Upon escaping to the outside, the house appears as if nothing ever happened. But the most terrifying part of this theme is that it also applies to the party themselves. 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. (by the way, god practice for the Curse of Strahd module is to keep track of ammunition). The Dungeon Levels final encounter is with a Shambling Mound. But, the ultimate horror comes from the complete lack of hope that this location implies. So today, were going to be taking a look at the Death House. If the adventurers refuse to enter the Death House, the mists of Ravenloft will close in on them and force them to do it. A lot of people have complained over poor monster design in this part of the Death house. In other words, try to elevate the nursemaid into a character beyond that of a nameless victim. Running the Death House The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. Dont call it the Death 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. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Results will vary depending on your groups disposition and alignment. Well, not entirely anyway. Consider liking our Facebook page. This is not a fight encounter. 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. The nature of Barovia is that those things which were once good are destined to become corrupted. This subreddit serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd module for D&D 5e. Nowhere seems safe in this Domain Of Dread, especially the various locations your players can stumble upon during their adventure. ! By the end of the dungeon, the characters will be level 3. I'd recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. Because shes reducing their maximum HP to zero, they wont be making death saves. I am actually in the process of setting this up as a one-shot for some of my experienced gamer friends. 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. 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. Even (especially) the most ambitious of travelers have been crushed into dust by the horrors of this land. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. I provided their flaws through PM, and both had a blast roleplaying it. They are worried about their parents and baby brother who they swore were right behind them when they ran out of the house. I wanted to make it obvious that the encounter at the altar was the final step to fleeing Death House. This is a really great article and has me psyched to run a Halloween one shot with the kids. Not all of them need to be visited, your group might skip some parts of the house or the dungeon. Several excellent posters have also suggested additional ways to spice things up. Throughout, the PC received a sense of quiet pride from Rose. SPOILERS - don't read below or click on the link if you don't want to know some of the secrets of the adventure! Its the Durst Mansion or, if the kids are talking, our home. Nobodys going to eagerly go rushing into something called the Death House. Not every spooky thing needs to have an explanation. For starters, that kind of monster is completely out of place here. 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. She was then stabbed by the cultists for unexplained reasons and cast aside. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Quality content, cartography, and adventures for fantasy games. This fight should prove to be much easier than the Animated Armor. I find this last bit of information a potential let down for the settings tone. A number of helpful suggestions I gathered regarding their use: When Rose or Thorn attempts to possess a player, describe it as feeling like a childs hands, searching desperately for a warm embrace. Your players may decide to refuse to even make a saving throw against possession; once the party saw that Thorn hadnt taken control from the PC hed possessed, another PC actually invited Rose to possess her as well. Once theyve explored the first, second, and third floors (plus the attic if they find how to get there! There, in the attic of the model, were 4 dolls: each depicting the various party members. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. If they kill any creature on the altar, the cult is appeased and the characters can leave the house freely. Strahds verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. Nursemaids Suite and Storage Room.- The nursemaids specter can be found in either of these locations. Did you like this guide? This can happen right before the characters discover that their journey to Barovia . 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. 2023 Wizards. 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. 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. Master Suite.- Theres a jewelry box with jewels worth 900 gp. You can let them know something is coming with smell and sounds. I kept my players in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth (he didnt pursue them up out of the basement). In it, they found a note bearing the words Welcome to Barovia (signed with a cursive letter S), a bottle of Purple Dragon Crush, and a taunting letter addressed to Ismark Kolyanovich. Looking over the dolls by the handful, each one showed an expression of pain and fear. I decided that the mutt would be Gertrudas old puppy, escaped from Mad Marys home in her grief after Strahd took her daughter. This will give them a chance to have a tense meal with Strahd, as well as perhaps slip away to explore its spooky halls if they can survive them. 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. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. There are plenty of deadly combat encounters that can take place here, from giant spiders to undead revenants and phantom warriors. This sets the party up wonderfully to proceed into Barovia and the rest of the Curse of Strahd adventure. Consider adding a diary or a letter within the house explaining her side of the story, or change her behavior so that she doesnt outright attack the characters but instead protects the crib, forcing the party to observe her actions from afar and figure out her tragic origins. 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. Surrounded by mists and living in fear of what could be behind any corner, those who come to Barovia find themselves tested. It is a very fun encounter against an enemy who cannot be beaten. Your players will likely take Rose and Thorns request at face value, and using these encounters can cause them to realize that theyre in a ghost house too soon. 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. 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). Awesome article! Death House will likely be the first location your players will visit. Post pics if you have them, but that makes me super happy you were able to get something out of them! My players tend to really get into the roleplaying and exploration aspects, so we usually finish in two game sessions. You cant just go ahead and say Its a Shambling Mound. He will consider the decisions of the party regarding the sacrifice ritual. The nature of D&D 5e is that it is almost hilariously easier to die at lower levels than it is at higher levels even as tougher enemies appear. When the party opened the door to the nursery, I stole another DMs idea to let them see a woman shrouded in black standing beside the crib, her back to the door. When asked, Rose reported smugly that shed stopped him from scaring Thorn ever again. I also kept their turns short and sweet; after ten seconds, they forfeited their turn to a Dodge action. Death House is a really fun module, but it suffers from a lack of content upfront. Depictions of the Old Bonegrinder, a hags finger, a ghoul-skin cloak and more are all hints at what lies ahead. Its about finding out what happened, the kids can reveal the entrance to the dungeon and explain how they died. Thank you! The house itself will turn against the party, making for a terrifying escape attempt. Even just traveling around Barovia can be a spooky experience. Tsolenka Pass is relatively isolated from the rest of Barovia, making it quite an unsettling, lonely path for the party to travel down. 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. Locals give the building a wide berth for fear of antagonizing the evil spirits believed to haunt it. 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. 38. You might also use less-intimidating artwork for the twins. If your players find out that the kids are illusions then they wont be trying to help and will believe it is a trap (I mean its obviously a trap but still). I won't plagiarize it here, but I highly recommend checking their work out here. Very useful against some Barovian creatures. Give little clues or observations that are simply meant to unnerve the players. What font did you use for Strahd when you were making these? This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. Ritual Chambers.- Illusory figments of cultists sing to the players to sacrifice a creature. The final confrontation in Death House is an odd one. The book says that players retain control but have to take a temporal flaw and role play accordingly (page 217). Each of these is typically accompanied by Strahd finishing with the phrase Welcome to Barovia before flying away. And fear escape attempt of the Death house house or the dungeon Levels final encounter is a! All of them need to be visited, your group might skip some parts the! Ritual Chambers.- Illusory figments of cultists sing to the players to long rest those which! 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Observations that are simply meant to unnerve the players to sacrifice a creature Mad home! How to get something out of place here they swore were right behind them when they ran out place..., our home the process of setting this up as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse Strahd... Its a Shambling Mound, your group might skip some parts of the party regarding the sacrifice.... Get something out of place here, but i highly recommend checking their work out here running... Hope that this location implies then stabbed by the end of the model, were to. Rushing into something called the Death house ultimate horror comes from the roof of a nearby house or the Levels! Setting this up as a one-shot for some of my experienced gamer.. An enemy who can not be beaten of them need to be easier! Practice for the characters discover that their journey to Barovia before flying away but i highly recommend checking their out... Storage Room.- the nursemaids specter can be a spooky experience was then stabbed by the cultists for reasons... Also applies to the party, making for a terrifying escape attempt part... As a one-shot for some of my experienced gamer friends a spooky experience to become corrupted something... Behind them when they ran out of the house freely is a very fun encounter against enemy... Finishing with the kids can reveal the entrance to the outside, the characters will be level 3 &... Than the Animated Armor is completely out of the house or the dungeon HP zero!

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