 
   
  The End...? 
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  26 
  Rewards 
  Make sure players note their rewards on their 
  adventure logsheets. Give your name and DCI 
  number (if applicable) so players can record who 
  ran the session. 
  Experience 
  Total up all combat experience earned for defeated 
  foes, and divide by the number of characters present 
  in the combat. For non-combat experience, the 
  rewards are listed per character. Give all characters 
  in the party non-combat experience awards unless 
  otherwise noted. 
  Combat Awards 
  Name of Foe 
   
   
  XP per Foe 
  Assassin  
   
   
  3,900 
  Barovian Witch  
   
  100 
  Brown Bear  
   
   
  200 
  Esmae Amarantha 
   
  7,200 
  Fire Elemental  
   
   
  1,800 
  Giant Ape 
   
   
  2,900 
  Giant Crocodile  
   
  1,800 
  Goblyn  
   
   
  700 
  Nikolaos Salahori  
   
  1,800 
  Oni 
   
   
   
  2,900 
  Phantom Warrior  
   
  700 
  Shadow   
   
   
  100 
  Strahd's Animated Armor  
  2,300 
  Thug 
   
   
   
  100 
  Wraith  
   
   
  1,800 
  Non-Combat Awards 
  Task or Accomplishment  
  XP per Character 
  Recruit a third "Sister" alive 
  500 
  Defeat the Secret door puzzle trap 500 
  Negotiate peacefully with Nikolaos 500  
   Salahori and the other witches 
  Exorcise the Evening Glory  
  250 
  Stop the Esmae's transformation 
  500 
   The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 4,500 experience 
  points. 
   The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 6,000 experience 
  points. 
  Treasure 
  The characters receive the following treasure, 
  divided up amongst the party. Characters should 
  attempt to divide treasure evenly whenever 
  possible. Gold piece values listed for sellable gear are 
  calculated at their selling price, not their purchase 
  price. 
   Consumable magic items should be divided up 
  however the group sees fit. If more than one 
  character is interested in a specific consumable 
  magic item, the DM can determine who gets it 
  randomly should the group be unable to decide. 
   Permanent magic items are divided according to 
  a system. See the sidebar if the adventure awards 
  permanent magic items. 
  Treasure Awards 
  Item Name 
   
