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| “ | I am Strahd... Lord of Barovia and Master of Ravenloft. You carry an item that is not yours to possess... Though you shall wish otherwise, you now have my full and complete attention. | „ |
| ~ Strahd appearing before a party arriving in Barovia. |
| “ | I am the Ancient, I am the Land. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past. I am not dead. Nor am I alive. I am undead, forever. | „ |
| ~ Tome of Strahd |
Count Strahd von Zarovich is a major antagonist in the fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons, most notably as the main antagonist of the popular campaign setting and game module, Ravenloft.
He is an incredibly powerful vampiric necromancer and the unchallenged Darklord of the domain of Barovia, one of the Domains of Dread in the Plane of Shadow. After becoming a vampire with the help of the Dark Powers, Strahd murdered his younger brother Sergei in order to claim his bride, the Barovian woman Tatyana Federovna, who rejected Strahd and committed suicide. This act drove Strahd to become the first Darklord of Barovia, forever cursed to pursue and lose the various reincarnations of Tatyana. He has an on & off conflict with Azalin Rex and he's a recurring foe of the monster hunter Rudolph Van Richten.
Biography[]
Strahd was born at an uncertain date to King Barov and Queen Ravenovia Von Zarovich. In his youth, he conquered the valley of Barovia, driving its natives up in the mountainous regions, and populating the valley with his people. At a mountain, he built the castle Ravenloft, named after his mother, and invited his mother and brother, Sergei, to live with him there. Unfortunately, Ravenovia died during the journey, and only Sergei and his fiancee, Tatyana, arrived safely.
Strahd fell in love with Tatyana instantly, admiring her beauty and kind attitude. No matter how many advances he made, however, she had no interest in him, preferring the younger and kinder Sergei. This caused Strahd to develop a seething jealousy of his brother, which eventually developed into a vitriolic hatred.
At the night of Tatyana and Sergei's wedding, Strahd made a pact with an entity he himself referred to as Death, to be given eternal youth and power. As Tatyana and Sergei said their vows, Strahd arrived, killing his brother. The object of his desire, however, escaped him, as Tatyana threw herself of the cliffs. Strahd himself was killed by treacherous guards, but the blood of his brother had sealed the pact, and Strahd von Zarovich rose again as one of the undead.
He did not have time to enjoy his newfound youth and power, however, as the Dark Powers that ruled the lands in the mists saw him, and took him as one of their Darklords, people who had committed unforgivable crimes, and, as a result, were given a land within the mists to be their personal hell. The land of Barovia was to become Strahd's hell.
Before his fall from grace, Strahd had been a mage of mediocre skill. After his transformation, he dedicated himself to the study of death, becoming a powerful necromancer. (He had little else to do with his time, being trapped in Barovia.) He explored his vampiric nature and powers. In 470, a band of Vistani, led by Madame Eva, entered Barovia. She and her kind had a natural resistance to the powers of the land, and Strahd was in awe. Eventually, Eva and Strahd struck a deal. Strahd would keep them from harm (his own) if they would agree to search for a portal that would release him from the Demiplane. Strahd even gave Madame Eva the secret to counteracting the effects of his deadly fog.
In 542, Azalin the lich entered Ravenloft. Reluctantly, he agreed to serve the vampire lord. Strahd required two things of the lich: that he teach the vampire great magic and that he use his powers to find an escape from Ravenloft. Eventually Azalin became lord of Darkon. The lich's hatred for Strahd is unending, and he very nearly managed to destroy the vampire in 740.
Aside from that near catastrophe, the years have passed and Barovia still stands. In the wake of the Grand Conjunction, Strahd found himself lord over the Gundarakites (subjects of a previous rival, Duke Gundar), and he has been encouraging the Barovians to subjugate them.
Personality[]
Strahd is a ruthless, cold, calculating genius. Everything he does is for some ultimate goal. Strahd also never takes anything at face value. He always has a contingency plan (or two) for any situation. As an undead creature, time means nothing to him. He is more patient than any mortal. He always plays his cards close to his chest. His plans should usually include anything the players may think up, and he never gives away hints or clues.
He has only two weaknesses. First, he has been powerful for so long that he underestimates the abilities of normal humans. He is definitely egotistical, though he does not often let foolish pride endanger him. It does not bother him in the least to retreat before an opponent. The second weakness is his eternal love for Tatyana. Her body was never found after she plunged from the tower battlements of Castle Ravenloft, and through the years there have been repeated sightings of women who so closely resemble Tatyana that they could only be her reincarnations. Finding one of these women, obtaining her, and finally winning her love is Strahd's obsession. Strahd would do almost anything to regain Tatyana. He will not act blindly or foolishly for her, but he is willing to take calculated risks. She alone can bring emotion to his soul.
Strahd maintains relations with the Vistani and a few of the other domain lords in the Land of the Mists, but he treats them like pieces on a chessboard, to be manipulated toward his goals. The Vistani are his primary source of information from other lands, but they also conduct trade and make purchases for him. He cares nothing for his descendants, servants, or minions.
Powers and Abilities[]
Note that all powers and abilities are taken from the Dungeons & Dragons fifth edition game module, Curse of Strahd.
- Shapeshifting: Strahd can change his form at will between that of a vampire, a wolf, a bat, or a cloud of smoke. This ability does not work when he's in direct sunshine or running water.
- Superhuman Strength: Strahd's strength is far beyond that of an ordinary human, owing to his undead status.
- Misty escape: Upon dying outside his tomb, Strahd turns into mist and returns to his coffin.
- Master Necromancer: Strahd is a 9th level wizard of the necromancy school. He also created his own variants of Skeletons and Zombies.
When Strahd wants to close the borders of Barovia, he is able to cause the choking mist around his castle and the village of Barovia to spread out over the entire domain. The vapor infuses itself around a character's vital organs and acts as a latent poison. Once a victim has breathed this fog, he can never leave Barovia without Strahd's express permission (and antidote). If a character attempts to leave, he begins to choke. For each hour he spends outside the ring of fog, he loses a point of Constitution. When the victim reaches 3 points, he falls unconscious. Each point lost below that requires a saving throw vs. death magic, failure indicating death. No known spells or magical items can prevent or otherwise affect the poison. If the saving throw at 0 Constitution is successful, the character has fought off the poison. He recovers one point of Constitution per day and regains consciousness upon reaching 3 points again.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Strahd (2).jpg (307 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Strahd is the Dungeons & Dragons version of Count Dracula.
- A partially edited image of Strahd appears in the American and Japanese covers of Castelvania II: Simon's Quest.
- Strahd is widely considered to be one of the best Dungeons & Dragons villains of all time, frequently ranking amongst the top numbers in D&D villain rankings lists.