Arc D - The Tome of Strahd - Curse of Strahd: Reloaded

_An adventure for five 4th-level characters._ > [!warning]+ **You're Reading Deprecated Material** > As of **December 12, 2023**, the Tome of Strahd has been relocated from Vallakovich Mansion/Wachterhaus to the clutches of Leo Dilisnya. (See [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information.) This Arc has been retained to allow an easier transition for DMs using an earlier version of the guide, but will be removed in future updates. In this arc, the players must locate and retrieve the Tome of Strahd from one of two locations, depending on which Tarokka card Madam drew in Tser Pool: the attic in Baron Vallakovich’s mansion or the master bedroom closet of Wachterhaus. To obtain the Tome, the players must somehow gain access to its hiding spot through subterfuge, infiltration, or by performing a task for Victor Vallakovich or Lady Wachter, respectively. Upon finding it, the players must either bypass the magical lock securing it or uncover the passphrase that unseals its secrets . . . > [!lore]+ **What Happened to the Tome?** > > One hundred years ago, Strahd used his Tome as a repository for his secret plans involving the Grand Conjunction and the Fanes of Barovia. When he began his hibernation amidst the crypts of Ravenloft, he did his best to hide his Tome away, safe from prying eyes. Nonetheless, it was found—by the **wereraven** Livius, who was searching for the legendary *Sigil of the Sun* (later renamed the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind*) while Lugdana and Ismark Antonovich kept the guardians of the castle occupied. > > When the trio escaped the castle, Livius shared with them the Tome, wondering aloud which of Strahd’s secrets it might hold. Because they could not open its magical lock, however, Lugdana took the Tome to a bookbinder in Vallaki with a reputation for puzzle-solving and lockpicking, hoping that he might be able to open it instead. > > Lugdana, however, was betrayed. The bookbinder’s apprentice—a scion of House Wachter—overheard their conversation and made plans to steal the Tome instead: > > **_The Tome in Wachterhaus._** If the modern Tome is located within the master bedroom closet of Wachterhaus, the apprentice hid the Tome away in the bookbinder’s desk, then returned that night to steal it. The Tome has remained locked away in Wachterhaus ever since. (Because her parents died while she was still a teenager, Lady Fiona Wachter never learned of the Tome’s true origins.) > > **_The Tome in the Baron's Mansion._** If the modern Tome is located within the attic of the Burgomaster’s mansion, the apprentice hid the Tome away in a pile of books with the intent to later return to steal it—but didn’t realize that that particular pile included an assortment of books that Baron Vallakovich’s ancestor had dropped off at the shop for re-binding. The pile of books was picked up later that day, before the apprentice could return and steal the Tome. The Tome itself was soon discarded and forgotten amongst the many items scattered in the Vallakovich attic, where it remained until Victor Vallakovich found it using the *detect magic* spell. (Victor hasn’t been able to successfully unlock it yet, but is curious to know what the book contains.) # D1. Burgomaster’s Mansion ## D1a. Entering the Mansion This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N3. The players can gain access to the attic of the Burgomaster’s Mansion through persuasion or infiltration. See [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana#F3a. Entering the Mansion|F3a. Entering the Mansion]] for more information. (Because the players are likely to visit the mansion on multiple occasions—either during [[Arc E - The Missing Vistana]], [[Arc F - Lady Wachter's Wish]], [[Arc G - The Strazni Siblings]], or [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]]—it is likely that they will obtain the *Tome of Strahd* on one such occasion.) ## D1b. Obtaining the Tome This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N3t. The *Tome of Strahd* can currently be found on the edge of [[Non-Player Characters#Victor Vallakovich|Victor Vallakovich's]] workdesk. A player viewing it through a *detect magic* spell can see that it is surrounded by magic, and can use an action to discern that the magic is of the abjuration school. Victor won’t relinquish the *Tome* willingly. After finding it in his parents’ attic and recognizing the Von Zarovich crest, he is determined to one day unlock and read its contents. However, he is willing to surrender it to the players if they first help him restore the soul of Stella Wachter to her body. See [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information on this quest. ***Milestone.