D&D 5E Ravenloft Previews of Dementlieu, Lamordia, and Har'Akir

WotC has been sprinkling previews of individual Ravenloft domains to various websites -- including Dementlieu, Lamordia, and Har'Akir. Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft is only a couple of weeks away, coming out on May 18th!

Dementlieu​

• Forbes takes a look Dementlieu, which has inspirations like Cinderella, The Masque of the Red Death, and Dark City. "Dementlieu is one of over 30 domains of dread detailed in the book. It’s a sharp contrast to Barovia’s dark forest and looming Gothic castle on a hill. Instead it’s covered in a glamorous sheen of fine clothes and fancy parties. Everyone is dying to be invited to the Grand Masquerade held by Duchess Saidra d’Honaire every week on her private island. And, in many cases, killed if they are discovered at the ball if they’re not supposed to be there."
• Syfy Wire looks at Lamordia, inspired by Frankenstein. "Many of the Domains of Dread are inspired by some horror tale or piece of creepy folklore, and Lamordia definitely has its roots in Frankenstein. But while the Domain is inspired by that classic horror story, its elements are then shot through the lens of D&D adventures and explored to dozens of horrific extremes. Mordenheim's land isn't just about resurrection gone awry, it's also the Domain for all different types of science gone wrong, bizarre experiments, body horror weirdness, and grim tales of society versus a frigid land. Just as there's more to Frankenstein than a scientist who abandoned his child, there's more to Lamordia than stitches and semi-dead flesh."
• Polygon has Har'Akir, an Egyptian-themed domain. "Why is there a Domain that is a desert that is riddled with these ancient, inexplicable haunted monuments and ruined pyramids? How does a Domain like that exist? How does it make sense? To an extent it doesn’t, and it’s going to be the players that come and explore that, who are some of the only people that realize that the entirety of the domain is, to an extent, gaslighting them."

Ankhetop, darklord of Har'Akir

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[Retreater]

My guess is that very few groups of modern D&D players care or even know how it was depicted over 20 years ago.

So you're telling me that the 1932 movie with Boris Karloff isn't in recent memory for modern audiences?
It wasn't exactly a new release at the moving pictures when I played the Ravenloft module "Touch of Death" in the early 1990s.
Iconic characters like Dracula might be problematic, but let's not pretend they're not timeless.

 

[Von Ether]

The mummy looks cool, but speaks more to me about Numenera than D&D. Not a dealbreaker for me ,though.

 

[Bedrockgames]

The mummy looks cool, but speaks more to me about Numenera than D&D. Not a dealbreaker for me ,though.

Yeah, to me the look isn't quite what I am after. Numenera or Eberon vibes. A lot of the art looks like gamers as the heroes too (lots of modern hair cuts for example, and people who look more like folks I'd expect around a gaming table than fighting zombies-----lots of game art does this, but it has always been a bit of a turn off for me).

 

[Bedrockgames]

Anyone can make a vaguely Dracula-inspired vampire (or heck, use Dracula, he's no longer under copyright) but there is only one Strahd Von Zarovich and nobody-but-WotC can use him.

But that is what Strahd is: he is the 'not dracula' guy. The whole reason he resonated was people instantly recognized the dracula look was being invoked (even though it was nearly 60 years or so after the look had been established in movies)

 

[Bedrockgames]

And, when you think about it, for a lot of people, Boris Karloff isn't exactly a known thing. Even the Brendan Frasier Mummy movies are what, twenty years old now? More? I think for a lot of people, their only connection to The Mummy would be that rather bad Tom Cruise movie and even that was five years ago and pretty quickly forgotten.

When Ravenloft came out the Mummy was nearly 60 years old, but most of us recognized the imagery because it was part of pop culture. I'd be surprised if it still isn't. But lots of genre settings don't bend the material because the audience lacks knowledge, they instead focus on introducing and acquainting the audience with the genre.

 

[Retreater]

When Ravenloft came out the Mummy was nearly 60 years old, but most of us recognized the imagery because it was part of pop culture. I'd be surprised if it still isn't. But lots of genre settings don't bend the material because the audience lacks knowledge, they instead focus on introducing and acquainting the audience with the genre.

My wife and her friends (all of them millennials brought in to 5e via Critical Role) all fondly remember the Brendan Fraser Mummy films. It's like a cultural touchstone, guilty pleasure.
Moreover, they recognize the classic 1930s Hollywood depiction too.
Anyone saying modern D&D audiences don't recognize those tropes is wrong.
I'm not saying Wizards shouldn't try to do something different, put their own spin on it, or try to be more culturally sensitive. But the trope is still there, recognized, and familiar to their target audience.

 

[dave2008]

And I think that will be a challenge for many groups.

Most D&D players appreciate a good challenge

 

[dave2008]

Settings have never been my thing in general, so I hope their target audience loves it. I'll stick with what I'm doing.

I always run games in my own setting(s), but I have found the 5e setting books to be some of favorite purchases with lots of stuff I can use in my games. I really don't care for horror D&D much, but these previews are start to make we want purchase to mine the gold and platinum within its pages.

 

[Retreater]

Most D&D players appreciate a good challenge

Mine just bellyache and ask what is the intended level of the module.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Forbes covering D&D? Wow. Doesn't Rob Wieland write for ENWorld too?