aliases: [Strahd, Count Strahd von Zarovich, Devil Strahd, Devil, The Devil, Vasili von Holtz, Vasili, von Holtz]Strahd Von Zarovich
Strahd's Goals
Turn Ireena Kolyana
- Strahd slayed Sergei because he loved Tatyana so much
- Not long ago, he glimpsed the young woman, Ireena Kolyana in the Village of Barovia (E) and felt extreme deja vu
- Strahd seeks to claim Ireena
- His courtship has led him to visit her twice
- both times, he charmed his way into her home and drank her blood
- He intends to kill her at their next meeting
- and turn her into his vampire spawn consort
Find Rudolf van Richten
- Although he is usually focused on making Ireena Kolyana his bride, Strahd has been distracted by reports that a legendary vampire hunter named Rudolph van Richten has come to Barovia
- It takes more than one old man with a death wish to frighten Strahd
- nevertheless, the vampire has his spies searching Barovia for van Richten
- Strahd would like very much to meet the old vampire hunter, lock him in the dungeons of Castle Ravenloft, and slowly break his spirit
Search for a Successor or Consort
Strahd can sense the arrival of new blood in his domain. When newcomers enter Barovia, he shifts his attention from Ireena Kolyana and van Richten to his new guests so that he can determine whether any of them is worthy to be his successor or consort. (Eventually, he decides that none of them can replace him as master of Barovia, but he doesn't arrive at this conclusion immediately.)
Strahd pays close attention to adventurers who are charismatic and arrogant, like himself. He focuses his attacks on them, to see how much they can withstand. If they crumble easily, he loses interest in them. If they exhibit great fortitude and defiance, his interest is piqued—even more so if the character displays uncommon knowledge or beauty. Such a person might not be worthy to succeed him, but the man or woman might provide amusement to Strahd as a new possession.
History
- Born in 306
- Inherited father's crown, lands, and army in 346
- Conquered the valley in 347, finished Ravenloft in 350
- Died and Turned into a vampire in 351 (It's 735 now)
- Strahd was raised to be a military man
- his brother, Sergei was kept away from war after the death of their father
- Strahd was envious of the love their mother showed Sergei
- Strahd forged a pact with the Dark Powers or the Shadowfell in return for immortality
- Strahd fell in love with Tatyana, but she fell in love with the warmer Sergei
- The pact fulfilled, his mother's and father's sprits disappointed, the Castle and the Valley were spirited away, locked in a demiplane surrounded by fog
Relations
- horse: Beucephalus
Statblock
With his mind sharp and his heart dark, Strahd von Zarovich is a formidable foe. Courage and lives beyond measure have been lost to him. Reread chapter 1, "Into the Mists," to understand his personality and goals.
Although Strahd can be encountered almost anywhere in his domain, the vampire is always encountered in the place indicated by the card reading in chapter 1, unless he has been forced into his tomb in the catacombs of Castle Ravenloft.
Strahd's Tactics. Because the entire adventure revolves around Strahd, you must play him intelligently and do everything you can to make him a terrifying and cunning adversary for the player characters.
When you run an encounter with Strahd, keep the following facts in mind:
- Strahd attacks at the most advantageous moment and from the most advantageous position.
- Strahd knows when he's in over his head. If he begins taking more damage than he can regenerate, he moves beyond the reach of melee combatants and spellcasters, or he flies away (using summoned wolves or swarms of bats or rats to guard his retreat).
- Strahd observes the characters to see who among them are most easily swayed, then tries to charm characters who have low Wisdom scores and use them as thralls. At the very least, he can order a charmed character to guard him against other members of the adventuring party.
The Vampire's Minions. Whenever Strahd appears in a location other than his tomb or the place indicated by the card reading, roll a d20 and consult the Strahd's Minions table to determine what creatures he brings with him, if any.
Strahd's Minions.
| d20 | Creatures |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | 1d4 + 2 dire wolves |
| 4–6 | 1d6 + 3 ghouls |
| 7–9 | 1d4 + 2 Strahd zombies (in this appendix) |
| 10–12 | 2d4 swarms of bats |
| 13–15 | 1d4 + 1 vampire spawn |
| 16–18 | 3d6 wolves |
| 19–20 | None |
If the characters are in a residence, Strahd's creatures break through doors and windows to reach them, or crawl up through the earth, or swoop down the chimney. The vampire spawn (all that's left of a party of adventurers that Strahd defeated long ago) can't enter the characters' location unless invited.
Heart of Sorrow. Strahd can afford to be bold in his tactics, for he has additional protection in the form of a giant crystal heart hidden inside Castle Ravenloft.
Any damage that Strahd takes is transferred to the Heart of Sorrow (see chapter 4, area K20). If the heart absorbs damage that reduces it to 0 hit points, it is destroyed, and Strahd takes any leftover damage. The Heart of Sorrow has 50 hit points and is restored to that number of hit points each dawn, provided it has at least 1 hit point remaining. Strahd can, as a bonus action on his turn, break his link to the Heart of Sorrow so that it no longer absorbs damage dealt to him. Strahd can reestablish his link to the Heart of Sorrow as a bonus action on his turn, but only while in Castle Ravenloft.
The effect of the protection afforded by the Heart of Sorrow can be chilling to behold, as damage to Strahd is quickly undone. For example, a critical hit might dislocate Strahd's jaw, but only for a moment; then the vampire's jaw quickly resets itself.
The ability of the Heart of Sorrow to absorb damage is suppressed if it or Strahd is fully within an antimagic field.