*** Obtaining the *Tome* completes a story milestone. If the players obtain the *Tome* from Victor, award each player 750 XP. # D2. Wachterhaus This scene takes place in Chapter 5: Area N4. As with the Burgomaster’s Mansion, the players can obtain the *Tome of Strahd* in Wachterhaus through persuasion or infiltration. Wachterhaus is largely as described in N4. Wachterhaus (p. 110), but with the following changes: * Lady Wachter’s late husband, Nikolai, was buried in the cemetery after his death several years ago and is no longer in Lady Wachter’s bed in N4o. Master Bedroom (p. 113). * Stella Wachter doesn't scratch at her door or call out to the players in N4l. Upstairs Hall (p. 113). If found, she is dull-eyed and non-responsive, incapable of speaking to the players or even moving of her own volition. (This is because she has lost her soul, which is currently trapped in the Ethereal Plane. See [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information.) * Stella's room is neither musty nor dark, and her bed is not fitted with leather straps. Instead, her room is well-appointed, including a woven lavender rug, a comfortable armchair with floral patterns, and a small bookcase with a collection of carved wooden cats atop it. (The cats were whittled by her older brother, Karl, as get-well gifts following Stella’s illness.) * The manuscript and treatise contained in the iron chest in N4q. Storage Room (p. 114) are now titled *Voices of the Mist* (a religious text written by Lady Fiona Wachter attesting that the worship of Ezra, goddess of the Mists, can bring peace, understanding, and solemnity), and *The Grimoire of Night's Whispers*, a ritual book and religious text to Mother Night written by the witch Baba Lysaga. * The high shelf in N4o. Master Bedroom (p. 113) also holds a thirteen-inch scale model of Wachterhaus, crafted of twigs, clay, and painted thatch. Additionally, while Lady Wachter still has the statistics of a **priest**, she has a different list of prepared spells: Cantrips (at will): *light, toll the dead, thaumaturgy* 1st level (4 slots): *command, sanctuary, bane* 2nd level (3 slots): *blindness/deafness, zone of truth, hold person* 3rd level (2 slots): *animate dead, spirit guardians* ## D2a. Persuading Lady Wachter The players can persuade [[Non-Player Characters#Lady Fiona Wachter|Lady Wachter]] to give them the *Tome of Strahd* by: * bargaining for it as a condition to killing Izek Strazni, or * requesting it as a gift after killing Izek Strazni or restoring the soul of Lady Wachter’s daughter, Stella. (See [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information.) > [!profile]+ **Profile: Lady Fiona Wachter** > > **Roleplaying Information** > ***Resonance.*** Lady Wachter should inspire wariness for her loyalty to Strahd, grudging respect for her streak of pragmatic rationality, endearment for her dedication to her children, and pity for the tragedy of her family. > > ***Emotions.*** Lady Wachter most often feels concerned, apprehensive, irate, melancholic, satisfied, thoughtful, determined, stern, or (with her children) compassionate and loving. > > ***Motivations.*** Lady Wachter wants to keep Vallaki—and especially her children—safe from harm. To that end, she hopes to see Baron Vargas Vallakovich removed from power and to reassure Strahd von Zarovich that Vallaki is no danger to his rule. > > ***Inspirations.*** When playing Lady Wachter, channel Moiraine Damodred (The Wheel of Time), Olenna Tyrell (Game of Thrones), Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter), and Lady Jessica (Dune). > > **Character Information** > ***Persona.*** To the world, Lady Wachter is a cold, cunning, and cordial noblewoman. To those she trusts, Lady Wachter is a melancholic, wry, yet fiercely determined advocate for what she sees as the good of Vallaki. Only Lady Wachter herself appreciates the depth of love she feels for her children—and her shattered sense of faith and hope. > > ***Morale.*** In a fight, Lady Wachter would attempt to negotiate or flee, seeking any means necessary to quell hostilities, up to and including outright surrender. If necessary to save her life or those of her children, however, she would fight to the death with bitter ferocity. > > ***Relationships.*** Lady Wachter is the widow of the deceased Nikolai Wachter I, and the mother of Nikolai Wachter II, Karl Wachter, and Stella Wachter. She is the employer of the **spy** Ernst Larnak, and an outspoken critic of Baron Vargas Vallakovich. Because Lady Wachter was an adolescent at the time of her family’s tragic death, her parents never had an opportunity to reveal to her the true nature and origins of the Tome. As a result, while Lady Wachter is aware that the sigil on the cover is the crest of House Zarovich, she has always assumed that the book itself is a record of House Wachter’s service to Strahd, rather than Strahd’s own journal. If the players make explicit reference to an item kept “under lock and key,” or an item kept “with the bones of an ancient enemy,” Lady Wachter immediately knows that they’re referring to the *Tome of Strahd.