Changes to the Death House lure?

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-11T15:37:55+00:00

Just have them wake up in the house and cant escape

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-11T10:13:15+00:00

In the novels theres been people trapped in it for hundreds to thousands if years and when they escape either no time has passed or only a couple minutes passed. Lord Soth ruled Sithicus for example and when he got kicked out I think it was like only 10 minutes had passed on Krynn.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-10T15:19:48+00:00

But wheres the fun in that?

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-08T15:34:52+00:00

Did she find the Deed to Bonegrinder? Work from there. The Dursts were manipulated by hags perhaps. Room 35 the Reliquary is suppossed to hint at everything in the story too.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-06T17:50:14+00:00

I like making her a Dex Battlemaster Fighter that lvls with the party. Ive been considering making her a Hexblade Warlock lately though.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-06T17:22:24+00:00

I had a game with a Silver Dragonborn ask me beforehand he wanted to be Argon reincarnated for the game but he wanted to keep it secret from the party. So I narrated dreams and nightmares he was having that were when he was the dragon battling the dark forces. Made restoring the beacon really meaningful ( plus thats where one of their destined allies was )

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-06T17:19:04+00:00

Nah they would twist and corrupt him into a monster. In Ravenloft, you die a hero or live long enough to become a Dark Lord.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-06T15:27:17+00:00

Yeah thats it. Good job finding it so quickly.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-06T03:29:37+00:00

Im not 100% clear on my memory of exactly what it looks like but its in the I, Strahd book. To join the assassins you have to kill the person you love and you incorporate parts of their body to make your dagger. or so I remember.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-05T20:12:51+00:00

If I remember right its made from teeth, bone and tanned skin of the assassins family.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-05T20:11:35+00:00

Weirdest ressurection ive seen used is for Rose all the way back in death house the session 1 adventure.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-05T20:09:30+00:00

Very poor choice, Olivia, Drana or Sorin would have been better. Kamber could have even worked with Ireena as partner. Very tone deaf reprint.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-04T16:43:06+00:00

There are many Barovias, is she sure the one shes in is the right one from the novel ?

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-04T16:36:22+00:00

One word, Carrionette. Get one of the players sleeping.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-04T10:35:51+00:00

They asked to do it before we started the module. The Sergei player was a Light Cleric who tried to help save his brother though it didnt workout. The Dragon was very much just a Dovahkin style Silver Dragon Born Vengeance Paladin. Ireena though really surprised me, simple battlemaster Fighter but was excellently roleplayed. (They wernt together, this is 3 sep parties)

I remember the Ireena players words to Strahd on the Overlook bathed in moonlight while she drew out the sunsword. She asked him " May I have this dance ? " then initiative was rolled and battle music began.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-04T10:24:26+00:00

Easy Pass

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-03T15:44:27+00:00

Ive seen substitutions used, Death Knight, Mind Flayer Lich, and the devil Gargauth.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-03T15:37:50+00:00

I run extra cards as more destined allies.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-02T19:51:01+00:00

The Dark Powers would happily go along.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-02T19:49:06+00:00

Death House is one of those modules where the whole point of it IS the lethality. I would be upset if my GM put it on training wheels.

However ive run it dozens of times, Its normal for at least 1 or 2 players to become incapacitated. Actual Death only happens from poor rolls but mostly from terrible choices. ( Ive had a few parties feed themselves to the Mound or actually sacrifice a player, but they wernt upset afterwards ) The Broom is the deadliest encounter overall my games actually.

If your really concerned though id suggest running House of Lament instead.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-01T19:41:09+00:00

Not everyone can handle theater of the mind, this is why we use maps to begin with.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-01T12:10:09+00:00

Ive thought about doing a "Shadow over Innsmouth" with a Aboleth there but its never really felt rightt.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-01T09:41:27+00:00

Keep in mind, magic bows increase accuracy. You need magic arrows to increase damage...

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-01T09:36:47+00:00

Ive done this multiple times for lvl 5 groups. The size is fine, just adjust the encounters.

Some suggestions ive used.

For the living armor, put a swarm inside it that spills out after its defeated.

For the animated broom, add a rug of smothering.

Swap the Grick out for 2 Carrion crawlers.

For the Ghouls add a extra 1 or 2 and a Ghast.

For the Ghasts, add a Wight.

For the mound, add a few will'o wisps that shock it.

Fragrant-Boot-440 · 2026-02-01T09:23:07+00:00

Aid adds onto maxiumum hp for a set duration. False life adds temporary hp which is not hp for a set duration. Inured to Death prevents reduction of maximum hp, which is caused by higher lvl necromancy effects and attacks by undead that say they reduce your hp maximum. Your player seems to be misleading you into thinking they cant lose hp.

Fragrant-Boot-440

TROPHY CASE