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

 

[Ash Mantle]

Part of that is design. We've had several setting books and they've mostly followed the same layout of giving a grand overview of one area or areas and only giving a mention to the rest. This is because WotC is moving away from the "one cannon" method for the "baseline for your own version". They give you the seeds, you're supposed to grow the garden. Every DMs Ravenloft is going to be different and that's intentional. Every setting is getting the 84 Greyhawk folio treatment, but with more mechanical support.

Yeah, the evocative and condensed writing in the supplements has also helped in this, and as you say there's quite a fair bit of lore seeds and adventure ideas to draw out inspiration, and these are expressed in tables. But the feeling that the books are missing out on some aspects could be filled by including more classes, more monsters and named NPC statblocks, and more lore seeds and adventure ideas. This does open up the canvas to DMsGuild authors.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Part of that is design. We've had several setting books and they've mostly followed the same layout of giving a grand overview of one area or areas and only giving a mention to the rest. This is because WotC is moving away from the "one cannon" method for the "baseline for your own version". They give you the seeds, you're supposed to grow the garden. Every DMs Ravenloft is going to be different and that's intentional. Every setting is getting the 84 Greyhawk folio treatment, but with more mechanical support.

It is also a much more maneagable method in terms of looking things up on the fly. One downside of those huge canon books is finding information during a game can be very difficult. I usually prefer shorter entries with plenty of room for me to expand as a GM.

 

[Ash Mantle]

It is also a much more maneagable method in terms of looking things up on the fly. One downside of those huge canon books is finding information during a game can be very difficult. I usually prefer shorter entries with plenty of room for me to expand as a GM.

This could possibly be helped by including an Index in the books.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

But the feeling that the books are missing out on some aspects could be filled by including more classes, more monsters and named NPC statblocks, and more lore seeds and adventure ideas.

There is always more that could be added.

 

[Ash Mantle]

There is always more that could be added.

Of course, but I'm not talking about inclusions without rhyme or reason or additional material that doesn't help focus the book overall.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Of course, but I'm not talking about inclusions without rhyme or reason or additional material that doesn't help focus the book overall.

Neither was I.

 

[Remathilis]

It is also a much more maneagable method in terms of looking things up on the fly. One downside of those huge canon books is finding information during a game can be very difficult. I usually prefer shorter entries with plenty of room for me to expand as a GM.

The only downside is that while the more detailed areas of said books are more than adequate, the "this also exists" areas don't really provide enough info to use them well. For example, Cormyr in SCAG, Xen'drik in ERLW, or Souragne (VGR) is given a few paragraphs at most, which isn't really enough to provide inspiration beyond "this also exists". Its a balancing act as far as what gets focus and what doesn't, but it'd been nice to see an occasional supplement giving depth to areas outside the focus areas of the mainbook.

(Incidentally, I think the campaign guide that does this best of Wildemont. It covers the entire continent with decent info and plot hooks, not enough to bog down but moreso than a paragraph explaining the premise and not much else.)

 

[Remathilis]

So most folks would look at that and think, they retconned Harkon Lukas into a Black man.

However... wolfweres can have their human form look like whatever they want. So nope. Another not-necessarily retcon.

(Also, yay, he's still around!)

I think the biggest question is: WHERE IS HIS MONOCLE!?

 

[Voadam]

I think the biggest question is: WHERE IS HIS MONOCLE!?

Realms of Terror Page 101 "He may be encountered wearing almost any fancy costume, however. The only constants are a monocle (for which he has a strange affection), an elaborately carved harp, and a sword with a finely crafted basket hilt."

 

[Voadam]

I had forgotten about Lukas' fixed forms, but ability to be either a man or a woman.

ROT Page 101 again:

"As a humanoid, he can choose which race to imitate, and can assume both a male and female form. His exact appearance in each race and gender is always the same, however, and is determined by greater powers."

"In male, human form, Harkon is a bard of exceptional charisma and physical beauty. He stands 6' 2", and is well muscled with perfect proportions. He has thick, wavy black hair, a finely trimmed black beard, and a long, pointy mustache."

"As a female human, Lukas has dark brown eyes, a bewitching smile, and gleaming black hair that falls to the waist."