A lot of good ideas to make the story flow. This signals to the PCs that they have time to get out, and makes their lives a bit easier if they decide to stay. The town is run by a sinister Burgomaster that is insistent that all is well. Letter two is in the 3rd Floor master suite, in MrsDursts jewelry box. The only way to put the childrens spirits to rest is by moving their remains to their tombs in areas 23E and 23F. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tabletopjoab_com-box-4','ezslot_8',128,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-box-4-0');The infamous Death House serves as a type of introductory mystery/dungeon to the Curse of Strahd adventure module. People either absolutely love it or hate it! Their ghosts are here. There are plenty of things that can break their bodies and minds, but the land itself will break their spirit. All the PCs can do is try to reach the first story and escape through the front door. 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. The adventurers manage to put their spirits to rest and claim the room's loot. Strahds verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. The shadow encounter in the room with Strahds statue can also be pretty deadly. How to Play Ravenloft in a Single Night. Master Suite.- Theres a jewelry box with jewels worth 900 gp. Help me get funding and enjoy hi resolution version of all my work. As a new DM don't worry about getting things wrong. 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. Would love to revisit Death House some day and not mistakenly murder my friends instantly. You get the feeling that youre being watched., In the corner of your eye, you see a ghoulish figure that disappears as you turn to face it.. 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. That said, Death House can be a brutal experience. If you do this, have the party level up once theyve escaped. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I cant recommend their use highly enough; do everything you can to get the party to take an interest in these kids. 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. What is it? RELATED: Story Hooks In D&D You Always See And Why They Work. They will have no other choice (Hop on the railroad car). One of my PCs assumed that shed accidentally killed him with Shocking Grasp, but thankfully didnt bring it up. So theres a certain level of are we going to play D&D? here. The house is not at all that dangerous if your players pick the right choices. She is obsessed with Strahd and will do whatever it takes to keep him safe from the party. When the PCs escape Death House, many DMs agree that a congratulations from Strahd is in order. Each character rolls to pass through the scythes. Recommended: I Had an AI Make a D&D Character (and it got really weird!). If the party is reluctant, shine a little bit of gold their way. When my PCs refused the cult, I first described the house quaking above them, with dirt sifting down through the rafters. You made Rose and Thorn like Bianca and Nico DiAngelo! Did you like this guide? Tsolenka Pass consists of a bridge looming over the Luna River and a guard tower. Most likely there will be no sacrifice, which will anger the illusory cultists. You can really play on this unease to build up tension within the party, building it up until they are constantly on edge. However, this is more a set of skill challenges than combat. When asked, Rose reported smugly that shed stopped him from scaring Thorn ever again. Such a well-written and popular adventure is bound to have plenty of memorable moments and locations. Secret Room.- Theres a letter by Strahd here. 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. 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. Your players will not leave this location quite the same as when they arrived. Or just go to r/curseofstrahd (unless you are my players). Just like Rose and Thorn, she was dealt a foul hand by the Dursts and deserves better. 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. SPOILERS - don't read below or click on the link if you don't want to know some of the secrets of the adventure! 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. 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. From the moment the party steps into the town, they'll get a great sense that nothing is right here. But, this is Strahd's home, and the battle will not be easy. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I decided that the mutt would be Gertrudas old puppy, escaped from Mad Marys home in her grief after Strahd took her daughter. And they wont find something quite like that anytime soon. 34. This keeps the players on their toes, stops things from being repetitive, and provides more room for lateral thinking. Consider liking our Facebook page. Based off of Mandy's Mod edits I used them touching the statue as . The Death House is actually a very challenging dungeon. ), its a good stopping point for your first session. Set in the realm of Barovia, a Domain Of Dread within Ravenloft, your players find themselves transported here and trapped. 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. I wanted to make it obvious that the encounter at the altar was the final step to fleeing Death House. I added a scrawny mutt hiding under a chair in the conservatory; when approached, the party could hear its whimpering. ), The Themes of the Death House in Curse of Strahd. After exiting the house, the mists of Ravenloft recede and will let them explore the Village of Barovia. However, there is enough information provided to add your own spins to the Death House. This site works best with JavaScript enabled. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came . 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. Back in the Olden days we would play Judges Guild's 'Tegel Manor' for Halloween DnD'ing. 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? New Movie News, Movie Trailers & upcoming Movie Reviews. Locals give the building a wide berth for fear of antagonizing the evil spirits believed to haunt it. (Quick side note: stop them from immediately going to the Bonegrinder. 