D&D Party Skipped Curse of Strahd’s Castle Ravenloft, to DM’s Dismay

A Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master is disappointed after their players utilized some unexpected exploits to bypass sections of Strahd’s Castle. Perhaps one of the most infamous D&D villains is Strahd von Zarovich, the evil vampire lord of Barovia, the setting of the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons adventure, Curse of Strahd. In this adventure, players must solve the mysteries of Barovia, a strange and cursed location controlled by Strahd.

Horror can be an entertaining genre for tabletop RPGs, and the D&D 5th Edition recently released Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, a supplemental book that introduced multiple domains of dread within D&D – incorporating unique locations with particularly horrifying aspects. Domains can include anything the DM can imagine, from horrific mind flayers to resurrected mummies; but perhaps the most terrifying concept of all is a group of players doing something unexpected and bypassing such elements.

In a post on Reddit, user Unfey detailed an experience running Curse of Strahd with their players, who managed to find a way around some of Castle Ravenloft’s traps and monsters. Apparently, the players used the spell Stone Shape, along with some shovels, to create a passage through the castle walls, essentially forming a straight line towards their goal rather than winding their way through the confusing halls and passages. Unfey jokingly added that the vampire lord Strahd was “shaking in his boots” watching this group of adventurers avoid all the traps and encounters intended to slow them down.

In the comments, other users explained that Strahd didn’t need to be nervous – as a vampire, he is notoriously difficult to defeat. Players will have to search the castle eventually to find where his body reforms even if they are able to defeat him in battle. Striking a balance is key when acting as Dungeon Master, no one wants their D&D experience“Railroading,” where players have few choices and are led through a restrictively linear story. However, players also need some structure in order to ensure the story doesn’t diverge in too many areas. It can be a difficult balance to find, but an important one. Unfey’s players might be avoiding much of the dungeon, but at least they are still trying to fight the villain – even if they are reaching him in their own unique and creative way.

So, while Strahd might not have much to worry about as a powerful vampire lord, it’s a different story for the Dungeon Master. With players as creative as this, there’s no telling what they’ll come up with next. All joking aside, taking on the role of the DM for Dungeons & Dragons isn’t scary. There is a short list of necessities for becoming the Dungeon Master, and facing the unexpected is a key asset. Players will always come up with ideas the DM never thought of, so it is up to the DM to figure out how those unique ideas can have an impact without preventing the progression of the campaign.

Source: Unfey/Reddit

Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition’s next adventure book, Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos is set to release on December 7th, 2021.

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