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

mamba · 2026-03-13T09:28:42+0000

Paul Farquhar said:
Which works out as one chapter of a modern book.

yes, as would the adventures themselves, times have changed

Paul Farquhar said:
And it did not include any player options, crunch or deviations from core rules.

I do not consider that important for a setting book, if anything half the setting book being player options is a negative to me. I want a setting book for setting information, not player crunch.

That marketing says player crunch makes players pick up the book and thereby increases sales explains why nowadays everyone shoves them in, but as far as I am concerned the fewer of that, the better

Paul Farquhar · 2026-03-13T10:28:59+0000

mamba said:
I do not consider that important for a setting book, if anything half the setting book being player options is a negative to me. I want a setting book for setting information, not player crunch.

I would imagine a modern adventure book would include at least as much lore as DL5. It’s the player options that people are saying “you can’t possibly do without”. Which of course you can, especially if you are playing as the Heroes of the Lance.

Remathilis · 2026-03-13T12:22:04+0000

Paul Farquhar said:
I would imagine a modern adventure book would include at least as much lore as DL5. It’s the player options that people are saying “you can’t possibly do without”. Which of course you can, especially if you are playing as the Heroes of the Lance.

Again, I don't think playing as pregens is going to "hit" the same way as it did in the 80s. The vast majority of "new" fans haven't read the Chronicles and the idea playing Raistlin, Tass or Tika isn't as appealing. Further, if you want to play someone else's character going though a predefined story, may I refer you to 40 years of video game RPGs. Unless you're creating a scenario where Sturm gets to live or Kitiara can not betray the Heros, there isn't the same "play the novels" appeal.

Most new players get drawn into the game by playing their own characters and telling their own stories. That's why "player entitlement" issues keep cropping up in discussions; players want to play their unique character and tell their story, not just do what the DM allows them to. Again, I don't know if playing as the Heroes of the Lance is as appealing to the Critical Role crowd...

Paul Farquhar · 2026-03-13T12:47:11+0000

Remathilis said:
Again, I don't think playing as pregens is going to "hit" the same way as it did in the 80s. The vast majority of "new" fans haven't read the Chronicles and the idea playing Raistlin, Tass or Tika isn't as appealing. Further, if you want to play someone else's character going though a predefined story, may I refer you to 40 years of video game RPGs. Unless you're creating a scenario where Sturm gets to live or Kitiara can not betray the Heros, there isn't the same "play the novels" appeal.

Most new players get drawn into the game by playing their own characters and telling their own stories. That's why "player entitlement" issues keep cropping up in discussions; players want to play their unique character and tell their story, not just do what the DM allows them to. Again, I don't know if playing as the Heroes of the Lance is as appealing to the Critical Role crowd...

I mean, possibly, but it’s actually been a long time since the fantasy of playing a character you didn’t create has been on offer in D&D. The Marvel RPG does it. DL1 came out before the first novel, but players were still willing to invest in those characters. And anyway, Rastalin is being plugged in Idle Champions. Ads everywhere. Maybe people won’t want to play those characters, but that will still be an option too.

I wouldn’t pay to much attention to people making absolutist claims on the internet. The way ordinary people play is different.

mamba · 2026-03-13T13:05:43+0000

Remathilis said:
Again, I don't think playing as pregens is going to "hit" the same way as it did in the 80s.

I doubt they’d do that, but you can always play as something else already, you do not need any new subclasses for that

Remathilis · 2026-03-13T13:30:38+0000

mamba said:
I doubt they’d do that, but you can always play as something else already, you do not need any new subclasses for that

Presumably, you need at least what was offered in the 5.0 DL book to be updated in the 5.5 one.

Parmandur · 2026-03-13T13:51:48+0000

Remathilis said:
Again, I don't think playing as pregens is going to "hit" the same way as it did in the 80s. The vast majority of "new" fans haven't read the Chronicles and the idea playing Raistlin, Tass or Tika isn't as appealing. Further, if you want to play someone else's character going though a predefined story, may I refer you to 40 years of video game RPGs. Unless you're creating a scenario where Sturm gets to live or Kitiara can not betray the Heros, there isn't the same "play the novels" appeal.

Most new players get drawn into the game by playing their own characters and telling their own stories. That's why "player entitlement" issues keep cropping up in discussions; players want to play their unique character and tell their story, not just do what the DM allows them to. Again, I don't know if playing as the Heroes of the Lance is as appealing to the Critical Role crowd...

I wouldn't assume that a DL reprint would do pregens necessarily: the original modules could be run with original PCs, and I am thinking an Infinite Quests style rewrite (look at Expedition to the Barrier Peaks in thst book versus the original, it is fascinating) not a Yawning Portal style reprint.

Paul Farquhar · 2026-03-13T13:56:35+0000

Remathilis said:
Presumably, you need at least what was offered in the 5.0 DL book to be updated in the 5.5 one.

The lunar sorcerer was one of the things wrong with it, since it was a complete disconnect with established DL lore. What that needs is to be dropped. You could do Wizards of High Sorcery and Solomanic knights with backgrounds and feats, but you don’t need them. DL worked perfectly well with nothing but kender and core rules.

Paul Farquhar · 2026-03-13T13:58:26+0000

Parmandur said:
I wouldn't assume that a DL reprint would do pregens necessarily: the original modules could be run with original PCs, and I am thinking an Infinite Quests style rewrite (look at Expedition to the Barrier Peaks in thst book versus the original, it is fascinating) not a Yawning Portal style reprint.

I think it would be a seriously missed opportunity if they didn’t include the pregens. Absence of familiar characters was another reason the last DL effort failed.

Anyway, much point in plugging Rastalin if he isn’t in it!

Remathilis · 2026-03-13T15:09:24+0000

Paul Farquhar said:
The lunar sorcerer was one of the things wrong with it, since it was a complete disconnect with established DL lore. What that needs is to be dropped. You could do Wizards of High Sorcery and Solomanic knights with backgrounds and feats, but you don’t need them. DL worked perfectly well with nothing but kender and core rules.

Lol. WHAT Dragonlance lore? You and @Parmandur have spent a half dozen pages arguing that Dragonlance can be run with PHB only. Now you want to get huffy about what does and doesn't fit in Krynn? Unless you're not going to expend resources to explain Krynn in detail (and more than a chapter if SotDQ is any example) then it's just gonna be a another kitchen sink setting of orc aberrant sorcerers, goliath world tree barbarians and aasimar celestial warlocks.