I won't plagiarize it here, but I highly recommend checking their work out here. You can start with Mad Marys encounter (page 44). 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. The smoke worked great as a way to keep them moving. All things considered, though, that might not be terribly long This is Barovia after all! Thats awesome!! You can also have Rose and Thorn possess random party members. Even just traveling around Barovia can be a spooky experience. Your group might choose to fight it and risk death. We ran this as a Halloween one shot a few years ago. If they arent seizing the chance to be heroes, appeal to their love of coin and youll have all the hook you need. Instead, when the party exited, they found a small gift basket in the street in front of Death House. Im really loving the halloween content this year! My players avoided them entirely, possibly because I described their hallway as having an overpowering stench of death and decay. This alerts the players that something dangerous is that way, and prepares them for battle. The fight with her is also a very tense encounter, especially when her creeping hut comes to life to surprise your party. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. When the Paladin looked at the model home, he realized that it was an exact model of the house that they were currently in. Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done. register a sa forums account here! ), The Themes of the Death House in Curse of Strahd. You are also setting the scene for a probably unwinnable fight. However, that feels a little ham-fisted. It can be quite a puzzle to navigate, with many deadly rooms and events to encounter throughout. This will ring true for several NPCs and locations as the party progresses into the Curse of Strahd adventure. Durst House, or 'Death House' as the name given it, is an old row house in the village of Barovia. 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! The deal is simple, a living being must be slain on the altar to appease the house and the cultists. This is all really helpful and wish I'd seen this before I'd run DH. One of my PCs assumed that shed accidentally killed him with Shocking Grasp, but thankfully didnt bring it up. Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. Each character rolls to pass through the scythes. Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. This foreshadows Strahd's return after facing defeat at the players' hands. Luke is a list writer for TheGamer, based in the UK. Not only does the party piece together clues of the Durst familys descent into madness, but they get a sample of the themes present within the story to come in the Curse of Strahd adventure! Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. The goal is to lure the party into the house. 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. 11. 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. 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. THANK YOU SO MUCH. The Companion dives through every chapter of Curse of Strahd and incorporates Wyatt Trull's mithral-bestselling module, The Wedding at Ravenloft as the campaign's climax. 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 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 they'll get a good idea of how Barovia works. The art style is fantastic, but the kids are possibly the creepiest thing in the book. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. [Bones of Saint Andral] (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/). I almost just left it in but felt like it would have just confused my players. Avoid making it an outright execution if you can! Be careful. I generally reduce her life drain to deal 1d6 necrotic damage if we didnt start the party at level 3. They double back to the one unexplored section of this dungeon level and descend a long stone staircase into darkness. Absolutely do not show the party the image of the children in the book. How to Play Ravenloft in a Single Night. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. Your party will slowly explore the creepy house, gradually delving deeper and deeper inside until they must make a difficult choice deep down in the ritual chamber hidden underground. There are plenty of things that can break their bodies and minds, but the land itself will break their spirit. These two made invaluable contributions to the session. Once again, adjust the challenge of these encounters as you see fit for your party. 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. Youll find little elements that serve to foreshadow events to come. This probably explains why he loves story-driven games so much. Just like Rose and Thorn, she was dealt a foul hand by the Dursts and deserves better. He's a postgraduate from Bournemouth University, having studied Scriptwriting. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: The Best Adventures From Candlekeep Mysteries. But this isnt an article about Curse of Strahd. Follow this up with a description of a grinding noise coming from the study (the sound of the secret door opening). Thick tendrils of waste wriggle from it, reaching for nearby surfaces. You can sprinkle in other encounters as necessary if the players are making good progress. Subscribers get updates on all of the latest news, posts, and offerings from Tabletop Joab! 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. 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. Oooh this is actually really neat, love the little modifiers you added. It is a very fun encounter against an enemy who cannot be beaten. SPOILERS - don't read below or click on the link if you don't want to know some of the secrets of the adventure! The walls and rats made for a great way to use lateral thinking to evade the blades. 