The advantages of playing in a well know setting (Ravenloft D&D)

 

I don't know if the Tenra campaign is going to take place, I hope so but the group of players has not agreed yet. Luckily I had the opportunity to start a campaign at a presential game this week, I had already some time that several guys wanted to play but due to the current circumstances I decided to postpone the game. This week my dice couldn't take so much dust anymore so I had some roleplaying, but I didn't have anything planned so I used the structure of a campaign I already played repeatedly. Ravenloft.

I don't know the structure of the Ravenloft campaign entirely by heart, but I have a very clear general idea of what is happening in the campaign world. Which is something I like very much, since it allows me to start narrating in a short time. Unlike what it means to build from a module that I don't know and sometimes start from a blank page which generates me some insecurity and doubts. It's obviously great to read and set up a new world where players can adventure, but when I have the opportunity to narrate in a world of which I already have a knowledge of the plot, the important characters or random encounters, I feel more relaxed, that's for sure. 

Since I know the campaign world well, I always dare to make huge changes in the story, so even if a player who has read the whole adventure joins the table, it won't matter. On this occasion I started the game with the players entering Barovia County through the main gate. But to start introducing the group to the background of the world, I placed one of Strahd's girlfriends removing some heavy chains from the gate.

The woman introduces herself to the players, answers several questions and disappears without a trace. With the gate open, they can move on to Barovia, where they can visit a grocery store, the major's house and the church. The first thing they visit is the church and they are introduced to the father in the usual way, but out of fear they decide not to go down to meet his son. They want to go to meet the elder, but I look for things not to be easy and one of the guards asks them for a few wolf skins if they want to meet the elder.They fight the wolves but are defeated, luckily the bride was nearby and rescues them the only way she knows how. She bites their necks and begins their transformation.

I know I made a lot of changes, but that is for me, the only way to keep interesting a campaign that you already know well, you have to change what you want and have a general idea of the butterfly effect it can generate on the central plot. Thanks to the multiple changes I made in the main campaign of Barovia, I ended up removing scenes from the official campaign and including good plots or combats from the changed versions.

I encourage all of you to do the same.