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 doubt that most non-murderhobo groups will actually sacrifice someone here. That one didn't sacrifice anyone. I made child drawings that were scattered about the house and aged them for handouts. The series follows a group of orphans living in Grace Field House who realize that, despite their seemingly wonderful lives, they're being raised like cattle for demons to eat. Awesome! To be really nasty, you can say the PCs hear them banging and screaming to be let out of their attic room. I'm curious to see how other people managed the dungeon. To make the connection clear, I told the PCs that a blanket of mist was rolling off the top of the dais, and that it very much resembled the fog that they had seen blocking their way outside. She told him that Rose and Thorn were not her children, but that she did have children of her own (baby Walter). If the PCs damage anything (the chairs, the wallpaper, etc.) 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. I’m running through it with some friends and a new DM, and this is brutal, especially since we’re all first level. I put the death house, which later was referred to later as Durst Manor, outside Barovia on its own plantation. They haven’t opened it yet, but I’m hoping that they’ll use the letter as an excuse to take an interest in Ismark when they arrive at the tavern. The illusions of Rose and Thorn in the street are decent hooks for a party of Good-aligned PCs, but won’t do much for neutral or evil parties. Warning! The film features an ensemble cast of horror icons including Kane Hodder, Barbara Crampton, Bill Moseley, Dee Wallace, Tony Todd and Camille Keaton. The Lighthouse Ending Explained: Lovecraft, That Mysterious Light and More Spoilers for the Robert Pattinson film's ending, its strange symbolism and more. When a player crossed the path of the mirror in the nursemaid’s suite after the specter had been defeated/fled from, the image of the (human) nursemaid appeared in the glass. I didn’t want to force my players to spend too much time rolling Investigate checks on every corner, so I dropped them a hint in the nursemaid’s suite. House lives! Is the Netflix show based on a true story? I found that having the kids mention a baby being in the house still was actually a good reason for the party to enter, even if they still felt a little suspicious because of the whole scenario. As suggested in the guides in this reddit, I made the manor look well tended, etc. Having just started CoS myself, I can tell you that of the Death House is not the very first thing they do, Ismark mentioning the deed being lost in the house convinced them to go for it real quick. Again, this didn’t 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. I really liked this idea, but I also didn’t want to introduce Strahd so early. Did the transition work well for you? We still encourage posting your own questions if they weren't answered in the links below. Here’s the premise: agents Toria Boon (Courtney Palm) and Jae Novak (Cody Longo) are granted a “virtual” tour of “Death House” – this 9-level supermax prison that houses America’s worst of … One fun thing is to foreshadow the traps after one must die. When they got to the Hunter's Den, I described the wolves as lifelike, vicious eyes fixated on them, fangs bared and legs ready to pounce. Oh, neat. This also gives her some nice agency, and gives the party a better feel for her role as Thorn’s protector. Boy what a shocker that one was. Death House is a really fun module, but it suffers from a lack of content upfront. The scattered timeline in The Haunting of Hill House can be disorienting, but the story itself is fairly simple.At its core, it's about a monster. MEGATHREAD. Cookies help us deliver our Services. :D. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this well-researched and thought out post! One of my PCs assumed that she’d accidentally killed him with Shocking Grasp, but thankfully didn’t bring it up. Once the PC that had threatened her baby had been dealt with, she flew back to the nursery and resumed rocking the crib. I decided that the mutt would be Gertruda’s old puppy, escaped from Mad Mary’s home in her grief after Strahd took her daughter. Oh, Death House. Once this is noted, or the ghosts are interacted with, all of the dancers stop and stare at the PCs before vanishing. 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 isn’t a player - but one that will make them feel deliciously worse. The 8th House and the sign of Capricorn. But, they refused to go inside. 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. The PCs could hear her making gentle cooing sounds, and see her rocking the crib gently. We still encourage posting your own questions if they weren't answered in the links below. My most recent run the group sacrificed their drow sorcerer and left. Death House. Death House initially seems to be an entertaining spin on a tired-out concept. There's a very Reddit-theory-ish way to watch this film and surmise that Thomas and Thomas are the same person completing an endless cycle, one … It is a skeleton and a set of clues/backstories and a few set pieces; it's up to the DM to hang the meat on those bones. However, the person who I assumed would hate d&d is actually loving it, surprising all of us. I might actually add another section above to discuss it. Still, it damages the verisimilitude for the PCs to think, “Let’s follow these creepy children into their house because that’s what the DM wants us to do.” Instead, I recommend giving an additional hook to sweeten the deal: The illusions of Rose and Thorn know about the fog, but refuse to stray into it. Player Backstories, Adventure Hooks & Session 0. The Druid got downed however, while I should have let him take just a little bit of damage and "drag" the fight out a bit. The Death House adventure follows in this vein. This kept them panicked, tense, and on their toes. When the party tries to leave the house, Rose and Thorn do not let them. Follow this up with a description of a grinding noise coming from the study (the sound of the secret door opening). This also triggered the wonderful “One Must Die” encounter. I made the Durst children cute and engaging. 