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

 

[JEB]

So let me get this straight: you'd want a book called Ravenloft that had 20+ all new domains with all new Darklords, many using the same tropes as classic domains and no connection to the previous Ravenloft setting?

I'd like more or less the 5E Ravenloft we're getting, except as both a continuation and an improvement upon the old setting. The new status quos of the domains actually seem interesting to me, but they could have established them while continuing to respect the setting's published history. (More hints of "the way it used to be" would go a long way; references like von Kharkov once ruling Valachan would have been all you need to bridge the gap, but unfortunately, it sounds like other domains included more blatant contradictions.) They did this for the Realms, when updating them to 5E - they didn't even pretend the unpopular 4E changes had never happened when they undid them - so they could have done it for Ravenloft, too.

You've already all but declared the new book Ravenloft In Name Only, so feel free to ignore it and use the classic 2e version. While you're at it, grab a 2e PHB and enjoy it the way it was meant to be played.

Actually, while I wish they hadn't made it a reboot, I was planning to buy the book and judge it on its own merits. Unless that's not allowed?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I still don’t understand

Admitting ignorance is the beginning of wisdom.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

To whit, I and Scottish by blood and I'm annoyed that the obvious Scotland domain is filled with nothing but goblyns and messed up ghost-dhampir. But that's my opinion.

Also Scottish, and have faced worse much worse stereotyping than that, but given that other minority groups have it so much worse I'm reluctant to make a fuss.

Just don't call me English!

 

[Charlaquin]

they didn't even pretend the unpopular 4E changes had never happened when they undid them

They absolutely pretend the 4e changes never happened. The Sundering adventures never amounted to anything, characters from before the 4e change are just alive again with no explanation given, everything about the setting has completely reverted to the pre-4e status quo. And frankly, that’s fine. 4e Forgotten Realms can be its own thing. People who like it can and do use it, regardless of 5e having undone it. RPG settings don’t need that kind of continuity; it doesn’t really add anything of value, and in many cases it can detract from the setting. Good riddance to metaplots, I say.

 

[Remathilis]

IMore hints of "the way it used to be" would go a long way; references like von Kharkov once ruling Valachan would have been all you need to bridge the gap, but unfortunately, it sounds like other domains included more blatant contradictions.)

Good news: Valachan explicitly states Von Kharkov WAS the old ruler, and that Chakuna kills him to replace him as lord. Chakuna was a rebellion leader who grew tired of being hunted by Von Kharkov so he hunted the hunter and in doing so his cruelty gave him the darklord status (he also has Von Kharkov's heart; literally).

Now what VGR doesn't do is spell out who exactly VK was. Gone is the explicit ties to Faerun, the panther-turned-man-turned-vampire, or the white flu. When Chakuna takes his heart, he becomes a were panther and gains control over the flora and fauna. Could this VK be the classic one? It doesn't say it couldn't. It doesn't say it has it be, This VK could simply be a puppet lord, a were panther, or just a footnote. Point is, Chakuna is in charge now.

If you are willing to accept that Valachan changed shape (no longer a long thin "coast" and terrain (temperate forest to proper jungle) you can establish that link to DoD Valachan. Or you can ignore it and never dwell on VK's reign.

Dementieu has a similar, subtle example. One of the adventure seeds is a man in an asylum with "impressive powers of persuasion" claims to be the real Duke. You want an explanation? Sadria committed Dominic to a mental ward where his powers are dimmed by "therapy" and she gained control of the domain and instituted the masquerade. The domain shrank to accommodate her narrower focus. Or not and he's a crazy man who is really good at lying.

I'm not joking when I say I believe every former darklord is referenced directly or indirectly. Do all of them have overt references? Can't tell. Reading a book via YouTube is tiring, but you're welcome to try.

All this is to say that it is a reboot, but it isn't ignoring the past as much as retooling it. The connective tissue is there for us old fans to find via Easter egg and shout-out, but if you are looking for a direct extension from year 750, you'll be disappointed.

 

[Weiley31]

The fact that Van Richten is alive to write this book (after the events of Bleak House) shows how far they have strayed from the metaplot.

Didn't the Bleak House have four different endings though? Surely Van Richten couldn't have died in all four of em..................................................................right?

That or Van Richten is in his own "personal" domain where he is dead but doesn't know/can't realize it

 

[Reynard]

If you aren't currently involved in Ravenloft campaign that the new book is going to screw up because of lore changes, I don't see what the problem is.

 

[Remathilis]

Didn't the Bleak House have four different endings though? Surely Van Richten couldn't have died in all four of em..................................................................right?

That or Van Richten is in his own "personal" domain where he is dead but doesn't know/can't realize it

All four endings involve Van Richten dead or trapped in Bleak House. Regardless, by the time DoD came out, it was widely believed he was gone. The W-F twins kept his shop until he returned, or an heir comes forth. They also published his later books posthumously.

So yes, he didn't need to die per se, but for all intents and purposes, he was written out the setting by DoD.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I really don't understand why people even want 5E Ravenloft if they get upset that they change things... if you like the old stuff, it's still there to pick up and play on the DMsGuild.

 

[Weiley31]

You know, I now really like the idea of Rudolph Van Richten being his own "quasi" Dark Lord, due to the events of his Curse and the events of the Bleak House basically playing out like the Sixth Sense: You were dead all this time Rudolph Van Richten: your real body has been trapped in the Bleak House ever since, your current form is doomed/stuck to travel the Domains of Dread due to your sin: you know which event I talk about.