Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Jammin' in Barovia preview- Strahd's Flying Yacht: The Bloodmoon

I think it is about time I reveal my super secret Spelljammer project: Jammin' in Barovia! Similar to my previous project based on Descent into Avernus, this will be a full supplement on the DM's Guild featuring various ships and other Spelljammer goodies that you can add to your Curse of Strahd campaign.

My original intention was to have the supplement completed before the release of Curse of Strahd Revamped (which comes out today!), but due to my day job and life being-what-it-is in 2020, I was not able to complete it in time. I didn't want to entirely miss out on the fun of Revamped's release though, so here is a little taste of Strahd's flying yacht: The Bloodmoon.

 

The dark powers pull many strange things into the realm of Barovia and there is almost nowhere that is beyond their reach. Long ago, the mists were used to call an entire ship and crew to Lake Zarovich. However, the crew of purple-skinned men with bulbous heads refused to take their unexpected relocation lying down.  

Despite the enormous cannon that took up over half the ship's length, their peculiar vessel lifted up from the lake like a bird and headed for the sky. But Barovia is not so easy to escape, even if you possess a Spelljamming helm. The mists confused and reversed their course at every turn.

Though most Barovians were terrified of their strange appearance, the crew eventually learned that they could only leave with the permission of the Dark Lord of the land, Strahd Von Zarovich. They immediately flew their ship to Castle Ravenloft and demanded passage through the mists. Should they not be permitted to leave, they vowed to rain terrible destruction upon the castle and its occupants.

However, Strahd was not to be threatened. He invited the captain and his officers to join him for dinner. They refused, but for all their bluster and grandstanding they failed to notice the distant look in their cannoneer's eyes. When the order to fire the ship's massive cannon went ignored, the vampire and his minions swarmed the would-be attackers before they could regroup. The brief but furious battle ended as all struggles against the Dark Lord must, with his victory.

Strahd learned many interesting things from the few survivors, before adding them to the ranks of his undead minions and claiming their fascinating ship as his own. Now, stained a deep crimson, The Bloodmoon haunts the skies of Barovia. Strahd has had the interior of the ship renovated to his liking as well, converting it into a flying ballroom with guest rooms below and a balcony to watch the dancers from above. Though usually employed by the Dark Lord for masquerades and other dubious celebrations, on occasion he will swing open the large doors in the side of the ballroom for an execution or two.








As for the enormous cannon that once featured prominently on the Bloodmoon's main deck, nobody seems to knows what Strahd has done with it...




I hope you have enjoyed this little preview. I will try to finish writing and polishing it so I can get it on the DM's Guild as soon as I can! I am aiming for a Halloween publication date, but with the hours at my current job, mid November seems a little bit more likely. Keep your eye on this blog for updates!

And if this little taste of Spelljammer goodness has piqued your curiosity, you can learn more about it in my Spelljammer 101 post, or check out my first Jammin' supplement: Jammin' in Avernus!

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