TEXT:  
   
  THE BEAST 
   
  Something strange is afoot within the Quivering Forest. So much so that even the elves of 
  Greenhall have left their homes to seek out help from their newfound neighbors. But, their tales 
  of a strange beast are not earning them any favors; especially among the Vistani, whom the elves 
  suspect are to blame for their ills. Return once more to the Quivering Forest and learn the 
  terrifying truth! Part Two of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts. 
   
  A Two-Hour Adventure for 1st–4th level Characters 
   
   
   
  ALAN PATRICK 
  Adventure Designer 
   
  Adventure Code: DDAL04-02 
   
  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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  DDAL04-02 The Beast 
   
   
              2 
  FAMILY IS NOT AN IMPORTANT THING. It is everything. 
  --Michael J. Fox 
  Introduction 
  Welcome to The Beast, a D&D Expeditions™ 
  adventure, part of the official D&D Adventurers 
  League™ organized play system and the Curse of 
  Strahd™ storyline season. 
   This adventure is designed for 1st through 
  4th-level characters, and is optimized for five 
  2nd-level characters. Characters outside this level 
  range cannot participate in this adventure. 
   The adventure takes place entirely in the barony 
  of Barovia, in the Ravenloft campaign setting. 
  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 with 
  ineligible characters can make a new 1st-level 
  character or use a pregenerated character. 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 
  
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  DDAL04-02 The Beast 
   
   
              3 
  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. 
   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 
  2nd-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 
  
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              4 
  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.  
   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. 
  
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  DDAL04-02 The Beast 
   
   
              5 
  Because of this, characters with the Acolyte background 
  gain no benefit from this trait. 
  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.  
   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” earlier 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 
  
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  DDAL04-02 The Beast 
   
   
              6 
  not offer a free raise dead, though Jeny 
  Greenteeth might be 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 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 
  
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  DDAL04-02 The Beast 
   
   
              7 
  make himself the spell’s recipient, so that he 
  becomes the one who is contacted. 
  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 
  Long has the Vaduva clan lived in the forest outside 
  of the small village of Orașnou—a small village 
  located at the base of the mountains of Barovia. In 
  response to some long-forgotten slight, a Vistani 
  seer cursed their bloodline with lycanthropy—
  something which has led them to take great care in 
  staying away from civilization. 
   In Orașnou, Laszlo is a sellsword that prefers the 
  solace of the forest over the company of people. 
  While on a hunting trip, he watched Alina Vaduva 
  quickly take down a bear in the form of a wolf, and 
  was awestruck as she reverted to her human form 
  to clean the beast. The fact that she was a 
  shapechanger did not bother him in the slightest—
  because again, he had grown accustomed to the 
  wild things in the world. He was smitten, though 
  Alina chose to withhold knowledge of her family’s 
  curse from him. 
   Their courtship was fast and passionate. Within a 
  year, they were married and Laszlo took Alina's 
  surname. Together, they found a niche in trapping 
  and skinning. They sold the furs to the village of 
  Orașnou, and in return, were given both a place to 
  live and a community to belong to—something that 
  Alina was secretly unsure of. But she had never 
  received such generosity, and they weren’t pressed 
  with inquiries of what they did before coming to 
  the sleepy little village. 
   However, Alina never told Laszlo the full truth 
  about her family's curse. Afraid of what would 
  come if Laszlo discovered her family's curse, she 
  took great pains to ensure that he never met other 
  members of her family. As their relationship grew, 
  she found herself with child and faced a terribly 
  difficult decision—could she tell Laszlo about her 
  curse before the baby was born and risk his anger 
  (or worse, abandonment), or withhold it from him 
  and continue living the lie. 
   Shortly before the birth of their child, Alina and 
  Laszlo agreed to trek into the forest for one last 
  batch of furs before the winter set in. During the 
  trip, she finally decided to tell him the truth. Laszlo 
  
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              8 
  was livid and lashed out at his beloved. Out of pure 
  instinct, however, Alina shifted and killed Laszlo. 
  Alina herself grievously injured, and now with a 
  tiny newborn that was unlikely to survive in the 
  wild, she stole into Orașnou one last time to give up 
  her child. Her last motherly act accomplished, Alina 
  retreated deep into the woods to heal her wounds 
  in the hopes that the villagers would raise her child 
  as their own. 
  Adventure Overview 
  Once the characters arrive in Orașnou, they are 
  informed of the coming storms and the danger the 
  village faces if the Laszlo, Alina, and their furs are 
  not returned—and soon! 
   As the characters set out into the forest, they find 
  that something is not right in the woods, and that 
  things are very frequently not what they seem. 
  Laszlo's campsite is a bloody wreck; it is apparent 
  that a massive wolf mauled him to death. 
   Following the tracks from here, the characters 
  stalk deeper into the forest and foothills, only to 
  find that Alina's den is the site of a terrible 
  revelation--that she killed her husband after he 
  tried to cut the baby from her, and that she left the 
  child in Orașnou with no warning about what 
  would happen. 
  Adventure Hooks 
  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. 
   Welcome to Orașnou; Please Help Us. 
  Otherwise, the characters find themselves in 
  Orașnou early one gray morning—likely because 
  they've heard of a troubling rumor of a missing 
  persons. 
   A Tie With Nature. Druids, barbarians, and 
  anyone with the Hermit or Wanderer background 
  may have experienced troubling dreams in the past 
  few days--terrible and savage wolf attacks, 
  abandoned and crying children, and blinding 
  snowstorms. 
  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 
  participate in any adventure that does not take 
  place in Barovia. 
   NOTE: This adventure may touch on some 
  morally dark moments. Please be careful to gauge 
  your player's comfort with such things, and 
  remember that the goal of a Dungeons & Dragons 
  game is for everyone to have fun! 
  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… 
   
  Any character afflicted with lycanthropy must receive the 
  benefits of a remove curse at the end of this adventure in 
  order to be rid of this horrible affliction. Characters that 
  choose to remain afflicted or cannot afford this spell, 
  become NPCs and are no longer playable in D&D 
  Adventurers League games. 
   
   
   
  
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  Part 1. Orașnou: A Sleepy 
  Mountain Village… 
   
  IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS THAT THE ACTUAL 
  PROCESS OF TRANSFIGURATION IS NOT TYPICALLY 
  A RENDING, BURNING AGONY FOR TRUE 
  LYCANTHROPES, BUT IT IS OFTEN SO FOR THE 
  PATHOLOGIC VARIETY. In fact, many of the true 
  lycanthropes with which I have spoken (before 
  destroying them) have claimed that the experience is 
  one of transcendent ecstasy. 
  Furthermore, true lycanthropes retain all of their 
  mental faculties while in any of their forms. At no 
  point do they forget what occurs when not in human 
  aspect, nor do they lose control of their actions. In 
  addition, they always retain their immunities and 
  most of their abilities. 
  —Dr. Rudolph Van Richten; "Van Richten's Monster 
  Hunter's Compendium, vol. 1" 
  The Village of Orașnou 
  Expected Duration: 15 minutes 
  Characters arriving from Faerûn find themselves 
  standing on the outskirts of Orașnou, the Mist 
  steadily falling away from them and back towards 
  the forest. Characters that have played other 
  adventures in the Curse of Strahd storyline may 
  already be in the village. 
  General Features 
  The general features of Orașnou are as follows: 
   Light and Visibility. It is early morning; the sun 
  has not yet fully woken from its slumber. There is 
  thick cloud cover, giving the entire area 
  surrounding the village a dismal gloom. 
   Climate and Weather. It is wintertime, and 
  though there are piles of snow here and there, it is 
  currently drizzling. Cold, fat raindrops splatter into 
  the mud and heighten the dreariness. 
   Smells and Sounds. Mud, fresh rain, wood 
  smoke. Whipping wind, clattering shutters, rain on 
  wood and metal. 
  Thick grey clouds gather far to the east and north, around 
  the mountain range in the distance. The village you are 
  standing in appears to have withstood a number of winter 
  storms; the walls of the buildings are clearly weatherworn; 
  their paint has long since peeled and heavy shutters adorn 
  every window. There is little color here; the clouds have 
  turned even the leaves of the trees and bushes grey and 
  lifeless. 
   
  The breeze picks up, flipping your cloaks about as if 
  nature itself was warning you to turn back. A name can just 
  be made out on a weathered sign on a post by the road 
  "Orașnou". 
  As the characters enter the village proper, read or 
  paraphrase: 
  There aren't many buildings in Orașnou, but one catches 
  your eye—“The Hare & Hair". The sign proudly displays the 
  silhouette of a rabbit with crossed razors underneath. It 
  appears to be the only place open at this time of day; the 
  rest of the buildings shuttered and closed. 
   
