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

 

[Faolyn]

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.

As much as I love Ravenloft, I agree with you. I'm hopeful that they can take the most interesting of what they had and ignore the dull, filler domains or the domains that existed just so the PCs swoop in, kill the Darklord, and leave.

 

[IndigoTraveler]

I roll to pickpocket the idea.

You rolled a NAT 20!!!!!

 

[IndigoTraveler]

And thank you for that story idea!

Your quite welcome! And be sure to also tip Embee for mentioning the words "Horror on the Orient Express" which led me to think up the idea.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

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.

For you and the others interested in something like this, there is a zombie apocalypse movie like this:

Train to Busan (2016) ⭐ 7.6 | Action, Horror, Thriller

1h 58m | Not Rated

www.imdb.com

 

[Stacie GmrGrl]

Since WotC didn't consult any sensitivity reading vampires in the making of this book to ensure cultural accuracy with how vampires live and their sensitivities I'm going to have to pass on this book.

 

[darjr]

Since WotC didn't consult any sensitivity reading vampires in the making of this book to ensure cultural accuracy with how vampires live and their sensitivities I'm going to have to pass on this book.

You know they did.

 

[overgeeked]

Anyone know why the full D&D Beyond video was released then set to private a few hours later?

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Anyone know why the full D&D Beyond video was released then set to private a few hours later?

I assume it is to stagger the video releases... common YouTube strategy to retain viewership.

 

[Azzy]

Time follows no bound concept within the Domains of Dread. I bet some Dark Lords have lost the meaning or concept of time after a certain point.

"Is it Tuesday? Meh everyday is probably Tuesday.'

That clinches it—Morrisey is a Dark Lord.... because to him, Everyday is Like Sunday.

 

[overgeeked]

I assume it is to stagger the video releases... common YouTube strategy to retain viewership.

Turns out someone screwed up big time. It was supposed to be a "live" stream...that they prerecorded and posted to YouTube around 9am PST...about 5 hours before it was streamed "live" on Twitch at 2pm PST. Oops. I watched the first few minutes of it when I spotted it this morning. So when they eventually make it public it will be easy enough to verify it's the same video.

D&D Beyond Twitter announcement about being "live" at 2pm PST.