The Sunday Slog: Preparing Death House

This is the Death House. It's a manor themed dungeon with over thirty rooms to explore. It's terrifying... and not for the reasons you think.

Let me describe a room for you. It's room number 19. Spare Bedroom. This web-filled room contains a slender bed, a night-stand, a rocking chair, an empty wardrobe, and a small iron stove.

Let's do a second room. How about a bathroom? It's room number 13. This dark room contains a wooden tub with clawed feet; a small, iron stove with a kettle sitting on top of it, and a barrel under a spigot in the east wall. A cistern on the roof used to collect rain water, which was borne down a pipe to the spigot; however, the plumbing no longer works. 

How about room number 17, another spare bedroom? This dust-choked room contains a slender bed, a night-stand, a small iron stove, a writing desk with a stool, an empty wardrobe, and a rocking chair. A smiling doll in a lacy yellow dress sits in the northern window box, cobwebs draped around it like a wedding veil.

Well, at least that room has some interesting imagery. I do like the idea of cobwebs forming a wedding veil...

Do you get why Death House is terrifying yet? It's not because it's infamously dangerous, killing off entire parties with undead horrors (I've heard war stories about the encounter with the ghouls). It isn't because the house is a sentient murder monster that wants to embrace your cold corpse for eternity.

It's terrifying because the idea of running a dungeon crawl with over thirty rooms, only five or six of which are interesting, is about the most boring idea I can think of. I'd rather peel some ginger and put it where the sun don't shine. It would be less painful.

However, I did run Death House with my Curse of Strahd group, and we all loved it. So, what changed? How did I take this worthless slog with a cool concept and turn it into three excitement filled sessions?

I basically hit cntrl+a, and then delete. Then I took the actual good ideas and built around them.

First, I started with the history of the house, which I mostly kept. It was owned by some rich cultists back in the past that worshiped some sort of eldar god. When Strahd showed up, the cultists thought they had succeeded, and invited Strahd to the house. They promised to serve him, and do whatever he wanted. But Strahd saw only weakness and had no desire for their help. He walked away and ordered the manor to be burned down, with the cultists inside.

That is a cool idea. But the book was pretty hazy about what the cult was actually worshiping. I added some flavor there, turning them into a cult that wanted to "Awaken the Dreamer," and used a lot of snake imagery. The belief is that once the dreamer awakens, there will be an apocalypse that fractures reality, and after the chosen few will rule over their own worlds. I also changed the idea that they thought Strahd was brought to Barrovia because of them. Rather, they thought he would be a powerful ally. The vampire thought differently and ordered the house burned.

That wasn't quite enough though. I wasn't starting my players off in Ravenloft, and I'd already played through the early opening where the players are lured there by the caravan people (their name escapes me, and isn't important here :D ). Instead I wanted Death House to transport them to Ravenloft.

So I turned it into a wandering mansion. The house appears next to a village on a hill that wasn't there the night before, always on the full moon. While it's there people say spirits wander the streets and children go missing. Strange fog swirls around the hill, driving people insane. The house is obviously haunted, but it's said to contain a great treasure for those that are brave enough to face the ghosts.

There. A hook that picks up characters that want to save a town and characters that want to fill their pockets with treasure.

Awesome. I had some history.

The thing is, history isn't actually interesting unless it's informing the present... which is something that I think wizards forgot when putting this adventure together. The house literally burns to the ground over and over again. But there's no fire encounter inside, no moment when fire erupts through a room, burning everything inside to ashes. Instead there's an encounter with a suit of animated armor, a swarm of insects, a grick, and a mimic.

Screw that. Not a single one of those things enhances the history of the house. Why even have a history at all?

There are only two and a half encounters in the entire adventure that I find interesting. The first is with a Spectre that used to be a nurse for a baby that died in the house (more on that later). The second is an encounter with four ghouls that used to be cultists. The last is with an Assassin Vine, and the only reason it is interesting is because the cultists gave it a name. I give it half a point for that I guess, but no way would I describe it as an Assassin Vine. If I'd wanted to keep it (which I didn't), I would have described it as a multi-headed serpent to fit into the cult's theme, and then used the vine's stat block.

Okay, enough harping on what the book did wrong. Suffice to say that I kept the encounter with the Spectre, and then threw out everything else. Then I finally got down to the actual game prep. This is what my notes look like (and what I wish more published adventures did).

Death House: Introduction to Ravenloft

House History: (I put a link here that led to the history. If I was writing this it would look like what follows). The history of Death House is creepy, and it ends in a flood of fire. You don't need to know it to run the adventure, but it will enhance your ability to improvise when needed. You can find the history in the back of the book (insert page number).

