Ancestries

Barovia was cut off from the rest of Orden centuries ago, and is a mostly-human setting, but people of all ancestries can be found in the valley. Humans are very common; high elves, polder, and hakaan are fairly common, though hakaan in Barovia tend not to live in human cities; devils, dwarves, wode elves, and orcs are rare; dragon knights, memonek, and time raiders are very rare, but not unheard of.

There is no fantasy racism in Draw Steel Against Strahd. However, the people of Barovia are, for obvious reasons, deeply afraid and mistrustful of the undead. If you (the Director) have a player at your table who wants to play a revenant hero, make sure to discuss with them if and how they'd like that choice to impact their adventure.

Classes

All classes are suitable for Draw Steel Against Strahd—this isn't a "you must have a conduit to survive" situation. However, there are a few where you (the Director) might want to think through the implications before your campaign begins:

• Void Elementalists: Nobody can teleport into or out of Barovia. Check in with your player to make sure that nerfing their third-level feature like this won't feel bad in real life!
• Stormwight Furies and Green Elementalists: How might ordinary Barovians (terrified of werewolves) react to seeing someone turn into a bear or a wolf? How might the Keepers of the Feather react to seeing someone turn into a crow or other bird? If a hero turns into a rat in a land where rats are known to be Strahd's spies, what consequences might that have?
• Beasthearts: Werewolf adjacent. What happens if your hero tries to bring a wolf into a tavern? What happens if they don't bring the wolf into the tavern, and the wolf is alone in town?
• Circle of Graves Summoners: Surely I don't need to explain this one.

Complications

Barovia is magically cut off from the rest of the world. Complications with purely narrative benefits or drawbacks—Exile, for example, or Grifter—might be very difficult to work into the campaign. I advise checking in with your players about the complications they've chosen and the depth to which they want to explore those complications.

There are a few complications that I think are a poor fit for this particular adventure.

• Slight Case of Lycanthropy: There's a fairly high chance at least one hero will contract lycanthropy during this adventure. Don't allow this complication unless you're prepared to to answer questions like "wait, can I be a double werewolf?", "why does this lycanthropy work differently from the other lycanthropy?", and "can I just bite all my friends so we're all the cool kind of werewolf?".
• Vampire Sire: Obvious, I think. Don't allow this complication unless you're prepared to answer questions like "does my sire know Strahd?". Also, I think it's fun to give heroes this complication if they're knocked out (or even just taken below dying) by a vampire's bite.

There are a couple other complications I think might cause you a headache, like:

• Meddling Butler/Hawk Rider: part of the fun of the adventure is being cut off from everything the heroes used to know, and I think that might be undercut a bit by having a walking, talking/squawking connection to a hero's past life following the party. Also, the heroes are likely to recruit at least two retainers during the adventure, so a third might be difficult to manage when balancing encounters and running combat.
• Famous Relative: Really begs the question of how, exactly, this famous relative is being summoned into a place nobody can get in or out of—not to mention that, since Barovia is removed from the world, it seems odd that the relative's fame would have any benefits there. This one could work okay with an extremely long-dead relative, maybe. # Flaws
  Your players can choose one or more flaws from the table below to add a dash of darkness to their characters' stories. Encourage them to embrace their inner struggles and let these complex traits drive their arcs forward.

Bonds

Your players can choose one or more bonds from the table below to weave a tapestry of connections between their characters and the ghosts of their pasts. Encourage them to reexamine and grow beyond these memories as they venture through Barovia, informing their interactions with the NPCs and narratives they encounter.

Motivations

If you choose to use the Barovian Relics adventure hook for one or more players (see Chapter 3: Running the Game), have those players choose a core character motivation from the following table.

Once a player has chosen their core motivation, use the relevant section below to aid that player in developing their character's history and goals.

Power—The Amber Shard

A player seeking power begins the campaign with the amber shard, a small chunk of amber resin mounted on a chain-link cord. The shard is inset with complex, three-dimensional arcane runes which speak of a path that leads to untold power. When viewed under the detect magic spell, it exudes a strong aura of abjuration magic.