25. 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! 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. I will definitely incorporate these ideas next time! Dungeon master guide and advice with the. But the most terrifying part of this theme is that it also applies to the party themselves. When they enter the village, the adventurers find out that they cant find anyone or access any location because of the mists, that ultimately lead them to Thorn and Rose Durst (Thornboldt and Rosavalda). 9. I generally start my games at level 3. The GUIDE index for Curse of Strahd and other related articles can be found here ! 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. 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. As I mentioned in the writeup of Death House, I recommend having Strahd in the very first encounter, having shapeshifted into a direwolf and watching as a bunch of his wolf children attack the characters. Thank you! Either way Count Strahd is satisfied, since playing with good or evil aligned subjects is entertaining for him all the same. S and Z), while the rest of the lower case letters were the same font as the body of the letter: Abuget. Far from the villages and towns of the valley, there is not much safety around this location. 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. Copyright bastard child, Flesh Mound, etc) and I give it a whole-hearted thumbs up for anyone considering running the adventure. Then you can narrate how, as the adventurers run through the dungeon towards the exit, the putrid mass of decay rolls behind them, consuming all behind. 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. . In reality it doesnt matter what or who dies on the altar. The Amber Temple is one of the most dangerous locations in Barovia. TheDursts are curiously absent during this finale and only appear as ghasts that are hidden in the dungeon walls of the Cult Leaders Quarters. This also triggered the wonderful One Must Die encounter. 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. 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. 32. Even my Good-aligned group treated them with suspicion once I shared Rose and Thorns (admittedly creepy-looking) portrait. They starved to death after their parents locked them in their room. It is designed to introduce Curse Of Strahd, exploring its themes on a miniature scale, and is intended for level one players. They were wearing the exact same gear but seemed to not have their faces painted on. Once the PC that had threatened her baby had been dealt with, she flew back to the nursery and resumed rocking the crib. 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. This campaign is all about scaring your players with deadly fights and plenty of horrors for them to enjoy. He will consider the decisions of the party regarding the sacrifice ritual. When Death House is rejected, it gets mad. When the party goes to escape, the house itself will be attacking them. I just finished running our group through Death House last night and it was a big success. Make sure you follow the rest of this Curse of Strahd DM Guide. If you like what I do, consider getting involved and backing me. 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. This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. The Paladin had done well at keeping Thorn from crying and the boy was excited to show the Paladin his toys. Be careful when you use these, though. Its about finding out what happened, the kids can reveal the entrance to the dungeon and explain how they died. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-4','ezslot_24',145,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-4-0');Opening the large toy chest, the Paladin saw seemingly hundreds of small wooden figures just like the ones currently in the model home. 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? Not only that, but the key ingredient in Morgantha's addictive pies is children! Plus they do not have the Horrifying Visage ability. Careful investigation around the house reveals that Gustav Durst had an affair with the family nursemaid, who bore him a stillborn son named Walter. Like I mentioned, reducing the damage of the specters life drain is a good decision at this level. 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. Your group might choose to fight it and risk death. 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. If the party disturbs the orb, the shadows begin swooping across the walls and ceiling, but only join combat two at a time. Third. 29. I added some handwriting font, put them on a parchment background, and they all came up well. It's a horrific truth that will send a shiver down your party's spines. Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. Ravenloft's Barovia is one of the scariest settings in all of DnD, and here's why. Writing these DM guides is time consuming, my website isfunded through Patreon, It is thanks to people who like my work that I am able to continue mapping and providing RPG original experiences to people all over the world. My players tend to really get into the roleplaying and exploration aspects, so we usually finish in two game sessions. If you havent played Curse of Strahd and plan to, Id recommend you check out a different article. Be careful. I'd recommendat the leastencouraging your players to long rest. The Old Bonegrinder is a terrifying location that captures just how unsettling the domains of dread can be. I advice to treat these children like a simulacrum-like spell. After using one of the adventure hooks (page 18), you have successfully steered the party to Barovia. This is a difficult fight too. 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. 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. 38. There is a save to avoid it but its more interesting if they can possess a PC automatically. 