(by the way, god practice for the Curse of Strahd module is to keep track of ammunition). Her remains are in area 18, she was brutally killed, possibly a move by Elisabeth Durst. You can also have Rose and Thorn possess random party members. Letter two is in the 3rd Floor master suite, in MrsDursts jewelry box. 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. 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. All this can be achieved in 6-10 hours of playing. You can have Rosavalda point that out, that they want to be where their parents are. Most Barovians steer clear of this location, where they are likely to get lost in the muddy, misty marshes and even encounter terrifying scarecrows. Or an evil PC could finish off a severely hurt ally. The Ruins Of Berez is a really unique location that stands out from the rest of this creepy Domain Of Dread. One option you have is to just jump into it, with fresh characters, starting at Level 3. Kind of disappointing that this is the kind of thing appearing now. Each of these is typically accompanied by Strahd finishing with the phrase Welcome to Barovia before flying away. Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. He will consider the decisions of the party regarding the sacrifice ritual. You made Rose and Thorn like Bianca and Nico DiAngelo! They still wontgo willingly into the house and if they do, they will try to get out of it. The book says that players retain control but have to take a temporal flaw and role play accordingly (page 217). Give them your quest hook and get them into Barovia. The most vital regions are bolded. What font did you use for Strahd when you were making these? She deserves more development, especially in a stripped-down Death House emphasizing the evil nature of the Dursts. Dungeon m. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Death House beginsas the partyencounterstwo illusions of the Durst familys dead children, Rose and Thorn. I added a scrawny mutt hiding under a chair in the conservatory; when approached, the party could hear its whimpering. Each seemed to depict an adventurer of some type. I'm always a little disappointed that one of the family members isn't named Frederick. Rose and Thorns parents would surely be happy to pay the party for saving them! 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. 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. I also kept their turns short and sweet; after ten seconds, they forfeited their turn to a Dodge action. The Dungeon Levels final encounter is with a Shambling Mound. 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 the most terrifying part of this theme is that it also applies to the party themselves. Running Curse of Strahd. Dont call it the Death House. Free D&D Adventure: Fight as Dragons and Explore a Crystal Dragon's Lair! It was amazing. If they kill any creature on the altar, the cult is appeased and the characters can leave the house freely. This signals to the PCs that they have time to get out, and makes their lives a bit easier if they decide to stay. 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. Darklords Shrine.- Another lethal encounter, 5 shadows will wreck the party if they attack at once. When the PCs escape Death House, many DMs agree that a congratulations from Strahd is in order. RELATED: Dungeons & Dragons: Ideas For Running A One-Shot. Part-time Druid, Full-time Hobo. Not all of them need to be visited, your group might skip some parts of the house or the dungeon. 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. Secret Room.- Theres a letter by Strahd here. Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. I advice to treat these children like a simulacrum-like spell. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. Did you like this guide? The only thing I personally disliked about that section is the 'after finale' where you're escaping. It is designed like this. The house itself will turn against the party, making for a terrifying escape attempt. Depictions of the Old Bonegrinder, a hags finger, a ghoul-skin cloak and more are all hints at what lies ahead. RELATED: Story Hooks In D&D You Always See And Why They Work. 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. THANK YOU SO MUCH. 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. Those letters are supplements that came with u/MandyMod s guide (which is excellent). It is designed to introduce Curse Of Strahd, exploring its themes on a miniature scale, and is intended for level one players. Also PCs will find the houses deed and a deed to the mill near Vallaki. You can let them know something is coming with smell and sounds. From creepy castles to sinister swamps, here are eight scary areas that show why Ravenloft is one of the best settings in D&D. In my game, I went one step further and made the kids amusingly clingy, yet vaguely self-aware. Each character rolls to pass through the scythes. In short, yes, the Death House is a great low-level adventure for your group. For your reference, these are the areas of the Death House that have interactive elements, lootable gear, or important encounters. You want this to be fun, scary, and challenging. The Old Bonegrinder is a terrifying location that captures just how unsettling the domains of dread can be. Its natural to expect that villains are prone to suffering and getting their just desserts when its all said and done. 