I realize this is a bit of thread necromancy, but it does seem like the right place for this post to go.
Last night, for the first time in a very long time (3 years?), I tried to run through the well catacombs that run under the Village of Barovia with a party of 4 adventurers.
The party makeup was characters of the following levels: 14, 13, 12, 8. Everyone got KOed at least once, but mercifully no one got corpsed.
It was a brutal and taxing trek, and eventually the dungeon wore us down and won and we had to retreat, but it felt like a great overall challenge for the group we brought!
That said, there was little to be rewarded:
Loot-wise, I think the greatest treasures we found along the way were a couple of Rokuma Sheaves of Wheat and some Cure Moderate Wounds potions. Those were 100% helpful and gave us a bit more staying power for sure, but it didn't really feel balanced for the dangers faced. The rest of the loot looked like things you might find in the Vallaki Western Outskirts dungeons: gemstones worth 2-5gp each, level 1 spell scrolls, plain old pot helmets, etc.
Experience wise, the level 14 & 13 characters earned nothing. The level 12 earned something miniscule, but the amounts barely registered with each rest. The level 8 character may have done OK, but I'm not sure. Again, for the danger faced, the resources spent, and the overall challenge presented, this felt a bit lacking.
If the intent/design here is to generally keep parties from traveling through, then reward levels I saw there and hear others speak of on occasion will ensure it stays that way and it is working as planned.
Otherwise, I'm advocating for a look-see to validate the rewards are on par with the actual dangers presented in that dungeon. Please.