Here's the intro to a silly Curse of Strahd one-shot I'm doing cause 2 of my players are gonna be absent next session. The players will be 3 skeletons and it's called Bones & Nobles.
The year is 14 BSR (Before Strahd's Reign). Count Strahd von Zarovich is sitting in his study, surrounded by bookshelves, with a pen and quill in hand, writing away on a notebook illuminated by candlelight. Through the window behind him, there is a heavy downpour, dark, clouded skies, and the occasional flash of lightning.
Heavy footsteps echo from down the hall and a beefy, grizzled dwarf with a raging look in his eyes makes his way into the room, pointing his greataxe at Strahd, bellowing, “YOU!” Strahd barely looks up, pretending like he doesn't even notice, but you can see a slight smirk come across his face.
An invisible bear trap makes its appearance clamping down on the barbarian’s right leg. He winces but powers through, taking another step.
A second, comically-placed invisible bear trap makes its way onto the barbarian's left leg.
Strahd turns to you. “You would think they would stop and reconsider their decisions or, at the very least, check for more traps, after the first one but no, they fall for it every time.”
The barbarian lets out a roar, absolutely fuming. He drags his legs across the floor but doesn't make it far before falling to his knees. Just before he does though, he heaves his greataxe straight at the dark lord himself. The axe goes flying through the air but stops just short of Strahd, like an invisible barrier had been in place all along. “YOU TOOK THEM AWAY FROM ME. YOU TOOK EVERYONE AWAY FROM ME. YOU'RE GONNA PAY YOU SICK SON OF A—”.
You look over at the dwarf as his words fall short and realize what stopped him: he no longer has a mouth. Strahd chuckles to himself, lifts a hand up into the air, causing the bear of a dwarf to float upwards as he flails about. The body floats over a third comically-placed invisible bear trap, past Strahd’s desk, and out the window. As the body disappears, the castle reforms itself, mending the broken window.
Strahd turns back to each of you and says, “Now, where were we? Ah, yes, retrieve my very cool sword from the depths of the dungeon, it should be in my brother's tomb. I'm sure I'll come up with a cool name for it in the next 314 years. And, feel free to take your time because I, have… business to attend to.”
Just then, Rahadin steps out of the shadows in a red, silk bathrobe, revealing a good bit of chest hair, and says, “It's me, I'm business.”