This article includes minor spoilers for Curse of Strahd, but they are spoilers nonetheless. If you are awesome at roleplaying games and don’t want to know things that deep down you know you shouldn’t, stop reading here.
[[SPOILERS BELOW]]
D&D Adventurers League Amendments – Curse of Strahd
Download the Curse of Strahd Amendment PDF (v1.1)
Page 22: Letter of Recommendation from the Eravien Haund
Despite Haund’s presumptions, the werewolves move to and from Barovia by Strahd’s will alone, and not via a portal. If the adventurers are successful in determining this (this will require some creativity, or an odd series of circumstances to occur), they are rewarded as stated in the adventure. The letter of recommendation promised grants the bearer use of the Position of Privilege feature from the Noble background. If the bearer also has the Noble background, they have advantage on any Charisma related skill checks they make when using the letter for this purpose. The letter of recommendation is only useful in any regard, when on the Sword Coast.
Page 22: Special Favor from Davra Jassur
In exchange for returning the head of Kiril Stoyanovich (see Pack Attack, Page 171), Davra is exceedingly pleased. Any characters that are members of the Zhentarim earn the following story award:
“Special Favor: The Black Network
Davra Jassur commands much respect within the Black Network, and dropping her name could yield favorable results—even from those who are unaffiliated with the Zhentarim. This story award may be redeemed for one of the following: a common spell scroll (1st level spell), two vials of poison, five flasks of holy water, or the service of silvering one melee weapon (the weapon to be silvered must be purchased separately). This story award is removed when used.
Page 37, Tser Pool Encampment Treasure
There are six tents and four wagons for a total of 10 possible (although statistically-unlikely) results that include a magic item. If the result is a 20, the characters find one of the items below. Roll 1d20 and consult the list below; ignoring results from previous rolls.
d20 Magic Item Found
1-5 A potion of greater healing
6 A potion of fire breath. This clear, red fluid has a smoldering chunk of coal floating within. The heat of this almost-boiling potion can be felt even through the thick glass bottle it is contained in.
7 Ten +1 crossbow bolts. The bolts have bone shafts with thrice-bladed, cold-iron heads.
8 A wooden, screw-top canister containing four doses of Keoghtom’s ointment (this item counts as a permanent magic item until its last dose is used). Anyone upon whom the ointment is applied smells like freshly dug earth for 1 hour. No amount of cleaning (including the use of prestidigitation) or perfume will mask or remove this smell.
9 A potion of hill giant strength. The potion can only be consumed by first destroying the stopper-less, ceramic pot it is contained in. The potion tastes foul and has the consistency of curdled milk; with hints of blood, sweat, and grime.
10 A suit of mithral half-plate decorated with an elegant woodland motif. The green, woolen cape affixed to the armor’s shoulders never catches on burrs or branches while traveling through the forest.
11 A potion of lightning resistance. The potion in this glass vial is crystal clear, and a number of small iron beads have settled at the bottom.
12 A bag of holding. This tattered and patched bag lets forth a terrible scream whenever it is opened, audible to anyone within 100 feet.
13 A silver snuffbox containing what appears to be fine tobacco (actually dust of sneezing and choking; this item counts as a permanent magic item until its only dose is used)
14 An ugly hat made of tattered, brown wool (a helm of comprehend languages)
15 A potion of necrotic resistance. This milky potion has a small, human tooth floating within it that must be swallowed as part of drinking the potion.
16 A silver vial carved to resemble a fish. It contains oil of slipperiness. When used, the oil reeks of rotting fish and kelp, a smell that cannot be cleaned or masked while the oil is in effect.
17 A spell scroll of hold person
18 A fist-sized emerald inscribed with the symbol of the Cult of the Crushing Wave (an elemental gem).
19 A small steel flask containing a potion of growth. The flask has the initials “AB” engraved on it.
20 A spell scroll of haste
Page 63: King’s Accountant
Using the manual of bodily health requires the owner to expend 6 downtime days, after which the owner gains the manual’s benefit. Once this happens, the manual crumbles to ash and is lost forever. Only the owner of the manual may benefit from its use.
NOTE: The manual of bodily health may not be traded, even if the owner possesses campaign documentation that allows the trade of uncerted items. Ownership must be established normally by the end of the game session in which it is found, and only by an adventurer that was played in that session. The manual counts permanently against the owner’s magic item total, even after it has been used.
Page 88: Crypt 13
The musket provided here is unique, and may not be replicated or repaired—though it is easy enough to craft ammunition for it. A character proficient with smith’s tools can spend 3 gp to craft 10 bullets and 35 gp to craft enough gunpowder for 10 shots. Ammunition and gunpowder can’t be purchased otherwise. The resulting gunpowder is not suitable for any purpose other to fire the weapon (i.e. NO explosives may be crafted, etc). Characters can’t become proficient in this weapon.
