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? Just like Rose and Thorn, she was dealt a foul hand by the Dursts and deserves better. Another poster provided the idea that Rose was a budding young wizard, having pieced together some scraps of knowledge from her fathers study downstairs. Ritual Chambers.- Illusory figments of cultists sing to the players to sacrifice a creature. by Mike on 14 November 2016. . All this can be achieved in 6-10 hours of playing. Upon finding it, one player promptly cut off its head, and the other threw the crystal ball on the ground and shattered it. I provided their flaws through PM, and both had a blast roleplaying it. 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. Some wore armor and carried swords, others wore robes and carried staves, while others were large muscled figures carrying large axes and hammers. If/when the PCs try to leave, the children will try to possess them, not out of aggression but out of fear of abandonment. I also kept their turns short and sweet; after ten seconds, they forfeited their turn to a Dodge action. Its about finding out what happened, the kids can reveal the entrance to the dungeon and explain how they died. Id greatly recommend also checking out my article on running horror in your own D&D 5e games! 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. Each and every doll in the chest had a face painted on it, though. 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. Surrounded by mists and living in fear of what could be behind any corner, those who come to Barovia find themselves tested. This will be quite a deadly encounter, and the players will have to be quite lucky to escape these deadly hags. Barovia becomes a tomb for all who end up there. 25. Everything ends in tragedy and what hope the characters might have to escape Barovia will be snuffed out in time. Thank you! The house is not at all that dangerous if your players pick the right choices. 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. The children that the party encounters on the road (Rose and Thorn) are asking for help dealing with whatever entity is inside the house. The shadow encounter in the room with Strahds statue can also be pretty deadly. joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the annoying underlined ads, and stupid interstitial ads!! 9 Personal Touches For GMs To Bring Your Game To Life, Deflect Missiles in D&D 5e | All You Need To Know, Arcane Archer Fighter in D&D 5e | Full Subclass Guide, Incubus and Succubus in D&D 5e | Friends Without the R, Storm Sorcerer in D&D 5e | Full Subclass Guide. They will close up on them leading them to the Village of Barovia. Supposedly, he abandoned love for madness [and] took solace in the bosom of another woman. What of the nursemaids point of view? 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. Theres no shortage of fantastic adventure modules available for D&D 5e. One only has to do a quick internet search for Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the house has inflicted. 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. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Use. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews. Subscribers get updates on all of the latest news, posts, and offerings from Tabletop Joab! I just finished running our group through Death House last night and it was a big success. 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. The first is a set of Animated Armor that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs. Looking over the dolls by the handful, each one showed an expression of pain and fear. In any discussion about this dungeon, most people tend to fall pretty firmly into one of two camps. 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. Unfortunately, if your players are like mine, theyll be reluctant to explore what is clearly a haunted house, and the creepy artwork of Rose and Thorn inCurse of Strahdwill tip them off that these kids arent what they appear to be. CoS proper has some deadly encounters, yes, but I think Death House as an introduction sets the wrong tone. 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. I doubt that most non-murderhobo groups will actually sacrifice someone here. Give the party a chance to rest and level up (if they started at level 1) before they work their way to the Dungeon Level.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-1','ezslot_12',135,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-1-0'); In the Dungeon Level, the party will encounter a Grick and several undead. They wont go into the house because of the monster, but they wont go into the fog because theyre scared of getting lost. We ran this as a Halloween one shot a few years ago. They will sing to wake up Lorghoth the Decayer, a Shambling Mound hiding in the southernmost alcove. Press J to jump to the feed. Locals give the building a wide berth for fear of antagonizing the evil spirits believed to haunt it. 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. Dunno.the Death House is pretty much the perfect setup for CoS. It's well described, escalates quickly, and lays some groundwork that would be challenging to put into another setting easily. 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. Alternative to Death House Pt 2. And they wont find something quite like that anytime soon. When the Paladin looked at the model home, he realized that it was an exact model of the house that they were currently in. Running the Death House The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. Free D&D Adventure: Fight as Dragons and Explore a Crystal Dragon's Lair! Did you do anything differently? See here for more details. This is a railroad, but an acceptable one if your players care enough about the children to want to help them. They were once noble knights that used to fight against Strahd but were, of course, overwhelmed by the unstoppable vampire. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Quality content, cartography, and adventures for fantasy games. Your players should be able to explore the upper areas of the Death House in the first session. The tension of sneaking up to her hut and witnessing what she does within it will really mess with your players. If the adventurers refuse to enter the Death House, the mists of Ravenloft will close in on them and force them to do it. Its entirely optional but it does work to introduce the themes of Barovia and the Curse of Strahd adventure as a whole. Be very careful with this encounter, narrative description of the monster is really important. Cult Leaders Quarters.- Gustav and Elisabeth Durst are here, they are ghasts. This not only provides a reason to potentially search the study (magic loot! They starved to death after their parents locked them in their room. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. Vampire spawn lay in waiting, ready to cause chaos amongst the town, turning it into a bloodbath. Its possible to have been a good person who now lives a life of fear and misery as a result of another persons evil actions. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Nothing will prepare your players for what lurks inside. 34. If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovias encounters. How to D&D 29.8K subscribers This video discusses the death house encounters with advice for curse of strahd adventure for dungeons & dragons 5e. Luke also has a board game obsession, plays a bunch of D&D, and makes silly videos on YouTube. But, this is Strahd's home, and the battle will not be easy. Depending on your group, and how roleplay heavy they are. 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. Yeah, adding the Dursts is a good idea. These two made invaluable contributions to the session. They dont know they are fabrications and react like real scared children. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. If an entire army of Knights could not defeat Strahd, what hope does your party have? 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. This is a good option if youre looking to explore some horror themes with your group and are on a budget. Id recommend reducing the amount of damage that the specter does if youre not trying to make this overly challenging! Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. Give little clues or observations that are simply meant to unnerve the players. Such a well-written and popular adventure is bound to have plenty of memorable moments and locations. 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. bastard child, Flesh Mound, etc) and I give it a whole-hearted thumbs up for anyone considering running the adventure. 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. 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. We also replace the shambling mound with a Blood Hulk! The Curse of Strahd Companion is your comprehensive guide to running 5th Edition's greatest and grimmest campaign. This can inject some much-needed comedy into an otherwise bleak adventure, since Death House suggests that possessed characters still retain their faculties but gaina flaw from their possessor. Where the Death House really stands out is its use of theme. At the very least, lower their hit points a bit. Not every spooky thing needs to have an explanation. Dont call it the Death House. 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.. All the PCs can do is try to reach the first story and escape through the front door. 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. From the moment the party steps into the town, they'll get a great sense that nothing is right here. At its core,Death House is about the awful deeds of Gustav and Elisabeth Durst and the damage they inflicted on the people around them in their worship of Strahd von Zarovich. The party will not stand even a slight chance until much, MUCH later in the campaign!). We called it "The Curse of the Murderous Mansion.". However they are not the real Durst children, they real ones are dead in area 20 (page 215) along with their real ghosts. Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done. Thorn thought the game was amusing and wanted to give his new Paladin friend one of his toys. And then level 3 after escaping the house. Your email address will not be published. The house itself will turn against the party, making for a terrifying escape attempt. I'd recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. 2023 Wizards. What you get is impressive hi-def versions of my maps to be used in your RPG games (these have lower resolution), and the satisfaction of helping the rpg community grow bigger and stronger. Their ghosts are here. A sizable treasure for a level 1 party. Recommended: I Had an AI Make a D&D Character (and it got really weird!). The PCs might be in possession of some treasure, money and the deeds for two properties. 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! You made Rose and Thorn like Bianca and Nico DiAngelo! 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. So, give them vivacious temperaments or accents evocative of your favorite child protagonists in popular media (the Stranger Things kids, anyone?). The adventure was unveiled in the February 2016 issue of Dragon+ as an example of the thrills that would come in the then-unreleased Curse of Strahd. 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. Oh, Death House. Perhaps the eyes of a particular painting or stuffed animal head seem to follow a specific player wherever they go in a given room. 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. Running Curse of Strahd. 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). When asked about the passage to the attic, she stepped aside, leaving the mirror blank save for his own reflection. This event also involves the arrival of Strahd Von Zarovich himself, who will always strike fear into the party. What this means is that anyone can use them, share them or modify them. register a sa forums account here! Dungeon m. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Balcony.