Curse of Strahd

by Tracy & Laura Hickman, Chris Perkins / Wizards of the Coast

The most iconic Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time. Barovia is a misty demiplane ruled by Strahd von Zarovich — a centuries-old vampire lord, military genius, and tragic figure imprisoned in a domain of his own making. He murdered his brother, cursed his land, and has spent eternity pursuing the reincarnation of a woman who chose death over him. Every settlement is oppressed, every NPC carries secrets, and a fortune-telling card reading randomizes each playthrough. Gothic horror at its finest: decaying grandeur, inescapable fate, monstrous passion, and the feeling that the land itself is your enemy.

98 characters, locations, and items in this world codex.

Characters

• Anna Krezkov — Wife of Krezk's burgomaster — a mother broken by the loss of her children, desperate enough to seek the Abbot's help despite the growing strangeness a
• Argynvost — A silver dragon who died fighting Strahd's conquest of Barovia — his stolen skull prevents the revenants of his order from finding peace.
• Arrigal — A Vistani spy who serves Strahd — he delivers the false letter that lures adventurers into Barovia and reports their movements to the vampire lord.
• Baba Lysaga — An ancient and immensely powerful hag who considers herself Strahd's true mother — she dwells in the ruins of Berez, surrounded by swamp and death, fi
• Baron Vargas Vallakovich — The delusional burgomaster of Vallaki who mandates weekly festivals of enforced happiness, believing he can drive away Strahd's darkness through sheer
• Bildrath Cantemir — The only shopkeeper in Barovia village — a bitter, price-gouging merchant who charges ten times fair price because his customers have nowhere else to
• Cyrus Belview — A mongrelfolk servant at the Abbey of Saint Markovia — grotesquely altered by the Abbot's experiments, he serves as a sad, shuffling guide to the abbe
• Danika Martikov — Co-owner of the Blue Water Inn in Vallaki and a secret wereraven — she and her husband Urwin are members of the Keepers of the Feather, a resistance n
• Davian Martikov — The patriarch of the Martikov family and keeper of the Wizard of Wines winery — an old wereraven who has watched the enchanted gems that sustain his v
• Dmitri Krezkov — The burgomaster of Krezk — a stern but good man who keeps his village walled and isolated, fearing the outside world with good reason.
• Doru — Father Donavich's son, now a starving vampire spawn locked in the church undercroft — he retains fragments of his humanity and begs visitors to either
• Emil Toranescu — The rightful leader of Barovia's werewolf pack, imprisoned in Castle Ravenloft's dungeons after being betrayed by Kiril Stoyanovich.
• Exethanter — An amnesiac lich who guards the Amber Temple — so ancient he has forgotten his own purpose, he is more confused than dangerous, though his power remai
• Ezmerelda d'Avenir — A Vistani monster hunter and Van Richten's former protégé — young, fierce, and determined to destroy Strahd with or without her old mentor's help.
• Father Donavich — The priest of the village of Barovia — a broken man who prays without ceasing because his son Doru has been turned into a vampire spawn and is locked
• Father Lucian Petrovich — The priest of St. Andral's Church in Vallaki — a kind, exhausted man who maintains the church as a sanctuary against evil, unaware that its protective
• Gadof Blinsky — Vallaki's eccentric toymaker whose creations are deeply unsettling — he crafts the Ireena dolls for Izek and greets everyone with 'Is no fun, is no Bl
• Gertruda — A naive young woman from Barovia village who left home to find adventure and walked straight into Castle Ravenloft — she is Strahd's current 'guest,'
• Henrik van der Voort — Vallaki's coffin maker — a frightened man who was coerced into stealing St. Andral's bones, and who now has vampire spawn hidden in his shop's upstair
• Ireena Kolyana — The adopted daughter of Barovia's burgomaster and the latest reincarnation of Tatyana — a courageous woman living under the shadow of Strahd's inescap
• Ismark Kolyanovich — Ireena's brother and the son of Barovia's late burgomaster — a good man crushed by the weight of protecting his sister from an enemy he cannot fight.