  A pot-bellied shopkeeper opens the door and waves to 
  you. "Strangers?  Come in, come in; there's no sense in you 
  standing outside in the wet and cold. I've got shelter if 
  you’re wanting and wares if you’re needing." 
  Gregori Wurlbach is a middle-aged, balding man. 
  He owns and operates this shop, which contains 
  basic adventuring equipment and weapons worth 
  10 gold pieces and less, but there is one potion of 
  healing and one antivenom for sale if the characters 
  ask. Gregori marvels at the characters’s strange 
  coins, but after biting into them, is satisfied with 
  their authenticity. 
   The most eye-catching feature of the store is the 
  front window: it has a small number of low-quality 
  furs and skins, including those from deer, bear, and 
  wolf. In a pinch, the skins could function as two sets 
  of cold weather clothing—Gregori is willing to sell 
  the furs for a total of 2 gp if asked. However, as they 
  haven't been properly cured yet, Gregori informs 
  them that the furs will no doubt be worthless after 
  a day or two of use in the rain or snow. If asked, 
  Gregori has cold weather gear available. Each set 
  costs 4 gp; twice the cost of a suit of normal, 
  traveler’s clothing. 
   Additionally, he has three small rooms that have 
  been reserved for travelers (though he admits that 
  they rarely get travelers, especially during the 
  
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              10 
  winter). Each room rents for 5 sp. They've got a 
  bunkbed each and come with a bath and a hot meal. 
  Roleplaying Gregori Wurlbach 
  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. 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.  
  Gregori is talkative enough, and happy to sell the 
  characters anything they wish to purchase. He 
  informs them that they rarely receive weapons and 
  ammunition or more expensive goods: 
   The Vistani travel through here once every other 
  month or so—bringing much-needed goods like 
  food, grains, and raw ore. In exchange for furs, 
  they entertain the locals. 
   The Vistani are due within the next tenday, but 
  there aren't enough furs in stock right now. He is 
  afraid that they won't leave any goods this time, 
  and may even stop coming to their village 
  altogether in the future--leading to making this a 
  difficult winter, indeed. 
   The remaining furs in the front of the store are 
  lower quality and might be serviceable as cold-
  weather gear. He gladly sells them, but warns the 
  characters that the furs will likely degrade and 
  become useless after a day or two of use in the 
  rain. 
   Everyone in the village helps with the survival 
  efforts; be it through farming, smithing, or 
  hostelry. Preparedness is the currency here. 
   Laszlo and Alina Vaduva are the trappers that 
  keep the store stocked with furs, but they haven't 
  returned from their last trip. They are typically 
  only gone a day or two, but it's been nearly a 
  tenday now and everyone is growing worried. 
   Alina is about eight months pregnant. 
   Last time the Vistani came through Orașnou, they 
  warned of a "murderous winter to come". The 
  blizzard on the horizon looks especially brutal, 
  and if Laszlo and Alina do not return soon they 
  may not make it back at all. 
   Last he knows, Laszlo and Alina were heading to 
  their usual campsite, about four to five hours to 
  the northeast along a well-marked trail. 
   There are not very many residents in Orașnou, 
  and all the other able-bodied men and women 
  are preparing the village for the coming winter. 
  The villagers no doubt appreciate any assistance 
  that the characters might provide. 
   Alina wears a choker emblazoned with a raven; 
  she has never been seen without it. 
  If the characters ask where they are or where the 
  village itself Orașnou is located, Gregori looks at 
  them quizzically and after an uncomfortable pause, 
  informs them "The duchy of Barovia. The domain of 
  Lord Strahd von Zarovich, may he be healthy and 
  well." These names are wholly unfamiliar to 
  characters originating from Faerûn. 
   If the characters wish to perform further 
  investigations, they may do so. Some potential 
  investigation information is noted below, but feel 
  free to create your own responses and information 
  based on character choices. Getting the townsfolk 
  to open up and talk to these newcomers takes one 
  or two hours, depending on how long the players 
  wish to investigate. 
  Investigating Orașnou (Short) 
  If the characters spend a short amount of time (an 
  hour or less) speaking to the villagers, they learn 
  the following: 
   Laszlo never spoke about what he did before 
  coming to Orașnou, but Alina fell quickly and 
  madly in love with him shortly after his arrival. 
  Her family has historically lived somewhere out 
  in the forest, and they've always been a bit rough 
  around the edges. Alina and Laszlo were clearly 
  two souls that were meant for each other. 
   Someone dropped off a yowling wolf pup and 
  limped off into the woods well before sunrise 
  about five days ago. Gregori has the pup now. 
   The villages around Barovia prize wolf pups; they 
  are something of a status symbol and loyal 
  protectors if properly trained from a young age. 
   The villagers are convinced that Laszlo and Alina 
  are dead, and this means that the Vistani won’t 
  return this winter. Everyone is afraid that they’ll 
  starve as a result, as the Vistani have no reason to 
  stop in Orașnou without the furs and skins that 
  the Vaduvas provide. 
  Investigating Orașnou (Long) 
  If the characters spend a longer amount of time 
  (two or more hours) speaking to the villagers, they 
  also learn the following: 
   Glovia prepares food for those that cannot do so 
  themselves and manages winter rations for the 
  
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              11 
  village. She is not in the village currently, as she is 
  away visiting family some fifty miles to the south. 
  Glovia has been the only friend that Alina has had 
  in Orașnou, and is the only person that can calm 
  Alina when her rage and anger issues threaten to 
  consume her. 
   Most folks say that no wild wolves have been 
  seen in the village in years, but some of the 
  villages claim to have seen a large silver wolf in 
  the village recently. 
   For all of her rage, Alina has always had a soft 
  spot for children. Some of the women in the 
  village say that if Alina were to hear a baby cry, 
  she would be rooted in place and temporarily 
  stricken dumb--it was almost surreal to behold. 
   Laszlo wielded both whip and bow with equally 
  deadly proficiency--even going so far as to claim 
  that he can never be surprised by his foes. He is 
  very protective of his whip, though some 
  villagers claim that there is an always-moving eye 
  in the pommel -- and that it may actually be 
  cursed! 
   Locals spotted wolf tracks around the rear of 
  both Glovia's home and Gregori's shop several 
  days ago. 
   Pointy-eared people have been seen around the 
  village recently. The villagers think that they 
  were elves, but elves are rare in Orașnou--almost 
  mythical. A character succeeding on a DC 12 
  Wisdom (Survival) check can confirm this; the 
  tracks head in the same direction as Laszlo & 
  Alina's hunting grounds. 
  Development 
  Once the characters have had a few minutes to 
  discuss the village and the absence of Laszlo and 
  Alina, they can hear a puppy making yelping 
  noises—likely of hunger or a need for attention. 
  Gregori smiles happily and characters that a 
  yelping, tiny newborn wolf pup was tied to Glovia's 
  doorframe just four days ago. "Loyal guardians, 
  wolves, if you get them at a young age. I think he 
  was a bit premature, but I don't tend to look to the 
  fates too closely. Glovia's not due back for a good 
  long while, so I'll just look after the scruffy thing." 
  The Wolf Pup 
  Though no one but Alina knows it, the wolf pup is her 
  child—something made apparent by its silver fur. 
   
  Gregori mentions that he found the pup tied to Glovia’s 
  door frame, but would prefer to keep it for himself. While 
  the characters are out searching for Laszlo and Alina, the 
  pup eventually escapes during the storm and into the forest 
  where it rejoins with Alina’s pack. 
  Gregori offers to provide access to lodging here in 
  the village if they characters can return Laszlo and 
  Alina safely. They are, of course, welcome to retain 
  any goods they might find in the wilderness. 
  Additionally, Laszlo is a reasonable man; he will no 
  doubt compensate them as well. 
   Ultimately, Gregori attempts to impress upon the 
  characters that without Laszlo, Alina, and the furs 
  that they bring in, Orașnou is unlikely to survive the 
  winter. 
  The Blizzard 
  The characters have 7 hours before the blizzard sets in; less 
  any time spent in the village. Once the storm hits, at the 
  beginning of each encounter each character must succeed 
  on a DC 9 Constitution saving throw or gain a level of 
  exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold 
  damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do 
  creatures wearing cold weather gear (thick coats, gloves, 
  and the like) and creatures naturally adapted to cold 
  environments. 
   
  
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  Part 2. Over the River and 
  Through the Woods 
   
  Expected Duration: 80 minutes total  
  Trekking through the wooded area surrounding 
  Orașnou can lead to a number of encounters. The 
  characters do not need to participate in every 
  encounter—though add additional encounters if 
  time allows. 
   The characters should interact with an element 
  on the "Orașnou and Its Surrounds" table, 
  discover Laszlo's body, and then one element on 
  the "The Deep Wilderness" table as time allows. 
  General Features 
  The woodlands surrounding Orașnou are 
  unforgiving: 
   Terrain. The woods outside of the village are far-
  reaching and treacherous. The ground is stony and 
  the soil hard-packed, with only the hardiest of 
  scrub growth poking through to the sun and trees 
  above. While not difficult terrain, it should be 
  described as if the life has been slowly drained out, 
  leaving the land little more than a withered husk. 
   Light and Visibility. Dark snow filled clouds 
  overtake the normally overcast sky. As the winter 
  storm descends upon the land, there is a palpable, 
  draining gloom all about. The area is brightly lit 
  during the day, but the clouds prevent the light of 
  the sun from being seen. At night, the area is 
  completely dark, and in the wild regions of the area, 
  the only light that exists is that which the 
  characters have with them. 
   Smells and Sounds. There is very little evidence 
  of native fauna, though the occasional snapping 
  twig and falling limb should be evident. The 
  characters should feel that they are not alone in the 
  forest, despite evidence to the contrary. 
   Weather. After each encounter, the snow gets a 
  little bit closer and the weather grows more 
  dangerous. After 7 hours have elapsed, the blizzard 
  hits (see details in the sidebar in the "The Wolf 
  Den", below). 
  A chill wind blows from the low mountains to the 
  northwest, carrying with it the hint of the coming winter 
  storms. Laszlo and Alina were last known to be on a hunting 
  trip somewhere out there in the wilderness and are long 
  overdue to return. 
   
