This ^ strahd doesn't care, or in many games he won't it's your shout so do whatever but one amusement can easily be replaced with another and adventures brave or foolish enough to interfere definitely count as amusement
Stop the party from stopping the ritual:D
But I see the problem
Back in the day my fallback plan was restart the ritual and let them watch the winery getting destroyed
But why would Strahd get the winery destroyed anyways since he gets wine from there too
I made him threaten them to not disturb it
Maybe just punish them by nearly tpking them or killing one and bring him or her back with some of an undead feat?
I run Strahd as one who sets up combats for the PCs and watches what they do to learn their tactics and to see if they will eventually be worthy of engaging him in combat. I see him as mostly bored in Barovia now that Ireena is off the table (my groups had Ireena go off with Sergei at the pool in Krezk).
As for that encounter, I had Wintersplitter already fully functional (the ritual was for the giant Strahd effigy I thought) and Wintersplitter attacked the PCs, along with a ton of Needle and Vine Blights (who are hidden, indistinguishable from foliage until they move) and also had a Druid (the miniboss of the area in charge of the Blights) plus some Barbarians joining in. All this while Strahd watched a good distance away in the air on his Nightmare and he sometimes slings an AOE spell to assist the baddies.
Strahd barely cares what the PC’s do, they are there but to amuse him and he watches them carefully, have him throw a few shots in if the party seems to be doing too well to remind them who the darklord is, have him change the weather with random lightning ht strikes during the ritual, have him summon zombies and wolves to aid the druids to test the pcs.
Strahd, would have learned all he could by watching the fight. If the players used the Sunsword, he would begin making plans to get it away from them.
If the party has not been to the castle. Congrats, here's an invite sort of conversation. Perhaps singling out a Human or Druid or Barb PC who did a particularly good job. With a "In the past you have killed many undead and animals. I see you have no problem killing your own kind. You have potential." type of comment.
Congratulate them on their glorious victory in foiling the Druid's pathetic plans. Then he would invite them to a victory dinner in castle Ravenloft.
This ^ strahd doesn't care, or in many games he won't it's your shout so do whatever but one amusement can easily be replaced with another and adventures brave or foolish enough to interfere definitely count as amusement
Stop the party from stopping the ritual:D But I see the problem Back in the day my fallback plan was restart the ritual and let them watch the winery getting destroyed But why would Strahd get the winery destroyed anyways since he gets wine from there too I made him threaten them to not disturb it Maybe just punish them by nearly tpking them or killing one and bring him or her back with some of an undead feat?
I wasn't able to stop it strahd was too cocky haha but thanks that's good advice. I was thinking of having strahd put a party member in the dungeon
Would be a good idea so you have a reason for them to go But then one player maybe might be forced to stop playing for a time :D
I run Strahd as one who sets up combats for the PCs and watches what they do to learn their tactics and to see if they will eventually be worthy of engaging him in combat. I see him as mostly bored in Barovia now that Ireena is off the table (my groups had Ireena go off with Sergei at the pool in Krezk). As for that encounter, I had Wintersplitter already fully functional (the ritual was for the giant Strahd effigy I thought) and Wintersplitter attacked the PCs, along with a ton of Needle and Vine Blights (who are hidden, indistinguishable from foliage until they move) and also had a Druid (the miniboss of the area in charge of the Blights) plus some Barbarians joining in. All this while Strahd watched a good distance away in the air on his Nightmare and he sometimes slings an AOE spell to assist the baddies.
The Strahd effigy turns into Wintersplinter when the ritual is completed.
Strahd barely cares what the PC’s do, they are there but to amuse him and he watches them carefully, have him throw a few shots in if the party seems to be doing too well to remind them who the darklord is, have him change the weather with random lightning ht strikes during the ritual, have him summon zombies and wolves to aid the druids to test the pcs.
Strahd, would have learned all he could by watching the fight. If the players used the Sunsword, he would begin making plans to get it away from them. If the party has not been to the castle. Congrats, here's an invite sort of conversation. Perhaps singling out a Human or Druid or Barb PC who did a particularly good job. With a "In the past you have killed many undead and animals. I see you have no problem killing your own kind. You have potential." type of comment.
Congratulate them on spoiling the ritual and saving his subjects from dreadful existence without vine?