   
  GP value 
  Silvered arrows  
   
  50 
  Rubies   
   
   
  400 gp 
  Wax bust of Strahd von Zarovich 
  25 gp 
  János Anatall's pouch 
   
  100 gp 
  Watchtower trunks 
   
  150 gp 
  Spell components  
   
  120 gp 
  Candles  
   
   
  250 gp 
  Jewelry  
   
   
  1000 gp 
  Icon of the Evening Glory  
  200 gp 
  Painting of Tatyana 
   
  200 gp 
  Tatyana's gloves  
   
  25 gp 
  Tatyana's comb  
   
  25 gp 
  Tatyana's powder box  
   
  25 gp 
  Tatyana's hand mirror 
   
  25 gp 
  Permanent Magic Item Distribution 
  D&D Adventurers League has a system in place to determine 
  who is awarded permanent magic items at the end of a 
  session. Each character’s logsheet contains a column to 
  record permanent magic items for ease of reference. 
   If all the players at the table agree on one character taking 
  possession of a permanent magic item, that character gets 
  the item. 
   In the event that one or more characters indicate an 
  interest in possessing a permanent magic item, the 
  character that possesses the fewest permanent magic 
  items gets the item. If there is a tie in the total number of 
  permanent magic items owned by contesting characters, 
  the item’s owner is determined randomly by the DM. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
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  Bracers of Defense 
  Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)  
  These leather bracers are stitched with a symbol of 
  an open hand, bloodlessly pierced through the palm 
  with a heart shaped hole. The bracers fill the wearer 
  with the belief that that is love eternal, regardless of 
  creed, nationality, or vital signs. A description of this 
  item can be found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Potion of Animal Friendship 
  Potion, Uncommon 
  A description of this item can be found in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Potion of Healing 
  Potion, Common 
  A description of this item can be found in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Potion of Greater Healing 
  Potion, Uncommon 
  A description of this item can be found in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Spell Scroll of Lesser Restoration 
  Scroll, Uncommon 
  This scroll is inscribed with the spell lesser 
  restoration. A description of this item can be found in 
  the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  Witch's Spellbook 
  This spellbook is covered in red leather and 
  decorated with an impression of a wolf's and a 
  raven's head. It contains the spells: alter self, 
  invisibility, ray of sickness, sleep, Tasha's hideous 
  laughter. 
  Esmae's Spellbook 
  This spellbook is covered in black velvet over metal 
  plates. The writing inside appears to be in blood. It 
  contains the spells: blight, charm person, cloudkill, 
  counterspell, crown of madness, disintegrate, dispel 
  magic, Evard’s black tentacles, finger of death, 
  fireball, hypnotic pattern, lightning bolt, magic 
  missile, misty step, polymorph, shield, witch bolt  
  Downtime 
  Each character receives ten downtime days at the 
  conclusion of this adventure. 
  Renown 
  All faction members earn one renown point for 
  participating in this adventure. 
   Additionally, if successful in returning the portions 
  of Faerûn that were swept away by the Mists, each 
  character that is a member of a faction receives 
  credit for accomplishing a secret mission. 
  Downtime Activities 
  Characters who wish to escape Barovia must spend 
  downtime to do so. You may use the following 
  downtime activity granted by the result of your 
  encounter with Esmae: 
   Failure’s Cost (Failure). Without succeeding in 
  returning the portions of Faerûn that were swept 
  into Barovia, you must seek out alternative 
  measures. At any point after this adventure, you may 
  spend 40 downtime days and 250 gp traveling back 
  to Faerûn with a family of Vistani. You gain the 
  Escape from the Demiplane of Dread story award. 
   Returning to the Keep (Success). If you choose to 
  wait to return to Faerûn, you can spend 5 downtime 
  days to return to Boszórkan Keep at any time. The 
  mists are still there, and when you finally choose to 
  return to Faerûn, you earn the Escape from the 
  Demiplane of Dread story award. 
  Story Awards  
  Characters have the opportunity to earn the 
  following story awards during this adventure. 
   The Demiplane of Dread. You have traversed the 
  mists and now find yourself in the Demiplane of 
  Dread and, until this story award is removed, you 
  are unable to leave. So long as you are trapped, you 
  cannot participate in any adventure or event that 
  takes place outside of Barovia. Tread carefully 
  during your time here, the Dark Powers are 
  watching. 
   Escape from the Demiplane of Dread. You are 
  free of the Demiplane of Dread and may remove the 
  The Demiplane of Dread story award. If you later 
  return to Barovia, you regain the story award again 
  and must find a new way out.  
   If you have the Touched by the Mists story 
  award, you fall into a magical coma upon returning 
  and lose 10 downtime days for each dark gift you 
  possess. You must pay life style for each of these 
  days once you awake to eat, repair gear, etc., from 
  while you were out. Upon waking (if you ever do…), 
  you lose the Touched by the Mists story award. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
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   The True Meaning of Love. You have defeated 
  Esmae Amarantha and once again caged the Evening 
  Glory. You are true warrior of fate and love and are 
  marked as such. You gain advantage on Charisma 
  checks made with followers of the goddess Sûne. 
  You may cross this favor out to succeed on a saving 
  throw against a charm effect that you have failed. 
  DM Rewards 
  You receive 1,500 XP, 750 gp, and ten downtime 
  days for running this session.  
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
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  Appendix. NPC/Monster 
  Statistics  
   
  Assassin 
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +5 
  Skills Acrobatics +7, Deception +4, Perception +4, 
  Stealth +11 
  Damage Resistances poison  
  Senses Passive Perception 14 
  Languages Common, Giant, Thieves' Cant 
  Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) 
   Assassinate. During its first turn, the assassin has 
  advantage on attack rolls against any creature that 
  hasn't taken a turn. Any hit the assassin scores against 
  a surprised creature is a critical hit. 
  Evasion. If the assassin is subjected to an effect that 
  allows it to make Dexterity saving throw to take only 
  half damage, the assassin instead takes no damage if it 
  succeeds on the saving throw and only half damage if it 
  fails.  
  Sneak Attack (1/turn). The assassin deals an extra 13 
  (4d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon 
  attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when 
  the target is within 5 feet of an ally of the assassin that 
  isn't incapacitated and the assassin doesn't have 
  disadvantage on the attack roll.  
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The assassin makes two shortsword 
  attacks. 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, and 
  the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, 
  or half as much damage on a successful one.  
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, 
  range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing 
  damage, and the target must make a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison 
  damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a 
  successful one.  
   