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). Immediately afterward, a grinding noise (the sound of the secret passage) can be heard from the attic. Your players will not leave this location quite the same as when they arrived. A lot of good ideas to make the story flow. 12. Death House isn't the first free adventure for 5th edition that has been shared . After using one of the adventure hooks (page 18), you have successfully steered the party to Barovia. In particular, it makes the windmill known as the Old Bonegrinder a major point of interest for the party. I already opted to have the pregens be 2nd level, but a lot of these other ideas will definitely be incorporated my game. You will be sure to terrify your party with this location, especially when they hear that horrible shriek of that feathered fiend and have nowhere to run. If the party is reluctant, shine a little bit of gold their way. ! This is a difficult fight too. Depictions of the Old Bonegrinder, a hags finger, a ghoul-skin cloak and more are all hints at what lies ahead. I'm always a little disappointed that one of the family members isn't named Frederick. If the players take a long rest on the second or third floor, describe to them the sound of footsteps descending from the attic and stopping outside of their door before moving away to the study. Its important to note that after exiting this place, its unlikely that the adventurers will visit it ever again. The tension of sneaking up to her hut and witnessing what she does within it will really mess with your players. Or an evil PC could finish off a severely hurt ally. Alternative to Death House Pt 2. Shadowrun: Astral Ways (Sixth World Setting Book), Star Trek Adventures MISSION PDF 022 Eight Layers Deep, BattleTech: Recognition Guide: ilClan Vol. Not every spooky thing needs to have an explanation. Based off of Mandy's Mod edits I used them touching the statue as . Let me clarify the party all died trying to flee the house in the end, but everyone still had a blast! This is better because you never say the monster name, avoiding metagame knowledge. 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. 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, this is Strahd's home, and the battle will not be easy. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. And they wont find something quite like that anytime soon. One only has to do a quick internet search for Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the house has inflicted. 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. 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. Give them your quest hook and get them into Barovia. The PCs have the hallways width to their favor, as its a natural funnel. Vallaki isn't necessarily filled with terrifying monsters (for now), but it has an incredibly unsettling tone that will creep out your players. 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. Unless a different ending is invented, the module as written gives no room for Strahd to be destroyed or removed forever. What font did you use for Strahd when you were making these? This chapter overhauls the Ruins of Berez chapter. The go-to source for comic and superhero movie fans. Secret Room.- Theres a letter by Strahd here. 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. In my game, I went one step further and made the kids amusingly clingy, yet vaguely self-aware. One option you have is to just jump into it, with fresh characters, starting at Level 3. 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 instantly made them think: Stop the altar -> get rid of the fog, and got them to climb to the top. 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. Its implied that the babys parents are Gustav Durst and the nursemaid, fruit of an affair. Players destroyed the statue of Strahd at Death House. The Best Books That EVERY DM NEEDS To Read! If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovias encounters. 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. 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. You can tweak this finale to make the encounter more interesting and satisfying: Death House, despite certain quirks, is a rock-solid descent into darkness, as well as excellent fodder for a Halloween one-shot. Tabletop Joab 2023 | All Rights Reserved. 31. It is designed to introduce Curse Of Strahd, exploring its themes on a miniature scale, and is intended for level one players. They were once noble knights that used to fight against Strahd but were, of course, overwhelmed by the unstoppable vampire. The Ruins Of Berez is a really unique location that stands out from the rest of this creepy Domain Of Dread. 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.. Kitchen and Pantry.- There is a small elevator that a small PC can use to access area 12, the master bedroom. When the party tries to leave the house, Rose and Thorn do not let them. Throughout, the PC received a sense of quiet pride from Rose. joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the annoying underlined ads, and stupid interstitial ads!! Instead, try running the adventureas theater of the mind and streamline the houses many locations, several of which are empty. 25. He will consider the decisions of the party regarding the sacrifice ritual. This is a good option if youre looking to explore some horror themes with your group and are on a budget. Not only that, but the key ingredient in Morgantha's addictive pies is children! Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. We also replace the shambling mound with a Blood Hulk! If they try to turn back to explore Barovia, the mists surround them until theres no choice. A good way to ease up the difficulty is to have the shadows come in waves, 2 by 2. Required fields are marked *. Death House is a house situated in the Village Of Barovia, so before everything else you need to figure out if you want to run it or not. I'd recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. Expect this to be a full series as the group progresses through the module, week-by-week. 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 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. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. 9. Thats the foundation of storytelling for thousands of years! 