D&D 5E Everything We Know About The Ravenloft Book

Here is a list of everything we know so far about the upcoming Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.

Art by Paul Scott Canavan​

• May 18th, 256 pages
• 30 domains (with 30 villainous darklords)
• Barovia (Strahd), Dementlieu (twisted fairly tales), Lamordia (flesh golem), Falkovnia (zombies), Kalakeri (Indian folklore, dark rainforests), Valachan (hunting PCs for sport), Lamordia (mad science)
• NPCs include Esmerelda de’Avenir, Weathermay-Foxgrove twins, traveling detective Alanik Ray.
• Large section on setting safe boundaries.
• Dark Gifts are character traits with a cost.
• College of Spirits (bard storytellers who manipulate spirits of folklore) and Undead Patron (warlock) subclasses.
• Dhampir, Reborn, and Hexblood lineages.
• Cultural consultants used.
• Fresh take on Vistani.
• 40 pages of monsters. Also nautical monsters in Sea of Sorrows.
• 20 page adventure called The House of Lament - haunted house, spirits, seances.

​

D&D 5E - Full Wraparound Cover Art For Ravenloft

We've seen the cover already, but here's a look at the full wraparound art by Anna Podedworna. https://www.enworld.org/threads/updated-with-cover-the-d-d-book-is-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft.678411/ https://www.enworld.org/threads/heres-the-ravenloft-alternate-cover.678414/...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Here's the Ravenloft Alternate Cover!

As usual, there is an alternate hobby-store exclusive cover for the upcoming Ravenloft book. Here's a look at it! And here's the full wraparound art. https://www.enworld.org/threads/updated-with-cover-the-d-d-book-is-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft.678411/...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - [Updated with cover!] The D&D Book Is.... Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft!

Yesterday's hints that a new D&D book would be announced today have born fruit -- we now have a product description and a title! It's a Ravenloft setting book, with tools and new rules for horror-themed games, and new horror-themed character options. I'll update this post with a product image as...

www.enworld.org

 

[overgeeked]

One of my first times running Ravenloft, waaaay back when, I crouched down and then sort of leapt up at the other player--not landing on him at all, but more just doing grabby hands from below. It got a yelp from the player involved, so I guess that would count as a jump scare. Even if it was about as sudden as watching a cat wiggle its butt for a minute before pouncing on you--he could clearly see what I was doing; I think he just didn't expect I'd go grabby.

My knees won't allow me to do something like that anymore.

Not through physical means like a "full-contact haunted house," of course--unless it's a LARP--but the players should be fully immersed in the setting through description and possibly extra things like sound effects. Otherwise, you're left with a standard RPG that uses less typical monsters.

So you don’t think players should be scared through physical means, but you think it’s perfectly acceptable to jump at and grab your players. Okay. So you’re clearly not a person who can be trusted to run safe horror games. Noted.

 

[Bedrockgames]

So you don’t think players should be scared through physical means, but you think it’s perfectly acceptable to jump at and grab your players. Okay. So you’re clearly not a person who can be trusted to run safe horror games. Noted.

This is a very unfair assessment of a poster based on a sliver of information. I think Faolyn was describing a kind of familiarly startling someone. My guess too is this was likely in a game among friends who knew one another well and understood where boundaries were. You see this all the time when people tell scary stories (they may try to startle one of the listeners by putting their hand on their shoulder as they shout something to surprising. Never got an impression from posting history that Faolyn is in any way someone you couldn't trust at a gaming table (I would say Faolyn has shown a lot of concern for other peoples' well being)

 

[overgeeked]

This is a very unfair assessment of a poster based on a sliver of information. I think Faolyn was describing a kind of familiarly startling someone. My guess too is this was likely in a game among friends who knew one another well and understood where boundaries were. You see this all the time when people tell scary stories (they may try to startle one of the listeners by putting their hand on their shoulder as they shout something to surprising. Never got an impression from posting history that Faolyn is in any way someone you couldn't trust at a gaming table (I would say Faolyn has shown a lot of concern for other peoples' well being)

If they think grabbing their players during a horror game is okay, that’s pretty clear they don’t run safe games.

 

[Morrus]

If they think grabbing their players during a horror game is okay, that’s pretty clear they don’t run safe games.

Calm down, please.

 

[Bedrockgames]

If they think grabbing their players during a horror game is okay, that’s pretty clear they don’t run safe games.

That totally depends on the social dynamics of the group. I can say among gamers I know, if someone shook my shoulder a little to scare me when a monster popped out, it wound't be something I would consider out of bounds. I might even take it as a gesture of familiarity and friendliness. It all depends.

 

[Faolyn]

So you don’t think players should be scared through physical means, but you think it’s perfectly acceptable to jump at and grab your players. Okay. So you’re clearly not a person who can be trusted to run safe horror games. Noted.

That was like 20 years ago. I did specify it was one of my first times running it. But, y'know, way to jump to conclusions.

ETA:

If they think grabbing their players during a horror game is okay, that’s pretty clear they don’t run safe games.

Plus, we were good friends (and generally still are; people drift away) who are quite comfortable with this and who had had conversations about boundaries prior to any of this.

 

[wicked cool]

What is lamordia?

 

[overgeeked]

That was like 20 years ago. I did specify it was one of my first times running it. But, y'know, way to jump to conclusions.

Way to not include relevant info in your original post.

Oh, wait. You did...

One of my first times running Ravenloft, waaaay back when, I crouched down and then sort of leapt up at the other player--not landing on him at all, but more just doing grabby hands from below. It got a yelp from the player involved, so I guess that would count as a jump scare. Even if it was about as sudden as watching a cat wiggle its butt for a minute before pouncing on you--he could clearly see what I was doing; I think he just didn't expect I'd go grabby.

My knees won't allow me to do something like that anymore.

So it’s not that you’ve learned better or realized it’s a bad idea...it’s that your knees can’t handle it anymore. Cool.

 

[overgeeked]

What is lamordia?

Lamordia

Lamordia (pronounced: /lɑːˈmɔːrdɪɑː/ la-MOR-di-a[2]) was a bleak coastal Core Domain.[1][2] Lamordia was a bleak domain often lashed by cold northern winds that brought blizzards. Summers were short and warm, but plagued by mosquitos; spring brought snowmelt that turned the roads to mud. The...

ravenloft.fandom.com

 

[Morrus]

Way to not include relevant info in your original post.

Oh, wait. You did...

So it’s not that you’ve learned better or realized it’s a bad idea...it’s that your knees can’t handle it anymore. Cool.

Second and last time. Drop it. You know nothing of this person or the social dynamics of their group.