• Izek Strazni — The baron's brutal enforcer — a hulking man with a demonic arm that sprouts fire, who collects handmade dolls that all look exactly like Ireena Kolyan
• Kasimir Velikov — A dusk elf mage haunted by grief and dark whispers — he seeks the Amber Temple to resurrect his murdered sister, regardless of the cost.
• Kiril Stoyanovich — The savage new leader of Barovia's werewolf pack — he overthrew Emil Toranescu with Strahd's help and leads the pack in brutal hunts and raids.
• Kolyan Indirovich — The late burgomaster of the village of Barovia — a good man who died of terror after Strahd repeatedly attacked his home to reach his adopted daughter
• Lady Fiona Wachter — A Vallaki noblewoman who secretly worships Strahd and plots to overthrow Baron Vallakovich — she keeps her dead husband's preserved corpse in her bedr
• Luvash — The leader of the Vistani camp near Vallaki — a hot-tempered man whose daughter Arabelle has gone missing, driving him to desperate measures.
• Mad Mary — A woman in the village of Barovia who wails endlessly from her boarded-up house — her daughter Gertruda has disappeared, and Mary has gone mad with gr
• Madam Eva — An ancient Vistani seer who reads the Tarokka cards to reveal the fate of those who enter Barovia — she knows far more than she reveals, and her proph
• Morgantha — A night hag disguised as an old woman who sells dream pastries to the desperate people of Barovia — the pastries are made from the bones of children s
• Muriel Vinshaw — A wereraven scout for the Keepers of the Feather who watches travelers entering Barovia and reports to the Martikov network.
• Patrina Velikovna — Kasimir's dead sister who sought to become Strahd's bride — stoned to death by her own people, she now haunts her brother's dreams from beyond the gra
• Pidlwick II — A clockwork jester crafted to replace the original court fool — it murdered its predecessor and now haunts Castle Ravenloft, alternating between eerie
• Rahadin — Strahd's loyal chamberlain — a dusk elf exile who betrayed his own people to serve the vampire lord, forever surrounded by the screaming souls of thos
• Rudolph van Richten — A legendary vampire hunter who has come to Barovia in disguise to destroy Strahd — an old man driven by grief and vengeance, and one of the few people
• Sergei von Zarovich — Strahd's younger brother, murdered on his wedding day — his spirit lingers in Castle Ravenloft's chapel, a gentle ghost bound by love and tragedy.
• Sir Godfrey Gwilym — A revenant knight of the Order of the Silver Dragon who, unlike his commander Vladimir, still believes in doing the right thing — he is a potential al
• Stella Wachter — Lady Wachter's daughter who has gone mad — she believes she is a cat and crawls around the attic of Wachterhaus on all fours, mewing.
• Strahd von Zarovich — The vampire lord of Barovia — a brilliant, centuries-old conqueror imprisoned in a domain of his own making, endlessly replaying his obsession with a
• Tatyana — The woman whose death sparked Strahd's eternal curse — she threw herself from Castle Ravenloft rather than be taken, and her soul has been reincarnati
• The Abbot — A celestial being corrupted by centuries in Barovia — once a deva of pure compassion, now a mad angel building a flesh golem bride for Strahd in the d
• The Dark Powers — The mysterious entities that created the Domains of Dread and imprisoned Strahd in Barovia — they feed on suffering and offer dark gifts to those fool
• Urwin Martikov — Co-owner of the Blue Water Inn and a wereraven who is estranged from his father Davian — he runs the inn as a front for Keepers of the Feather operati
• Vasilka — The Abbot's creation — a flesh golem assembled from dead Barovians, crafted to resemble Tatyana and intended as a bride for Strahd.
• Vladimir Horngaard — The undead commander of the Order of the Silver Dragon — a revenant knight consumed by hatred so pure that he refuses to let anyone destroy Strahd, be
• Zuleika Toranescu — Emil's mate who remains at the werewolf den, quietly praying to Mother Night for her husband's return and plotting against Kiril's brutal rule.