Unbeknownst to the player, the amber shard was formerly a part of a dark vestige's amber sarcophagus in the Amber Temple in Barovia. When it senses the presence of Death House, it glows with amber light and tugs its cord in the direction of the house.

The player who possesses the amber shard should have strong, vivid reasons to want to find and claim the power that the shard promises.

Developments. In Arc A - Escape From Death House, the player recognizes Elisabeth Durst's amber shard as similar in appearance to their own. In Arc G - The Strazni Siblings, the player recognizes Izek Strazni's amber shard in a similar way. In Arc R - Trials of the Mountain, Elder Burebis of Soldav can recognize the amber shard as a shard of evil taken from the Amber Temple, and the player can recognize the amber shards kept by the shoosuva and bodaks as resembling their own.

If the player character is reduced to 0 hit points in Barovia while in possession of their amber shard, it behaves as described in Amber Shards offering the player an opportunity to forge a pact with a vestige of the Amber Temple that fits the player character's personality, flaws, and temptations. Upon entering the Amber Temple, the player's amber shard glows and tugs in the same way that it did upon sensing Death House, guiding the player toward a suitable amber sarcophagus.

Redemption—The Angel's Feather

A player seeking redemption begins the campaign with the angel's feather, a large, snow-white feather. When viewed beneath the light of the morning sun, the feather's barbs glimmer like gold.

Unbeknownst to the player, the angel's feather formerly belonged to Ithuriel, a celestial that serves the god Lathander, who is known to his followers as the Morninglord. Ithuriel is the true name of the Abbot, who dwells in the Abbey of Saint Markovia in Barovia. When it senses the presence of Death House, the feather is swept away by an unseen wind, its barbs glimmering with golden light, before eventually landing on the house's threshold.

The player who possesses the angel's feather should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that the feather will one day lead them to redemption for the sins that they have committed.

Developments. When the players first arrive at the Abbey in Arc I - The Walls of Krezk or Arc K - The Fallen Abbey the angel's feather glimmers and is swept away in the same way that it did upon sensing Death House, guiding the player toward the Abbot. The Abbot recognizes the feather as his own, but dismisses its importance.

Family—The Wanderer's Scarf

A player seeking family begins the campaign with the wanderer's scarf, a multicolored scarf woven with complex patterns. The fabric is soft and warm, and is long enough to be worn around the neck or over one's head. When bright sunlight, moonlight, or starlight is allowed to pass through it, the patterns seem to shimmer and twist in eerie and beautiful ways.

Unbeknownst to the player, the wanderer's scarf once belonged to a Vistana who left their caravan and settled down to marry the one they loved. The scarf was a parting gift from the caravan's leader—a reminder of the joys that the Vistana had experienced while traveling. When it senses the presence of Death House, the scarf is carried away by a warm, playful breeze, its patterns shifting and turning in the air, before eventually landing on the house's threshold.

The player who possesses the wanderer's scarf should have received the scarf from a beloved family member, and should have strong, vivid reasons to long for a sense of family and belonging.

Developments. When the players first encounter Ezmerelda in Arc K - The Fallen Abbey, the wanderer's scarf shimmers and is carried away in the same way that it did upon sensing Death House, landing at Ezmerelda's feet. Ezmerelda recognizes the scarf and, upon confirming how the player came to inherit it, greets the player as family, calling them "cousin."

Inheritance—The Dragon's Scale

A player seeking inheritance begins the campaign with the dragon's scale, a large silver scale that always feels cold to the touch. A Good-aligned creature that touches the scale feels a fleeting sense of safety, protection, and comfort.

Unbeknownst to the player, the dragon's scale formerly belonged to Argynvost, the silver dragon who founded the Order of the Silver Dragon. The order's headquarters, the mansion of Argynvostholt, can be found in Barovia. When it senses the presence of Death House, the scale burns with an icy cold, one end glowing with a bright, silver light in the direction of the house. While the scale glows in this way, a Good-aligned creature that touches it feels a deep sense of longing, loss, and hope.