  The storms are close and likely no more than a day away. 
  Clouds, heavy with snow and sleet and worse, threaten to 
  roll down from the mountains to blanket the land in cold 
  death for the unprotected. Without help, it is likely that 
  neither Alina nor Laszlo will survive for long out there. 
  Part 2a. Orașnou and its Surrounds 
  Expected Duration: 30 minutes 
   Choose (or determine randomly) one encounter 
  from the "Orașnou and Its Surrounds" table, below: 
   Once the characters complete this encounter, 
  proceed to the section entitled "The Campsite". 
  They have a chance attempt a long rest there if they 
  desire, but the winter storms will fall upon them 
  soon! 
  Orașnou and Its Surrounds 
  1. A Splash of Blood Hawks 
  The forest has been fairly quiet for the journey so far, but 
  the trees ahead are positively alive with the excited 
  chittering and cawing of hunting birds. Hardly a breath later, 
  they take wing and fly in your direction! 
  Six blood hawks have nested in the hardy maple 
  trees ahead. If the party flees more than fifty feet 
  from the tree, the hawks do not pursue them. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   Very weak or weak party: Remove two blood hawks 
   Strong party: The wind has picked up, imposing 
  disadvantage on ranged weapon attacks 
   Very strong party: as Strong party, and add two more 
  blood hawks 
   
  Two hours of travel occur before the next 
  encounter takes place. Laszlo's and Alina's tracks 
  continue off to the north from here and are fairly 
  easy to follow. A DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check 
  also shows that there are elf tracks as well, heading 
  Roll 
  Type 
  Title 
  1 
  Combat 
  A Splash of Blood Hawks 
  2 
  Combat 
  It Stirs in the Thickets 
  3 
  Combat 
  Please, Sirs and Ladies 
  4 
  Exploration 
  On the Muddy Banks 
  5 
  Exploration 
  This Does Not Belong Here 
  6 
  Exploration 
  We’re Not Alone 
  
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  in the same direction as well as back towards 
  Orașnou. 
   Treasure. Once the characters defeat or drive off 
  the blood hawks, they find the partially 
  decomposed body of a human male at the base of 
  the roosting tree. If they search the body, they 
  recover 20 gp from its pockets. There is also a scroll 
  tube half-buried in the dirt; it contains a single spell 
  scroll of create bonfire. 
  2. It Stirs in the Thicket 
  The characters easily see several sets of tracks here, 
  which a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) check identifies 
  as a single, male human among several types of 
  wildlife. The tracks lead to a densely packed thicket 
  ahead: 
  Though you have not seen much underbrush during your 
  time in the wood, there is a curiously dense thicket ahead. 
  The bushes seem to be in a ring surrounding a seven-foot 
  tall tangle of briars and thorns in the rough shape of a 
  dome. There seems to be a scrap of bright green cloth 
  several feet into the thorny environment. 
  If the characters wish to retrieve the cloth, they 
  must push five feet into the thorns to pluck it. Once 
  they do this, they can easily make out the form of a 
  prone human body deeper in the center of the 
  dome. The characters can see that the body is 
  wearing a bright green traveling cloak, but until 
  they pull the corpse from the thicket, they can 
  discern no other details. 
  Barovian Flora and Fauna 
  The wildlife in Barovia is not what you would typically see in 
  a Faerûnian forest. Instead of deer or foxes, you're more 
  likely to come across mangy wolves. Rats and other vermin 
  take the place of squirrels in the ecosystem. Stress an 
  abundance of predatory or scavenging animals and the lack 
  of prey. 
   
  Similarly, plant life is also different. Fruit from trees is 
  spoilt and flowering plants are almost nonexistent. Leaves 
  are dull and colorless with spindly, fraying branches and an 
  unusual amount of thorns and brambles. 
  The shrubs are actually four twig blights, and the 
  thorny dome houses a vine blight. However, they 
  lie in wait for at least one of the characters to enter 
  the undergrowth before attacking. They do not 
  stray more than ten feet away the clearing unless 
  they are being actively attacked, in which case, the 
  creatures attempt to meld into the thicket (this 
  grants total cover and breaks line of sight) to 
  escape or hide. 
   The entire space covered by the dome and shrubs 
  is considered rough terrain and causes 3 (1d6) 
  points of piercing damage to move through. A 
  creature moving through the brambles that 
  succeeds on a DC 8 Dexterity saving throw avoids 
  this damage. Characters in medium or heavy armor 
  make the saving throw with advantage. 
   Once the vine blight takes shape, it doesn't leave 
  the clearing. The thorns and briars hold the corpse 
  fast, and moves around as the vine blight attempts 
  to engage the characters.  
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   Very weak party: as weak party, and the vine blight's 
  entangling plants ability does not recharge 
   Weak party: remove two twig blights 
    Strong party: change the twig blights to needle blights, 
  but they retain the false appearance ability 
   Very strong party: as Strong party, and add a violet 
  fungus in the center of the dome under the body 
  Fire damage, such as from a torch or burning hands 
  spell, clears the dry brush very quickly, but may 
  cost the characters some valuable treasure as well. 
   Laszlo's and Alina's tracks continue to the 
  northeast from here. Two hours of travel occurs 
  before the characters have another encounter. A DC 
  12 Wisdom (Survival) check also shows that there 
  are elf tracks as well, heading in the same direction 
  as well as back towards Orașnou. 
   Treasure. If the characters recover the body, 
  they find a spell scroll of create bonfire as well as a 
  pouch of rare spell components worth 20 gp. If the 
  characters use fire to clear out the briars, the fire 
  destroys both the scroll and the spell components. 
  3. Please, Sirs and Ladies 
  A pot-bellied, heavily mustachioed man kicks the broken 
  wheel of his cart as he curses loudly. 
   
  "Please, sirs and ladies, have you the briefest of moments 
  to help a down-on-his-luck merchant? My back aches 
  something fierce, and I need to get this wheel repaired 
  before those storms hit!" 
  The man, Fluvio, is actually a bandit, and he is 
  biding his time until his two scouts can get into 
  flanking positions around the characters. He 
  
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              14 
  engages the party in conversation while they dart 
  from tree to tree about 50 feet away from the cart. 
  The bandits have had time to prepare impressive 
  hiding spots, but a character that succeeds on a DC 
  15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices them. He is 
  not shy about asking the strongest-looking 
  character to lift his cart so that another character 
  can fix the wheel. 
   Unless the characters have reason to believe that 
  something is amiss, the scouts likely have a 
  surprise round on the characters as combat begins. 
  Neither the bandit nor the scouts are interested in 
  taking prisoners, though they will not hesitate to 
  flee if the combat appears to be going in the 
  character’s favor. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   Very weak or weak party: Remove a scout 
   Strong party: change the bandit into a bandit captain  
   Very strong party: as strong party, and add a scout 
  Development 
  The bandits are denizens of the Demiplane of Dread 
  and know nothing about Faerûn.  
   Two hours of travel occur before the next 
  encounter takes place (see The Campsite, below). 
  Laszlo's and Alina's tracks continue off to the north 
  and east from here and are fairly easy to follow. A 
  DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) check also shows that 
  there are elf tracks as well, heading in the same 
  direction as well as back towards Orașnou. 
   Treasure. The weapons and armor that the 
  bandits had been using are of low quality, but the 
  furs in the cart are in excellent shape and would 
  likely be worth 20 gp in Orașnou. A DC 10 Wisdom 
  (Insight) check might tell the characters that these 
  furs may have previously belonged to Laszlo and 
  Alina. In a pinch, these furs may serve as cold-
  weather gear. There is also a scroll tube in the 
  wagon containing a spell scroll of create bonfire. 
  4. On the Muddy Banks 
  The sound of running water can be heard in the distance, 
  and soon a fast-moving—if shallow—river can be spotted. 
  The banks have begun to ice up and flotsam adorns both 
  shores; a number of broken branches sit half in the water 
  and nearly all of their bark is missing; they could almost pass 
  for exposed, twisted bones in the dim light. Though the river 
  is less than thirty feet wide, the chilling spray makes it feel 
  much wider. 
  With a passive Perception score of 13 or higher, the 
  characters can spot a single woman's boot on the 
  far shore. While the river is not difficult to cross, it 
  has a significant pull and is nearly ten feet deep. 
  Worse, the nearby trees aren't tall enough to act as 
  a sturdy bridge though creative characters may lash 
  a few together or come up with similarly inventive 
  methods to bypass this area. 
   Characters that do not take care to stay dry (or 
  do not construct a fire on the opposite side in order 
  to dry off) must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution 
  save or gain a level of exhaustion until they have a 
  chance to take a long rest beside a warm fire. 
   Aside from the single empty boot, there is 
  nothing more of interest here. However, you should 
  take care to use this as a foreboding moment—
  perhaps ask the players for Wisdom (Insight) 
  checks, ask for the passive Perception scores, and 
  so on. When they report their totals, simply thank 
  them and respond with "I'll update my notes" or 
  something similar. 
   Laszlo's and Alita's tracks continue to the east, 
  across the river and deeper into the woods. One 
  hour of travel occurs before the characters have 
  another encounter. A DC 12 Wisdom (Survival) 
  check also shows that there are elf tracks as well, 
  heading in the same direction as well as back 
  towards Orașnou. 
  5. This Does Not Belong Here 
  After several hours of walking through the forest and seeing 
  no evidence of life aside from a few scurrying creatures, the 
  sight before you is quite curious: a tree has consumed a 
  brightly painted wagon, well decorated with highly detailed 
  carvings and silver filigree. It looks as if the tree has grown 
  around and even through the wagon, and though the paint 
  on the wagon looks fresh this type of growth typically takes 
  decades to complete. 
  
