If you do this, have the party level up once theyve escaped. The book says that players retain control but have to take a temporal flaw and role play accordingly (page 217). Well, not entirely anyway. Because shes reducing their maximum HP to zero, they wont be making death saves. Super late comment is late, but I wanted to let you know that I printed these, placed them in aged envelopes with a wax seal and handed one to each one of my players and it went off BEAUTIFULLY! If they kill any creature on the altar, the cult is appeased and the characters can leave the house freely. They will be tempted by corrupting, evil, dark gifts that twist and mess with the characters. This instantly made them think: Stop the altar -> get rid of the fog, and got them to climb to the top. Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done. Its the Durst Mansion or, if the kids are talking, our home. Nobodys going to eagerly go rushing into something called the Death House. Or jump from a balcony. Thank you for this. 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. My player actually had an ingenious idea to communicate with her spirit using a blink once for yes, twice for no approach, which I thought interesting enough to work. Required fields are marked *. Locals give the building a wide berth for fear of antagonizing the evil spirits believed to haunt it. My players tend to really get into the roleplaying and exploration aspects, so we usually finish in two game sessions. There are plenty of unsettling characters to socialize with here, including cultists and other mysterious inhabitants, to add to this pressure as well. Strahds verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. She deserves more development, especially in a stripped-down Death House emphasizing the evil nature of the Dursts. Always remember: horror is a very personal thing. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tabletopjoab_com-box-4','ezslot_8',128,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-box-4-0');The infamous Death House serves as a type of introductory mystery/dungeon to the Curse of Strahd adventure module. Also PCs will find the houses deed and a deed to the mill near Vallaki. Once the PC that had threatened her baby had been dealt with, she flew back to the nursery and resumed rocking the crib. In my game, I gave Rose the personality of a sassy older sister who was fiercely protective of her younger brother. 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. Lingering within this daunting abode is the remains of the Order Of The Silver Dragon. 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.. 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. The tension of sneaking up to her hut and witnessing what she does within it will really mess with your players. Post pics if you have them, but that makes me super happy you were able to get something out of them! 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. This probably explains why he loves story-driven games so much. 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. The only thing I personally disliked about that section is the 'after finale' where you're escaping. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. . This video discusses the death house dungeon encounter disasters that you want to avoid in the curse of strahd adventure for dungeons & dragons 5e. 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. THANK YOU SO MUCH. After using one of the adventure hooks (page 18), you have successfully steered the party to Barovia. They may come to Barovia expecting to be heroes, but the things that they will do and sacrifice for the sake of their own survival throughout the adventure will haunt them for the rest of their lives. According to the book that works, but you might rule otherwise. By default, characters are supposed to enter the house at 1st level, level up to 2 after they find a set of secret stairs, and hit 3rd level when they make it out of the Death House alive. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. 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. In fact, the more good something is, the more it must be corrupted. ), The Themes of the Death House in Curse of Strahd. At the very least, lower their hit points a bit. I will definitely incorporate these ideas next time! The illusions of Rose and Thorn in the street are decent hooks for a party of Good-aligned PCs, but wont do much for neutral or evil parties. We called it "The Curse of the Murderous Mansion.". They cannot be used commercially. A lot of good ideas to make the story flow. For starters, that kind of monster is completely out of place here. There are 38 locations in the Death House. Ghoulish Encounter.- Depending on the partys reaction to this, it can be a very lethal encounter. The Old Bonegrinder is a terrifying location that captures just how unsettling the domains of dread can be. If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovia's encounters. Dungeon m. AboutPressCopyrightContact. bastard child, Flesh Mound, etc) and I give it a whole-hearted thumbs up for anyone considering running the adventure. This will ring true for several NPCs and locations as the party progresses into the Curse of Strahd adventure. Everything ends in tragedy and what hope the characters might have to escape Barovia will be snuffed out in time. This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. This is a list of important bits of information, important locations and specific advice to run the different locations in the Death House. Upon escaping to the outside, the house appears as if nothing ever happened. And then level 3 after escaping the house. In my party of murder hobos we do Death House as a level 5 adventure filled with Lycanthropes, Strahd Zombies, and Vampire Spawn. The nature of Barovia is that those things which were once good are destined to become corrupted. It is also included in the Curse of Strahd adventure module on page 211 under Appendix B. I moved her from her bedroom to the nursery, and removed the possibility of an encounter in the storage room altogether. 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. When Death House is rejected, it gets mad. 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. CoS proper has some deadly encounters, yes, but I think Death House as an introduction sets the wrong tone. 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. When they'll get a good idea of how Barovia works. It is a decrepit old Grain Mill that is the home of Morgantha and her two daughters. Where the Death House really stands out is its use of theme. Darklords Shrine.- Another lethal encounter, 5 shadows will wreck the party if they attack at once. She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. 2023 Wizards. Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. 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. Oh, Death House. Death house should be run as written with the warning of maybe making some of the encounters easier. By the end of the Death House, there are three themes that should be firmly established in the players minds. If the party is reluctant, shine a little bit of gold their way. Honestly, few spooky things should have an explanation. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. With Death House, you'll need to take time in each room, describing the blazing hearths, the strange wolf-helm armor, everything. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Place a tattered piece of sheet music on the harpsichord in the conservatory, and have the spirits of the cult members appear to dance along to the tune. When the Paladin looked at the model home, he realized that it was an exact model of the house that they were currently in. So theres a certain level of are we going to play D&D? here. Its important to note that after exiting this place, its unlikely that the adventurers will visit it ever again. The go-to source for comic and superhero movie fans. Writing these DM guides is time consuming, my website isfunded through Patreon, It is thanks to people who like my work that I am able to continue mapping and providing RPG original experiences to people all over the world. What this means is that anyone can use them, share them or modify them. 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. There's a disappointing truth to Death Housethe prologue to Curse of Strahdand it's that it's alternative ending "The Cult is Denied" is just a dull series of rolls.Each character rolls against poisonous smoke. The link to MandyMods guide is above or right here: https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/8sfpkn/fleshing_out_curse_of_strahd_part_2_entering/. The Essential Books EVERY Game Master Should Read, Immersive Theatre Techniques for Game Masters, Turn & Destroy Undead in D&D 5e Explained, The Ultimate Guide to Warlock Patrons in D&D 5e. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Quality content, cartography, and adventures for fantasy games. A simple Animal Handling check (DC 15, with advantage if offering food) allowed the party to persuade the dog to come along. There are plenty of deadly combat encounters that can take place here, from giant spiders to undead revenants and phantom warriors. Created by the house to lure in victims, the illusions drop vague hints about a monster in the basement and the sins of their parents. 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. After exiting the house, the mists of Ravenloft recede and will let them explore the Village of Barovia. 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