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Image by Charles West Cope (1811-1890)
Horror Begins at Home: Death House
Investigate a Haunted House | Uncover buried truths | Face lurking horrors & Fight them | Survive the night!
Free
Details
Once / Friday - 8:00 AM UTC
Mar 13
Session Duration / 3.5–4.5 hours
5 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
What to Expect: 🐣 Beginner friendly one shot with light horror vibes 🏚 Explore a creepy manor 🕵️ Investigation and mystery ⚔️ Dangerous Combat 💻 Short Foundry VTT intro at the start of the session There is a house at the edge of the village, almost swallowed by the dark forest behind it. People whisper that it is haunted, that silhouettes move past the windows, strange lights flicker in empty rooms and faint cries can be heard at night. The mayor has asked you to go inside, investigate what is happening and, most importantly, discover where the cries come from. You will play through Death House, an official Dungeons and Dragons intro to the iconic Campaign 'Curse of Strahd'. I applied a few custom twists to enrich the horror and story. In this version you start at level 1 and level-up to 2 mid session. Plan for a short (~10-15 min) introduction to Foundry VTT at the beginning of the session so everyone can feel comfortable with the tools. Send me your D&D Beyond character link and character art no later than 1 hour before the session starts. This is a hard deadline so I have time to review everything and upload it to Foundry VTT.
Game style
Combat Heavy
Dungeon Crawl
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
2 years on StartPlaying
73 games hosted
Highly rated for: Sets the Mood, Teacher, Creativity
Average response time: 1 hour
Response rate: 100%
About me
Hi there, and well met. I’m Sam, a GM and documentary filmmaker from Germany, and I have been a oplayer of TTRPGs for most of my live and I am GMing regularly since 2020. My background in documentary filmmaking strongly influences my GMing style: cinematic scenes, rich atmosphere, memorable NPCs, and stories shaped by the characters at the table. If you love dark fantasy, sci-fi, and horror games, you are in the right place. I put a strong focus on character development and aim to give every player the tools and space for a meaningful arc. I encourage active roleplay both between players and with NPCs, and I like presenting morally grey characters, difficult choices, and situations without easy answers. I also enjoy welcoming new players, explaining rules clearly as they come up, and creating a safe and collaborative space for everyone at the table. If that sounds like your kind of game, I would be glad to welcome you to one of my one-shots or campaigns. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a DM :)
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
You can create your character using the D&D 5E 2024 (Core) rules. Characters on D&D Beyond may not use any partnered content (i.e. Critical Role). Dungeons & Dragons 5e 2024 (Core) Guidelines: The following character creation guidelines apply unless I state exceptions in the listing: 📜 Rule Set: Use only official 2024 content 🚫 No partnered content 🎲 Ability Scores: Point Buy ❤️ Hit Points: Use average HP ⭐ Multiclassing: Allowed 🧺 Gear: Use Starting Equipment + Background items ✨ Magic Items: You start with 1 uncommon magic item 💰 Gold: You start with 100 Gold that you can spend on Adventuring Gear ----> Think about your mid session level up to 2nd Level!! Send me your D&D Beyond character link and character art no later than 1 hour before the session starts. This is a hard deadline so I have time to review everything and upload it to Foundry VTT.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Your final D&D Beyond character sheet and portrait image are due1 hour before Session so I can import everything to FoundryVTT and prepare your token. Send both to me via DM on Discord. Tech and accounts you'll need: • Free accounts on The Forge, Discord, and D&D Beyond • A current browser, Chrome or Edge strongly recommended, Firefox sometimes causes issues with Foundry VTT • Laptop or desktop PC with stable internet • Headset with a good microphone - clean audio is very important! If you want to know how you sound, check this link and test your mic: https://webcammictest.com/check-mic.html • (optional) A webcam • Install the Browser Plug-In Beyond20 so you can roll directly from your sheet
What Sam brings to the table
I run thoughtful, cinematic horror with a focus on atmosphere, pacing, and detail. Soundscapes, ambient music, and beautifully animated backdrops make places feel real and alive. NPCs have distinct voices and mannerisms. Sessions are hosted on Foundry VTT. I will provide maps, Theater of the Mind backdrops, music, and soundscapes. NPCs have distinct voices and mannerisms. Rolling in Foundry is optional! You can link your Sheet from D&D Beyond to Foundry using the Beyond20 Browser-Tool.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Platforms used
Safety
How Sam creates a safe table
This adventure is meant to be played and enjoyed comfortably by everyone. It is horror and can touch on intense material, but the goal is shared fun and a story we remember fondly. Some content is flexible and negotiable. Please review the content warning tags on the listing and bring any concerns to my attention before the session. Just send me a DM on discord! Lines and Veils Lines are hard limits. Content placed behind a line will not appear in play, will not be referenced, and will not be hinted at. Veils are soft limits. When veiled content arises, it may be acknowledged briefly without description, or we cut away with a fade to black. Breaks: We play for about 3.5 to 4.5 hours with one 15 minute break around the halfway point. If anyone needs a quick break outside of that but does not want to miss important moments, just say so and we can take another short 5 minute break. If you need to step away for any reason, simply do it and rejoin when you can. This is an open door table. Open Door Anyone may step away at any time for any reason. No explanation is required and your well being comes first. Stars and Wishes At the end of each session I invite you to share stars and wishes. Stars are the moments you enjoyed: a scene that landed well, a fun bit of roleplay, a ruling that felt good, a cool combat beat, or anything that made you smile. Wishes are the things you would like to see handled differently next time. This can be pacing, spotlight, tone, themes, rules clarity, amount of combat, intensity of horror, or any content that did not quite work for you. You can share your stars and wishes directly via Discord DM. I use this feedback to adjust my games for future sessions.
Content warnings
Safety tools used

