TALES OF THE TAROKKA - The Ghost: Mordent

Enter the Mists and uncover the chilling secrets of Mordent, where the line between the living and the dead is a whisper-thin veil. In this episode of Tales of the Tarokka, a story of ghostly lore and ancestral curses takes shape.

The travelers find themselves in a landscape scarred by ancient tragedies and haunted by restless spirits. The Sigil Lakes hold more than their depths suggest, overseen by druids whose aid comes with a steep and perilous price. Their path winds through decaying manors and twisted woodlands, each step revealing the unsettling presence of the past.

In Mordent, crumbling estates and mist-laden moors conceal vengeful spirits and long-buried secrets. The Druids of the Lakes, with their grotesque and otherworldly nature, impose trials that push the living to their limits.

Will the mysteries of Mordent be unveiled, or will those who seek them become ensnared in its eternal embrace? The dead have stories left to tell...

Unlike most D&D adventures, in which characters of increasing power often face challenges and enemies head on, these stories are best experienced as gauntlets of survival and terror. Consider using the “Survivor” character options presented in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. These ready-to-play archetypes have intentionally limited progression, maxing out at 3rd level with their low power quotient fitting Ravenloft’s themes of gothic survival horror. (Rather than every Apprentice and Disciple having the same spells, you could allow players to choose other spells of the same level—subject to DM’s approval, of course.) Perhaps have each player roll on the “Horror Trinkets” table in Van Richten’s Guide, or on the standard Trinkets table from the Player’s Handbook to add flavor and novelty. Another approach could be to allow players to build standard 1st-level characters but then use Survivor rules for leveling up to 3, allowing them to select from the Survivor traits (but otherwise remain as technically 1st-level characters with respect to hit points, class features and such).

That said, groups interested in more heroic adventure should feel welcome to utilize standard 5th Edition characters in these modules. In such cases, Dungeon Masters will likely need to adjust challenges and threats accordingly, and each entry will offer guidance on that front.

Note that AI images and language models were used in the creation of this product.

These installments are intended to be released individually over time until the series is completed. Please visit our website for future planned offerings: www.talesofthetarokka.com