D&D General Ravenloft: Monsters vs Darklords

[Incenjucar]

Really we need an epic adventure where Real Ravenloft and Neo-loft collide.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

None of that was the case in Ravenloft until 4th edition and was basically the harbinger of crippling the setting as much as the completely wrongheaded decision of "no souls" and other Perkinsisms. All of that is a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of horror.

What bothers you about that? Do plants have souls? Does it matter?

 

[Incenjucar]

What bothers you about that? Do plants have souls? Does it matter?

Souls have mechanics, so it does matter.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Souls have mechanics, so it does matter.

Not mechanics that matter to minor characters. Who cares about raising Angry Peasant #3? You will be casting Raise Dead on a green slime next.

The souless minions are specific to CoS, not VGR, and the point is, it gives Strahd a reason to focus on the PCs and major NPCs, since he can't get sustenance from them. But it all makes perfect sense when you consider Barovia a construct of Strahd's will, with the exception of a few souls imported from the prime material (plus Vistani mist travellers).

Horror almost always focuses on a small group of protagonists/victims, the supporting cast don't matter.

 

[Incenjucar]

Not mechanics that matter to minor characters. Who cares about raising Angry Peasant #3? You will be casting Raise Dead on a green slime next.

The souless minions are specific to CoS, not VGR, and the point is, it gives Strahd a reason to focus on the PCs and major NPCs, since he can't get sustenance from them. But it all makes perfect sense when you consider Barovia a construct of Strahd's will, with the exception of a few souls imported from the prime material.

Eh? This is D&D. There are monsters and spells that use souls. It's not like a philosophical discussion, it"s a mechanical one.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Eh? This is D&D. There are monsters and spells that use souls. It's not like a philosophical discussion, it"s a mechanical one.

Name a situation where it could possibly matter. A difference that makes no difference is no difference.

 

[Incenjucar]

Name a situation where it could possibly matter. A difference that makes no difference is no difference.

Someone uses Magic Jar.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Someone uses Magic Jar.

On a random Barovian peasant? Then it doesn't work. So what?

Even better, the players don't know why it doesn't work, adding to the creepiness.

 

[Incenjucar]

On a random Barovian peasant? Then it doesn't work. So what?

Even better, the players don't know why it doesn't work, adding to the creepiness.

It's a horror setting. Souls being messed with is like half of the crazy stuff that can happen.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It's a horror setting. Souls being messed with is like half of the crazy stuff that can happen.

The souls have been messed with - many of the minor characters don't have one. By your own argument, that makes the setting more horrific, not less.