  Aya Glenmiir, Mage 
  Medium humanoid (elf), neutral good  
  Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)  
  Hit Points 40 (9d8)  
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   9 (-1) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  17 (+3) 12 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
   
  Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +4  
  Skills Arcana +6, History +6  
  Senses passive Perception 11  
  Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Gnomish  
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)  
  Spellcasting. The mage is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 
  to hit with spell attacks). The mage has the following 
  wizard spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, 
  prestidigitation  
  1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic 
  missile, shield  
  2nd level (3 slots): misty step, suggestion  
  3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fly, remove curse 
  4th level (3 slots): greater invisibility, ice storm  
  5th level (1 slot): scrying  
  Actions  
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 
  2) piercing damage. 
   
  Barovian Witch 
  Medium humanoid, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 10 
  Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   
  7 (2) 
  11 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
   
  Skills Arcana +4, Perception +2 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  30 
   Spellcasting. The witch is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 
  to hit with spell attacks). The witch has the following 
  wizard spells prepared: 
   
  Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of 
  frost 
  1st level (4 slots): ray of sickness, sleep, Tasha's hideous 
  laughter 
  2nd level (2 slots): alter self, invisibility 
  Actions 
  Claws (Requires Alter Self). Melee Weapon Attack: +3 
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing 
  damage. This attack is magical.  
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) 
  piercing damage. 
   
  Brown Bear 
  Large beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 11 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 34 (4d10 + 12) 
  Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   19 (+4) 
  10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  2 (-4) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills Perception +3 
  Senses Passive Perception 13 
  Languages - 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Keen Smell. The bear has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on smell. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The bear makes two attacks: one with its 
  bite and one with its claws. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 8) piercing damage.  
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.  
   
  Esmae Amarantha 
  Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil  
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 120 (16d8 + 48)  
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  20 (+5) 17 (+3) 
  18 (+4) 
   
  Saving Throws Wis +7, Cha +8  
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Damage Immunities cold, fire, necrotic, poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, 
  prone, restrained, unconscious 
  Skills Arcana +13, Religion +13  
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13; Esmae 
  sees through all forms of darkness  
  Languages Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Infernal, 
  Sylvan; telepathy 100 ft. 
  Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) 
  Darkness Breeds Darkness. Esmae has advantage on 
  ability checks and attack rolls against characters with 
  the Touched by the Mists story award. Similarly, such 
  characters have disadvantage on any saving throw 
  made against Esmae. 
  Blessing of Mother Night. Esmae is shielded against 
  divination magic, as though she was protected by a 
  nondetection spell.  
  Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Esmae fails a saving 
  throw, she succeeds instead. 
  Vestige of the Evening Glory. If Esmae fails a saving 
  throw against the magic locket and has no more uses 
  of legendary resistance, the Evening Glory is pulled 
  from within her she loses: all damage immunities, all 
  condition immunities except charmed, blessing of the 
  Mother Night, and two legendary actions per turn. In 
  addition, her kiss no longer heals her. 
  Spellcasting. Esmae is a 13th-level spellcaster. Her 
  spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 
  to hit with spell attacks). Esmae has the following 
  wizard spells prepared:  
   
