Dungeons & Dragons: Return to Ravenloft Playthrough Part 1

It's a laid-back Saturday afternoon and the weather is as temperamental as a mimic with an existential crisis, with varying shades of dismal gray to the occasional dampening drizzle followed by a mystifying mix of sunshine gold and gusty icy winds. In other words, the perfect afternoon for some serious solo dungeon crawling.

I'm eager to play through the 2nd adventure in my Return to Ravenloft campaign, having solod Adventure 1, "Old Hallow's Eve", last month and thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, I find that replaying customs allows me to polish, refine and tune my custom D&D stuff for an even better experience. I already have some major light-bulb moments for custom Drizzt adventures so watch this space 🐉

I dust off the big old box, set up the dungeon pre-built map, cards and tokens and select my heroes. I figure that since I've built these custom adventures to be a little more on the challenging side, I'll opt for 3 heroes instead of 2.

Much to my chagrin, my chosen party is non-too-happy about me rudely interrupting their Saturday afternoon leisure time.

"Overtime? Overtime?!!" exhumes Thorgrim, my Dwarf Cleric. "The only overtime I wanna see laddie is on the footie. I've got Arsenal up against those woodland waifs of Nottingham. I've got the boys up and over at me place with chips and drinks and ye' wan us ta work?"

"Such behavior is not commendable, da?" comes the rugged voice of Arjan the Dragonborn fighter, "What devilry would have us go traipsing through dungeons on a Saturday afternoon. And besides, Immeril is already in his pajamas."

"I am indeed. And I baked a cake!" chitters the Eladrin Wizard Immeril. "Straight outta me grans cookbook. Honey and elderberries and even a scattering of walnuts!"

"Aye, he baked a bleedin' cake. Thas gotta count fer summin. Why don't you get Kat or Alyssa?"

Well, sorry fellas but they're out...err...shopping.

"What about Drizzt and our comrades from the Underdark Mountains?" suggests Arjan.

They're working over at Baldur's Gate along with the Ashardalon crew. It's a high priority project so all hands on deck. The Tomb of Annihilation team are attending Lilith's memorial service and you all know the Mad Mage squad are still in therapy after that last Underdark stint. So, well...that just leaves you three.

Thorgrim grunts: "What about all the bleedin' customs you built?"

I sigh.

You already know the rules Thorgy. I have to stick with the core sets for these playthroughs. Which means, you three, very highly skilled, super trained, expertly talented veterans.

"Fat load a good that'll do, buttering us all up like that. But aye, we're the bonnie pioneers, the true and mighty!" belches Thorgrim as he takes a swig.

"Ooh, butter icing...I should try that with a raspberry crema and shavings of darkwood chocolate next!"

Okay. So...I'll double up on the overtime pay, throw in a few extra pints, some pizzas and I'll settle your Yawning Portal bar tab. How does that sound? You guys in or out?

I wait as they huddle and converse, Thorgrim's doing the beard stroking thing and Arjan's doing the frown. Immeril...well, he's just nodding and smirking like a nutty goldfish. 

"Okay lad, we'll take the job. But ye' gotta throw in the treasure card stack from Drizzt and Ashardalon."

"I agree, " says Arjan, "The treasures of Ravenloft are, let us say, lackluster when compared to the other sets."

Okay, you have a deal.

"Wait! What about my cake what I spent me whole morning slaving over?"

Fine. Bring the blooming cake with too.

"So, what's the job then lad? Werewolves? Vampires? Golems?"

Err...Keeper of the Crypts. Adventure 2 in my custom Return to Ravenloft campaign.

Audible groans all around.

"Not the fooken Hag again. That old spook gets me blood boiling!"

"Noo eee noo! Crypts...crypts...why is it always having to be crypts?"

"Last time we was down there, me sinuses flared up for weeks!"

Okay, so we doing this or not?