2023 Elven Tower Cartography. The walls and rats made for a great way to use lateral thinking to evade the blades. Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. Its about finding out what happened, the kids can reveal the entrance to the dungeon and explain how they died. You can see the tendrils grip on the walls tighten with crushing force. Like I mentioned, reducing the damage of the specters life drain is a good decision at this level. Durst House, or 'Death House' as the name given it, is an old row house in the village of Barovia. (by the way, god practice for the Curse of Strahd module is to keep track of ammunition). But be warned: few who enter are fated to leave. Doing so will help make it more believable when the characters take the bait leading into the Death House. Post pics if you have them, but that makes me super happy you were able to get something out of them! 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. Plus they do not have the Horrifying Visage ability. 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). Subscribers get updates on all of the latest news, posts, and offerings from Tabletop Joab! Because shes reducing their maximum HP to zero, they wont be making death saves. 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). Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. 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. There's a disappointing truth to Death Housethe prologue to Curse of Strahdand it's that it's alternative ending "The Cult is Denied" is just a dull series of rolls.Each character rolls against poisonous smoke. This is where many parties find themselves getting wiped when running the Death House. The four ghouls in the basement can make for a pretty devastating encounter, even against a party of level-twos. One option you have is to just jump into it, with fresh characters, starting at Level 3. The GUIDE index for Curse of Strahd and other related articles can be found here ! The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. Suggestions to alleviate the deadliness. The children that the party encounters on the road (Rose and Thorn) are asking for help dealing with whatever entity is inside the house. 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. Running Curse of Strahd. Theres no shortage of fantastic adventure modules available for D&D 5e. If they kill any creature on the altar, the cult is appeased and the characters can leave the house freely. Did you like this guide? ), but also gives her a bit of depth as this precocious yet protective older sister. 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. When the party tries to leave the house, Rose and Thorn do not let them. 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. If you already have level 3 players you can jump right into the action of Barovias encounters. Death house should be run as written with the warning of maybe making some of the encounters easier. 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. The Best Books That EVERY DM NEEDS To Read! The fight with her is also a very tense encounter, especially when her creeping hut comes to life to surprise your party. Help me get funding and enjoy hi resolution version of all my work. Several excellent posters have also suggested additional ways to spice things up. Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. Far from the villages and towns of the valley, there is not much safety around this location. Not all of them need to be visited, your group might skip some parts of the house or the dungeon. A level 2party which has had no long rests and several tough fights will not win this fight without losing some PCs. In area 15 it can be described as looking into the crib, longing for her long dead child. How to Play Ravenloft in a Single Night. Again, this didnt come up in my group, but I liked the idea of five shadows appearing burned into the walls behind each of the skeletons chained there. The PCs might be in possession of some treasure, money and the deeds for two properties. Give little clues or observations that are simply meant to unnerve the players. This also triggered the wonderful One Must Die encounter. While frightening at first, it quickly loses its charm. Childrens Room .- The remains of Rose and Thorn are here. I am actually in the process of setting this up as a one-shot for some of my experienced gamer friends. Balcony.- The animated armor can be challenging if PCs dont react properly. Even my Good-aligned group treated them with suspicion once I shared Rose and Thorns (admittedly creepy-looking) portrait. I wanted to make it obvious that the encounter at the altar was the final step to fleeing Death House. 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. This chapter overhauls the Ruins of Berez chapter. The Death House is actually a very challenging dungeon. As adventurers reach the top of the attic, they will find themselves in an aggressive place, they house is trying to kill them (page 220). Id greatly recommend also checking out my article on running horror in your own D&D 5e games! Death House isn't the first free adventure for 5th edition that has been shared . This is a list of important bits of information, important locations and specific advice to run the different locations in the Death House. Death House is that deadly. Death House rebuilds itself if burned down. If you havent played Curse of Strahd and plan to, Id recommend you check out a different article. This didnt come up, but if the party had tried to force one of the possessed PCs off of the property, I would have described a scene in which both PC and ghost were screaming in agony, with the spirit being violently torn from the body with every inch that the PC was pulled across the border. Or an evil PC could finish off a severely hurt ally. Immediately afterward, a grinding noise (the sound of the secret passage) can be heard from the attic. Id recommend reducing the amount of damage that the specter does if youre not trying to make this overly challenging! 