I ended up with something like 5 more 'average' items, 2 really good ones, and 1 that I thought was fantastic. I did specifically pick items that I thought would be interesting thematically or useful, but not 'too' powerful'. 'Which items from the DMG did you use or how did you pick them?' - I think I used something of a mixed approach. My players are very much completionists and would love tracking down more items.' - Cool, like I said, it's not an approach for everyone but it definitely suited our group. 'This I like and it would help alleviate my worries about a possible lack of exploration in the random reading.

Whatever you do, it's an amazing adventure, I'm sure you're players will love it. Obviously a lot of results still don't come up so this approach is still very much 'random', it just gives you a lot more 'hits' or 'opportunities' than the adventure itself gives you (5). The more circumstantial/situational items from CoS are so insanely powerful that it was pretty easy to balance introducing other magical items into the mix but, at least for my group, it was an awful lot more interesting and enjoyable. As a result the party had an overwhelming number of clues/leads straight out of the gate which gave them so much to think about, consider, and pursue.

Madam Eva identified that these were 'lesser' finds but that could still prove useful (using the descriptions taken from the item bit of CoS), though were not a defining part of the party's 'destiny'. From this she drew another 8 cards, I then used these to correspond with magical items that weren't part of Curse of Strahd (taken from the DMG). Instead, I had Madam Eva do the main reading for the super-powerful, adventure specific items and then do a second reading with the remaining cards. I also knew I didn't want to cheat the PCs and force certain results. As I only had about 40 hours of table time, I knew I wanted there to be lots of chances to figure out the clues/riddles from the reading and find interesting items. I ran this adventure recently for a four-day event, I'll tell you what I did that I found really helped, although a lot of people might disagree with my approach. I'd be gutted if I found out my DM faked the reading after the fact. I also don't think you should necessarily do it as the random element of this adventure is a huge part of it. I think I'd agree with 5Shilling - removing stuff that's within Ravenloft will probably make the PCs exploration of Barovia itself more interesting, rewarding, and engaging. Also she's no use in combat other than granting inspiration, so if she winds up there give her other things to do, like finding secrets that the PCs miss). but then Strahd, or another monster, kidnaps her (again) and she winds up waiting to be rescued in the castle anyway - just as the fates have foretold it etc. (having said that she can still make for a great gothic story - suppose the PCs wisely decide to leave her safely behind.

If there is a tricky ally it is the child, as her father will almost certainly forbid her from going to the castle, and there's not much the PCs can do about that - even if they are the sort to voluntarily take a child into a vampire's castle. I'd say Stop Worrying and Learn to Love the Random.Р”В«ut if you do want to stack the deck a little, remove the cards that correspond to locations in Castle Ravenloft for the treasures, along with Eva's camp card if that bothers you (although Ezmerelda can also give the reading if the party meets her first).Р”Р„ll the allies already have stories and I think they could all make very interesting additions to the story.

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