Curse of Strahd Tarokka Reading Again
I've likewise thought a lot about this.
My solution for my group is that I am going to tell the players: this reading is EXTREMELY random and it tin increase or decrease the difficulty of the campaign substantially. I (Madame Eva) volition present them with the deck and offer them a choice: if they wish, they tin can choose to take what the fates have offered to them (in other words, what I pre-picked out as being fair choices and have stacked on the top of the deck); or, if they want luck to be the simply principal of their fates, they can shuffle the deck.
For the pre-stacking, my choices for a fair but fifty-fifty campaign are:
Tome: Chief of Glyphs - Castle Chapel
Holy Symbol: viii of Coins - Vistani treasure carriage in Vallaki
Sunsword: 2 of Glyphs - in the garden at the Abbey
Ally: Mists - Ezmerelda
Final fight: Broken 1 - Sergei's Tomb
Here is my reasoning:
The tome being in the castle makes sense (why would he take lost information technology somewhere else?). Information technology also has no practical value to the characters so finding it late isn't a big deal, especially since they'll know ninety% of the story in it anyway. The chapel is an easy, early location in the castle with another powerful artifact as well so it makes sense that Strahd has ignored this area for centuries and didn't think his book might exist there. Besides, the tome is really more of a cursed item than a boon: once they take it and Strahd knows, he'll track them downward relentlessly - then they might as well discover it late-game.
The Holy Symbol is really, actually good, but I still rank it below the Sunsword - but it'due south especially good for some tough undead encounters, so I desire them to detect it earlier. Vallaki makes sense; information technology's early, but they need to get through an entire quest to procure it. Information technology seemed similar a proficient reward at this time. Also, y'all tin involve Arrigal if you remember they got off besides easy (he is Deadly). It as well seems similar the type of thing that would be stored in a room full of "this is probably valuable but otherwise junk" stuff - the Vistani don't know exactly what it does or how it can be used since they aren't clerics or paladins, simply they know information technology'due south worthwhile and they probably traded for it at some point. Or maybe they're keeping it then it can't be used against Strahd, merely Luvash was and so drunk and happy to come across his daughter he forgot it was in there, and of course that'due south the one thing the party picked... Anyway information technology opens upwardly interesting narrative reasons why they might have had it.
The Sunsword is amend found later, but non likewise late - and well before the castle. The gardens in the Abbey is a dainty spot out of the way of the primary villain in that expanse, then it gives them a chance to deal with information technology separately simply withal they won't observe it until they're well into the plot. Likewise, this spot unleashes a pack of wraiths when you discover the item in that location - and they are weakened substantially past sunlight, thus making this item immediately useful in a applied way to show its importance. Finally, it ties in a bit improve to the deva storyline in my stance: maybe the deva or some helpful adventurers with him had already used the Sunsword once confronting Strahd and lost, and so it's however nearby, but hidden for another grouping to find - like the deva cast it bated in the garden when he realized the futility of his fight against Strahd and went deeper into madness. (This works better with the re-write of the deva's motivations in another thread.)
Ezmerelda is both the best companion and the worst: she's indisputably one of the two strongest and one of the easiest to acquire since you almost can't avoid her, BUT she's as well sort of the worst companion because she'd likely join the party anyhow! Then it'south sort of a double-border: y'all get one of the best choices for certain, just you also don't become her AND another grapheme. Notwithstanding though, her advantages outweigh her negatives and she'south such an interesting character it'due south worth intentionally highlighting her, and given her alignment she's going to both fit in amend with almost parties and be an easy "DM needs to suggest this course of action" mouthpiece. She likewise positively boosts the characters' potential interactions with other Vistani. And information technology cuts down on the full number of NPCs post-obit you, which can get to be a LOT.
Concluding fight: Sergei'southward tomb is a naked attempt to make the characters have an easier time defeating Strahd at the terminate of the game. The tomb itself isn't hard (there aren't other enemies or traps that will likewise kill the players - similar Strahd's tomb, which is the worst place to fight him), but most importantly information technology'southward only a hop, skip, and a leap abroad from where the players MUST go in order to kill Strahd completely: his tomb. Having run this before, it'south sort of anti-climactic to have the characters defeat Strahd in the "blighted identify" merely to lose track of him when he mists back to his coffin: this is "final showdown" territory, narratively speaking, and while defeating him and having him escape other times is fine, THIS is when they need to finish it. They'll likely throw everything they have at him and just to lose him and have to find him once more is beyond frustrating. Strahd'due south parents' tomb works as every bit well to this purpose (and might even exist better since they will unfortunately miss the treasure in Sergei's tomb), but I similar his brother'southward tomb better for narrative purposes. It also makes Strahd a teensie bit more sympathetic at the worst possible fourth dimension, which is interesting to me.
