D&D Beyond teases Project Lamordia, a modern reinterpretation of Ravenloft

D&D Beyond has released a teaser video for Project Lamordia, a new adventure that reimagines Ravenloft's Domain of Dread Lamordia into a private technology company. An article, since pulled from D&D Beyond, hinted that Project Lamordia would be a Level 1-Level 3 adventure that uses character options from Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. In keeping with the horror theme of the adventure, there would also be options to create “citizen” characters (aka Level 0 characters) that allow the players to explore a survival horror theme more closely.

Lamordia is traditionally a Ravenloft Domain of Dread that borrows heavily from Frankenstein. While originally ruled over by Adam, a creation of Dr. Victor Mordenheim, the Domain’s lore was updated so that its Darklord was Dr. Viktra Mordenheim, who resurrected her lost love Alice using an artificial heart. Viktra Mordenheim will be featured in Project Lamordia as a genius technologist obsessed with ending death.

The full Project Lamordia will be released on October 13th. In the meantime, enjoy this teaser video.

 

[Bae'zel]

I'm more interested in Mary Shelley's metaphors with a male villain scientist and his tragically misunderstood male creation. However, it's easy enough to switch things up in any way with pre-written modules. Viktor or Viktoria, Adam or Alice, I guess that the story could work, just put aside any literary thoughts about the fundamental changes to the symbolism or themes that Shelly was going for and just roll with it.

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

I'm more interested in Mary Shelley's metaphors with a male villain scientist and his tragically misunderstood male creation. However, it's easy enough to switch things up in any way with pre-written modules. Viktor or Viktoria, Adam or Alice, I guess that the story could work, just put aside any literary thoughts about the fundamental changes to the symbolism or themes that Shelly was going for and just roll with it.

I've always interpreted Frankenstein as the first science fiction story about obsolescence; it's "more efficient" for men to make other men without women with leftover parts, they just kinda suck at it (from the perspective of a victorian protofeminist, at least).

 

[delericho]

What exactly they "butchering" in the new Lamordia? i see it was a way more interesting to use in the table.

I didn't use the word "butchering", but...

My big issue with what was done with Lamordia stemmed from the fact that I was running a campaign set there at the time the book was published. So it was the first thing I looked at, only to discover that there was nothing there I could use, and indeed by changing things it made my job harder (because any player who read about the realm would then find that my campaign didn't match).

The one thing that would have been useful would have been a stat block for the Darklord... but of course the book famously doesn't include those.

I found Van Richten's Guide really, really disappointing, and what was done to Lamordia certainly wasn't the worst thing. It just happened to be the thing that immediately hit me, and is also the thing that is relevant to this thread.

 

[LordLothar]

I'm more interested in Mary Shelley's metaphors with a male villain scientist and his tragically misunderstood male creation. However, it's easy enough to switch things up in any way with pre-written modules. Viktor or Viktoria, Adam or Alice, I guess that the story could work, just put aside any literary thoughts about the fundamental changes to the symbolism or themes that Shelly was going for and just roll with it.

That's hardly the only symbolism in Mary Shelley's original work, and hardly is something really lost in the genre character change, and hardly is something really relevante in the 2e version of Lamordia.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

by changing things it made my job harder (because any player who read about the realm would then find that my campaign didn't match).

That seems like a bonus to me. “Everything you think you know about the world is wrong” is very horror.

Just use whatever version you prefer. Setting books are DM facing so you can take, leave, or change anything you like.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I've always interpreted Frankenstein as the first science fiction story about obsolescence; it's "more efficient" for men to make other men without women with leftover parts, they just kinda suck at it (from the perspective of a victorian protofeminist, at least).

My partner believes it’s inspired by Mary’s Post Partum Depression. The experience of being unable to love your child, despite everything telling you you should.

Which would make Victor an author-insert character, gender changed because it would have been very difficult for a woman to get the requisite medical training at the time of writing.

 

[Dire Bare]

I didn't use the word "butchering", but...

My big issue with what was done with Lamordia stemmed from the fact that I was running a campaign set there at the time the book was published. So it was the first thing I looked at, only to discover that there was nothing there I could use, and indeed by changing things it made my job harder (because any player who read about the realm would then find that my campaign didn't match).

The one thing that would have been useful would have been a stat block for the Darklord... but of course the book famously doesn't include those.

I found Van Richten's Guide really, really disappointing, and what was done to Lamordia certainly wasn't the worst thing. It just happened to be the thing that immediately hit me, and is also the thing that is relevant to this thread.

In the space allowed for each domain, even if they hadn't changed anything, it's unlikely there would have been anything new for you to use.

I can understand being excited for a new book and not finding it to your tastes . . . but I fail to understand how a new version of Lamordia made your job as DM more difficult.

When I run campaigns in established settings, I never worry that my game won't match what's been published. Even if I start the game without making my own changes, they will inevitably arise during play. If players express confusion, I simply say that my version of the setting is different than the published version. I'm running a LotR5E campaign now, and I'm far from a Tolkien scholar. My Middle-Earth is definitely different than Tolkien's, although mostly by accident rather than by design. My players haven't complained (they're not Tolkien scholars either), but if they did . . . all they would get is a shrug.

 

[TravDoc42]

A statistically baffling number of my exes realized they were lesbians after dumping me. The weird thing is my lesbian exes still make up half of my D&D table.

You were recruiting!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I think I can say it here and it is not a true spoiler but there is a IDW comic of Ravenloft: Orphan of Agony (5e) set in Lamordia where the main character Miranda is reanimated by Viktra... I guess I can say here she doesn't like her "works" to meet Elisa because this could encourage them to reclaim their independence and freedom. And Elisa appears in the alternate cover of number 4

Now I doubt this story to be canon.

* Capcom's "Haunting Ground" has got vibes close to Ravenloft style (and Prometheus: the created), and the survival horror videogame "Rule of the Rose" is creepier you can imagine watching only the cover.

* A reimagination of Vechor, ruled by Easan the mad, could be perfect for something style "the evil Within". It could be about transhuman technology going totally wrong.

 

[LordLothar]

I think I can say it here and it is not a true spoiler but there is a IDW comic of Ravenloft: Orphan of Agony (5e) set in Lamordia where the main character Miranda is reanimated by Viktra... I guess I can say here she doesn't like her "works" to meet Elisa because this could encourage them to reclaim their independence and freedom. And Elisa appears in the alternate cover of number 4

View attachment 449520

Now I doubt this story to be canon.

* Capcom's "Haunting Ground" has got vibes close to Ravenloft style (and Prometheus: the created), and the survival horror videogame "Rule of the Rose" is creepier you can imagine watching only the cover.

* A reimagination of Vechor, ruled by Easan the mad, could be perfect for something style "the evil Within". It could be about transhuman technology going totally wrong.

"Canon" in 5e D&D is something very loose