NOTE: As a mundane item, the musket and bullets may not be traded. Ownership must be established normally by the end of the game session in which it is found, and only by an adventurer that was played in that session.
Page 91: Crypt 29
The original blade of the luck blade found in this crypt rusted away eons ago. The hilt, however, retained its power. Upon being claimed by a new owner, a new blade manifests from the hilt—taking the form of whatever type of sword its owner wishes. Once the weapon’s form has been chosen, it cannot be changed. It is otherwise as described in the adventure.
NOTE: As an uncerted item, the luck blade may not be traded, even if the owner possesses campaign documentation that allows the trade of uncerted items. Ownership must be established normally by the end of the game session in which it is found, and only by an adventurer that was played in that session.
WISH GUIDANCE: Wish is a potent spell that can result in a wide variety of interpretations. DMs have discretion on the adjudication of wish spells, but players should be forewarned that other DMs may rule differently; some may disallow some effects of their wish. For example, if a character wishes to be a Masked Lord of Waterdeep, one DM may accommodate that and consider it in the character’s adventures, but another DM may not.
Characters in the Adventurers League have two additional options to choose from when making their wish:
- Magic Items: A character may wish for a single item appropriate for their tier (Tier 1: uncommon, Tier 2: rare or uncommon, Tier 3: very rare, rare, or uncommon) of their choice from the Dungeon Master’s Guide or Dungeon Master’s Basic Rules. The magic item is awarded to the character making the wish and can’t be traded even if the character possesses campaign documentation that allows the trade of uncerted items.
- Ability Score Increase: A character wishing for an increase to their ability scores may add +2 to one ability score, or +1 to two different ability scores. A feat may be chosen as a substitute for the ability score increase, as normal.
Page 187: Architect’s Room
Using the tome of understanding requires the owner to expend 6 downtime days, after which the owner gains the tome’s benefit. Once this happens, the tome is consumed in brilliant, divine flames (dealing no damage). When the flames die, the tome is gone, never to return. Only the owner of the tome may benefit from its use.
NOTE: As an uncerted item, the tome of understanding may not be traded, even if the owner possesses campaign documentation that allows the trade of uncerted items. Ownership must be established normally by the end of the game session in which it is found, and only by an adventurer that was played in that session. The tome counts permanently against the owner’s magic item total, even after it has been used
Page 191: Amber Sarcophagi
The Amber Sarcophagi sidebar is amended as follows:
Add the following after the third paragraph:
“Dungeon and Dragons Adventurers League DM’s should ensure that players fully understand the risk inherent in dealing with such powerful—and wholly evil—entities. DMs will provide the following as a warning to your players prior to their decision to accept a dark gift:
“Accepting a gift from an entity of pure, ancient evil does not come without tremendous risk. While you stand to gain terrible power, it is possible that your character may forever surrender their soul to a being of ultimate darkness. Should this happen, your character shall become an NPC under the control of the Dark Powers—and therefore unplayable in future Adventurers League adventures—until they no longer possess the dark gift, which could be a very long time. Once your decision is made, there is no turning back. Do you accept the gift?”
Add the following after the fifth paragraph:
“Dark gifts that have a finite duration (i.e., one year, 30 days, etc.) last for the specified amount of time in the real-world. That is to say that if a character receives a dark gift that lasts for one year, that character loses the dark gift and all its effects one calendar year from the date that the gift was annotated on the characters Adventure Logsheet. A character may accept and be affected by only one dark gift. If a character with a dark gift attempts to accept another from a different vestige, their requests go unanswered.
Add the following to the last paragraph of the “Amber Sarcophagi” sidebar.
“A character that fails the saving throw above is possessed by a fragment of the vestige and changes the moral aspect of their alignment (good, neutral, or evil) to evil. If they are now lawful evil, they can choose to continue playing that character. If they are a member of any faction other than the Zhentarim, they are immediately expelled from that faction and lose all renown. If they are now either neutral evil or chaotic evil their character is removed from D&D Adventurers League play unless they are the unwitting recipient of a wish—removing their dark gift, and changing their alignment back to what it was prior to receiving the dark gift. There is no saving throw against the wish spell, but the adventurer would never actively seek to change themselves back.
Adventurers that fail their saving throw gain the following story award:
“Consumed by Absolute Darkness
You have accepted the gift of evil and paid the price. You have been possessed by the vestige of a dead and wholly-evil god. For so long as this vestige possesses your mortal body, you may not participate in any D&D Adventurers League adventure. Instead, the vestige—free from its imprisonment—uses your body to wreak havoc upon the land. This lasts for one year and one day of time in the real world, at which time, the character is restored to their original alignment and for some reason unknown to them (possibly divine intervention) the dark gift has been removed. After the dark gift has been removed, the character has disadvantage on all Charisma-related checks when interacting with NPCs anywhere in the Realms. After 10 adventures, assuming no wrongdoing, their reputation is restored and this penalty is removed. The dark gift may be removed earlier, but only by a wish spell cast by another character.