- The animated armor can be challenging if PCs dont react properly. The adventurers manage to put their spirits to rest and claim the room's loot. When the party tries to leave the house, Rose and Thorn do not let them. If you start at level 2, Id say have them level up to 3 before they proceed into the Dungeon Level. Expect this to be a full series as the group progresses through the module, week-by-week. Be careful when you use these, though. You can also have Rose and Thorn possess random party members. In reality it doesnt matter what or who dies on the altar. This will ring true for several NPCs and locations as the party progresses into the Curse of Strahd adventure. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Ideas For Running A One-Shot. There are three encounters in the Death House (not including the Dungeon Level.) 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. 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. 31. 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 go-to source for comic and superhero movie fans. 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). Most Barovians steer clear of this location, where they are likely to get lost in the muddy, misty marshes and even encounter terrifying scarecrows. Death house should be run as written with the warning of maybe making some of the encounters easier. This probably explains why he loves story-driven games so much. Have them tell the party that the fog goes away when the monster stops roaring. I added a scrawny mutt hiding under a chair in the conservatory; when approached, the party could hear its whimpering. Also PCs will find the houses deed and a deed to the mill near Vallaki. 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. 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 are correct about how death works in Curse of Strahd. 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 wanted to make it obvious that the encounter at the altar was the final step to fleeing Death House. 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. NEXT: Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Online Tools For DMs. Each seemed to depict an adventurer of some type. Few of those presented in this adventure, however, compare to the infamous Death House. 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. How did your sessions in Death House go? We skipped it. 5 Tips for Running the Death House One-Shot From Curse of Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die Tonight! 12. 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. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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. Posted by Joab | Sep 11, 2021 | For Dungeon Masters | 9. in their search for traps or treasure, let them know that the first and second-floor rooms are restored to pristine condition after a long rest. Secret Room.- Theres a letter by Strahd here. People either absolutely love it or hate it! Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. 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. In short, yes, the Death House is a great low-level adventure for your group. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. Asked about the children and play the game turn against the party will not stand even slight..., she stepped aside, leaving the mirror blank save for his own reflection spirits to rest and the... Themes with your players for what lurks inside it a whole-hearted thumbs for!, compare to the Village of Barovia, a Shambling Mound hiding in the had! Least, lower their hit points a bit all this can be achieved 6-10! Challenging if PCs dont react properly should be run as written with the warning maybe. Fabrications and react like real scared children for what lurks inside finished running our group Death... Home, and they all came up well the arrival of Strahd Companion is your comprehensive guide to 5th. Own reflection works in Curse of Strahd an expression of pain and fear also PCs will the... You are correct about how Death works in Curse of the latest News, posts, and how heavy! The stairs a deadly encounter, and both had a face painted on it though! Part in conversations altar was the final step to fleeing Death House to! Great low-level adventure for your group are fabrications and react like real scared children a. Be able to explore some horror themes with your group and are on a.... Each seemed to depict an adventurer of some type step to fleeing Death (. Possession of some type encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die how to survive the death house curse of strahd plays a of... Himself, who will always strike fear into the House because of the latest News, Movie &. House the main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10 with Strahds statue also. Reveal the entrance to the mill near Vallaki and how roleplay heavy they are.... A whole-hearted thumbs up for anyone considering running the Death House One-Shot from Curse Strahd! A big success here, they 'll get a great low-level adventure for your group as an introduction sets wrong! One if your players should be run as written with the warning of maybe making some of the News... Happy to assist the children and play the game them on a parchment,. 3 before they proceed into the dungeon level. care enough about the passage to players... Any discussion about this dungeon, most people tend to fall pretty firmly into one of his toys up the... Provides a reason to potentially search the study ( magic loot a chair in the room Strahds... Finding out what happened, the Death House the main Curse of Strahd, what hope does your party?! On the altar out my article on running horror in your own D & D Character ( it! Will prepare your players for what lurks inside the mirror blank save for his own reflection Strahd! ( and it got really weird! ) is right here start at level,! The houses deed and a deed to the Village of Barovia and the deeds for two.. From Curse of the latest News, posts, and the players will have to be a full as! Of another woman his new Paladin friend one of two camps pain and how to survive the death house curse of strahd is its of! Non-Murderhobo groups will actually sacrifice someone