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  A DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals that the 
  tree has likely been magically influenced; there's 
  something about the tree's growth that is not 
  natural. A quick search of the wagon--made much 
  more difficult by the tree growing through the 
  center of it--turns up little by way of treasure, 
  although a jingling tambourine can be spied 
  hanging from one of the branches as if deliberately 
  placed there. 
   A message scrawled (in what is unmistakably 
  blood) on the interior of the tambourine reads: 
  "Family is the Cruelest of Curses" 
  Laszlo's and Alina's tracks wind off around the 
  wagon and further east, deeper into the forest. One 
  hour of travel occurs before the next encounter 
  takes place. A DC 13 Wisdom (Survival) check also 
  shows that there are elf tracks as well, heading in 
  the same direction back towards Orașnou. 
   Treasure. The tambourine is very well made and 
  worth 10 gp. No mundane cleaning will remove the 
  bloody phrase—even prestidigitation or the like 
  proves fruitless. Only a remove curse or the 
  equivalent removes it permanently. If a character 
  elects to keep the tambourine, instruct them to note 
  it on their Adventure Logsheet. 
  6. We Are Not Alone 
  As the characters travel through the forest, ask the 
  players to choose to roll for Wisdom (Perception or 
  Survival) checks. If the players roll exceptionally 
  low or high, follow up by asking for Wisdom 
  (Insight) checks. Regardless of their responses, 
  reference the ideas below for appropriate 
  responses: 
   Heart-wrenching thoughts of abandoned 
  children, their hungry hands outstretched for 
  food, safety, and approval overwhelm the 
  characters 
   There are strange tracks on the ground. They 
  look like they may have once belonged to a wolf, 
  but the tracks are far too large for any breed of 
  wolf that you are familiar with. 
   Your guts squirm and twist and it feels like 
  something foreign is wriggling around inside 
  your torso. The feeling passes as quickly as it 
  came on. 
   You could swear that something bumped into 
  your hip. 
   The shadows grow long and the wind seems 
  somehow colder than ever before. A feeling of 
  loneliness washes over you. 
   Memories of your family come unbidden to your 
  mind, but they're different somehow; sadder and 
  full of loss. 
  The entries above are merely suggestions. This 
  section works best by writing down one of the 
  above messages down on a slip of paper and 
  privately passing it to the character with the lowest 
  or highest roll on their skill check. Wait a few 
  minutes, and do it again. This section may serve as 
  an interesting method to award inspiration tokens 
  to characters that get involved in the messages. 
   Through it all, Laszlo's and Alina's tracks can be 
  easily followed in a generally eastern direction, 
  though they appear to have sprinted through this 
  area in a zig-zag manner. There is roughly one hour 
  of travel between the encounters. A DC 11 Wisdom 
  (Perception) check reveals humanoid tracks; they 
  head in the same direction as well as back towards 
  Orașnou. A character that succeeds at a DC 13 
  Wisdom (Survival) check identifies them as belong 
  to a number of people skilled at moving stealthily 
  through the underbrush; rangers, druids, or elves 
  being the likely culprits. 
  Part 2b. The Campsite 
  The characters eventually come across the remains 
  of a campsite. It was here that Alina revealed her 
  true nature to Laszlo who, in retaliation, sought to 
  slay his betrothed and carve the baby from her 
  belly. When the dust settled, Laszlo lay dead, and 
  Alina was gravely injured. When she awoke, she 
  fled. 
   
  Expected Duration: 20 minutes 
  The characters have been in the woods for 
  approximately three to four hours (more if they 
  chose to take a rest or have otherwise been 
  sidetracked). They should have covered about 10-
  12 miles of ground and should be well aware of the 
  blizzard moving in from the mountains. If they are 
  not, this is a prime opportunity to inform them that 
  the weather is not going to hold out for much 
  longer—the air has become sharp and crisp, and is 
  almost still as the clouds prepare to break and 
  shower freezing doom upon the land. 
  A campsite can be seen several hundred yards ahead 
  through the sparse growth, but as you draw closer you 
  realize that nothing lives here. There are obvious signs of a 
  struggle--long scrapes in the dirt, fresh boot tracks, and a 
  damaged corpse give away the scene. 
  
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  The body is that of Laszlo, the trapper and hunter 
  from Orașnou. However, there is no sign of Alina 
  despite the carnage all over this area. 
  Is This Laszlo? 
  The Dark Powers are not finished with Laszlo. If any of the 
  characters have already played adventures that come later 
  in the season, all references to Laszlo in this encounter 
  should be changed to that of a different, unnamed hunter 
  or trapper. 
   
  Please refer to the sidebar on that appears after 
  Adventure Hooks for more information about why you may 
  need to make this change. Specifically, refer to the notes 
  about key NPCs. 
  Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Nature) 
   DC 9: The body has been partially ravaged by 
  scavengers. 
   DC 11: The canine tracks are larger than normal, 
  as if made by a wolf easily twice the normal size. 
   DC 13: The canine tracks do not appear to 
  originate from outside the campsite. They lead off 
  to the east, and splatters of blood follow 
  alongside. 
  Wisdom (Perception) 
   DC 13: Light glints off a silver dagger in the cold 
  ashes of the campfire.  
   DC 15: The characters find a wolf's tooth 
  embedded in one of Laszlo's wounds. 
  Wisdom (Medicine) 
   DC 11: Laszlo has been dead for about five days, 
  killed by a very savage wolf attack. 
   DC 13: The damage to Laszlo's body is massive in 
  scale, and appears to have been attacked from 
  behind; his most grievous wounds are on his 
  neck and back. 
   DC 15: There is more blood here than Laszlo 
  could have provided. 
   DC 17: If the characters have discovered the 
  dagger in the campfire, they can tell that Laszlo 
  appears to have successfully wounded his 
  attacker. The blade of the dagger is thick with 
  charred blood. 
  Intelligence (Investigation) 
   DC 11: The tracks are wild and chaotic, but the 
  characters discern a number of wolf tracks 
  among Laszlo's. There are two sets of humanoid 
  tracks; both sets lead into the clearing but only 
  wolf tracks leave this place. 
   DC 13: If the characters have not yet found the 
  dagger, they spot it in the ashes of the campfire.  
   DC 15: The wolf tracks head east, away from the 
  camp and into the foothills of the mountains. 
  There are no humanoid tracks heading in that 
  direction. 
  Once the characters have had some time to examine 
  Laszlo's body, they should be able to recover his 
  bags (see the Treasure section). The wolf tracks 
  head east, into a more inhospitable area. The 
  characters realize that the blizzard is very close—
  likely no more than a few hours. 
  Development 
  After the characters have had some time to 
  investigate the campsite—or perhaps if the 
  characters are especially watchful, maybe because 
  they are aware of the tracks—a number of thin 
  elves emerge from the trees several hundred feet 
  away. They approach the characters with their 
  arms raised in surrender, begging for aid and 
  parlay. Two of them are young males (barely 100 
  years old, named Earlan Shadowsong and Nim'il 
  Briarbough), Earlan carries the picked-clean 
  remains of a mangy hound they managed to kill and 
  have been eating slowly since arriving. The group is 
  led by an auburn-haired female elf of about 300 
  years with piercing green eyes who introduces 
  herself as Aya Glenmiir. 
  Roleplaying Aya Glenmiir 
  Aya is a female elf of about 300 years. She has long, auburn 
  hair and radiant green eyes, along with a bit of an ego. 
  Originally from Phlan on the Moonsea, were she is a wizard 
  specializing in warding magic, she has a history of being very 
  charismatic and a bit of a flirt. 
   
  However, the land here in Barovia has seemingly drained 
  her of her energy leaving her gaunt and withdrawn, and she 
  openly comments on how the nature of magic (known as 
  the Weave) "is just different here". Aya was also featured in 
  DDEX1-6 The Scroll Thief, DDEX1-10 Tyranny in Phlan, 
  DDEX2-9 Breath of the Yellow Rose, and DDAL04-01 Suits of 
  the Mists. 
  Roleplaying The Elves 
  The Greenhall elves of the Quivering Forest are xenophobic 
  exclusionists; having lived for millenia within their 
  enchanted wood. However, times being what they are, they 
  have somewhat come out of their shell. Being in such a 
  strange place confuses and scares them. All of this has made 
  the elves rather terse and hesitant to trust. 
   
  The elves have been encountered in DDEX1-8 Tales Trees 
  Tell and DDEX1-11 Dark Pyramid of Sorcerer’s Isle. 
  