  Cantrips: acid splash, fire bolt, light, mage hand, 
  prestidigitation  
  1st level (4 slots): charm person, magic missile, shield, 
  witch bolt  
  2nd level (3 slots): crown of madness, hypnotic pattern, 
  misty step  
  3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, 
  lightning bolt  
  4th level (3 slots): blight, Evard’s black tentacles, 
  polymorph  
  5th level (2 slots): cloudkill 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  31 
  6th level (1 slot): disintegrate  
  7th level (1 slot): finger of death  
  Actions  
  Multiattack. Esmae makes three attacks with her Kiss.  
  Kiss. Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) psychic damage and the target 
  must succeed in a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be 
  charmed. The charmed target regards Esmae as his or 
  her true love to be heeded and protected, through 
  violence against others if need be. Although the target 
  isn't under Esmae's control, it takes Esmae's requests 
  or actions in the most favorable way it can. Each time 
  Esmae or Esmae's companions do anything harmful to 
  the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the 
  effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 
  24 hours or until Esmae is destroyed, is on a different 
  plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus 
  action to end the effect. Esmae heals half of the 
  psychic damage done.  
  Legendary Actions  
  Esmae can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the 
  options below. Only one legendary action option can 
  be used at a time, and only at the end of another 
  creature's turn. Esmae regains spent legendary actions 
  at the start of her turn. Esmae can’t use the same 
  legendary action twice in the same round.  
   Anything for Love. Each victim of Esmae’s kiss 
  attacks a creature within reach.  
   Blow a Kiss. Esmae moves her speed without 
  provoking opportunity attacks and then uses kiss 
  against a target within 30 feet.  
   Loving Concentration. Esmae transfers the ability to 
  maintain concentration of a spell she has cast to an 
  ally.  
   Love's Flickering Flame. Esmae lights a candle which 
  casts a cantrip at a target of her choice. 
   Ritual Casting. Esmae maintains the transformation 
  ritual. 
   Love Conquers All (costs 2 actions). Esmae ends a 
  condition that she began her action with. 
  Lair Actions  
  On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Esmae 
  takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; 
  Esmae can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:  
   Candle Caster. One of the candles in the room burns 
  out, triggering a spell as if it had been cast by Esmae. 
  This spell uses one of her slots but emanates from 
  any point in the room she wishes.  
   Candle Flare. All candles in the room flare brightly. 
  Esmae's enemies who can see must make a DC 16 
  Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end 
  of their action.  
   Love Never Dies. One of Esmae's allies returns to life 
  with half hit points.  
   Vision of Beauty. Moonlight fills the room. All 
  creatures that were charmed by Esmae but no 
  longer are, stare longingly at her until the end of 
  their next turn; granting enemies advantage on 
  attacks rolls. These victims may still act normally. 
   
  Fire Elemental 
  Large elemental, neutral 
  Armor Class 13 
  Hit Points 102 (12d10 + 36) 
  Speed 50 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   10 (+0) 
  17 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  6 (-1) 
  10 (+0) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Damage Immunities. fire, poison 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, 
  petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10 
  Languages Ignan 
  Challenge. 5 (1,800 XP) 
   Fire Form. The elemental can move through a space as 
  narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. A creature 
  that touches the elemental or hits it with a melee 
  attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire 
  damage. In addition, the elemental can enter a hostile 
  creature's space and stop there. The first time it enters 
  a creature's space on a turn, that creature takes 5 
  (1d10) fire damage and catches fire; until someone 
  takes an action to douse the fire, the creature takes 5 
  (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of its turns. 
  Illumination. The elemental sheds bright light in a 30-
  foot radius and dim light in an additional 30 feet.  
  Water Susceptibility. For every 5 feet the elemental 
  moves in water, or for every gallon of water splashed 
  on it, it takes 1 cold damage. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The elemental makes two touch attacks. 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  32 
  Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) fire damage. If the target is a 
  creature or a flammable object, it ignites. Until the 
  creature takes an action to douse the fire, the target 
  takes 5 (1d10) fire at the start of each of its turns.  
   
  Giant Ape 
  Huge beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 157 (15d12 + 60) 
  Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   23 (+6) 
  14 (+2) 
  18 (+4) 
  7 (-2) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills Athletics +9, Perception +4 
  Senses Passive Perception 14 
  Languages - 
  Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The ape makes two fist attacks. 
  Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.  
  Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, range 50/100 
  ft., one target. Hit: 30 (7d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage.  
   
