The Wiccan Year Wheel, also known as the Wheel of the Year, is a concept in Wiccan and Neopagan spirituality that represents the cyclical nature of the seasons and the cycle of life and death. It is a way of observing and celebrating the changing cycles of the Earth and the Sun throughout the year. The Wiccan Year Wheel is divided into eight Sabbats or holidays, which are spaced approximately six to seven weeks apart. These Sabbats are based on the solar and agricultural cycles of the Northern Hemisphere and are celebrated by Wiccans and other Neopagan traditions. The year begins with the Sabbat of Samhain, which is celebrated on October 31st or November 1st. Samhain is a time when the veil between the worlds is said to be thinnest, and it is a time to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away.
Duke Conall will do whatever is necessary to protect his kingdom from the damage and chaos left in the curse's wake. Even if it means rescuing the bride he never wanted.
At the end of the day, the core of Curse of Strahd is about the relationship that the players develop with Strahd and the land of Barovia, not the relationship that they already have with the land of Barovia or its history, or with other outsiders who might have wandered through the mists. Hadn t watched dawn break the over the cursed, impenetrable forest of thorns that had grown high enough to eclipse the Winter Palace and wide enough to stretch for miles in all directions.
Samhain is a time when the veil between the worlds is said to be thinnest, and it is a time to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away. It is also seen as the beginning of the spiritual and introspective part of the year. Next comes Yule, which is celebrated around the winter solstice, usually on December 21st.
I'm revising Curse of Strahd: Reloaded—and I need your help.
Five years ago, I started writing Curse of Strahd: Reloaded—a campaign guide to Curse of Strahd aiming to make the original adventure easier and more satisfying to run. However, as I progressed, I kept coming up with new ideas about how to deepen and link the campaign—ideas that were often not reflected in, or, even worse, actively contradicted the earliest chapters.
On top of that, I've spent the past two years mentoring new DMs through my Patreon, which has really developed my understanding of the fundamentals of DMing and adventure design. That's been a blessing, but it's also been a curse, opening my eyes to a lot of design-based mistakes that I made on the first draft of Reloaded, as well as bigger problems that the entire campaign has a whole.
This past December, I started work on a wholesale overhaul and revision of Curse of Strahd: Reloaded, which I'm affectionately calling "Re-Reloaded" as a draft codename. My goals in doing so are to:
- enhance and supplement existing content to create a more cohesive and engaging experience,
- further develop the adventure's core strengths and themes, focusing the guide on what makes Curse of Strahd great instead of adding lots of additional content,
- organize the entire module into narrative-based arcs, minimizing prep time, and
- gather all Reloaded content into one, user-friendly PDF supplement.
This process, inevitably, lead me to reconsider one of the biggest aspects of Curse of Strahd: the campaign hook.
The original Reloaded uses an original campaign hook called "Secrets of the Tarokka." In this hook, the players are summoned to Barovia by Madam Eva to seek their destinies. Along the way, they develop an antagonistic relationship with Strahd, which eventually leads them to decide to kill him.
This campaign hook had a lot of strengths—it gave the adventure a more classic "dark fantasy" vibe, allowing the players to get more personal victories along the long and arduous road to killing Strahd. More importantly, though, it scratched a lot of DMs' desires to directly tie their players' backstories into the campaign. However, I've come to realize that it has major drawbacks:
- The individual Tarokka readings provided by Secrets of the Tarokka tend to distract the players from the true story of the module, which is killing Strahd in order to save and/or escape Barovia. It's a lot harder to make the players want to leave Barovia (i.e., kill Strahd) if they have unfinished business to do in Barovia (e.g., "find my mentor" or "connect with my ancestors") that Strahd doesn't really care about.
- The narrative structure of Secrets of the Tarokka makes it really difficult for the players to care about killing Strahd at the time they get the Tarokka reading. In practice, the players' decision to seek out the artifacts usually comes down to, "Well, Madam Eva told us to, so I guess the DM wants us to kill Strahd eventually." In order for Curse of Strahd to shine and the Tarokka reading to really feel meaningful, I truly believe that, at the moment the players learn how to kill Strahd, they should already hate and fear him and want to see him dead.
- At the end of the day, the core of Curse of Strahd is about the relationship that the players develop with Strahd and the land of Barovia, not the relationship that they already have with the land of Barovia or its history, or with other outsiders who might have wandered through the mists.
Re-Reloaded removes this hook entirely. Instead, it creates a new hook in which the players are lured into Death House outside of Barovia, which then acts as a portal through the mists—upon escaping, the players find themselves in Strahd's domain. Soon after, they learn from Madam Eva that Strahd has turned his attentions to them, placing them into grave danger, and are invited to Tser Pool to have their fortunes read. This gives the players a clear reason to want to kill Strahd (escape Barovia) and a clear reason to seek out the Tarokka reading (learn how to kill Strahd).
