Welcome to Vallaki

Welcome to Vallaki
🎵 The Sound of Music - Vallakian Streets
The State of the Union
Law and Order
Vallakian Justice
🧟 Know the Monsters - Vallakian Town Guard
The Devil’s Shadow
Random Encounters in Vallaki

🎵 The Sound of Music - Vallakian Streets

While your PCs are exploring the roads of Vallaki, try playing this soundtrack or this ambient
mix in the background.

If Castle Ravenloft is Curse of Strahd’s finale, Vallaki is its sprawling second act. Though the
town itself is far from a metropolis, its central location in Barovia makes it a nexus of plot hooks,
NPCs, and key information that can drive a campaign from third through seventh level. Your
players will likely make use of Vallaki as a “home base” through fifth or sixth level, and may
have to face many consequences within its walls before their final confrontation with Strahd.

While the village of Barovia is entirely under Strahd’s thumb, and the village of Krezk is far
enough to remain largely independent from his influence, the town of Vallaki is both free of the
vampire’s day-to-day control and oppressed by his presence and machinations. This dichotomy
is the fuel the drives the political conflict at the heart of Vallaki’s society.

Here, your players will find new allies, including the wereravens of Blue Water Inn and the
mysterious carnival master Rictavio. Their only enemies will be of their own making - for the
PCs that pass through Vallaki’s gates create their adversaries through the choices they make.
Will Baron Vargas Vallakovich convince the PCs to defend his Strahd-free oasis? Will Lady
Fiona Wachter persuade the party to overthrow the Baron’s tyrannical regime - even at the cost
of empowering the Devil’s servants within its walls? Will the PCs defend Ireena Kolyana from
the monstrous Izek Strazni, or will they somehow recruit him as an ally?

Vallaki is the core of the sandbox comprising the Curse of Strahd adventure. From the moment
your PCs pass through its gates, nothing is predictable.

Back to Vallaki Hub

The State of the Union
Like Krezk and Barovia, Vallaki is ruled by a burgomaster: Baron Vargas Vallakovich. A cruel
yet cowardly man, Baron Vallakovich believes that Vallaki can be kept safe from Strahd’s
predations if its citizens retain an eternal state of happiness and mirth. To foster this goal,
Vallakovich holds weekly festivals, for which attendance and smiles are mandatory. As your
PCs arrive in town, the previous festival - the Wolf Head Jamboree - has recently finished, and
the Baron’s servants are preparing for the next event: the Festival of the Blazing Sun.1

Few residents of Vallaki are happy with their lives. Baron Vallakovich rules sternly, though not
wisely, and his weekly festivals have long since lost their charm. The citizens of Vallaki dare not
speak against the Baron’s “happy” world for fear that his guards will commit them to his
Reformation Center.

Unlike Barovia, the streets of Vallaki teem with people and obvious signs of life. In contrast to
the dreary emptiness of Barovia village and the lively wilderness of the Tser Pool Encampment,
Vallaki should feel like a familiar, near-normal location for the PCs.

On first glance, the tyranny of the Baron’s rule is not immediately visible. The people here,
though oppressed, do their best to live their lives as well as possible. Vallakovich actively
encourages his citizens to smile, so a passive, jovial countenance is not uncommon amongst
Vallakians, however clearly fake it may be.2

Fear of the burgomaster’s justice is matched only by the residents’ fear of Strahd. Long ago, this
fear drove a powerful paranoia that fueled the Vallakovichs’ rise to power. The Vallakovich
family is an old noble house, and has always believed that strict laws are required to keep
Vallaki safe from the Devil of Castle Ravenloft. The severity and nature of these rules have
varied from Baron to Baron, but they are built into the very foundation of Vallakian society.

Law and Order

Under Baron Vargas Vallakovich, Vallaki has the following laws:
● None shall speak Strahd’s name aloud or carry written documents bearing his name.
Vallakovich believes that to speak his name is to summon his attention or presence.
When they must, Vallakians refer to Strahd simply as “the Devil.”
● None may speak ill of the Baron or his festivals, nor hold any documents that present
either in an ill light. The Baron believes that happiness is the key to the town’s safety,
and severely punishes any resident that threatens to harm “morale.”
● All visitors and residents shall assist with the festivals. This includes both preparations
and clean-up. These duties rotate through the general public on a random basis, in a
manner similar to jury duty.

1 /u/MandyMod, Fleshing Out Curse of Strahd: Vallaki I - Setting Up the Big Picture and Getting Through
the Town Gates
2 /u/MandyMod, Fleshing Out Curse Of Strahd: Vallaki II

Back to Vallaki Hub

 ● All visitors and residents shall attend the festival. Guards routinely go door-to-door in the
time before and during a festival, and patrol the streets to ensure that no attendee has
been left out.