  Giant Crocodile 
  Huge beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 85 (9d12 + 27) 
  Speed 40 ft., swim 50 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   21 (+5) 
  9 (-1) 
  17 (+3) 
  2 (-4) 
  10 (+0) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills Stealth +5 
  Senses Passive Perception 10 
  Languages - 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
  Hold Breath. The crocodile can hold its breath for 30 
  minutes. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The crocodile makes two attacks: one 
  with its bite and one with its tail.  
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage, and the 
  target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple 
  ends, the target is restrained, and the crocodile can't 
  bite another target.  
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one 
  target not grappled by the crocodile. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) 
  bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must 
  succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be 
  knocked prone.  
   
  Goblyn 
  Medium humanoid, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 56 (8d8 + 16) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  8 (-1) 
  10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
   
  Skills Athletics +5, Perception +2, Stealth +5 
  Condition Immunities Charmed, sleep effects. 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Controlled. The goblyn is in constant telepathic 
  communication with its creator who can see and hear 
  through the goblyn's senses as a bonus action.  
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The goblyn makes three attacks: two with 
  its claws and one with its bite or feast. 
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage and the target 
  is grappled (escape DC 15).  
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) slashing damage. 
  Feast. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  grappled target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) pierce damage and 
  the goblyn covers the target's mouth and nose with its 
  own mouth as it begins to chew off the victim's face. 
  The target can’t breathe and must succeed on a DC 13 
  Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of 
  exhaustion and disadvantage on all Charisma ability 
  checks until they complete a long rest. While feasting, 
  the goblyn may not bite. 
   
  Nikolaos Salahori 
  Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil 
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather armor)  
  Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45) 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  33 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   18 (+4) 
  15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  9 (-1) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Skills Intimidation +8, Perception +2 
  Senses darkvision 30 ft., Passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) 
  Brute. A melee weapon does one extra die of damage 
  when Nikolaos hits with it (included in the attack). 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. Nikolaos makes two attacks with his 
  battleaxe. 
  Battleaxe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage, or 15 
  (2d10 + 4) if used with two hands.  
  Hurl Flame. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 60 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) fire damage. If the target is a 
  flammable abject that isn't being worn or carried, it 
  catches fire.  
   
  Oni 
  Large giant, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 16 (chain mail) 
  Hit Points 110 (13d10 + 39) 
  Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   19 (+4) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Dex +3, Con +6, Wis +4, Cha +5 
  Skills Arcana +5, Deception +8, Perception +4 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14 
  Languages Common, Giant 
  Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) 
  Innate Spellcasting. The oni's innate spellcasting ability 
  is Charisma (spell save DC 13). The oni can innately cast 
  the following spells, requiring no material components: 
   
  At will: darkness, invisibility 
  1/day: charm person, cone of cold, gaseous form, sleep 
  Magic Weapons. The oni's weapon attacks are 
  magical. 
  Regeneration. The oni regains 10 hit points at the start 
  of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The oni makes two attacks, either with its 
  claws or its glaive. 
  Claw (Oni Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage.  
  Glaive. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) slashing damage, or 9 
  (1d10 +4) slashing damage in Small or Medium form. 
  Change Shape. The oni magically polymorphs into a 
  Small or Medium humanoid, into a Large giant, or back 
  into its true form. Other than its size, its statistics are 
  the same in each form. The only equipment that is 
  transformed is its glaive, which shrinks so that it can be 
  wielded in humanoid form. If the oni dies, it reverts to 
  its true form, and its glaive reverts to its normal size.  
   
  Phantom Warrior 
  Medium undead, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 16 
  Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  11 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  8 (-1) 
  10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Skills Perception +2, Stealth +4 
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical attacks 
  Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, 
  prone, restrained 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 
  Languages Common, any languages it knew in life 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Ethereal Sight. The phantom warrior can see 60 feet 
  into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material 
  Plane, and vice versa. 
  Incorporeal Movement. The phantom warrior can 
  move through other creatures and objects as if they 
  were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if 
  it ends its turn inside an object. 
  Spectral Armor and Shield. The phantom warrior’s AC 
  accounts for its spectral armor and shield. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The phantom warrior makes two attacks 
  with its spectral longsword. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  34 
  Spectral Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) force damage.  
  Etherealness. The phantom warrior enters the Ethereal 
  Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible 
  on the Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, 
  and vice versa, yet it can’t affect or be affected by 
  anything on the other plane. 
   