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  With the exception of Aya, the elves actually hail 
  from Greenhall—an elven settlement in the 
  Quivering Forest. They inform the characters that 
  they had been investigating the perimeter of their 
  domain, but entered a thick fogbank near the 
  Crossing Inn. When they emerged from the mist, 
  the forest had dramatically changed. Aya recognizes 
  any characters that met her in any of the 
  adventures that she has previously appeared in. 
  She smiles warmly upon doing so.  
   The village of Orașnou confuses and alarms them, 
  as the villagers were very withdrawn and wouldn't 
  make eye contact. They swear that they had 
  nothing to do with the carnage at the campsite, 
  though they've seen a massive wounded silver wolf 
  and had been tracking it in hopes of earning an easy 
  meal. A DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check tells the 
  characters that the elves are not telling the whole 
  truth about the wolf, however. 
   
  Charisma (Persuasion): 
   DC 12: The elves have been in the forest for 
  almost a tenday. They saw Laszlo and Alina, and 
  trailed them for a while. They argued a lot, but 
  appeared to be capable hunters. 
   DC 15: Laszlo attacked Alina here in the campsite 
  after a particularly loud argument. The elves left 
  the hunters alone, not wanting to see what would 
  happen if Laszlo saw them. (A DC 10 Wisdom 
  Insight check tells the characters that the elves 
  are not telling the whole truth). 
   DC 18: After the loud fight, Alina…changed; she 
  grew huge teeth and fur. She attacked Laszlo 
  when his back was turned. He defended himself, 
  but he could not avoid his death—he only wept 
  as the beast attacked him. The elves fled, 
  overcome with terror and revulsion. A successful 
  DC 8 Wisdom (Insight) check tells the characters 
  that the elves are telling the truth. 
  Intimidation may work to get this information, but 
  likely at disadvantage on the skill check. The elves 
  are close to starving and feel that they have little 
  left to lose.  
   The elves are not intended to be a combat 
  encounter and do not pose a significant physical 
  threat. If the characters decide to attack them, the 
  scuffle is brief and grants no experience. If Aya is 
  attacked, she turns invisible and teleports a short 
  distance away before making good her escape. 
   While they refuse to take the characters to 
  Greenhall, the characters may be able to convince 
  the elves to return to Orașnou. With some creative 
  role-playing—and a handful of rations, trust, and 
  maybe a Charisma (Persuasion) check or two—the 
  elves could actually be convinced to continue 
  Laszlo & Alina's trapping and skinning efforts 
  through the winter. If the characters previously met 
  Aya, she agrees to go to the village without the need 
  for the characters to convince her. The other elves 
  accompany her. 
   Finally, if the characters wish, Aya is able to 
  provide limited spellcasting services for the 
  characters; specifically, she can cast remove curse. 
  See the information at the beginning of the 
  adventure for how much this service costs. 
  XP Award 
  If the characters successfully convince the elves to 
  treat with Orașnou, award each character 25 XP.  
  Treasure 
  In addition to Laszlo's silver dagger, the characters 
  find his furs and bags. The assembled furs are easily 
  worth 100 gp, and his bags contain pieces of 
  polished bone and antler; items worth more as 
  finished art pieces and trinkets worth another 20 
  gp in Orașnou. The characters find Laszlo's pack in 
  the ruins of the campfire. It contains a shortbow, 12 
  arrows, an explorer's pack, and a salted ham, all of 
  which have been ruined by the weather. Although it 
  cannot be found, there is evidence that he 
  possessed a pot of ink. The elves have no items 
  worth any amount of value aside from their 
  immediate gear, but taking their gear is a death 
  sentence for the elves. 
   However, they also find Laszlo's a whip of 
  warning on the ground by his body.  
  Part 2c: The Deep Wilderness  
  Expected Duration: 30 minutes  
  Before moving onto Part 3, below, choose (or 
  determine randomly) an encounter from the 
  "Orașnou and Its Surrounds" table, below: 
  The Deep Wilderness 
   
  Roll 
  Type 
  Title 
  1 
  Combat 
  Zombie + Elk = Profit? 
  2 
  Combat 
  In the Forest, Does a Bear…? 
  3 
  Combat 
  Bad Dogs 
  4 
  Exploration 
  Agitation 
  5 
  Exploration 
  I'm Not a Witch! 
  6 
  Exploration 
  Stickmen 
  
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  The characters should have had two encounters 
  (one from each 2a and 2c) before moving to part 3. 
  1. Zombie + Elk = profit? 
  Low growls and grunts can be heard from some ways off, 
  followed by trumpeting sounds and terrific crashes. Low 
  moans immediately follow each crash. 
  The characters observe a pack of three zombies 
  that have recently attacked a pair of elk. One of the 
  magnificent creatures is dead, and the other one is 
  soon to follow. If the characters get involved, the 
  elk is in a full panic and unless magical methods are 
  used, it is unable to distinguish them from the 
  zombies and defends itself. The elk runs away at 
  the first opportunity. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   Very weak or weak party: remove one zombie 
   Strong party: Add two zombies 
   Very strong party: Add four zombies 
  The characters can avoid this encounter if they 
  wish. Wolf tracks continue to the east. There is 
  roughly two hours of travel between this encounter 
  and the next. 
  2. Does a Bear Sit in the Woods? 
  A very dead bear sits, leaning against a tree slightly off the 
  path--its belly horrifically distended. The stench is 
  overwhelming, even from nearly forty feet away. 
  The bear corpse is actually home to a swarm of 
  centipedes. A successful DC 13 Intelligence 
  (Nature) check reveals that this, and those that 
  succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom (Perception) check see 
  tiny ripples in the dead flesh. Those that succeed on 
  the Intelligence (Nature) check make the Wisdom 
  (Perception) check with advantage. 
   If the characters physically interact with the 
  corpse, it explodes in a shower of gore as the 
  centipedes burst forth. Any creature within 10 feet 
  of the corpse takes 1 piercing damage and must 
  succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or 
  take 6 (1d10) poison damage and be poisoned for 1 
  hour. 
   A successful DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check reveals that any amount of piercing damage 
  done from a distance will cause the corpse to 
  deflate with little effect to the characters. 
   The insects scurry off into the undergrowth 
  unless the characters are within ten feet of them or 
  are attacking them. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   Strong party: Add one swarm of centipedes 
   Very strong party: Add one swarm of rats and the 
  creatures don't flee; the exploding corpse deals 11 (2d10) 
  poison damage 
  The characters can avoid this encounter if they 
  wish. Wolf tracks wind past the bear corpse and off 
  to the north. There is roughly two hours of travel 
  between this encounter and the next. 
  3. Bad Dogs 
  The forest has grown silent, and the wind has gone eerily 
  calm. 
  Two death dogs are stalking the characters. 
  Characters that succeed on a Wisdom (Perception) 
  check opposed by the death dogs's Dexterity 
  (Stealth) check are not surprised as the beasts 
  spring out to attack them. They pursue unarmored 
  characters first, and flee if reduced to 15 hit points 
  or less. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   Very weak party: As weak party; remove one death dog 
   Weak party: The death dogs do not surprise the party 
   Strong party: Increase the death dogs’s Stealth modifier 
  to +6. 
    Very strong party: Add one death dog 
  Wolf tracks continue off to the north from here and 
  are fairly easy to follow. There is roughly two hours 
  of travel between this encounter and the next. 
  4. Agitation 
  Do not run this encounter if "We are Not Alone" 
  (see Part 2a, above) was used. However, if time 
  permits, this encounter may serve to reinforce the 
  feeling of loss and chilling loneliness. 
  
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   As the characters travel through the forest, ask 
  the players to choose to roll for Wisdom 
  (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) checks. If the 
  players roll exceptionally low or high, follow up by 
  asking for Wisdom (Insight) checks. Regardless of 
  their responses, reference the ideas below for 
  appropriate responses: 
   The characters hear faint cries of an infant in the 
  distance, intermingled with the yowling of wolf 
  pups. 
   The characters find an arrow formed of a 
  collection of bright red stones on the ground. It 
  points northeast. 
   Scratched into a nearby tree trunk are the letters 
  "LV AV". A broken fingernail is still stuck in the 
  wood. 
   You feel a sharp stabbing pain across your 
  abdomen, and then your torso goes numb--a 
  heartbeat later, the sensation fades away. 
   The trees seem to warp and twist ever so slightly 
  as you look at them, as if they are trying to blot 
  out the sun. 
   Suddenly, the only thing you can think about is a 
  warm mug of mulled cider and a blazing hearth. 
  The entries above are merely suggestions. This 
  section works best by writing one of the above 
  messages down on a slip of paper and privately 
  passing it to the character with the lowest or 
  highest roll on their skill check. Wait a few minutes, 
  and do it again. This section may serve as an 
  interesting method to award inspiration tokens to 
  characters that get involved in the messages. 
   The characters spot wolf tracks heading 
  northeast from here. There is roughly two hours of 
  travel between this encounter and the next. 
  5. I’m Not a Witch! 
  Snow has begun to fall, and with it, the temperature 
  plummets. As you prepare to look for shelter an old woman, 
  some fifty feet ahead, waves frantically at you and beckons 
  you all to come closer. 
  The old human woman leads the characters to her 
  hut, nestled in between three sturdy trees. She is 
  half-blind and very talkative, but she poses no 
  threat to the characters. Characters may decide to 
  make Wisdom (Insight) checks so as to determine 
  her motives--if they do, feel free to describe her 
  warty, gap-toothed smile, stringy hair, and so on as 
  her key features. She tells the characters that she 
  hasn't needed a name for many years—since she 
  left the village in fact, and has actually forgotten her 
  name altogether. 
   The small hut is cozy enough, and keeps the old 
  woman protected from the elements. She is very 
  eager to share her rancid-smelling stew, and seems 
  incredibly concerned with the well-being of the 
  characters. 
   "Wear a thick jacket, it's cold out there!" 
   "Where are your gloves, young lady?" 
   "When I was your age…" 
   "Do you see how he looks at you?  I haven't seen 
  that look in a long time." 
   "Be careful in these woods. Some say they've 
  seen a frightful scary ghostie with a gaping hole 
  in its chest." 
   "There are some mighty large wolves out this 
  time of year. One came by recently, with a huge 
  belly wound that just kept bleeding." 
  She allows the characters to stay in her hut as long 
  as they like, but there is only room for two people 
  plus her at any one time. Any unprepared character 
  that remains outside for one hour or more without 
  building a campfire or taking appropriate shelter 
  must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or 
  gain one level of exhaustion due to the encroaching 
  cold. 
   Wolf tracks and a blood trail continue off to the 
  north from here and are easy to follow. There is 
  roughly two hours of travel between this encounter 
  and the next. 
  6. Stickmen 
  As the characters progress deeper into the forest 
  and the foothills, they begin to notice small bundles 
  of sticks. As they walk further, the bundles take a 
  more humanoid shape and grow in size, the largest 
  of them being about twelve inches from top to 
  bottom, and all of them are hanging from tree 
  branches. 
   After two miles, the characters come to a 
  clearing. Lashed to a stand of trees are four very 
  large humanoid effigies. Standing almost 15 feet 
  tall, they are quite an imposing sight. A DC 10 
  Intelligence (Religion) check shows that these 
  effigies are likely dedicated to some deity or force, 
  but it is not clear to whom. A feeling of unease 
  permeates the area, and the sense that the 
  characters are being watched is very strong here. 
   While the tall effigies provide excellent cover 
  from the wind, attempting to rest here requires a 
  
