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.

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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

 

[overgeeked]

I wonder how this relates, if it does, to a bag of devouring.

That’s a Bagman nursery.

 

[JEB]

Speculations based on the art in the video:

• 2:30 Not sure if the sample Hexblood was originally a tiefling, or if Hexbloods are expected to look like tieflings.
• 3:06 Looks kind of Nosferatu-esque. Does this mean some of the old vampire variants will be included, or is this just artistic license?
• 4:02 The Headless Horseman illustration popped up before, but one wonders if he'll be a full-fledged domain lord, or a roaming/pocket domain entity like in 2E.
• Between the katana-wielding vampire(?) at 5:22 and the obviously Chinese-inspired ghost at 5:44, I'm assuming we're getting at least one and possibly multiple Asian-inspired domains. Good.
• 6:03 Ghost vampire?
• 7:00 Nightmare Lands reference?
• 8:10 Weathermay-Foxgrove twins?
• 8:25 Grand Conjunction flashback? Or maybe a reboot explanation? (Note the various images in the shattered mirror.)

 

[TheSword]

8:10 looks like Ireena Kolyana from Curse of Strahd. Rather than the twins. Might be about reincarnation, or the spirit. Though they may of course repurpose the art.

View attachment ABC4FC22-0C3A-4FBD-AD4F-27C15BE477BB.webp

 

[Voadam]

Between the katana-wielding vampire(?) at 5:22 and the obviously Chinese-inspired ghost at 5:44, I'm assuming we're getting at least one and possibly multiple Asian-inspired domains. Good.

In prior editions there were the east Asian domain islands of I'Cath and Rokushima Taiyoo and a katana wielding non darklord eastern vampire NPC with his own backstory running around.

 

[Alzrius]

a katana wielding non darklord eastern vampire NPC with his own backstory running around.

For those wondering, this is Mayonaka ("midnight" in Japanese), from MC15 Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix II: Children of the Night, and reprinted in Monstrous Compendium - Ravenloft Appendices I & II.

Please note my use of affiliate links in this post.

 

[Bedrockgames]

In prior editions there were the east Asian domain islands of I'Cath and Rokushima Taiyoo and a katana wielding non darklord eastern vampire NPC with his own backstory running around.

One thing I would like to see is some really well done hopping vampires in the spirit of movies like Mr. Vampire and stuff similarly drawn from Chinese folklore and pop culture (complete with Daoist inspired priests). Also the Story Painted Skin and the movies based on it are all pretty ripe for Ravenloft (not to mention the Chinese Ghost Story movies)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I really want the variant vampires back, especially the racial variants. I thought they did a good job of underscoring the non-human cultures (halfling vampires are repelled by the things that symbolize home) while simulatenously making it a little harder for players to instantly know the powers and weaknesses of any given vampire.

 

[Remathilis]

I really want the variant vampires back, especially the racial variants. I thought they did a good job of underscoring the non-human cultures (halfling vampires are repelled by the things that symbolize home) while simulatenously making it a little harder for players to instantly know the powers and weaknesses of any given vampire.

Of course, the fact they were inconsistent with thier use was an issue (Jandar Sunstar was an elf vampire but not an elven vampire). That said, I'd love a collection of alternative vampire traits you can add to make each vampire unique, like daywalker or alternative allergens.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think those terrible Jandar novels predated the Ravenloft MC. It's a shame, too, since the elven vampires, who burned in starlight, were extremely tragic and on-brand for elves.

 

[Voadam]

I think those terrible Jandar novels predated the Ravenloft MC. It's a shame, too, since the elven vampires, who burned in starlight, were extremely tragic and on-brand for elves.

Those racial ones always seemed to me to be specific strains of vampirism that only affected members of a specific race, not that members of a specific race could only be those types of vampires.

So a normal vampire turns an elf into a standard vampire who happens to be an elf with standard vampire powers and weaknesses. For an elf to become a racial variant elven vampire they need to be turned by a racial variant elf vampire, not a standard one.

So if Strahd turns an elf into a vampire expect them to have standard vampire powers and not necessarily kill plants with their touch.