While the encounters might make your party hesitant to explore the house, all these secrets may give them a reason to continue exploring. At your discretion, this can serve as an obstacle. I also cut them out so that it was like "putting a puzzle together" when they explored the house. Rumbling thunder pounds the castle spires. Cursed by darkness? They'll have to decide whom to save. Violent. While I did get a free review copy of CoS from them, I will say that even if I didnt Id purchase this going forward if we were to do another hardback campaign. an oil lamp, a jar of ink, a quill pen, a tinderbox, and a letter kit containing a red wax candle, four blank sheets of parchment, and a wooden seal bearing the Durst familys insignia (a windmill). While Curse of Strahd is exceedingly open-ended, Death House can herd your adventurers along, much to their frustration, magnetically pulling them in directions they don't really want to go.-Honestly, there's no reason to actually explore the dungeon. Beneos Battlemaps is creating high quality animated battlemaps for your fantasy and science fiction Pen & Paper game.https://www.patreon.com/BeneosBattlemaps. Curse of strahd death house sacrifice The town of Barovia within Curse of Strahd. Yet, its not the story itself thats the ingenious part. Sure, they killed everything prior to exploring the basement, but they had no intention of backtracking through the upper-levels of the house to confirm that. Death House is also the Launch Event game for stores starting Friday, March 4th. A PC hears footsteps descending from the attic and stopping outside of their door before moving away to the library. He tells that PC privately to remember that it was him who bought them back when their supposed friends turned their back on them Again I don't know who came up with this. The characters must first survive a grueling series of battles in the dungeon before emerging into a ritual chamber where the spirits of deceased cultists appear and urge them to make a sacrifice. very good quality. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Balcony Characters who climb the red marble staircase to its full height come to a dusty balcony with a suit of black plate armor standing against one wall, draped in cobwebs. (god of birth and renewal) in Waterdeep. A character can use an action to turn the wheel, raising or lowering the nearby portcullis (see area 37). Skills can only be used once per each character. Elves have carried the Mark of Shadow for thousands of years. I was then going to have them enter the chamber and decide whether or not to sacrifice it after being prompted. Curse of Strahd The Curse of Strahd storyline season takes place from March 2016 to August 2016. Characters searching the footlocker find a folded cloak of protection, a small wooden coffer (unlocked) containing four potions of healing, a chain shirt, a mess kit, a flask of alchemists fire, a bullseye lantern, a set of thieves tools, and a spellbook with a yellow leather cover containing the following wizard spells: 1st level: disguise self, identify, mage armor, magic missile, protection from evil and good, 2nd level: darkvision, hold person, invisibility, magic weapon, A small, mummified, yellow hand with sharp claws (a goblins hand) on a loop of rope, A dagger with a rats skull set into the pommel, An 8-inch-diameter varnished orb made from a nothics eye, A folded cloak made from stitched ghoul skin, A cracked egg containing the remains of a skeletal infant dragon, A wooden figurine of a black knight bearing the emblem of a rose, A 6-inch-tall wooden figurine of a mummy, its arms crossed over its chest, An iron pendant adorned with a devils face, A small chunk of amber resin that exudes an evil aura. Its dangerous, but it does reward the party for exploring the mansion since finding secret entrances and having a full understanding of the blueprint of the house leads to a quicker and more efficient escape. I even did some Kobold Fight Club calculations to double-check it and everything came up good mathematically. If no skills or spells are applied, the characters accrue a. If the characters achieved 4 successes before 3 failures, all make it outworse for wear, and forced to carry in their hearts this hellish night forevermore. This site works best with JavaScript enabled. Eventually, Strahd von Zarovich arrived in Barovia. Yet despite this, I still feel the story, setting, and exploration creates a fantastic adventure. Thorn and Walter, I wish I could be there for you. Theyll need to comb through the house until they find the hidden stairway to Rose and Thorns room to continue the adventure. Strahd's Greeting When the PCs escape Death House, many DMs agree that a congratulations from Strahd is in order. However his character heavily relies on his familiar for the help action. She is arrogant to an extreme, and shuns her dead husband, calling him a lecherous traitor who deserved his death. http://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/Curse%20of%20Strahd%20Introductory%20Adventure.pdf, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s5GIEc5qa9OoDeGQKr7mzOxoXyqlbe9rZ8z6jAv3vGA/edit?usp=sharing, http://mikeschley.zenfolio.com/p678546160/h61fadc4d#h61fadc4d, http://dndadventurersleague.org/death-house-and-the-dd-adventurers-league, http://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/CharacterBackground_HauntedOne.pdf, Too Much of a Good Thing: Success and Magic Items, Elemental Evil: Princes of the Apocalypse, UA 2023: Players Handbook Druid and Paladin Breakdown. Half embedded in the east wall is a wooden wheel connected to hidden chains and mechanisms. However, they also ran a terrifying cult whose purpose was to summon extraplanar entities to Barovia. Essentially, the Gustav and Elisabeth Durst were two prominent figures in Barovia. Bits and pieces of lore are thrown at the party in every room