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

 

[Bedrockgames]

I really want the variant vampires back, especially the racial variants. I thought they did a good job of underscoring the non-human cultures (halfling vampires are repelled by the things that symbolize home) while simulatenously making it a little harder for players to instantly know the powers and weaknesses of any given vampire.

Monster variants are basically what made ravenloft work. It essentially sidesteps the issue of players knowing what to expect either because they've encountered the monster before or they know the MM. Also it encourages more investigation into he background of creatures they are dealing with

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Monster variants are basically what made ravenloft work. It essentially sidesteps the issue of players knowing what to expect either because they've encountered the monster before or they know the MM. Also it encourages more investigation into he background of creatures they are dealing with

Incidentally the same gameplay loop that Monster of the Week relies upon, although there, it's inspired, at least in part, by wanting the game to simulate the TV show Supernatural, where investigating what a monster is and how to kill it is a big part of the early seasons.

 

[overgeeked]

Incidentally the same gameplay loop that Monster of the Week relies upon, although there, it's inspired, at least in part, by wanting the game to simulate the TV show Supernatural, where investigating what a monster is and how to kill it is a big part of the early seasons.

Monster of the Week is a great game on its own and to use parts from. The creating a monster / mystery and the countdown are great to use for any similar game.

 

[Parmandur]

Incidentally the same gameplay loop that Monster of the Week relies upon, although there, it's inspired, at least in part, by wanting the game to simulate the TV show Supernatural, where investigating what a monster is and how to kill it is a big part of the early seasons.

And Buffy. And Smallville. And Angel. And Grimm.

 

[humble minion]

And Buffy. And Smallville. And Angel. And Grimm.

And Scooby Doo.

Let's face it, the trope ain't exactly new.

 

[overgeeked]

Swap the word "kill" for "defeat" and MotW can do Doctor Who. The Doctor is usually the Expert while the companion is usually the Mundane.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

And Scooby Doo.

Let's face it, the trope ain't exactly new.

No, but the designer was explicitly trying to make a Supernatural RPG at first. He bolted on the Buffy, X-Files, Kolchak and other playbooks later on.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Monster of the Week is a great game on its own and to use parts from. The creating a monster / mystery and the countdown are great to use for any similar game.

The countdown system is a more formalized and cleaned up method of running a game that I've used for years. Seeing it laid out in black and white in the book helped me clarify the system and use it more in all RPGs. Because sometimes, the players will screw around and assume that the big bad will just wait in stasis until they're ready. When bodies start dropping, the game gets a lot more urgent.

 

[Remathilis]

 

[darjr]