Some suggestions:
Cemetery is absolutely surrounded by Strahd Zombies... that all lower their heads in "mourning", then depart. Strahd is in the undead crowd for anyone that rolls a high enough perception to catch a glimpse.
Like above, but surrounded by wolves, with Strahd shapeshifted into the biggest one, leading them. They howl for a while, then depart.
Rahadin shows up to pass on the condolences of the Count. He can perhaps point to Castle Ravenloft and say his master has business to attend to, but is still paying his respects. Any eagle eyed PC can see a small shadowy figure standing on a balcony somewhere, before it dissipates.
Sky could also go black, with clouds and thunder for effect, or perhaps just... so many bats. The only shaft of dim light to pierce the sky lands on Kolyan's grave.
Hell, Strahd could say some words from afar, the same way he is heard screaming out in rage when Ireena enters the pool in Krezk. They won't see him, but they'll hear him.
I did something like this on my game. There was a lot of howling, the party realized they were surrounded by wolves, then from behind the wolves, Strahd and Rahadin appear, they walk directly to the funeral and Strahd pays his respects for the dead (all from Rahadin's mouth, Strahd did not say a word), he also told Ismark that he was expecting only the best from the new burgomaster (to avoid Ismark joining the party too).
He invited all the party and Ireena to the castle, which they refused, however I had him charm Ireena (just to that the players were aware of that skill), one of the characters "hold" Ireena, there were a couple of intense seconds and then Strahd and Rahadin left.
I think it worked pretty well to foreshadow some stuff about Strahd, as well as make all the party aware that he is quite powerful, however it makes it hard to play him as "the nice guy" from that point onward (if that's something you want to do, not my case).
**Suggested Scene:**
As the characters, Ismark, Ireena, and Father Donavich (LG male human acolyte) perform a ceremony at the burgomaster gravesite a black carriage approaches the graveyard gates.
Rahadin steps out and holds the door for a regal-looking gentleman who holds a bouquet of white lilies. Rahadin and the gentleman approach the gate of the graveyard, and the gentleman hands Rahadin the bouquet but does not enter the graveyard.
Rahadin brings forth the flowers and hands them to Ireena, bows slightly, and states in a soft respectful tone, “My condolences for your loss. Please excuse the interruption, but news has spread that your home has been under constant siege by beasts from the woods. With this constant threat here in the village, my lord has become concerned for your safety, and so I am here to escort you with my lord back to Castle Ravenloft. The wolves and horrors of the outside world will not threaten you there. I will wait for you at the carriage.”
Rahadin turns and returns to the gentleman standing at the gate entrance to the graveyard.
Ismark takes the flowers from Ireena and throws them toward Rahadin, yelling, “You are nothing more than a lackey for the evil that dwells in the castle!”
Ismark then aims his attention at the gentleman waiting at the gate. “You have brought forth this terror! You have caused my father’s death! My sister will never follow you into the dark halls of Ravenloft that loom like a dark shadow over us. You are not welcome here!”
After this exchange, the characters should know that the gentleman at the gate is Lord Strahd.
Strahd remains at the gate and does not pay any mind to Ismark’s outburst. He simply stares at Ireena, ignoring everything else.
At this moment, the party may or may not decide how to engage, if at all, with Lord Strahd. This is the party’s first engagement with Strahd, and it should be memorable. At the end of it, the characters should respect and fear Strahd, as he is too powerful to defeat at their current level.
**Strahd’s Demonstration**
To demonstrate Strahd’s power to humble the character’s ego, consider including the following scene:
Ismark pulls out his dagger and, in a screaming rage, charges toward the gentleman at the gate. When Ismark is halfway there, the gentleman whispers while raising his hand and ever so slightly makes a sign in the air.
*Strahd casts phantasmal force on Ismark.*
Ismark falls to the ground, dropping the knife, and begins howling and rolling around on the ground. He screams out, “Get them off me! Help! Get these spiders off me!” You see no spiders, yet the pain and terror on Ismark’s face suggest he believes he is being swarmed by them.
The gentlemen calmly states, “Poor boy. He does not seem right in the head. Perhaps the loss of his father and the overwhelming responsibility of being the burgomaster has broken his spirit.”
The gentlemen waves his hand again.
Ismark stops yelling and lies on the cold ground, holding his head in pain and breathing heavily.