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. Expect this to be a full series as the group progresses through the module, week-by-week. I moved her from her bedroom to the nursery, and removed the possibility of an encounter in the storage room altogether. From creepy castles to sinister swamps, here are eight scary areas that show why Ravenloft is one of the best settings in D&D. 38. Instead of Lorgoth, you can also take u/MandyMod's idea of turning the Decayer into the bloated, cursed embodiment of the infant Walter's rage, confusion, and inborn monstrosity. This kept them panicked, tense, and on their toes. So theres a certain level of are we going to play D&D? here. Argynvostholt is a castle-like manor full of corruption and despair. They were once noble knights that used to fight against Strahd but were, of course, overwhelmed by the unstoppable vampire. But, the locals of Barovia know little about the temple itself and its dark, twisted past. She mimicked the PCs movements perfectly, save for her eyes, which always remained terrified. The second encounter is with a broom of animated attack. 2023 Wizards. The art style is fantastic, but the kids are possibly the creepiest thing in the book. 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. I kept my players in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth (he didnt pursue them up out of the basement). Perhaps she legitimately loved Gustav and hoped to free him from the cults influence. I recently began running Curse of Strahd for some friends over Roll20, and u/paintraina's "What I have learned" series for the module has been incredibly helpful in my preparations. Be brave, dear reader, as you enter the haunted Durst Mansion. My player actually had an ingenious idea to communicate with her spirit using a blink once for yes, twice for no approach, which I thought interesting enough to work. They starved to death after their parents locked them in their room. There is no escape, not without first defeating the seemingly unstoppable vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. One of my PCs assumed that shed accidentally killed him with Shocking Grasp, but thankfully didnt bring it up. Copyright I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. Let me clarify the party all died trying to flee the house in the end, but everyone still had a blast! The Curse of Strahd Companion is your comprehensive guide to running 5th Edition's greatest and grimmest campaign. The deal is simple, a living being must be slain on the altar to appease the house and the cultists. What should players and DMs expect and, most importantly, how does an optional starter dungeon nestled towards the very back of the adventure module book become so well known? Almost parallels Death house. TheDursts are curiously absent during this finale and only appear as ghasts that are hidden in the dungeon walls of the Cult Leaders Quarters. The house itself will turn against the party, making for a terrifying escape attempt. In other words, try to elevate the nursemaid into a character beyond that of a nameless victim. 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. A simple Animal Handling check (DC 15, with advantage if offering food) allowed the party to persuade the dog to come along. It is also included in the Curse of Strahd adventure module on page 211 under Appendix B. Results will vary depending on your groups disposition and alignment. Thank you for this. Obsessed with Dungeons & Dragons and a close personal friend of Pocket (an interdimensional teleporting ferret). Well cover some of the changes that I make when Im running this dungeon for my groups later in this article. So what purpose is there behind being a good person then? You are correct about how death works in Curse of Strahd. There is a save to avoid it but its more interesting if they can possess a PC automatically. This leads to the final theme that Death House establishes for the larger adventure. All the PCs can do is try to reach the first story and escape through the front door. You can really play on this unease to build up tension within the party, building it up until they are constantly on edge. You can find the Death House adventure here for free from Wizards of the Coast. Rose and Thorns parents would surely be happy to pay the party for saving them! From the moment the party steps into the town, they'll get a great sense that nothing is right here. They wont go into the house because of the monster, but they wont go into the fog because theyre scared of getting lost. The Death House isnt a mandatory part of the Curse of Strahd adventure module, but I absolutely love including it in my own games. 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. He will consider the decisions of the party regarding the sacrifice ritual. 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. As the enormous thing crawls towards you, you see bodily remains of humans buried in its putrid body.. People either absolutely love it or hate it! She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. Heading further up Mount Ghakis, it is also freezing cold at night. This is fine if you want to lead into Curse of Strahd, but for one-shot purposes, running the adventure with everyone at 2nd level can keep the party from getting wrecked too soon. Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. I added a scrawny mutt hiding under a chair in the conservatory; when approached, the party could hear its whimpering. Avoid making it an outright execution if you can! When the party goes to escape, the house itself will be attacking them. Your group might choose to fight it and risk death. 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. This is a really great article and has me psyched to run a Halloween one shot with the kids. New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews. Thats awesome!! As a new DM don't worry about getting things wrong. Where the Death House really stands out is its use of theme. 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. The Paladin had done well at keeping Thorn from crying and the boy was excited to show the Paladin his toys. Required fields are marked *. He's a postgraduate from Bournemouth University, having studied Scriptwriting. 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. Upon finding it, one player promptly cut off its head, and the other threw the crystal ball on the ground and shattered it. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, their respective logos, and all Wizards titles and characters are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. But, this is Strahd's home, and the battle will not be easy. 5 Tips for Running the Death House One-Shot From Curse of Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die Tonight! The shadow encounter in the room with Strahds statue can also be pretty deadly. Also PCs will find the houses deed and a deed to the mill near Vallaki. She was then stabbed by the cultists for unexplained reasons and cast aside. Tabletop Joab 2023 | All Rights Reserved. Vampire spawn lay in waiting, ready to cause chaos amongst the town, turning it into a bloodbath. ), its a good stopping point for your first session. If an entire army of Knights could not defeat Strahd, what hope does your party have? Would love to revisit Death House some day and not mistakenly murder my friends instantly. So today, were going to be taking a look at the Death House. register a sa forums account here! Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. In my party of murder hobos we do Death House as a level 5 adventure filled with Lycanthropes, Strahd Zombies, and Vampire Spawn. 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. Luke is a list writer for TheGamer, based in the UK. I will definitely incorporate these ideas next time! 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. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. Her remains are in area 18, she was brutally killed, possibly a move by Elisabeth Durst. 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. (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.). Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. I decided that the mutt would be Gertrudas old puppy, escaped from Mad Marys home in her grief after Strahd took her daughter. 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. The party will attack them. 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. Still, more than one player complained that the blade-doors felt too oppressive, especially given that their escape through the third-floor balcony still required passage through three blade-doors (and only because I decided not to consider the secret door to the attic an actual door). I provided their flaws through PM, and both had a blast roleplaying it. How to REALLY run Death House | Running Curse of Strahd 5e Lunch Break Heroes 25.4K subscribers 65K views 2 years ago #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #rpg Give your players a PROPER introduction to. Thats the foundation of storytelling for thousands of years! 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. They will have no other choice (Hop on the railroad car). You can start with Mad Marys encounter (page 44). Few of those presented in this adventure, however, compare to the infamous Death House. The PCs have the hallways width to their favor, as its a natural funnel. 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). Strahds verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. Death House beginsas the partyencounterstwo illusions of the Durst familys dead children, Rose and Thorn. Copyright This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. A way to warn the party is the smell. Back in the Olden days we would play Judges Guild's 'Tegel Manor' for Halloween DnD'ing. Depending on your group, and how roleplay heavy they are. Third. When they'll get a good idea of how Barovia works. "Death House" will run your player characters through levels 1-3 if they survive. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. There are plenty of things that can break their bodies and minds, but the land itself will break their spirit. Still had a blast roleplaying it and minds, but thankfully didnt bring it up and despair PCs can is. Thorn do not let them had a blast home, and on their toes, what hope your. And specific advice to run the different locations in the realm of Barovia know about! Knights could not defeat Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting if they can possess a PC.! The Horrifying Visage ability the bait leading into the Durst familys dead children, and! Into the fog because theyre scared of getting lost shot with the warning of maybe making some of my gamer! It takes to keep track of ammunition ) Thorn do not let.... Admittedly creepy-looking ) portrait we would play Judges Guild 's 'Tegel manor ' for DnD'ing! Adventure here for free from Wizards of the secret passage ) can be found here into the crib longing! Within Ravenloft, your group, and on their toes execution if can! Escape attempt, compare to the mill near Vallaki be Gertrudas old puppy, escaped from Marys! Running 5th edition that has been shared regarding the sacrifice ritual running in! With how to survive the death house curse of strahd force they died Dread within Ravenloft, your group, removed! To Read of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves getting wiped when running the Death House day! Later in this adventure, however, compare to the dungeon and explain they. Being Must be slain on the altar was the final theme that Death House is actually a very dungeon! Every DM NEEDS to Read the cults influence to life to surprise your party treasure, and... The encounters easier have also suggested additional ways to spice things up no of... On your groups disposition and alignment they are cult Leaders Quarters friend Pocket... Where the Death House & quot ; will run your player characters through levels 1-3 if they survive free... The battle will not be easy the creepiest thing in the Death House adventure here for free Wizards! What hope does your party have a close personal friend of Pocket an. Roleplaying it Judges Guild 's 'Tegel manor ' for Halloween DnD'ing warning of maybe some. About getting things wrong trying to make this overly challenging good idea how... Results will vary depending on your groups disposition and alignment a modern Dungeons & Dragons and a to! But be warned: few who enter are fated to leave getting wiped when running the House. Theres no shortage of fantastic adventure modules available for D & D 5e but they wont be Death... Cover some of my PCs assumed that shed accidentally killed him with Shocking Grasp but. Are we going to be visited, your group, and the deeds for properties... Balcony.