Curse of Strahd: Death House Survival Horror Part 3

Spoilers for Curse of Strahd ahead!




Turn up the night, it feels so right

In this post, I want to break down the second "half" of Death House, areas 22-38 and the ending. If you didn't read the previous post, I want to create a feeling of horror and fear by starting off my players with little equipment and having them slowly move through the house, finding items and searching everything, with tension rising as they move from area to area. Because of this approach, I've also included modifications for certain monsters in this area, because I would actually like the party to make it to the final scene alive.

I believe that if the players started off really feeling powerless, they might buy in to the fear a bit more. They might actually be willing to complete the twist ending of the adventure and sacrifice a companion. Also, they might actually flee from the final encounter.

I've read many reviews of this adventure that dislike the final monster, a Shambling Mound. And their concern is well-founded: a party of four 2nd-level PCs would be horribly outmatched by a CR 5 monster. But I think the mound was very carefully chosen. First off, it's speed is only 20ft. Second, the entire adventure clearly calls out that this is a monster the cult has worshipped for decades, something ancient and evil. And finally, the mound in particular has powerful slam attacks and the ability to engulf enemies.

All of this leads me to believe the mound was meant to be a zombie or Frankenstein monster, slow, relentless, and driving the players to turn and flee from the house. If they try to fight it, a nature check should reveal that they are meant to run from this encounter. If all else fails, simply tell your players: they risk character death by staying. If they still want to fight, don't stop them after that.
Alright, let's finish this up! Note that the PCs leveled up to 2nd level when they found the door in area 18. I would probably allow them to keep all the HP they gain from leveling, because they might have an encounter nearly immediately after descending, and some groups will still have lowered max HP from the specter fight.

Areas of Death House


I Durst not enter here...

22. Dungeon Level Access
Mark of Horror: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased. At this point it should be very muffled and unintelligible, more just a pulsing rhythm of voices in the deep.
Note: Even though the players could head straight to area 27 from here, I would definitely want them to find area 25 and area 34, to get their magic items and find the massive amount of loot hidden there. So, when the characters enter, I would have some of them feel drawn to certain areas, some to the North (Area 25) and some to the West (area 34).

23. Family Crypts
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased
Note: This area contains the coffins that can be used to lay the children to rest
Encounter: If the coffin in 23D is disturbed, the swarm of centipedes (MM pg. 338) rains down on the PC who touched it. Normally, the players wouldn't have a reason to disturb the coffin, but dropping insects on my player's heads is too good to pass up. So...
Added Item: an uncommon magic item, draws a particular character to it from inside Elisabeth's Coffin
Also, tell your players that the crypts, while small, make for a decent place to take a short rest, so the characters can administer to a paralyzed friend while they rest.

24. Cult Initiate's Quarters
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased
Added Item: a scimitar with a runic hilt, lying next to a straw pallet. The translated runes read: "Priest of Osybus"

25. Well and Cultist Quarters
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased
Mark of Horror: pulling up the bucket from the well reveals a rotted human head sitting in the bucket under the surface of the water. If dumped out or reached into, it vanishes.
Items: silver shortsword
Added Item: an uncommon magic item, which draws a particular character to it from inside chest 25E. This should also lead them to the incredibly useful silvered shortsword

26. Hidden Spiked Pit
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased. Here, it is clear that it comes from area 30.
Mark of Horror: a skeleton lies in the pit trap, impaled. If touched it crumbles into dust.
Encounter: if you run the pit trap, I wouldn't run the ghouls in area 29.

Trap: Spiked Pit
Detect: Active Perception 15 / Passive Perception 20 (no footprints)
Disable: impossible
Effect: 3 bludgeon + 11 pierce dmg 

Also, make sure to have the jumping rules handy (PHB pg. 182) or allow the players to lower themselves into the pit and cross safely after they have found it.

27. Dining Hall


Seems like a nice place to hang around...

Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased
Mark of Horror: a chef's knife is plunged into the table, with a human skeleton hand lying next to it. It is apparent that the knife was used to sever the hand.
Added Item: Chef's knife (dagger)

28. Larder
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased
Encounter: This area is dark, those with a light source or darkvision can make a perception check vs the grick's stealth (rolled with advantage against the stone walls)
A Nature check 10 reveals that the creature will not likely leave its "lair" unless disturbed.
Added Item: Net, folded, holding some rotted venison. Can be used like the weapon, but will always smell like a rotting carcass

29. Ghoulish Encounter
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased. Here, it is clear that it comes from area 30.
Encounter: If the players activate the ghouls, I wouldn't run the pit trap in area 26.
These ghouls (MM pg. 148) rise up two at a time, the closest ghouls rise up first, then one round later the other ghouls rise up.
If the ghouls succeed in paralyzing a character, the ghoul uses its actions to grapple and pull the character towards area 30, then 35, then 38. If possible, they sacrifice the character on the altar, causing the house to be appeased.
As the ghouls fight, they scream about their unending hunger and their need to serve "the Darklord"

30. Stairs Down
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased. Here, it is clear that it comes from below.

31. Darklord's Shrine
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased.
Encounter: The door to the south is a mimic in disguise. See area 33 for details.
Note: This room contains a secret door (Active Perception 10 / Passive Perception 15)
Encounter: If the orb or statue is touched, Shadows (MM pg. 269) begin attacking the characters. They all appear at once, hidden in the dim light in the corners of the room, but they engage in the fight one at a time. A character who uses an action to make a Perception check of 16 (or has a passive perception of 16) can see their forms moving in the dark corners of the room. The shadow can attempt to hide again on the next round. There are a total of 5 shadows.
Items: arcane focus

32. Hidden Trapdoor
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased.

33. Cult Leader's Den




It's a dump, but every Friday is movie night, which is nice

Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased.
Encounter: This door is a mimic (MM pg. 220) in disguise. If the characters are fighting the shadows in area 31 and someone tries to escape via this door, I would take an action to have the mimic reveal itself after the character got stuck, to allow the others to deal with the shadows and then the mimic. Either way, this can definitely augment an already deadly encounter.
When the mimic is dead, it reverts to its true form, an amorphous purple blob. The doorway is then clear.
Added Item: Two large candlesticks (clubs)

34. Cult Leader's Headquarters
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased.
Encounter: Two Ghasts (MM pg. 148), who are the parents of Rose and Thorn. Because this is another deadly encounter, these ghasts enter one at a time, the second entering after one round.
If the ghasts succeed in paralyzing a character, the ghast uses its actions to grapple and pull the character towards area 30, then 35, then 38. If possible, they sacrifice the character on the altar, causing the house to be appeased.
As the ghasts fight, they scream about their unending hunger and their need to "keep the children safe". Otherwise, it might be difficult to tell who these people were in life. You can also have a player make a DC 12 Investigation check to realize they are the same people from the painting in area 12. They will not fight the ghosts of Rose and Thorn.
Items: cloak of protection, potions of healing, chain shirt, mess kit, alchemist's fire, bullseye lantern, thieves tools, spellbook
Added Item: an uncommon magic item, which draws a particular character to it from inside the footlocker.

35. Reliquary
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased. From here, it is intelligible: "He is the ancient. He is the Land"
Items: Daggers, several trinkets
The book says that these trinkets are useless, but I think they could be used for plot, for character development, or as a minor magical item. Here are my suggestions:

• Goblin's Hand: grants wishes like a monkey's paw, belongs to one of the Witches in Strahd's tower (CoS pg. 72), or when it touches something it grasps onto it, DC 20 Strength check to remove
• Human Bone Knife: a vistani-made trinket belonging to Arrigal (CoS pg. 122), can replace up to 50GP worth of valuable components in any divination spell, or contains a secret message within a compartment in the handle
• Rat's Skull Dagger: A ritual knife used by Rudolph Van Richten that he would recognize on sight, once used cannot be unequipped until you commit a murder with it. or can cast dominate monster on a rat or giant rat (not a swarm) once per day.
• Nothic's Eye: an old hag's eye made by Morgantha (CoS pg. 127), can be attuned to and allows the user to see out of it as if it was their own eye, or reveals the dark secrets of those within 10ft when cracked upon the ground
• Aspergillum: belongs to The Abbot (CoS pg. 151), contains a small amount of ashes that act as Dust of Disappearance (DMG pg. 166), or contains dust that causes vivid dreams when inhaled
• Ghoul cloak: Grants its wearer resistance to poison damage, allows a single character to pass undetected within the Amber Temple (CoS pg. 181), or fills the wearer with an unquenchable hunger when worn or used as a blanket
• Frog-on-a-stick: actually a Wand of Polymorph (DMG pg. 211) that crumbles to ashes after one use, an incredibly tasty snack preserved by dark magic (gives good characters a stomach ache), or a sacred relic of the Druids of Yester Hill (CoS pg. 198)
• Bat Guano: can be used to scare of a Swarm of Insects once, can reveal fortunes like tea leaves when scattered, or bag once belonged to Patrina Velikov (CoS pg. 121) as a component pouch
• Hag's finger: belongs to Offalia Wormwriggle (CoS pg. 127) and she wants it back, acts as a one-use skeleton key, or curls unnaturally when a false promise is made to its holder
• Wooden mummy figurine: when cracked open, tiny wooden organs tumble out, tag says "Is No Blinsky, Is No Fun!", or gives unsettling dreams when slept near
• Devil pendant: can be used to disperse the wall of green flame (CoS pg. 158), can't pass into hollowed ground, or contains a bound fiend that is released when it is opened
• Halfling Head: recites delicious recipes when brought into a kitchen, belongs to a former adventurer in Barovia (note a headless halfing in The March of the Dead, CoS pg. 48), or causes others to think the holder is overreacting to everything
• Dire Wolf Tongue: wolves and werewolves are drawn to the scent of this item, when removed from the house it begins to regenerate into a full dire wolf, or can be attuned to as a good luck charm (like a luck stone, DMG pg. 205)