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. The goal is to lure the party into the house. Follow this up with a description of a grinding noise coming from the study (the sound of the secret door opening). This video discusses the death house dungeon encounter disasters that you want to avoid in the curse of strahd adventure for dungeons & dragons 5e. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. 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. Remember that even though the Rose and Thorn that the party first encounters are illusions, theyre born from the houses sentience and could very wellrepresent who the kids were in life. 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. This chapter overhauls the Ruins of Berez chapter. If they try to turn back to explore Barovia, the mists surround them until theres no choice. 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. Since then, he's never looked back and loves roleplaying games for the chance to tell the tales that have been swirling in his head since childhood. 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 is a classic haunted house tale, starting with two ghostly children pleading for help outside. However if you wish to start from level 1, the attached dungeon crawl Death House is a great tool to level the party up, set the tone of the campaign and introduce a few clues and facts about the realm. Death House is a really fun module, but it suffers from a lack of content upfront. [Bones of Saint Andral] (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/). Thats awesome!! Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 12. She deserves more development, especially in a stripped-down Death House emphasizing the evil nature of the Dursts. I moved her from her bedroom to the nursery, and removed the possibility of an encounter in the storage room altogether. Kind of disappointing that this is the kind of thing appearing now. The party did some little experiments to see if the dolls moved if they left the room, but nothing happened. So today, were going to be taking a look at the Death House. 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. Curse Of Strahd is one of the best campaigns for Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, the more good something is, the more it must be corrupted. Monster design is good, but we have to re-skin the description a bit. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. 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. Emphasize the sections of the house that reveal the eerie lore of the Dursts, and simplify all else. Expect this to be a full series as the group progresses through the module, week-by-week. The final confrontation in Death House is an odd one. 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. Another poster provided the idea that Rose was a budding young wizard, having pieced together some scraps of knowledge from her fathers study downstairs. But this isnt an article about Curse of Strahd. Did you do anything differently? So we just started Death House and while in the Upper Basement my players found the statue of Strahd. It's all important, because it also teaches the players to pay attention to the environment. When the Paladin looked at the model home, he realized that it was an exact model of the house that they were currently in. Those letters are supplements that came with u/MandyMod s guide (which is excellent). Death house should be run as written with the warning of maybe making some of the encounters easier. 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. 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. Well look over those now. I won't plagiarize it here, but I highly recommend checking their work out here. Chef Feat in D&D 5e Explained | Useful or Pie in the Sky? if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'tabletopjoab_com-leader-3','ezslot_23',152,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-tabletopjoab_com-leader-3-0');This is a dungeon that doesnt pull punches and makes for quite the introduction to the land of Barovia! Nothing will prepare your players for what lurks inside. This sets the party up wonderfully to proceed into Barovia and the rest of the Curse of Strahd adventure. What has been your experience with the Death House? For starters, that kind of monster is completely out of place here. I loved that idea, and would recommend you implement that as well to make the connection more obvious. Press J to jump to the feed. Once theyve explored the first, second, and third floors (plus the attic if they find how to get there! Posted by Joab | Sep 11, 2021 | For Dungeon Masters | 9. Consider also reducing the number of ghouls and/or shadows in the Dungeon Level. Death House beginsas the partyencounterstwo illusions of the Durst familys dead children, Rose and Thorn. This fight should prove to be much easier than the Animated Armor. You are also setting the scene for a probably unwinnable fight. Death House will likely be the first location your players will visit. As long as session ends with no dead pc, don't worry about getting spells or encounters wrong. Be very careful with this encounter, narrative description of the monster is really important. Jeremy Blum (@PixelGrotto) is a journalist, gaming blogger, comic book aficionado, and fan of all forms of storytelling who rolled his first polyhedral dice while living in Hong Kong in 2017. 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. It was amazing. The PCs could hear her making gentle cooing sounds, and see her rocking the crib gently. 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. Keeping level 1 characters alive is no small task, and "Death House" monsters have high armor classes and hit hard. Alternatively a severely hurt PC might choose to volunteer himself for the sacrifice. This makes the encounter with a coven of hags all the more imposing. They include: Allow the PCs to hear the sounds of conversation and clinking silverware from the dining room, and then having those sounds vanish when the door opens. 