Locations

• Abbey of Saint Markovia — A once-holy abbey above Krezk now ruled by a corrupted celestial — its halls are filled with mongrelfolk and its workshop contains a flesh golem bride
• Argynvostholt — The ruined manor of the silver dragon Argynvost, now haunted by the revenants of the Order of the Silver Dragon — knights consumed by hatred who refus
• Barovian Crossroads — A junction on the Old Svalich Road where paths diverge toward the village, the Tser Pool camp, and the road to Vallaki — a gallows stands here with a
• Blinsky Toys — Vallaki's toy shop, run by the irrepressibly cheerful Gadof Blinsky — filled with macabre toys and dozens of dolls that all look like Ireena.
• Blue Water Inn — Vallaki's tavern and inn, run by the Martikov family — a safe house for the Keepers of the Feather and the place where Van Richten hides behind his Ri
• Burgomaster's Mansion — The barricaded home of the Kolyanovich family in Barovia village — its windows are boarded, its walls bear claw marks, and the body of the late burgom
• Burgomaster's Mansion, Vallaki — Baron Vallakovich's residence in Vallaki — filled with old weapons, mediocre ancestors' portraits, and the desperate delusion that forced happiness ca
• Castle Ravenloft — Strahd's seat of power — a vast gothic fortress perched on a thousand-foot pillar of rock, one of D&D's most iconic dungeons and the dark heart of Bar
• Castle Ravenloft Chapel — The castle's chapel where Sergei and Tatyana were to be wed — Sergei's ghost still lingers here, and the Icon of Ravenloft may be found at the altar.
• Castle Ravenloft Crypts — The vast catacombs beneath Castle Ravenloft, holding the remains of the von Zarovich family and their servants — Strahd's coffin rests here.
• Castle Ravenloft Dungeons — The dungeons beneath Castle Ravenloft where Strahd keeps prisoners — Emil Toranescu is chained here, and other unfortunates have been left to rot.
• Church of Barovia — The village church where Father Donavich prays ceaselessly while his vampiric son Doru howls from the undercroft below.
• Coffin Maker's Shop — Henrik van der Voort's workshop in Vallaki — coffins are built on the ground floor while vampire spawn hide in crates upstairs, waiting for orders.
• Death House — A haunted townhouse in the village of Barovia that lures victims inside with the ghosts of two children — its basement conceals a cult shrine demandin
• Gates of Barovia — The massive iron gates at the eastern entrance to Barovia — they open for those the mists have chosen and close behind them with terrible finality.
• Lake Zarovich — A dark, still lake near Vallaki named after the von Zarovich family — its waters are cold and deep, and fishermen sometimes pull up things that aren't
• Luna River — A river that winds through Barovia's valley, passing the ruins of Berez — its waters are dark and cold, carrying debris from the drowned village downs
• Mount Baratok — A mountain near Lake Zarovich where Van Richten's Tower stands — remote and difficult to reach, which is exactly the point.
• Mount Ghakis — The highest peak surrounding Barovia, perpetually shrouded in clouds — the Amber Temple is carved into its frozen face.
• Old Bonegrinder — A decrepit windmill on a lonely hill where three night hags grind the bones of children into the flour for their addictive dream pastries.
• Old Svalich Road — The main road through Barovia, connecting the valley's settlements — dangerous, wolf-haunted, and the only path between most destinations.
• Ravenloft Throne Room — The audience chamber of Castle Ravenloft — a vast hall where Strahd holds court, though the throne sits empty more often than not.
• Ruins of Berez — A drowned village in the marshes of the Luna River — destroyed by Baba Lysaga after a woman there reminded Strahd of Tatyana, now a haunted swamp fill
• St. Andral's Church — Vallaki's church, consecrated ground that should repel the undead — but its protective bones have been secretly stolen, leaving it vulnerable.
• Svalich Woods — The dark, ancient forest that blankets most of Barovia — the trees are too close, no birds sing, and the wolves that prowl its depths answer to Strahd
• The Amber Temple — An ancient temple hidden in the mountains where the vestiges of dead dark entities are sealed in amber sarcophagi — the source of Strahd's vampirism a
• The Gulthias Tree — A massive, corrupted tree atop Yester Hill grown from the stake that killed a vampire — it spawns blights and radiates evil, tended by Strahd's corrup
• Town of Vallaki — A walled town where the burgomaster mandates happiness through compulsory festivals — a powder keg of political intrigue, secret cults, and forced smi
• Tser Falls — A massive waterfall near the Tser Pool encampment — its thundering water is one of the few natural sounds loud enough to drown out Barovia's oppressiv
• Tser Pool Encampment — A Vistani camp at the base of Tser Falls where Madam Eva performs the Tarokka reading that shapes the adventure's destiny.
• Tsolenka Pass — A treacherous mountain pass guarded by a gatehouse and a bridge over a dizzying chasm — the only route to the Amber Temple.
• Vallaki Stockyard — Vallaki's stockyard where Rictavio's carnival wagon is parked — it contains a saber-toothed tiger, Van Richten's weapon of last resort.
• Van Richten's Tower — A crumbling tower on the shores of Lake Baratok that Van Richten uses as a secret base — trapped to self-destruct if his enemies find it.
• Village of Barovia — A dying village huddled in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft — its people are broken, its streets are empty, and the sound of weeping carries on the wind
• Village of Krezk — An isolated, walled village at the western edge of Barovia — its people survive through strict self-sufficiency and the reluctant protection of a corr
• Vistani Camp — A Vistani encampment outside Vallaki's walls where the dusk elves also dwell — a hub of information, trade, and espionage.
• Wachterhaus — Lady Wachter's estate in Vallaki — a house of secrets where cult meetings masquerade as book clubs, a mad daughter crawls in the attic, and a dead hus
• Werewolf Den — A cave system in the mountains where Barovia's werewolf pack lairs — currently led by the savage Kiril after he imprisoned the moderate Emil.
• Wizard of Wines Winery — The only winery in Barovia, run by the Martikov family — its enchanted gems have been stolen, its wine production has stopped, and evil forces are clo
• Yester Hill — A windswept hill where druids corrupted by Strahd perform dark rituals around a massive tree blight, worshipping the vampire lord as a nature deity.

