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

 

[Demetrios1453]

And it's live on D&D Beyond now! Starting my read-through!

 

[Disgruntled Hobbit]

Because I'm not expecting it to be exactly like the 2e/3x books, and because I'm willing to give it a chance because most of the changes so far have been positive ones (and the ones that aren't, I can ignore). In fact, most of the reason I'm even buying it is because it's so different--I don't need them to repeat the lore I already have.

The exact same statement could be said about a brand new setting
Why didn't they just do that instead?
VAN PITCHEN'S GUIDE TO SHADOWCROFT

It would have done everything you wanted and not pissed off any Ravenloft fans
I imagine the reason is because they just didn't care if they upset anyone. Anyone angry over the changed lore was irrelevant and they no longer wanted them in the hobby

That's fine; nobody is saying you have to buy it. I just think that your reasons for it being bad are themselves pretty bad. Edit: there's a difference between saying "this isn't to my taste" and "this is objectively bad."

No, but apparently I can't judge it or have an opinion about it without
And every time I post my opinions and feels I'm told in no uncertain terms I am wrong and this book will be amazing because it has unstubtle homages to THE WICKER MAN and REANIMATOR rather then FRANKENSTEIN

 

[Dire Bare]

And it's live on D&D Beyond now! Starting my read-through!

Dammit! I was just about to go to bed, and then I read this! @Demetrios1453, my rough day tomorrow after little sleep I'm putting on you!

 

[Older Beholder]

Just picked up a copy on my lunch break (In Australia), now I've just gotta get through my afternoon shift so I can go home and start reading.

As someone that has loved Ravenloft since 2E, a toolkit that expands on more types of horror wrapped in the Ravenloft mists is much prefer to a rehash of the old box set. The chapter on making your own Domains is probably what I'm most interested in, not sure how anyway would think this isn't aimed at long time fans as well as a new audience.

It's the first book in a while where I went for the standard cover over the special edition. It was a close call though, I like the artwork on both.

 

[Azzy]

The exact same statement could be said about a brand new setting
Why didn't they just do that instead?
VAN PITCHEN'S GUIDE TO SHADOWCROFT

It would have done everything you wanted and not pissed off any Ravenloft fans

Nah, there would then be people salty because it was something new and not Ravenloft. Nothing they could do wouldn't leave someone salty for some reason or another. That's the nature of fandom.

You can either accept that they made changes to less savory elements and boring elements or not. You can either use the new book as a toolkit to create your own Ravenloft or not. You can use the new book to run the old Ravenloft lore or not. You can buy the book or not. You can make your own choices. You do you.

 

[humble minion]

Just picked up a copy on my lunch break (In Australia), now I've just gotta get through my afternoon shift so I can go home and start reading.

As someone that has loved Ravenloft since 2E, a toolkit that expands on more types of horror wrapped in the Ravenloft mists is much prefer to a rehash of the old box set. The chapter on making your own Domains is probably what I'm most interested in, not sure how anyway would think this isn't aimed at long time fans as well as a new audience.

It's the first book in a while where I went for the standard cover over the special edition. It was a close call though, I like the artwork on both.

I ordered the special edition cover for this one, first time I've ever done that. Unfortunately (also Australia), that means I had to mail order, so i won't get the book til late this week at the earliest. Sadface...

 

[Urriak Uruk]

The exact same statement could be said about a brand new setting
Why didn't they just do that instead?
VAN PITCHEN'S GUIDE TO SHADOWCROFT

It would have done everything you wanted and not pissed off any Ravenloft fans
I imagine the reason is because they just didn't care if they upset anyone. Anyone angry over the changed lore was irrelevant and they no longer wanted them in the hobby

I'm a big believer that adaptations and reboots sometimes do a better job at refining material into a more perfect form. This isn't always true (sometimes they are way worse), but consider how many iterations of Batman there were before it hit on Tim Burton's films, or the later Nolan Dark Knight. The Nolan film is largely inspired by the Long Halloween (inspired, it's not a pure adaptation), and is possibly the greatest superhero film of all time. It took a lot of bad Batman films (and some good ones) to get to that point. I've read the Long Halloween, and I find the Dark Knight film a better piece of media than it's source material (it takes the best elements, and adds it's own great material).

So that, and the power of nostalgia and folks saying how great these old domains were, make me excited to see the 5E take on the material. It could be bad (Batman v. Superman was), but it looks pretty good to me.

 

[Older Beholder]

I ordered the special edition cover for this one, first time I've ever done that. Unfortunately, that means I had to mail order, so i won't get the book til late this week at the earliest. Sadface...

Like with most of the alternative covers, it's very pretty up close (they always look better in real life with the light reflecting off of all the shiny surfaces)
I just preferred the Vampire painting on the standard version, it really captured the Ravenloft feel for me.

 

[Eubani]

Does anyone know of an effective nasal spray for change allergies?

 

[Eubani]

I am also reading through the book now and it is quite good despite all the pearl clutching about "they have changed XYZ and have ruined Ravenloft". Edit: Mainly by people who have not read it one should note.