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  DC 15 Wisdom saving throw; failing this saving 
  throw results in the character gaining a level of 
  exhaustion (and losing the benefit of the rest) as 
  maddening thoughts fill his or her mind. 
   Bloody wolf tracks continue off to the southeast 
  from here and are easy to follow. There is roughly 
  two hours of travel between this encounter and the 
  next. 
  Advancing the Adventure 
  The characters should have had two encounters in 
  addition to "The Campfire". If time allows, feel free 
  to run them through additional encounters from 
  the "Deep Wilderness Encounters" table but be 
  careful to manage your remaining time as well as 
  staying within the maximum gold and experience 
  rewards. 
  
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              21 
  Part 3. Wolf Den 
  Expected Duration: 20 minutes 
  Tracking the wolves has been time-consuming, and 
  the weather is turning for the worse. As the storm 
  approaches, the characters find what appears to be 
  the wolf den, but there is more than simple shelter 
  here. Secrets will be revealed and blood will be 
  shed in this place. 
  Rock and a Hard Place 
  A massive storm front has been building for the last 
  several days, and as the characters enter the cave 
  the sky breaks loose—in addition to the heavy 
  winds, a thick freezing rain begins to fall in 
  torrential bursts, interwoven with inch-wide 
  hailstones. Staying outside will almost certainly 
  bring death to whomever is foolish enough to do so.  
  General Features 
  Alina's lair has the following general features: 
   Terrain. This cave is a natural formation. The 
  floor and walls are not worked in any way, but this 
  is not rough terrain. The ceiling is about 7 feet high. 
   Light. There are no light sources in the wolf den. 
  The oncoming storm blots out the sunlight if the 
  party arrive during day hours. 
   Smells. Wolf urine and rotting meat are powerful 
  scents in this place. 
   Temperature. The storm causes the temperature 
  to drop very quickly. Characters outside the wolf 
  den take 1d4 points of bludgeoning and cold 
  damage at the start of each of their turns due to the 
  hail and freezing rain; characters wearing cold 
  weather gear take half of this damage. Characters 
  inside the wolf den are cold but otherwise 
  unaffected. 
  It is quite apparent that this is a wolf den. Broken, gnawed 
  bones litter the floor, and scraps of fur from a large number 
  of animals have been shredded and scattered about the 
  cavern. The smells of offal and rotting meat compete for 
  attention, and the results are exactly as you might expect. 
   
  As you take in your environment, a loud peal of thunder 
  reverberates around the cave—the storm outside has finally 
  broken loose! Freezing rain and hail begin to pelt the cave 
  entrance, and a howling wind tears through the forest. 
  A bit of investigation (no check needed) reveals a 
  satchel amidst the scraps of bone, fur, and leather. 
  The thick leather shows signs of gnawing but is still 
  closed.  
   Once opened, the satchel is found to contain a 
  hand-written journal (written in Common), three 
  small bundles of herbs (which, if ingested, restore 
  1d4 hit points each), a small pot of ink and a writing 
  quill. They also find the Player Handout. Many of 
  the pages have been torn or have had ink spilled on 
  them, but some key phrases can be found. Only 
  three of the entries are legible. The remaining 
  pages are stained and smeared with ink, blood, and 
  other unknowable substances. 
   Once the characters have discovered the journal 
  and read the key entries, or thirty minutes have 
  passed (not quite enough for a short rest), Alina 
  arrives. Read: 
  The sound of baying wolves breaks the silence. A moment 
  later, a young, silver-haired woman with an immense wolf in 
  tow stumbles into the den; gasping in agony with a bloody 
  hand clasped over her belly. 
   
  As she sees you, her face contorts into rage. She spits a 
  curse; flecks of blood dancing on her lips. 
   
  Her curses turn into a throaty growl as she falls to her 
  hands and knees. Her body contorts and twists as her forms 
  changes to that of a large, silver-furred wolf. The beast 
  throws its head back and howls, and then charges. 
  Alina and her dire wolf are desperate to get out of 
  the storm, and the characters’s presence in their 
  home has them in a lather.  
  Aw, Is That a Baby? 
  It is possible that the characters interacted with the villagers 
  in Orașnou or read in the journal that Alina reacts poorly to 
  the sound of infants crying. Cunning characters can attempt 
  to mimic that sound in any appropriate manner, such as 
  succeeding at an opposed Charisma (Deception) check, 
  using prestidigitation or similar magic, etc. If successful, all 
  of Alina's attacks have disadvantage until the start of her 
  next turn as her eyes well with tears. Reward creativity 
  here; don’t just rely on the roll of a dice. 
  Tactics 
  Alina and the wolf flank characters that appear 
  weaker or less-armored. This encounter should 
  have a definite feel of menace and terror—the 
  characters are backed into a corner and the wolves 
  have no other place to go. 
   If any of the characters are openly wielding the 
  whip of warning found on Laszlo’s body, Alina 
  
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              22 
  pointedly avoids that character in favor of other 
  targets. 
  Adjusting the Encounter 
  Here are recommendations for adjusting this combat 
  encounter. These are not cumulative. 
   Very weak: Replace the dire wolf with a wolf; replace 
  Alina with a dire wolf 
   Weak party: Replace the dire wolf with two wolves; 
  replace Alina with a dire wolf. 
   Strong party: Alina gains the pack tactics ability as per 
  the dire wolves. Additionally, the Dark Powers have gifted 
  her with the following trait: Regeneration: Alina regains 5 
  hit points at the start of each of her turns. If she hears the 
  sound of a baby crying or is damaged by a silvered 
  weapon, this trait doesn’t function at the start of her next 
  turn. Alina dies only if she starts her turn with 0 hit points 
  and doesn't regenerate. 
   Very strong party: as Strong party, but Alina’s 
  regeneration ability causes her to regain 10 hit points at 
  the start of each of her turns, and a supernatural cold 
  creeps into the wolf den. Any creature that is not garbed 
  suitably for the cold weather must succeed on a DC 11 
  Constitution save at the start of their turn or gain a level 
  of exhaustion. Alina's thick coat protects her from this 
  effect. 
  Treasure 
  Aside from the tattered journal, Alina carries but a 
  single object with her in her wolf form: an old, 
  ornate jade-and-pearl pendant emblazoned with a 
  raven. This necklace is evidence of who she is (if the 
  characters have not already figured it out), and 
  would easily fetch 150 gp from a Vistani merchant. 
  Where is Laszlo? 
  If the adventurers have previously encountered Laszlo in 
  other adventures (and thus, did not find his corpse at the 
  campfire), Alina bellows out challenges and taunts during 
  the combat, including "Laszlo's marrow will provide meals 
  for days" and other such lines that indicate she is aware of 
  his death. The characters may also find evidence of Laszlo's 
  death in the wolf den if needed. 
  Conclusion 
  The characters can finish searching the wolf den 
  after combat has concluded. No other wolves 
  bother them, even on the journey back to Orașnou. 
  There isn't much left here—only some scraps of 
  leather clothing and a few broken shiny baubles.  
  Alina 
  If Alina was spared, the characters are now faced 
  with the decision of what to do with Alina. Her 
  wound is festering and rotting, and her lycanthropy 
  may not be curable with local resources—Orașnou 
  simply isn't populated enough to provide the 
  necessary means to remove her affliction (though 
  the characters likely do not know this). Should she 
  reclaim her sanity long enough to be questioned by 
  the characters, she tearfully admits that her "pup" 
  survived despite Laszlo's attack—and that the pain 
  triggered her transformation. 
   If the characters decide to return Alina to the 
  village, she is scared to return to the village. While 
  it is possible that the characters may still desire to 
  keep her alive, it should be made clear that 
  throughout the journey she became visibly more 
  and more bestial, and that her humanity is likely to 
  be lost forever if she is not cured soon. 
    If the characters return to the village with Alina 
  in tow, the Burgomaster of Orașnou, Ivan 
  Randovich, is dismayed with her condition. He 
  informs the characters that despite the girl’s 
  injuries, he is confident that she can be saved. He 
  asks an older gentleman (his aide) to help carry the 
  girl inside. As a parting gesture, Ivan informs them 
  that Gregori will likely be happy to hear whatever 
  news they have. Assuming they do as they are bid, 
  read the following on their return: 
  As you leave the Burgomaster’s residence, three shapes 
  appear on the roof: Alina, the Burgomaster, and his aide. A 
  noose of stout rope has been tightened around Alina’s neck 
  and a burlap sack filled with what appears to be stones has 
  been lashed to her ankles. 
   
