Within the forest, northwest of the dreary town of Vallaki, hunters tell of a deranged wizard who has made his home in the misty mountain ranges of Mount Baratok. Once an accomplished mage, now a disgraced hermit, the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok is the stuff of local Barovian legend. However, unhinged as he may be, his vast power is unquestionable, and he may prove to be a valuable ally to those who manage to appease him. Can the heroes enlist the help of this maniacal spellslinger to defeat the Devil of Barovia? Or will they, too, simply become another Barovian folktale?
A Curse of Strahd Adventure - What's this all About?
Curse of Strahd introduces the idea that there is a Mad Mage living on Mount Baratok on pages 39-40. Unfortunately, there is little adventure to be had in seeking out the Mad Mage. This supplement to Curse of Strahd provides a short adventure where the party can help the Mad Mage and acquire a powerful magic item for spellcasters to wield against Strahd and his vampire minions in the late stages of the campaign. Additionally, this document provides suggestions for adjusting the encounter with the Mad Mage from the book so that the party does not simply kill him and end the adventure before it starts.
As always, it is up to you how much of the content you want to use. It's perfectly fine to use some parts of this supplement while discarding others, or simply let the ideas presented here inspire new ideas of your own. This adventure is intended for parties of 4 to 6 characters with an average level of 7 to 9 and is intended to be a later-campaign location akin to the Werewolf Den, Berez, and Argynvostholt. This adventure can also be used as a horror or Ravenloft-themed one shot separate from Curse of Strahd.
- from the publisher's blurb