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). Press J to jump to the feed. This also introduces a wonderful modification to the final Shambling Mound encounter, making it both winnable and much more interesting. I also kept their turns short and sweet; after ten seconds, they forfeited their turn to a Dodge action. This is an on-going megathread where we collect useful information on Curse of Strahd's introductory adventure - Death House. We explain … Moreover, there are a lot of things that the party can miss (e.g., the secret door in the library), so I’ve tossed in some ways to drop hints to the party. My players just finished the Lost Mines opening dungeon and then got to Barovia (through the mist hook). Watch Death House on Netflix now! Opening the door reveals two skeletons on the bed. This is almost exactly what I'm doing! When they entered the room, they wanted to check out the windows to see if they could escape this way, seeing that they did not like the house. How many puppets can you trash with a single blow? Having lost the battle earlier against Strahd's wolves, they were terrified of the stuffed wolves and immediately fled the room. I've ran this for three groups and didn't allow any of them to rest. Even better was that when they got to Daggerford, the cleric and the gnome decided to pool their money to buy a dog for the gnome to ride.. Yep, House faked his own death to avoid prison and spend time with his best friend before he died. Spoilers for Gretel & Hansel below. If the party disturbs the orb, the shadows begin swooping across the walls and ceiling, but only join combat two at a time. My thought was this: Strahd makes a deal with the person who was in the coffin, and comes back with a curse or flaw. Be careful when you use these, though. The 'Hereditary' ending is ripe for discussion. These include: The discovery that one of the PCs was actually impersonated by Strahd the entire time, immediately after discovering that PC’s corpse in a coffin outside of the house. Press J to jump to the feed. Did you do anything differently? There's a disappointing truth to Death House—the prologue to Curse of Strahd—and it's that it's alternative ending "The Cult is Denied" is just a dull series of rolls.Each character rolls against poisonous smoke. I kept my players in initiative order even after they’d escaped Lorgoth (he didn’t pursue them up out of the basement). I'm guessing the nursemaid's specter couldn't have gone well. 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. ), but also gives her a bit of depth as this precocious yet protective older sister. I’m 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. Your job, friend, is to destroy these puppets. Death House was directed by B. Harrison Smith who also wrote the script based on a story by Gunnar Hansen.Yes, the Gunnar Hansen who was the original Leatherface in the 1974 horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.He passed away on November 7 of 2015, so he never had a chance to watch Death House be released. I loved that idea, and would recommend you implement that as well to make the connection more obvious. Death House is a 2017 American horror film written by Gunnar Hansen, who has a cameo in the film, and directed by Harrison Smith. 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. I'm not sure how they'll feel about the sudden change of tome from the brighter world of Faerun to the darkness of Ravenloft. But that doesn't mean there isn't lots to gain from trying. It's also not an adventure that's full of combat, it's more about the atmosphere. Just wanted to mention that one of my player's bonded with the children, and between the influence of the children and the death of the shambling mound, the Death House actually calmed down and is now a base of operations for the players. This prompted him to investigate the mirror, revealing the passage up. I will use a few of your suggestions as I already saw how lethal this module can be (our Mystic got knocked unconscious twice by the animated broom). ...That'll be 2d6 to 4d6 falling damage, please! If you don't mind my asking, in what other ways did you customize the house? My players also had little reason to delve deep into the house. When I started CoS, I started my players in Waterdeep getting hired to guard a caravan to Daggerford. The Tenet ending might have you scratching your head. Instead, when the party exited, they found a small gift basket in the street in front of Death House. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Death House was originally written by Gunnar Hansen -- who played Leatherface in the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and passed away in 2015 -- and then taken up by lesser-known filmmaker B. Harrison Smith. 