Ravenloft: Dominion - aka Ravenloft novels outside Ravenloft

Joël of the FoS · May 11, 2007

Here's the announcement: http://ww2.wizards.com/Books/Wizards/?doc=main_2008ravenlofttitles

Ravenloft fan here, very happy with this news. But curious too!

Anybody in the know (Ari!) can tell more about these novels? I understand they will be in our own world, and not in the RL setting. What kind of guidelines were you given? Is it Gothic Earth revival? Or a mix between GE and RL (as the first novel seems to be)? What are the canon base of these novels (will it follow RL setting "rules" (aka domains, darklords, horror checks, etc.), HoH? etc?), or is it totally new-and-non-RL-setting-based horror novels?

Joël

charlesatan · May 11, 2007

From Ari's livejournal post, he couldn't access EnWorld for the past week. So until that's resolved, we won't be hearing from hin anytime soon (hopefully I'm wrong!). He replies to inquiries at his lj:

http://mouseferatu.livejournal.com/473545.html

Wraith Form · May 11, 2007

You're right--it sure sounds GE, doesn't it?

charlesatan · May 11, 2007

Hope Ari doesn't mind me cutting and pasting some of the inquiries regarding the novel:

The Monkey King: Oh, that sounds a-MAZ-ing! Congrats on such a fun premise and period. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

Given the amount of AQ I wrote, though, you'll have to forgive me if I cheer a little for the Saracens.

Ari: lol

No worries. Al Qadim is, in fact, tied for Ravenloft as my favorite setting from old editions.

I will warn you, though, that only a relatively small portion of the novel actually takes place in Jerusalem/the real world. So you won't have too much opportunity to cheer for the Saracens this time. That said, I see no reason not to revisit the period in later works, if I'm allowed to write any, so hold the thought. ;-)

Shemeska · May 11, 2007

Color me interested

Alzrius · May 11, 2007

This is quite interesting. While I personally wish there was more material actually taking place inside of Ravenloft, whatever keeps my most favorite setting alive is still good news. This really does sound like it's taking place on Gothic Earth!

Klaus · May 11, 2007

I don't see much difference from the Ravenloft novels from the past. Instead of plucking characters out of D&D settings (Faerun, Oerth, Krynn, etc), the Mists are pulling characters from Earth. Instead of dropping them in Barovia, Kartakass or Sithicus, the Mists are dropping them in brand new Islands of Terror.

These novels *do* have the advantage of the plucked characters having experiences and knowledges closer to our own, instead of fantasy ones.

Mouseferatu · May 12, 2007

Hey, guys.

I still can't access ENWorld from home.

But right now I'm at my mother's place, so I can get a brief fix.

I'm really glad this has finally been announced. I've been choking back the news for months.

Don't get the wrong idea from the promos. This is still Ravenloft. As Klaus says, it draws from historical periods in the real world, now, rather than D&D settings--and there are some other changes as well, which I can't yet get into--but it's still its own world. The bulk of my novel takes place in a brand new domain, but it is a domain, not part of Earth. (Roughly, oh, 15% or so of my own novel takes place on Earth. I think C.A.'s novel has a much more even mix of Earth and Ravenloft.)

I'm happy to answer what questions I can, though I'm still bound by NDA not to go much beyond the press release. And while I'll try to check back a time or two this weekend, once I get back home Sunday evening, I have no idea when my connection problems will be resolved.

Until then, I have no objection to answering questions in other forums, nor do I mind people repeating my replies here. (As long as nothing is taken horribly out of context, of course.

)

Alzrius · May 12, 2007

Ari, will there be anything regarding game stats for any aspect of your novel? A piece on the WotC website, or perhaps even in the Digital Initiative, would be quite a treat to go along with the book!

Also, given the Gothic Earth speculation, is there any hint of the Red Death or anything specific to the Masque of the Red Death campaign setting?

Mouseferatu · May 12, 2007

Alzrius said:
Ari, will there be anything regarding game stats for any aspect of your novel? A piece on the WotC website, or perhaps even in the Digital Initiative, would be quite a treat to go along with the book!

Nothing that I'm aware of, though I've contemplated eventually writing up Malosia in the style of the other domains in the old books and submitting it as a web article. Wouldn't happen for a good long while after the book was out--if ever--but I've thought about it.