Not Curse of Strahd Episode 8: Hut-busting Hilarity, a Ghostly Favor, and a Sunsword Shines!
Greetings, fellow adventurers! GMWintermute back with a rundown of our chaotic and thoroughly entertaining eighth session of “Not Curse of Strahd”! This episode was a wild ride, featuring a surprisingly swift (for us) confrontation, a somber meeting with a spectral figure, and the acquisition of a legendary weapon. Buckle up, because this one was a doozy!
We jumped right into the aftermath of our decision to confront Baba Lysaga in her bizarre hut. The party, perhaps emboldened by a collective desire to “rip the Band-Aid off”, decided to initiate combat. What followed was… well, let's just say Baba Lysaga didn't quite live up to her legendary status against our intrepid (and possibly slightly unhinged) party.
- The Swift Demise of Baba Lysaga: Combat began with the party focusing their attacks on the hag. Despite some initial resistance and a few spells, including one that blasted Grandma back, Baba Lysaga was surprisingly vulnerable. Radon delivered the final blow, and the hag was seemingly defeated.
- Undead Encore and Animated Abode: Just when the party thought the fight was over, things took a turn for the surreal. Baba Lysaga surged back to life due to the dark powers. However, the real shocker was when her hut and a nearby tree stump came to life, animated and ready for a fight!.
- Hut-busting Havoc: The animated hut proved to be surprisingly resilient, stomping Verdon and generally being a formidable foe. The party, however, was relentless. Grandma even declared her intention to hijack Baba Lysaga's giant floating skull! Despite the hut's tenacity and the reappearance of a swarm of ravens, the party continued their assault, with spells and melee attacks flying.
- A Ghostly Plea: After finally dealing with the animated hut (and feeling a little bad about ganking an old woman and her house), the party, with Irina in tow, returned to the ruined mansion to speak with the ghost of Laszlo Ulrich, the former Burgomaster of Berez. He appeared and, upon seeing Irina, recognized her as the reincarnation of his daughter, Tatiana.
- Resting a Soul and a Radiant Reward: After a private conversation between Irina and the ghost, Laszlo's spirit was finally able to rest. True to his word, he revealed the location of the Sunsword: a monument to his folly, 200 paces west of the mansion. Upon reaching the monument, Attia drew forth the Sunsword, a blade of pure radiance!. This sentient weapon grants a +2 bonus to attack and damage, deals radiant damage, and emits bright light that counts as sunlight against undead. The sword's primary desire is to kill Strahd.
- Loot Galore! Searching Baba Lysaga's destroyed hut, the party discovered a chest filled with valuable treasures, including an Oil of Sharpness, Pipes of Haunting, a Scroll of Mass Cure Wounds, a Scroll of Revivify, two Sling Bullets +1, a Luck Stone, five valuable gemstones, and 1300 gold pieces. The Luck Stone grants a +1 bonus to ability checks and saving throws and requires attunement. The party distributed the loot, with Attia claiming the Sunsword and a debate ensuing over the Luck Stone. Radon also discovered he now has two fluffy rabbits in his bag, much to his confusion.
What an eventful session! We went from feeling like ruthless hag-slayers to bewildered house-breakers, and finally to proud wielders of a legendary weapon. The acquisition of the Sunsword is a major turning point for the party, and its desire to destroy Strahd will undoubtedly drive future encounters. Join us next time as we delve deeper into the mysteries of Barovia, armed with a blade of pure sunlight!