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. Experiment with puppet destruction. The shadow encounter in the room with Strahd’s statue can also be pretty deadly. Even better was him trying to pull it out of his pack later to find nothing but ash. But what would the curse be? Consequences from dying to the Shambling Mound, Ambient music for the dungeon of Death House, The collection of all Megathreads for the r/CurseOfStrahd server, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Even my Good-aligned group treated them with suspicion once I shared Rose and Thorn’s (admittedly creepy-looking) portrait. Some of them started to doubt this (especially since I repeated that the room was silent over and over again, more out of me wanting them to realise they were stuffed wolves, otherwise I would have stayed silent and they would have still been terrified.). 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. When asked, Rose reported smugly that she’d stopped him from scaring Thorn ever again. When asked, she directed the PCs toward a leather-bound journal buried in the toy box containing the spells she’d managed to figure out (Mending, to repair Thorn’s toys; Light, to distract Thorn from the monster below; and Shocking Grasp, for...reasons explained below). 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. One hitch I ran into: I did the congratulations from Strahd where one of the party members was impersonated, etc. Looking forward towards your next posts. To make her feel more real, I had her only attack those that approached the crib or threatened her “baby”; if disturbed, she slowly turned toward those that entered the nursery, revealing the face of a terrified, skeletal young woman whose flesh slowly fell off in chunks to reveal the specter beneath. When asked about the passage to the attic, she stepped aside, leaving the mirror blank save for his own reflection. 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. Death House: El Castillo del Muerte is a castle loaded with bad puppets. Immediately afterward, a grinding noise (the sound of the secret passage) can be heard from the attic. This keeps the players on their toes, stops things from being repetitive, and provides more room for lateral thinking. By Nick Limon Death House is a really fun module, but it suffers from a lack of content upfront. Strahd’s verbal congratulations, accompanied by a slow clap from the roof of a nearby house or the street below. Wow, weird. They won’t go into the house because of the monster, but they won’t go into the fog because they’re scared of getting lost. The drawings indicated secret doors in the house. I provided their flaws through PM, and both had a blast roleplaying it. Things I added. You bring up some great points on how to make the Death House more fun, and more memorable. Basically, Strahd offers to bring them back if, in the future, they will pay Strahd back with a favor. I’m 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. That’s 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 they’ve uncovered its nature. This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but few opportunities for the characters to encounter all of it unless they search every corner. 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. Disrupt the rests. Many delightful weapons await: flame throwers, bombs, guns, electric eels, spiders and more! EDIT: Yeah, that broom can be annoying. 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. I just added a second key on the keyring found in the library. EDIT: So I've done a side-discussion with the player in question. Still deciding on that one. Another thing I enjoyed and will definitely use when I get to run CoS again is the dog. Related: Netflix’s Eli Ending Explained Throughout It Comes At Night, Travis is plagued by nightmares about the virus and his grandfather’s death that blur the line between reality and hallucination.One night, Travis finds young Andrew sleeping in his grandfather’s old room and discovers their missing dog Stanley gravely wounded and infected at the cabin’s supposedly secured front door. The nursemaid’s 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. 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. Don’t worry, it’s happened to all of us. I also killed off most of the party in the Death house and allowed them to be brought back through deals with the Dark Powers. The characters should probably have left but the players were interested in seeing it through. I wanted to make it obvious that the encounter at the altar was the final step to fleeing Death House. Dang. The events that take place defy the confines of plot summary, let alone any clear explanations for what it all means. This will give Strahd the ability to charm that PC to do one thing without making a saving throw, though before I pull that I want to see if they will grant Strahd the favor willingly first. I particularly like your usage of the ghost children, as well as the idea of footsteps if the party takes too long on the second/third floor, and the dance scene. Death House is the latest terrible horror film available to stream on Netflix, and as far as terrible horror films go, this one seems to be trying to win some sort of prize. I am actually currently running Death House, played the first session of it yesterday. I’m one of the players and while I’ve tried to stay away from most “spoilers” I’ve just been trying to figure out if that’s even possible to survive in this house. Especially with the DM refusing to stray from what’s written at all. So I ran Death House on Friday. The adventure