With that said. while discussing this change with beta-readers, though, I've learned that it tends to upset more than a few people. Lots of DMs really like Secrets of the Tarokka because it gives their players an instant emotional entry point into the module, giving them personal investment and making them feel like their backstories matter.
I totally get that! To that end, in trying to adapt the new hook to these DMs' expectations, I've outlined two new aspects of the hook.
- First, each player has an internal character flaw or goal (such as "redeem myself" or "escape the shadow of my family"), which primes them to organically connect with NPCs facing similar situations in the module and so develop their own internal arcs.
- Second, each player has something important they're trying to get to at the time that they're spirited away (such as "visit my ailing father before he dies"). The idea, then, is that the players are all already invested in the idea of "escaping Barovia" at the time that they get trapped.
But I'm not entirely satisfied with that, and I suspect that other people might not be, either.
So I want to ask you:
- How important is it that player backstories play a role in the campaign's hook?
- How important is it that player backstories play a role in the overall adventure?
- If you answered "fairly" or "very" important to either of those two questions, why is it important, and what role do you feel that those backstories should play in the "ideal" Curse of Strahd campaign?
- How do you feel about the two ways in which the new Reloaded tries to involve player backstories? Do you find them satisfying, or disappointing?
Thanks in advance! Sincerely appreciate anyone who takes the time to respond.
(PS: I haven't finished revising Re-Reloaded yet, but if you'd like a sneak peek, comment below and I'll DM you the link!)
Yule is a time of rebirth and renewal, as the days start to become longer again. It is a time to celebrate the return of the Sun, and many Wiccans light a Yule log and exchange gifts with loved ones. Imbolc, celebrated on February 1st or 2nd, marks the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It is a time of purification and preparing for the coming of spring. Many Wiccans light candles to symbolize the returning light and perform rituals to cleanse and purify their homes. Ostara, celebrated on the spring equinox, usually around March 21st, marks the beginning of spring. It is a time of balance between light and dark, and many Wiccans celebrate by decorating eggs and planting seeds for the coming year. Beltane, celebrated on May 1st, is a time of fertility and abundance. It is a time to celebrate the union of the god and goddess and the blossoming of new life. Many Wiccans light bonfires and dance around maypoles to celebrate Beltane. Litha, celebrated on the summer solstice, usually around June 21st, is a time of peak energy and abundance. It is a time to honor the Sun and the power of the harvest. Many Wiccans celebrate by lighting bonfires and staying up all night to watch the sunrise. Lammas, celebrated on August 1st, is the first harvest festival of the year. It is a time to give thanks for the abundance of the summer and to start preparing for the coming fall. Many Wiccans bake bread and make offerings of food to honor the Earth's bounty. Finally, Mabon, celebrated on the autumn equinox, usually around September 21st, marks the beginning of fall. It is a time of balance and gratitude for the harvest. Many Wiccans gather fruits, vegetables, and grains to give thanks for the Earth's abundance. The Wiccan Year Wheel provides a framework for Wiccans and other Neopagans to connect with the changing seasons and cycles of the Earth. It is a way of honoring and celebrating the divine in nature and recognizing our own place within the larger web of life. By observing and celebrating the Sabbats, Wiccans can deepen their spiritual connection with the Earth and align themselves with the natural rhythms of the universe..
Reviews for "Seeking Guidance: Divination and the Wiccan Year Wheel"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really excited to read "Wicxan year wheel" because I am interested in Wiccan practices, but I was disappointed with this book. The information seemed very basic and didn't offer anything new or insightful. The writing style was also quite dull and didn't engage me as a reader. Overall, I felt like I wasted my time reading this book.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I found "Wicxan year wheel" to be a complete waste of money. The book claims to provide a comprehensive guide to the Wiccan Wheel of the Year, but it falls short on delivering any valuable information. The author repeats the same few concepts over and over again without providing any depth or elaboration. Additionally, there are several grammatical errors throughout the book which were distracting and made it difficult to take the content seriously. I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the Wiccan Wheel of the Year.
3. Mark - 2 stars - As someone who has been practicing Wicca for several years, I was hoping that "Wicxan year wheel" would offer some new perspectives or insights into the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. Unfortunately, this book simply regurgitates basic information that can be found in any introductory guide to Wicca. It lacks depth and doesn't provide any practical guidance or useful tips. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to experienced Wiccans seeking to expand their knowledge.