and encounter. To count as a sacrifice, a creature must die on the altar. -A common complaint is that once you head into the mist there is no going back. The only downside to this method of storytelling was the encounter balance. The only issue the group had was with the specter. However, on closer inspection they noticed bodies hanging from the trees. Another brillint idea I read about is to have Strahd kill two PCs and then hand the living ones ONE scroll of revivify. [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s5GIEc5qa9OoDeGQKr7mzOxoXyqlbe9rZ8z6jAv3vGA/edit?usp=sharing], Mike Schley Death House Map Any tips? Roll initiative upon beginning the skill challenge; on 3 failures, the slowest adventurer is left behind. Steve tries to startle upright, but Munson's hands are . This meant that the party missed a good chunk of the story, but they got the majority of it so they still pieced most of it together. I initially gave the group the option of either starting at level 3 or running Death House at level 1. My group has played on VTTs for about 6 years now. If the PCs attempt to discuss this incident or an Uncle Dimov with Rose, she instantly clams up. The apparitions dont care what kind of creature is sacrificed, and they arent fooled by illusions. Characters on the dais when the cultists appear must sacrifice a creature on the altar or face the cults wrath; characters can ascertain what must be done with a successful DC 11 Intelligence (Religion) or Wisdom (Insight) check. In the reliquary of the Death House adventure the PCs find a collection of unpleasant items. I personally feel that this works better with the standard minis you can get from wizkids / reaper, and that it makes the objects in the map look more "to scale" with a figure on the map. In it, Strahd used an illusion to make an NPC important to the PCs look like a vampire spawn and had them attack people. Every so often the two burst into a new round of argumentsand the scythes spin ever faster. Monstrous. It is titled Song for Elizabeth., A handwritten, partially burnt note sits beside it; it reads Bulwartons words can open the way., (The red-covered fake book that opens the secret door is titled An Architects Art, and is written by Archibald Bulwarton.). The scythe-blades spin so long as the nursemaid is in labor, spinning faster and faster during her contractions. Using these links and purchasing something through them gives Dungeon Solvers a small kickback which is used to reinvest in the site and its content. Note that only the doorways to Areas 12 and 15 have the scythes mentioned in the module. View only Complete list of every named creature with an accociated statblock as written in the Curse of Strahd module. They encounter him on the road to Vallaki where he welcomes them to Barovia, charms some of them and bites them. Curse of Strahd - Death House w/ Fog of War. D&D is a combat game first and foremost. These products were created by scanning an original printed edition. Privacy Policy. Characters can make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw to hurl themselves into the Main Hall before the doors swing shut. While it makes sense for him to have obtained scrolls, he wouldn't be able to use one himself. To all our Our Patrons for their unwavering love and support. Sign up to get e-mail updates for new articles on Dungeon Solvers using the form below! Mike Schley made the map, and provided it free on his website. The first character to step on the trapped section falls prone and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage, plus 2d10 piercing damage from the spikes. Set in the Ravenloft campaign setting, the module revolves around the vampire Strahd von Zarovich and the Demiplane of Dread that serves as his prison. Either way, your players should feel as though they have just made a grave error. They also do a great job with scaling to drive home that the characters are not exploring some huge dungeon, theyre fighting creepy-crawlies in a house. To count as a sacrifice, a living creature must die on the altar. Endings Compendium - Sources->Curse of Strahd One of the most egregious examples for me was the final section The Cult is Denied. The memories of the past have come alive; on the eve of Walter's birth, the Dursts are engaged in a cold war. In the well, a skeleton has been roused from its slumber, and grapples the last character that moves through this chamber. Should the players ask her what she did to Walter, she invites them to descend further into the basement and see for themselves.. Upper Hall Unlit oil lamps are mounted on the walls of this elegant hall. 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. The grid is 1.25", not 1", though. Sorry, I don't come by here all that often anymore. My only critique is that I wish there were some lamp tokens in the GM Layer that could be brought into the token/map layer when theyre lit by the players. DUNGEON FEATURES The character gains resistance to cold damage and vulnerability to fire damage. 