Thanks pbalfe. It was fun building.

I've done another called The Clearing of Castle Connach. Levels 1 to 12. Currently working on building an addition that will take it from 12 to 16 level.

Hugely ambitious implementation of Curse of Strahd. Had a good time playing it. Very challenging in places but very rewarding. I know how hard it is design challenging environments and I think you did a great job. The castle is a bit painful at times trying to get around but I appreciate the effort and thought put in to it. Huge congratulations on this.

👍

2.1.2 - Fixed the game so you can't leave the woodlands without talking to Madam Eva

Hmm..ok, maybe I should ensure that the people in the camp tell you to talk to the leader. This sets up the adventure depending on the answer you give her. Not sure what will happen if you don't question her. I'll give it some thought. Maybe not allow you to leave without talking to her? Let me think.

i finished it but i think i did some stuff out of sequence. i did not realize that there was some quests given back at the wagon camp. i talked to a couple people but they all just had something simple to say so i did not bother make it all the way in the back talking to everyone. i finished half way thru lv 18 as a single character

rustythorn. Damn, you're right. I made a small modification, so that the body was at the head of the bed and not the chest at the bottom, but forgot to playtest it, so you couldn't pick up the body. Invalidates a whole section of the story. Luckily you can finish the scenario, but it screws up the middle part. I've corrected it with 2.1.1 and published the fix. Not sure if you have to go back to a previous save and replay that part. Hopefully, that is the only problem left and again, It's been fixed.

rustythorn. Playtested on Authentic mode, so tougher versions would probably be hard. I'll check the burgomaster bed. It should contain only the dead burgomaster body (had to use a suit of armor ... modified to simulate it)

small bug with the burgomaster's burial quest. the bed shows a chest on the map but i'm unable to acquire its contents

for a bit i thought this was sesame street with count von count. one crow, two crows, three crows, ha ha ha. now that i've hit 3rd level i get spike growth so the EXP will be rolling in.

i just started, since it is a vampire/undead focused campaign, i'm going to solo it with a nature cleric dwarf. i hate fucking crows, they are way to powerful for their CR. i had to cheese my battle with a single crow to win. i short rested until it was dark so that the crow had disadvantage and i still had to rely on luck. i might have to lower the difficulty level down to normal since i now need to fight pair crows and i'm still 1st level.

2.1 - Final tweek. My teleporters were to too close to each other and could produce an infinite loop. Separated them to accommodate this situation.

2.0 - Final publication. I hope. Have fun.

1.4.4. Had to make a change to the ending criteria. What I had didn't work for the Main Quest in the Journal.. Hopefully that will be all. I've play tested the hell out it and I've played in a group and let the others lead. So far it's looking pretty solid. Have fun

mreynolds...The village is meant to be tough. It's preparation for the castle. You need to use the back alleys so they can only come at you from 1 or 2 directions. Ultimately, if you can find a back alley that is only 1 square wide, the Dire Wolves can't even reach you and you can pick them off from a distance. The Crows are the worst as they can fly in, so get rid of them first. A rogue does good damage on them. A flaming sphere is good cover for the entrance. The Spiritual hammer helps.

The only really tough one I've found is the Murder of Crows. I may have to remove another one from the flock to balance it out. Spend your money on healing potions and use the Aid spell. It allows you to pump 3 heals into one person. found it quite effective.

Hope this helps, it's a tough dungeon.

so far i have only 1 fight left in the town and am still now level 5. Without much AOE it is very hard. I use flaming sphere and spirit mace but with a party of 4 most fights seem more an exercise in luck than skill. The group of wolves dire wolves and giant crows and ravens in the south east of the town is too large to deal with. I have a paladin a cleric a wizard and a rogue and make use of a lot of ranged but I always seem a level below where i should be for the encounters. Starting with all leather max is also a huge disadvantage and in a regular game now fighter forward class would do that should at least have chain or scale. When you are vastly outnumbered and everything has more hp than you and often attacks twice as well as having ridiculous movement so a moving fight isn't possible. By level 4 I am fairly well equipped but many fights are just too hard.

1.4.3 - More tweeks found during final playtesrt

1.4.2 - Doing the final tweeks and running a playtest from end to end.

Thanks kevwlch. I'm quite impressed with the design builder Solasta supplies. It makes some great scenarios.

Great castle design! Absolutely maddening at times, but a really great play through. I accidentally triggered the damn dragon in the crypt while I was in the middle of the fight with the whites, and then somebody triggered the hell hounds. Insanity! So fun

1.4.2 - Dungeon tweek

1.4.1 - Catacomb tweeks

1.4.0 - Revamped the catacombs

.1.3.6 - Adjusted Sergie's stock

1.3.5 - Village Tweek

1.3.4 - Removed one of the crows from the Raven/crow scenario to try and lighten the combat. Use arrows, flaming sphere and Aid (normally it allows you to spread the healing around, but if you only target 1 person, it has quite the punch). Keep a building on one side and it will provide some cover.

