This event also involves the arrival of Strahd Von Zarovich himself, who will always strike fear into the party. Honestly, few spooky things should have an explanation. Im really loving the halloween content this year! From there, its up to you if you want them to level up again before progressing the story or if you want them to wait a little bit and get at least a few more fights or milestones under their belt.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-2','ezslot_22',137,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-2-0'); Pay special attention to describing the various things that the party can find and interact with. When the party tries to leave the house, Rose and Thorn do not let them. The Dungeon Levels final encounter is with a Shambling Mound. Whether you decide to follow these tips to the letter or put your own alternate spin on Curse of Strahd'sintro adventure, theres no doubt that your gaming friends are in for a good evening of gothic fun as long as the dreaded throes of this house of horrors dont consume them first. Strahds verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. Based off of Mandy's Mod edits I used them touching the statue as . Yes they are still illusions but appear too be real children and wont vanish. As I mentioned in the writeup of Death House, I recommend having Strahd in the very first encounter, having shapeshifted into a direwolf and watching as a bunch of his wolf children attack the characters. Beware, for massive spoilers await! For your reference, these are the areas of the Death House that have interactive elements, lootable gear, or important encounters. So theres a certain level of are we going to play D&D? here. It is designed to introduce Curse Of Strahd, exploring its themes on a miniature scale, and is intended for level one players. Or an evil PC could finish off a severely hurt ally. How to Play Ravenloft in a Single Night. However, there is enough information provided to add your own spins to the Death House. This kept them panicked, tense, and on their toes. Death House begins when the characters enter the forlorn town of Barovia. Give the party a chance to rest and level up (if they started at level 1) before they work their way to the Dungeon Level.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-1','ezslot_12',135,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-1-0'); In the Dungeon Level, the party will encounter a Grick and several undead. But the most terrifying part of this theme is that it also applies to the party themselves. Yeah, adding the Dursts is a good idea. Hey dude, where are letter 2 and 3 in death house? As I was prepping DH, I decided to make player handouts for the three letters that the party would eventually find within the haunted house: 1) Strahd's letter to Mr. Durst, 2) Elisabeth Durst's letter about the 'ceremony', and then 3) Gustav's suicide letter. This is a railroad, but an acceptable one if your players care enough about the children to want to help them. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Did you like this guide? This also triggered the wonderful One Must Die encounter. The only way to put the childrens spirits to rest is by moving their remains to their tombs in areas 23E and 23F. Vampire spawn lay in waiting, ready to cause chaos amongst the town, turning it into a bloodbath. This can inject some much-needed comedy into an otherwise bleak adventure, since Death House suggests that possessed characters still retain their faculties but gaina flaw from their possessor. If the party disturbs the orb, the shadows begin swooping across the walls and ceiling, but only join combat two at a time. Tabletop Joab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. When asked, Rose reported smugly that shed stopped him from scaring Thorn ever again. We called it "The Curse of the Murderous Mansion.". A lot of people have complained over poor monster design in this part of the Death house. 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. S and Z), while the rest of the lower case letters were the same font as the body of the letter: Abuget. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, their respective logos, and all Wizards titles and characters are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. Be careful. She was then stabbed by the cultists for unexplained reasons and cast aside. It is a decrepit old Grain Mill that is the home of Morgantha and her two daughters. Like I mentioned, reducing the damage of the specters life drain is a good decision at this level. It's all important, because it also teaches the players to pay attention to the environment. She told him that Rose and Thorn were not her children, but that she did have children of her own (baby Walter). I generally reduce her life drain to deal 1d6 necrotic damage if we didnt start the party at level 3. In my party of murder hobos we do Death House as a level 5 adventure filled with Lycanthropes, Strahd Zombies, and Vampire Spawn. 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! "Death House" will run your player characters through levels 1-3 if they survive. This is all really helpful and wish I'd seen this before I'd run DH. Since I've warned you already about spoilers, I'll state it up front: to avoid the house turning against the PCs, a creature has to die at the sanctum in the basement. Running the Death House The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. You can also have Rose and Thorn possess random party members. Would love to revisit Death House some day and not mistakenly murder my friends instantly. If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovia's encounters. For inspiration, consider Gustav Dursts reasoning for the affair in a letter from Strahd that can be found in the Secret Room. A level 2party which has had no long rests and several tough fights will not win this fight without losing some PCs. Just like Rose and Thorn, she was dealt a foul hand by the Dursts and deserves better. If they try to turn back to explore Barovia, the mists surround them until theres no choice. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The first is a set of Animated Armor that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs. When they'll get a good idea of how Barovia works. We also replace the shambling mound with a Blood Hulk! Death house should be run as written with the warning of maybe making some of the encounters easier. And they wont find something quite like that anytime soon. This campaign is all about scaring your players with deadly fights and plenty of horrors for them to enjoy. Supposedly, he abandoned love for madness [and] took solace in the bosom of another woman. What of the nursemaids point of view? I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came . There might be some who have managed to mostly keep out of trouble, but they are very few in these lands. Monster design is good, but we have to re-skin the description a bit. She can potentially one-shot any member of the party each turn with her Life Drain ability. 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. From creepy castles to sinister swamps, here are eight scary areas that show why Ravenloft is one of the best settings in D&D. A link for the Death House adventure was shown in February's issue of Dragon+, and looks like it could be a great start to a lengthy D&D Ravenloft campaign. Nursemaids Suite and Storage Room.- The nursemaids specter can be found in either of these locations. Death House is a meat grinder meant to kill low-level players. I advice to treat these children like a simulacrum-like spell. A lot of good ideas to make the story flow. 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. Meanwhile, Thorn had huge puppy eyes, constantly cradled his floppy bunny doll, and instantly worshipped the players' characters as awesome adventurers who had arrived in the nick of time. Thank you! See here for more details. She mimicked the PCs movements perfectly, save for her eyes, which always remained terrified. Instead of giving the players' characters the ghosts personality traits, I also had Rose and Thorns voices appear in the back of the possessed characters heads occasionally delivering exposition on various things around the house, and even hints on how to deal with tough enemies. Free D&D Adventure: Fight as Dragons and Explore a Crystal Dragon's Lair! Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. There are 38 locations in the Death House. The final confrontation in Death House is an odd one. To make the connection clear, I told the PCs that a blanket of mist was rolling off the top of the dais, and that it very much resembled the fog that they had seen blocking their way outside. In my game, I gave Rose the personality of a sassy older sister who was fiercely protective of her younger brother. Kitchen and Pantry.- There is a small elevator that a small PC can use to access area 12, the master bedroom. The location is full of deadly, scary creatures, such as demon statues and specters, but the true horror of this location comes from the Roc, a giant bird that can very easily scoop up a character in its claws and drop them from great heights. [Bones of Saint Andral] (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/). They cannot be used commercially. Let me clarify the party all died trying to flee the house in the end, but everyone still had a blast! For starters, that kind of monster is completely out of place here. When they enter the village, the adventurers find out that they cant find anyone or access any location because of the mists, that ultimately lead them to Thorn and Rose Durst (Thornboldt and Rosavalda). Once the PC that had threatened her baby had been dealt with, she flew back to the nursery and resumed rocking the crib. Follow this up with a description of a grinding noise coming from the study (the sound of the secret door opening). The party did some little experiments to see if the dolls moved if they left the room, but nothing happened. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-3','ezslot_23',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-3-0');This is a dungeon that doesnt pull punches and makes for quite the introduction to the land of Barovia! ! I added a scrawny mutt hiding under a chair in the conservatory; when approached, the party could hear its whimpering. The adventurers manage to put their spirits to rest and claim the room's loot. The players will attain level 2 after finding the secret passage to the dungeon. They are worried about their parents and baby brother who they swore were right behind them when they ran out of the house. TheDursts are curiously absent during this finale and only appear as ghasts that are hidden in the dungeon walls of the Cult Leaders Quarters. The four ghouls in the basement can make for a pretty devastating encounter, even against a party of level-twos. (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.). 12. They havent opened it yet, but Im hoping that theyll use the letter as an excuse to take an interest in Ismark when they arrive at the tavern. Still, more than one player complained that the blade-doors felt too oppressive, especially given that their escape through the third-floor balcony still required passage through three blade-doors (and only because I decided not to consider the secret door to the attic an actual door). Now, railroading isnt a bad thing, especially for a newer group. Well cover some of the changes that I make when Im running this dungeon for my groups later in this article. She deserves more development, especially in a stripped-down Death House emphasizing the evil nature of the Dursts. We ran this as a Halloween one shot a few years ago. Plus they do not have the Horrifying Visage ability. Childrens Room .- The remains of Rose and Thorn are here. The Best Books That EVERY DM NEEDS To Read! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Your players will likely be asked to go here by a Dusk Elf called Kasimir, who has heard stories of great knowledge and hidden items deep inside the temple. From gaming trends to the latest blockbuster anime, DualShockers keeps you ahead of the curve. Surrounded by mists and living in fear of what could be behind any corner, those who come to Barovia find themselves tested. Be very careful with this encounter, narrative description of the monster is really important. 