  Shadow 
  Medium undead, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 16 (3d8+3) 
  Speed 40 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   6 (-2) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  6 (-2) 
  10 (+0) 
  8 (-1) 
   
  Skills Stealth +4 (+6 in dim light or darkness) 
  Damage Vulnerabilities radiant 
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical 
  weapons 
  Damage Immunities necrotic, poison 
  Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, 
  grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, 
  restrained 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10  
  Languages understands Common, Dwarven 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)  
  Amorphous. The shadow can move through a space as 
  narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. 
  Shadow Stealth. When in dim light or darkness, the 
  shadow can take the Hide action as a bonus action. 
  Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the shadow has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving 
  throws.  
  Actions 
  Strength Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) necrotic damage, and 
  the target's Strength score is reduced by 1d4. The 
  target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, 
  the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or 
  long rest. If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, 
  a new shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later.  
   
  Strahd's Animated Armor 
  Medium construct, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 21 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   17 (+3) 
  13 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  9 (-1) 
  10 (+0) 
  9 (-1) 
   
  Skills Perception +3 
  Damage Resistances cold, fire 
  Damage Immunities lightning, poison 
  Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, 
  exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, 
  poisoned  
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  Passive Perception 13 
  Languages Understands Common but can't speak 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
   Antimagic Susceptibility. The armor is incapacitated 
  while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by 
  dispel magic, the armor must succeed on a 
  Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell 
  save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute. 
  False Appearance. While the armor remains 
  motionless, it is indistinguishable from a normal suit of 
  armor.   
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The armor makes two melee attacks or 
  uses Shocking Bolt twice. 
  Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 3 
  (1d6) lightning damage.  
  Shocking Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +4 to hit (with 
  advantage on the attack roll if the target is wearing 
  armor made of metal), range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 10 
  (3d6) lightning damage.  
   
  Thug  
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-good alignment 
  Armor Class 11 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
    
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
   
  Skills Intimidation +2 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  35 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages any one language (usually Common) 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Pack Tactics. The thug has advantage on an attack roll 
  against a creature if at least one of the thug’s allies is 
  within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t 
  incapacitated. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The thug makes two melee attacks. 
  Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. 
  Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, 
  range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  Wraith  
  Medium undead, neutral evil  
  Armor Class 13  
  Hit Points 67 (9d8+27)  
  Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 
  16 (+3) 
  12 (+1) 14 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
   
  Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical 
  attacks  
  Damage Immunities necrotic, poison  
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, 
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, 
  unconscious  
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12  
  Languages understands all languages it knew in life  
  Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)  
  Incorporeal Movement. The wraith can move through 
  other creatures and objects as if they were difficult 
  terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn 
  inside an object.  
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith has 
  disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight.  
  Actions  
  Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) necrotic damage. The 
  target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving 
  throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an 
  amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction 
  lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies 
  if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.  
  Create Specter. The wraith targets a humanoid within 
  10 feet of it that has been dead for no longer than 1 
  minute and died violently. The target’s spirit rises as a 
  specter in the space of its corpse or the nearest 
  unoccupied space. The specter is under the wraith’s 
  control. The wraith can have no more than seven 
  specters under its control at one time. 
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  36 
  Appendix: Important NPCs  
   
