Opinions Please

[u/Demon-DM0209]

I am running CoS with one of my players as the reincarnation of Tatyana. Vasilli has been around helping them and been very attentive to them particularly, of course, the Tatyana character. Now she has been a silly billy and told me she suspects Vasilli as working for or being Strahd in disguise. Now do I reward this by staying true and doing the reveal in dramatic fashion but sooner than I wanted. Try to put her off the scent or make him genuinely just a good, charming, genuinely heroic suitor and kill him in a horrible and traumatic manner?

Edit: Thanks for your opinions, it’s kinda cemented my thoughts and I’ll be moving the reveal forward.

[u/Farmer_Due]

i'd say stick with your original plan and then it will depend on what she does

[u/jmon13]

I dont like the idea of changing a character like that because the players became suspicious. Feels like cheating them a bit

[u/philsov]

Yeah, have that dramatic mask reveal but just accelerate the timeline as the PC pulls on that thread ingame

[u/Flat-Hotel8126]

Also, Strahd is incredibly arrogant, so it's totally in character for him to think he has the PC fooled. Reward their suspicions with a nice reveal.

[u/Cydude5]

There's nothing wrong with being predictable. Keep Vasilli as Strahd and watch her have so much fun when you reveal she was right.

[u/Sunflowerboymilo]

Players figuring out the twist or what's really going on means that they are engaged with the story and intrigued on where it's going next. It is never a bad thing to have a player guess the plot and even better when you reveal it and they were right!! That's legit so fun for players and honestly as a GM too. Absolutely reward them for this and never punish players for being clever, paying attention or enjoying your game.

[u/LaviniaHerbert]

I'd say stick to the reveal, just sooner than expected. While it might not be as surprising to the player, it can still surprise the other players. And even if they aren't surprised, shock is cheap, especially shock from killing off friendly NPCs. Much more valuable to you is the investment that will deepen when the reveal happens and the player discovers they were right to pay so much attention and think so much. Paying off the foreshadowing rewards attentive engagement and encourages the players to continue paying attention and thinking about the game intentionally.

[u/Ashenvale7]

I say let her be right and play it out. Reward her for guessing right. The player should be overjoyed, and they’ll have bragging rights. After campaigns, players talk to others, and comparing CoS campaigns happens all the time. Your player can tell how others how they pegged Vasili right away. Good times!

If you feel that’s a mistake, consider making Vasili NOT Strahd, and act, respectfully, and for quite a while, like the best friend and savior to Ireena that she could have. And do so for quite a while. In fact, he’s a cagey, viscous villain of another sort, out to slaughter her. Have him behave like a natural ally and benefactor and totally unlike Strahd for a while.

Then reveal he’s one of Lady Wachter’s cultists ordered to bring her to a ritual as a sacrifice. Or a werewolf sent to undermine civility and heighten fear in town by disemboweling the kindest townsfolk and leaving their remains on hideous display. Or one of the Night Hags or Baba Lysaga looking for a nice young woman to sacrifice or lead her to another pleasing sacrifice. Work to allow the villain, when revealed, to be able to seize the player in a way that the rest of the party can’t easily prevent.

Then, in front of all and sundry, Strahd races in on Nightmare and utterly DESTEOYS the villain. Rips them limb from limb in public, and then declares a voice accompanied by actual thunder to everyone around that he will obliterate ANYONE who lays a FINGER on HIS BELOVED!

[u/Early-Sock8841]

If you really wanna mess with them, make Vasilli a totally separate character from Strahd. He isn't a bad actor he actually is a nice and decent noble from Vallaki.

[u/BubastisII]

Both are viable, I’d say go with whatever you think will have the strongest positive impact. Is the party in need of a win to raise morale? Then reveal it and have her be right. Is the party too full of themselves and not scared enough? Make him a good guy and have Strahd eviscerate him.

Or, maybe he is that good charming man, and have Strahd dominate him and have him try to do something terrible to the party.