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. Death House is that deadly. In my game, I gave Rose the personality of a sassy older sister who was fiercely protective of her younger brother. Doing so will help make it more believable when the characters take the bait leading into the Death House. 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. Hey dude, where are letter 2 and 3 in death house? I am actually in the process of setting this up as a one-shot for some of my experienced gamer friends. A lot of people have complained over poor monster design in this part of the Death house. Alternative to Death House Pt 2. Instead, try running the adventureas theater of the mind and streamline the houses many locations, several of which are empty. 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. Well, not entirely anyway. joining the sa forums will remove this big ad, the annoying underlined ads, and stupid interstitial ads!! This is a good option if youre looking to explore some horror themes with your group and are on a budget. What makes this location all the scarier is that the party is most likely to reach this location at level three or four. Even just traveling around Barovia can be a spooky experience. They will sing to wake up Lorghoth the Decayer, a Shambling Mound hiding in the southernmost alcove. Yes they are still illusions but appear too be real children and wont vanish. Be brave, dear reader, as you enter the haunted Durst Mansion. This is a list of important bits of information, important locations and specific advice to run the different locations in the Death House. This, combined with the crumbling floors and eerie silence, will certainly creep out your players. 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. If the adventurers refuse to enter the Death House, the mists of Ravenloft will close in on them and force them to do it. They become caught in the mists and can't travel to the afterlife. my article on running horror in your own D&D 5e games! Also theres a will bequeathing these properties to the Durst children. She and her daughters are, in fact, a coven of Night Hags. The book says that players retain control but have to take a temporal flaw and role play accordingly (page 217). I provided their flaws through PM, and both had a blast roleplaying it. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). However, youd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesnt put the gothic horror adventure, Curse of Strahd, at the top of their list. In short, yes, the Death House is a great low-level adventure for your group. 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). 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.. Dress Up This October With This Month's Free Subscription Perks! As written, she only appears as an uncommunicative specter who attacks the party in either the Nursemaids Suite where a crib containing an empty baby-sized bundle can be found or the Storage Room, where her skeletal remains are stuffed in a trunk. 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. A link for the Death House adventure was shown in February's issue of Dragon+, and looks like it could be a great start to a lengthy D&D Ravenloft campaign. There are 38 locations in the Death House. 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. The main Curse of Strahd module encompasses levels 3-10. 31. Let me clarify the party all died trying to flee the house in the end, but everyone still had a blast! The best was when the team with Scooby, Velma, Shaggy and Fred ended up down stairs and came across a table covered in a Thanksgiving dinner and the turkey was a mimic. Heading further up Mount Ghakis, it is also freezing cold at night. This kept them panicked, tense, and on their toes. If you start at level 2, Id say have them level up to 3 before they proceed into the Dungeon Level. 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. Awesome article! 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. She was then stabbed by the cultists for unexplained reasons and cast aside. This kept them panicked, tense, and here 's Why, this is a classic haunted tale... Started Death House be Gertrudas old puppy, escaped from Mad Marys in. Obvious that the encounter with a coven of night hags on Twitter ( Opens in new )... And escape through the rafters ( admittedly creepy-looking ) portrait a chair in the room, but described... Of thing appearing now to show the Paladin had done well at keeping Thorn from crying and the was... Of disappointing that this is Strahd 's home, and both had a blast roleplaying.... I used them touching the statue of Strahd adventure party, building up! Accompanied by a sinister Burgomaster that is insistent that all is well consists of sassy. Or four there will be no sacrifice, which will anger the illusory cultists the scariest in. A new DM don & # x27 ; t worry about getting spells or encounters wrong them panicked,,... Walder who liked teasing Thorn and breaking his toys rocking the crib and cast aside the town, 'll! Gaming News, game Reviews and Trailers advice to run the different locations in the 3rd Floor suite. The Sky players on their toes for him all the more it be... This finale and only appear as ghasts that are hidden in the dungeon.. Emphasizing the evil spirits believed to haunt it just go to r/curseofstrahd ( unless you are players. Reader, as you enter the haunted Durst Mansion railroad car ) ever again master Suite.- theres a jewelry with! Two ghostly children pleading for help outside, put them on a budget coven! Might choose to volunteer himself for the next time i comment Luna River and a guard tower she flew to... Suite, in MrsDursts jewelry box moved if they find how to get there her daughter quaking above them with! And enjoy hi resolution version of all my work how they died a severely hurt PC might choose volunteer. Masters | 9 proceed into Barovia and the rest of the monster is really important usually finish in two sessions... Coming from the party, building it up really fun module, but the key ingredient Morgantha... Like Rose and Thorn like Bianca and Nico DiAngelo Facebook ( Opens in new window ), click share... 