Adventure Summary: Death House is a quintessential ghost story about a malicious, intelligent house that wants to kill all those who enter. Much of the adventure follows two ghosts: Rose, and Thorne. Both were children that died in the house and want their spirits to be released.

Important NPC's: Rose, Thorne, Olivia Durst (mother), Nurse. (This was enough for me. If I was publishing this, I would add short descriptions of each character relaying physical descriptions and simple motivations. More detailed information would be in the back of the book).

Information to guide improvisational moments: 

• The cult was trying to summon a sleeping snake god. If in doubt, add more snakes (imagery, encounters, etc)
• The house has burned down over and over. If in doubt, add more fire. (Smell of smoke hanging in rooms, fire elementals that are actually the burning souls of servants, etc)
• The house creates illusions. Almost everything in the house is an illusion (food, clothes, etc).
• The house is intelligent and malicious. It is actively trying to kill the players. The house will do its best to interrupt any sort of long rest. Rely on points above, or pull inspiration from other creepy ghost stories you're familiar with.

A note on Maps: (This isn't in my notes, but I would add it if publishing) You will find a small collection of maps in the back of the book. You will not find a map of the entire mansion. Most exploration should be run in the theater of the mind. This allows you to relay points of interest quickly to keep the story moving.

Prepared Encounters: (I'm not going to get too detailed on these here. I'll include short descriptions, but not any stat blocks or anything like that. Again, if publishing that would be in the back of the book.

