Death House: A Haunted Introduction to D&D 5e
In a small village, two children beg for someone to save them. Can you help them and break your own curse at the same time? Can you escape Barovia?
$25.00
/ Session
Details
Once / Thursday - 11:00 PM UTC
Jan 15
Session Duration / 4–5 hours
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
This game is designed for new players with very little experience in D&D. Understanding the core mechanics is ideal but not required (if you would like to learn the core mechanics of D&D, I suggesting participating in one of my "Introduction to D&D Mechanics" games). During this one-shot session, we will create characters and launch them immediately into the world of Barovia, a twisted pocket of the Shadowfell ruled over by the vampire Strahd von Zarovich. This adventure will utilize a module published by Wizards of the Coast called "Death House," which is intended to bring characters from level 1 to level 3 to prepare them for playing Curse of Strahd. It offers a great opportunity to become more familiar with game mechanics and roleplay. The land of Barovia is naturally populated by creatures that classically go bump in the night - you might come across werewolves, ghosts, vampires, etc., both as enemies and potential allies. This makes it the perfect setting for a spooky Halloween-themed game! If there is interest, this game might also serve as a jumping off point for a larger Curse of Strahd campaign.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Puzzle / Mystery Focused
Rules as Written (RaW)
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(7)
Less than a year on StartPlaying
5 games hosted
Highly rated for: Inclusive, Teacher, Creativity
Average response time: 4 hours
Response rate: 100%
About me
When I first became obsessed with tabletop roleplaying games (ttrpgs), it was 2015 and the D&D renaissance was only just starting to take off. No one in my university town was hosting open games, so I proceeded to indoctrinate friends, family, and strangers on my quest to play the kind of games I enjoyed. In 2016 I helped found a ttrpg club in my hometown, and I have spent the last ten years since constantly playing and GMing in games both in person and virtually. Though I have GMed several long-running campaigns over the years, I've found that I get the most satisfaction from bringing new players into the fold and helping them gain confidence through their gameplay. My focus is on one-shots and mini-campaigns that introduce new players to the world of ttrpgs and teach both the mechanics of new systems as well as the often more elusive skills of roleplaying, character building, and immersion. If you are new to tabletop gaming or you just feel like you've never been able to fully settle into a character, my games might be the right space for you. My goal as a GM is to create a welcoming, fun, and low-stress environment that rewards risk taking and embraces failure as part of the journey.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
As this is an introductory game, we will take about half an hour in the beginning of the session to create characters as a group. This will go more smoothly if you understand the basics of character creation going in. The more information you can come in with about what kind of character you'd like to play, the faster we can get to playing! D&D Beyond has a fairly robust step-by-step guide that you can look over to get a sense of what decisions you'll be asked to make, found here: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/br-2024/creating-a-character?srsltid=AfmBOoqF9K9fI7uabvLnK-DzyiWL5HJpGN4HVilaDibJYkQLE_wnwLuj. For this game, you don't have to have a completely fleshed-out character to play with. Because this is a one-shot meant to introduce you to playing D&D, we will focus less on backstory and more on the immediate problems the characters will be facing. This isn't to say that you can't come up with a character backstory if you enjoy doing so, but we likely won't have time to incorporate lots of character story beats in such a short, action-packed adventure.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
We will use Discord and Roll20 as the primary applications for communication and tools like maps and dice. It would therefore be helpful if you could make sure that you have accounts on both of these sites so that you can quickly join the game. Before the game begins, join the Discord server and follow the steps to become a verified member. From there you will receive a number of resources to help prep you for your game. Find the server here: https://discord.gg/FW24u5TSpq I will also provide you with a survey to fill out before the start of the game to let me know about any potential topics you would like to avoid throughout the game. Barovia is a fairly dark setting, so topics such as death (including child and animal deaths), infanticide, and kidnapping/stalking might come up. If you are concerned about a specific potential trigger, feel free to reach out to me directly over Discord and we can discuss the matter privately to see what we can do to make adjustments. Otherwise the anonymous survey is a great way to let me know what you are and are not comfortable with in the game.
What Maddie brings to the table
I provide a deep understanding of the rules and mechanics of D&D 5e, which I will use to help players become familiar with the game and how to play it. I will use character voices and ambient music to immerse players in the setting and encourage roleplay. Don't worry - I'll always endeavor to be the silliest sounding person at the table ;) Combat will be as by-the-book as possible to allow players to get a sense of how combat works and what their characters are capable of. Finding alternate pathways around encounters and thinking outside the box is highly encouraged. Though we will follow the rulebook fairly strictly, I may allow slight adjustments in cases where the action feels thematically or narratively justified.
Homebrew rules
I allow players to drink a potion as a bonus action for themselves, but it is still an action to feed the potion to another player. If you don't know what that means, don't worry! We'll go over how to use actions and bonus actions in our game.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How Maddie creates a safe table
I will send out a survey to all players that should allow you to tell me what you are comfortable seeing in the game. I also provide a link in my Discord server to my Lines and Veils document, which applies to every game that I run. I will also send out a follow-up survey after the game is complete that will allow players to anonymously tell me how they felt about the game and if they have any improvements to suggest.
Content warnings
Safety tools used