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| Halloween in the House of Lament |
House of Lament
Major Editions and Versions
AD&D 2nd Edition (Darklords Supplement, 1993): The original short module
appeared in the RR1 Darklords accessory. It provided a bare-bones
framework and keyed map without room-by-room encounters, leaving most
details up to the Dungeon Master.
D&D 5th Edition (Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, 2021): The location was
fully updated and modernized into a 20-page introductory adventure for
levels 1–3, featuring mechanics for séances, a spirit board, and a revised
backstory tied to trapped spirits.
My Experiences Running House of Lament
I ran the 5e House of Lament adventure over four two-hour game sessions, but I think it
could reasonably be run as a 1–2 session game of 4–8 hours. My campaign version had
quite a bit of additional material because I was using the adventure as part of a larger story.
I think this is quite doable as a Halloween One-Shot or Short Campaign.
I was running it as the entry and introduction to a new Domain of Dread in the campaign,
Borca. The PCs had previously been adventuring in Darkon and found a unique entry from
that Domain to Borca. I had two NPCs that I wanted to incorporate, and the
House of Lament adventure sets you up with a choice of friendly NPCs. This was my first
change to the adventure as written. I tied the friendly NPCs' backstory and motivation to
the end-game resolution of the adventure.
The PCs in my campaign were higher level than the adventure's recommended level. This
wasn't a barrier to our fun; my players enjoyed the mystery of the House and the situation
the friendly NPCs were trying to resolve. The House is primarily an investigation and
exploration scenario, so I don't think the recommended character level needs to be treated
as a hard requirement. I think it is worth putting some effort into your choice of friendly
NPCs because they can shape the PCs' perspective of the situation in the House.
Links to those sessions if you want to read further:
Preparing to Run House of Lament
Read the adventure.
Choose the friendly NPCs that you will use to interact with the PCs.
Decide which spirit or spirits the party will contact during the three séances.
The hauntings of the House progress from a dormant state to an awakened state as the
PCs explore the premises. You can roll on random tables to determine spirits and
spectral activity, but depending on the spirit you choose for the séances, you might want
to choose spirits and manifestations that complement your séance spirit.
The escape from the House is also flavored by the séance spirit, so re-read that part after
you've made your choice and think through how you want to run the ending. A little
preparation here will help the climax feel like a consequence of what happened during
the séances rather than simply the final encounter of the adventure.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed running House of Lament. It worked well as part of a larger campaign,
but I think it could easily be adapted into a Halloween One-Shot or Short Campaign.
The House gives you a strong haunted-house framework, but there is enough flexibility
for the DM to tailor the experience around the NPCs, spirits, and player characters.
I particularly like that the adventure gives the players reasons to explore rather than simply
sending them from encounter to encounter. The séances gradually reveal more about the
House and its inhabitants, and the final resolution gives the players an opportunity to decide
what they are willing to sacrifice to escape.
The House provided the ghosts, the mysteries, and the bargains. My players provided the
story.