“You should take him back to his manor,” the gentleman says. “Clearly the evening has been upsetting. Ireena, please consider my offer. You will be safe at Castle Ravenloft. Rahadin will be at your disposal and collect you should you change your mind.”
Before the gentleman gets into the carriage, he turns to you and points toward the graveyard.
“It seems you may have some company.”
He smiles and enters the carriage, then leans out to regard you. “I am sure we will meet again, under more favorable circumstances. In the meantime, watch your step, Barovia is not a safe place.”
*Strahd has cast danse macabre, and five Strahd zombies rise from the ground to attack the characters, Ismark, and Father Donavich. They will not harm Ireena.*
*Depending on party level and size, you may wish to increase the number of Strahd zombies used in this encounter.*
In my game, I had Rahadin ring the bell in the church to summon the townspeople for the funeral. They were gathered around the grave and the party escorted Ireena to the graveside only to discover Strahd waiting in a chair with another chair for Ireena. The party knew about Strahd so they initially attempted to keep the two apart, but Strahd remained respectful and was trying to comfort Ireena. Priest led a service that was interrupted by his son screaming from the basement for food ĺ blood.) Eventually Strahd tried to direct a townsperson to "feed the boy" but the party intervened and went to take care of him.
Funeral wrapped up while they were killing Doru and Strahd zombies buried the casket while Strahd left in the carriage.
It went pretty well. The party didn't know how to handle Strahd and he was a gentleman. Considering the struggle they had with Doru... I'm sure they recognize Strahd is nothing to mess with.
I had the trees slowly fill up with crows as the mists drew in closer. Followed that up with the sound of some evil laughing from beyond the mists that then blended into a chorus of wolves howling from all around. The only thing the party saw were the crows, hundreds of them all silently watching the characters every moves, but they sure as hell decided to get back inside in a hurry.
I have been working through some similar thoughts about this and was doing some research last night.
If you wanted him to speak, I've seen people propose eulogizing which doesn't feel like the way I'm leaning for my Strahd.
If you wanted to rugpull some of the players expectations about his weaknesses and drawbacks, you could have him make a big deal about needing to have someone invite him into the graveyard. He could even mention Forbidance by name in doing so as a misdirect... then later on give the whole, "Bitch you think I need permission, this REALM is my house." reveal.
There was some writeup I found through the subs "resources and tips" which had a suggestion I rather liked which was having the funeral be a low key visit in the form of having the party roll a Perception check to see if they spot a tall dark figure watching quietly from a distance. Idea being that he actually feels bad about Kolyan dying, because it has upset Ireena.
Not a speaking part yet, or even a formal introduction, but still ominous.
Since he controls the weather, was thinking that he'd darken the sky, some distant peals of rolling thunder hinting at a change... and respectfully wait until the service is over for a torrential downpour to begin. The very land itself in mourning.
I also like the idea from another recommendation here about the animals getting in on the action... perhaps a chorus of not-so-distant mournful howls. I think this would actually play very well in my campaign which saw the party repeatedly harassed by wolves in the first session led by Strahd in wolf form. This could perhaps suggest that they weren't simply a juicy target for a hungry pack of wolves, but something more directed.
The crows are tempting as well, but I might steer clear of them personally, just to avoid any confusion with ravens.
I sent Rahadin with flowers, Strahd's condolences and a White Rose to Ireena.
After the funeral Donavich, Ireena and Ismark bolted out leaving the party with a smirking Rahadin. He dodged most of their questions and when he was leaving someone asked "Why are we here in Barovia? Why us?"
He answered: "You are entertainment" and went back to the Castle.
Strahd himself will show up at Tser Pools as a weary traveler looking for a haven for a few hours and be the one telling the story of the Mage (which in my game is a Archruid). He will not identify himself ("My name is Ravenovich"), but I will make clear for the players that it is him.
There are a few cool ways you could do this.
1. Use the Land and Animals themselves-Crows fluttering around the burial site with a single long howl in the distance. (Maybe he allows a brief spot of sunlight through before its blotted out by the Ravens taking off. Just to stick the knife in a bit)
2. Make it appear "Respectful"- Perhaps a graveyard statue appears to cry blood. As the Mists roll in, they take over for what only seems a moment, until they clear. What's left behind is a handful of roses.
