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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jbear" data-source="post: 5384378" data-attributes="member: 75065">Is that Ravenloft module 'The House on Gryphon Hill' by any chance?I have mixed that module into my homebrew campaign and the dream sequence slaughter worked very well when I ran it. I think the set up into the situation is important. My Players had slogged their way through 'the Bog' to get to their destination, Loudwater. The Bog is a terrifying and near impenetrable swamp under the dark influence of the 'Creature' where she gathers her dark strength and rallies evil forces around her before beginning her 'poisoning' of the town where the PCs just arrived.I ran a skill challenge for them to get through the outskirts of the Bog. Each fail lead them through one of the Creatures areas of influence where the PCs were exposed to infection by her dark malady. By the time they reached the town they were running high fever and feeling dizzy and nauseas. The towns folk began to blur into hideous monsters who leered and jeered at them before they finally collapsed unconscious on the stairs of the town Sanitorium.Enough set up for them to realise whatever was to follow was of a questionable nature I think. Following the guide in the Ravenloft module the following dream sequence is an encounter between the Creature and the PCs which should be a fast, brutal slaughter.Fast and brutal being the key words, to not give the PCs time to dwell on the unbelievable nature of the encounter I guess and so that it isn't something that drags out.As I run 4e I converted the Creature into 4e Strahd but delevelled him a bit so they could actually hit him. And added two other Vampire's muse elites to make sure it was fast and over quickly.But like others have said when experiencing such an encounter, I didn't want there to be NO POINT to the encounter. Yep, cool, set up the baddie, make sure the Creature is feared and loathed etc . But what was in it for the PCs? So I decided to build in a number of features into the encounter that the PCs could discover that if revealed would give them insight into the Creatures weaknesses and weaken it considerably when they encountered each other for real in the future. I also built in a 'way out of the dream'. Unfortunately (for them), my players bought the encounter hook line and sinker and fought to near the bitter end. With 3 vampires way over their level and 3 Dominated PCs the combat was indeed fast and brutal as they hacked each other up. Emotions were were on a knife edge. And then the Cleric said ... this can't be happening, what if it's a dream or something? I raised an eyebrow and described in detail the pain she felt rip through her body as she took another hit. From then on, however, the doubt was there in everyone's mind (which I didn't mind at all). They began to actually start thinking, looking around at the room and wondering the significance of the clues/escape routes I had placed around the area. Something clicked in the Sorceror's head and she rightly said they needed to investigate those objects and ignore the fighting. But realisation came too late. Before anyone could get out of the corner they had boxed themselves into and tenaciously refused to leave they were dead.Mixed reactions when I described that they woke up bathed in sweat in a sparse room where a nurse looked over them with a concerned face. When they discovered that they had gone on a rampage through town fighting the creatures of their halluciantions, destroying shop windows, public property and menacing the townsfolk while experiencing their fevered dream I think those who disliked the idea came around to it and began to enjoy it retrospectively. They were kicking themselves for not having explored the room. But everything that followed, all the weirdness that began to occur had been given a very creepy context. It really set the atmosphere for everything that followed since then, so I think it was worth it. If I did it again i might be a little more explicit about the 'out of place features in the room' in order to draw their attention/interest to them more strongly.But fast and brutal is important. It shouldn't be something that drags out. Add some achievable goals that will give them an advantage when they wake up, or a mechanism to 'beat the dream' or put it on pause long enough for them to discover the relevant secrets hidden in the area. Give it a context if possible. Why are they suddenly dreaming. What is happening in the real world while they are dreaming, something parallel in the real world? What long lasting effects does this have on them as the adventure unfolds? My PCs have their Insight and Endurance attacked when they come across relevant parts of the adventure that bring them closer to defeating the creature. Those  that fail experience cold shivers, momentary hallucinations and weakness. It's something they know is connected back to that dream. And everytime it happens it adds a lovely creepy feeling to what is going on.For what it's worth the dream slaughter encounter is amongst many of my players most memorable and enjoyable encounters played to date.</blockquote>

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