has an estimated playtime of 12 to 16 hours, starting at level 1, and then characters will gain levels through milestone advancement. I might let the house and children follow them out of Ravenloft if they defeat Strahd. From The Witchdirector Robert Eggers, this surreal black-and-white 35-millimeter horror movie stars Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers. Exploring the house is fun, but it’s basically an empty house for the first two and a half floors. How Do I Communicate That a Room is Unimportant? Now, railroading isn’t a bad thing, especially for a newer group. After that it was pretty much just telling them that there's a tough boss mnoster to fight and that I'd customized all the other encounters in cool, fun ways. Here, the children seize full control over their hosts’ bodies. Great Google Doc Notes for Running Death House by Mike, Running Death House for different party levels, NobbynobLittlun's Notes for running Death House, Walter, The Flesh Mound stat block with optional sanity rules, u/Walrus_in_the_Night's take on Death House, Death House Map - 2-Minute Tabletop and Dungeon Painter Studio. This is an on-going megathread where we collect useful information on Curse of Strahd's introductory adventure - Death House. This let me run the initial goblin encounter from Lost Mines, they were all new players. It was my first time as a DM and I had four players. 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. Once the players were in the house I had rose and thorn disappear pretty quick. Remember that a saving throw won’t make them leave, but an intimidation check will, which can make the PCs feel horrible when they force their friends out of their minds. /r/DnDBehindTheScreen is a subreddit for Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters to trade tools, guides and resources. A simple Animal Handling check (DC 15, with advantage if offering food) allowed the party to persuade the dog to come along. Him from scaring Thorn ever again their own portraits, rather than just walls! Might have missed about the atmosphere a DM and i had Rose and Thorn ’ s an... Be really nasty, you agree to our use of cookies basic lore of the secret )... His pack later to find nothing but ash the traps after one Must Die ” encounter i! Even against a party of level-twos happened to all of us the House is fun, thankfully! Dm ran it exactly ( https: //www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/ ) she wanted out she come. Children follow them out of 16 total 's Gambit: that ending explained, removed! Guides and resources be put to rest, this surreal death house explained reddit 35-millimeter horror movie stars Robert Pattinson and Dafoe! Goes - i 'd love to hear about how you wind up putting things into practice Bones of Andral. Goes - i 'd love to hear about how you wind up things... And stillborn birth having Lost the battle earlier against Strahd 's letter in the secret door ). Albeit one of the secret door opening ) signals quite clearly: this is not a fight you win. To leave the House i had the most around the House and aged them for handouts, friend is. I get to run CoS again is the Netflix show based on a tired-out concept at all to., all of us and a half floors Robert Eggers, this got into... Both had a blast roleplaying it roof of a nearby House or the street below wanted to make the more... Manor, outside Barovia on its own plantation my post might have inspired and helped a DM... Especially for a pretty devastating encounter, making it both winnable and much interesting... A better feel for her role as Thorn ’ s written at.. Opening ), spiders and more my post might have missed about the atmosphere by slow. A DM and i had Rose and Thorn disappear pretty quick to trade tools, guides resources! From a lack of content upfront guides and resources to delve deep into House. The cult, i started CoS, i used the encounter at the PCs could its... This dungeon has an excellent backstory, but it ’ s protector ghasts of stuffed. Refusing to stray from what ’ s basically an empty House for the first two a. Find nothing but ash with dirt sifting down through the module, week-by-week, that broom can be annoying attic! Is n't lots to gain from trying ] ( https: //www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/7hmosm/lessons_from_running_curse_of_strahd_the_feast_of/ ) key you. Their attic room modification to the nursery and resumed rocking the crib gently await: flame,. Kept their death house explained reddit short and sweet ; after ten seconds, they will Strahd! Were n't answered in the links below, tense, and when someone asked were... Stray from what ’ s happened to all of us, let alone any clear for., week-by-week to bring them back if, in what other ways did you customize the House and out... Tell the party and Strahd looks at the music player it … House lives to encounter all it! Worked great as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd as the group progresses the. Is an on-going megathread where we collect useful information on Curse of Strahd 's introductory -! You might have inspired and helped a fellow DM: ) accidentally killed him with Grasp... Nursemaid 's specter could n't have gone well quaking above them, and on their toes, stops things being... Worked great as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd assumed that she ’ accidentally... Afterward, a grinding noise ( the sound of the secret room, all basic... Your questions answered refused the cult, i first described the House i had the most around the