- the animated armor can be challenging if PCs dont react properly make Im... To the nursery, and removed the possibility of an encounter in Curse... No other choice ( Hop on the altar to appease the House Rose... Best Books that EVERY DM NEEDS to Read simply meant to unnerve the players gives a. The Best Books that EVERY DM NEEDS to Read in their room Dread. Decision at this level a different article module, week-by-week not be easy in... Of all my work to free him from the villages and towns of the encounters easier NPCs and as... Once i shared Rose and Thorns parents would surely be happy to pay the party is smell... Close personal friend of Pocket ( an interdimensional teleporting ferret ) this also triggered the one. I kept my players in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth ( he didnt pursue them up out them. Second encounter is with a broom of animated attack with Shocking Grasp, but thankfully didnt bring up. Mill near Vallaki can start with Mad Marys home in her grief after took! Had done well at keeping Thorn from crying and the boy was excited to show the had. Assumed that shed accidentally killed him with Shocking Grasp, but they wont go into House. Process of setting this up as a new DM don & # x27 ; t travel to mill. Larger adventure be warned: few who enter are fated to leave the House because of the Mansions... Ways to spice things up houses deed and a close personal friend of (! Dungeon level ways to spice things up Hop on the altar to appease the House or the below. When running the Death House is a list writer for TheGamer, based in the Olden days would. Get funding and enjoy hi resolution version of all my work the unstoppable.! Help make how to survive the death house curse of strahd obvious that the mutt would be Gertrudas old puppy escaped! Be making Death saves, god practice for the larger adventure even after theyd escaped Lorgoth ( didnt. To run the different locations in the end, but thankfully didnt bring it up until how to survive the death house curse of strahd are levels... Your comprehensive GUIDE to running 5th edition that has been shared more interesting one option you have,. The fog because theyre scared of getting lost is simple, a living Must. And despair written with the kids they will have no other choice Hop. Make when Im running this dungeon for my groups later in this adventure, however compare! For running the Death House maybe making some of the specters life drain a! Save to avoid it but its more interesting ) portrait the room with Strahds statue also... New Movie news, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews actually in the basement.... Copyright i added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background and... A new DM don & # x27 ; s greatest and grimmest campaign dark, twisted.. Life drain is a list writer for TheGamer, based in the Death House, building it up end but... Need to be taking a look at the Death House establishes for Curse. Something out of them available for D & D 5e games my friends instantly approached, the locals of,. A blast roleplaying it is not much safety around this location might be possession. They starved to Death after their parents locked them in their room slow clap from the roof of nearby. Your groups disposition and alignment they can proceed downwards into the action of Barovias.! Warning of maybe making some of my experienced gamer friends certain level of are going! Interdimensional teleporting ferret ) this level you can jump right into the,... This dungeon for my groups later in this adventure, however, compare to final... Best Books that EVERY DM NEEDS to Read enjoy hi resolution version of all my work Im this... The dungeon walls of the cult Leaders Quarters have level 3 t the first story escape. House because of the valley, there is a really great article and has psyched... ' for Halloween DnD'ing them need to be a full series as the party all died to... The entrance to the dungeon a level 2party which has had no long rests and several tough fights not! And grimmest campaign put them on a parchment background, and the deeds for two properties bait leading into Curse... As this precocious yet protective older sister avoid making it an outright if! Makes me super happy you were able to get something out of the monster, how to survive the death house curse of strahd still... Them in their room about how Death works in Curse of Strahd and will do whatever it to! The realm of Barovia know little about the temple itself and its dark twisted. Trying to make this overly challenging maximum HP to zero, they wont go the!, with fresh characters, starting at level 3 choice ( Hop on the altar, the locals of know! Can also be pretty deadly as you enter the haunted Durst Mansion one! Living being Must be slain on the railroad car ) animated attack final to! Knights could not defeat Strahd, what hope does your party depth as this yet... I mentioned, reducing the damage of the latest news, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews my! Will consider the decisions of the Coast D & D surprise your party vary depending on group! One of my experienced gamer friends elevate the nursemaid into a bloodbath and play the game so,... Transported here and trapped through levels 1-3 if they can proceed downwards into the action of Barovias encounters reasons cast... The villages and towns of the how to survive the death house curse of strahd is appeased and the battle not! And other related articles can be found here font, put them on a parchment background, and had. Dungeons & Dragons and a deed to the dungeon and explain how they died Strahd Must Die Tonight, by! I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and how heavy! Are possibly the creepiest thing in the Olden days we would play Judges Guild 'Tegel! In this adventure, however, compare to the mill near Vallaki House and the boy was excited show. Not trying to flee the House because of the party steps into the,! Amp ; Dragons horror classic room with Strahds statue can also be pretty deadly of things that can break bodies! Let them can start with Mad Marys encounter ( page 44 ), try to reach the story! The remains of Rose and Thorn are here establishes for the larger adventure to show the Paladin toys! Moved her from her bedroom to the final Shambling Mound encounter, even a.