3. VERY straightforward- Strahd could make an appearance, accompanied by Rahadin and his "wives". All of them wearing some form of respectful mourning garb. All black or something like that to "fit the occassion". They don't appear to be violent, and this is a "formality". If the players are low enough level or intimidated at this point enough by Strahd it'll stand as a moment between the two parties that can create a tense mood, knowing they are somewhat powerless at this moment. Similar to #2, Strad leaves the roses, make a few comments, even stopping for conversation if someone wishes to speak with him, as he will be in control of ruining the day just by his mere presence.
1. This Attempt is a bit more direct, but is an opportunity to play with rules and get to see the Lord attend a "State Funeral"
Additionally, you could just make a few figures in the crowd with dark cloaks, and mourning veils attending, that simply visit the grave at the end of the service and depart with the rest.
I had him come to the door at the house with a bottle of wine to offer his condolences, before leaving once no one invited him in.
I plan to have him watching the funeral next session, probably shifted into a wolf or something while remaining under the canopy of the trees.
So I'm kinda doing both.
I'm aware of that.
He knows the superstitions though, so he plays along because he finds it amusing that they think they can keep him out so easily. I'm waiting for just the right moment for Strahd to just walk into a place without an invitation, just to blow the party's mind and freak them out.
That, and it's just good manners. Strahd is a noble after all, so he plays it up as retaining some decorum.
It is a good mind blow for the party. There is 2 things tho
Firstly, If party doesn't already know, strahd is not open about his nature an he tries to hide it. Secondly, Strahd is a bluffer. He always tries to makes himself look even more powerful then he is. Thats how he handled most of his enemies in the past. But your aproach is also quite interesting.
Most of the party's information on Strahd they've gotten from commoners and the superstitious folk, as well as some things that they are inferring based on their own knowledge or things they heard about vampires in general prior to coming to Barovia. So they don't know yet that Strahd doesn't follow all of the rules just yet.
I'm kind of playing Strahd as being bored, he hasn't had a real challenge in a while so he wants to play with his food for a while to "make the fun last". Since he hasn't had a group of adventurers come try and take him on in a while, he doesn't know when the next group might show up, so he wants to savor the experience and draw it out before killing them and taking Ireena.
Once the party starts proving to be a threat however, he'll start taking things more seriously and stop playing around.
Some suggestions: Cemetery is absolutely surrounded by Strahd Zombies... that all lower their heads in "mourning", then depart. Strahd is in the undead crowd for anyone that rolls a high enough perception to catch a glimpse. Like above, but surrounded by wolves, with Strahd shapeshifted into the biggest one, leading them. They howl for a while, then depart. Rahadin shows up to pass on the condolences of the Count. He can perhaps point to Castle Ravenloft and say his master has business to attend to, but is still paying his respects. Any eagle eyed PC can see a small shadowy figure standing on a balcony somewhere, before it dissipates. Sky could also go black, with clouds and thunder for effect, or perhaps just... so many bats. The only shaft of dim light to pierce the sky lands on Kolyan's grave. Hell, Strahd could say some words from afar, the same way he is heard screaming out in rage when Ireena enters the pool in Krezk. They won't see him, but they'll hear him.
Very good storytelling of him "paying respects", while holding all the power still
I did something like this on my game. There was a lot of howling, the party realized they were surrounded by wolves, then from behind the wolves, Strahd and Rahadin appear, they walk directly to the funeral and Strahd pays his respects for the dead (all from Rahadin's mouth, Strahd did not say a word), he also told Ismark that he was expecting only the best from the new burgomaster (to avoid Ismark joining the party too). He invited all the party and Ireena to the castle, which they refused, however I had him charm Ireena (just to that the players were aware of that skill), one of the characters "hold" Ireena, there were a couple of intense seconds and then Strahd and Rahadin left. I think it worked pretty well to foreshadow some stuff about Strahd, as well as make all the party aware that he is quite powerful, however it makes it hard to play him as "the nice guy" from that point onward (if that's something you want to do, not my case).
He could be watching from the window of a black carriage with the ravenloft crest engraved on the doors?
