Ravenloft: The Horrors Within Announced, Release Date Scheduled for June 2026

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

But we are not getting a book that contradicts VRGR.

Not until 6E at a minimum, but I doubt it'll happen even then. At that point, most D&D players (by virtue of how many people started with 5E versus all other editions combined) will have the 5E canon as their true take on things.

 

[Kurotowa]

Actually, vampires have been depicted with pointy ears for decades. It's meant to make their features appear more angular and compliment their sharp fangs. It has nothing to do with elves, though I see why you'd believe it may.

I've watched some videos by an artist going over character designs from various video games, like Marvel Rivals and Pokemon. Actually there's a lot of people doing those sorts of videos now, but she's got some actual schooling and brings up things like color theory and shape meaning. And it's the latter that matters here.

Her mantra is that rounded curves are friend shaped, rectangles signify strength, and triangles mean danger. One villain after another has pointy bits all over their design to drive home that this is something dangerous and menacing.

So I'm not surprised that vampires often get pointy ears to go with the pointy teeth, the better to show that "This is a predator, beware of it."

 

[mamba]

Yeah, but I doubt there is going to be any other venue for Cthulu forthcoming.

agreed, that will not happen

 

[TravDoc42]

I've watched some videos by an artist going over character designs from various video games, like Marvel Rivals and Pokemon. Actually there's a lot of people doing those sorts of videos now, but she's got some actual schooling and brings up things like color theory and shape meaning. And it's the latter that matters here.

Her mantra is that rounded curves are friend shaped, rectangles signify strength, and triangles mean danger. One villain after another has pointy bits all over their design to drive home that this is something dangerous and menacing.

So I'm not surprised that vampires often get pointy ears to go with the pointy teeth, the better to show that "This is a predator, beware of it."

That is really interesting!!

 

[Charlaquin]

Thing is, Cthulu is public domain and won't offend any real world religions.

The same could be said of Nancy Drew, that doesn’t mean she would be a good choice to include in the book.

 

[JDazzle]

@Christian Hoffer typo: " including gothing, dark fantasy, cosmic, and the occult." - probably mean "gothic"

I went gothing once... it was fun!

 

[Parmandur]

The same could be said of Nancy Drew, that doesn’t mean she would be a good choice to include in the book.

Bit different, though, considering the massive influence of Lovecraft on the history of D&D. The art we have seen suggests it isn't an isolated, random Cthulu, but rather a lot of elements of the Mythos being put in the game...as they were in the 70s & 80s when TSR was plaulyong fast and loose.

 

[Parmandur]

Planescape Factions Berk.

It does strike me at this point that WotC was probably planning the approach they took with Forge of the Artificer and this Ravenloft book as they were working on Planescape...and the Planescape set had conspicuously few player options.

A FotA style book for Planescape could slot in with the box set very smoothly, repeating very little.

 

[MichaelSomething]

The same could be said of Nancy Drew, that doesn’t mean she would be a good choice to include in the book.

Nancy Drew would obviously get her own crossover sourcebook.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Nancy Drew would obviously get her own crossover sourcebook.

How many RPGs does this woman need?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sixpencegames/the-nancy-drew-rpg/description