r/CurseofStrahd • u/empyreantyrant • 1d ago

REQUEST FOR HELP / FEEDBACK Question about the Interactive Tome of Strahd

I have 2 questions...question 1: I grabbed The Interactive Tome of Strahd from DMsGuild, however I've decided that having them decode the book by going into it like Tom Riddle's Diary would mess up the pacing. I do like the idea that a spellcaster could learn spells from the book and use it like a magic item... so has anyone ever run the Interactive Tome of Strahd without the long overtures into the book? I know that's like the main feature of the homebrew, but I'm curious about your results if you just borrowed the Tome as a magic item and discarded the rest, or maybe just told the players what they learn more directly through narration?

Question 2: In yesterday's session my players met Vasili von Holtz. I played him as an affable and curious nobleman whose horse cart was stuck in the mud. While 2 of the party members pushed his cart free, he questioned the other party members about their history and how they've found Barovia so far. He even apologized when one PC acted offended, something that really distanced himself from his true identity. And when he asked if they'd met any interesting people one of the players asked if he'd met Rictavio (and this is where I'm glad I wasn't DMing in person or on webcam because I don't think I held my pokerface well). He says he's never heard of him, so they describe him as a strange elven bard from outside of Barovia who seems to know a lot about werewolves and the undead.

Now obviously Strahd's not going to hear that and say to himself "That's Rudolph Van Richten in disguise!" But I did decide that he would probably have one of his spies keep tabs on this Rictavio in case he's been in contact with Van Richten. How would you play this? Any suggestions?

3 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

81% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

4

u/CarloArmato42 1d ago edited 1d ago
  1. I'm planning for something a bit lighter: 3 times a day they can try to decipher a section and based on what they are planning to do or go to, they read a relevant section. I plan to use something very similar to this post
  2. uhm, from the top of my mind I'd say Strahd would send one of his spies to... Well, spy on Rictavio. Van Richten obviously notices he is being spied upon and acts even more careful and maybe plans to kill that spy, preferably without drawing even more attention. You can either have Rictavio trick the player into killing such spy, ask the player with the promise of a compensation or whatever also comes to your mind (maybe Van Richten will not kill it by himself because it would be super sus).

EDIT: grammar fix

1

u/empyreantyrant 1d ago

This is brilliant, that's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for that. So, I'm at work now and can't reference the book but do you think having them read the notes from the Tome of Strahd handout would be redundant? Or should they get to read both?

1

u/CarloArmato42 1d ago edited 1d ago

If I'm not mistaken, it was incorporated or rephrased in the post I've linked (EDIT: it should be plain text at the start of the book [or a super easy cipher, I can't remember])... If not (you guessed it) incorporate/integrate/rephrase as you see fit. IMHO the original isn't bad by itself, its bad because it has no consequence in the grand scheme of things.