My gender-bending Barovia campaign!

[Dion of the Fraternity]

I have a Jersey Shore-esque group who wants me to DM their introductory Ravenloft campaign, and I've decided to combine "Fair Barovia" (from Dragon #207) and "Expedition to Castle Ravenloft." We're using 3.5e rules.

For the campaign, I've decided to throw canon out the window and have one of the male players be a reincarnation of Tatyana Federovna.

Which means that Strahd has to become a woman. Background story is that (after 755 KC) Strahd found out that his love has been reborn as a man, so he has to take the appropriate measures. He acquires a girdle of opposite gender (dunno yet how he got it) and proclaims to the world that Count Strahd XI is a woman -- Astrid von Zarovich.

In last Sunday's session, the character (Paladin 5) has been experiencing strange dreams of a wedding and of falling over a window to "her" death. They get transported to Vallaki, and the events of "Fair Barovia" begin.

So that's how it goes so far.

[A G Thing]

So thats what Strahd would do in that situation?

I honestly can say I would never have seen him taking that route...

The things we do for love!



P.S. Sounds interesting and yet also quite odd. Still way to change it up!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I like the premise (and Strahd's "drag name") a lot, and am interested to hear how it plays out, though I can't help but feel that a guy like Strahd would be more likely to force (or trick) the paladin into putting on the girdle.

[Zilfer]

I like the premise (and Strahd's "drag name") a lot, and am interested to hear how it plays out, though I can't help but feel that a guy like Strahd would be more likely to force (or trick) the paladin into putting on the girdle.

I was just thinking that. Forcing the reborn person to transform to female.... i mean he's selfish right? XD

[Hazgarn]

Maybe he thinks naming a female "heir" might keep some of the pressure off certain theories about his nature. Though I submit it's entirely possible that Strahd just got bored. It's not like it's permanent.

[A G Thing]

Good point on the whole heir thing... But isn't the belt permanent? Every version I have read about is!

Apparently Strahd is trying a different approach this time... What with the whole not using the belt to make the paladin female...

I mean if his chosen love is going to change genders then the least he can do is be supportive. A relationship often comes with compromises.

Guess if you are an immortal vampire you have to change things up a bit on your end as well to keep things fresh? Also you have a lot of time to think about these things so...

[Zilfer]

xD Don't get me wrong, I think a Female version of Strahd would be quite interesting. Cold, calculating woman. Though I wonder if he'd be any good at seducing? Perhaps it helps in his dealings with mortals? Gives him that extra-edge on those Burgomasters. Might make them more willing to listen to him....

[Ryan Naylor]

The male Strahd is very seductive when he wants to be; I see no reason why the female one would be any less so.

[Isabella]

Good point on the whole heir thing... But isn't the belt permanent? Every version I have read about is!

It is until you cast Remove Curse or something, but those 20 levels of necromancer have to be good for something.

It's probably the best route to go, selfish or not - it is way easier to just show up as a sexy woman than to force your beloved to change genders (but not necessarily sexual orientation, oops) and then ask them out for dinner. I'm with Hazgarn here, after multiple centuries you gotta shake things up once in a while.

Course, when you say "it's not permanent" that only applies if Strahd expects to fail - Strahd may find himself really embarrassed if actually succeeds while doing this.

[Epically]

I hope you have told the player that his character will inevitably die....

[Zilfer]

lol! XD

[HuManBing]

OVERLY ATTACHED DARKLORD

HEARD YOU DON'T LIKE GUYS ANYMORE

"S'OKAY BRAH, I GOT THIS"

SEX CHANGE

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Course, when you say "it's not permanent" that only applies if Strahd expects to fail - Strahd may find himself really embarrassed if actually succeeds while doing this.

Nah, if she succeeds, she'll have a loving husband who she can turn into a vampire slave who will willingly swap genders back to "normal" if she eventually gets bored of being a woman.

[Hazgarn]

Of course, if any part of his plots for the reincarnated character involve reinstating Tatyana's original memories or personality (I believe it was in I, Strahd, which is my main source), it wouldn't be unreasonable for Strahd to expect her to actually want her "problem" to be "fixed".

[Cam]

Another great thing for Strahd to do to a male reincarnation of his beloved would be to seek out the Apparatus to separate the male and female/old and new parts. I know that Strahd's history with the Apparatus is... complicated... however, so that idea might not appeal to all DMs.

It is always fun to come up with new and different obstacles for Strahd to face in pursuing Tatyana. One of my favoirites, that I've used in a couple previous campaigns, is to make a PC a Tatyana reincarnation (or curse a PC to look just like Tatyana), and then have that PC contract some sort of lycanthropy. In an AD&D 2nd Edition game, I had this happen to an outlander Priest of Selune, originally from the Forgotten Realms. One of her higher-level abilities was to gain the shape-change abilities of a natural werebear. Strahd found her, lured her to Castle Ravenloft, and just as he'd confronted her and thought he'd finally beaten his curse, boom, she turned into a bear in his arms. Strahd didn't like this, got angry, and killed her, but it was a win for the players because they got to help keep Strahd bound to his curse.

Fun ida, Dion! Good luck.