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Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft - A Grognard Finally Reads It (Review)
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<blockquote data-quote="Retreater" data-source="post: 8874235" data-attributes="member: 42040"><p><strong>My Ravenloft History</strong></p><p></p><p>I admit that I'm not one of the original Ravenloft fans: I didn't play I6 back in the 1st edition era. My introduction to the hobby (and Ravenloft) came in 2nd edition AD&D. The boxed set was the first published campaign setting I used, running games for my goth friends in high school (who I bait and switched from a Vampire: The Masquerade game). Later, it became the basis of one of my foundational campaign experiences as a player, when the DM cobbled together a domain-spanning campaign including the modules Adam's Wrath, Dark of the Moon, Hour of the Knife, Howls in the Night, Touch of Death, Night of the Walking Dead, House of Strahd, and Web of Illusion (where the party met its unfortunate end to a naga).</p><p>In 3rd edition, I ran the Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (my first time running the castle itself). I also played the boardgame in the 4E era.</p><p>My first homebrew campaign in 5e was set in a conversion of the Ravenloft campaign setting. </p><p>When I met my future wife, she was playing Curse of Strahd in another DM's group, and that became her foundational campaign full of great memories. During the COVID pandemic, I ran Curse of Strahd myself on Roll20, and that became one of the favorite campaigns for that group. Most recently - for Christmas, my wife just bought me my first hardcopy of Curse of Strahd and the Tarokka deck in hopes that I will run it for our neighborhood group, comprised of teenagers who have never played it.</p><p></p><p><strong>"Barovia Isn't All of Ravenloft"</strong></p><p></p><p>I had a great time running Curse of Strahd (and I think it's one of the best releases from this era), I couldn't help but wish there was more. I missed the other domains, the different flavors of horror, the Dark Powers checks, the "sinkhole of evil" that would effect paladins and good-aligned clerics. Even in my Roll20 game, I sprinkled in some of the classic campaign setting lore, speaking of Azalin, Mordenheim, etc.</p><p></p><p><strong>"Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft"</strong></p><p></p><p>So when the Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft was announced, I was anxious. Would it live up to my memories of the setting? Could I use it to expand Curse of Strahd? Would it give new life to the setting? The initial reviews were mixed, and I had no Ravenloft game on the horizon at that time, so I passed. Seeing stacks of the book (I think 10 or more copies) languishing on the shelves of the FLGS didn't help sell the product either. But once I started considering running Curse of Strahd for a group of new players AND I saw the book on Amazon marked down to $15, I thought I had nothing to lose and ordered the thing.</p><p></p><p>It's a mixed bag. Deep down, I'm not surprised it can't beat the level of detail (and the forces of nostalgia) for that original boxed set (which I still own physically).</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The new lineages miss the mark for me. Players shouldn't strive to become vampires in Ravenloft. That's missing the point.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The subclasses are for characters tinted by evil. What about having a vampire hunter ranger subclass? An exorcist cleric?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There are no rules for corruption, Dark Powers checks. No "sinkhole of evil."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Of the talk of getting a diverse team of writers to make it more authentic and flavorful (which I'm totally in favor of and totally loved the Historica Arcanum's fantasy Istanbul), our Indian-inspired domain has unevocative place names like "Taramind Falls," "Lake of Saffron," and "The Silent Sitars." To me this is like having a place called "Chutney Castle" or "Tikka Masala Beach."</li> </ul><p>What exemplifies the general lack of attention and care in the book are the map scales. Granted, this is something I could change easily, but it shows a bizarre absence of understanding of a world.</p><p>Most of these domains are tiny, unrealistically so.</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The "vast deserts" of Har'Akir is 25 miles across. A party can cross the desert in two days.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The zombie ravaged domain of Falkovnia is 15 miles across - with mountain ranges spanning 5 miles.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The magical wasteland of Hazlan has features separated by 2 miles (a 30 minute trek), where magically-corrupted purple worms slither.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Lamordia's Sleeping Beast mountain range "stretches for miles" - 18 miles to be exact.</li> </ul><p>For all the focus on the Darklords - and the book's assumption that the Darklords are active and meant to be encountered by the characters - there is little attention given to them. Of course we get background information and some details about their goals, but no stat blocks. Instead we are referred to the Monster Manual to use a run-of-the-mill baddy. The laziness of this design ensures that Darklord encounters do not standout as climactic encounters for an adventure (or campaign).</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For the "Nightmare Queen," just reference the mage from the Monster Manual (but give her a Handy Haversack).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For the fallen Red Wizard whose magical experimentations have warped his kingdom, he's an archmage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The "deathless god-king," don't worry, he's only a mummy lord.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For the mad scientist who can create various kinds of golems and constructs, look to the spy entry in the Monster Manual.</li> </ul><p><strong>What Am I Going to Do with My Ravenloft Campaign?</strong></p><p></p><p>The jaded answer: probably not use anything from Van Richten's Guide. But in truth, I will take from it a more clear version of what the Ravenloft setting means to me.</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Trackless wilderness where survival against the elements is as important as supernatural threats.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Darklords who are as flavorful and as unique in abilities and motivations as the player characters.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The power fantasy of most D&D campaigns can be a gateway to corruption.