Any Vallakian charged with breaking these laws is charged with “malicious unhappiness,” and
sentenced to pain and public humiliation in the stocks. This sentence can take days or weeks,
depending on the severity of the crime.

Theft and assault, as well as repeat “unhappiness” charges, are grounds for imprisonment in the
Reformation Center. Murder of a civilian is punished with lifetime incarceration in the Center, as
are any crimes against the Baron’s family or guards. As mentioned above, murder of a guard is
grounds for public execution.

If direct punishment for a crime is insufficient, the Baron and his men will demand and collect
payment from the criminal. This may be as simple as an exorbitant fine, or it may be as severe
as complete seizure of the criminal’s home, business, and other assets.

A criminal may be taken to Vallaki’s Reformation Center to be completely purged of their sin and
“malicious” nature. Lawbreakers are taken to this building and tortured until they are
brainwashed enough to be set free.

A personal reformation may also be conducted by the Baron himself. Once a fortnight, the
Baron randomly selects a dissenter from the stocks or Reformation Center and imprisons them
in his mansion for more severe, hands-on torture.

Public execution by hanging is rare in Vallaki, and is saved only for conspirators and lifetime
offenders. This punishment is only meted out once or twice a year, and as such is a novelty for
Vallakian citizens.3

Vallakian Justice
The justice system of Vallaki is far from kind. The Baron serves as judge and jury, and his
henchmen Izek Strazni and the Reformers act as his executioners. All criminals are assumed
guilty until proven innocent, and a single accusation of “malicious unhappiness” - or worse,
Strahd-worship - can destroy a Vallakian’s life and sanity forever.

From theft to arson to murder, Vallaki’s laws are strict and unforgiving. Killing does not happen
often within its walls, but is dealt with swiftly and severely. If the PCs cause any unrest within
the town’s walls, a group of guards will soon come to investigate the situation, and potentially
arrest those responsible. Should such an encounter come to blows, it is quite possible for a PC
to kill a Vallakian guard.

3 /u/MandyMod, Fleshing Out Curse of Strahd: Vallaki NPCs I - Establishing Politics, The Baron and Lady
Wachter

Back to Vallaki Hub

Killing a member of the guard is grounds for execution in Vallaki. Should the killer be observed,
the town guard will soon place wanted posters around the small town, and Izek Strazni will
personally attempt to hunt that PC down. Any of the murderer’s companions will be forgiven if
they turn the criminal in - or exiled should they serve as accomplices.4

Barring the presence of Izek Strazni, any competent party should have a good chance of
defeating a platoon of town guards. However, if a fight breaks out, any guards will fight
intelligently. They will make use of cover, attempt to negotiate with their opponents, divide and
corner individual PCs, recover their wounded, and retreat when outmatched.

While Baron Vallakovich is quite mad, his rank-and-file guards are not. Don’t be afraid to give
each Vallakian guard a name, disposition, and brief background - especially when a PC kills a
guard in a minor scuffle. Players should not view Vallaki’s town guard as a small army of mooks;
rather, they should view the guards as fellow unfortunates working to better the lives of their
families.

Depending on the severity of the crime, arrested PCs will either be put in the stocks; taken to
the Reformation Center; or sentenced to execution. All executions are held publicly by hanging
in the stocks of the town square.

Should any criminal PCs flee Vallaki without serving their time, the Baron lets them go, but bars
the gates to them forevermore. He is happy to be rid of troublemakers, preferring peace even at
the cost of justice.

To enforce the Baron’s law, the Vallakian militia employs a total of 45 guards and 8 elite
guards.5 Each platoon of guards comprises 6 guards led by a single elite guard. Each of
Vallaki’s seven platoons is assigned to one of seven sectors throughout Vallaki: the Town
Square; the central Vallakian avenue; the northern Zarovich Gate and walls; the western Sunset
Gate and walls; the eastern Morning Gate and walls; the Vallakovich Reformation Center
exterior; and the Vallakovich Reformation Center interior. The final 3 guards are assigned to a
rotating trio of 8-hour shifts at the Baron’s Manor. The final elite guard is assigned to an
additional 6 junior guards who reside and train within the Reformation Center, but who are not
assigned outside of their training grounds except during an emergency.

The guards operate on a rotating schedule of three 8-hour shifts: a morning shift, an afternoon
shift, and a night shift. At any given time, two guards from each platoon are either patrolling their
territory; observing from a specified location; or resting, either at home or in the barracks of the
Reformation Center. Each elite guard is assigned to patrol their territory with the morning shift
and stand guard during the afternoon shift, then resting at night.

