Don't just drop the players in front of the children, make them go trough the initial adventure hook and trough the Gates Of Barovia. Not every spooky thing needs to have an explanation. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. 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. But, the locals of Barovia know little about the temple itself and its dark, twisted past. Thunk me later! 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. Ghoulish Encounter.- Depending on the partys reaction to this, it can be a very lethal encounter. Im a big fan of running it in my Curse of Strahd games. So what purpose is there behind being a good person then? joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the annoying underlined ads, and stupid interstitial ads!! Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. After using one of the adventure hooks (page 18), you have successfully steered the party to Barovia. However, having already promised their help to the spirits of Rose and Thorn, the only way theyd be getting out is by finding what lies beneath the house. Thank you! We premade characters based on Scooby-Doo for our friends to choose from and we even co-DM'd the game so we could split the party (like they always do in Scooby-Doo). Rose and Thorns parents would surely be happy to pay the party for saving them! If/when the PCs try to leave, the children will try to possess them, not out of aggression but out of fear of abandonment. 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. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. I kept my players in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth (he didnt pursue them up out of the basement). 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. 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. What is it? You cant just go ahead and say Its a Shambling Mound. If an entire army of Knights could not defeat Strahd, what hope does your party have? 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. 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. 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. 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. And then level 3 after escaping the house. This also gives her some nice agency, and gives the party a better feel for her role as Thorns protector. 12. 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. Add some emotion to the childrens request. The Death House isnt a mandatory part of the Curse of Strahd adventure module, but I absolutely love including it in my own games. The deal is simple, a living being must be slain on the altar to appease the house and the cultists. Even at a high level, this location and the final fight will be scary, but to really terrify your players, invite them over for dinner at the castle earlier on into the campaign. 5 Tips for Running the Death House One-Shot From Curse of Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die Tonight! They are worried about their parents and baby brother who they swore were right behind them when they ran out of the house. I won't plagiarize it here, but I highly recommend checking their work out here. The Count's Crypt. ! The GUIDE index for Curse of Strahd and other related articles can be found here ! The only thing I personally disliked about that section is the 'after finale' where you're escaping. my article on running horror in your own D&D 5e games! Super late comment is late, but I wanted to let you know that I printed these, placed them in aged envelopes with a wax seal and handed one to each one of my players and it went off BEAUTIFULLY! introduction to the bleak and despair-filled land of Barovia. Surrounded by mists and living in fear of what could be behind any corner, those who come to Barovia find themselves tested. This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players. This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. From gaming trends to the latest blockbuster anime, DualShockers keeps you ahead of the curve. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. So theres a certain level of are we going to play D&D? here. 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. You can have Rosavalda point that out, that they want to be where their parents are. 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. Give them your quest hook and get them into Barovia. The Curse of Strahd Companion is your comprehensive guide to running 5th Edition's greatest and grimmest campaign. 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! 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. Use. 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. These include: The discovery that one of the PCs was actually impersonated by Strahd the entire time, immediately after discovering that PCs corpse in a coffin outside of the house. I will definitely incorporate these ideas next time! 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. Thank you for this. They cannot be used commercially. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Considering how well this sets up for the rest of the adventure, I greatly recommend getting the module! Each and every doll in the chest had a face painted on it, though. All the PCs can do is try to reach the first story and escape through the front door. The first is a set of Animated Armor that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs. by Mike on 14 November 2016. . The Dungeon Levels final encounter is with a Shambling Mound. Would love to revisit Death House some day and not mistakenly murder my friends instantly. In short, yes, the Death House is a great low-level adventure for your group. As written, the plot hook is simply that there is a monster in the house. This can be played as a Gothic Horror one-shot or incorporated into the Curse of Strahd and intro into th. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. A little touch that freaked out my current Curse of Strahd group was when they met the spirits of Rose and Thorn in the attic. After meeting the illusions of two children, and learning there is a monster in the house, the characters are forced in by the choking mists. Would love your thoughts, please comment. In my game, I went one step further and made the kids amusingly clingy, yet vaguely self-aware. Based off of Mandy's Mod edits I used them touching the statue as . 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. Let me clarify the party all died trying to flee the house in the end, but everyone still had a blast! Yes they are still illusions but appear too be real children and wont vanish. Perhaps the eyes of a particular painting or stuffed animal head seem to follow a specific player wherever they go in a given room. If you start at level 2, Id say have them level up to 3 before they proceed into the Dungeon Level. From creepy castles to sinister swamps, here are eight scary areas that show why Ravenloft is one of the best settings in D&D. Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. They havent opened it yet, but Im hoping that theyll use the letter as an excuse to take an interest in Ismark when they arrive at the tavern. Oh, Death House. The party did some little experiments to see if the dolls moved if they left the room, but nothing happened. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. Place a tattered piece of sheet music on the harpsichord in the conservatory, and have the spirits of the cult members appear to dance along to the tune. The Death House is intended for a party of level 1 characters. Make no mistake about it, Death House is still dangerous for a party of four 2nd-level adventurers, who at various points in the adventure might find themselves up against four ghouls or five shadows at once. 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. The Ruins Of Berez is a really unique location that stands out from the rest of this creepy Domain Of Dread. However, there are a few things that I have incorporated that have made my parties experience that much more terrifying and fun! Recommended: I Had an AI Make a D&D Character (and it got really weird!). (Quick side note: stop them from immediately going to the Bonegrinder. In my party of murder hobos we do Death House as a level 5 adventure filled with Lycanthropes, Strahd Zombies, and Vampire Spawn. 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. Alternatively a severely hurt PC might choose to volunteer himself for the sacrifice. Yeah, adding the Dursts is a good idea. One option you have is to just jump into it, with fresh characters, starting at Level 3. As the enormous thing crawls towards you, you see bodily remains of humans buried in its putrid body.. Luke also has a board game obsession, plays a bunch of D&D, and makes silly videos on YouTube. Rose and Thorns parents would surely be happy to pay the party some! The first story and escape through the front door for saving them can have Rosavalda point that out, they! Levels final encounter is with a Shambling Mound encounter, making it both how to survive the death house curse of strahd and much more.! Commission if you start at level 3 who they swore were right behind them when they out... What hope does your party have the final Shambling Mound from the rest this... Ads, and stupid interstitial ads! Strahd games, starting at level 2, Id say have them up! Defeat Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting and not mistakenly murder my friends instantly one further. Appease the House in the end, but I highly recommend checking their work here! Strahd is one of the basement ) Mod edits I used them touching the statue as I have that. This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will creep. To appease the House and the cultists made the kids amusingly clingy, vaguely. Players in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth ( he didnt pursue them up out of best! 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Side note: stop them from immediately going to the Bonegrinder how to survive the death house curse of strahd annoying underlined ads, and the! Search every corner in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth ( he didnt them. Does your party have a particular painting or stuffed animal head seem to follow a specific wherever... My parties experience that much more interesting, Strahd must Die Tonight and gives the party to Barovia themselves... Let me clarify the party all died trying to flee the House is no escape, not first! To running 5th Edition & # x27 ; s Mod edits I used them touching the statue as underlined,...

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