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

 

[skotothalamos]

Are there just the two subclasses or are those the only ones that have been leaked/announced yet?

The marketing on dndbeyond says "2 new subclasses" so that's probably it.

 

[Parmandur]

The marketing on dndbeyond says "2 new subclasses" so that's probably it.

That fits with most previous Setting books, too.

 

[Parmandur]

Death House has a lot of potential to be awesome in the hands of a good DM. It also has the potential to be a series of dull, empty rooms, with the implication of a mystery but no satisfying payoff.

Same with most of the best modules, I reckon.

 

[Hatmatter]

I like the idea of a horror campaign taking place in a train, and the longer the PCs go without getting to the bottom of everything, the more the various cars of said train become demented/horrific/corrupted. Meaning if things REALLY hit the fan, there's only one car that is a safe haven, but that too runs the risk of being lost: Game Over if the whole train is "lost" at the end.

And thank you for that story idea!

 

[Zaukrie]

Put me in the....I don't care about continuity group.... and I'll wait to see more before deciding to buy or not.....

 

[doctorbadwolf]

See, I always saw that as being a good thing. Travel in Ravenloft shouldn't be lightly undertaken, since it's potentially asking for trouble to find you while on the road. Having to go very far out of your way to avoid the gaping wound in the world makes that travel longer, and so discourages it, thereby reinforcing a sense of isolation.

Plus, Bluetspur and G'henna really needed to be removed from the Core anyway. They simply didn't fit thematically.

I believe they actually do call it "the Core."

That’s odd to me, because to me Gothic Horror disregards distance and travel time as wholly irrelevant unless it serves the story. It’s Indiana Jones lines-on-a-map travel that takes you only very occasionally to places of seeming safety and light, but more often to the next scene of isolated terror and dread.

 

[Remathilis]

That’s odd to me, because to me Gothic Horror disregards distance and travel time as wholly irrelevant unless it serves the story. It’s Indiana Jones lines-on-a-map travel that takes you only very occasionally to places of seeming safety and light, but more often to the next scene of isolated terror and dread.

Sometimes Dracula sails from Transylvania to England, Dr Frankenstein chases the creature from Geneva to the North Pole, and the Phantom disappears from Paris and ends up in Coney Island.

(If you get the last reference, I'm sorry)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Sometimes Dracula sails from Transylvania to England, Dr Frankenstein chases the creature from Geneva to the North Pole, and the Phantom disappears from Paris and ends up in Coney Island.

(If you get the last reference, I'm sorry)

I’m pretty happy to not get that last lol

 

[MGibster]

Put me in the....I don't care about continuity group.... and I'll wait to see more before deciding to buy or not.....

I agree. It's been about 15 years since I cracked open a Ravenloft setting book. There are some high points I'd like them to keep but it's not like I even remember all the domains clearly. I'm fine with them branching out in different directions. No reason to be weighed down by the past.

 

[Faolyn]

I like the idea of a horror campaign taking place in a train, and the longer the PCs go without getting to the bottom of everything, the more the various cars of said train become demented/horrific/corrupted. Meaning if things REALLY hit the fan, there's only one car that is a safe haven, but that too runs the risk of being lost: Game Over if the whole train is "lost" at the end.

I roll to pickpocket the idea.