Curse of Strahd: Murder in the Monastery

Curse of Strahd: Murder in the Monastery is a 5th Edition (5e) Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) adjustable adventure module for any tier of play and any group size (duet/party). The Core Rulebooks (Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide) are required to run this adventure. While not required, the Curse of Strahd (CoS) Sourcebook and Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft (VRGtR) are strongly recommended sources for this adventure.

Content Warning: This product contains elements of body, dark fantasy, folk, gothic, occult, psychological, and slasher horror. It includes scenarios or potential scenarios of cannibalism, exorcism, imprisonment, force-feeding, and human sacrifice.

Maps of the Monastery and Sanitorium are available for the DM and Player(s) in downloadable JPG and Universal VTT format.

Depending on your time constraints, play style, and environment, this adventure may require: 3-5 hours (4 hours average).

Background: The Monastery of the Black Rose has stood isolated as a cliffside sanctuary on Mount Baratok for centuries. It was constructed by King Barov in BY 292 as a library for sacred texts, but under Count Strahd von Zarovich’s reign it also became a sanitorium for the madness that affected many in Barovia. As a monastery dedicated to the Morninglord, it came under the Abbot’s oversight in BY 607.

It is now BY 735. Recently, the Abbot has received strange reports of exorcisms being performed leading to the deaths of those sent to the sanitorium. Concerned, the Abbot is sending Marek Stoleki, the inquisitor for the Order of Saint Markovia, to investigate these deaths.

The monks of the monastery have become corrupted over time. Losing their faith in the Morninglord, they have sought the favor of the Dark Powers by offering human sacrifices and turning to cannibalism. They have become cultists of Osybus, and the sanitorium beneath the monastery secrets their temple dedicated to the Dark Powers.

The cultists believe that Marek is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy called The Curse of Strahd. They are convinced that he will be transformed into a Demon Lord who will destroy Strahd and lead them to immortality, power, and rulership over Barovia. They have lured Marek to the monastery to fulfill the conditions required for his transformation. Exorcisms, murders, and bizarre events keep the investigators from realizing the murder plot they need to solve is their own before it becomes an apocalyptic reality.

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Excalibur Penn

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