  “The moon has cursed this girl!” The Burgomaster says, 
  “There is nothing that can be done to save her, but we can 
  prevent her destroying us all!” 
   
  Alina has time only for the briefest of screams as the man 
  behind the Burgomaster shoves the girl bodily from the 
  roof. There is a resounding CRACK as the rope around her 
  neck draws taut. 
  Gregori is pleased that the characters have 
  returned, and gives them 50 gold pieces for their 
  trouble. He also offers them lodging in his travel 
  house and tells them that they will be welcome for 
  as long as they would like to stay. This does not 
  confer any discount on lodging, but it does 
  guarantee that he’ll always have an available room 
  if they need to stay in Orașnou. 
  
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              23 
   If asked about the wolf pup, Gregori’s demeanor 
  changes slightly. “Damned thing got a good start 
  from the storm and bolted. Shame, too.” 
  The Elves 
  Additionally, it is possible that the characters have 
  convinced the elves to come to Orașnou. They are 
  skilled hunters and would do well to fill Laszlo & 
  Alina's newly-vacated duties in the village. In time, 
  Aya may even recover more of her spellcasting 
  abilities and personality, becoming an asset that the 
  characters can rely on for magical support. 
   
   
  
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              24 
  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 
  Blood Hawk 
   
   
  25 
  Twig Blight 
   
   
  25 
  Vine Blight 
   
   
  100 
  Needle Blight 
   
   
  50 
  Bandit  
   
   
  25 
  Bandit Captain 
   
   
  450 
  Scout 
   
   
   
  100 
  Zombie  
   
   
  50 
  Elk 
   
   
   
  50 
  Swarm of Centipedes 
   
  100 
  Death Dog 
   
   
  200 
  Dire Wolf 
   
   
  200 
  Alina (Werewolf)  
   
  700 
  Non-Combat Awards 
  Task or Accomplishment  
  XP per Character 
  Taking the elves to go to Orașnou 25 
   The minimum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 225 experience 
  points. 
   The maximum total award for each character 
  participating in this adventure is 300 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 
  Blood hawk coins  
   
  20 
  Pouch of rare spell components 
  20 
  Bandit furs and skins 
   
  20 
  Tambourine 
   
   
  10 
  Silvered dagger  
   
  102 
  Laszlo's furs 
   
   
  100 
  Laszlo's trinkets  
   
  20 
  Alina's opal necklace 
   
  150 
  Gregori’s reward  
   
  50 
  Scroll of Create Bonfire 
  Scroll, uncommon 
  A description of this item can be found in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide. This spell appears in the 
  Elemental Evil Player’s Companion. 
  Whip of Warning 
  Weapon (whip), uncommon (requires attunement) 
  This whip is fashioned from a length of rotting, 
  thorn-covered vine set into a handle made of an 
  unusual purple wood. The pommel is a large chunk 
  of unpolished amber with a moving eyeball trapped 
  within. A description of this item can be found in 
  the Dungeon Master’s Guide. 
  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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              25 
  Renown 
  All faction members earn one renown point for 
  participating in this adventure. 
  Downtime 
  Each character receives five downtime days at the 
  conclusion of this adventure. 
  Story Awards 
  Characters have the opportunity to earn the 
  following story awards during this adventure. This 
  award is given to those characters that begin their 
  adventures in Ravenloft during this adventure (see 
  Welcome to Barovia”, above). 
   
  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. 
  DM Rewards 
  For running this adventure, you receive 150 XP and 
  75 gp. 
   
   
  
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              26 
  DM Appendix: NPC 
  Summary 
   
  Glovia Falinescu (GLOW-vee-uh FALL-in-ESs-coo). 
  A heartbroken mother and healer who lost her 
  infant child to disease. Blames her own lack of 
  ability for the child's death. Highly educated in 
  anatomy. First of Esmae Amarantha’s four 
  Obsessions. 
  NOTE: Glovia is not present in this adventure. 
   
  Alina Vaduva (uh-LEEN-uh vuh-DOO-vuh). Alina is 
  a skilled hunter and tracker, and can sometimes get 
  carried away with her direct nature and 
  sometimes-fiery temper. Married to Laszlo, and 
  together they own a small but successful fur trading 
  post. Alina is a werewolf due to a curse upon her 
  family line. 
   
  Laszlo Vaduva (laz-LO vuh-DOO-vuh). A true 
  outdoorsman, Laszlo has spent most of his life 
  working in the wild. A skilled hunter, trapper, and 
  woodsman, he firmly believes that the land 
  provides everything that his people need. Married 
  to Alina, and together they own a small but 
  successful fur trading post. The people of Orașnou 
  believe that Laszlo is hiding details about his life 
  before he came to the village, but he does not speak 
  of those dark days. 
   
  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. 
   
  Aya Glenmiir (EYE-uh glenn-MEER). Aya is a 
  female elf of about 300 years. She has long, pale 
  blonde hair and radiant green eyes, along with a bit 
  of an ego. She is a wizard specializing in abjuration 
  magic—originally hailing from the town of Phlan. 
  Though she has a history of being very charismatic 
  and a bit of a flirt, the land here in Barovia has 
  seemingly drained her of much of her abilities. She 
  is gaunt and withdrawn, and openly comments on 
  how the nature of magic, the Weave, "is just 
  different here". Aya has been previously featured in 
  DDEX1-6 The Scroll Thief, DDEX1-10 Tyranny in 
  Phlan, DDEX2-9 Breath of the Yellow Rose, and 
  DDAL04-01 Suits of the Mists. 
   
  Burgomaster Ivan Randovich (EYE-vun RAN-doe-
  vitch):  Male human. Shell. Ivan has grown fat, vain, 
  and rich on the backs of those he has subjugated. 
  Seeks out Tatyana’s Comb. NOTE: Ivan is not present 
  until the conclusion of this adventure 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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              27 
  Appendix. NPC/Monster 
  Statistics  
   
  Blood Hawk 
  Small beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 12 
  Hit Points 7 (2d6) 
  Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   6 (-2) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (-4) 
  14 (+2) 
  5 (-3) 
   
  Skills Perception +4 
  Senses passive Perception 14  
  Languages -- 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The hawk has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
  Pack Tactics. The hawk has advantage on an attack 
  roll against a creature if at least one of the hawk's 
  allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't 
  incapacitated. 
  Actions                      
  Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage. 
   
  Bandit 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-lawful 
  alignment 
  Armor Class 12 (leather armor)  
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 30 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common, Halfling 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
  Actions 
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) slashing damage. 
  Light Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, 
  ranged 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) 
  piercing damage. 
   
  Bandit Captain 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any non-lawful 
  alignment 
  Armor Class 15 (studded leather) 
  Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  16 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
   
  Saving Throws Str +4, Dex +5, Wis +2 
  Skills Athletics +4, Deception +4 
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 2 (450 XP) 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The captain makes three melee attacks: 
  two with its scimitar, and one with its dagger. Or the 
  captain makes two ranged attacks with its daggers. 
  Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage.  
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 
  3) piercing damage. 
  Reactions 
  Parry. The captain adds 2 to its AC against one melee 
  attack that would hit it. To do so, the captain must see 
  the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon. 
   
  Blight, Twig 
  Small plant, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 4 (1d6 + 1) 
  Speed 20 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   6 (-2) 
  13 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  4 (-3) 
  8 (-1) 
  3 (-4) 
   
  Skills Stealth +3 
  Damage Vulnerabilities fire 
  Condition Immunities blinded, deafened 
  
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              28 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 9  
  Languages understands Common but can't speak 
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) 
  False Appearance. While the blight remains 
  motionless, it is indistinguishable from a dead shrub. 
  Actions                      
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) slashing damage 
   
  Blight, Needle 
  Medium plant, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   12 (+1) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  4 (-3) 
  8 (-1) 
  3 (-4) 
   
  Condition Immunities blinded, deafened 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 9  
  Languages understands Common but can't speak 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Actions                      
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 +1) slashing damage. 
  Needles. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 
  30/60 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) piercing damage. 
   
