Yes they are still illusions but appear too be real children and wont vanish. Theres a third baby in the picture in the fathers arms, Mrs. Durst looks at the baby with scorn. I kept my players in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth (he didnt pursue them up out of the basement). Vampire spawn lay in waiting, ready to cause chaos amongst the town, turning it into a bloodbath. As adventurers reach the top of the attic, they will find themselves in an aggressive place, they house is trying to kill them (page 220). With Death House, you'll need to take time in each room, describing the blazing hearths, the strange wolf-helm armor, everything. Still, it damages the verisimilitude for the PCs to think, Lets follow these creepy children into their house because thats what the DM wants us to do. Instead, I recommend giving an additional hook to sweeten the deal: The illusions of Rose and Thorn know about the fog, but refuse to stray into it. Its the Durst Mansion or, if the kids are talking, our home. Nobodys going to eagerly go rushing into something called the Death House. 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? This also triggered the wonderful One Must Die encounter. Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done. All this can be achieved in 6-10 hours of playing. The house is not at all that dangerous if your players pick the right choices. Its important to note that after exiting this place, its unlikely that the adventurers will visit it ever again. The goal is to lure the party into the house. 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. Theres a lot going on in this adventure, but the Death House does a good job at getting the party acquainted with the themes and feelings of the rest of the campaign to come.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'tabletopjoab_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_25',146,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); I cant say that its perfect for every group. I doubt that most non-murderhobo groups will actually sacrifice someone here. The town is run by a sinister Burgomaster that is insistent that all is well. They also tried to find other houses in the fog, but quickly realized that they were being railroaded inside once the constitution/exhaustion checks started. 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. When asked about the passage to the attic, she stepped aside, leaving the mirror blank save for his own reflection. This fight should prove to be much easier than the Animated Armor. Perhaps she legitimately loved Gustav and hoped to free him from the cults influence. Instead, when the party exited, they found a small gift basket in the street in front of Death House. Jeremy Blum (@PixelGrotto) is a journalist, gaming blogger, comic book aficionado, and fan of all forms of storytelling who rolled his first polyhedral dice while living in Hong Kong in 2017. Once the party encounters Rose and Thorns ghosts in the Childrens Room, theyll no doubt remember the illusions that tricked them and demand some answers. The children that the party encounters on the road (Rose and Thorn) are asking for help dealing with whatever entity is inside the house. This site works best with JavaScript enabled. 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. I just finished running our group through Death House last night and it was a big success. Maybe as a specter, she now desires vengeance more than anything else and mourns for her son. Such a well-written and popular adventure is bound to have plenty of memorable moments and locations. Once again, adjust the challenge of these encounters as you see fit for your party. 5 Tips for Running the Death House One-Shot From Curse of Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die Tonight! 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. 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. Tabletop Joab 2023 | All Rights Reserved. Make sure you follow the rest of this Curse of Strahd DM Guide. The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. Rose and Thorns parents would surely be happy to pay the party for saving them! introduction to the bleak and despair-filled land of Barovia. Obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons and a close personal friend of Pocket (an interdimensional teleporting ferret). The GUIDE index for Curse of Strahd and other related articles can be found here ! The most vital regions are bolded. Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. She deserves more development, especially in a stripped-down Death House emphasizing the evil nature of the Dursts. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Death House is actually a very challenging dungeon. You can see the tendrils grip on the walls tighten with crushing force. The PCs have the hallways width to their favor, as its a natural funnel. 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. ), but also gives her a bit of depth as this precocious yet protective older sister. Wizards of the Coast has given us the free adventure Death House to play at home last week as a preview of the Curse of Strahd book coming out this month. 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. The go-to source for comic and superhero movie fans. 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. Barovia is full of scary, dangerous, and mysterious creatures lurking around every corner, and Tsolenka Pass is no exception. 6.Upper Hall.- Theres a portrait of the Durst family. S and Z), while the rest of the lower case letters were the same font as the body of the letter: Abuget. Oh, Death House. She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. She can potentially one-shot any member of the party each turn with her Life Drain ability. 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. We called it "The Curse of the Murderous Mansion.". 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. The Count's Crypt. 