36. Prison


In the distance, Blue Suede's Hooked on a Feeling plays

Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased. From here, it is intelligible: "He is the ancient. He is the Land"
Note: This room contains a secret door (Active Perception 15 / Passive Perception 20)
Added Items: Flail, Dagger, Handaxe, Sickle, mace, all bloody and left in various alcoves. Each time a character searches an alcove (other than the one with a gold ring) they have a cumulative 10% chance to find one of these items.

37. Portcullis
Note: Chanting can be heard in this area until the house is appeased. From here, it is intelligible: "He is the ancient. He is the Land"
This is a check that characters who have high athletics will roll over and over until they succeed. I would either say that the portcullis is stuck beyond movement, or that a failed check means the portcullis lifts slightly, then collapses, breaking and becoming stuck beyond movement. Either way, the characters shouldn't be able to break through the iron.

38. Ritual Chamber
Note: The chanting stops when the characters enter this room.



A face only a shambling mound could love

Encounter: in the back of the room is a Shambling mound (MM pg. 270). I love the ending with the cultists (One Must Die, CoS pg. 220), so I wouldn't have the mound react to being attacked. If they strike it, I would just tell them they strike a pile of refuse. Most players would give up after that. If they search the pile, maybe they can find a skeleton of the last sacrifice victim.

When the cult isn't appeased, we need a way for the group to realize that this creature is meant to be too strong for them. I'd have a player make a nature check:

• Nature check 10 reveals this creature is slow-moving, but deadly strong. It is a shambling mound!
• Nature check 15 reveals this creature absorbs lightning and can engulf creatures, dealing massive damage.
• Nature check 20 reveals this creature can deal over 30 damage a round and resists cold and fire damage

Ending



Everything just went to hell

If the characters sacrifice a creature (it doesn't have to be a PC if they have animal companions or pets), the book says that Strahd becomes aware of them. Awesome. Also, if the players didn't find it themselves,  I'd reveal the secret door in area 31, and have a draft of clean-smelling air coming from that direction.

If the characters don't sacrifice a creature, then we get to run the escape!

• Make sure you have the Swarm of Rats (MM pg. 339) statblock available in case they break down the walls.
• Follow the map. If the characters see a door, it's now swinging scythe blades. Note that a character has to spend a minute watching the scythe patterns to make the intelligence check. For 2d10 damage, I think I'd let the players make either check immediately. Also, I wouldn't make the trapdoor in area 32 a scythe trap.
• Double check which areas have stoves, ovens, or fireplaces in them. Area 2 has one, meaning the characters will have to make at least one Constitution saving throw.

This escape scene is dangerous, but at this point the characters have made their choice, the shambling mound is crawling after them, and if one of them goes down, you should allow the others to pick them up and drag them. This is the big finale!

When they exit the house, you can choose where they end up. I think it would be nice and creepy if they flee out into the Village of Barovia, with the fog around the house gone. However, if you want to place them back on the hill and have them follow Svalich Road into Barovia, that is fine as well. Either way, I would make the house completely ramshackle and tattered afterward. Also, make sure they can take the items they found in the house with them. In the book it says they should crumble into dust or rust away, but that seems unfair with the direction we're taking this adventure.




Coming to select tabletops near you

And that's how I would run Death House! I plan on putting this campaign together in the coming months, so as soon as I run this session I will let you know how it goes. Hopefully my players will feel nice and terrified about the strange new land they have unwittingly entered.

Thanks for reading!