The player who possesses the dragon's scale should have received the scale from a family member, and should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that the scale will one day unlock the secrets of their heritage.

Developments. When the player first encounters Argynvost's shadow in the foyer of Argynvostholt in Arc M - The Dragon's Manor, the scale briefly burns cold in the same way that it did upon sensing Death House. Each time the player approaches a manifestation of Argynvost's spirit, the scale burns cold and glows with a bright, silver light in the direction of the manifestation.

If the player helps to retrieve Argynvost's skull and restore it to his crypt in Arc Q - A Shining Beacon, Argynvost's spirit greets the player warmly, naming them his heir to the legacy of the Order of the Silver Dragon before lighting the beacon of Argynvostholt.

Wealth—The Electrum Coin

A player seeking wealth begins the campaign with an old, chipped electrum coin stamped with the profiled visage of a proud, yet cold-looking nobleman. When seen in a certain light, the nobleman's expression seems to change from a firm, aristocratic sneer to a feral, monstrous snarl.

Unbeknownst to the player, the visage stamped upon the electrum coin is the face of Strahd von Zarovich, the undead ruler of Barovia. The coin was minted long ago, but spirited away from Strahd's treasuries by a thief shortly before Barovia was lost to the mists. When it senses the presence of Death House, the coin lands on its edge, then begins rolling across the ground toward the house until it reaches the base of its steps.

The player who possesses the electrum coin should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that the coin first came from a wondrous vault of treasure—a conqueror's hoard—and that, one day, it will lead them to claim riches beyond imagining.

Developments. Any Barovian immediately recognizes the visage stamped upon the coin as Strahd's. If the player shares the coin's story with one of the Vistani of Madam Eva's camp in Arc C - Into the Valley, Sir Godfrey Gwilym in Arc M - The Dragon's Manor, or Kasimir Velikov in Arc E - The Missing Vistana, they can learn of Strahd's vast hoard of treasure, collected in his days as a conqueror and hidden away in Castle Ravenloft.

When the player first approaches Strahd's treasury, the coin lands on its edge and rolls as far as it can toward the treasury's entrance, in the same way that it did upon sensing Death House.

Healing—The Wolf's Tooth

A player seeking healing begins the campaign with a wolf's tooth coated with clear resin and mounted on a leather cord. The tooth seems to lengthen and sharpen on nights of the full moon, and calms its wearer's dreams when worn at night.

Unbeknownst to the player, the tooth once belonged to a wolfir—a werewolf that served the fey goddess known as the Huntress before her gift of lycanthropy was twisted into a curse. The Huntress's holy place, the Forest Fane, dwells amidst the woodlands of Barovia, silently waiting to be restored. When it senses the presence of Death House, the tooth lengthens, glowing with silver moonlight, and tugs its cord in the direction of the house.

The player who possesses the wolf's tooth should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that the tooth is the key to curing a particular wound, malady, or curse that ails them.

Developments. If the player shows the wolf's tooth to Kavan in Arc J - The Stolen Gem or to Elder Burebis in Arc R - Trials of the Mountain, the tooth is recognized as an artifact and symbol of the Huntress. When the player first approaches the circle of stones at the Forest Fane in Arc T - The Three Fanes, the tooth lengthens and glows with moonlight as it did upon sensing Death House.

Duty—The Raven's Feather

A player seeking duty begins the campaign with a raven's feather, a small, black feather with soft, downy barbs. When held aloft before a storm, the feather seems to gently tremble, exuding the scent of cold rain and damp earth.

Unbeknownst to the player, the feather once belonged to the roc of Mount Ghakis, a servant of the fey goddess known as the Seeker, whose Mountain Fane rests in the shadow of Mount Ghakis in Barovia. The roc once enjoyed disguising itself as a common raven, and shed this feather on one such occasion. When it senses the presence of Death House, the feather is swept away by an unseen and violent wind, the scent of rain and ozone filling the air, before eventually landing on the house's threshold.

The player who possesses the raven's feather should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that the feather will always guide them to those who need aid, protection, and comfort.

