D&D 5E Everything We Know About The Ravenloft Book

Here is a list of everything we know so far about the upcoming Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.

Art by Paul Scott Canavan​

• May 18th, 256 pages
• 30 domains (with 30 villainous darklords)
• Barovia (Strahd), Dementlieu (twisted fairly tales), Lamordia (flesh golem), Falkovnia (zombies), Kalakeri (Indian folklore, dark rainforests), Valachan (hunting PCs for sport), Lamordia (mad science)
• NPCs include Esmerelda de’Avenir, Weathermay-Foxgrove twins, traveling detective Alanik Ray.
• Large section on setting safe boundaries.
• Dark Gifts are character traits with a cost.
• College of Spirits (bard storytellers who manipulate spirits of folklore) and Undead Patron (warlock) subclasses.
• Dhampir, Reborn, and Hexblood lineages.
• Cultural consultants used.
• Fresh take on Vistani.
• 40 pages of monsters. Also nautical monsters in Sea of Sorrows.
• 20 page adventure called The House of Lament - haunted house, spirits, seances.

​

D&D 5E - Full Wraparound Cover Art For Ravenloft

We've seen the cover already, but here's a look at the full wraparound art by Anna Podedworna. https://www.enworld.org/threads/updated-with-cover-the-d-d-book-is-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft.678411/ https://www.enworld.org/threads/heres-the-ravenloft-alternate-cover.678414/...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Here's the Ravenloft Alternate Cover!

As usual, there is an alternate hobby-store exclusive cover for the upcoming Ravenloft book. Here's a look at it! And here's the full wraparound art. https://www.enworld.org/threads/updated-with-cover-the-d-d-book-is-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft.678411/...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - [Updated with cover!] The D&D Book Is.... Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft!

Yesterday's hints that a new D&D book would be announced today have born fruit -- we now have a product description and a title! It's a Ravenloft setting book, with tools and new rules for horror-themed games, and new horror-themed character options. I'll update this post with a product image as...

www.enworld.org

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

• I always assumed it was pronounced "day-mon-loo", not "dem-ent-lee-oo". (Google Translate says it should be pronounced "duh-mon-lee-oo". And that it means "godless".)

I think they were doing their best with the French accents on the podcasts, but they were both shockingly bad at it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What I'm disliking though is the lack of neutral space; areas where life isn't a fun house for evil. The western coast had a number of small domains that created a buffer for the larger horror areas. Places PCs could come from. I'm hoping some of that still exists.

I suspect there would be a market for a DMs Guild product that just collected a bunch of the leftover quieter domains. I think there's a lot of value in offering a place to be from for player characters -- the locations shown off so far would produce PCs with all sorts of problems that could potentially render them unreliable as party members.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I find it interesting how the new Dark Lady was described as almost wraith-like. I know little about the old Dark Lord (Dominic D'Honaire) and what his deal was, so it seems like this is a new take.

 

[Remathilis]

I find it interesting how the new Dark Lady was described as almost wraith-like. I know little about the old Dark Lord (Dominic D'Honaire) and what his deal was, so it seems like this is a new take.

Dominic was a mesmerist; a relatively normal human who could charm and dominate people with his magical voice. His curse was that when he was attracted to someone, the effect wouldn't work and instead do the opposite (make them fear and loathe him.) And that was about it. He has charmed flunkies but couldn't score.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Dominic was a mesmerist; a relatively normal human who could charm and dominate people with his magical voice. His curse was that when he was attracted to someone, the effect wouldn't work and instead do the opposite (make them fear and loathe him.) And that was about it. He has loyal flunkies but couldn't score.

Huh. I guess that's a little on theme with the new plane's theme of illusions and that everyone is living a lie.

 

[Faolyn]

I find it interesting how the new Dark Lady was described as almost wraith-like. I know little about the old Dark Lord (Dominic D'Honaire) and what his deal was, so it seems like this is a new take.

Dom's mom died in childbirth, and everyone around him (or at least all the women) doted on him because they felt bad for him. This spoiled him rotten, and since he also had supernaturally high charisma and adorable rosy cheeks, he spent a lot of his time manipulating the people around him, getting them to do whatever he wants (or just for fun). After he accidentally-on-purpose murdered a nanny (by "convincing" her to kill herself) because she was a meany-meanpants, he convinced his dad to move the family away, to escape suspicion. Instead, the Mists created a new domain just for him. When he grew up (and his powers, basically an at-will dominate person, grew with him), he got a job in government, as one of the Ruling Council. As Darklord, he has tons of loyal, mind-controlled servants. Like, half the population.

Because he didn't have a mother and was used to having women dote on him, Dominic is "desperate for female company." Although it's implied to be a desire for romance or sex, it sounds like he would also be happy with a new mother as well. His curse is that the more he likes a woman, the uglier she thinks he is. When he truly loves a woman, she sees him as nauseatingly hideous. In reality, he's fairly handsome.

 

[Remathilis]

Dom's mom died in childbirth, and everyone around him (or at least all the women) doted on him because they felt bad for him. This spoiled him rotten, and since he also had supernaturally high charisma and adorable rosy cheeks, he spent a lot of his time manipulating the people around him, getting them to do whatever he wants (or just for fun). After he accidentally-on-purpose murdered a nanny (by "convincing" her to kill herself) because she was a meany-meanpants, he convinced his dad to move the family away, to escape suspicion. Instead, the Mists created a new domain just for him. When he grew up (and his powers, basically an at-will dominate person, grew with him), he got a job in government, as one of the Ruling Council. As Darklord, he has tons of loyal, mind-controlled servants. Like, half the population.

Because he didn't have a mother and was used to having women dote on him, Dominic is "desperate for female company." Although it's implied to be a desire for romance or sex, it sounds like he would also be happy with a new mother as well. His curse is that the more he likes a woman, the uglier she thinks he is. When he truly loves a woman, she sees him as nauseatingly hideous. In reality, he's fairly handsome.

I mean, this is the long version of it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I feel like a Therapist subclass could really help transform Ravenloft.

 

[Faolyn]

I mean, this is the long version of it.

Yeah, you ninja'd me while I was writing that. My fault for going on so long.

 

[Faolyn]

I feel like a Therapist subclass could really help transform Ravenloft.

It'd be a bard, likely.