* If she feels cordial toward the players, Lady Wachter plays coy, pretending to dismiss the idea of keeping “bones” in one’s home and slyly asking the players how they came upon such knowledge. If pressed further, however, she carefully concedes the *hypothetical* existence of such a book and attempts to bargain with the players as a means of securing it. If she feels warmly toward the players (e.g., because they have killed Izek for her), Lady Wachter instead gladly retrieves the Tome from her closet and presents it to them. In either case, Lady Wachter warns the players that she cannot be held responsible for what the book contains. Before handing the Tome over, she also exacts a promise that the players tell no one of where they obtained it. ***Milestone.*** Obtaining the *Tome* completes a story milestone. If the players obtain the *Tome* from Lady Wachter, award each player 750 XP. ## D2b. Infiltrating the Estate The players may choose to infiltrate Wachterhaus, rather than obtaining the Tome with Lady Wachter’s permission. The NPCs in the mansion behave as follows: * Lady Wachter can generally be found in N4p. Library (p. 113) in the mornings, N4i. Parlor (p. 112) in the afternoons, N4t. Cult Headquarters (p. 114) in the evenings, and N4o. Master Bedroom (p. 113) at night. (Lady Wachter is, however, a light sleeper; treat her passive Perception while asleep as the same as her passive Perception while awake.) * Karl and Nikolai Wachter can generally be found in N4m. Brothers' Room (p. 113) in the mornings and late at night, and spend much of their remaining time out of the house carousing. * Stella Wachter can generally be found sitting on a sofa in N4i. Parlor (p. 112) during the day, and lying in N4n. Stella's Room (p. 113) at night. * Dhavit, Lady Wachter’s cook, can generally be found in N4c. Kitchen (p. 112) or N4d. Storage Room (p. 112) during the day, and N4h. Servants' Quarters (p. 113) at night. * The four **cult fanatics** can be found in N4t. Cult Headquarters (p. 114) in the evening. * Madalena, one of Lady Wachter’s maids, can generally be found on the first floor during the morning, in the gardens outside of the house in the afternoon, and in N4h. Servants’ Quarters (p. 113) at night. * Amalthia, the other maid, can generally be found on the second floor during the morning, assisting Lady Wachter or Dhavit in the afternoons, and in N4h. Servants’ Quarters (p. 113) at night. * Haliq, Lady Wachter’s valet, can generally be found assisting Lady Wachter in the mornings, running errands in town in the afternoons, and in N4h. Servants’ Quarters (p. 113) at night. * Ernst, Lady Wachter’s spy, can generally be found in N4k. Den (p. 112) in the mornings, and spends much of his remaining time out of the house spying. ### 1. Raising the Alarm Each of Lady Wachter’s servants carries a small, spherical wax bauble on a cord around their neck. Each wax bauble contains a small iron ingot carved with arcane runes. When a servant crushes or breaks the wax around their bauble and exposes the ingot to air, the runes flicker with grey light and cast a single *thaumaturgy* spell, creating the sound of a crow’s caw that echoes through the house. If she is in the house, Lady Wachter hears the crow's caw and quickly moves to confront the intruders. Alternatively, if the players activate the **skeleton** trap in N4s. Cellar (p. 114), Lady Wachter senses it and arrives from N4r. Cellar Entrance (p. 114) in the second round of combat to command any remaining skeletons to halt. In either case, [[Non-Player Characters#Lady Fiona Wachter|Lady Wachter]] arrives with a crow (her disguised **imp**, Majesto) perched upon her shoulder, retaining a cool, diplomatic head at all times. (She doubts her ability to defeat the players through force, even with the aid of her cult, and prefers to resolve their differences peacefully. Despite her arcane power, Lady Wachter is no warrior.) First, Lady Wachter greets the players warmly and asks them their business. If the players refuse to tell her what they’re looking for, she guesses aloud that, because they haven’t assassinated or kidnapped her yet, they’re not here on Baron Vallakovich’s orders, and are therefore looking for an item in her possession. (She further wonders aloud that it is either something incredibly valuable which they seek to steal to enrich themselves, or something non-valuable that they want, but which they don’t trust her to barter for.) **If she has previously met the players at dinner and asked them to kill Izek**, Lady Wachter sadly mourns their lack of trust in her and notes that she had hoped to work with them, and in fact still does. She then offers to obtain the item that they seek if they are willing to speak with her as equals. **If she has not met the players before**, Lady Wachter instead offers a bargain in exchange for the item that the players seek. (If the players express interest in such an arrangement, she offers their desired item in exchange for the head of Izek Strazni. Negotiations proceed as described in [[Arc F - Lady Wachter's Wish#G2d. The Vallakovich Problem|G2d. The Vallakovich Problem]].) **If the players indicate or imply that they don’t trust her**, Lady Wachter asks the players for their permission to cast two spells: one to ensure that they are alone and away from prying eyes, and one to prove