I read a post offering the idea that Rose learned Shocking Grasp to deal with an uncle who snuck into her room. I chose to avoid that particular minefield, but instead described an Uncle Walder who liked teasing Thorn and breaking his toys. As written, its a fun and challenging (almost too challenging!) Subscribers get updates on all of the latest news, posts, and offerings from Tabletop Joab! Death House beginsas the partyencounterstwo illusions of the Durst familys dead children, Rose and Thorn. There might be some who have managed to mostly keep out of trouble, but they are very few in these lands. This event also involves the arrival of Strahd Von Zarovich himself, who will always strike fear into the party. The Death House is intended for a party of level 1 characters. Your email address will not be published. Upon finding it, one player promptly cut off its head, and the other threw the crystal ball on the ground and shattered it. Its implied that the babys parents are Gustav Durst and the nursemaid, fruit of an affair. Stress the wrongdoings of Gustav and Elisabeth Durst, and plant the seed of putting the souls of these poor children to rest by placing their remains in the family crypts. Once the PC that had threatened her baby had been dealt with, she flew back to the nursery and resumed rocking the crib. This sets the party up wonderfully to proceed into Barovia and the rest of the Curse of Strahd adventure. Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. Chef Feat in D&D 5e Explained | Useful or Pie in the Sky? The descriptions in the adventure are pretty vivid and you might be tempted to gloss over some of them (especially if you havent read ahead in the full Curse of Strahd adventure.). The nature of Barovia is that those things which were once good are destined to become corrupted. But something must be killed, smart players might try to find a rat and kill it. In any discussion about this dungeon, most people tend to fall pretty firmly into one of two camps. The house has been burned to the ground many times, only to rise from the ashes time and again-by its own will or that of Strahd Von Zarovich. Three of my players were able to get boosts up to the attic from the balcony outside of the master bedroom, but the fourth, a firbolg, was too big to make it up. Part-time Druid, Full-time Hobo. Yeah, adding the Dursts is a good idea. The land is grim and desolate. Ghoulish Encounter.- Depending on the partys reaction to this, it can be a very lethal encounter. Alternative to Death House Pt 2. Would love your thoughts, please comment. As written, the plot hook is simply that there is a monster in the house. Dont call it the Death House. Monster design is good, but we have to re-skin the description a bit. When Death House is rejected, it gets mad. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. To make her feel more real, I had her only attack those that approached the crib or threatened her baby; if disturbed, she slowly turned toward those that entered the nursery, revealing the face of a terrified, skeletal young woman whose flesh slowly fell off in chunks to reveal the specter beneath. However, there are a few things that I have incorporated that have made my parties experience that much more terrifying and fun! Balcony.- The animated armor can be challenging if PCs dont react properly. Or an evil PC could finish off a severely hurt ally. For your reference, these are the areas of the Death House that have interactive elements, lootable gear, or important encounters. Almost parallels Death house. 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? Ritual Chambers.- Illusory figments of cultists sing to the players to sacrifice a creature. Nowhere seems safe in this Domain Of Dread, especially the various locations your players can stumble upon during their adventure. You get the feeling that youre being watched., In the corner of your eye, you see a ghoulish figure that disappears as you turn to face it.. It is described in this subheading under "Alterations to Magic" on p. 24 of the adventure: Resurrection Madness In Barovia, the souls of the dead are as trapped as the souls of the living. 2023 Wizards. Death House comes with a beautiful map, but for a quick Halloween game, its faster to avoid all of the deliberations that occur whenever players see a selection of rooms for them to explore. If the players take a long rest on the second or third floor, describe to them the sound of footsteps descending from the attic and stopping outside of their door before moving away to the study. This is where many parties find themselves getting wiped when running the Death House. Thats awesome!! From the moment the party steps into the town, they'll get a great sense that nothing is right here. Castle Ravenloft is the home of Strahd Von Zarovich and is quite a terrifying location. So what purpose is there behind being a good person then? But be warned: few who enter are fated to leave. I never thought of that. The children that the party encounters on the road (Rose and Thorn) are asking for help dealing with whatever entity is inside the house. 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. You can have Rosavalda point that out, that they want to be where their parents are. 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.. 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! A big boss fight is coming up and you want the party to expend some resources, but still have some fight in them for the boss encounter! Death House is a meat grinder meant to kill low-level players. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-4','ezslot_24',145,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-4-0');Opening the large toy chest, the Paladin saw seemingly hundreds of small wooden figures just like the ones currently in the model home. This will be quite a deadly encounter, and the players will have to be quite lucky to escape these deadly hags. Its important to note that after exiting this place, its unlikely that the adventurers will visit it ever again. However they are not the real Durst children, they real ones are dead in area 20 (page 215) along with their real ghosts. NEXT: Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Online Tools For DMs. It was amazing. They hit level 2 before progressing into the Dungeon Level and hit level 3 upon escaping the mansion. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'tabletopjoab_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',126,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-banner-1-0');The Death House is meant for a group of four level 1 characters. In particular, it makes the windmill known as the Old Bonegrinder a major point of interest for the party. 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. I will definitely incorporate these ideas next time! This is a list of important bits of information, important locations and specific advice to run the different locations in the Death House. He's a postgraduate from Bournemouth University, having studied Scriptwriting. Unbricking the windows also allows you to let the PCs know immediately that the fog has gone away, letting them know from the start that they can finally escape for real. Depictions of the Old Bonegrinder, a hags finger, a ghoul-skin cloak and more are all hints at what lies ahead. By the end of the dungeon, the characters will be level 3. 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. If the PCs decide to take a long rest in the house, allow them to roll an Intelligence check to recall the relative safety of the Servants Quarters. Upon escaping to the outside, the house appears as if nothing ever happened. Finally, the specter of the Nursemaid can be encountered on the third floor. And they wont find something quite like that anytime soon. 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. You can also have Rose and Thorn possess random party members. Did you do anything differently? Be brave, dear reader, as you enter the haunted Durst Mansion. From gaming trends to the latest blockbuster anime, DualShockers keeps you ahead of the curve. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. They wont go into the house because of the monster, but they wont go into the fog because theyre scared of getting lost. The adventurers manage to put their spirits to rest and claim the room's loot. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Adventures From Candlekeep Mysteries. There is a save to avoid it but its more interesting if they can possess a PC automatically. Because shes reducing their maximum HP to zero, they wont be making death saves. Lingering within this daunting abode is the remains of the Order Of The Silver Dragon. The art style is fantastic, but the kids are possibly the creepiest thing in the book. They will be tempted by corrupting, evil, dark gifts that twist and mess with the characters. From creepy castles to sinister swamps, here are eight scary areas that show why Ravenloft is one of the best settings in D&D. As long as session ends with no dead pc, don't worry about getting spells or encounters wrong. Full Guide to Warlock Pact Boons in D&D 5e, The Legend of the Peasant Railgun in D&D 5e, Attack of Opportunity in D&D 5e Explained, Best Druid Spells By Level: A Top 10 List, I Had an AI Make a D&D Character (and it got really weird! Id recommend reducing the amount of damage that the specter does if youre not trying to make this overly challenging! 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! Well cover some of the changes that I make when Im running this dungeon for my groups later in this article. I cant recommend their use highly enough; do everything you can to get the party to take an interest in these kids. There, in the attic of the model, were 4 dolls: each depicting the various party members. I provided their flaws through PM, and both had a blast roleplaying it. Barovia becomes a tomb for all who end up there. As written, the nursemaid is not only a lethal character who could potentially destroy a 1st- or 2nd-level adventurer with fewhit points with her Life Drain ability, but shes also a horror trope the cast aside, wronged woman who returns as a vengeful ghost. Even (especially) the most ambitious of travelers have been crushed into dust by the horrors of this land. Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. Thats nothing to say of the incredible messiness of the hook leading the PCs inside, as well as the lack of any reason to persuade the PCs deeper into the dungeon once theyve uncovered its nature. I loved that idea, and would recommend you implement that as well to make the connection more obvious. The Curse of Strahd Companion is your comprehensive guide to running 5th Edition's greatest and grimmest campaign. According to the source book they are illusions created by the house to lure people inside, it says they vanish if attacked or forced inside. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews. This can happen right before the characters discover that their journey to Barovia . It is designed to introduce Curse Of Strahd, exploring its themes on a miniature scale, and is intended for level one players. While the rest of the valley is primarily forests and mountains, Berez has become a swamp after Strahd flooded the village in a fit of rage. [Bones of Saint Andral] (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/). Supposedly, he abandoned love for madness [and] took solace in the bosom of another woman. What of the nursemaids point of view? Id greatly recommend also checking out my article on running horror in your own D&D 5e games! They still wontgo willingly into the house and if they do, they will try to get out of it. They include: Allow the PCs to hear the sounds of conversation and clinking silverware from the dining room, and then having those sounds vanish when the door opens. I'm always a little disappointed that one of the family members isn't named Frederick. Im really loving the halloween content this year! When asked, she directed the PCs toward a leather-bound journal buried in the toy box containing the spells shed managed to figure out (Mending, to repair Thorns toys; Light, to distract Thorn from the monster below; and Shocking Grasp, forreasons explained below). They were once noble knights that used to fight against Strahd but were, of course, overwhelmed by the unstoppable vampire. Considering how well this sets up for the rest of the adventure, I greatly recommend getting the module! 