D&D 5E Looking for a generic dark gothic style setting. Not Ravenloft.

Corpsetaker · Sep 17, 2017

After having watched the Castlevania series I've wanted to run a setting based loosely around the series. I'm looking for a good generic Gothic horror setting. Anyone have any ideas?

guachi · Sep 17, 2017

I can't think of any, though the Grand Duchy of Karameikos from the Known World has some vampire/lycanthrope centered adventures and adventure hooks as the country is vaguely modeled on Eastern Europe.

jayoungr · Sep 17, 2017

Innistrad? Not sure whether that's "generic" enough.

Tales and Chronicles · Sep 17, 2017

Mask of the Red Death? To be fair, its our world with fantasy gothic elements and D&D rules, but I think its a pretty fun setting.

Sunseeker · Sep 17, 2017

As far as I am aware, D&D has put most of their gothic horror energy into Ravenloft. Paizo has the Ravenloft-spinoff setting Ustalav (formerly Markovia in the Greater Ravenloft Campaign Setting and now "the rift" thanks to legal issues) check it here. From what I can tell (and I am not as well read on Ustalav as I am on Ravenloft) Ustalav is apparently more "high magic".

My advice? Since I can't find one via google and I assume someone would have done it by now, take a look at all the tips for running and building a gothic horror campaign and simply convert Castlevania to D&D.

Personally, (and this is based on my 2E Ravenloft material) the Greater Ravenloft Campaign Setting has plenty of areas that aren't "Barovia" and don't have anything to do with Strahd, leaving plenty of room for gothic horror adventures in lands the vast majority of players will have never heard of, all with plenty of werewolves, vampires and mad scientists.

Li Shenron · Sep 17, 2017

Why not making your own?

The needed elements are pretty much there in the core books. Work backwards by eliminating what doesn't fit.

Remathilis · Sep 17, 2017

jayoungr said:
Innistrad? Not sure whether that's "generic" enough.

shidaku said:
As far as I am aware, D&D has put most of their gothic horror energy into Ravenloft. Paizo has the Ravenloft-spinoff setting Ustalav (formerly Markovia in the Greater Ravenloft Campaign Setting and now "the rift" thanks to legal issues) check it here. From what I can tell (and I am not as well read on Ustalav as I am on Ravenloft) Ustalav is apparently more "high magic".

Those would have been my votes for "pre-bundled" gothic horror campaign settings.

I'd be more interested in knowing about Markovia/Ustalav and the legal issues involving that. Is there a link discussing it?

Rellott · Sep 17, 2017

The Morgau and Doresh areas of Kobold Press's Midgard setting (not in 5e yet but will be updated/converted soon)? Fat Goblin Games's Shadows over Vathek setting (only in PF but just steal the fluff and use 5e mechanics)?

Ancalagon · Sep 18, 2017

Warhammer frpg - it's not D&D, but you could run it using D&D...

Herobizkit · Sep 18, 2017

It's super-old, but if you can find it, Wormwood: Rifts World Book One has a pretty wacky Gothic flavor. You could easily(?) divorce the mechanics and borrow the juicy bits. Some stuff (specifically symbionts) can be plucked from pre-existing 3e supplements (Complete/Expanded Psionics Handbook, I believe).