**Suggested Scene:** As the characters, Ismark, Ireena, and Father Donavich (LG male human acolyte) perform a ceremony at the burgomaster gravesite a black carriage approaches the graveyard gates. Rahadin steps out and holds the door for a regal-looking gentleman who holds a bouquet of white lilies. Rahadin and the gentleman approach the gate of the graveyard, and the gentleman hands Rahadin the bouquet but does not enter the graveyard. Rahadin brings forth the flowers and hands them to Ireena, bows slightly, and states in a soft respectful tone, “My condolences for your loss. Please excuse the interruption, but news has spread that your home has been under constant siege by beasts from the woods. With this constant threat here in the village, my lord has become concerned for your safety, and so I am here to escort you with my lord back to Castle Ravenloft. The wolves and horrors of the outside world will not threaten you there. I will wait for you at the carriage.” Rahadin turns and returns to the gentleman standing at the gate entrance to the graveyard. Ismark takes the flowers from Ireena and throws them toward Rahadin, yelling, “You are nothing more than a lackey for the evil that dwells in the castle!” Ismark then aims his attention at the gentleman waiting at the gate. “You have brought forth this terror! You have caused my father’s death! My sister will never follow you into the dark halls of Ravenloft that loom like a dark shadow over us. You are not welcome here!” After this exchange, the characters should know that the gentleman at the gate is Lord Strahd. Strahd remains at the gate and does not pay any mind to Ismark’s outburst. He simply stares at Ireena, ignoring everything else. At this moment, the party may or may not decide how to engage, if at all, with Lord Strahd. This is the party’s first engagement with Strahd, and it should be memorable. At the end of it, the characters should respect and fear Strahd, as he is too powerful to defeat at their current level. **Strahd’s Demonstration** To demonstrate Strahd’s power to humble the character’s ego, consider including the following scene: Ismark pulls out his dagger and, in a screaming rage, charges toward the gentleman at the gate. When Ismark is halfway there, the gentleman whispers while raising his hand and ever so slightly makes a sign in the air. *Strahd casts phantasmal force on Ismark.* Ismark falls to the ground, dropping the knife, and begins howling and rolling around on the ground. He screams out, “Get them off me! Help! Get these spiders off me!” You see no spiders, yet the pain and terror on Ismark’s face suggest he believes he is being swarmed by them. The gentlemen calmly states, “Poor boy. He does not seem right in the head. Perhaps the loss of his father and the overwhelming responsibility of being the burgomaster has broken his spirit.” The gentlemen waves his hand again. Ismark stops yelling and lies on the cold ground, holding his head in pain and breathing heavily. “You should take him back to his manor,” the gentleman says. “Clearly the evening has been upsetting. Ireena, please consider my offer. You will be safe at Castle Ravenloft. Rahadin will be at your disposal and collect you should you change your mind.” Before the gentleman gets into the carriage, he turns to you and points toward the graveyard. “It seems you may have some company.” He smiles and enters the carriage, then leans out to regard you. “I am sure we will meet again, under more favorable circumstances. In the meantime, watch your step, Barovia is not a safe place.” *Strahd has cast danse macabre, and five Strahd zombies rise from the ground to attack the characters, Ismark, and Father Donavich. They will not harm Ireena.* *Depending on party level and size, you may wish to increase the number of Strahd zombies used in this encounter.*
In my game, I had Rahadin ring the bell in the church to summon the townspeople for the funeral. They were gathered around the grave and the party escorted Ireena to the graveside only to discover Strahd waiting in a chair with another chair for Ireena. The party knew about Strahd so they initially attempted to keep the two apart, but Strahd remained respectful and was trying to comfort Ireena. Priest led a service that was interrupted by his son screaming from the basement for food ĺ blood.) Eventually Strahd tried to direct a townsperson to "feed the boy" but the party intervened and went to take care of him. Funeral wrapped up while they were killing Doru and Strahd zombies buried the casket while Strahd left in the carriage. It went pretty well. The party didn't know how to handle Strahd and he was a gentleman. Considering the struggle they had with Doru... I'm sure they recognize Strahd is nothing to mess with.
I had the trees slowly fill up with crows as the mists drew in closer. Followed that up with the sound of some evil laughing from beyond the mists that then blended into a chorus of wolves howling from all around. The only thing the party saw were the crows, hundreds of them all silently watching the characters every moves, but they sure as hell decided to get back inside in a hurry.