I wanted to play the game so that the player starts from scratch, so I removed any armor they had and gave them leather to start with. That way everyone starts the same

Yea,I saw the armor in the chest; only leather

move the armor to inventory, not wearing the armor and it will be there. Also, there is armor in the chest where you first start.

Is there a reason why my characters start with no armor? I restarted with new characters who definitely had armor and it's the same problem.

Thank you! Glad you take the time to build these modules. Much appreciad

Thanks for the feedback DrFate. Your right, the Raven's and crows are tough as they can't be confined. I've gone back and you're also right that you are only 4th level by the time you reach the village. I found archers and flaming sphere are useful. Also, once you gain 5th level, your cleric has Spirit Guardian, which is awesome. I know my game won't be for everyone. I do have another out there called the Clearing of Castle Connach, which you might find a little more balanced.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Yes, I have done the alleys, but as Ravens can fly they can get between your group (fly up and over players). So when you played you had no problems at all? I have a Paladin, Cleric, Wizard and Ranger. With the Ravens another big issue is they move faster than any character. If you shoot an arrow from extreme range to start the fight, they still catch the character before he can reach the rest of the party. Also move too fast for a running fight as you must dash instead of shoot and run to stay ahead of them. I am sure there are people who will enjoy this. It is just not for me. I like strategy but for me I want more balance. Just wanted to give my input.

in the village, use the back alleys so they can only come at you from 1 or 2 directions at a time and can't surround you. If you steal from the inn, this will also give you another bunch of xps. Ravin/Crows are tough. if you have to, stand beside a door and exit, rest and come back. sort of a cheet, but it works. I've played it myself and with others without any problem, so I'm not sure how to advise you.

so, as far as I know I cleared everything in the first section, including the bears and dire wolves. Yes, I went under the temple. I have also cleared most of the town except for the Ravens (NE) and wolf pack (SE). Still not level 5. Explored the castle but no way can I do the fights at level 4 with the gear I have. MHO, not enjoyable at all. Just frustration. As BTEBRUH mentioned almost every fight the enemy has multiple attacks and advantage on attacks. I get strategy and not being able to just hack and slash thru but I have spent (might say wasted) many hours. Without more resources and being at least level 5 with AOE it is just unplayable. I wish you luck in future designs but with out changes it is just not fun or fair. Thanks, Dwarf

1.3.2 - Minor tweek to Castle

1.3.1 - minor tweek to castle.

1.3.0 - Added a few more tweeks to hopefully make it more enjoyable and profitable in the village

Wolves typically have advantage because of pack tactics. So wolves and ravens i believe both have it, which means if you have two or more on you, they always have advantage. On top of that a wolf can knock you prone, leading to you guessed it - advantage. Kind of a running gag in the DM community is wiping low level parties out with small packs of wolves.

1.2.8 - Made a few changes based on feedback. I'm being very careful not to change the balance of the game. I want it to be a tough but fair dungeon. I've haven't modified the monsters from standard too much. Not sure why the wolves would always have advantage. Modified the basement prison encounter a bit to make it easier. Don't forget that a cleric can turn undead.

Thanks for the feedback BtechBruh...I'll take a look and see what I can adjust.

Constructive Feedback:

Provide more early game items, like simple magic gear or recipes.
Let us sell gear more often and avoid lugging it everywhere.
Adjust fight difficulty and enemy distribution for better balance.
Final Verdict: A great adventure despite its challenges—tough but rewarding. Prepare for frustration, but it’s one of the best modules here

(Note: I'm about 3/4 through and at the castle.)
I went with my usual party: 1) Barbarian 2) Ranged Ranger 3) Wizard, with a flexible 4th slot (Cleric).

Pros: The module is well-constructed and bug free, which is important to me. The levels follow a logical path, offering a clear way forward without being overly restrictive. The storytelling is solid, creating an immersive adventure.

Cons: Some fights feel unfair—like wolves with advantage on every attack or random encounters like the basement prison, which were nearly impossible at my level. The game punishes sneaking around tough battles. Resources drain quick, requiring constant camping.

You should be level 5 by the time you reach town. Did you find the underground temple, the dire wolves and the bears. I'm presuming you found the ghouls or you wouldn't have found the Romani.

If you have, make sure you use the alleys for the fights. This restricts how many can reach you at one time. These choke points are important as, if you are caught in the open, they can swarm you. Do the battles in the centre of the town first, if you're having problems, They are not quite as tough. Leave the east side of town until you get leveled up.

Try stealing at the inn. This gives you a tough battle, but should give you enough points to level up again.

I built this as a thinking dungeon. Brute force won't work. Use arrows at long range, switch to shields and swords and use choke points. Good luck

Hi, starting the adventure and made it to town. I am missing something? Every fight seems to be more than my characters can handle at level 4 with the equipment they have found. Are there houses in the town where I can level up or did I missing something back with the Romini? So far just frustrating. Thanks for any advice.

1.2.7 - minor enhancements

This is my new Adventure, loosely based on Bram Stoker's Dracula. I hope you like it. Let me know of any glitches and I will fix them as soon as I can.