# The Beacon Tower

> From the Curse of Strahd game wiki (it covers the whole game, spoilers included): https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.html. Unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy, not approved or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

> [!infobox]
> ![loc argynvostholt beacon 1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-argynvostholt-beacon-1.webp)
> **Region:** [Argynvostholt](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/regions/argynvostholt.md) · level 8
> **Resting:** no
> **Light:** dark
> **Getting here:** [The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md), [Argynvostholt, Upper Floor](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/argynvostholt-upper-floor.md)
> **Quests:** [A Knight, More or Less](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/a-knight-more-or-less.md), [The Destined Ally](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-destined-ally.md), [The Dragon's Beacon](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-dragons-beacon.md), [The Order of the Silver Dragon](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-order-of-the-silver-dragon.md)

## Overview

The tower of Argynvostholt: a long stair winding up inside the walls to the open lantern room, where the dragon's beacon has stood cold for four hundred years.

A stair spirals up inside thick walls, its steps worn into hollows by boots. At the top, a round platform open to the sky behind a low parapet, and in its middle, on a stone plinth, a great iron cradle full of old ash.

**Resting:** no The wind on the tower top never stops, and neither does the feeling of being watched from the castle.

![loc argynvostholt beacon overview](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-argynvostholt-beacon-overview.webp)
*The whole place from above.*

## Getting here

### Ways in

- **From [The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md):** Up to the lantern room
- **From [The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md):** Down to the turns of the stair
- **From [Argynvostholt, Upper Floor](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/argynvostholt-upper-floor.md):** Up the beacon tower stair

### Ways out

| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Down to the hall of heroes | [Argynvostholt, Upper Floor](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/argynvostholt-upper-floor.md) |  |
| 2 | Up to the lantern room | [The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md) |  |
| 3 | Down to the turns of the stair | [The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md) |  |

## Map

![argynvostholt beacon](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/maps/argynvostholt-beacon.svg)

**Key:** gold, people; red, containers; purple, hidden finds; teal, skill checks; white, exits; orange, traps. The numbers match the lists on this page.

### Close up

![loc argynvostholt beacon spot1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-argynvostholt-beacon-spot1.webp)
*the lamp-keeper's locker, the parapet, facing the valley, the lamp-keeper's niche*

## People

> [!note]- Who turns up at points in the story (1)
> - **[Vladimir Horngaard](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/vladimir-horngaard.md)**, The lantern room (#4): when beacon stand won and not argynvost beacon lit

## What to find

| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | the lamp-keeper's locker | [Torch](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#torch) ×2, [Oil](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#oil) ×2, [Tinderbox](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#tinderbox), 15 gp | open it |
| 7 | the lamp-keeper's niche (hidden) | [Lantern of Revealing](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#lantern-of-revealing) | Search: Perception DC 14 |

**Tarokka treasure spots.** If the reading hid one of the treasures here, it's in: Argynvostholt Beacon (holt_lampkeeper_locker)

The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 8 the first time you come ([Random Treasure](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/random-treasure.md)). Hidden finds need a Search (F) nearby; the party's best roll counts.

### Skill checks

| # | Where | Check | Try | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | the parapet, facing the valley | Perception 15 | Look out over the valley | reveals lake_zarovich:jetty_boards |

## Fights

- *The ash in the cradle stirs with no wind to stir it. The dark that settled into the dead lamp gathers itself…*, in [The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md): [Wraith](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wraith.md), [Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md). Scales with your level.
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md)**, when not lamp dark cleared and level ≥ 8: 2 × [Wraith](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wraith.md), 2 × [Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md) (4000 XP)
> - **[The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md)**, when not lamp dark cleared and level ≥ 7: [Wraith](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wraith.md), 3 × [Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md) (2400 XP)
> - **[The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md)**, when not lamp dark cleared: [Wraith](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/wraith.md), 2 × [Specter](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/specter.md) (2200 XP)

- *Vladimir comes off the last step with his greatsword already moving. Behind him on the stair, dead knights in…*, in [The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md): [Vladimir Horngaard](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/vladimir-horngaard.md), [Revenant](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/revenant.md), [Phantom Warrior](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/phantom-warrior.md). Scales with your level.
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md)**, when not beacon stand won and level ≥ 8: [Vladimir Horngaard](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/vladimir-horngaard.md), 2 × Dead Knight ([Revenant](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/revenant.md)), Phantom Man-at-Arms ([Phantom Warrior](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/phantom-warrior.md)) (7200 XP)
> - **[The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md)**, when not beacon stand won and level ≥ 7: [Vladimir Horngaard](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/vladimir-horngaard.md), Dead Knight ([Revenant](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/revenant.md)) (4700 XP)
> - **[The Beacon Tower](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/the-beacon-tower.md)**, when not beacon stand won: [Vladimir Horngaard](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/vladimir-horngaard.md) (2900 XP)

## Quests and lore

- [A Knight, More or Less](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/a-knight-more-or-less.md): Sir Godrick Pendlebrook was knighted on a deathbed with a soup ladle. He carries his old master's sword into the mists to have it done…
- [The Destined Ally](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-destined-ally.md): Madam Eva's fourth card named the one who will stand with us against the devil.
- [The Dragon's Beacon](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-dragons-beacon.md): Argynvost lit a beacon at the top of his tower every night so the valley would know someone was keeping watch. It has been dark since he…
- [The Order of the Silver Dragon](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-order-of-the-silver-dragon.md): The dead knights of Argynvostholt still keep their watch for a dragon four hundred years gone. Their commander hates Strahd too much to let…