I am currently running a Strixhaven game with some friends and our next session is the weekend before Halloween. This will be my first time actually being able to run a "Halloween" session in D&D and I'm personally getting very excited! Knowing that the greatest ideas usually come from unexpected places, I spoke with my elementary-aged daughters about what I had planned so far and what their ideas may be. ALWAYS LISTEN TO CHILDREN'S IDEAS!
Currently my players just wrapped up the Dapplewing's Manor heist (highly customized from the original content, including setting the heist during a "Meet the Deans" dinner party with all the first-year students). The target of their theft was a strange leather-bound black book with crow feathers adorning the cover (incorporating modified Candlekeep adventures into the Strixhaven world). This book will lead them to an on-campus shadow crossing accessible for one night a year when the veil between the realms is thinnest, All Hallows Eve.
Informing my daughters of this I asked their thoughts on what the players will find on the other side. My younger daughter immediately shouts out that someone should be dressed up as a unicorn. Quickly the conversation between the two evolved into a suggestion that I have the "baddies" in the shadowfell all do a sort of reverse Halloween where they all dress up and act like really nice creatures and beings and even go around giving candy to each other as gifts. Needless to say, I'm completely sold and now get to twist the player's expectations on what they are about to stumble into.
So, what are your ideas? Are you planning a silly fun session or a night full of nightmares? Is anyone else as pumped for this holiday as I am?
I run Candlekeep Mysteries, and I decided a long time ago that I would take a side jaunt to Ghosts of Saltmarsh for Tammeraut's fate (my favorite Saltmarsh 1 shot). What I didn't realize is that Tammeraut's Fate is perfect for Halloween! My party got through the exploring part of it last Saturday, and I anticipate it will take them around two more sessions to finish it up- which puts the end date two days before Halloween. A very happy accident.
Why Tammeraut's Fate works so well for Halloween:
The players explore an island hermitage that was mysteriously attacked the night before. During the exploration, they learn that an evil ship sank near the underwater Pit of Hatred many years ago, back when the hermitage was still a garrison. Once they have completed the exploration, they find three survivors who tell them that the hermitage was attacked by drowned sailors from the ship who were turned into zombies by the Pit. These zombies will likely return to finish the job at nightfall. They players must then set up defenses and protect the hermitage from the drowned zombies. Once they have defeated the zombies, they must close the Pit of Hatred.
Trying to fend off a hoard of zombies until daybreak, traveling to a deep underwater chasm to close a Pit of Hatred... perfect for Halloween!
Ah yes! I've heard of that adventure before! A friend of mine ran it for his group a while back and told me about it. Great idea for a pre-written Halloween adventure 🎃.
We've been playing a family game for a while (in fact we began last Halloween when they had to break the curse of the dancing skeletons), not so much a campaign as a series of linked one shots with the same characters. Currently, they are trapped on an island which is home to a sea hag coven, who have offered them a ship to escape the island...on condition that they become pirates and hand over their loot to the hags, who are in turn being menaced by a dragon turtle called Leonardo.
In the next session, if they accept (or even if they kill the hags and steal the ship to escape) they will come across a cursed ghost ship crewed by skeletons and led by the terrifying Captain Diablo. Happy Halloween 🎃
I would have prepared a Halloween one shot, but the adult son of one of the players at my table will be in town for Thanksgiving. I'm preparing a one shot for that weekly session.
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All Hallows Eve in Strixhaven
I am currently running a Strixhaven game with some friends and our next session is the weekend before Halloween. This will be my first time actually being able to run a "Halloween" session in D&D and I'm personally getting very excited! Knowing that the greatest ideas usually come from unexpected places, I spoke with my elementary-aged daughters about what I had planned so far and what their ideas may be. ALWAYS LISTEN TO CHILDREN'S IDEAS!
Currently my players just wrapped up the Dapplewing's Manor heist (highly customized from the original content, including setting the heist during a "Meet the Deans" dinner party with all the first-year students). The target of their theft was a strange leather-bound black book with crow feathers adorning the cover (incorporating modified Candlekeep adventures into the Strixhaven world). This book will lead them to an on-campus shadow crossing accessible for one night a year when the veil between the realms is thinnest, All Hallows Eve.
Informing my daughters of this I asked their thoughts on what the players will find on the other side. My younger daughter immediately shouts out that someone should be dressed up as a unicorn. Quickly the conversation between the two evolved into a suggestion that I have the "baddies" in the shadowfell all do a sort of reverse Halloween where they all dress up and act like really nice creatures and beings and even go around giving candy to each other as gifts. Needless to say, I'm completely sold and now get to twist the player's expectations on what they are about to stumble into.
So, what are your ideas? Are you planning a silly fun session or a night full of nightmares? Is anyone else as pumped for this holiday as I am?
I run Candlekeep Mysteries, and I decided a long time ago that I would take a side jaunt to Ghosts of Saltmarsh for Tammeraut's fate (my favorite Saltmarsh 1 shot). What I didn't realize is that Tammeraut's Fate is perfect for Halloween! My party got through the exploring part of it last Saturday, and I anticipate it will take them around two more sessions to finish it up- which puts the end date two days before Halloween. A very happy accident.
Why Tammeraut's Fate works so well for Halloween:
The players explore an island hermitage that was mysteriously attacked the night before. During the exploration, they learn that an evil ship sank near the underwater Pit of Hatred many years ago, back when the hermitage was still a garrison. Once they have completed the exploration, they find three survivors who tell them that the hermitage was attacked by drowned sailors from the ship who were turned into zombies by the Pit. These zombies will likely return to finish the job at nightfall. They players must then set up defenses and protect the hermitage from the drowned zombies. Once they have defeated the zombies, they must close the Pit of Hatred.
Trying to fend off a hoard of zombies until daybreak, traveling to a deep underwater chasm to close a Pit of Hatred... perfect for Halloween!
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
Ah yes! I've heard of that adventure before! A friend of mine ran it for his group a while back and told me about it. Great idea for a pre-written Halloween adventure 🎃.
We've been playing a family game for a while (in fact we began last Halloween when they had to break the curse of the dancing skeletons), not so much a campaign as a series of linked one shots with the same characters. Currently, they are trapped on an island which is home to a sea hag coven, who have offered them a ship to escape the island...on condition that they become pirates and hand over their loot to the hags, who are in turn being menaced by a dragon turtle called Leonardo.
In the next session, if they accept (or even if they kill the hags and steal the ship to escape) they will come across a cursed ghost ship crewed by skeletons and led by the terrifying Captain Diablo. Happy Halloween 🎃
i mean I am currently running a curse of strahd, so that helps my cause already but yeah I should find some home brew items to match the season
"Not even a death save can save you from me"
I would have prepared a Halloween one shot, but the adult son of one of the players at my table will be in town for Thanksgiving. I'm preparing a one shot for that weekly session.