4 /u/MandyMod, Fleshing Out Curse of Strahd: Vallaki I - Setting Up the Big Picture and Getting Through
the Town Gates
5 /u/MandyMod, Fleshing Out Curse of Strahd: Vallaki III - Running the Mansion and Wachterhaus

Back to Vallaki Hub

If any guards are killed in the course of the PCs’ time in Vallaki, Baron Vallakovich promotes
the junior guards to replace them, with a maximum of 6 replacements. If any further guards are
killed, the Baron switches any depleted platoons to a pair of twelve-hour shifts, raising tensions
and lowering morale.

🧟 Know the Monsters - Vallakian Town Guard

The guards (and Izek, if present) make every effort to arrest the PCs, only moving to attack
the PCs if one of their own has been slain. Under no circumstances do the low-level guards
outright attack a party of high-level PCs, instead preferring to incapacitate their enemies one
at a time through ambush, overwhelming force, and the use of manacles to render their
opponents incapable of fighting back.

The guards first attempt to grapple the PCs. Once a PC has been grappled, any guard will try
to shove them prone. Once a PC is prone and grappled, any of the guards can attempt to
manacle the PC’s hands behind their back, making a Strength (Athletics) check contested by
the PC’s choice of Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) to do so. A prone PC’s
contested check is made with disadvantage.

The manacles can be unlocked with a DC 15 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) check, escaped with a
DC 20 Dexterity check, or snapped with a DC 20 Strength check. The manacles have AC 19
and 5 Hit Points. Any creature bound by these manacles gains the restrained condition, but
can still move at half speed. A second pair of manacles can also be applied to the ankles,
capping any creature’s movement speed at 5 feet per round (barring the use of the Dash
action).

The Devil’s Shadow

Strahd has not openly visited Vallaki in the last century. Though he has entered the town in
disguise as Lord Vasili von Holtz, he has had no reason to take a direct hand in the town’s
affairs. For the past one hundred years, he has waited patiently for Tatyana to be reincarnated,
and so allowed the Vallakians to live their lives free of his personal influence.

Because of Strahd’s absence, the people of Vallaki have come to believe that their methods -
guards, curfews, laws, and festivals - are effective in keeping the vampire at bay. None suspect
that Strahd’s absence is caused by simple apathy. As a result, the Vallakovich family has
effectively consolidated its power within the town’s walls, turning the elected position of
burgomaster to the hereditary title of Baron.6

However, Strahd von Zarovich is not the only power in Barovia. With Tatyana’s rebirth as
Ireena, Strahd’s attention has been drawn away from Castle Ravenloft, angering the spawn he
has taken as consorts. Two of Strahd’s favorite consorts - Anastrasya Karelova and Ludmilla

6 /u/MandyMod, Fleshing Out Curse of Strahd: Vallaki I - Setting Up the Big Picture and Getting Through
the Town Gates

Back to Vallaki Hub

Vilisevic - have taken up shop in Vallaki, intending to bring ruin upon the town in order to win
Strahd’s affections once again.

Random Encounters in Vallaki

d6 Encounter

1 While walking through the streets, the PCs pass a puppet show run by a brightly-
dressed man - Rictavio. His small stage is surrounded by a half-dozen drab Barovians
watching from the muddy cobblestones.7

2 While walking through the streets, the PCs pass a Dominionist follower of Lady
Wachter preaching of “the coming of the Sun” to a paltry audience of three Barovians.
One Loyalist jeers at the preacher, and a passing guard quells any dispute.

3 The PCs are watched by a raven with blue-tipped wings. This raven is secretly Muriel
Vinshaw of the Keepers of the Feather in raven form.

4 The PCs notice two children pointing at Ireena and whispering. If approached, the
children mention that Ireena looks exactly like Blinsky’s dolls.8

5 An wild-eyed old man grabs the PCs and yells about dark magic and purple flashes of
light from the attic of the Burgomaster’s Manor in the night. Two guards rapidly
approach and drag him away.9

6 Two orphans stand on a street corner, singing a hymn to the Morninglord in off-key
voices. The poorly-spelled sign on their bucket invites donations to St. Andral’s
Orphanage. On closer inspection, one of the children has a dark bruise on their arm.

7 /u/DragnaCarta, Lessons from Running Curse of Strahd: Vallaki

8 Ziopliukas, /r/CurseOfStrahd Discord Server
9 Matt88, /r/CurseOfStrahd Discord Server

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