So, I've been running Expedition to Castle Ravenloft for a few sessions, and everything was going okay -- zombies were everywhere, but eventually the gang found the source of the plague and chopped it into little pieces.
Then, Sunday night, we're at Justin's for another session. Grant had decided to join us and had rolled up a gnome Abjurer. The night turned into a major roleplay session.
Justin's halfling rogue (now rogue/ranger -- favored enemy: undead, natch) got wasted on wood alcohol after nearly dying at the hands of the big malformed undead thing under the village church the previous session.
Ben's cleric had to perform last rites on about half the village after all the zombies fell over dead rather than undead.
Jamie's fighter, somehow the leader of the group, discovered that Ireena Kolyana, daughter of the dead burgomaster, has been having nightmares about Count Strahd and wakes up with strange marks on her neck.
Grant's wizard gets pulled into the adventured when Ben's gnome bard cohort (now a ghost ala the Ghostwalk Campaign Setting) pops back into existence in the middle of his breakfast at the Weary Horse Inn.
So, the party gets everything squared away in the village and decides they're going to destroy Strahd and save Ireena from becoming his undead bride. But first they need information, because everyone is telling them that heading straight for the castle is suicide. So, they set out for Madame Eva, the wise woman who leads the Vistani gypsies.
On the way, they have their only combat encounter of the session, stumbling on a bunch of murks (incorporeal undead that drain Wisdom) battling a paladin at the crossroads. A well-placed lightning bolt from Grant and a holy smackdown (i.e. a 7th-level turn undead against 3-HD murks) from Ben later and the threat is defeated. Urik says thanks and "look me up in the village later."
They finally get to Madame Eva's and have their fortunes read, finding out where they can get the Sunsword and the Holy Symbol, where Strahd's gonna be, and where the Tome is. Now they're all set to collect some relics and bust up a vampire's day.
They have no idea what they're getting into.