  Blight, Vine 
  Small plant, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8) 
  Speed 10 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  8 (-1) 
  14 (+2) 
  5 (-3) 
  10 (-+0) 
  3 (-4) 
   
  Skills Stealth +1 
  Condition Immunities blinded, deafened 
  Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), 
  passive Perception 10 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  False Appearance. While the blight remains 
  motionless, it is indistinguishable from a tangle of 
  vines. 
  Actions                      
  Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 
  ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, 
  and a Large or smaller target is grappled (escape DC 
  12). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, 
  and the blight can't constrict another target. 
  Entangling Plants (recharge 5-6). Grasping roots and 
  vines sprout in a 15-foot radius centered on the 
  blight, withering away after 1 minute. For the 
  duration, that area is difficult terrain for nonplant 
  creatures. In addition, each creature of the blight's 
  choice in that area when the plants appear must 
  succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or become 
  restrained. A creature can use its action to make a DC 
  12 Strength check, freeing itself or another entangled 
  creature within reach on a success. 
   
  Death Dog 
  Medium monstrosity, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 12  
  Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12) 
  Speed 40 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  3 (-4) 
  13 (+2) 
  6 (-2) 
   
  Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4 
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15 
  Languages -- 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Two-Headed. The dog has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks and on saving throws against 
  being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, 
  stunned, or knocked unconscious. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The dog makes two bite attacks. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is 
  a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution 
  saving throw against disease or become poisoned 
  until the disease is cured. Every 24 hours that elapse, 
  the creature must repeat the saving throw, reducing 
  its hit point maximum by 5 (1d10) on a failure. The 
  
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              29 
  creature dies if the disease reduces its hit point 
  maximum to 0. 
   
  Dire Wolf 
  Large beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 14 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 37 (5d10 + 10) 
  Speed 50 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   17 (+3) 
  15 (+2) 
  15 (+2) 
  3 (-4) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (-2) 
   
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4 
  Senses passive Perception 13 
  Languages -- 
  Challenge 1 (200 XP) 
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or 
  smell. 
  Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll 
  against a creature if at least one of the vulture's allies 
  is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't 
  incapacitated. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. If the target 
  is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength 
  saving throw or be knocked prone. 
   
  Elk 
  Large beast, unaligned 
  Armor Class 10 
  Hit Points 13 (2d10 + 2) 
  Speed 50 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   16 (+3) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  2 (-4) 
  10 (+0) 
  6 (-2) 
   
  Senses passive Perception 10 
  Languages -- 
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) 
  Charge. If the elk moves at least 20 feet straight 
  toward a target and then hits it with a ram attack on 
  the same turn, the target takes an extra 7 (2d6) 
  damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on 
  a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. 
  Actions                      
  Ram. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage. 
  Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. 
   
  Scout 
  Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment 
  Armor Class 13 (leather armor) 
  Hit Points 16 (3d8 + 3) 
  Speed 30 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   11 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  11 (+0) 
   
  Skills Nature +4, Perception +5, Stealth +6, Survival +5 
  Senses passive Perception 15 
  Languages Common 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Keen Hearing and Sight. The scout has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or 
  sight. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The scout makes two attacks. 
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 
  ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. 
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, ranged 
  150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing 
  damage. 
   
  Swarm of Centipedes 
  Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned  
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor)  
  Hit Points 22 (5d8) 
  Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.  
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   3 (-4) 
  13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  1 (-5) 
  7 (-2) 
  1 (-5) 
   
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing 
  Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, 
  paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned 
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 8 
  Languages -- 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  
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  Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's 
  space and vice versa, and the swarm can move 
  through any opening large enough for a Tiny insect. 
  The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary 
  hit points. 
  Paralyzing Bites. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by 
  a swarm of centipedes is stable but poisoned for 1 
  hour, even after regaining hit points, and paralyzed 
  while poisoned in this way. 
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 0 ft., one 
  target in the swarm's space. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing 
  damage or 5 (2d4) piercing damage if the swarm has 
  half of its hit points or fewer. 
   
  Alina Vaduva (Werewolf) 
  Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), chaotic 
  evil 
  Armor Class 11 in humanoid form, 12 (natural armor) 
  in wolf or hybrid form 
  Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18) 
  Speed 30 ft. (40 ft. in wolf form) 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   15 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  12 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  11 (+0) 
  10 (+0) 
   
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +3 
  Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't 
  silvered 
  Senses passive Perception 14 
  Languages Common (can't speak in wolf form) 
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
  Shapechanger. Alina can use her action to polymorph 
  into a wolf-humanoid hybrid or into a wolf, or back 
  into her true human form. Her statistics, other than 
  her AC, are the same in each form. Any equipment 
  she is weapon or carrying isn't transformed. She 
  reverts to her true form if she dies. 
  Keen Hearing and Smell. Alina has advantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or 
  smell. 
  Mother's Ears. If Alina hears the sound of a crying 
  infant, or if she hears a sound that she believes come 
  from a crying infant, all of her attacks are made with 
  disadvantage as her eyes well with tears. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Alina 
  makes two attacks when using the Attack action. 
  Bite (Wolf or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon 
  Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 
  2) piercing damage. If the target is humanoid, it must 
  succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be 
  cursed with werewolf lycanthropy. 
  Claws (all forms). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 
  reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing 
  damage. 
   
  Zombie 
  Medium undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 8 
  Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9) 
  Speed 20 ft. 
   
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA 
   13 (+1) 
  6 (-2) 
  16 (+3) 
  3 (-4) 
  6 (-2) 
  5 (-3) 
   
  Saving Throws Wis +0 
  Damage Immunities poison 
  Condition Immunities poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 
  Languages Common, Draconic 
  Challenge 1/2 (50 XP) 
  Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 
  hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw 
  with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage 
  is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the 
  zombie drops to 1 hit point instead. 
  Actions 
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage. 
  
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  Player Handout: Alina’s 
  Journal 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  Appendix. Map of Wolf 
  Den 
   
   
   
  
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.  
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              33 
  DM Appendix 2: Extending 
  to a 4-Hour Session 
   
  Many players seek a longer experience than what a 
  two-hour game might normally allow, so here are 
  some options to consider if and when your players 
  request that this adventure be run in a longer 
  capacity. 
  Standard Rules 
  The Curse of Strahd season is very tightly designed 
  with a large number of factors in mind, but first 
  among these factors is that the adventures are 
  designed to be played in numeric order starting with 
  DDAL04-01 Suits of the Mists. Here are the basic 
  rules to bear in mind when you extend this 
  adventure or any other two-hour adventure into a 
  longer format: 
   The adventure’s rewards (i.e., XP, treasure, 
  renown, and downtime) are not modified. 
   Respect the operating hours of your 
  establishment. If you are running in a store or 
  convention, be sure to have enough time to wrap 
  up and clear your table. 
   Be sure to notify all the players at your table that 
  this game will run longer than the normal time. If a 
  player leaves early, it will need to be treated the 
  same as if they had left a four-hour game early—
  this may mean that the player sacrifices certain 
  rewards or may even be unable to complete the 
  story! 
  Specific Rules for DDAL04-02 
  This adventure is designed for a two-hour window, 
  but includes a number of elements that are intended 
  to encourage players to replay this adventure—
  there are typically more encounters than they will 
  get in a single session in the intended format. 
  However, there are a number of elements that you 
  can tweak and work with to maneuver this 
  adventure into a rewarding four-hour experience:  
   Expand the time the characters spend in the 
  village by interacting with other key NPCs by 
  name. This requires you to have access to and 
  familiarity with some of the other adventures in 
  the Curse of Strahd season, as the burgomaster, 
  executioner, and tax collector all have key roles to 
  play in later adventures. 
   When the characters begin their trek into the 
  forest, the encounters should be adjusted as 
  follows:  in Part 2a, they should receive one or two 
  combat encounters (Options 1-3) and two 
  roleplaying encounters (Options 4-6); they should 
  then proceed to the campsite (2b); and finally, the 
  characters should participate in two combat 
  encounters from Part 2c (Options 1-3) and one or 
  two roleplaying encounters (Options 4-6). 
   Aya Glenmiir and her elves can become a much 
  firmer encounter – please review her NPC 
  summary for information on adventures that she 
  has appeared in. As a fellow Faerûnian, it is highly 
  likely that she would be extremely relieved to see 
  someone that she might even recognize in the 
  party! Play up the dissociative elements here, 
  though; the Mists of Ravenloft sometimes twist, 
  tease, and poke at the sanity of those they 
  transport here. Aya had an important role in the 
  Tyranny of Dragons adventures (Season 1). 
   Raise the impact and importance of the 
  snowstorm. Describe it as almost supernaturally 
  cold, with snowflakes so large they can plucked 
  out of the air. By making this environmental event 
  a visceral part of the story, your players will “buy 
  in” to this reality. The Mists may play a role here, 
  as well: as the snow falls, perhaps Alina’s tracks 
  continue to be clear and well-marked even though 
  other visibility is reduced significantly. 
  Ultimately the goal of this season is to use the world 
  and land of Barovia as a character unto itself. To that 
  end, play up your local environmental effects as well, 
  much like a Foley artist for a movie studio. Tap on 
  the underside of the table a few times as the 
  characters trek through the woods, describe 
  creatures with alternative words (ie: rats might be 
  “squat, wriggling, 4-legged beasts with tapered 
  noses, sharp teeth, whip-like tails, and beady, 
  murderous eyes”), turn on an oscillating fan during 
  this game to simulate the character’s journey 
  through the snowstorm. You may find that by simply 
  changing how you describe your world extends your 
  game time; requiring no additional modification. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
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              34 
  Results Code: March - April 2016 
   
  If you are DMing this adventure during the months of March – April 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/DDAL4-02 - The Beast.pdf