  The following NPCs are featured in this adventure:  
   Aya Glenmiir (Eye-ya Glen-MEER). Aya is a 
  female elf of about 300 years. Quick, coy and 
  brilliant, especially when the Weave is discussed. 
  Originally from Phlan Aya has been trapped in 
  Barovia. She was recently a captive of the Bloodhand 
  orcs. 
   Fillar Esven (FILL-er ESS-ven). This less-than-
  scrupulous and usually has a fair stock of goods. His 
  pries might be a bit high but generally of good 
  quality. Fillar is also more than he appears; he is a 
  wereraven.  
   Ixusaxa Terrorsong (ICKS-oo-SAH-shuh). Cult of 
  the Dragon Wearer of Purple had been captured by 
  the Bloodhand tribe and was rescued in DDAL04-12 
  The Raven. She knows the secret to escaping the 
  Demiplane of Dread.  
   Sybil Rasia (Si-buhl RAH-see-uh). Female Vistani 
  fortune teller. First introduced in DDAL 4-01 Suits of 
  the Mists and from the Forgotten Realms  
   Scartia Krutz (SCAR-shuh). Tax collector left in 
  charge when the Burgomaster takes off. Lord Strahd 
  is not taking her head for the village not paying its 
  taxes and she is not going to starve or watch others 
  do so. She might actually have a soul. She does have 
  a basset hound who believes he is a lap dog if she 
  would just sit down!  
   Gregori Wurlbach (gre-GOR-ee VURL-bok). Male 
  human. Soul. Gregori is a soft, balding man with 
  gnarled hands. He has worked hard for the comforts 
  that he enjoys in the village—chief among these 
  being that his food and drink is provided free of 
  charge thanks to his ability to host the Vistani when 
  they arrive every few months to peddle their wares. 
  He is fair minded and often overlooks his own 
  profits in favor of his community and friends. Unlike 
  other denizens of the duchy, Gregori is friendly and 
  welcoming of outsiders.  
   Jeny Greenteeth (JEN-EE Green-teeth). Female 
  unseelie hag of the Quivering Forest. A green hag 
  that resides within the Quivering Forest. 
  Encountered in DDEX1-8 Tales Trees Tell. Very old 
  and now even more powerful while in Barovia. 
  Loathes humanity, but plays the sweet, doting 
  grandmother. 
   Marku Grelon (MAR-koo GREE-lawn). Male 
  human, husband of Crina. Owner of the Seven Tables 
  Tavern. Knows all the best gossip, but never keeps it 
  to himself.  
   Crina Grelon (KREE-nah GREE-lawn). Female 
  human wife of Marku. Owner and cook of the Seven 
  Tables Inn and Tavern. Her ability in the kitchen is o 
  of the chief assets of the Seven Tables.  
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  37 
  Appendix. Magic Always 
  Has a Price Map 
   
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  38 
  Appendix. Ruins of 
  Boszórkan Keep Map 
   
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  39 
  Player Handout 1. Focus Objects 
   
   
  This table is a summary of the benefits and drawbacks of using a particular item for the focus in the ritual to locate 
  Esmae. The DM should feel free to apply appropriate mechanical effects to the drawbacks if the players are not role-
  playing them. These objects are only usable once and only in this adventure. Unless otherwise specified, the effects 
  last for one round. Each character should have one object.  
  Focus Objects 
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
   
