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

 

[Faolyn]

You're having the argument about evil cultists with the wrong poster.

No I'm not. My point was that the Elemental Evil Cult wasn't a good fit for Ravenloft. You're saying that I'm trying to impose my vision of Ravenloft as the Only True One. I'm showing why I'm not, and using the EEC as my example.

 

[overgeeked]

No I'm not. My point was that the Elemental Evil Cult wasn't a good fit for Ravenloft. You're saying that I'm trying to impose my vision of Ravenloft as the Only True One. I'm showing why I'm not, and using the EEC as my example.

Sigh. Yes, you are having the argument with the wrong poster. I never said the EEC was an amazing fit for Ravenloft. I disagree with your interpretation of Ravenloft. Sorry you cannot accept that. Is it horror related? Then there's a place for it in Ravenloft. It's the D&D horror setting. Again, not everything in the multiverse that's evil should be shunted off to Ravenloft, but every kind of evil absolutely has a place in Ravenloft. If you want to alter the setting to fit your idea of it, grand. Don't presume anyone else agrees. And there's really no need to dig in and argue about it. You're doing your thing with the setting. Good for you. I'm not doing that same thing. Let it go.

 

[Faolyn]

Sigh. Yes, you are having the argument with the wrong poster. I never said the EEC was an amazing fit for Ravenloft.

I know you didn't say EEC was the right fit. It's pretty clear from what you're writing below that you don't understand what I was talking about, which was about the tone of the evil.

I disagree with your interpretation of Ravenloft. Sorry you cannot accept that. Is it horror related? Then there's a place for it in Ravenloft. It's the D&D horror setting. Again, not everything in the multiverse that's evil should be shunted off to Ravenloft, but every kind of evil absolutely has a place in Ravenloft. If you want to alter the setting to fit your idea of it, grand. Don't presume anyone else agrees. And there's really no need to dig in and argue about it. You're doing your thing with the setting. Good for you. I'm not doing that same thing. Let it go.

 

[overgeeked]

I know you didn't say EEC was the right fit. It's pretty clear from what you're writing below that you don't understand what I was talking about, which was about the tone of the evil.

Okay. Tone. I still disagree with you. I'm not misunderstanding you. I just disagree. Are you willing to let it go yet?

 

[Faolyn]

Okay. Tone. I still disagree with you. I'm not misunderstanding you. I just disagree. Are you willing to let it go yet?

Sure. But I think you're ignoring the most important aspect of Ravenloft by doing so.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

No I'm not. My point was that the Elemental Evil Cult wasn't a good fit for Ravenloft. You're saying that I'm trying to impose my vision of Ravenloft as the Only True One. I'm showing why I'm not, and using the EEC as my example.

I think the issue is why the elemental cults are not a good fit for Ravenloft. I would say, it's because they aren't particularly disturbing.

They are evil. So what?! D&D characters fight evil all the time. It's nice and simple, and they can kill it without worrying about the moral implications.

If you want disturbing elementals, then you need the Invisible Stalker serial killer, who murders it's victims from the inside. Or the Djinn who twists wishes so that a person is destroyed by their own desires. (Okay, the Wishmaster films weren't very good, but the idea is there).

 

[Parmandur]

Interesting - what did you think you were doing differently to "people on forums"?

The biggest division-point I see re: reddit (which has vastly more in the way of "new to D&D with 5E" people) and here is attitudes to rolled stats, oddly enough. Here people see them as reasonable albeit inherently imbalanced and with some accompanying issues to be aware of. On the subreddit for Next I've seen attitudes towards rolled stats which basically amount to considering them outright heresy, or an active attempt to destroy your game and/or grief your players. Not kidding or overstating either. And from the up/down votes these were not unpopular views. Ones defending rolled stats were unpopular views, to put it mildly.

Well, for starters, I've never played in a game that used anything other than rolled stats, or even considered not using rolled stats: the randomization of character traits is an assumed part of the game in my experience. In years of playing 3.x, there was a single, solitary session when we decided we needed to represent what was going on with a grid and mini stand-ins: every other session was Theatre if the Mind. 4E tying the rules so hard into grid play, which was in 3.x but never used by us, was jarring. 5E's assumptions about TotM match my 3.x experience to a Tee, while online I got the impression that everyone was doing stat point buy and using minis. Other things, really, but those stand out.

 

[Faolyn]

I think the issue is why the elemental cults are not a good fit for Ravenloft. I would say, it's because they aren't particularly disturbing.

Plus, as I was saying, it's not personal evil. An individual cultist--maybe someone who is using their power over the elements to punish people they don't like, like making the earth swallow people up, or spying on people through their hearthfires--would be cool. And yes, disturbing.

 

[overgeeked]

Sure. But I think you're ignoring the most important aspect of Ravenloft by doing so.

And what do you think that is?

 

[Faolyn]

And what do you think that is?

I already said--the tone. That it's personal evil caused by the evildoer's psychological issues, not generic evil such as with the Elemental Evil. That, as Paul Farqhaur said, it's disturbing, not merely destructive.