Shall We Dance? - A Mini-game for the Strahd Dinner

Following dinner, Strahd invites the party to the ballroom for an evening’s entertainment.

He rhapsodizes on the beauty of the dance, talking about the ancient traditions of his homeland, the gala balls of old Vallaki, and the joyous Prastronata of the Vistani… he inquires whether the party is familiar with the Barovian Waltz, insisting that they do him the honor of dancing with his consorts.

Ludmilla sits down at the harpsichord, her preternaturally nimble fingers coaxing from it an ancient, but melodic harmony in 3/4 time. As the consorts form a line opposite the inlaid mahogany dance floor, awaiting their partners with sharp fangs visible behind taunting smiles, suddenly Ireena slips from Strahd’s arm and steps over the floor to join them, surprising even the Lord of Barovia himself. The music stops, a minor fifth chord hanging in the air unresolved until Strahd smiles, nods and the music plays on...

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Strahd von Zarovich’s dinner invitation is one of the highlights of any Ravenloft game. It’s full of high drama, fear, and tension with ample opportunity for roleplay, character development, lore exploration, and story-telling invention. What it typically lacks though, is the unpredictable element of chance, the fortunate or unlucky roll of the die. While there have been attempts to inject game mechanics into the dinner itself, these usually come at the expense of interaction and feel artificial and out of place.

Shall We Dance offers up an alternative. This mini-game takes place after the dinner as an entertainment devised by Strahd to test your player's skill and ingenuity. It uses the mechanic of skill contests to determine outcomes but allows for clever players to give themselves additional advantage. It also has a story application with a recommended player goal and reward for participation.

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