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. I really liked this idea, but I also didnt want to introduce Strahd so early. Players destroyed the statue of Strahd at Death House. 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. 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. Posted by Joab | Sep 11, 2021 | For Dungeon Masters | 9. 31. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Most likely there will be no sacrifice, which will anger the illusory cultists. 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 a new DM don't worry about getting things wrong. When the party tries to leave the house, Rose and Thorn do not let them. We also replace the shambling mound with a Blood Hulk! If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovia's encounters. Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. 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. What has been your experience with the Death House? Pretty spoopy. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. Running Curse of Strahd. It was great. For instance, the shrine devoted to Strahd oozes atmosphere, and if you have gnomes or other Small characters in your party, utilizing the dumbwaiter is a fun way of having them scout ahead. Theres no shortage of fantastic adventure modules available for D&D 5e. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Quality content, cartography, and adventures for fantasy games. 15-18. It is also included in the Curse of Strahd adventure module on page 211 under Appendix B. 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. You are also setting the scene for a probably unwinnable fight. 29. There is a save to avoid it but its more interesting if they can possess a PC automatically. Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. By the end of the dungeon, the characters will be level 3. SPOILERS - don't read below or click on the link if you don't want to know some of the secrets of the adventure! 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. 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. 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. Death House will likely be the first location your players will visit. I'm hosting my second ever session tonight and my party will be heading into the dungeonhave I missed something? You cant just go ahead and say Its a Shambling Mound. When Death House is rejected, it gets mad. That said, Death House can be a brutal experience. This chapter overhauls the Ruins of Berez chapter. One only has to do a quick internet search for Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the house has inflicted. Part-time Druid, Full-time Hobo. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. 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! Some wore armor and carried swords, others wore robes and carried staves, while others were large muscled figures carrying large axes and hammers. Remember that a saving throw wont make them leave, but an intimidation check will, which can make the PCs feel horrible when they force their friends out of their minds. The party will attack them. Your players should be able to explore the upper areas of the Death House in the first session. If they kill any creature on the altar, the cult is appeased and the characters can leave the house freely. Or just go to r/curseofstrahd (unless you are my players). The party is expected to take them at face value and enter the house as soon as possible. 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. 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. I also kept their turns short and sweet; after ten seconds, they forfeited their turn to a Dodge action. Depending on your group, and how roleplay heavy they are. 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. Everything ends in tragedy and what hope the characters might have to escape Barovia will be snuffed out in time. Which makes for a really fast way to level up from level 1 to 3. Shadowrun: Astral Ways (Sixth World Setting Book), Star Trek Adventures MISSION PDF 022 Eight Layers Deep, BattleTech: Recognition Guide: ilClan Vol. 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. 8 Real-Life Skills Youll Develop By Playing D&D, 12 Monsters That Will Instantly Kill Characters, 7 Types of D&D Players You Will Have In Your Group, 9 Powerful Tips to Engage Players in Your D&D Game. 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.). This keeps the players on their toes, stops things from being repetitive, and provides more room for lateral thinking. Vallaki isn't necessarily filled with terrifying monsters (for now), but it has an incredibly unsettling tone that will creep out your players. 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. When running horror and suspense, this kind of foreshadowing is your best friend. Your group might choose to fight it and risk death. Thats the foundation of storytelling for thousands of years! 9. 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. This is better because you never say the monster name, avoiding metagame knowledge. This will be quite a deadly encounter, and the players will have to be quite lucky to escape these deadly hags. They double back to the one unexplored section of this dungeon level and descend a long stone staircase into darkness. After exiting the house, the mists of Ravenloft recede and will let them explore the Village of Barovia. Childrens Room .- The remains of Rose and Thorn are here. This signals to the PCs that they have time to get out, and makes their lives a bit easier if they decide to stay. Well look over those now. She was then stabbed by the cultists for unexplained reasons and cast aside. Required fields are marked *. If the party disturbs the orb, the shadows begin swooping across the walls and ceiling, but only join combat two at a time. 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). 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. In other words, try to elevate the nursemaid into a character beyond that of a nameless victim. 