• Ghosts at the Gate: The players are forced up to the mansion as fog presses in all around them, trapping them outside the gates.The mansion creates illusions of Rose and Thorne to lure characters inside. They are terrified about a monster inside the house, and worried that the monster is going to swallow their little brother Walter whole.
• The children are terrified, and refuse to go back inside
• The children refuse to go into the house until the monster is gone. 
• If the children are attacked or forced to go inside, they scream in terror and disappear.
• A Kitchen of Flames: The servants were in the middle of preparing a feast for Strahd when the house burned down for the first time. When players enter the kitchen they see that every surface is covered in pots, and pans, and cooking utensils. The smell of fresh baked bread and meats fills the room with a delicious aroma. Once all the characters enter though things change. The entire kitchen is covered in illusionary fire. The sound of agonized screams fills the air, the aroma of food is replaced with that of charring meat, and through the flames characters can see the twisted forms of servants burning to death.
• The flames deal damage each round until a character passes a wisdom save.
• Before the save is passed, it's very hard to get out of the room. The fire, smoke, and screams are disorienting. Pass an intelligence save to get out, but make it at a disadvantage.
• When a character passes a wisdom save, they realize the scene is illusory. They stop taking damage, although can still see the illusions as transparent, ghost like images. 
• A character that has passed a wisdom save can aid another character once around, giving them advantage on their wisdom or intelligence saves.
• Shadows in the bedroom: The master bedroom has a set of beautiful french doors that open up onto a balcony. Olivia used the balcony as a place to practice summons, and there are four small summoning sigils around the edge of it. Above the balcony is a star filled night.
• When a player steps out onto the balcony, the sigils activate. 
• It looks like four stars shoot out of the sky and land on the balcony
• The stars form into twisted shadows, the remnants of the creatures that Olivia was trying to imprison. 
• The shadows attack mindlessly. 
• Key in the Library: There is a giant library on the second floor. In the library is a writing desk with a secret compartment. There is a key in the compartment that opens the doors to the cellar and crypts. 
• Secret Room: One of the shelves swings outwards to reveal a secret room. Inside is a chest that contains the deed to the house, leaving it to Rose and Thorne. There are also six leather bound journals full of summoning rituals. 
• This is a good place to add treasure, or an item that will fit a specific character. Probably not a weapon. A ring or trinket would fit well here.
• The key: The key is in a secret compartment. However, it is necessary to move on. If the players pass the DC to find the compartment, reward them with finding a secret door. Players feel good when they succeed. But if they don't, just put the key on top of the desk or something. 
• Banshee in the Nursery: Before entering the large nursery, there is a much smaller nurses chamber. It has a pallet bed and a tiny night stand, along with a simple door that leads into the main room. 
• When a character moves to open the door that leads into the nursery, a blast of wind erupts. If the character fails a Strength save they are knocked into the opposite wall and take damage.
• The wind gathers up the blanket that's resting on the bed, and forms it into a tattered dress. The spirit forms in front of the door, blocking access, "Stay away from my lovely!" she screams as a baby's screaming picks up from behind the door.
• The woman is a Banshee. You probably aren't going to use actual banshee stats because of character levels. I wrote her up as an incoporeal ghost that only did a little damage. However, she could move through players in a straight line, sapping their life essence and turning them to stone. 
• On a 1st failed save characters are incapacitated. On a 2nd failed save they are immobilized. A successful save clears one step up (immobolized saves to incapacitated, which saves to shrugging off the effect).
• The Banshee also has a scream, which is actually the sound of the baby crying. When the battle starts it gets so loud that a constitution save is required each round until passed. Until then, every save is rolled at a disadvantage.
• She is vulnerable to fire and ignites like a torch. However, it risks setting the entire room and then house ablaze. If not contained, the fire will eventually burn down the entire building, characters inside if they cannot escape.
• The Banshee only attacks if the characters try to force their way into the actual nursery.
• Inside the nursery is a crib, but the sound of crying stops as soon as the door is opened. In the crib is a swaddling blanket with the bones of a very small child wrapped inside.
• A Bedroom of Ghosts: Across the hall from the nursery is a bedroom that Rose and Thorne shared. Inside is a set of bunk beds, each with the bones of a child wrapped in the blankets. 
• When a character enters the room, the ghosts of Rose and Thorne shimmer into being. These are real ghosts, not illusions. They have no memory of meeting the players outside the house.
• Rose and Thorne explain that they want to have their bodies laid to rest.
• If pressed the children will relay some of the history of the house. It makes them terrified to recall it.
• Include as much of the history as you think fits here. Consider including:
• That the house has burned down over and over and over again.
• That the first time the house burned down, a tall man in an elegant suit came to visit (Strahd).
• That Rose once followed her parents and the other cultists as the left the house and went around to the cellar. She hid in the bushes as she listened to scary chanting, and when the cultists came out, one was missing. 
• Remember that Rose is a scared child. Tell the history, but as Rose would relay it. Lots of hesitation, some stammering, etc. 
• If scared too badly (or attacked), Rose and/or Thorne will accidentally try to possess the nearest player. If the player fails a wisdom save, they are possessed.
• Possessed players still retain control. This is only a minor possession. Possessed players have the following:
• If Rose possessed a character, that character gains a flaw "I have to protect my brother." In appropriate situations, that flaw forces the character to roll at a disadvantage or advantage.
• If Thorne posesses a character, that character gains two flaws: "I'm scared of everything." "I have to hold on to my doll. I can't let it get hurt." Again, the flaws force advantage of disadvantage depending on the situation.
• Possessed characters can talk telepathically with the ghost in their heads, and the two can share memories. 
• The family crypts are kept beneath the house, accessed through a wine cellar. The crypts should be the final encounter of the adventure, and this is where that hook should be dropped. 
• It is possible that players will decide to look for a cellar earlier. If so they may miss this part of the adventure all together. Either way, the crypts are the last scene.
• The Sacrifice has come, The Dreamer awakens: The crypt is accessed through the cellar. As the characters descend, the sound of chanting gets louder and louder. The chant is in an ancient version of Abyssal, barely understood even if a character speaks the language. The stairs open up into a large central area, with hallways branching off that lead to actual burial areas. In the middle of the room is a stone alter, and there are nine ghosts of cultists forming a circle around it, with a tenth standing in front of it. The one in front of the alter has her hood thrown back, and is leading the chant.
• When the cultists notice the players, the chant changes from ancient abyssal. Instead the cultists start repeating: "The Sacrifice has come, the Dreamer Awakens."
• So long as the players don't try to go back up the stairs, the cultists will not attack. They can even move into a burial area and put Rose and Thorne to rest.
• If the players make a sacrifice the ghost cultists fade away
• If the players try to go back up the stairs, the cultists get very angry. Their forms dissipate, and then flow back together into one giant ghost viper that attacks the party without mercy. It has a poison that requires a constitution save.
• Either way, once the sacrifice is made, or the viper is defeated, the adventure draws to a close. The fog around the house has lifted, and the character's can exit into Barrovia.

I'm an improve Dungeon Master, so even this didn't go exactly as written. But it did leave me well prepared to run the adventure. I had the information I needed at the time I needed it, with the ability to dig deeper if I needed to.

I know getting through this post was a real slog. I think that Sundays are going to be the days that I go super in depth on things like this. I hope people thought it was interesting, and that this gives a good idea of how I prepare for games.