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. You want this to be fun, scary, and challenging. You can let them know something is coming with smell and sounds. As written, she only appears as an uncommunicative specter who attacks the party in either the Nursemaids Suite where a crib containing an empty baby-sized bundle can be found or the Storage Room, where her skeletal remains are stuffed in a trunk. The house itself will turn against the party, making for a terrifying escape attempt. Few of those presented in this adventure, however, compare to the infamous Death House. Also theres a will bequeathing these properties to the Durst children. Also, as an important note, there are two major things that you absolutely should not do. 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. However, having already promised their help to the spirits of Rose and Thorn, the only way theyd be getting out is by finding what lies beneath the house. It is a very fun encounter against an enemy who cannot be beaten. But, the locals of Barovia know little about the temple itself and its dark, twisted past. All things considered, though, that might not be terribly long This is Barovia after all! Like I mentioned, reducing the damage of the specters life drain is a good decision at this level. 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. If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovia's encounters. 2023 Elven Tower Cartography. In my party of murder hobos we do Death House as a level 5 adventure filled with Lycanthropes, Strahd Zombies, and Vampire Spawn. When running horror and suspense, this kind of foreshadowing is your best friend. Required fields are marked *. Kitchen and Pantry.- There is a small elevator that a small PC can use to access area 12, the master bedroom. 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. If you start at level 2, Id say have them level up to 3 before they proceed into the Dungeon Level. 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. Luke also has a board game obsession, plays a bunch of D&D, and makes silly videos on YouTube. Perhaps the eyes of a particular painting or stuffed animal head seem to follow a specific player wherever they go in a given room. 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. 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! In my game, I gave Rose the personality of a sassy older sister who was fiercely protective of her younger brother. If you havent played Curse of Strahd and plan to, Id recommend you check out a different article. Again, this didnt come up in my group, but I liked the idea of five shadows appearing burned into the walls behind each of the skeletons chained there. You can really play on this unease to build up tension within the party, building it up until they are constantly on edge. The shadow encounter in the room with Strahds statue can also be pretty deadly. Where the Death House really stands out is its use of theme. 2023 Elven Tower Cartography. Recommended: I Had an AI Make a D&D Character (and it got really weird!). Maybe as a specter, she now desires vengeance more than anything else and mourns for her son. Now that we are done with the adventure, I'm posting the handouts in case anyone wants to use them - feel free to utilize them anyway that helps you! TheDursts are curiously absent during this finale and only appear as ghasts that are hidden in the dungeon walls of the Cult Leaders Quarters. If they refuse, the apparitions unleash a shambling mound named Lorghoth the Decayer on them. Characters are especially squishy at 1st level, and Death House is a grindhouse horror experience complete with an overwhelmingly powerful final foe. Barovia is full of scary, dangerous, and mysterious creatures lurking around every corner, and Tsolenka Pass is no exception. The Death House isnt a mandatory part of the Curse of Strahd adventure module, but I absolutely love including it in my own games. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. Not every spooky thing needs to have an explanation. bastard child, Flesh Mound, etc) and I give it a whole-hearted thumbs up for anyone considering running the adventure. Thats the foundation of storytelling for thousands of years! Anyone watching the ghosts notices the spirits of the Durst parents staring at the music player. They will close up on them leading them to the Village of Barovia. She can potentially one-shot any member of the party each turn with her Life Drain ability. 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. 15-18. joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the annoying underlined ads, and stupid interstitial ads!! All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. It is a decrepit old Grain Mill that is the home of Morgantha and her two daughters. register a sa forums account here! Death House is that deadly. The most vital regions are bolded. He is the Land." Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. Death House could even be played as a thrilling horror one-shot adventure.

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