to them that she is telling the truth. (If permission is granted, she immediately casts *detect evil and good*, her eyes flashing briefly gray as she confirms that none of Strahd’s undead servants are currently watching them.) ### 2. Lady Wachter’s Offer The second spell that [[Non-Player Characters#Lady Fiona Wachter|Lady Wachter]] seeks to cast is *zone of truth,* which she explains aloud to the players. To prove her credibility, she suggests casting the spell and stepping inside of it, permitting the players to question and interrogate her to their hearts’ content. By doing so, she hopes, they will be able to assuage any of their fears regarding her loyalty to Strahd. Lady Wachter is more than glad to permit the players to tie her up during the interrogation, and even suggests that the players move their conversation to N4p. Library (p. 113) so that they may question her free from prying eyes and ears. She freely offers the key to the library—both so that the players can unlock the door and lock it behind them—and suggests that the players restrain her to a chair and hold a dagger to her throat if it puts them at greater ease. If the players point out her extraordinary nonchalance, Lady Wachter asks them, quite mildly, if panicking or arguing would help her situation. “I am entirely at your mercy,” she observes. “Armed foreigners have broken into my house, evidently for nefarious or criminal purposes, and taken me prisoner. Would you have me fight back and die, or attempt to flee and be restrained nonetheless?” If the players refuse Lady Wachter’s offer and continue their burglary, she makes no effort to resist them. If, however, the players accept Lady Wachter’s offer and choose to restrain her during the interrogation, she asks only that her hands be kept free, so that she may perform the somatic components necessary to cast *zone of truth.* Lady Wachter is well-aware that the players may not trust that her spell is legitimate. As such, she invites the players to test the spell in two ways: first, by stepping into the *zone of truth* and experiencing its effects themselves; and second, by compelling her to share her deepest, darkest secrets. If asked her secrets when under the effects of *zone of truth*, Lady Wachter shares any or all of the following pieces of information: * She has intentionally gathered a conspiracy of Vallakians dedicated to the worship of Ezra, the goddess of the Mists. These conspirators are all fervently loyal to her and aim to overthrow Baron Vargas Vallakovich should Izek be killed. * The cellar of Wachterhaus, the cult’s headquarters, is protected by nearly a dozen **skeletons**, which Fiona stole from the town cemetery and animated with dark magic. * For one full year after her husband’s death, Fiona kept the corpse of her late husband, Nikolai, magically preserved in the bed of her master bedroom. (He eventually received a proper burial when she moved past her grief.) * The crow upon Fiona’s shoulder is an **imp** named Majesto, who Fiona summoned and bound using the profane teachings of her mentor, the swamp witch Baba Lysaga. If questioned regarding her allegiance to Strahd, Lady Wachter truthfully tells them the following: * The Wachter family owes a debt of allegiance to Strahd, who rescued their ancestors from a slaughter many centuries ago. * Lady Wachter herself considers Strahd to be a dangerous individual, but one whose temper can and must be managed and controlled through strategic shows of fealty. * Lady Wachter will obey Strahd’s direct orders for as long as necessary to ensure the peace, prosperity, and safety of the people of Vallaki. * Lady Wachter bears no ill will toward the players, even if they consider themselves to be enemies of Strahd, and will lift no hand against them unless compelled to do so. * She has heard rumors from Strahd’s servants among the Vistani (relayed to her through her spy, Ernst) that he intends no harm toward the players, at least for now, and has in fact ordered that they be kept alive for his own purposes. (Lady Wachter isn’t sure why, and admits as much.) If questioned regarding her proposed bargain, Lady Wachter truthfully tells them that she will provide them with the item they seek, if it is within her physical power to do so, as soon as Izek Strazni is dead. (She is glad to assist them in doing so. See [[Arc F - Lady Wachter's Wish]] for more information.) If the players describe Madam Eva’s reading to her—specifically by mentioning an item “kept under lock and key” or “with the bones of an ancient enemy,” Lady Wachter instantly realizes that they are referring to the magical book locked in the trunk in the closet of N4o. Master Bedroom (p. 113) and promises to deliver it to them once they fulfill their end of the bargain. If the players refuse her bargain, Lady Wachter takes no action to resist them, but will not disclose the Tome’s location under any circumstances, even under threat of physical harm. She remains cold and unhelpful toward the players for the remainder of the adventure (though she takes no actual hostile action against them), until and unless they restore the soul of her daughter, Stella. (See [[Arc H - The Lost Soul]] for more information.) ***Milestone.