Developments. If the player shows the raven's feather to Madam Eva in Arc C - Into the Valley, she inspects it reverently and returns it to the player, claiming mysteriously that she once knew the bird that shed it. If the player shows the feather to Urwin Martikov, Danika Dorakova, Muriel Vinshaw, or any other member of the Keepers of the Feather, that member grows warmer and friendlier toward that player.

When the player first enters the circle of standing stones at the Mountain Fane in Arc T - The Three Fanes, the feather trembles and the air around it briefly grows thick with the scent of rain and ozone as it did upon sensing Death House. If the player shows the feather to the Roc of Mount Ghakis after consecrating the Mountain Fane in the same arc, the roc places the tip of its beak against the player's forehead as a sign of gratitude and approval before departing.

Knowledge—The Crumpled Page

A player seeking knowledge begins the campaign with the crumpled page, an old, yellowed page that was torn from its book long ago. The page is written in strange and cryptic arcane runes; those few runes that can be decoded speak of a path that leads to immortality.

Unbeknownst to the player, the page was taken from the library of Exethanter, a lich who dwells in the deepest sanctum of the Amber Temple in Barovia. When it senses the presence of Death House, the ink on the page glows with amber light, the runes reshaping themselves into a map that leads to the house.

The player who possesses the crumpled page should have strong, vivid reasons to want unlock the secrets that the page possesses.

Developments. When the player first approaches Exethanter's library in Arc S - A Sword of Sunlight, the ink glows with amber light as it did upon sensing Death House, and the runes reshape themselves into a map of Exethanter's chambers and nearby access points. If the player shows the page to Exethanter after restoring his memories in the same arc, Exethanter grows warmer and friendlier toward that player.

Ambition—The Tattered Banner

A player seeking ambition begins the campaign with the tattered banner, an old, ragged red banner bearing the heraldry of a raven in front of a shield. The raven's wings are spread wide, and the shield has the image of a castle's keep engraved into its top. Sometimes, when a Lawful-aligned creature holds the banner, a crimson light seems to glimmer from the peak of the castle's keep, and the sound of soldiers marching can be distantly heard.

Unbeknownst to the player, the banner was once flown by the warlord Strahd von Zarovich in the days before he became a vampire and was trapped within the mists of Barovia. When it senses the presence of Death House, the distant sound of war-drums fills its holder's ears and the banner blows in an unseen wind, pulling toward the house's direction.

The player who possesses the tattered banner should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that the banner was once the sigil of a mighty conqueror—and that, by following in that conqueror's steps, they will one day achieve greatness, glory, and the right to rule.

Developments. When the player first experiences the haunted battlefield north of Berez in Arc I - The Walls of Krezk, the banner flaps in the wind, which echoes with the sound of war-drums.

If the player shows the banner to the revenant at Tser Falls in Arc C - Into the Valley, Sir Godfrey Gwilym or Sir Vladimir Horngaard in Arc M - The Dragon's Manor, or Kasimir Velikov in either Arc E - The Missing Vistana or Arc S - A Sword of Sunlight, its appearance is met with revulsion and bitter disgust.

If the player shows the banner to Strahd, he regards it with fond thoughtfulness, but declines to elaborate on its significance. If the player shows the banner to Dr. Rudolph van Richten in Arc M: Strahd's Enemy or any Vistani, they immediately recognize it as the heraldry of Castle Ravenloft.

Faith—The Sunrise Medallion

A player seeking faith begins the campaign with the sunrise medallion, a bronze disc engraved with the image of a rising sun. The disc glitters like gold when exposed to the light of the sunrise, and a good-aligned creature that touches it feels a fleeting sense of reverence, righteousness, and peace.

Unbeknownst to the player, the medallion once belonged to Sergei von Zarovich, the brother of Strahd von Zarovich and an acolyte of the Church of the Morninglord who was once expected to become its Most High Priest. When it senses the presence of Death House, the medallion shines with a warm, golden glow, the rays of sunlight emanating from the engraved sun pointing in the direction of the house.

