We ran this as a Halloween one shot a few years ago. 4. 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. Because shes reducing their maximum HP to zero, they wont be making death saves. This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. 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). 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. 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. Letter 3 is in the Basement master bedroom (where the ghosts are) - in the supplement, Mr Durst hung himself when he found out what his wife became. According to the book that works, but you might rule otherwise. 32. Depending on your group, and how roleplay heavy they are. 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. In my game, I gave Rose the personality of a sassy older sister who was fiercely protective of her younger brother. There are plenty of unsettling characters to socialize with here, including cultists and other mysterious inhabitants, to add to this pressure as well. Yes they are still illusions but appear too be real children and wont vanish. This kept them panicked, tense, and on their toes. 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. So what purpose is there behind being a good person then? Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done. 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. Den of Wolves.- There are two cabinets that can be lock picked, one of them contains a heavy crossbow, a light crossbow and 20 bolts. In any discussion about this dungeon, most people tend to fall pretty firmly into one of two camps. Strahd is aware of these events. 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. After exiting the house, the mists of Ravenloft recede and will let them explore the Village of Barovia. Also PCs will find the houses deed and a deed to the mill near Vallaki. The characters must first survive a grueling series of battles in the dungeon before emerging into a ritual chamber where the spirits of deceased cultists appear and urge them to make a sacrifice. 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. From gaming trends to the latest blockbuster anime, DualShockers keeps you ahead of the curve. These two made invaluable contributions to the session. Once theyve explored the first, second, and third floors (plus the attic if they find how to get there! The adventurers manage to put their spirits to rest and claim the room's loot. In particular, it makes the windmill known as the Old Bonegrinder a major point of interest for the party. Even (especially) the most ambitious of travelers have been crushed into dust by the horrors of this land. Nursemaids Suite and Storage Room.- The nursemaids specter can be found in either of these locations. In my game, I went one step further and made the kids amusingly clingy, yet vaguely self-aware. All the PCs can do is try to reach the first story and escape through the front door. I'd recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. But the most terrifying part of this theme is that it also applies to the party themselves. Even just traveling around Barovia can be a spooky experience. Be very careful with this encounter, narrative description of the monster is really important. Like I mentioned, reducing the damage of the specters life drain is a good decision at this level. The PCs might be in possession of some treasure, money and the deeds for two properties. Required fields are marked *. Luke also has a board game obsession, plays a bunch of D&D, and makes silly videos on YouTube. 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. One only has to do a quick internet search for Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the house has inflicted. 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). She can potentially one-shot any member of the party each turn with her Life Drain ability. It was great. He will consider the decisions of the party regarding the sacrifice ritual. Oooh this is actually really neat, love the little modifiers you added. Not only will they encounter flame skulls, deadly traps, and a lich, but there is also the chance for your players to be corrupted by the pure evil confined within the Amber Vaults. PCs will recognize the children. For inspiration, consider Gustav Dursts reasoning for the affair in a letter from Strahd that can be found in the Secret Room. They will sing to wake up Lorghoth the Decayer, a Shambling Mound hiding in the southernmost alcove. Anyone watching the ghosts notices the spirits of the Durst parents staring at the music player. ), The Themes of the Death House in Curse of Strahd. In other words, try to elevate the nursemaid into a character beyond that of a nameless victim. When a player crossed the path of the mirror in the nursemaids suite after the specter had been defeated/fled from, the image of the (human) nursemaid appeared in the glass. I advice to treat these children like a simulacrum-like spell. 12. The dcor, letters that can be found, and mentions of specific places give you ways to tie the Death House in with Barovia as a whole. When the party goes to escape, the house itself will be attacking them. The most important is the silvered shortsword in 25E (page 218). It was amazing. But, this is Strahd's home, and the battle will not be easy. This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players. Thats the foundation of storytelling for thousands of years! Then you can narrate how, as the adventurers run through the dungeon towards the exit, the putrid mass of decay rolls behind them, consuming all behind. Back in the Olden days we would play Judges Guild's 'Tegel Manor' for Halloween DnD'ing. The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. 