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. I cant recommend their use highly enough; do everything you can to get the party to take an interest in these kids. Once the PC that had threatened her baby had been dealt with, she flew back to the nursery and resumed rocking the crib. Finally, the specter of the Nursemaid can be encountered on the third floor. See here for more details. The deal is simple, a living being must be slain on the altar to appease the house and the cultists. One only has to do a quick internet search for Death House TPK to see how manyparty wipes the house has inflicted. For starters, that kind of monster is completely out of place here. This is a list of important bits of information, important locations and specific advice to run the different locations in the Death House. Theres a lot going on in this adventure, but the Death House does a good job at getting the party acquainted with the themes and feelings of the rest of the campaign to come.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'tabletopjoab_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_25',146,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-mobile-leaderboard-1-0'); I cant say that its perfect for every group. Full Guide to Warlock Pact Boons in D&D 5e, The Legend of the Peasant Railgun in D&D 5e, Attack of Opportunity in D&D 5e Explained, Best Druid Spells By Level: A Top 10 List, I Had an AI Make a D&D Character (and it got really weird! She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. A level 2party which has had no long rests and several tough fights will not win this fight without losing some PCs. From there, its up to you if you want them to level up again before progressing the story or if you want them to wait a little bit and get at least a few more fights or milestones under their belt.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-2','ezslot_22',137,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-2-0'); Pay special attention to describing the various things that the party can find and interact with. She told him that Rose and Thorn were not her children, but that she did have children of her own (baby Walter). You cant just go ahead and say Its a Shambling Mound. They double back to the one unexplored section of this dungeon level and descend a long stone staircase into darkness. Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. Well cover some of the changes that I make when Im running this dungeon for my groups later in this article. But this isnt an article about Curse of Strahd. Looking over the dolls by the handful, each one showed an expression of pain and fear. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. ! I doubt that most non-murderhobo groups will actually sacrifice someone here. Childrens Room .- The remains of Rose and Thorn are here. Running the Death House The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. If you start at level 2, Id say have them level up to 3 before they proceed into the Dungeon Level. According to the book that works, but you might rule otherwise. 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. Chef Feat in D&D 5e Explained | Useful or Pie in the Sky? Barovia becomes a tomb for all who end up there. 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. Also, as an important note, there are two major things that you absolutely should not do. Please enable JavaScript to get the best experience from this site. Death House is a meat grinder meant to kill low-level players. 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. They will close up on them leading them to the Village of Barovia. Perhaps she legitimately loved Gustav and hoped to free him from the cults influence. 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). Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. However, youd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesnt put the gothic horror adventure, Curse of Strahd, at the top of their list. Barovia is full of scary, dangerous, and mysterious creatures lurking around every corner, and Tsolenka Pass is no exception. There are plenty of things that can break their bodies and minds, but the land itself will break their spirit. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. 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. Im really loving the halloween content this year! This site works best with JavaScript enabled. I really liked this idea, but I also didnt want to introduce Strahd so early. 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. It's all important, because it also teaches the players to pay attention to the environment. PCs can find a Cloak of Protection as treasure, plus a spellbook. For inspiration, consider Gustav Dursts reasoning for the affair in a letter from Strahd that can be found in the Secret Room. The nature of Barovia is that those things which were once good are destined to become corrupted. Alternatively a severely hurt PC might choose to volunteer himself for the sacrifice. This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players. 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. If you only have a limited amount of time to play Death House and are relying on descriptions rather than battle maps, focus on the bold regions highlighted here. Corner, and challenging the altar to appease the House and if they kill creature. Everything you can have Rosavalda point that out, that they want to be where their parents are master,! Find the houses deed and a deed to the one unexplored section of this Domain... And hoped to free him from the cults influence encounter, 5 shadows will wreck the party could its... That everyone is level 2, they will try to get the best experience from this site once... Running this dungeon for my groups later in this article go ahead say! 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Houses deed and a deed to the party to take an interest in these kids might skip some parts how to survive the death house curse of strahd! Protection as treasure, plus a spellbook all important, because it also teaches players. Shadows will wreck the party if they attack at once went one step further made.
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