How do I go about this situation?

[Epically]

As stated in my previous thread, I'm going to be running house of Strahd, then finishing off the last two modules of the grand conjunction series.

What I want to do however, is somehow place the characters in a stasis for ten years - depending on if they "kill" Strahd or not. Obviously, if they don't stake him, it won't be a problem because they'll just leave the domain. But if they decide, "screw this mofo", then I need to put them in a stasis so they can complete the last module. Bit hard to do if there's no Strahd for a while lol.

I have one idea, but it's bit of a railroad straight into it. As they leave the domain, they run into the headless horseman who kills them. Azalin then retrieves the pieces, but it takes him 10 years to animate the heads and bodies seperately. Dunno why it took so long, maybe he didn't want to use a wish spell and was going for a different approach?

Anybody have any other ideas on how I can go about this?

[ewancummins]

As stated in my previous thread, I'm going to be running house of Strahd, then finishing off the last two modules of the grand conjunction series.

What I want to do however, is somehow place the characters in a stasis for ten years - depending on if they "kill" Strahd or not. Obviously, if they don't stake him, it won't be a problem because they'll just leave the domain. But if they decide, "screw this mofo", then I need to put them in a stasis so they can complete the last module. Bit hard to do if there's no Strahd for a while lol.

I have one idea, but it's bit of a railroad straight into it. As they leave the domain, they run into the headless horseman who kills them. Azalin then retrieves the pieces, but it takes him 10 years to animate the heads and bodies seperately. Dunno why it took so long, maybe he didn't want to use a wish spell and was going for a different approach?

Anybody have any other ideas on how I can go about this?

Yeah, that's a railroad.

If you are going to be arbitrary, you might as well be simple about it. If Strahd kills them all, game over. If they defeat or escape Strahd, they will presumably travel out of Barovia, no? Fine, just assume that the mists deposit them ten years ahead and someplace else. The Mists can do that. Time, space, it's all pretty much the same to dimension spanning Mists.

What I'm not clear about is why you want to have a ten year gap, with the PCs in 'stasis.' What makes the time lapse important? Why 'stasis'? It doesn't make sense to me, but I'm sure you must have a reason. If you can provide more context, I can probably give better advice and feedback.

As ever, YMMV

[Epically]

Stasis isn't that important. Like I said, I want to roll into the last two modules of grand conjunction. I read that when Strahd "dies", he comes back after a decade or two. But Roots of Evil will be hard to do if Strahd is dead.

[starfalconkd]

If they "kill" Strahd just have the mists rise and grab them. It deposits them when and where you want them to be, no muss, no fuss. Plus the shock of being deposited in the future with Strahd being undead and well should be fun.

[Jester of the FoS]

I agree with starfalconkd, keep it simple and don't unnecessarily mess with the characters. They're the player's babies, and no one likes to see mean things happen "just because". Have the Mists pick up and deposit them where they need to be.

[Sorti]

I agree with starfalconkd, keep it simple and don't unnecessarily mess with the characters. They're the player's babies, and no one likes to see mean things happen "just because". Have the Mists pick up and deposit them where they need to be.

Actually, if memory serves From the Shadows actually starts with the Headless Horseman showing up for no reason and beheading all the PCs, so there will be railroading anyway. The PCs then wake up as heads in Azalin's lab, he send them backwards in time, and so on.
So I'd go with the OP's original idea.

[ewancummins]

I agree with starfalconkd, keep it simple and don't unnecessarily mess with the characters. They're the player's babies, and no one likes to see mean things happen "just because". Have the Mists pick up and deposit them where they need to be.

Actually, if memory serves From the Shadows actually starts with the Headless Horseman showing up for no reason and beheading all the PCs, so there will be railroading anyway. The PCs then wake up as heads in Azalin's lab, he send them backwards in time, and so on.
So I'd go with the OP's original idea.

I intensely disliked that heavy-handed introduction. It's far less effective than getting an intriguing 'please help us!' letter from some backwater place called 'Barovia.'

SomeTSR mods include railroaded intros. That's okay for convention or tournament play, but it tends to annoy me in campaign mode.

YMMV. What works for me may not work for you.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I disliked the Headless Horseman bit so much, I ended up making a whole intro adventure to replace it. (details in my campaign journal at themistway.com)

[Zilfer]

Wow... just shows up and beheads huh? Messed up XD

[Epically]

Yep. Very messed up. However, it is a great story and the players are showing quite a keen interest so I'll keep running it. It's only a railroad for maybe an hour or two of railroading before they're set free and do whatever the hell they want. With of course, the DM plotting the whole time lol.

[ewancummins]

You could easily run the game without the Headless Horseman intro, of course.
Why make your players sit through an hour or two of railroading?
That doesn't sound like much fun to me.

Of course, your players may be just fine with it. I don't know them.

Is there a less arbitrary way to begin the scenario? Bait the hook. A request for help from someone they owe a favor? An invitation to visit an old friend at his new home? A map that shows the way to buried treasure? A strange happening that just begs to be investigated? Damsel in distress? Know the players and their PCs alike, and coming up with ways to entice them to accept an adventure isn't hard.

YMMV
This is all meant as friendly advice, one DM to another. Take whatever works for you and ignore the rest.

-CM

[A G Thing]

My basic idea for the scenario was that when I plan to run it I would have a small portion of down time where the PC's would have some sort of disturbing events following them. Attacks in the night and signs that a horseman is following them. Then I would send them to finish a minor errand and on the road the horseman attacks.

But as for moving the story ahead since Azalin is working through a prophecy you could just assume that as part of his reason for waiting. He had to wait in order to get to this step due to some reason he interpreted from it.