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. So we just started Death House and while in the Upper Basement my players found the statue of Strahd. In fact, the more good something is, the more it must be corrupted. Hey dude, where are letter 2 and 3 in death house? What font did you use for Strahd when you were making these? (by the way, god practice for the Curse of Strahd module is to keep track of ammunition). Two ghosts can easily kill a level 1 party, however they are not aggressive and even if a fight starts, the two children are more likely to flee than to attack. Thorn thought the game was amusing and wanted to give his new Paladin friend one of his toys. The first is a set of Animated Armor that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs. It can be quite a puzzle to navigate, with many deadly rooms and events to encounter throughout. When my PCs refused the cult, I first described the house quaking above them, with dirt sifting down through the rafters. The GUIDE index for Curse of Strahd and other related articles can be found here ! Give little clues or observations that are simply meant to unnerve the players. The most vital regions are bolded. If the PCs damage anything (the chairs, the wallpaper, etc.) They were once noble knights that used to fight against Strahd but were, of course, overwhelmed by the unstoppable vampire. Nowhere seems safe in this Domain Of Dread, especially the various locations your players can stumble upon during their adventure. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. Far from the villages and towns of the valley, there is not much safety around this location. Thank you! However if you wish to start from level 1, the attached dungeon crawl Death House is a great tool to level the party up, set the tone of the campaign and introduce a few clues and facts about the realm. The doors are replaced by slashing scythe-blades, the inner walls are filled with swarms of rats, rooms with ovens or fireplaces are filled with choking poisonous smoke, and the outer walls and windows are bricked up and impervious to damage. The other cabinet only has a deck of ordinary cards and some wine glasses. Heading further up Mount Ghakis, it is also freezing cold at night. If an entire army of Knights could not defeat Strahd, what hope does your party have? Someone recommended that the ghasts of the Durst Parents be concealed behind their own portraits, rather than just dirt walls. This fight should prove to be much easier than the Animated Armor. That said, Death House can be a brutal experience. 31. Players destroyed the statue of Strahd at Death House. Almost parallels Death house. 29. 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. 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. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. We called it "The Curse of the Murderous Mansion.". Theres a third baby in the picture in the fathers arms, Mrs. Durst looks at the baby with scorn. 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. I generally start my games at level 3. Depictions of the Old Bonegrinder, a hags finger, a ghoul-skin cloak and more are all hints at what lies ahead. Did you like this guide? 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. It's all important, because it also teaches the players to pay attention to the environment. Where the Death House really stands out is its use of theme. Part-time Druid, Full-time Hobo. 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 Curse of Strahd Companion is your comprehensive guide to running 5th Edition's greatest and grimmest campaign. It is designed to introduce Curse Of Strahd, exploring its themes on a miniature scale, and is intended for level one players. 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. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. To get around this problem, turn Rose and Thorn into NPCs with big personalities that your players will want to help. The four ghouls in the basement can make for a pretty devastating encounter, even against a party of level-twos. The shadow encounter in the room with Strahds statue can also be pretty deadly. People either absolutely love it or hate it! The knights are now consumed by rage and hatred for Strahd and will attack all that enter the manor. We also replace the shambling mound with a Blood Hulk! 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. Copyright Finally, the specter of the Nursemaid can be encountered on the third floor. S and Z), while the rest of the lower case letters were the same font as the body of the letter: Abuget. 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. 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. 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. Very useful against some Barovian creatures. My players tend to really get into the roleplaying and exploration aspects, so we usually finish in two game sessions. They were wearing the exact same gear but seemed to not have their faces painted on. 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. The nature of Barovia is that those things which were once good are destined to become corrupted. 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. The tension of sneaking up to her hut and witnessing what she does within it will really mess with your players. Suggestions to alleviate the deadliness. "Death House" will run your player characters through levels 1-3 if they survive. Shadowrun: Astral Ways (Sixth World Setting Book), Star Trek Adventures MISSION PDF 022 Eight Layers Deep, BattleTech: Recognition Guide: ilClan Vol. She mimicked the PCs movements perfectly, save for her eyes, which always remained terrified. But, the ultimate horror comes from the complete lack of hope that this location implies. 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. Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. The house itself will turn against the party, making for a terrifying escape attempt. 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. There are 38 locations in the Death House. 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