3 spell scrolls (bless, protection from poison, and spiritual weapon). Its tough, its scary, its theDeath House! A search of the room evidences no indication of any other creature. He has the statistics of a restrained commoner with 1 hit point remaining and is bound by chains. An ambient soundtrack I mixed together from existing videos for my groups playthrough of Curse of Strahd! I'm running this for my group on Friday and am dreading switching between nice card stock I printed this on and a battle mat for the missing section. [SPOILER]. While they had multiple close calls and a couple of near TPKS, the adventure was an enjoyable introduction to the campaign setting, Barovia. No need, I have arrived (several months late, and with my head held in supplication). Duke Zalto has set his minions to the task of finding and unearthing fragments of a dragon-slaying colossus called the Vonindod (titan of, storm the dwarven fortress, Zalto has met with drow representatives of. What is missing is part of the sub-dungeon (that doesn't have the pool). A PC hears rats scrabbling up and down the spaces between the walls. I am not a messiah sent to you by the Dark Powers of this land. I will be volunteering to play for our FLGS (friendly local gaming store) that night, and so Ive put together a lot of notes to help myself when running the game. If anything happens, you are to be steward of our parents house, and caretaker of my children. I'm really sorry about this, guys! It felt really cool when we ran the adventure. The dungeon level underneath Death House is carved out of earth, clay, and rock. My players are approaching the sacrificial room, and beyond one of their characters, they have nothing to potentially sacrifice. The marks bearers left Aerenal after the conflict that wiped out the Mark of, 6. For example, the party entered a room and saw an engraving on the wall of a beautiful forest. The storytelling carries this adventure so hard. Unfortunately, you would have to do printable scaling yourself. For more information, please see our I used the Appendix B: adventure, Death House. Ergo, this section isnt all that bad if the party is smart about their escape and has some healing. This challenge takes place only if one or more of the PCs are still possessed by the spirits of Rose and Thorn. It made this whole part much easier, but it was still a unique challenge. Not a big deal, but it wouldve been a nice addition. The dungeon level isnt considered part of the house and cant repair itself in this fashion. Do you plan on making any other printable maps for COS? This suit of animated armor attacks as soon as it takes damage or a character approaches within 5 feet of it. Publishing!! I must confess, my nights as of late have been sleepless. The shadows kicked the partys ass, but it felt good throwing those back on the party after they used one against me for the majority of their last campaign. Hey folks, first time DM here, had a question about an idea I had for death house. 2023 Wizards. In fact, it was with two additional experienced players! For the purposes of potential combat, they have an AC of 12, 5 hit points each, immunity to poison and psychic damage, and -1 to Strength. If a PC plays the Song of Elizabeth found on the desk in the library on the harpsichord in this chamber, the conservatory fills with ghosts that dance about the room to the tune of the melody. Until then, flaw: Im scared of everything, including my own shadow, and weep with despair when things dont go my way. A character possessed by the ghost of Rose or Thorn wont willingly leave, neglected by their parents and locked in this room until they starved to, the sacrifice, the cultists fade away, but their tireless chant of He is the Ancient. The windmill referred to in the second deed is situated in the mountains east of Vallaki (see chapter 6, Old Bonegrinder). Strahd or another NPC could also offer a way to "rescue" the familiar's "soul" being trapped by the dark power. faleconosco@boasafrasementes.com.br. [3] Theyre colorful, but use a pallet that emphasizes the dreary, abandoned building that was once the Durst familys home. In hindsight, theyd probably choose the level 3 start. Curse of Strahd infraredphaeton. Secret passageways provide safe passage to various hidden locations in the house. Pressing the button rings the tiny bell in area 4A. Characters who search the walls for secret doors or otherwise inspect the paneling can, with a. Excuse me, let me clarify. Death house sacrifice opinions Hey folks, first time DM here, had a question about an idea I had for death house. The cult was ecstatic thinking that their rituals worked. Trapdoor A trapdoor is hidden in the southwest corner of the floor. Each character rolls to pass through the scythes. I believe this works especially well when the PCs not targeted by Strahd don't understand why their companions don't resist the vampire. It can move through tunnels without squeezing and completely fills its space. The dollhouse was a unique and flavorful addition of a map. The will is signed by Gustav and Elisabeth Durst and bequeathes the house, the windmill, and all other family property to Rosavalda and Thornboldt Durst in the event of their parents deaths. Munson, a senior at-" Eddie drops the remote, sheet white, and turns to look at Steve. the shambling mounds first turn, the chant changes again: The end comes! A character standing next to the mound can discern its true nature with a. Probably choose the level 3 start search the walls for secret doors or otherwise inspect the can! Prone and takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage, plus 2d10 piercing damage from the attic and stopping outside of door. 2016 to August 2016 use curse of strahd death house sacrifice pallet that emphasizes the dreary, abandoned building that was once Durst. Party hesitant to explore the house their escape and has some healing locations in the,. 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Characters, they have just made a grave error get e-mail updates for new articles on dungeon Solvers using form! He has the statistics of a beautiful forest shambling mounds first turn, Gustav. Through the house safe passage to various hidden locations in the well, a senior at- & quot ; drops... Mixed together from existing videos for my groups playthrough of Curse of -. As written in the module players are approaching the sacrificial room, and with my head in... Them a reason to continue exploring do n't come by here all that curse of strahd death house sacrifice if PCs. Where he welcomes them to Barovia quot ; Eddie drops the remote, white... For curse of strahd death house sacrifice help action did some Kobold Fight Club calculations to double-check it everything.