Thoughts on running Death House

kalani · Mar 16, 2016

Yes and no.

Season 1-3 Modules
These adventures are no longer available for free. Anyone desiring to obtain these adventures must purchase them on the DMsGuild. Anyone who already owns a copy of these adventures is not required to purchase the adventures again (the free copies are theirs to keep), however they may wish to do so anyway - as only the copies on the DMsGuild will be updated with errata and corrections.

Season 4 Modules
As with previous seasons, stores are now being provided passwords for the season 4 adventures. Stores can then download and print these adventures for use in their store, but they are not authorized to give the pdf files or password to DMs. It is also recommended for stores to only provide physical copies of these adventures for use in the store but this isn't a requirement. If you want the pdf file, you will need to buy the adventure(s) yourself.

After season 4 however, mod authors will be paid exclusively via DMsGuild. As such, stores will no longer be provided free copies of these adventures.

Death House
Death House is available for free on Dragon+. It is also available as an in-store Launch Event at participating stores. Stores running DH as a Launch Event have certificates for three magic items from this adventure (two of these items are exclusive to stores, and cannot be obtained by running the dragon+ or hardcover version of the adventure).

Death House is also included as Appendix B in the Curse of Strahd adventure.

Tyranthraxus · Mar 16, 2016

THanks. Ill have to bring that to their attention.

Tyranthraxus · Mar 16, 2016

Ive worked out what I will do instead. Ill bypass running Suits in the Mist and instead run the Beast Instead (I was planning on running Suits on the 2/4 and 9/2 so I should be good). That way they can keep their characters who are stuck in Ravenloft after Death House and its on legal and good.

I have no idea how I missed the Mutually Exclusive bit.

klobbermeister · Mar 16, 2016

kalani said:
With that being said, it is theoretically possible to run 4-1 first and then transition to Death House - were it not for the fact that the admins have stipulated that they are mutually exclusive.

Hey Kalani,

Can you find that quote from the Admins? Because that's not what I got from them.

What I got was that it is strongly suggested that players choose one "track" or another (DDAL or the Hardcover) due to XP issues as well as story continuity. I never saw anything explicitly forbidding switching back and forth. As a matter of fact, finishing the AL "track" and heading into the hardcover was listed as an option, from what I remember.

Just looking for clarification.

skerritthegreen · Mar 16, 2016

Its not forbidden, though if you play 4-1, you would have to avoid walking into the mists and instead start Death house in FR. Please not, this path will cause you to level out of the T1 story and beforced to move into T2 early.

klobbermeister · Mar 16, 2016

skerritthegreen said:
Its not forbidden, though if you play 4-1, you would have to avoid walking into the mists and instead start Death house in FR. Please not, this path will cause you to level out of the T1 story and beforced to move into T2 early.

Why couldn't a PC walk through the Mists at the end of 4-1, then play Death House and then continue on with either the Hardcover or 4-2? Why avoid the mists and do Death House in Faerun? Missing the logic.

The levelling out I get (in theory)...there are ways around that too, I surmise.

kalani · Mar 16, 2016

klobbermeister said:
Hey Kalani,

Can you find that quote from the Admins? Because that's not what I got from them.

What I got was that it is strongly suggested that players choose one "track" or another (DDAL or the Hardcover) due to XP issues as well as story continuity. I never saw anything explicitly forbidding switching back and forth. As a matter of fact, finishing the AL "track" and heading into the hardcover was listed as an option, from what I remember.

Just looking for clarification.

Robert made one comment on FB that Death House and 4-1 were mutually exclusive. I forget which of the many AL groups I am a member of he made the comment in, and it would be a lot of work to find as it was said a good week ago approximately?

There is nothing that prohibits players from switching back and forth between the hardcover and the AL mods. Such characters are likely to level out of range of the T1 mods quickly if they do that (and would miss some content) but it is otherwise legal. You are also correct that when you finish the AL mods, you can then play the last part of CoS. I would be careful if doing this however, because characters who level out of CoS due to playing too much content may end up permanently trapped in Barovia (as the ALDMG instructs DMs to check whether characters are within the adventures level range at the start of each session; ALDMG p4 - Before each Play Session). This is mentioned several other places in the PG/ALDMG (PG p2 - Storyline seasons; PG p8 - Leveling & Tiers of Play; DMG p2 introduction, paragraph 2; and the aforementioned DMG p4)

It was only 4-1 and Death House that were said to be exclusive. In respect to Death House, it begins in Barovia. Since the house is located in Barovia, characters are already trapped in the mists by this point and would be unable to play 4-1 as a good portion of that adventure occurs in FR.

The inverse is not true however. Players could always play 4-1, end up in Ravenloft and then play Death House (providing they were still L2). Characters who level out of Death House during the mini-adventure would likely be allowed to complete it however, in the same way that L2 characters who level out of DDEX/AL X-1 can complete the adventure, providing they play no other adventures before completing X-1 (clarification required).

klobbermeister · Mar 16, 2016

kalani said:
The inverse is not true however. Players could always play 4-1, end up in Ravenloft and then play Death House (providing they were still L2). Characters who level out of Death House during the mini-adventure would likely be allowed to complete it however, in the same way that L2 characters who level out of DDEX/AL X-1 can complete the adventure, providing they play no other adventures before completing X-1 (clarification required).

Assuming that PCs start with 0 XP, there is no way to not be level 2 at the end of 4-1, and no way to level to 3 prior to the end of Death House, based on the 300xp/600xp awards at each "waypoint".

kalani · Mar 16, 2016

I state for the Record - Milestones are Not Mandatory
In fact, while DMs are allowed to award milestone levels in Death House (due to the instructions that came with the LE) - using milestones is actively discouraged except with the most novice of DMs.

If a DM awards XP, it is possible that a L2 character may reach L3 prior to the end of Death House (assuming the house allows them to take a long rest), however without calculating all the possible XP in the adventure (which I don't have any interest doing), and then determining PC experience for a variety of group sizes (including a 3-person party), I can't say with certainty whether this is a fact or not.

Regardless - I can say with certainty that the DDAL mods are carefully planned out so that characters who play other adventures will level-out of the T1 material at some point (and will miss some content).

Anthraxus · Mar 16, 2016

klobbermeister said:
Why couldn't a PC walk through the Mists at the end of 4-1, then play Death House and then continue on with either the Hardcover or 4-2? Why avoid the mists and do Death House in Faerun? Missing the logic.

The levelling out I get (in theory)...there are ways around that too, I surmise.

Seems like the only real way to play both Suits and Death House. Maybe get in a couple of the 4-1 missions- still level one, and get to enjoy some Suits of the Mists(and get sent to Barovia from Toril)... come upon Death House in Barovia, and then move on to 4-2 or CoS hardcover?