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. 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. 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. You are correct about how death works in Curse of Strahd. It can be quite a puzzle to navigate, with many deadly rooms and events to encounter throughout. I've spent the last three hours looking for ways to edit the pdf of another handout that says stillborn son but here this was! If the PCs decide to take a long rest in the house, allow them to roll an Intelligence check to recall the relative safety of the Servants Quarters. Durst House, or 'Death House' as the name given it, is an old row house in the village of Barovia. 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. Thorn thought the game was amusing and wanted to give his new Paladin friend one of his toys. Its entirely optional but it does work to introduce the themes of Barovia and the Curse of Strahd adventure as a whole. The final confrontation in Death House is an odd one. As they reach the bottom landing they discern a dozen or so voices saying, over and over, "He is the Ancient. I am actually in the process of setting this up as a one-shot for some of my experienced gamer friends. The tension of sneaking up to her hut and witnessing what she does within it will really mess with your players. Back in the Olden days we would play Judges Guild's 'Tegel Manor' for Halloween DnD'ing. The most vital regions are bolded. Covering the hottest movie and TV topics that fans want. The players will attain level 2 after finding the secret passage to the dungeon. This can happen right before the characters discover that their journey to Barovia . The way this adventure works. This is a difficult fight too. There is lots of foreshadowing for the story to come. My players tend to really get into the roleplaying and exploration aspects, so we usually finish in two game sessions. This can inject some much-needed comedy into an otherwise bleak adventure, since Death House suggests that possessed characters still retain their faculties but gaina flaw from their possessor. Did you do anything differently? Ideally, everyone is happy to assist the children and play the game. Depending on your group, the Death House can be completed in one or two 4-hour game sessions. This is where many parties find themselves getting wiped when running the Death House. 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? 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. Or an evil PC could finish off a severely hurt ally. Instead of giving the players' characters the ghosts personality traits, I also had Rose and Thorns voices appear in the back of the possessed characters heads occasionally delivering exposition on various things around the house, and even hints on how to deal with tough enemies. Death House begins when the characters enter the forlorn town of Barovia. Yeah, adding the Dursts is a good idea. 5 Tips for Running the Death House One-Shot From Curse of Strahd, make thecombat encounter more interesting, Strahd Must Die Tonight! 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). While frightening at first, it quickly loses its charm. It's all important, because it also teaches the players to pay attention to the environment. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. 29. Now that everyone is level 2, they can proceed downwards into the Durst Mansions dungeon level. You might also use less-intimidating artwork for the twins. All the maps in this website are registered under the Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial CC BY-NC. 3. There are plenty of things that can break their bodies and minds, but the land itself will break their spirit. THANK YOU SO MUCH. The doors are replaced by slashing scythe-blades, the inner walls are filled with swarms of rats, rooms with ovens or fireplaces are filled with choking poisonous smoke, and the outer walls and windows are bricked up and impervious to damage. 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. Heading further up Mount Ghakis, it is also freezing cold at night. 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. Youll find little elements that serve to foreshadow events to come. Shadowrun: Astral Ways (Sixth World Setting Book), Star Trek Adventures MISSION PDF 022 Eight Layers Deep, BattleTech: Recognition Guide: ilClan Vol. Argynvostholt is a castle-like manor full of corruption and despair. Your email address will not be published. Honestly, few spooky things should have an explanation. However, that feels a little ham-fisted. 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. This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players. Chef Feat in D&D 5e Explained | Useful or Pie in the Sky? If/when the PCs try to leave, the children will try to possess them, not out of aggression but out of fear of abandonment. Absolutely do not show the party the image of the children in the book. That said, Death House can be a brutal experience. Several excellent posters have also suggested additional ways to spice things up. When the party goes to escape, the house itself will be attacking them. Their ghosts are here. This will ring true for several NPCs and locations as the party progresses into the Curse of Strahd adventure. Theres no shortage of fantastic adventure modules available for D&D 5e. 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. You made Rose and Thorn like Bianca and Nico DiAngelo! If you have fewer players, its easy enough to remove some of the enemies or lower how much HP each enemy has. He is the Land." Strahds verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. Master Suite.- Theres a jewelry box with jewels worth 900 gp. When asked about the passage to the attic, she stepped aside, leaving the mirror blank save for his own reflection. 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. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came . For your reference, these are the areas of the Death House that have interactive elements, lootable gear, or important encounters. Stress the wrongdoings of Gustav and Elisabeth Durst, and plant the seed of putting the souls of these poor children to rest by placing their remains in the family crypts. A lot of good ideas to make the story flow. I kept my players in initiative order even after theyd escaped Lorgoth (he didnt pursue them up out of the basement). 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. Three of my players were able to get boosts up to the attic from the balcony outside of the master bedroom, but the fourth, a firbolg, was too big to make it up. (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 you started at level 1, this is a good point to have everyone level up. Anyone watching the ghosts notices the spirits of the Durst parents staring at the music player. If you like what I do, consider getting involved and backing me. There, in the attic of the model, were 4 dolls: each depicting the various party members. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. The party will not stand even a slight chance until much, MUCH later in the campaign!). These two made invaluable contributions to the session. They will sing to wake up Lorghoth the Decayer, a Shambling Mound hiding in the southernmost alcove. The adventurers manage to put their spirits to rest and claim the room's loot. 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. 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. 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. However, this is more a set of skill challenges than combat. Pretty spoopy. Cult Leaders Quarters.- Gustav and Elisabeth Durst are here, they are ghasts. The PCs have the hallways width to their favor, as its a natural funnel. Suggestions to alleviate the deadliness. 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. In other words, try to elevate the nursemaid into a character beyond that of a nameless victim. Two ghosts can easily kill a level 1 party, however they are not aggressive and even if a fight starts, the two children are more likely to flee than to attack. 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. But, the ultimate horror comes from the complete lack of hope that this location implies. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. Alternative to Death House Pt 2. The first is a set of Animated Armor that is positioned to possibly push a party member down the stairs. 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.. Did you like this guide? The Best Books That EVERY DM NEEDS To Read! 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. Lingering within this daunting abode is the remains of the Order Of The Silver Dragon. 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