Innsmouth added as new Ravenloft Domain of Dread, bringing Lovecraft to D&D

Innsmouth, the iconic home of several HP Lovecraft stories, is being incorporated into Ravenloft as a new Domain of Dread. Earlier today, Wizards of the Coast revealed the contents of Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, including the number of subclasses, ancestries, and new creature statblocks in the game. Wizards also revealed that 16 Domains of Dread will be profiled in the book, including the new domain Innsmouth. Assumably, its Darklord will be Cthulhu, who was previously confirmed to be in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, complete with a statblock.

Cosmic horror has long had a place in Dungeons & Dragons lore, with Cthulhu originally appearing in early copies of Deities and Demigods. Due to a licensing dispute with Chaosium, TSR removed Cthulhu and other Lovecraftian creatures from later printings of the book. Cthulhu along with Lovecraft's other creations have since passed into the public domain, thus removing any restrictions on featuring the characters in a D&D book.

Of course, Innsmouth (at least in Lovecraft's work) is supposed to be a turn of the century New England coastal town, which doesn't exactly jive with the high fantasy trappings of Dungeons & Dragons. We'll have to see how much of Innsmouth is changed to line up with D&D when Ravenloft: The Horrors Within releases later this summer.

 

[Remathilis]

Following up on this for anyone interested, and potentially looking for adventures to adapt for the Innsmouth domain in Ravenloft, here are some pointers:

• The most direct analog, and the only WotC-produced version that I know of prior to the upcoming book, is "The Last Breaths of Ashenport", an 8th-level 4e adventure from Dungeon #156 by Ari Marmell involving "fish-men" and a cult of Dagon.
• There's "Shadows of the Deep", a 12th-level 4e adventure from Level Up #2 (a short-lived Dragon-style magazine published by Goodman Games during the 4e era). It's set on an island just off the shore of "Ensmoth", and features deep ones, star spawn, a shoggoth, and a cult of Great Cthulhu.
• "Tides of Doom" is from In Search of Adventure, an anthology of 1st-level 4e adventures also published by Goodman Games. It's set in a town called Crafthaven and features a cult of "Dagiy'tha".
• Then there's "Night of the Brine", a 3rd-level 5e adventure digitally published to support Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos. It's set in a town called Resante on the night that the townsfolk are being transformed into deep ones.

Soon we'll see what the new books offers!

I recommend "The Styles" from Ghosts of Saltmarsh as well.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

As an aside for those who haven't checked it out - let me again recommend the BBC podcast series where they took Lovecraft stories and modernized them and connected them. The connected Charles Dexter Ward to Whisperer in the Dark to Shadows over Innsmouth to Haunter of the Dark, while working in Pleasant Green, all under the premise of being a small investigative podcast.

That was a very good podcast. I'm sorry that it ended.

 

[Zaukrie]

What was the podcast called?

 

[A2Z]

... and Blibdoolpoolp.

I'm sorry to hear that, must be uncomfortable

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What was the podcast called?

BBC Radio 4 - The Lovecraft Investigations

An investigation into witchcraft, the occult and secret government operations.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Dire Bare]

Just what D&D needed...

I agree! Excited to add this to my toolbox of setting locales!

 

[Aellic Mornbringer]

Following up on this for anyone interested, and potentially looking for adventures to adapt for the Innsmouth domain in Ravenloft, here are some pointers:

• The most direct analog, and the only WotC-produced version that I know of prior to the upcoming book, is "The Last Breaths of Ashenport", an 8th-level 4e adventure from Dungeon #156 by Ari Marmell involving "fish-men" and a cult of Dagon.

I ran this adventure for my group back when it was released and thought it was a lot of fun. Good creepy Lovecraftian feel. Two aspects I really liked were the pool of "innocents" to utilize for extra tension and the call to the sea.

I'm very curious to see how the new book might compare.

 

[Toriel]

I adapted The Last Breaths of Ashenport" in my current campaign and the players enjoyed it a lot. It is a good adventure.

As for Innsmouth in Ravenloft, I really like the addition. Looking forward to the book.

 

[Clint_L]

This book just became an instant purchase. I'll tweak some stuff, but having a gazetteer and maps for Innsmouth ready prepped for D&D? I have anticipatory tummy squiggles.

 

[FoolishFrost]

“bringing Lovecraft to D&D”

Ahem… actually… <said in a nasally, condescending voice that makes me especially smackable>

If I can point out that 1st edition ad&d had it when the first printing of deities and demigods was released? Us old timers knew of the days when the old ones were a part of the standard pantheon. Just a little more non-euclidean.