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

 

[TheSword]

I’d love that. Merrix D’Cannith I made darklord of Cyre after instructing followers to built a weapon to destroy a continent and then murdering its creator. The creator lives on as a machine spirit. A domain with technological overdevelopment used for purposes of war and power, with sentient machines wrestling for control... plus the ever present fear of the superweapon that will destroy all. Duck and cover folks.

Terminator/Matrix meets When The Wind Blows.

Just saying...

Not the whole kingdom. Just a snippet! Love that.

 

[TheSword]

I'd argue that horror is horror. Doesn't matter which medium we're talking about. A horror comic book is still horror, just as a horror movie is still horror, just as a horror game is still horror. I think your previous statement is most apt. Ravenloft is "D&D with a Halloween costume on".

Let's go with your previous statement. Ravenloft is "D&D with a Halloween costume on". I think that works. Walk with me. It's Halloween and you have a kid at your door wearing an ill-fitting Michael Meyers costume complete with William Shatner mask and one of those plastic knives that has blood dripping down the blade if you hold it just so. Now, if you point to that kid and think there's a real supernatural serial killer at your door, you'd be mistaken. It's a kid in a mask, fishing for candy. Likewise with Ravenloft. It's not horror, it's "D&D with a Halloween costume on". Pointing to Ravenloft and saying horror is akin to pointing to the kid in the mask and saying serial killer. They're both trying to evoke the thing, but they're not the thing itself.

I'm not saying Ravenloft is less than or bad or anything. Ravenloft is one of my favorite D&D settings. It's fantastic. But it's not horror. Call of Cthulhu is horror. Ravenloft is "D&D with a Halloween costume on". I sincerely hope the new Ravenloft book pushing the setting more towards horror. I honestly do. But I'm not getting that vibe from what we've seen so far.

By the way, the Bagman is fantastic. I absolutely love the concept. I cannot wait to terrorize my players with that. If you're a Ravenloft DM and you want more new nasties to throw at your players, check out Call of Cthulhu. There's a lot of amazing monsters to throw at your party. Using spells and magic items from CoC also works wonders in throwing D&D players for a loop. Even the most jaded D&D player will be completely surprised by them.

You are getting far too hung up trying to classify things and put them into specific pigeon holes. Just chill. Stop trying to convince people that what they think is horror isn’t horror and spend more time enjoying stuff.

It’s the same as the pointless arguments about whether D&D is a superhero game. As if horror and superhero has these hard and fast rules and boundaries that anyone is entitled to speak authoritatively about. It’s just splitting hairs.

 

[tetrasodium]

View attachment 136442

Just saying...

Not the whole kingdom. Just a snippet! Love that.

Interesting, where did the image come from? That "Cyre 1313" raises questions. 13 is a number that comes up often with eberron, at the sme time the day of mourning happened in 994yk so a chunk of cyre advanced 319 years to 1313 would probably fit nicely with some tools & stuff drawn from the original much more advanced plans for eberron when Keith originally pitched it. Of course it could just be the rail line.

 

[TheSword]

Interesting, where did the image come from? That "Cyre 1313" raises questions. 13 is a number that comes up often with eberron, at the sme time the day of mourning happened in 994yk so a chunk of cyre advanced 319 years to 1313 would probably fit nicely with some tools & stuff drawn from the original much more advanced plans for eberron when Keith originally pitched it. Of course it could just be the rail line.

It’s the contents of the new book.

I suspect the whole kingdom isn’t in Ravenloft... officially... but a lightning rail on that day was spirited into the mists, taking everyone on board with it. I love that idea!

 

[TheSword]

Not sure if this is posted elsewhere...

 

[tetrasodium]

It’s the contents of the new book.

I suspect the whole kingdom isn’t in Ravenloft... officially... but a lightning rail on that day was spirited into the mists, taking everyone on board with it. I love that idea!

Yea I figured but where did the image first find it's way to the internet since the book doesn't come out till the 18th?

 

[Faolyn]

Interesting, where did the image come from? That "Cyre 1313" raises questions. 13 is a number that comes up often with eberron, at the sme time the day of mourning happened in 994yk so a chunk of cyre advanced 319 years to 1313 would probably fit nicely with some tools & stuff drawn from the original much more advanced plans for eberron when Keith originally pitched it. Of course it could just be the rail line.

Keith Baker likes including "Baker's Dozens" in his books. He must've been thrilled that Ebberon's Artificer class was the 13th class.

 

[Faolyn]

Hmm. Nova Vaasa has been "demoted" to Other Domains of Dread. Souragne's there--let's hope they've at least renamed Chicken Bone, if not ditched him altogether--but no Nidala, sadly. I would have preferred that domain to Scaena, myself. And Tepest seems to have lost two of its DLs. I wonder if Lorinda ate them.

The "Horror Monsters" section is pretty long. I wonder how much is on how to modify monsters, VR Guide-style.

 

[darjr]

Yea I figured but where did the image first find it's way to the internet since the book doesn't come out till the 18th?

WotC will seed books to select folks

see

D&D 5E - D&D Van Richten's Guide To Ravenloft showing up in the wild!

Here's the first one I saw by the fantastic Lysa Penrose! Any others folks have seen?

www.enworld.org

and

D&D 5E - Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft Table of Contents

As shared by DMs Guild brand manager Lysa Penrose. https://www.enworld.org/threads/d-d-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft-showing-up-in-the-wild.679841/#post-8262465

www.enworld.org

 

[Parmandur]

View attachment 136442

Just saying...

Not the whole kingdom. Just a snippet! Love that.

Probably a little snippet of a hook that a DM who wants to include Cyre as a larger Domain can grow.