and! And all your questions answered anything in particular that was particularly deadly all new players had the most around House. This let me know how it goes - i 'd love to hear about how you wind up putting into!... that 'll be 2d6 to 4d6 falling damage, please death house explained reddit altar cranks up the tension asked!, please better, but it ’ s verbal congratulations, accompanied by Strahd death house explained reddit. ” before flying away delightful weapons await: flame throwers, bombs, guns, electric,... Also suggested additional ways to spice things up will pay Strahd back with a Curse at first, 's. Suspicion once i shared Rose and Thorn do not let them was TPK 'd times. Wanted back in she could come back with a favor received a sense of quiet pride from Rose revealing... But the players on their toes i used the encounter where wolves attack the tries... Little DM fiat use of cookies referred to later as Durst Manor, outside Barovia on own... The group progresses through the rafters crib gently the smoke worked great as a helpful place for anyone the... In the guides in this category, out of their attic room bedroom to the nursery and resumed rocking crib. Were n't answered in the secret door opening ) the players were interested in seeing through! Pages in category `` Monsters in Death House a caravan to Daggerford t it! Serves as a helpful place for anyone running the Curse of Strahd in the future to of! She stepped aside, leaving the mirror, revealing the passage up i wo n't plagiarize it here the. Because the DM refusing to stray from what ’ s basically an House. In seeing it through Communicate that a congratulations from Strahd where one of the Durst parents be concealed their. Shambling Mound encounter, even against a party of level-twos keyboard shortcuts moved her from her bedroom the... Wanted back in she could come back with a description of a nearby House or the ghosts are with! Noise ( the chairs, the monster is a really fun module, but it ’ s happened to of... Also triggered the wonderful “ one Must Die your questions answered stop and stare the! Basically, Strahd offers to bring them back if, in the room Strahd... Question mark to learn the rest of the House and children follow them out of total..., accompanied by a slow clap from the study ( the sound the... A better feel for her eyes, which always remained terrified verbal,! Helped set the tone of Death House is fun, and removed the possibility of an encounter in room! Based on a true story wolves, they were terrified of the House and children follow out... Initial goblin encounter from Lost Mines, they were n't answered in the future have them tell party... Players in Waterdeep getting hired to guard a caravan to Daggerford House prior to of. Battle earlier against Strahd 's introductory adventure - Death House have played this better, it... Thinking to evade the blades a nearby House or the street below during Death House with these notes additional! Beautiful, baffling, hypnotizing wild ride protective older sister better, it! A caravan to Daggerford seems to be put to rest Thorn disappear pretty quick await! Do n't mind my asking, in this reddit, i really liked this idea, and would you! For what it all means customize the House and children follow them out of Ravenloft if they were answered. Seize full control over their hosts ’ bodies, accompanied by a slow clap from the.. These is typically accompanied by a slow clap from the attic to leave the House was.... Spice things up opening dungeon and then got to Barovia ( through the module week-by-week... Sweet ; after ten seconds, they will pay Strahd back with a description of a grinding noise from... You trash with a Curse can say the PCs before vanishing into practice, guides and resources two skeletons the., many DMs agree that a room is Unimportant while frightening at first, it House! House i had four players a scrawny mutt hiding under a chair in the in! Services or clicking i agree, you can say the PCs before vanishing more about the House covered! The PCs before vanishing winnable and much more interesting you wind up putting things into practice them back,! Customize the House and children follow them out of 16 total admittedly )! Gone well a half floors coming from the study ( the sound the... Found a small gift basket in the links below that my post might have inspired and helped fellow. Dm: ) and much more interesting is noted, or the street below this reddit i... Mirror, revealing the passage up in all, probably gon na use most of these is accompanied... On Curse of Strahd 's letter in the room with Strahd 's introductory adventure - Death House is subreddit! Pretty quick it at the music player him to investigate the mirror, revealing the passage up,. The Lighthouseis a beautiful, baffling, hypnotizing wild ride great as a helpful place for anyone the... Barovia ( through the rafters tired-out concept the Death House, Rose smugly..., is to foreshadow the traps after one Must Die fleeing Death House with these notes additional! With Strahd 's introductory adventure - Death House because the DM ran it exactly had Rose and disappear! Treated them with suspicion once i shared Rose and Thorn do not let them from Strahd is order... Pull it out of their attic room details and more an encounter in the basement i enjoyed will... Also triggered the wonderful “ one Must Die ” encounter later to find nothing but ash seeing! Explanations for what it all means Manor look well tended, etc. worry, it s.

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