*** Obtaining the *Tome* completes a story milestone. If the players obtain the *Tome* from Lady Wachter, award each player 750 XP. # D3. Unlocking the Tome The *Tome of Strahd* is kept closed by a locked steel clasp enchanted with an *arcane lock* spell cast at 5th level. The pass phrase to suppress it is "I come in Dostron's memory." (Only Strahd and his eldest bride, Sasha Ivliskova, know this pass phrase. See [[Arc L - Dinner with Strahd]] for more information about Sasha Ivliskova.) The clasp ordinarily takes a successful DC 15 Strength check to break, but requires a successful DC 25 Strength check instead while under the effects of the spell. Similarly, the lock itself ordinarily requires a DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check to open, but requires a successful DC 25 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check instead while under the effects of the spell. An attempt to pick the lock takes 1 minute to complete. ## Reading the Tome Once successfully opened, the contents of the *Tome* now read as follows: <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/i4euxw/plaything_of_darkness_a_philosophy_students_take/">6</a> <div class="description">I am the Ancient. I am the Land. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past. I was the warrior, I was good and just. I thundered across the land like the wrath of a just god, but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand. All goodness slipped from my life. I found my youth and strength gone, and all I had left was death. My army settled in the valley of Barovia and took power over the people in the name of a just god, but with none of a god's grace or justice. I called for my family, long unseated from their ancient thrones, and brought them here to settle in the castle Ravenloft. They came with a younger brother of mine, Sergei. He was handsome and youthful. I hated him for both. From the families of the valley, one spirit shone above all others: a rare beauty, who was called 'perfection,' 'joy,' and 'treasure.' Her name was Tatyana, and I longed for her to be mine. But 'Old One' was my name to her—'elder' and 'brother' also. Her heart went to Sergei. They were betrothed. The date was set. With words she called me "brother," but when I looked into her eyes they reflected another name: "death." It was the death of the aged that she saw in me. She loved her youth and enjoyed it, but I had squandered mine. And so I came to hate death—my death. But I would not be called "death" so soon. I made a pact with Death. On the day of the wedding, I killed Sergei, my brother, and sealed my pact with his blood. I found Tatyana weeping in the garden east of the chapel. She fled from me, and I pursued. Finally, in despair, she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft, and I watched everything I ever wanted fall from my grasp forever. It was a thousand feet through the mists. No trace of her was ever found, and not even I know her final fate. Arrows from the castle guards pierced me to my soul, but I did not die. Nor did I live. I became undead, forever. I have studied much since then. 'Vampyr' is my new name. I still lust for life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even the sun is against me, but little else can harm me now. Even a stake through my heart does not kill me, though it holds me from movement. But the sword, that cursed sword that Sergei brought! I must dispose of that awful tool! I fear and hate it as much as the sun. I have learned much, too, about this land of Barovia. Ancient are its ways, ancient beyond the knowledge of the simple folk of the valley. Ancient gods dwelt in this valley long before my coming, and three hidden fanes still give tribute to their memories. I visited the Swamp Fane, the Forest Fane, and the Mountain Fane, and claimed their power for my own. Their servants now serve me, and thus I have become the Land. Since my passage into eternity, I have often hunted for Tatyana. I have even felt her within my grasp, but each time, she flees from me again. But she cannot run forever—and I have nothing but time. I write this now to crystallize my rage in the face of time's bitter winds. As the chill of the grave grips my heart, I feel all that I was leave me—the death of the man, and the birth of the immortal. Yet this memory shall persevere, a scion of that righteous fury. I shall bury the past, and so begin anew. I now reside far below Ravenloft. I live among the dead and sleep beneath the very stones of this hollow castle of despair. I have abandoned the riches of my conquests beneath the toll of the belfry, sealed behind a reminder of the treasure I once lost. Yet one day, I shall rise again from the ashes of my glory and reclaim what is rightfully mine.