# Village Church

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

> [!infobox]
> ![loc village church 1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-village-church-1.webp)
> **Region:** [The Village of Barovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/regions/the-village-of-barovia.md) · level 3
> **Resting:** Risky
> **Light:** dim
> **Getting here:** [Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md), [Village of Barovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-of-barovia.md)
> **Quests:** [Cold Prayers](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/cold-prayers.md), [The Burgomaster's Burial](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-burgomasters-burial.md), [The Priest's Son](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-priests-son.md)

## Overview

A failing church of the Morninglord: cracked windows, cold candles, a priest praying at the altar, and a barred door to the undercroft where his son screams for blood.

The Morninglord's church, one of the few doors in the village still left unbarred. Below the nave, behind a barred door, lies the undercroft.

**Resting:** Risky: a rest here can be interrupted.

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

## Getting here

### Ways in

- **From [Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md):** Down to the undercroft
- **From [Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md):** Up to the church
- **From [Village of Barovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-of-barovia.md):** Church

### Ways out

| # | Exit | Leads to | Only when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Out to the churchyard | [Village of Barovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-of-barovia.md) |  |
| 2 | Out to the churchyard | [Village of Barovia](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-of-barovia.md) |  |
| 3 | Down to the undercroft | [Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md) |  |
| 4 | Up to the church | [Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md) |  |

## Map

![village church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/maps/village-church.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 village church spot1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-village-church-spot1.webp)
*Old Florin, Pews, a loose stone under the front pew*

![loc village church spot2](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-village-church-spot2.webp)
*Goodwife Sorina*

![loc village church spot3](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/img/shots/loc-village-church-spot3.webp)
*Heap of rags*

## People

- **[Old Florin](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/old-florin.md)**, Praying in the village church: Nave, 07:00–18:00 (#7)
- **[Goodwife Sorina](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/goodwife-sorina.md)**, Praying in the village church: Nave, 08:00–17:00 (#8)

> [!note]- Who turns up at points in the story (2)
> - **[Father Donavich](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/father-donavich.md)**, Altar (#5): when not (burial procession and donavich will officiate and not donavich refused rites and not (doru destroyed and not donavich mercy blessing) and not burgomaster buried)
> - **[Doru](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/people/doru.md)**, Undercroft (#6): when not doru destroyed and not doru freed

## What to find

| # | Where | What | How |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Vestry chest | [Holy Water](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#holy-water) ×2, [Candle](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#candle) ×6 | locked, with nothing to pick |
| 10 | Heap of rags | [Dagger](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#dagger), [Holy Symbol (Amulet)](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/equipment.md#holy-symbol-amulet), 3 gp | locked, with nothing to pick |
| 14 | an old priest in the burial niches (hidden) | [Periapt of Health](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#periapt-of-health) | Search: Perception DC 14 |
| 7 | a loose stone under the front pew (hidden) | [Amulet of the Devout, +1](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/items/magic-items.md#amulet-of-the-devout-1) | Search: Investigation DC 14 |

The containers here also get random magic items and potions, rolled for a party of level 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Altar | Religion 14 | Say the dedication over the altar | 1d6 temporary HP |
| 12 | Pews | Performance 12 | Sing a hymn from the old hymnal | Heroic Inspiration |
| 13 | Burial niches | Medicine 13 | Examine the remains in the niches | finds Periapt of Health |

### Locked and secret doors

- Barred undercroft door: lock DC 15, opens when undercroft unbarred

## Fights

- *Doru drops from the ceiling without a sound. Whatever was left of the priest's son is gone behind his eyes.*, in [Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md): [Vampire Spawn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/vampire-spawn.md). Scales with your level.
> [!example]- By party level (the first line your party fits is the fight you get)
> - **[Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md)**, when not doru destroyed and not doru freed and level ≥ 3: Doru ([Vampire Spawn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/vampire-spawn.md)) (1800 XP)
> - **[Village Church](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/locations/village-church.md)**, when not doru destroyed and not doru freed: Doru ([Vampire Spawn](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/bestiary/vampire-spawn.md)) (1800 XP)

## Quests and lore

- [Cold Prayers](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/cold-prayers.md): Hedda Ironvow dreamed of a dying sun and a silver raven, and left her chapel before dawn to follow the dream. Since she crossed the mist,…
- [The Burgomaster's Burial](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-burgomasters-burial.md): Kolyan Indirovich, burgomaster of the village of Barovia, died three nights ago. His children want him buried in the churchyard, and no…
- [The Priest's Son](https://curseofstrahd.app/wiki/quests/the-priests-son.md): Screams rise from beneath the village church. Father Donavich's son Doru came back from Castle Ravenloft as something else, and his father…

> [!quote]- Burial register
> The village burial register, kept in a careful hand that grows less careful toward the end. The last entries are a widow, an infant and a woodcutter, each with the words 'buried in daylight'. On the newest line someone has written DORU, son of Donavich, then scored it out so hard the nib tore the page. Under it, smaller: not yet. Not yet. Not yet.