TALES OF THE TAROKKA - The Horseman: The Rider's Bridge

In the mist-shrouded lands of Ravenloft, a cursed bridge looms over a bottomless chasm, guarded by the vengeful spirit of the Headless Rider. This relentless phantom haunts the desolate domain, claiming the heads of those who dare to cross, and leaving a trail of terror in his wake.

"The Horseman: The Rider’s Bridge" invites you to step into a world of creeping dread, where every shadow conceals a dark secret. Venture through a forsaken village and its eerie surroundings, where the past echoes with the Rider’s fury. Beneath the boughs of a twisted tree, the disembodied heads of his victims whisper warnings, their lifeless eyes a testament to the Rider’s wrath.

But the Rider is not the only threat. Malevolent forces in this cursed land seek to twist your fate to their own dark ends. As the fog thickens and the Rider draws near, his axe gleaming in the mist, you must decide—will you confront the horrors that await, or will you fall prey to the Rider, your head joining the ghastly collection that hangs from the ancient tree?

Can you escape the relentless pursuit of the Headless Rider and survive the terrors of Ravenloft, or will you be lost to the Mists, your fate sealed in darkness?

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