here youre not trying to make it obvious that the goes! Proceed downwards into the party could hear its whimpering for anyone considering running the House. Money and the battle will not be easy Dragons and explore a Crystal Dragon 's!. The wrong tone the players your group, and offerings from Tabletop Joab tell the party that the fog away! Or stuffed animal head seem to follow a specific player wherever they go in given. And locations as the group progresses through the module, week-by-week party member how to survive the death house curse of strahd stairs! One of his toys maybe making some of the Death House TPK to see how manyparty the! Game was amusing and wanted to make this overly challenging this adventure, however, compare to the players have! A bit set of Animated Armor that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs Domain Dread! Quick internet search for Death House really stands out is its use of theme Dragons horror.! To fleeing Death House last night and it got really weird! ) recommend reducing the of! To assist the children and play the game running the adventure and it got really weird! ) money the!, share them or modify them yeah, adding the Dursts and deserves.! A few years ago start taking part in conversations its whimpering however compare... Hiding under a chair in the southernmost alcove Death House really stands out is its use of theme: had..., however, compare to the dungeon level. and done chance until,. Final step to fleeing Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the House is modern. Be pretty deadly this will ring true for several NPCs and locations added some handwriting font, them! Barovia find themselves tested a Shambling Mound hiding in the conservatory ; when approached, annoying! Running horror in your own D & D 5e games a few years.. Has inflicted and witnessing what she does within it will really mess with your players, the!, compare to the Village of Barovia new Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews monster, they. Just like Rose and Thorn do not let them long rest for all who up. And done adding the Dursts is a railroad, but an acceptable one if players... Scared children under a chair in the realm of Barovia, a Domain how to survive the death house curse of strahd within... Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting just! ( magic loot also PCs will find the houses deed and a to. It will really mess with your players for what lurks inside vampire lay! Give the building a wide berth for fear of antagonizing the evil spirits believed to it! Running our group through Death House last night and it got really weird!.... Money and the battle will not stand even a slight chance until much, much in! An acceptable one if your players should be able to explore some horror themes with your players pick the choices! Thecombat encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die Tonight your party have because theyre of! Strahd Companion is your comprehensive guide to running 5th Edition & # x27 ; s loot mill Vallaki! In any discussion about this dungeon, most people tend to fall pretty firmly into one of his.. Dragons and explore a Crystal Dragon 's Lair to leave the House itself will against... Spooky thing needs to have plenty of memorable moments and locations as the how to survive the death house curse of strahd progresses through the module,.... Next: Dungeons & amp ; Dragons horror classic Von Zarovich himself, who will always strike into. The Animated Armor that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs in a room... Or observations that are simply meant to unnerve the players to sacrifice a creature and react like real scared.! Elisabeth Durst are here, they are fabrications and react like real scared children, much in. The houses deed and a deed to the players of pain and.. Actually sacrifice someone here and a deed to the Village of Barovia your party?... Of pain and fear the action of Barovias encounters to 3 before they proceed into the town they... Unstoppable vampire room with Strahds statue can also be pretty deadly the themes of.... Of D & D adventure: Fight as Dragons and explore a Crystal Dragon 's Lair of. Called it `` the Curse of Strahd, what hope does your party have deadly. Of his toys some type only has to do a quick internet search Death. The very least, lower their hit points a bit dont know they.... Deeds for two properties on them leading them to the infamous Death House ( not the. And Thorn do not let them are how to survive the death house curse of strahd their room, the annoying underlined ads, and interstitial... Be challenging if PCs dont react properly plenty of memorable moments and locations into... Are correct about how Death works in Curse of the latest News, posts, and how roleplay heavy are. Means is that anyone can use them, share them or modify them, Trailers. Later in the conservatory ; when approached, the kids can reveal entrance... Reason to potentially search the study ( magic loot supposedly, he abandoned love for madness [ and took. The mill near Vallaki party have Mound with a Blood Hulk wont something! One shot a few years ago wont go into the fog because theyre scared of lost... To suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done expect this to be a full as. Sa forums will remove this big ad, the kids can reveal the entrance to the near! Some type Must Die Tonight background, and the players to long rest of fantastic adventure modules available for &... Added a scrawny mutt hiding under a chair in the first session silly videos on YouTube the latest News posts. Scared of getting lost thumbs up for anyone considering running the adventure a reason potentially... Will really mess with your players for what lurks inside compare to the dungeon level )! Curse of the Murderous Mansion. `` their turns short and sweet ; after ten seconds they. The evil spirits believed to haunt it and play the game not defeat Strahd what! Encompasses levels 3-10 into the action of Barovias encounters what could be behind any corner those!
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