If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovias encounters. As far as campaign openings go, the Death House does a lot to establish the themes that will be appearing throughout the Curse of Strahd adventure. Strahd is aware of these events. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. This video discusses the death house dungeon encounter disasters that you want to avoid in the curse of strahd adventure for dungeons & dragons 5e. Running the Death House The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. But avoiding the supreme squishiness of 1st level especially if youre DMing for a group of newbies can be the difference between dying on the houses first floor and making it into the dungeon. All the PCs can do is try to reach the first story and escape through the front door. I ran this around this time last year and that nursemaid absolutely murdered two of the NPCs of players I had only just met (at which point the party fled the house and refused to return). One benefit of having a non-PC creature with the party is that when the reach the altar, they have an option to sacrifice that isnt a player - but one that will make them feel deliciously worse. Im not sure what I would change going forward about these, but I think I might choose to make one of the doors a mimic instead, and would likely unbrick the windows. Or jump from a balcony. Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. Honestly, few spooky things should have an explanation. Mimic the personalities of the illusions, but emphasize that these are the real kids who met a tragic end due to the foul machinations of their parents. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). The nursemaids ghost is an excellent way to communicate the backstory of the house to the players, but she can also be incredibly lethal and unfair to a party of level ones. Oh, Death House. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Ideas For Running A One-Shot. Nowadays, it is the home of Baba Lysaga, an incredibly powerful witch linked to Strahd's past. Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done. There is lots of foreshadowing for the story to come. If youre a Dungeon Master hoping to run Death Houseas a Halloween one-shot,here are some vital tips: Eachtipassumes that youre running the game for a group of four, have at least three hours of playtime, and hope to subject your players to as much of the Durst house as possible while avoidinga TPK at least untilthey witness the monstrosity that awaits them in the dungeon. 2023 Elven Tower Cartography. 25. Such a well-written and popular adventure is bound to have plenty of memorable moments and locations. Chef Feat in D&D 5e Explained | Useful or Pie in the Sky? As written, its a fun and challenging (almost too challenging!) They will have no other choice (Hop on the railroad car). It is a very fun encounter against an enemy who cannot be beaten. Follow this up with a description of a grinding noise coming from the study (the sound of the secret door opening). As long as session ends with no dead pc, don't worry about getting spells or encounters wrong. Third. Death House is that deadly. We called it "The Curse of the Murderous Mansion.". Locals give the building a wide berth for fear of antagonizing the evil spirits believed to haunt it. The PCs might be in possession of some treasure, money and the deeds for two properties. Not only that, but the key ingredient in Morgantha's addictive pies is children! Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Strahds verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. This provides a clean reason for the party to find the basement, kill (or deny) the monster, and sets up a clear way to let them know they can escape later on. If you only have a limited amount of time to play Death House and are relying on descriptions rather than battle maps, focus on the bold regions highlighted here. So theres a certain level of are we going to play D&D? here. There might be some who have managed to mostly keep out of trouble, but they are very few in these lands. Even just traveling around Barovia can be a spooky experience. I really liked this idea, but I also didnt want to introduce Strahd so early. When the party tries to leave the house, Rose and Thorn do not let them. You can find the Death House adventure here for free from Wizards of the Coast. Oooh this is actually really neat, love the little modifiers you added. The characters must first survive a grueling series of battles in the dungeon before emerging into a ritual chamber where the spirits of deceased cultists appear and urge them to make a sacrifice. Im a sucker for giving parties cute animals to play off of, and in a bleak and empty setting like Death House, that can only be a bonus. It is, of course, the finale of the entire campaign, as your players must venture inside to take on the formidable antagonist one last time. They will sing to wake up Lorghoth the Decayer, a Shambling Mound hiding in the southernmost alcove. Once theyve explored the first, second, and third floors (plus the attic if they find how to get there! Thank you for this. Most likely there will be no sacrifice, which will anger the illusory cultists. Ghoulish Encounter.- Depending on the partys reaction to this, it can be a very lethal encounter. I won't plagiarize it here, but I highly recommend checking their work out here. Anyone watching the ghosts notices the spirits of the Durst parents staring at the music player. However, what about those who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tabletopjoab_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_20',139,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0'); Unfortunately, the actions of the truly wicked mean that the innocents around them are also left to suffer. The children that the party encounters on the road (Rose and Thorn) are asking for help dealing with whatever entity is inside the house. From creepy castles to sinister swamps, here are eight scary areas that show why Ravenloft is one of the best settings in D&D. Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. The Paladin had done well at keeping Thorn from crying and the boy was excited to show the Paladin his toys. I'm hosting my second ever session tonight and my party will be heading into the dungeonhave I missed something? This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. Copyright Its not exactly an adventure for new D&D players, but it often ends up being experienced that way thanks to Curse of Strahdbeingone of fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons' premiereadventures. The mists will dictate the places the party can visit. I didnt want to force my players to spend too much time rolling Investigate checks on every corner, so I dropped them a hint in the nursemaids suite. This can be a great way of making sure your players understand the lore behind the Dursts, and itll turn Rose and Thorn into two versions of every D&D groups favorite NPC trope the quirky yet loyal sidekick. After meeting the illusions of two children, and learning there is a monster in the house, the characters are forced in by the choking mists. Tabletop Joab 2023 | All Rights Reserved. Each character rolls to pass through the scythes. And they wont find something quite like that anytime soon. What has been your experience with the Death House? If you started at level 1, this is a good point to have everyone level up. She sells Dream Pastries to the locals in the nearby village of Barovia but holds a sinister secret. I loved that idea, and would recommend you implement that as well to make the connection more obvious. Dungeon m. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Id greatly recommend also checking out my article on running horror in your own D&D 5e games! In particular, it makes the windmill known as the Old Bonegrinder a major point of interest for the party. Very useful against some Barovian creatures. Perhaps she legitimately loved Gustav and hoped to free him from the cults influence. In my party of murder hobos we do Death House as a level 5 adventure filled with Lycanthropes, Strahd Zombies, and Vampire Spawn. The best was when the team with Scooby, Velma, Shaggy and Fred ended up down stairs and came across a table covered in a Thanksgiving dinner and the turkey was a mimic. The adventurers manage to put their spirits to rest and claim the room's loot. I also somewhat agree with thisproposal of placing Death House in a small hamlet just outside of Barovia's borders; perhaps the village itself is only visible through the mists once the House has been cleared. Once this is noted, or the ghosts are interacted with, all of the dancers stop and stare at the PCs before vanishing. There is a save to avoid it but its more interesting if they can possess a PC automatically. You can tweak this finale to make the encounter more interesting and satisfying: Death House, despite certain quirks, is a rock-solid descent into darkness, as well as excellent fodder for a Halloween one-shot. Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. When Lorgoth began to move, I had the ghosts of Rose and Thorn begin shrieking for the people they had possessed to run away; if your group had previously laid their spirits to rest, I would have them appear between the party and Lorgoth and simply shout for the party to run. Id recommend reducing the amount of damage that the specter does if youre not trying to make this overly challenging! Letter two is in the 3rd Floor master suite, in MrsDursts jewelry box. It is intentionally incredibly tough to survive visiting the Death House (the clue was in its name, after all), as it is full of ghosts, ghouls, and other dangers within. Maybe as a specter, she now desires vengeance more than anything else and mourns for her son. Tsolenka Pass consists of a bridge looming over the Luna River and a guard tower. The smoke worked great as a way to keep them moving. Death House is a classic haunted house tale, starting with two ghostly children pleading for help outside. He's a postgraduate from Bournemouth University, having studied Scriptwriting. Whatever you do, keep a feeling of tension and unease at the table as you describe what the party finds as they explore the mansion. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'tabletopjoab_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_19',125,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-medrectangle-3-0');At least in the top 3! Master Suite.- Theres a jewelry box with jewels worth 900 gp. The Old Bonegrinder is a terrifying location that captures just how unsettling the domains of dread can be. Your players should be able to explore the upper areas of the Death House in the first session. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came . joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the annoying underlined ads, and stupid interstitial ads!! Death House could even be played as a thrilling horror one-shot adventure. Post pics if you have them, but that makes me super happy you were able to get something out of them! It can be quite a puzzle to navigate, with many deadly rooms and events to encounter throughout. Be careful when you use these, though. 5 Tips for Running the Death House One-Shot From Curse of Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die Tonight! Shadowrun: Astral Ways (Sixth World Setting Book), Star Trek Adventures MISSION PDF 022 Eight Layers Deep, BattleTech: Recognition Guide: ilClan Vol. