Light in the Mist...

[Arkhemedes]

Yeah, the whole space-time thing in Ravenloft IS very maleable - in fact, my "solution" to the paradox uses this fact in order to try and make sense of it. However, pulling people or chunks of land from one point in space or time and placing them in another is one thing - but creating two completely different and simultaneous backgrounds for the same character is quite another. I think I will start a new thread on this because I could go on and on about this subject. However I won't have time to post it for a few days (got to get ready for my game night in a couple of days). Look for something having to do with the Apparatus.

And to Tamerath, good luck with The House on Gryhpon Hill and the continuation of your Ravenloft campaign. I know when I ran the original Ravenloft module 16 years ago I got lucky - my players foolishly left Strahd staked to the table in his reading room without cutting his head off so they could return to the village and convince some of the villagers to go to the castle, where they would see for themselves that Strahd was indeed the vampire that the group claimed he was. The end result was that, after the adventuring group mysteriously disappeared (or rather, were taken away by the Mists), the poor villagers went to the castle and discovered that Strahd had been freed by one of his minions which the group had missed. The villagers and the group were never seen again and, of course, they were all presumed dead. I'm glad I never had to figure out what to do about a dead Strahd because there wouldn't have been much of a Ravenloft campaign if he had been killed long before the other domains appeared. But I'm sure you'll think of something. You're going to have to I guess if you like running Ravenloft. Perhaps my Apparatus thingy can give you an idea or two.

[Baron_Samedi]

One thing about Strahd you should know is that its nearly impossible to kill him. In any combat situation, where he is vulnerable, he has the ability to teleport himself away to his 'safe zones' where he is entombed until he recouperates. Unfortunately, no one but he and a few undead minions know where they are. In theory, a party of adventurers could strike, then when he jumps away, get him in his sleep, but given the fact that the entire plane is almost modelled around him, it seems unlikely. Not to mention the fact that he bound himself to the land of Barovia...who knows what kind of consequence there would be to his Domain, if he were to fall.

[Tamerath]

And to Tamerath, good luck with The House on Gryhpon Hill and the continuation of your Ravenloft campaign. I know when I ran the original Ravenloft module 16 years ago I got lucky - my players foolishly left Strahd staked to the table in his reading room without cutting his head off so they could return to the village and convince some of the villagers to go to the castle, where they would see for themselves that Strahd was indeed the vampire that the group claimed he was. The end result was that, after the adventuring group mysteriously disappeared (or rather, were taken away by the Mists), the poor villagers went to the castle and discovered that Strahd had been freed by one of his minions which the group had missed. The villagers and the group were never seen again and, of course, they were all presumed dead. I'm glad I never had to figure out what to do about a dead Strahd because there wouldn't have been much of a Ravenloft campaign if he had been killed long before the other domains appeared. But I'm sure you'll think of something. You're going to have to I guess if you like running Ravenloft. Perhaps my Apparatus thingy can give you an idea or two.

Thanks for the good wishes! That's a pretty awesome story with your adventures in Ravenloft as well...I think my players are a bit paranoid and will dismembering him and burning him to ash, as well as staking him..lol...I can't wait to see how it all pans out honestly. And as Baron said...even if they kill him....he's not dead for good...The Dark Powers in my game aren't finished with him yet so he will be returning...

For the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind and the Sunsword I've made into Artifacts...and even when they awaken their power (because as of now they just have a blade and a usless symbol)...they will still have to prove their worth to the entity of the item itself...so I figure till they actually have them "powered up" they will still not be killing Strahd off for good...

Also not only Strahd, but most domain lords need special conditions met before you are either able to lift their curse or kill them off for good...and as what happens after that when the Dark Powers and the Mists decend upon the land and change it in some way is usually not a good thing to stick around for.

I'll be looking forward to your House on Gryphon Hill info for sure.

[Baron_Samedi]

I know that every Darklord that i've run into, the system makes it nigh impossible to destroy them. And it usually involves something along the lines of...if you destroy the darklord, and only if you do (X), then (X) happens when the darklord does (X) and then, the darklord only dies if you do (X) simulataneously...but even if you do that, then (X)...etc, etc, etc...I did have a group on a whim try to kill Strahd, but three of the eight, died on the way up the path, two more at the poison fog at the perimeter of Ravenloft...two more at the gate, but the last character did manage to get all the way to the chapel screaming like a little girl before he was captured to be someone to be fed upon. I didn't have the heart to tell them that I wasn't going to let them kill Strahd...but its good to let them have hope...