Then! What happens if my players cull instead to allow their own luck to determine their fate? (Which I put 9 to 10 odds they volition.) Well, a lot of the other locations and companions besides suck for a variety of reasons so I accept further removed over 1/3rd of the full cards from the 54 card deck (I took out 21 and replaced one, for 22 changes) in order to guide the randomness in a fashion that withal makes the game enjoyable. And also to business relationship for the things I've cutting because I personally didn't experience similar including them.
Offset, things I've cutting: all the night elves (including Kasimir), Amber Temple, Tsolenka Pass, and the nursery in the Abbey (fewer dead children references). I made other changes but those are the primary ones that affect cards. This ways I removed:
- 3 of Swords (T-pass)
- 7 of Swords (Temple)
- 5 of Stars (Temple)
- 2 of Coins (plant nursery in the Abbey)
- 6 of Coins (Kasimir)
- 8 of Glyphs (Temple)*
* I then put the 8 of Glyphs back into the deck and changed it to be the Barovia church's undercroft as a location (listed in the book but non an actual fortune choice). This adds an "easy" location so proceed that in mind.
I besides removed all the locations in the crypts of the castle which just suck because it is one of the final areas they're going to go. I too took out Baba Lysaga's hut because it already has a big quest and information technology's actually difficult.
- two of Swords (Sergei'southward tomb)
- 4 of Swords (crypt)
- half-dozen of Swords (crypt)
- Primary of Swords (Strahd's tomb)
- six of Stars (catacomb)
- ix of Stars (Baba Lysaga's hut)
- one of Coins (crypt)
- five of Coins (crypt)
- 4 of Glyphs (parents' crypt)
If y'all don't similar "like shooting fish in a barrel" locations, yous could also remove these:
- 2 of Stars (the Tser Pool encampment)
- 7 of Coins (the river Ivlis Crossroads - also very close past)
Finally, I removed half of the "high" deck also, just to get rid of crappy or uninteresting or especially weak companions, and remove Strahd's tomb equally a possible final fight location:
- Darklord (no helper / Strahd's tomb - this is the worst possible card for either describe)
- Seer (Kasimir / study - cut due to the cuts I made earlier, likewise an see in the study means they will likely skip the treasury which I don't want them to)
- Horseman (assassin or dead guy / Strahd'south tomb - terrible companions, including i who wants to kill you, and Strahd's tomb; the 2nd worst card for either draw)
- Innocent (Parriwimple or Ireena / Sergei'south tomb - non a bad ane but I didn't want Ireena to be the entire take a chance, plus there's a chance she gets taken away!)
- Donjon (watcher boy or watcher daughter / hall of basic - merely really off-putting and weak companions, although the potential is in that location)
- Marionette (Pidlwick II or Clovin Belview / north belfry height - I actually similar Clovin just I like the other options better)
- Raven (old wereraven guy / parents' tomb - likewise non bad but sort of an uninteresting companion)
Notes:
The Tempter card has an pick to give you a young girl or a flesh golem. The golem was an interesting enough selection that I left it, but some might want to ditch this card, likewise. (I think the young daughter every bit a companion likewise has a lot of potential.)
The Ghost card too gets yous a literal ghost as a selection, who is Non piece of cake to recruit and you have to visit the castle start in order to get him. The story was cool enough to me only this is definitely a "difficult" companion and could be skipped. (On the other mitt, having someone with you who can movement through walls is great! But having someone with you who can also get turned is not...)
The Mists gives you lot hands the best companion or lets yous choose the exact spot for Strahd; if you really don't like "piece of cake" yous could ditch this one equally well.
So who's left? (Likewise the three above)
- Rictavio: very stiff and highly thematically appropriate
- werewolf: ditto
- Mad Mage: extremely difficult to recruit but insanely strong (you could also choose the priest in Barovia which is a terrible thought)
- Ismark: weak simply also thematically appropriate (could be leveled up a bit)
Also be aware: but removing the crypts doesn't remove all the hard locations! There are others that are especially difficult, such as:
- one of Swords (Vladimir in the silver dragon area - accept to solve that quest outset, which involves going to the castle, or killing him, which is insanely difficult)
- 5 of Swords (werewolf den - cursed!)
- 4 of Stars (silver dragon's beacon - same equally 1 of Swords without a combat option!)
- 4 of Coins (the wine cellar is deep in the castle, plus it has some nasty hazards)
- nine of Coins (castle treasury - hard and dangerous to detect)
- 5 of Glyphs (Gulthias tree - going to take to fight for it, possibly through some deadly encounters)
- vii of Glyphs (windmill - a known death trap, especially for depression-level parties who but found out the particular is there!)
I didn't remove these but others might consider it.
Promise that overly-long respond helps ...anyone! 
Source: https://www.enworld.org/threads/cos-ideal-tarokka-reading-storywise.485000/
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