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  40 
  Object 
  Source 
  Benefit 
  Drawback 
  Esselios the Raven 
  DDAL04-01 Suits of the Mists 
  You are not surprised when 
  you otherwise would be.  
  You are filled with rage when 
  your friends are attacked and 
  never retreat.  
  Cursed Vistani tambourine 
  DDAL04-02 The Beast 
  When you and an ally make a 
  saving throw, you may switch 
  the result of the roll. You use 
  your own modifiers. 
  You do not trust anyone else. 
  They are almost certainly 
  going to betray you if you do 
  not betray them first. 
  The silver dagger Alina used to 
  cut her baby free of her womb 
  DDAL04-02 The Beast 
  For one round, you gain 
  damage immunity to 
  bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing damage from 
  nonmagical attacks that aren’t 
  silvered.  
  You hold grudges. If another 
  character's actions (whether 
  they intended to or not) cause 
  you harm, you find it very hard 
  to ever consider helping them 
  with anything. 
  Lazlo or Alina's wedding ring 
  DDAL04-03 The Executioner 
  When you and an ally make a 
  saving throw, you may switch 
  the result of the roll. You use 
  your own modifiers. 
  You find it hard to say no 
  when someone asks for help.  
  Butler's Ring 
  DDAL04-04 The Marionette 
  You open a locked or barred 
  door. 
  You find it hard to take the 
  lead, but rather would rather 
  follow. 
  Marionette Control Box 
  DDAL04-04 The Marionette 
  You can forgo your action to 
  grant one of your companions 
  an action, taken immediately. 
  You find yourself becoming 
  clumsy unless someone else 
  tells you exactly how to act.  
  Lela's jewelry that was a gift 
  from the mortu Hanzi 
  DDAL04-05 The Seer 
  You gain advantage on a 
  Charisma or Wisdom ability 
  check.  
  You find it hard to tell the 
  truth. 
  Redcap rhyme 
  DDAL04-06 The Ghost 
  You may use the Dodge action 
  as a bonus action. 
  You are constantly talking in 
  rhyme or a singsong voice. 
  Any of the goods extorted by 
  Eugen 
  DDAL04-08 The Broken One 
  You grow fangs and make a 
  bite attack as a Bonus Action 
  using your Str or Dex modifier 
  (1d6 piercing damage).  
  You are always hungry. You 
  are desperate to eat every few 
  minutes, even if it makes you 
  sick. 
  The pearl studded mask 
  DDAL04-09 The Tempter 
  You turn invisible until the end 
  of your next turn. 
  You are obsessed with staying 
  clean.  
  The Fidatov treasure or any 
  coins paid by Ivan Randovich 
  the Burgomaster 
  DDAL04-09 The Tempter or 
  various other adventures 
  You detect valuable objects 
  and other nonmagical treasure 
  within 60 feet, through walls. 
  You identify the distance and 
  direction to and value of each 
  item.  
  You become greedy to the 
  extreme. No one else deserves 
  the treasure as much as you 
  do! 
  Any Devotional Object for a 
  ghost wizard of Amber Temple 
  (blue gown, knife, candlestick, 
  lucky claw, cookbook, quill 
  pen, figurine, or rope) 
  DDAL04-10 The Artifact 
  As an action you cast detect 
  magic. 
  You are single-minded about 
  the thing you love the most. 
  A possessing ghost wizard of 
  Amber Temple 
  DDAL04-10 The Artifact 
  You gain advantage on an 
  Intelligence or Wisdom ability 
  check. 
  You forget that you are you 
  and instead fully embody the 
  possessing spirit's personality.  
  Lodestone necklace 
  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
  When you fail a Wisdom 
  (Perception) or Intelligence 
  (Investigation) check, you 
  succeed instead. 
  You feel tired and exhausted. 
  Couldn't this all just wait until 
  tomorrow?  
  Tarnished silver crown 
  DDAL04-11 The Donjon 
  When you are reduced to zero 
  hit points, you are reduced to 
  1 hit point instead. 
  Your ideas are better than 
  anyone else. 
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  41 
  One of Omou's art objects 
  DDAL04-13 The Horseman 
  You cast misty step. You can 
  only teleport next to an ally. 
  You are filled with the ennui of 
  an unappreciated artist.  
  A cup of Jeny's "Pork" stew 
  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
  That was oddly tasty... but it 
  didn't seem to do anything 
  helpful.  
  You have trouble telling right 
  from wrong and enjoy 
  inflicting pain. 
   
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  42 
  Player Handout 2. Bracers 
  of Defense 
  Bracers of Defense 
  Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)  
  While wearing these bracers, you gain a +2 bonus to 
  AC if you are wearing no armor and using no shield. 
   These leather bracers are stitched with a symbol 
  of an open hand, bloodlessly pierced through the 
  palm with a heart shaped hole. The bracers fill the 
  wearer with the belief that that is love eternal, 
  regardless of creed, nationality, or vital signs. A 
  description of this item can be found in the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide. 
   
   
  
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  DDAL04-14 The Dark Lord 
   
  43 
  Results Code: June-August 2016 
   
  If you are DMing this adventure during the months of June – August 2016, please show your players this page. The 
  QR code below can be scanned, and will allow them to give feedback and results on the adventure to influence the 
  storyline in the future! 
   
  If a player does not have a mobile device, please tell them to head to dndadventurersleague.org/results to enter 
  their results. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S04 - Curse of Strahd/DDAL4-14 The Darklord.pdf