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. This is a difficult fight too. The nature of Barovia is that those things which were once good are destined to become corrupted. This video discusses the death house dungeon encounter disasters that you want to avoid in the curse of strahd adventure for dungeons & dragons 5e. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came . Nothing will prepare your players for what lurks inside. The Best Books That EVERY DM NEEDS To Read! Id greatly recommend also checking out my article on running horror in your own D&D 5e games! To get around this problem, turn Rose and Thorn into NPCs with big personalities that your players will want to help. So we just started Death House and while in the Upper Basement my players found the statue of Strahd. Copyright CoS proper has some deadly encounters, yes, but I think Death House as an introduction sets the wrong tone. Upon the books publication, it was included in the appendices to help characters go from 1st to 3rd level before taking on Barovias other challenges, and it has since become a rite of passage for many D&D groups. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. Thunk me later! 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. Recommended: I Had an AI Make a D&D Character (and it got really weird!). When I ran the adventure in October 2018 for Halloween, I quickly found my anxiety spiking as my unsuspecting group of 1st-leveladventurers proceeded to nearly get massacred at least five times in a row. Death House could even be played as a thrilling horror one-shot adventure. 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. ), its a good stopping point for your first session. The mists will dictate the places the party can visit. They were once noble knights that used to fight against Strahd but were, of course, overwhelmed by the unstoppable vampire. 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! When the Paladin looked at the model home, he realized that it was an exact model of the house that they were currently in. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. The PCs could hear her making gentle cooing sounds, and see her rocking the crib gently. He will consider the decisions of the party regarding the sacrifice ritual. 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.. Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. But be warned: few who enter are fated to leave. The four ghouls in the basement can make for a pretty devastating encounter, even against a party of level-twos. 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! A level 2party which has had no long rests and several tough fights will not win this fight without losing some PCs. Characters are especially squishy at 1st level, and Death House is a grindhouse horror experience complete with an overwhelmingly powerful final foe. If you start at level 2, Id say have them level up to 3 before they proceed into the Dungeon Level. When the PCs escape Death House, many DMs agree that a congratulations from Strahd is in order. Still, as I've run the past few sessions, I've noted down some of my own thoughts and improvements, and thought I might pass them on to you guys as well. Dress Up This October With This Month's Free Subscription Perks! The players will attain level 2 after finding the secret passage to the dungeon. If they arent seizing the chance to be heroes, appeal to their love of coin and youll have all the hook you need. 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. How did your sessions in Death House go? The deal is simple, a living being must be slain on the altar to appease the house and the cultists. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. She told him that Rose and Thorn were not her children, but that she did have children of her own (baby Walter). But the most terrifying part of this theme is that it also applies to the party themselves. 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 sizable treasure for a level 1 party. Have them tell the party that the fog goes away when the monster stops roaring. 2023 Elven Tower Cartography. For inspiration, consider Gustav Dursts reasoning for the affair in a letter from Strahd that can be found in the Secret Room. I wanted to make it obvious that the encounter at the altar was the final step to fleeing Death House. Ritual Chambers.- Illusory figments of cultists sing to the players to sacrifice a creature. What is it? 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. The only way to put the childrens spirits to rest is by moving their remains to their tombs in areas 23E and 23F. Far from the villages and towns of the valley, there is not much safety around this location. For starters, that kind of monster is completely out of place here. This probably explains why he loves story-driven games so much. 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. He's a postgraduate from Bournemouth University, having studied Scriptwriting. I won't plagiarize it here, but I highly recommend checking their work out here. When they'll get a good idea of how Barovia works. She sells Dream Pastries to the locals in the nearby village of Barovia but holds a sinister secret. 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. Be careful. The smoke worked great as a way to keep them moving. There is lots of foreshadowing for the story to come. The land is grim and desolate. Monster design is good, but we have to re-skin the description a bit. NEXT: Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Online Tools For DMs. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). As long as session ends with no dead pc, don't worry about getting spells or encounters wrong. In fact, the more good something is, the more it must be corrupted. joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the annoying underlined ads, and stupid interstitial ads!! 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.
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