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Curse of Strahd is one of the most iconic and exciting modules in all ofDungeons & Dragons. In the adventure, players find themselves trapped in Barovia, a land shrouded by mists and ruled by an evil vampire named Strahd von Zarovich. To escape the realm and return home, players must defeat Strahd and travel through the mists.
However, there are multiple endings to Strahd, and various victory and defeat conditions. So, if you’re preparing to run Curse of Strahd for your table, it’s best to understand how these endings work. Here’s each ending in Curse of Strahd, explained.
How Does Curse Of Strahd End?
As mentioned,there are two endingsto Curse of Strahd. Which ending the players get depends on whether they defeat Strahd in combat or not.
Details
Strahd Prevails
If Strahd kills the playersor turns them all into vampire spawn,Strahd prevails, and he seals the party beneath the crypts of Castle Ravenloft forever.
The Heroes Prevail
If players defeat Strahdby reducing him to zero hit points, and then kill him in his coffin, thenthe heroes prevail, and can escape Barovia.
Before running the Curse of Strahd module, it’s a good idea toinform players about the possibility of multiple endings.
You don’t have to explain exactly what happens, but simplywarn players that their choices matter,and they can lose the module if they’re not careful.
The first ending players can earn in Curse of Strahd occurswhen players fail to defeat Strahd in combat.This can occur in one of two ways:
Either way,if players are either all turned into vampire spawn or killed, the module ends, andStrahd prevails.
This ending is less than desirable. However, it should be a real threat to the players.
Impart the seriousness of this endingto players before they enter combat with Strahd, so that they don’t do so lightly.
When this happens,Strahd subsequently seals the characters inside the crypts of Castle Ravenloft, never to escape.
Then, he seeks out Ireena Kolyana, assuming that she has survived the adventure and was not already with the party.
When he finds her,he turns her into vampire spawn as well.
The best way to avoid this ending as a player is tomake sure you’ve found all three itemsrevealed to you inyour Tarokka Deck reading.
The second, far more desirable ending for the module occurswhen Strahd is reduced to zero hit points in combat.
When this happens, Strahd uses his Misty Escape feature(see the Vampire stat block) to return to his coffin in the crypts of Castle Ravenloft.
The Misty Escape feature triggers automatically, regardless of whether Strahd is in Castle Ravenloft already or not.
However,Strahd must be able to return to his crypt in two hours, or he will die. This means, when running Strahd in a combat encounter outside of the castle, he is more likely to flee before being reduced to zero hit points.
If players are in Castle Ravenloft, they must find Strahd’s cryptand kill him while he is in his coffin to destroy him permanently.
How To Escape Barovia
Once Strahd is defeated, the mists of Barovia part temporarily, allowing players to leave Barovia once and for all. For the first time in centuries,the sun reaches Barovia.
While many Barovians choose to stay in the valley,any NPC or creature that has a soul can leave through the mists at this time, should they choose to.
Epilogues
Once Strahd is dead,various NPCs and groups within Barovia have epilogues, which can vary depending on the outcomes of the campaign.
NPC or Group
Epilogue
Rahadin
Rahadin,the chamberlain of Castle Ravenloft,tries to avenge Strahd(provided that Rahadin is still alive).
Playersmust defeat him in combat; Rahadin can’t be reasoned with.
Sergei & Ireena
If Ireena has survived the adventure and hasn’t been reunited with Sergei in some other way,an optional cutscene can be employed.
Ireena reunites with her true love, Sergei von Zarovich, as she remembers her previous life as Tatyana.
Ismark
Assuming he has survived the adventure,Ismark becomes the burgomaster of the village of Barvoia.
Vistani
The Vistani flee the valley of Barovia, worried that the players may come after them as accomplices to Strahd.
Van Richten & Ezmerelda
Assuming they have both survived the adventure,Rudolph Van Richten leaves the valleyto live his life in peace, whileEzmerelda stays in the valley, concerned that Strahd may one day return.
Vampire Consorts
All of Strahd’s vampire spawn (including NPCs or players who had been turned) arefreed from Strahd’s influence.
Strahd’s Return
Lastly, once players leave Barovia (or not; they can stay),Strahd eventually returns.
The DM must explain that the actual ‘curse’ of Strahd is thatBarovia is his prison.For his sins, he is punished to be reborn, tormented inside Barovia for all eternity.
After a few months,Strahd is revived and begins to plot his revenge, and the mists enclose Barovia once again.