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Characters' research and knowledge can be used to find weaknesses against otherwise unstoppable foes.</li> </ul><p>For me, this realization has made Van Richten's Guide a worthwhile read and purchase (at least for $15).</p><p></p><p>I know the product has been out for a year and a half now, and I'm late to the discussion party, but I'm curious of your takes on this book.</p><p></p><p>Edit: This grognard can't remember the numbers of the old modules, apparently.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Retreater, post: 8874235, member: 42040"] [B]My Ravenloft History[/B] I admit that I'm not one of the original Ravenloft fans: I didn't play I6 back in the 1st edition era. My introduction to the hobby (and Ravenloft) came in 2nd edition AD&D. The boxed set was the first published campaign setting I used, running games for my goth friends in high school (who I bait and switched from a Vampire: The Masquerade game). Later, it became the basis of one of my foundational campaign experiences as a player, when the DM cobbled together a domain-spanning campaign including the modules Adam's Wrath, Dark of the Moon, Hour of the Knife, Howls in the Night, Touch of Death, Night of the Walking Dead, House of Strahd, and Web of Illusion (where the party met its unfortunate end to a naga). In 3rd edition, I ran the Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (my first time running the castle itself). I also played the boardgame in the 4E era. My first homebrew campaign in 5e was set in a conversion of the Ravenloft campaign setting. When I met my future wife, she was playing Curse of Strahd in another DM's group, and that became her foundational campaign full of great memories. During the COVID pandemic, I ran Curse of Strahd myself on Roll20, and that became one of the favorite campaigns for that group. Most recently - for Christmas, my wife just bought me my first hardcopy of Curse of Strahd and the Tarokka deck in hopes that I will run it for our neighborhood group, comprised of teenagers who have never played it. [B]"Barovia Isn't All of Ravenloft"[/B] I had a great time running Curse of Strahd (and I think it's one of the best releases from this era), I couldn't help but wish there was more. I missed the other domains, the different flavors of horror, the Dark Powers checks, the "sinkhole of evil" that would effect paladins and good-aligned clerics. Even in my Roll20 game, I sprinkled in some of the classic campaign setting lore, speaking of Azalin, Mordenheim, etc. [B]"Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft"[/B] So when the Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft was announced, I was anxious. Would it live up to my memories of the setting? Could I use it to expand Curse of Strahd? Would it give new life to the setting? The initial reviews were mixed, and I had no Ravenloft game on the horizon at that time, so I passed. Seeing stacks of the book (I think 10 or more copies) languishing on the shelves of the FLGS didn't help sell the product either. But once I started considering running Curse of Strahd for a group of new players AND I saw the book on Amazon marked down to $15, I thought I had nothing to lose and ordered the thing. It's a mixed bag. Deep down, I'm not surprised it can't beat the level of detail (and the forces of nostalgia) for that original boxed set (which I still own physically). [LIST] [*]The new lineages miss the mark for me. Players shouldn't strive to become vampires in Ravenloft. That's missing the point. [*]The subclasses are for characters tinted by evil. What about having a vampire hunter ranger subclass? An exorcist cleric? [*]There are no rules for corruption, Dark Powers checks. No "sinkhole of evil." [*]Of the talk of getting a diverse team of writers to make it more authentic and flavorful (which I'm totally in favor of and totally loved the Historica Arcanum's fantasy Istanbul), our Indian-inspired domain has unevocative place names like "Taramind Falls," "Lake of Saffron," and "The Silent Sitars." To me this is like having a place called "Chutney Castle" or "Tikka Masala Beach." [/LIST] What exemplifies the general lack of attention and care in the book are the map scales. Granted, this is something I could change easily, but it shows a bizarre absence of understanding of a world. Most of these domains are tiny, unrealistically so. [LIST] [*]The "vast deserts" of Har'Akir is 25 miles across. A party can cross the desert in two days. [*]The zombie ravaged domain of Falkovnia is 15 miles across - with mountain ranges spanning 5 miles. [*]The magical wasteland of Hazlan has features separated by 2 miles (a 30 minute trek), where magically-corrupted purple worms slither. [*]Lamordia's Sleeping Beast mountain range "stretches for miles" - 18 miles to be exact. [/LIST] For all the focus on the Darklords - and the book's assumption that the Darklords are active and meant to be encountered by the characters - there is little attention given to them. Of course we get background information and some details about their goals, but no stat blocks. Instead we are referred to the Monster Manual to use a run-of-the-mill baddy. The laziness of this design ensures that Darklord encounters do not standout as climactic encounters for an adventure (or campaign). [LIST] [*]For the "Nightmare Queen," just reference the mage from the Monster Manual (but give her a Handy Haversack). [*]For the fallen Red Wizard whose magical experimentations have warped his kingdom, he's an archmage. [*]The "deathless god-king," don't worry, he's only a mummy lord. [*]For the mad scientist who can create various kinds of golems and constructs, look to the spy entry in the Monster Manual. [/LIST] [B]What Am I Going to Do with My Ravenloft Campaign?[/B] The jaded answer: probably not use anything from Van Richten's Guide. But in truth, I will take from it a more clear version of what the Ravenloft setting means to me. [LIST] [*]Trackless wilderness where survival against the elements is as important as supernatural threats. [*]Darklords who are as flavorful and as unique in abilities and motivations as the player characters. [*]The power fantasy of most D&D campaigns can be a gateway to corruption. [*]Characters' research and knowledge can be used to find weaknesses against otherwise unstoppable foes. [/LIST] For me, this realization has made Van Richten's Guide a worthwhile read and purchase (at least for $15). I know the product has been out for a year and a half now, and I'm late to the discussion party, but I'm curious of your takes on this book. Edit: This grognard can't remember the numbers of the old modules, apparently. [/QUOTE]
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