Curse of Strahd Reloaded Update: Ascending Mount Ghakis

Apologies for the delay in updates! I sadly don't have Arc R: Trials of the Mountain fully finished yet—at 30,000 words in length and 85% of the way to completion, it's looking to be one of my longest arcs yet. Even so, I've made a good amount of progress since my last update, which you can find below!

I. Reloaded Update

Since my last update, I've added an additional 11k words and made it within spitting distance of the arc's end. Specifically, I've completed the following work for Arc R: Trials of the Mountain:

• Drafted the Tyrant's Second Trial, in which the players must play a deceivingly simple game with Strahd for a night of amnesty from his attacks

• Added multiple contingency plans in case the players attempt to resist the Second Trial, including the collapse of the tower at the Tsolenka Pass gatehouse

• Added a brief sighting of Rahadin along the road above the Tsolenka Pass bridge

• Added a potential encounter with a Mountain Folk scout near the Mount Ghakis crossroads

• Designed an avalanche encounter along path below the southern peak of Mount Ghakis

• Updated and expanded the mechanics for the bodak cave from the original Reloaded

You can read some excerpts from these scenes below:

Strahd's Question

Regardless of the players’ response, Strahd then turns to the player he bit the previous night. “Many in this valley name me ‘tyrant,’” he says, “but I have always respected the choices of my subjects.” He then retrieves a small item from an inner pocket of his cloak and holds his hand forward, the item clenched in his fist.

“When last we met, Fate chose your blood to be the first I tasted,” Strahd says. “Yet it is mortalkind’s lot to rage against the whims of Fate. Tonight, I shall give you an opportunity to do so.”

Strahd smiles coldly, though no mirth reaches his eyes. “Before tonight’s game begins, however,” he continues, “I shall offer you an additional chance to extend your life. Should you lose this game, I shall take only half my fill from you tonight, rather than all—if, and only if, you answer my question faithfully and truthfully.”

If the player agrees to answer Strahd’s question, Strahd continues: “It is not only your choices that have led you here,” he says, “but the competencies of those you have chosen to travel beside. Had you chosen better companions, perhaps you would not face this crossroads tonight.”

Strahd gestures to the other players and asks: “Which of these outlanders has proven themselves the strongest, and who the weakest? You need only think their names, and I shall know.” Strahd then casts detect thoughts to receive the player’s answer. (To answer, the player must privately communicate their reply to the Dungeon Master, such as by a folded note or private message.)

The Avalanche

When the players continue down the north branch of the mountain crossroad, read:

The road doubles back over itself as it climbs; far beneath your feet, you can see the road before the crossroad clinging tightly to the mountainside, the sea of fog curling lazily a thousand feet below.

It’s not long, however, before the lower road vanishes from sight once again, the high road mounting a flat, snow-covered plain. The path here is far less steep, descending into a shallow valley before rising again to cross a long, white plateau that curls around the mountain’s northwestern flank like a skirt.

Five miles and more than three hours since crossing it, the tiny shape of the gatehouse bridge emerges through the fog more than one thousand feet below you, the long, gray ribbon of the Luna River twisting beneath it even further below. The road, however, continues around the base of the mountain’s northwest peak, the icy plain narrowing once again to a thin, treacherous path that snakes beneath Ghakis’s northern cliffs.

One hundred feet ahead, the road curves with the mountainside, curling right toward the mountain peak before swerving left again and vanishing around a bend another hundred feet away. Where the road swerves, you can just faintly see a dark void in the rocky cliffs—a cave.

Pause and allow the players a moment to respond. After they have done so, or if no players respond, continue:

The wind suddenly shifts, changing direction from north to south. Far below, a flock of small birds takes off from a lower mountain cliff, their cries echoing across the cliffs as they fly north—away from the mountain.

A player with a passive Wisdom (Perception) score of 15 or greater hears a deep, muted thud reverberate from the mountainside above them—as if the mountain itself is exhaling and shifting beneath the weight of the snow upon it. (If Kalaris is accompanying the players, he hears the thud and warns them that the “mountain is shifting” above them. He advises the players to move quickly to safety—either into the cave or, if the players feel confident in their swiftness, past the avalanche zone entirely.)

One round later, each player hears a distant, sharp crack pierce the air. Continue:

For a moment, the world seems to hold its breath. Then, far above, a low rumbling fills the air, like a thousand stones shifting all at once. The sound swells to a distant growl, deep and resonant, as though something massive has awoken from deep within the mountain.

The players each have one round to react. When the round ends, the avalanche begins. Read:

The growl bursts into a thunderous roar, the slope above giving way with a deafening crash. Snow and ice break free in waves, toppling trees and stone formations alike, as a section of the mountain thunders down toward you.

Have the players roll initiative.

The Bodak

When the players enter this room, read:

Two tunnels split off from this small room: one to the left, and one to the right. The far wall is covered with a large number of carvings, which appear to depict words. 

A man’s corpse lies across the center of the chamber, its naked flesh tinged a strange, sickly gray. Its eye sockets are gaping, bloody holes, and its intestines have been carved open and strewn across the floor around it.

If the bodaks are inactive when the players first enter this chamber, add:

A hunched, skeletal creature crouches low over the corpse, the creature’s ragged cloak draped unevenly across a twisted, protruding spine. A guttural slurping noise emanates from its front, even as its long, bony arms stretch out across the flesh before it.

As always, you can get full access to my in-progress drafts by joining the Patreon as a paid member. All working drafts and outlines for future arcs, as well as a changelog and Trello board of upcoming edits, can be found on the Patreon Bronze Masterpost.

II. Other News

Kickstarter Delayed. For logistical and creative reasons, the Kickstarter I've been working on has been pushed back until after Reloaded is finished. We're cooking up some exciting stuff for it, though, so I'll keep you posted as it takes better shape!

Monster Design Mentoring. I've been blown away by the interest and positive response to my paid 1-on-1 Discord mentoring sessions. Due to sustained interest in the topic, I've added a new purchasable "Monster Design 101" mentoring session to the Patreon Shop, alongside the existing "NPC Roleplay 101," "NPC Voice-Acting 101," and "How to Make Combat Fast, Flavorful & Fun." You can purchase these mentoring sessions here. Thank you to everyone who's nabbed them so far!

III. Wrap-Up

That's all I've got for this update! Hope you've been enjoying the previews of what's to come, and I'll see you next time.

Cheers,
Dragna