The player who possesses the sunrise medallion should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that it will strengthen or guide them in faith, and that certain signs of the divine will lead them to those in need of salvation and deliverance.

Developments. When the player first approaches St. Andral's Church in Arc D - St. Andral's Feast, the sunrise medallion glows and shines in the direction of the church's doors. If the player shows the sunrise medallion to Father Donavich or Lucian, they recognize it as a symbol of the Church of the Morninglord and grow warmer and friendlier toward that player.

Harmony—The Stone Crest

A player seeking harmony begins the campaign with the stone crest, a flat, round stone engraved with the image of a three-pointed star. On the nights of the new moon, the star seems to glimmer with emerald light.

Unbeknownst to the player, the crest once belonged to a spiritual leader among the First Folk, the people who first settled the land of Barovia long ago, and who have now divided into the Forest Folk (who are loyal to Strahd) and the Mountain Folk (who are not). The engravings upon it depict the symbols of the Seeker, the Weaver, and the Huntress—the three fey goddesses that the First Folk once called the Rozana, or Ladies Three. When it senses the presence of Death House, the crest emits a low hum and releases a scent of pine needles and earthy soil, which both grow stronger as the player approaches the house.

The player who possesses the stone crest should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that the symbols upon it represent a primal or divine power of harmony and nature, and that the crest can aid them in restoring the sanctity of wild places.

Developments. When the player first approaches the exterior of Soldav in Arc R - Trials of the Mountain, the stone crest hums and releases a scent of pine needles and earth soil as it did upon sensing Death House, both of which grow stronger as the player approaches the Shrine of the Rozana in Soldav.

If the player shows the stone crest to Kavan in Arc J - The Stolen Gem or to Elder Burebis in Arc R - Trials of the Mountain, the crest is recognized as an artifact and symbol of the Ladies of the Fanes.

Justice—The Broken Blade

A player seeking justice begins the campaign with the broken blade, the shattered tip of an elven longsword. The blade is engraved with the sigil of a lion rampant, and always seems to be half in light, half in shadow.

Unbeknownst to the player, the blade once belonged to Erevan, a shadow elf prince. Erevan, a master bladesinger, practiced the style of the lion, which he also used as his personal sigil. However, Erevan refused to pay tribute to King Barov von Zarovich, a powerful warlord and the father of Strahd von Zarovich.

Rahadin, a shadow elf who had spurned Erevan's rule, helped King Barov conquer the dusk elf kingdom. Rahadin then broke Erevan's blade and personally executed Erevan and his family as punishment for his defiance. When it senses the presence of Death House, the blade emits a high-pitched hum and begins to tremble violently, spinning like a compass needle in the direction of the house.

The player who possesses the broken blade should have strong, vivid reasons to believe that their ancestors were refugees, driven forth from their ancestral lands and persecuted, and that the blade will one day deliver justice to the traitor who destroyed them.

Developments. If the player shows the broken blade to Kasimir Velikov in Arc E - The Missing Vistana, he mournfully recalls its history and asks the player how they came to possess it. If the player informs Kasimir of how they came to inherit it, Kasimir greets them as family, wondering aloud if more of the shadow elves may have escaped Strahd's slaughter outside of Barovia.

If the broken blade is ever in close proximity to Rahadin, Strahd's chamberlain, it emits a high-pitched hum and trembles violently, spinning like a compass needle in his direction just as it did upon sensing Death House. If the player shows the broken blade to Rahadin, he at first claims to have no memory of it, noting dispassionately the thousands that he has slaughtered. However, in combat, Rahadin eventually comes to remember the blade's origins, dismissing it as "the shattered toy of a weak and worthless man."

Design Notes

Knowledge and Power. The knowledge and power relics have been swapped. Mostly, this is because the hero in my own campaign seeking knowledge is a revenant interested in the mysterious magic that kept him alive beyond death, and a page from a lich's library seemed more appropriate than an amber shard. But also, the amber shards encountered later in the adventure are all about exchanging power for your soul (literally or metaphorically), so I think this amber shard is better suited to someone searching for power.