</div> The pages following the legible text are filled with diagrams, equations, and thousands of strange symbols. The symbols are not written language, but a cipher devised by Strahd to conceal his secret plans. (Only the **lich** Exethanter knows the key to decode Strahd's cipher. See [[Arc T - The Amber Temple]] for more information about Exethanter.) Several diagrams appear to depict a large, crystalline human heart, while others depict circles of standing stones. Players who read through these sections find numerous annotations referencing (in Common) an individual named Exethanter. Multiple instances of Exethanter’s name are accompanied by the symbol of the Amber Temple: a thick-bordered equilateral triangle containing an inverted equilateral triangle, which in turn contain a vertical wavy line. (The triangle represents the god of secrets, the inverted triangle the amber sarcophagi, and the wavy line the vestiges sealed within.) > [!abstract]+ **The Symbol** > > The symbol of the Amber Temple can be identified by the dusk elf Kasimir Velikov (who has seen it in his dreams), by the revenant Sir Godfrey Gwilym (who once guarded the Temple), or by Victor Vallakovich (who has seen the symbol in his spellbook). Of these three, only Kasimir and Godfrey know what the Amber Temple is and where it can be found, and only Kasimir—once the players complete **_Arc P - The Beacon of Argynvostholt_**—is willing to tell them how to get there. # Design Notes: The Tome of Strahd This arc has been intentionally written to draw the players into one of Vallaki's two largest arcs: ***Arc I: The Lost Soul*** (if the *Tome* is located within Victor Vallakovich's workroom) or ***Arc G: Lady Wachter's Wish*** (if the *Tome* is located within Lady Wachter's master bedroom closet). ***What Happened to the Tome?*** This brief history of the *Tome* aims to explain how it was retrieved from Strahd's castle, tying it together with the history of the *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind* and providing two possible alternative paths that it took once retrieved. ***Burgomaster's Mansion.*** The *Tome* has been placed to encourage the players to interact with Victor and to naturally entice them to begin ***Arc I: The Lost Soul.*** ***Wachterhaus.*** The *Tome* has been placed to encourage the players to interact with Lady Wachter and to naturally entice them to begin ***Arc G: Lady Wachter's Wish***. Should the players decide to steal the *Tome* from Lady Wachter (e.g., because they mistrust her as a servant of Strahd), this section has been written to provide Lady Wachter with a believable and in-character approach to winning the players' trust, while introducing her relationship to the cult and Baba Lysaga (both of which will prove essential later on in ***Arc I: The Lost Soul***). ***Unlocking the Tome.*** The *Tome of Strahd* has been made somewhat more difficult to open in order to ensure that the players have an appreciate for the importance of its contents, and to explain why Victor Vallakovich and Lady Wachter are ignorant of its content. (The *Tome* should generally be simple to open, though some parties may be unable to do so until learning or preparing *dispel magic* upon reaching 5th level. Parties unable to do so might be able to obtain the aid of Sasha Ivliskova in doing so in ***Arc L: Dinner With the Devil***). The Tome's contents have been revised to foreshadow the existence of the Fanes of the Ladies Three and to guide the players to Ravenloft's hidden treasury, which they will have an opportunity to raid in ***Arc T: Ravenloft Heist***. The Tome has also been revised for tone in order to remove traces of romantic sentiment and to make Strahd's cold, predatory, and sociopathic character more apparent. The *Tome* also contains a coded section discussing Strahd's plot to escape the Mists, as well as the means by which Strahd corrupted the Fanes of Barovia. This section has been included to ensure that the *Tome* remains useful to the players through the latter portions of the campaign, ensuring that it retains equal weight to the *Sunsword* and *Holy Symbol of Ravenkind.* This guide intentionally foregoes any other additions to the *Tome*, including any modifications that implement its history as "visions" that the players can experience or any modifications that turn the *Tome* into a combat-ready item. In the former case, this guide aims to keep Strahd as a pseudo-mythic figure whose exploits are less seen than heard, and works to lay the seeds of his past as quickly as possible to drive the plot forward and build player intrigue, rather than sowing them slowly over the course of many sessions. In the latter case, Madam Eva's reading regarding the *Tome of Strahd* specifically states that "Knowledge of the ancient will help you better *understand* your enemy," not that knowledge will assist them in *defeating* him. The *Tome* is unique in that its value is derived from *knowledge*, not martial power. This guide seeks to preserve that uniqueness. (In addition, in a campaign built upon defeating Strahd through defying his philosophy—selfishness—it would be a strange thing indeed for the players to defeat Strahd through a tool of his own making.)