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]

Actually, one of the things mentioned in the introduction to the new book (I have it) is that there can be multiple different versions of each domain. So you can have an older version of a domain if you prefer. Or you can have both the old version and the new version.

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

A

No one's saying

At least one.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Actually, one of the things mentioned in the introduction to the new book (I have it) is that there can be multiple different versions of each domain. So you can have an older version of a domain if you prefer. Or you can have both the old version and the new version.

That's been there since day one of the setting; the Dark Powers could change whatever they wanted, and duplication certainly isn't out of bounds for them. That's why complaints about changes to the setting seem so odd to me; if it suits them, the Dark Powers can change what they want about Darklords - gender, what they believe is their backstory, and so on. Or, just create a new, slightly different one while keeping the old. The same with Domains. The setting is super malleable, leaving little room for an iron-bound canon.

I've read through up to the start of the domain descriptions, and it's been a really fun an interesting read so far...

 

[Stefano Rinaldelli]

There are lots of videogames where nazis are the antagonists, for example the saga Wofestein, or thoses with zombies. They were monsters, but the fiction showed example of worse villains, for example the night king from Game of Thrones, or the elemental eye who wanted to destroy all the life.

But Vlad Drakov....wasn't only evil, but also... a horrible leader, a toxic boss. Varys betrayed Daenerys Targarien for much
Villains do horrible actions, but any things shouldn't be mentioned to avoid the idea these are "normal" and it may happen usually. Lots of villains suffer racist predjudices, but we shouldn't allow to show this like something that can't be totally erradicated. And most of times this type of villains are punished by their actions. If dark lords do "politically incorrect" actions, but they don't fear the punishment for these because they are the rulers and their state isn't altered, we may be sending a wrong message.

It seems to me another way to protect people from reality. Awful people live and prosper. It's life.
For me, an horror setting have to show injustice of life, even more than a fantasy setting do.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That's been there since day one of the setting; the Dark Powers could change whatever they wanted, and duplication certainly isn't out of bounds for them. That's why complaints about changes to the setting seem so odd to me; if it suits them, the Dark Powers can change what they want about Darklords - gender, what they believe is their backstory, and so on. Or, just create a new, slightly different one while keeping the old. The same with Domains. The setting is super malleable, leaving little room for an iron-bound canon.

I'm not saying it's a new idea, just that it's something that is spelled out in the introduction to the new book.

"Is each domain unique or just one in a series of recurring nightmares? How many forms of Castle Ravenloft exist, have existed, and will yet reveal themselves in the Mists? What is truth among the Domains of Dread, and how long will that remain certain? The answers are for you to decide."

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Actually, one of the things mentioned in the introduction to the new book (I have it) is that there can be multiple different versions of each domain. So you can have an older version of a domain if you prefer. Or you can have both the old version and the new version.

I like the idea, but then....would be the same dark lord, with identical names and surnames? I like the idea, allowing more flexibility to the metaplot, for example a dark lord being killed in an action-live production.

And we have to remember some DMs would rather to change the lore to avoid possible surprises to be spoiled by players who read the fandom wiki or the sourcebooks.

Deathwatch (2002 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Have to say, I LOVE what they have done with Darkon!

 

[Eubani]

Have to say, I LOVE what they have done with Darkon!

It's great that they put a solid example as to what happens when a domain does not have a darklord, and an example that makes sense given previous events.

 

[Eubani]

Falkovnia was a pleasant surprise, specially for lower level groups.

 

[Necrozius]

I'm not going to spent three times as much for a book that is likely an equally bad remake. And one WizCo has thoroughly and completely convinced me isn't worth my time or energy

Fair enough. I was really on the fence about this book, even going so far as to warning friends who'd pre-ordered it that I had serious concerns. But upon reading the Table of Contents, some reviews and excerpts, I've been swayed.

Perhaps it is because this new version of Ravenloft has lots of tools and sidebars to customize and make things my own? The previous iterations came across to me as mostly walls of text of pre-determined lore and setting that was immutable, without any suggestions on tweaking it. That's fine, of course, but after delving for about 10 years into OSR material and DIY books, I want something a bit more than just a pile of fiction with the occasional stat block.

Also, my situation is unique because I already own lots of older Ravenloft material that I can draw from. I prefer the older version of Drakov, and I prefer my not-Victor Frankenstein to be male (for reasons tied to Mary Shelley's novel and its symbolism around masculine scientific hubris). So I'm definitely changing things around here and there. And you can bet that I'll be using different art pieces (cough*Stephen Fabian*cough) to display to my players.