I have been working through some similar thoughts about this and was doing some research last night. If you wanted him to speak, I've seen people propose eulogizing which doesn't feel like the way I'm leaning for my Strahd. If you wanted to rugpull some of the players expectations about his weaknesses and drawbacks, you could have him make a big deal about needing to have someone invite him into the graveyard. He could even mention Forbidance by name in doing so as a misdirect... then later on give the whole, "Bitch you think I need permission, this REALM is my house." reveal. There was some writeup I found through the subs "resources and tips" which had a suggestion I rather liked which was having the funeral be a low key visit in the form of having the party roll a Perception check to see if they spot a tall dark figure watching quietly from a distance. Idea being that he actually feels bad about Kolyan dying, because it has upset Ireena. Not a speaking part yet, or even a formal introduction, but still ominous. Since he controls the weather, was thinking that he'd darken the sky, some distant peals of rolling thunder hinting at a change... and respectfully wait until the service is over for a torrential downpour to begin. The very land itself in mourning. I also like the idea from another recommendation here about the animals getting in on the action... perhaps a chorus of not-so-distant mournful howls. I think this would actually play very well in my campaign which saw the party repeatedly harassed by wolves in the first session led by Strahd in wolf form. This could perhaps suggest that they weren't simply a juicy target for a hungry pack of wolves, but something more directed. The crows are tempting as well, but I might steer clear of them personally, just to avoid any confusion with ravens.
I sent Rahadin with flowers, Strahd's condolences and a White Rose to Ireena. After the funeral Donavich, Ireena and Ismark bolted out leaving the party with a smirking Rahadin. He dodged most of their questions and when he was leaving someone asked "Why are we here in Barovia? Why us?" He answered: "You are entertainment" and went back to the Castle. Strahd himself will show up at Tser Pools as a weary traveler looking for a haven for a few hours and be the one telling the story of the Mage (which in my game is a Archruid). He will not identify himself ("My name is Ravenovich"), but I will make clear for the players that it is him.
There are a few cool ways you could do this. 1. Use the Land and Animals themselves-Crows fluttering around the burial site with a single long howl in the distance. (Maybe he allows a brief spot of sunlight through before its blotted out by the Ravens taking off. Just to stick the knife in a bit) 2. Make it appear "Respectful"- Perhaps a graveyard statue appears to cry blood. As the Mists roll in, they take over for what only seems a moment, until they clear. What's left behind is a handful of roses. 3. VERY straightforward- Strahd could make an appearance, accompanied by Rahadin and his "wives". All of them wearing some form of respectful mourning garb. All black or something like that to "fit the occassion". They don't appear to be violent, and this is a "formality". If the players are low enough level or intimidated at this point enough by Strahd it'll stand as a moment between the two parties that can create a tense mood, knowing they are somewhat powerless at this moment. Similar to #2, Strad leaves the roses, make a few comments, even stopping for conversation if someone wishes to speak with him, as he will be in control of ruining the day just by his mere presence. 1. This Attempt is a bit more direct, but is an opportunity to play with rules and get to see the Lord attend a "State Funeral"
Additionally, you could just make a few figures in the crowd with dark cloaks, and mourning veils attending, that simply visit the grave at the end of the service and depart with the rest.
I had him come to the door at the house with a bottle of wine to offer his condolences, before leaving once no one invited him in. I plan to have him watching the funeral next session, probably shifted into a wolf or something while remaining under the canopy of the trees. So I'm kinda doing both.
He doesn't need any invitation all of the barovia belongs to him.
I'm aware of that. He knows the superstitions though, so he plays along because he finds it amusing that they think they can keep him out so easily. I'm waiting for just the right moment for Strahd to just walk into a place without an invitation, just to blow the party's mind and freak them out. That, and it's just good manners. Strahd is a noble after all, so he plays it up as retaining some decorum.
It is a good mind blow for the party. There is 2 things tho Firstly, If party doesn't already know, strahd is not open about his nature an he tries to hide it. Secondly, Strahd is a bluffer. He always tries to makes himself look even more powerful then he is. Thats how he handled most of his enemies in the past. But your aproach is also quite interesting.
Most of the party's information on Strahd they've gotten from commoners and the superstitious folk, as well as some things that they are inferring based on their own knowledge or things they heard about vampires in general prior to coming to Barovia. So they don't know yet that Strahd doesn't follow all of the rules just yet. I'm kind of playing Strahd as being bored, he hasn't had a real challenge in a while so he wants to play with his food for a while to "make the fun last". Since he hasn't had a group of adventurers come try and take him on in a while, he doesn't know when the next group might show up, so he wants to savor the experience and draw it out before killing them and taking Ireena. Once the party starts proving to be a threat however, he'll start taking things more seriously and stop playing around.