Thank you for this. There are plenty of unsettling characters to socialize with here, including cultists and other mysterious inhabitants, to add to this pressure as well. At the very least, lower their hit points a bit. 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.. Even just traveling around Barovia can be a spooky experience. 2023 Elven Tower Cartography. I'm always a little disappointed that one of the family members isn't named Frederick. 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. Moreover, there are a lot of things that the party can miss (e.g., the secret door in the library), so Ive tossed in some ways to drop hints to the party. 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. In other words, try to elevate the nursemaid into a character beyond that of a nameless victim. Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. 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. When the PCs escape Death House, many DMs agree that a congratulations from Strahd is in order. Oh, Death House. 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. 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. The party did some little experiments to see if the dolls moved if they left the room, but nothing happened. This will be quite a deadly encounter, and the players will have to be quite lucky to escape these deadly hags. Almost parallels Death house. The Count's Crypt. We called it "The Curse of the Murderous Mansion.". Dungeon master guide and advice with the. Would love to revisit Death House some day and not mistakenly murder my friends instantly. Did you like this guide? They will sing to wake up Lorghoth the Decayer, a Shambling Mound hiding in the southernmost alcove. (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.). When the party goes to escape, the house itself will be attacking them. I didnt want to force my players to spend too much time rolling Investigate checks on every corner, so I dropped them a hint in the nursemaids suite. 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. She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. A sizable treasure for a level 1 party. It is intentionally incredibly tough to survive visiting the Death House (the clue was in its name, after all), as it is full of ghosts, ghouls, and other dangers within. 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. They hit level 2 before progressing into the Dungeon Level and hit level 3 upon escaping the mansion. How did your sessions in Death House go? Even (especially) the most ambitious of travelers have been crushed into dust by the horrors of this land. 11. Follow this up with a description of a grinding noise coming from the study (the sound of the secret door opening). Honestly, the story behind the adventure is incredibly grim and might be off-putting to some groups. 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. The go-to source for comic and superhero movie fans. 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). Copyright When running horror and suspense, this kind of foreshadowing is your best friend. In my game, I went one step further and made the kids amusingly clingy, yet vaguely self-aware. Ghoulish Encounter.- Depending on the partys reaction to this, it can be a very lethal encounter. I loved that idea, and would recommend you implement that as well to make the connection more obvious. We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. 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. According to the book that works, but you might rule otherwise. The Best Books That EVERY DM NEEDS To Read! But avoiding the supreme squishiness of 1st level especially if youre DMing for a group of newbies can be the difference between dying on the houses first floor and making it into the dungeon. They will close up on them leading them to the Village of Barovia. Immediately afterward, a grinding noise (the sound of the secret passage) can be heard from the attic. 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. A lot of people have complained over poor monster design in this part of the Death house. Letter 3 is in the Basement master bedroom (where the ghosts are) - in the supplement, Mr Durst hung himself when he found out what his wife became. 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. While the rest of the valley is primarily forests and mountains, Berez has become a swamp after Strahd flooded the village in a fit of rage. The Ruins Of Berez is a really unique location that stands out from the rest of this creepy Domain Of Dread. If an entire army of Knights could not defeat Strahd, what hope does your party have? Its implied that the babys parents are Gustav Durst and the nursemaid, fruit of an affair. However, youd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesnt put the gothic horror adventure, Curse of Strahd, at the top of their list. 2023 Wizards. You might also use less-intimidating artwork for the twins. 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. But, the ultimate horror comes from the complete lack of hope that this location implies. They will be tempted by corrupting, evil, dark gifts that twist and mess with the characters. Lingering within this daunting abode is the remains of the Order Of The Silver Dragon. 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. 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. 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? Posted by Joab | Sep 11, 2021 | For Dungeon Masters | 9. Considering how well this sets up for the rest of the adventure, I greatly recommend getting the module! There, in the attic of the model, were 4 dolls: each depicting the various party members. This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players. 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. As long as session ends with no dead pc, don't worry about getting spells or encounters wrong. All this can be achieved in 6-10 hours of playing. The Essential Books EVERY Game Master Should Read, Immersive Theatre Techniques for Game Masters, Turn & Destroy Undead in D&D 5e Explained, The Ultimate Guide to Warlock Patrons in D&D 5e. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Ideas For Running A One-Shot. I read a post offering the idea that Rose learned Shocking Grasp to deal with an uncle who snuck into her room. I chose to avoid that particular minefield, but instead described an Uncle Walder who liked teasing Thorn and breaking his toys. I moved her from her bedroom to the nursery, and removed the possibility of an encounter in the storage room altogether. Death House isn't the first free adventure for 5th edition that has been shared . Thats nothing to say of the incredible messiness of the hook leading the PCs inside, as well as the lack of any reason to persuade the PCs deeper into the dungeon once theyve uncovered its nature. Make sure you follow the rest of this Curse of Strahd DM Guide. Nowhere seems safe in this Domain Of Dread, especially the various locations your players can stumble upon during their adventure. It is designed to introduce Curse Of Strahd, exploring its themes on a miniature scale, and is intended for level one players. by Mike on 14 November 2016. . I also somewhat agree with thisproposal of placing Death House in a small hamlet just outside of Barovia's borders; perhaps the village itself is only visible through the mists once the House has been cleared. One only has to do a quick internet search for Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the house has inflicted. There might be some who have managed to mostly keep out of trouble, but they are very few in these lands. 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. The GUIDE index for Curse of Strahd and other related articles can be found here ! Absolutely do not show the party the image of the children in the book. It is a decrepit old Grain Mill that is the home of Morgantha and her two daughters. Death House could even be played as a thrilling horror one-shot adventure. Letter two is in the 3rd Floor master suite, in MrsDursts jewelry box. 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. Well look over those now. In any discussion about this dungeon, most people tend to fall pretty firmly into one of two camps. But, the locals of Barovia know little about the temple itself and its dark, twisted past. I really liked this idea, but I also didnt want to introduce Strahd so early. Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. Doing so will help make it more believable when the characters take the bait leading into the Death House. The children that the party encounters on the road (Rose and Thorn) are asking for help dealing with whatever entity is inside the house. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. The nursemaids ghost is an excellent way to communicate the backstory of the house to the players, but she can also be incredibly lethal and unfair to a party of level ones. Death House is a modern Dungeons & Dragons horror classic. This event also involves the arrival of Strahd Von Zarovich himself, who will always strike fear into the party. 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