Castle Ravenloft (Boardgame)

Where the big figurine isn't the boss.

After completing the Legend of Drizzt, my group have finally reached the game that started this D&D board game system with modular, interlocking dungeon tiles to begin with: Castle Ravenloft. The components are good, but given this is the first in the series the dungeon tiles have less mechanism to them than the future games. Not that I mind, since it is a vampire's castle after all.

Well, that *almost* happened.

What this game does well is in the theme. Strahd personally showing up regularly to mess with the players via non combat cameo encounter cards throughout the campaign is awesome because by the time you get to actually fighting him you really, really hate the guy.

By then he's probably randomly bitten one of you, tossed a fireball or two from the shadows, teleported you into a room of monsters, or forced one of you to attack another. Comparatively, the future games main bosses are quite "absent".

Because of that investment in making Strahd present the whole time, and because it's an awesome game - I give it five wooden stakes out of five!

Score after re-review: Four wooden stakes out of five.

Dragon's Dogma: Many Heads, All Hungry

Adventures of Skyrim - spoilers ahead! You can follow the rest of the story here!

This is not how I planned my day to start!

It's a good thing I literally sleep in full armor because I awake to the encampment being attacked by a hydra! My team quickly joins the soldiers including Ser Berne and Captain Mercedes in the defense. It takes a bit of doing, but cutting off one head is enough to send the rest squirming back to wherever it came from. Captain Mercedes wants to seize this opportunity to bring the head to Gran Soren as tribute to the Duke, so we set off with the remainder of her troops through a harpy and bandit infested mountain path.

With my squad taking point, we suffer no casualties at all. Upon reaching the capital Ser Mercedes and her company ditch us at the gate so they can claim the fame of the tribute themselves I suppose. Not that I mind. The good Ser Berne decides to stick with us though, which is great - another sword is always welcome. Before checking ou the sights, Lily suggests we visit the Pawn Guild who handle mercs like herself. The manager of that place, Barnaby, asks us to check out the not so convenient dungeon right underneath called the Everfall since "something odd" is going on there.

The huge spiraling pit is filled has a handful of undead, but upon reaching the bottom we clearly wake up some Eldritch entity as spell-casting tentacles with hungry mouths start appearing all over the place. They are killable with a bit of effort but they are endless. Ultimately we have to flee and just seal the door behind us. Anise doesn't make it.

*Nom nom nom!*