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. This leads to the final theme that Death House establishes for the larger adventure. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. However, this is more a set of skill challenges than combat. For Strahd's signature, I used the font DeiGratia for the capital letters (i.e. The nature of Barovia is that those things which were once good are destined to become corrupted. Unfortunately, if your players are like mine, theyll be reluctant to explore what is clearly a haunted house, and the creepy artwork of Rose and Thorn inCurse of Strahdwill tip them off that these kids arent what they appear to be. But, this is Strahd's home, and the battle will not be easy. Moreover, there are a lot of things that the party can miss (e.g., the secret door in the library), so Ive tossed in some ways to drop hints to the party. Immediately afterward, a grinding noise (the sound of the secret passage) can be heard from the attic. I already opted to have the pregens be 2nd level, but a lot of these other ideas will definitely be incorporated my game. It can be quite a puzzle to navigate, with many deadly rooms and events to encounter throughout. The party will not stand even a slight chance until much, MUCH later in the campaign!). If the PCs damage anything (the chairs, the wallpaper, etc.) They can then prepare for it by placing the tank in the front and maybe even casting spells like Shield of Faith or Bless right before the fight. Nowhere seems safe in this Domain Of Dread, especially the various locations your players can stumble upon during their adventure. by Mike on 14 November 2016. . If they kill any creature on the altar, the cult is appeased and the characters can leave the house freely. These two made invaluable contributions to the session. Dont call it the Death House. Where the Death House really stands out is its use of theme. Another poster provided the idea that Rose was a budding young wizard, having pieced together some scraps of knowledge from her fathers study downstairs. The PCs have the hallways width to their favor, as its a natural funnel. Each seemed to depict an adventurer of some type. 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). This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players. Death House is a really fun module, but it suffers from a lack of content upfront. 38. Expect this to be a full series as the group progresses through the module, week-by-week. What should players and DMs expect and, most importantly, how does an optional starter dungeon nestled towards the very back of the adventure module book become so well known? 2023 Wizards. The PCs might be in possession of some treasure, money and the deeds for two properties. 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. You are correct about how death works in Curse of Strahd. I was specifically using u/MandyMod 's guide to Streamlining Death House to set the adventure up (i.e. Alternatively a severely hurt PC might choose to volunteer himself for the sacrifice. What this means is that anyone can use them, share them or modify them. Far from the villages and towns of the valley, there is not much safety around this location. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Quality content, cartography, and adventures for fantasy games. The party loved getting them, as it let them read the details of the letters and make connections with their content, versus having me read the content from the adventure. 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Turn with her life drain is a railroad, but nothing happened appear be..., reducing the damage of the changes that I make when Im running this dungeon for my later..., reducing the damage of the Murderous Mansion. `` low-level players depict an adventurer some... Help them means is that anyone can use them, share them or modify them asked Rose... Appear too be real children and wont vanish called it `` the Curse of,! Chaos amongst the town, turning it into a bloodbath players you can jump right into the party to! Mound with a Blood Hulk main Curse of the secret passage ) be... Players with deadly fights and plenty of horrors for them to enjoy miniature! Lack of content upfront favorite communities and start taking part in conversations secret.... Room & # x27 ; s Mod edits I used the font DeiGratia the. Mill that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs but the most terrifying of! To make the story flow something quite like that anytime soon locations your players care enough about the to... Grinder meant to kill low-level players Von Zarovich himself, who will always strike fear into the action of.! Push a party member down the stairs few in these lands claim the Room & # x27 ; s.! Only appear as ghasts that are hidden in the campaign! ) he! The chairs, the Cult is appeased and the characters can leave the House, Rose and Thorn she... Save for her eyes, which always remained terrified party all died trying flee... Remained terrified this means is that anyone can use them, share them or modify them modern &. Life drain to deal 1d6 necrotic damage if we didnt start the could! She mimicked the PCs movements perfectly, save for her eyes, which always remained terrified entirely possibly. This location challenges than combat capital letters ( i.e only way to put their spirits to rest is by their! Perfectly, save for her eyes, which always remained terrified the villages and of. Them touching the statue as I make when Im running this dungeon for my groups later in browser... Out of the Death House establishes for the larger adventure some type letter 2 and in... Domain of Dread, especially in a letter from Strahd that can heard! This level eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players can stumble upon during their adventure can use access! The adventure up ( i.e theme is that it also teaches the players will attain level after! Forlorn town of Barovia is that anyone can use them, share them or modify them specters. Rose and Thorn possess random party members make when Im running this dungeon, most people tend to fall firmly...
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