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

 

[Bedrockgames]

No, I don't think so. On the contrary, in fact.

Honestly I hope you are right. And six years ago I might have agreed with you. But today I don't think that is the case. I think you see people wanting problematic content removed an awful lot.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

So I did not listen to the podcast, is Hazlik's tattoo backstory no longer about his rivals humiliating him by capturing and tattooing him with magically unerasable women's tattoos?

Are they going with the late 3.5 Gazetteer only thing of trans/gay issues for him or with the 2e Realms of Terror/Revised Campaign Setting/Domains of Dread/3.0 Ravenloft/3.5 Ravenloft PH set up where that was not a stated thing for him?

It wasn't mentioned on the podcast. I doubt it will be in the book either.

 

[Voadam]

in later versions of Hazlik's story, they specifically made him gay (the apprentice he slept with was male) and wanting to hijack Elani's body because she's female.

Versions plural? Anywhere besides that one 3.5 gazetteer?

3.0's Secrets of the Dread Realms has his story on page 26 and only says:

"Hazlik was quite ambitious, normally an asset in the Byzantine system of his homeland, but he rose too fast and made too many enemies. Seeking to curtail his advancement, they captured Hazlik and tattooed his head and chest with arcane symbols of femininity. Humiliated and ostracized, Hazlik devoted himself to his magical studies, revenge never far from his mind.
As fate would have it, while searching the forests for arcane components, Hazlik stumbled upon one of his rivals, who was dallying with a lover. Hazlik ambushed the pair and slew them both, laughing as their blood ran. Mists rose to envelop him, and Hazlik became the lord of Hazlan."

The Elena thing seems to only come up in that gazetteer as well. In 3.0 Secrets he only pins his hopes of revenge outside of his domain on her.

"For a long time, Hazlik brutally suppressed the practice of magic in his domain, intent on having no rivals to his power. Over time, Hazlik‘s attitudes have shifted, and he has taken apprentices as a means of expanding his own power base. Hazlik acknowledges the possibility that he will never find his escape from Ravenloft and hopes that one of his apprentices will carry on for him after his death. Unfortunately, at heart, his apprentices are much like him and are far too concerned with their own welfare to spend their lives pursuing an old man’s dreams of vengeance. While they can learn from him, they feign loyalty and obedience, but none will carry on his legacy when he passes. Hazlik is beginning to realize this and has placed all his hopes in a single student, a talented young Rashemani woman named Elena. Many Mulans have come to despise Elena for the special favor Hazlik shows her and spread jealous rumors about the exact nature of the relationship between Hazlik and his “pet.”"

The gay and trans stuff is not inconsistent with prior presentations of Hazlik's story, its just not indicated in any fashion prior to that last 3.5 supplement. It fits well with his magical magic jar/phylactery amulet that turns the bearer physically into him (complete with tattoos) if he dies. Not a bad power/curse combo for a darklord who wants to change their body.

 

[Faolyn]

Versions plural? Anywhere besides that one 3.5 gazetteer?

I would swear I saw the bit about him sleeping with the apprentice other than in the Gaz, but I can't find out where now. I could be entirely wrong about that being a motivation pre-3e.

 

[Voadam]

It wasn't mentioned on the podcast. I doubt it will be in the book either.

He can reportedly see through runes similar to his tattoos so he's got the tattoos, but they could elide the humiliating woman ID issue by saying he has tattoos and not providing anything more on that part of his backstory.

Similarly they could just not mention anything about his sexual orientation or any trans issues.

It seems to leave a hole in his Darklord back story though.

 

[Stormonu]

They could just mention “humilating tattoos” and leave it at that, I suppose.

In listening to the podcast linked above, it sounds like the lands of Hazlik themselves may become a metaphor for climate change, wrought by magical means.

 

[Voadam]

I would swear I saw the bit about him sleeping with the apprentice other than in the Gaz, but I can't find out where now. I could be entirely wrong about that being a motivation pre-3e.

Maybe the online Kargatane/Fraternity of Shadows fan site material? There was a lot of stuff on there I never checked out.

 

[Charlaquin]

My point was that same critique could be applied (their villainy comes from similar sources arguably----but it is also the thing that makes them interesting). Or imagine a movie like Silence of the Lambs without Buffalo Bill, since that was brought up (or with a Buffalo Bill with a backstory that works around the issues raised). Buffalo Bill is one of the most memorable characters in horror movies (and the performance was outstanding). It isn't as interesting of a movie if you remove him. You are removing a very powerful aspect of the film. And in the case of Psycho that was based on a real killing by a real person (who used to wear human skin because he wanted to be a woman: specifically his mom most likely). You can read these things uncharitably. But they are horror. Whatever materials or things from real life they take and explore are going to be presented in strange, gruesome and alarming lights. Why should a queer character be any less interesting, alarming or shocking than other characters?

My goodness, you really packed as much Not Even Wrong into this post as you could, didn’t you?

 

[Charlaquin]

I mean, I'm wondering what you disagree about, but even beyond that, it should point up some of the problems with what you were saying previously, stuff you appeared to not be aware of - for example the the fact that both movies you mention have a specific scene that explains that they villain isn't evil because they're trans, and in fact, isn't trans (literally a scene in both Psycho and Lambs), whereas my understanding of Hazlik was that there was no such explanation, and it was sort of implied that he was evil because he was queer/queer because he was evil.

And even with those movies, it's important to note that the elaborate disclaimers didn't work - that people with anti-trans opinions love to cite Lambs, or use imagery from it, even though the movie says "this isn't a trans person". Flying too close to the sun and all that.

Also, the “this person isn’t really trans” not only doesn’t work, it also comes off as simultaneously super gatekeepy.

 

[Faolyn]

They could just mention “humilating tattoos” and leave it at that, I suppose.

I expect that everyone will imagine him covered with indelible dick pics then.