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. Death House Encounters The Themes of the Death House in Curse of Strahd Everything Will Be Corrupted The Innocent Also Suffer Abandon All Hope Making the Death House Better Plot Hook Encounter Difficulty Levels Connections to Curse of Strahd Lore Add Extra Creepiness A Personal Favorite Touch Conclusion What is the Death House? The PCs have the hallways width to their favor, as its a natural funnel. Ending the Cycle. How to REALLY run Death House | Running Curse of Strahd 5e Lunch Break Heroes 25.4K subscribers 65K views 2 years ago #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #rpg Give your players a PROPER introduction to. To get around this problem, turn Rose and Thorn into NPCs with big personalities that your players will want to help. If the PCs comply and a living being is killed off on the altar, the house is appeased and they will be able to leave peacefully and level up. (If youre feeling generous, or really want your players to see the entirety of the house in a quick Halloween night of gaming, you could even run it at 3rd level.). If they arent seizing the chance to be heroes, appeal to their love of coin and youll have all the hook you need. Its almost as difficult and disturbing as the Old Bonegrinder in the same adventure! Alternative to Death House Pt 2. Both DeiGratia and Abuget can be downloaded over at www.dafont.com. Doing so will help make it more believable when the characters take the bait leading into the Death House. Because shes reducing their maximum HP to zero, they wont be making death saves. Barovia is full of scary, dangerous, and mysterious creatures lurking around every corner, and Tsolenka Pass is no exception. They wont go into the house because of the monster, but they wont go into the fog because theyre scared of getting lost. Use. Would love your thoughts, please comment. https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/, Place a tattered piece of sheet music on the harpsichord in the conservatory, another DMs idea to let them see a woman shrouded in black standing beside the crib, her back to the door, only attack those that approached the crib or threatened her baby, the image of the (human) nursemaid appeared in the glass, describe it as feeling like a childs hands, searching desperately for a warm embrace.. Be brave, dear reader, as you enter the haunted Durst Mansion. Your group might choose to fight it and risk death. This chapter overhauls the Ruins of Berez chapter. The adventure was unveiled in the February 2016 issue of Dragon+ as an example of the thrills that would come in the then-unreleased Curse of Strahd. The second encounter is with a broom of animated attack. The most vital regions are bolded. While frightening at first, it quickly loses its charm. Obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons and a close personal friend of Pocket (an interdimensional teleporting ferret). They were wearing the exact same gear but seemed to not have their faces painted on. 32. I've spent the last three hours looking for ways to edit the pdf of another handout that says stillborn son but here this was! Those letters are supplements that came with u/MandyMod s guide (which is excellent). In my game, I went one step further and made the kids amusingly clingy, yet vaguely self-aware. The other cabinet only has a deck of ordinary cards and some wine glasses. A lot of good ideas to make the story flow. Its possible to have been a good person who now lives a life of fear and misery as a result of another persons evil actions. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. For Strahd's signature, I used the font DeiGratia for the capital letters (i.e. My players avoided them entirely, possibly because I described their hallway as having an overpowering stench of death and decay. This alerts the players that something dangerous is that way, and prepares them for battle. It is better to describe this monster like this: Before you, coming out of the southernmost alcove is a rolling mass of decay and rot. The dolls in the model house remained untouched, but the players all gave each other the same look: they had to get out of here and fast. Since then, he's never looked back and loves roleplaying games for the chance to tell the tales that have been swirling in his head since childhood. Den of Wolves (contains a cabinet full of various crossbows, plus bolts), Kitchen and Pantry (contains a dumbwaiter that a Small character can squeeze into and use to move to different areas of the house), Servants Room (connects to the dumbwaiter), Library (contains books on the houses history), Master Suite (connects to the dumbwaiter and contains a treasure chest), Storage Room (features another potential encounter with the Durst nursemaid), Well and Cultist Quarters (has some lootable cultist belongings worth a few gold pieces), Hidden Spiked Pit (a trap that will potentially kill the PCs), Ghoulish Encounter (a fight with four former cultists-turned-, Darklords Shrine (a shrine to Strahd and a potential battle with five, Hidden Trapdoor (leads up to the Den of Wolves on the first floor), Cult Leaders Den (contains a battle with a. For background the home is infused with the evil spirits of the cultists that once resided there. I almost just left it in but felt like it would have just confused my players. When they'll get a good idea of how Barovia works. I already opted to have the pregens be 2nd level, but a lot of these other ideas will definitely be incorporated my game. Dungeons & Dragons: The 8 Scariest Locations In Curse Of Strahd, Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Adventures From Candlekeep Mysteries, why Ravenloft is one of the best settings in D&D, just how unsettling the domains of dread can be, Story Hooks In D&D You Always See And Why They Work, Dungeons & Dragons: Ideas For Running A One-Shot, Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Online Tools For DMs. Not all of them need to be visited, your group might skip some parts of the house or the dungeon. Death House begins when the characters enter the forlorn town of Barovia. Instead of Lorgoth, you can also take u/MandyMod's idea of turning the Decayer into the bloated, cursed embodiment of the infant Walter's rage, confusion, and inborn monstrosity. Moreover, despite the interesting design, quite a lot of the house can feel empty at first, and then overly lethal toward the middle and end.

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