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.

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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

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't know, critical though I am of the new stuff, I do like the ring that "protean apocalypses scar the impossible vistas of Bluetspur". That sounds like good writing to me (it definitely has a bit of a lovecraftian prose feel to it, but its Bluetspur after all)

How about "protean impossibilities scar the apocalyptic vistas of Bluetspur"?

NB, is the colour out of space blue?

 

[Remathilis]

Lamordia: body horror, steampunk, frozen wastes, body snatchers, light cosmic/gothic vibes.

Borca: gothic/psychological horror mix.

Cosmology: demiplanes in a misty region of Shadowfell. Dark Powers control this section via the Mists. Sequestered from deities and other powers.

Mists can be as simple as travel and finding yourself in another domains. Mist horrors and others can find you. Darklords can still open/close borders.

Souls in Ravenloft are left vague. CoS is one option, but not the only one.

Each Domain has a dackstory, darklord detailed and gazetteer of each domains, including plot hooks.

Barovia is expanded upon beyond CoS. High level plot hooks are given.

Tent post stories involving the darklord and side stories included.

Most domains have maps.

ICath - haunted city domain.

Gremishka, carrionettes, bagman in monster section

 

[Charlaquin]

Lamordia: body horror, steampunk, frozen wastes, body snatchers, light cosmic/gothic vibes.

Borca: gothic/psychological horror mix.

Cosmology: demiplanes in a misty region of Shadowfell. Dark Powers control this section via the Mists. Sequestered from deities and other powers.

Mists can be as simple as travel and finding yourself in another domains. Mist horrors and others can find you. Darklords can still open/close borders.

Souls in Ravenloft are left vague. CoS is one option, but not the only one.

Each Domain has a dackstory, darklord detailed and gazetteer of each domains, including plot hooks.

Barovia is expanded upon beyond CoS. High level plot hooks are given.

Woohoo! Sounds great!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Man, I love Borca. I knew there was little chance it wasn't coming back, but it's nice to hear it confirmed. I preordered this on D&D Beyond the other day and might use it for a new game with coworkers. (I work with a surprising number of people who look "normal" on the outside but are completely Gothed out on the inside.)

 

[JEB]

For when the world just keeps on ending, over and over again.

So in between all the apocalypses we have to have genesises so that there is something to apocalate.

I believe the plural would be geneses.

 

[JEB]

Most domains have maps.

One wonders which domains don't? Could probably get away without them for domains like Bluetspur or the Nightmare Lands, I guess.

ICath - haunted city domain.

Sounds like another domain that won't likely resemble its original incarnation, since the original was mostly forest. Wouldn't be that surprising, considering the darklord is an over-the-top misandrist. (Though as I've commented before, what's the point of recycling the name if you aren't actually planning to evoke the original? Doubly so for a fairly obscure domain like this.)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Though as I've commented before, what's the point of recycling the name if you aren't actually planning to evoke the original? Doubly so for a fairly obscure domain like this.

Too soon to tell. It's entirely possible some of these have more of a connection to the previous version than we guessed.

 

[Faolyn]

ICath - haunted city domain.

I just noticed you said I Cath. Anything will be better than the way it's currently portrayed.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The original Bluetspur was a place where explorers or traders were not wellcome, and there were only illithid and slaves. The surface was totally an alien dessert, without flora or fauna. PCs shouldn't dare to enter there but if they are very powerful and with good anti-psionic defenses.

Here a reboot is neccessary, and I wonder about the idea of illithid creating spies among the humanoids in the other dread domains.

(Prestige) Prestige Class: Flayerspawn psychic

 

[Remathilis]

One wonders which domains don't? Could probably get away without them for domains like Bluetspur or the Nightmare Lands, I guess.


Sounds like another domain that won't likely resemble its original incarnation, since the original was mostly forest. Wouldn't be that surprising, considering the darklord is an over-the-top misandrist. (Though as I've commented before, what's the point of recycling the name if you aren't actually planning to evoke the original? Doubly so for a fairly obscure domain like this.)

To be fair, it was mentioned in brief passing and was "and if you want a haunted city, you can use I Cath" or something to that effect. So, it sounds like there will be more to the domain than just the darklord and her daughters and a magic orchard, but the extent of the changes is unknown.

I just noticed you said I Cath. Anything will be better than the way it's currently portrayed.

It's possible they keep the "female King Lear" model for the story, while removing the misandry. Again, it was a passing line, but it does confirm the domain is in there (and a good fit for that artwork in the other thread). We'll find out soon enough. Personally, I'm good with any changes; the domain as previously present was one-note and only was good for "escape the darklord" stories. But a domain about Chinese ghost stories with hopping vampires? Now you have my attention.