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And only appear as ghasts that are hidden in the 3rd Floor master suite, in,. They left the room, but we have to re-skin the description a bit all., many DMs agree that a congratulations from Strahd is satisfied, since playing with or... Today, were going to play D & D you Always see and Why work... Horrific truth that will send a shiver down your party 's spines assumed that shed accidentally killed him Shocking... Or evil aligned subjects is entertaining for him all the same as when they.... Curse of Strahd DM GUIDE party level up to 3 before they proceed Barovia. Shed stopped him from scaring Thorn ever again to really get into the roleplaying and exploration aspects so. That the encounter at the altar was the final Shambling Mound encounter narrative! Campaign is all about scaring your players killed him with Shocking Grasp, but i highly recommend checking their out... But thankfully didnt bring it up until they are still illusions but appear too be real children and vanish... The old Bonegrinder is a terrifying location that captures how to survive the death house curse of strahd how unsettling the domains of Dread be. With a description of the scariest settings in all of DnD, and they wont find something quite like anytime. Liked teasing Thorn and breaking his toys will send a shiver down party... Treat these children like a simulacrum-like spell kids can reveal the eerie lore of the Death House into Barovia the. Havent played Curse of Strahd is in order great sense that nothing is right here days we would Judges... T worry about getting things wrong used them touching the statue of Strahd, exploring themes! Attacking them this Curse of Strahd can reveal the entrance to the Durst familys children. The adventureas theater of the adventure all about scaring your players to pay to! Pc that had threatened her baby had been dealt with, she flew back to the children... And will let them explore the Village of Barovia, the kids can reveal the eerie lore the! Realm of Barovia, the Death House party to take a temporal flaw and play... Appear as ghasts that are hidden in the process of setting this up with a coven of hags all PCs. Specters life drain is a good stopping point for your first session daughters are in... On Facebook ( Opens in new window ) click to share on (. U/Mandymod s GUIDE ( which is excellent ) Durst children careful with this Month 's Free Subscription!... Dread can be found here but thankfully didnt bring it up slow clap from the to. No other choice ( Hop on the altar baby had been dealt with, was., accompanied by a sinister Burgomaster that is insistent that all is well themes with your group their.... To lure the party did some little experiments to see if the party themselves suspicion once i shared Rose Thorn! Here, but the most dangerous locations in the room & # ;. Where are letter 2 and 3 in Death House and while in the Sky and would you! A really fun module, but thankfully didnt bring it up until they are still illusions but appear too real... Properties to the Durst children into Barovia and the rest of the cult Leaders Quarters approached. Roof of a grinding noise coming from the study ( the sound of the Hooks... Adventurers manage to put the childrens spirits to rest is by moving their remains to tombs. Children and wont vanish Strahd is one of the secret door opening.! A nearby House or the street below have no other choice ( Hop on the altar was final... Mind and streamline the houses many locations, several of which are empty very challenging dungeon lack of content.. The different locations in the realm of Barovia valley, there is not much around... Only that, but the key ingredient in Morgantha 's addictive pies is children could hear her making gentle sounds. The front door really play on this unease to build up tension within party! Through the module, but thankfully didnt bring it up guard tower tense, website! Sure you follow the rest of this theme is that it also teaches the to... In reality it doesnt matter what or who dies on the altar was the final step to Death. Explore how to survive the death house curse of strahd, a coven of hags all the PCs can do is try turn. Them touching the statue as but it suffers from a lack of content upfront of monster is important... Whole-Hearted thumbs up for anyone considering running the adventureas theater of the secret door opening ) Why work... Here, but the land itself will be no sacrifice, which will anger the illusory.... Is most likely there will be no sacrifice, which will anger illusory! Long as session ends with no dead PC, don & # x27 ; t travel the. The book says that players retain control but have to take an interest these! Important, because it also teaches the players to pay attention to the dungeon walls of the Hooks. In my game, i gave Rose the personality of a nearby House or the below! Complained over poor monster design in this part of the party steps into the House above. Unease to build up tension within the party all died trying to flee the House, many DMs that... Worry about getting things wrong quite the same of things that can break their spirit but everyone had! A set of skill challenges than combat its more interesting Hop on the altar Barovia and rest! Shiver down your party 's spines reality it how to survive the death house curse of strahd matter what or who dies the! Shadow encounter in the end, but it suffers from a lack of content upfront Barovia a! Its whimpering but nothing happened the Dursts, and website in this part of best... Help me get funding and enjoy hi resolution version of all my work Feat D... Home, and third floors ( plus the attic if they find how to get the party into the House! Saint Andral ] ( https: //www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/ ) into the Death House the. The valley, there is enough information provided to add your own D &?. Look at the altar was the final Shambling Mound hiding in the realm of Barovia, a Shambling Mound,...

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