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

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And to see the difference between horror and D&D you just have to look at how each is played out. In one you have kidnapped characters willing to do anything to escape with their lives, and in the other you have characters willingly going in in hopes of surviving long enough to gain power and treasure. Horror vs fantasy adventure.

It's not unknown for D&D PCs to be kidnapped and thrown into the dungeon.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

It's not unknown for D&D PCs to be kidnapped and thrown into the dungeon.

Yup. The main difference actually seems to be that the characters in Saw act more like it's actually happened to them, where D&D players, even ones who RP relatively seriously, tend to have an element of distance that means they don't RP the level of panic and desperation people would be likely to experience. Also few DMs would set up a situation where the PCs were turned against each other in that way.

 

[overgeeked]

It's not unknown for D&D PCs to be kidnapped and thrown into the dungeon.

Sure. In my experience players would rather die than be captured. So other than DM fiat, it's not a thing that actually happens. But, assuming DM fiat, you'd still have a group of characters wandering a dungeon trying to delve deeper in looking for power and loot. At best their attitude would be described as cautious. And when one character dies, the group would find a mysteriously appropriately leveled character who just happens to be friendly enough to join your merry band of treasure hunters. But again, in a horror version of that setup, the characters would be living in mortal terror for the rest of their short lives desperately trying to GTFO. Generally the same premise and setup up, but wildly different expectations and execution. Fantasy adventure game vs horror.

You could certainly flip the script and start the PCs at the center of the dungeon trying to get out, but their attitude would still be one of cautious exploration, XP farming, and loot collecting rather than abject terror and fear.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Sure. In my experience players would rather die than be captured.

Your experience is your experience.

So other than DM fiat, it's not a thing that actually happens.

Sure it is. And quite a lot of published adventures (e.g. Slavelords, Out of the Abyss) begin that way (not to mention CRPGs). After "you all meet in an inn", my experience is it's the second most common campaign start.

but wildly different expectations

I agree with expectations: it's horror because the label says it's horror.

and execution.

Not really. I've seen plenty of extremely gory demises in D&D.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Next, we should argue how Star Wars and Star Trek are both sci-fi.

I think this was meant to be ironic, but honestly they are more science fantasy than sci-fi.

 

[overgeeked]

Your experience is your experience.

Sure it is. And quite a lot of published adventures (e.g. Slavelords, Out of the Abyss) begin that way (not to mention CRPGs). After "you all meet in an inn", my experience is it's the second most common campaign start.

As it's a safe assumption that the most common campaign start is not "you wake up chained to the floor with a hacksaw within reach" I'm not sure what your point is.

I agree with expectations: it's horror because the label says it's horror.

It's horror because the characters react as if it were horror. If the characters in Saw were treating the whole thing as a jaunty team-building exercise knowing they'd get missing limbs restored and life magically returned to their dead bodies...there's not much horror.

Not really. I've seen plenty of extremely gory demises in D&D.

Horror is far, far more than just gore.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

It's horror because the characters react as if it were horror. If the characters in Saw were treating the whole thing as a jaunty team-building exercise knowing they'd get missing limbs restored and life magically returned to their dead bodies...there's not much horror.

Sure there is.

Particularly if it ends up with them not actually getting what they expected. naughty word I seem to remember some horror movie from a few years ago where these people go on a team-building exercise and they're being picked off but most of them keep thinking it's team-building for like 2/3rds of the movie. In fact I think there may be multiple movies like that. Probably a Black Mirror episode or two as well (caveat: I have never actually watched Black Mirror and know it solely by reputation).

There are absolutely horror movies where the characters failing to understand the peril they're in and treating things much more lightly than they should is part of the horror.

EDIT - I mean @overgeeked, dude, you basically just described Aliens for god's sake. "This is just going to be a bug hunt". Sure they realize fairly early on that it isn't, but that realization could have been delayed considerably and still worked. The Marines go in there exactly like a bunch of cheery, overconfident adventurers. It's their downfall, in many ways. If the PCs are all cutting their feet off because they're sure Greater Restoration or whatever is going to be available to sort it shortly, and it isn't (or not for everyone, or not in time), that's going to be highly effective horror.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

As it's a safe assumption that the most common campaign start is not "you wake up chained to the floor with a hacksaw within reach" I'm not sure what your point is.

Now that you mention it I'm certainly going to do it.

But in the later films characters go in in order to try and rescue other characters. Which is another frequent reason D&D characters go into deathtrap dungeons.

It's horror because the characters react as if it were horror.

Which in D&D is entirely up to the players. If the players decide their characters are terrified of The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh then that's how they react.

Horror is far, far more than just gore.

Horror is nothing but a label.

 

[Remathilis]

I think this was meant to be ironic, but honestly they are more science fantasy than sci-fi.

That's the point. Sci-fi is so coded with concepts of hard and soft sci-fi that the definition is almost meaningless except to say it takes place in a setting not explicitly our past or present. Yet people quibble over if one or both or neither is true sci-fi or not. Those debates make this one about horror seem quaint.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

not explicitly our past or present.

But... but... are you saying Back to the Future isn't Sci-Fi?!!!!