Items

• Amber Sarcophagi — Ancient amber caskets in the Amber Temple that contain imprisoned vestiges of dark entities — they offer gifts of immense power at terrible, often hid
• Barovian Wine — The only wine produced in Barovia, made at the Wizard of Wines winery — three varieties exist, and the supply is drying up as the enchanted gems are s
• Blood Spear of Kavan — An ancient spear wielded by the chieftain Kavan, buried at Yester Hill — it drains the life force of those it strikes and feeds it to the wielder.
• Holy Symbol of Ravenkind — A platinum holy symbol shaped like the sun that can hold vampires at bay and emit radiant light — one of the three treasures needed to confront Strahd
• Icon of Ravenloft — A holy relic found in Castle Ravenloft's chapel that radiates protective divine energy — it can bolster the faith of those who carry it against the ca
• Sergei's Blessed Armor — Plate armor blessed with divine energy, resting in Sergei von Zarovich's tomb in the crypts beneath Castle Ravenloft — one of the few holy relics that
• St. Andral's Bones — The blessed remains of St. Andral that consecrate Vallaki's church — stolen by Henrik the coffin maker, their absence leaves the church vulnerable to
• Strahd's Animated Armor — An enchanted suit of plate armor in Castle Ravenloft that fights on its own — it served Strahd in life and continues to serve him in undeath.
• Strahd's Black Carriage — A black carriage drawn by midnight-black horses that appears on Barovia's roads — it carries invitations from Strahd, and those who enter are taken to
• Sunsword — A legendary sword that emits sunlight — Strahd's most feared weapon, believed destroyed but hidden somewhere in Barovia, its location revealed by the
• Tarokka Deck — Madam Eva's fortune-telling cards — the reading she performs with them determines the locations of the three treasures and identifies a destined ally
• Tome of Strahd — Strahd's personal journal documenting his murder of Sergei, his transformation into a vampire, and the truth of his curse — reading it reveals his his

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