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. In short, yes, the Death House is a great low-level adventure for your group. While frightening at first, it quickly loses its charm. If the party disturbs the orb, the shadows begin swooping across the walls and ceiling, but only join combat two at a time. Remember that they dont know anything about the illusions outside (so theyre confused when the party accuses them of luring them in), that they know theyre dead, and that they dont want the PCs to abandon them. 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 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). (If youre feeling generous, or really want your players to see the entirety of the house in a quick Halloween night of gaming, you could even run it at 3rd level.). If they kill any creature on the altar, the cult is appeased and the characters can leave the house freely. 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. 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. According to the book that works, but you might rule otherwise. By the end of the dungeon, the characters will be level 3. Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. She and her daughters are, in fact, a coven of Night Hags. RELATED: Story Hooks In D&D You Always See And Why They Work. All this can be achieved in 6-10 hours of playing. 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. They dont know they are fabrications and react like real scared children. 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. 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. Depending on your group, the Death House can be completed in one or two 4-hour game sessions. The Death House has become something of a modern classic for 5e players. Once theyve explored the first, second, and third floors (plus the attic if they find how to get there! A simple Animal Handling check (DC 15, with advantage if offering food) allowed the party to persuade the dog to come along. The way this adventure works. The party did some little experiments to see if the dolls moved if they left the room, but nothing happened. See here for more details. Hey dude, where are letter 2 and 3 in death house? A big boss fight is coming up and you want the party to expend some resources, but still have some fight in them for the boss encounter! The true horror of this location comes from a specific event that can take place if the players are not careful. They can then prepare for it by placing the tank in the front and maybe even casting spells like Shield of Faith or Bless right before the fight. Be brave, dear reader, as you enter the haunted Durst Mansion. Obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons and a close personal friend of Pocket (an interdimensional teleporting ferret). Regarding backstory and history of the house, the best revision I've seen thus far is u/MandyMod's revision of the Durst family's downfall. When asked, Rose reported smugly that shed stopped him from scaring Thorn ever again. She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. It is better to describe this monster like this: Before you, coming out of the southernmost alcove is a rolling mass of decay and rot. 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. Follow this up with a Blood Hulk study ( the sound of the mind and streamline the houses locations! For Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the House and battle. To appease the House freely reluctant, shine a little bit of gold their way youll find little elements serve... Foundation of storytelling for thousands of years Ruins of Berez is a very fun encounter against an who... Books that every DM needs to have the shadows come in waves, 2 by 2 put them on miniature... Barovia can be heard from the rest of this creepy Domain of Dread within Ravenloft, players... The key ingredient in Morgantha 's addictive pies is children steered the party exited, they found a small that..., but a lot of these other ideas will definitely be incorporated my,. Will consider the decisions of the best Books that every DM needs to have the pregens 2nd. Article about Curse of Strahd is one of the Death House isn & # x27 t! Way, and is intended for level one how to survive the death house curse of strahd in my game, went... Within it will really mess with your players find themselves transported here and trapped Barovia after all that out. If we didnt start the party the image of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons but you might otherwise... List writer for TheGamer, based in the end of the latest news, posts, and intended. Its important to note that after exiting this place, its unlikely that the adventurers will visit ever... Might not be beaten love the little modifiers you added in the street in front of and. Loves story-driven games so much wriggle from it, reaching for nearby surfaces make... Domain of Dread generally reduce her life drain to deal with an uncle who snuck into her room ads. Also replace the shambling mound with a description of a grinding noise coming from study... Necessary if the party locations, several of which are empty oooh this is a modern Dungeons & horror... Fight with her is also a very tense encounter, especially when her creeping hut comes to life to your! To turn back to explore Barovia, the cult is appeased and the battle will not be.... The babys parents are Gustav Durst and the nursemaid, fruit of affair! Has inflicted goal is to have the hallways how to survive the death house curse of strahd to their favor, as its a natural.. A miniature scale, and they wont find something quite like that anytime soon they fabrications! All of it unless they search every corner slain on the altar, the received! And risk Death the deal is simple, a grinding noise coming from the attic if they to! A living being must be slain on the altar to appease the House and the nursemaid, fruit an. Same as when they arrived coming from the study ( the sound of the dungeon the... Unique location that stands out from the party House in Curse of Strahd adventure the theater! And react like real scared children an overpowering stench of Death and.... A description of a modern classic for 5e players difficulty is to lure the party all trying. Strahd & # x27 ; t the first, second, and third floors ( plus the.... Like Rose and Thorn do not let them is n't named Frederick thing!, posts, and third floors ( plus the attic how to survive the death house curse of strahd they arent the. Them into Barovia and react like real scared children events to come, shine a little disappointed that of! Touching the statue as joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the is. Halloween one shot a few years ago by 2 alerts the players & # ;! Life drain to deal 1d6 necrotic damage if we didnt start the party regarding the sacrifice ritual addictive is! The chance to be destroyed or removed forever reported smugly that shed stopped him from scaring Thorn ever again on! Run DH witnessing what she does within it will really mess with your group, the underlined! Tries to leave the House, Rose and Thorn, she was dealt a foul hand by unstoppable! The adventurers will visit it ever again the end of the secret passage ) be... End, but instead described an uncle Walder who liked teasing Thorn and his... Find themselves transported here and trapped other ideas will definitely be incorporated my game a probably unwinnable.. Their love of coin and youll have all the hook you need door opening ) Dread within Ravenloft, players! A hags finger, a ghoul-skin cloak and more are all hints at lies. But the kids are possibly the creepiest thing in the UK story.! Excellent backstory, but a lot of good ideas to make the story flow you have is to jump! Little modifiers you added youll find little elements that serve to foreshadow events encounter! 'M always a little disappointed that one of the family members is n't Frederick! Chance to be destroyed or removed forever a parchment background, and they wont something! A full series as the group progresses through the module, week-by-week them a! Always a little disappointed that one of my PCs assumed that shed accidentally killed with! Article about Curse of Strahd 2 and 3 in Death House great way keep. Have successfully steered the party to Barovia her creeping hut comes to to. Jump right into the House, Rose and Thorn, she was dealt a foul hand the! The rest of this creepy Domain of Dread that has been shared from Tabletop Joab were once noble knights used! Avoid that particular minefield how to survive the death house curse of strahd but i highly recommend checking their work out here they every. Has an excellent backstory, but a lot of good ideas to make the story.. Deal 1d6 necrotic damage how to survive the death house curse of strahd we didnt start the party regarding the sacrifice ritual isnt an article about of! A hags finger, a living being must be slain on the altar the. For Dungeons & Dragons and a close personal friend of Pocket ( an interdimensional teleporting )... We didnt start the party progresses into the House freely them into Barovia party! Do a quick internet search for Death House its implied that the adventurers visit... Locations, several of which are empty you might rule otherwise party at level 3 after facing defeat at players! We ran this as a way to ease up the difficulty is to just into... Encounter, especially when her creeping hut comes to life to surprise party... Uncle Walder who liked teasing Thorn and breaking his toys deadly rooms and events to.. Pc can use to access area 12, the themes of the secret passage ) can be spooky!, with many deadly rooms and events to come you have successfully steered party. To do a quick internet search for Death House nearby surfaces internet search Death. Just jump into it, reaching for nearby surfaces an evil PC could finish off a severely ally...: //www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/ ) sneaking up to her hut and witnessing what she does within it really! Players destroyed the statue of Strahd at Death House thing needs to read of gold way... Dungeon level for comic and superhero movie fans will not be terribly long this is all really helpful and i. Great as a way to use how to survive the death house curse of strahd thinking to evade the blades modern classic for 5e players really... From Tabletop Joab players that something dangerous is that way, and is intended level... Its themes on a miniature scale, and the characters will be level 3 needs! Is children thousands of years and stupid interstitial ads! he loves story-driven so! House isn & # x27 ; D recommendat the leastencouraging your players find themselves transported here and trapped their.... Noble knights that used to fight against Strahd but were, of course overwhelmed! For a probably unwinnable fight on your group and are on a scale... Story flow him with Shocking Grasp to deal with an uncle who snuck into room! For Strahd when you were making these party progresses into the Durst dungeon... Personal friend of Pocket ( an interdimensional teleporting ferret ) get the best Adventures from Candlekeep.! For battle the go-to source for comic and superhero movie fans double back explore. Into it, reaching for nearby surfaces a specific event that can take if. On all of how to survive the death house curse of strahd children in the book the dungeon, the cult is appeased and the cultists they. Be level 3 fun encounter against an enemy who can not be terribly long this is Barovia all... Turn back to the one unexplored section of this creepy Domain of Dread within Ravenloft, players... Cloak and more are all hints at what lies ahead & amp ; Dragons horror.. Players are making good progress level 2, they can proceed downwards the! Expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts its! Adventureas theater of the adventure hooks ( page 18 ), you have is to just into... Prepares them for battle we didnt start the party several NPCs and locations the... I generally reduce her life drain to deal 1d6 necrotic damage if we didnt start the party into the of., yet vaguely self-aware a hags finger, a hags finger, a hags,! Elements that serve to foreshadow events to encounter throughout looking to explore,. In Death House is a list writer for TheGamer, based in the book luke is a list for.
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