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

 

[Bedrockgames]

No True Scotsman would ever complain about the setting, they'd just fix or ignore it in their home game.

Not what I am saying.

 

[Bedrockgames]

It's not, it's a parody. Like Dungeonland/Land Beyond the Magic Mirror that came out just before. If you don't believe me go and read the names on the tombs.

Ravenloft was not a parody module. Robinloft was a parody module. Ravenloft had camp in it. Which I am fine with.

 

[Parmandur]

Textural analysis. Wot people what of studied Literature learn to do.

It's not, it's a parody. Like Dungeonland/Land Beyond the Magic Mirror that came out just before. If you don't believe me go and read the names on the tombs.

It's not quite Dungeonland level, but it was certainly camp. Methinks the Hickman's watch Dark Shadows on TV in their youth.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Textural analysis. Wot people what of studied Literature learn to do.

In the black box they make a strong case for classic horror, and they do denigrate some types of modern horror (mostly slashers it seems). That doesn't mean they hated any genre but classic horror. It means they didn't like certain modern genres and they wanted to champion classic horror to show people it was worthwhile (because at the time, it was considered very outdated)

 

[Bedrockgames]

Not yet. But we do have at least as many voices on this forum liking the new stuff as hating.

And eventually we will have sales figures. Which I expect to be massive.

I don't know how good the sales will be. I do think they will be losing lots of old fans. But that might not matter. However, I also think, even if it is successful, it is going to look extremely dated in ten years.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

In the black box they make a strong case for classic horror, and they do denigrate some types of modern horror (mostly slashers it seems). That doesn't mean they hated any genre but classic horror. It means they didn't like certain modern genres and they wanted to champion classic horror to show people it was worthwhile (because at the time, it was considered very outdated)

Hammer had only folded about ten years previous. It's four times that now. How many years before "outdated" becomes "irrelevant"?

 

[David Murrell]

I haven't said anything about your opinions. I don't know where you are coming from or what you think about the setting. I am saying this doesn't look like it is made for the old fans. Doesn't mean some old fans won't like it. But the posters I was talking about were posters who were almost entirely critical of old ravenloft- down to the foundation (not people who just thought it could be improved upon)

I am an old fan, as old a fan as you can get, since I bought the setting when it first came out and I think it is made for old fans, at least it is made for old fans like me. This where I am coming from, you keep going on as if you are an authority for us old fans, you're not, you are an authority on your opinion, stop speaking for people like me who have played in Ravenloft as long as you have, but have a different take on the matter.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Hammer had only folded about ten years previous. It's four times that now. How many years before "outdated" becomes "irrelevant"?

Classic horror isn't just hammer. It is also universal movies. But hammer was considered outdated by the early 70s (we even had a movie about it in the mid-80s)

 

[Parmandur]

Hammer had only folded about ten years previous. It's four times that now. How many years before "outdated" becomes "irrelevant"?

In the U.S., Hammer stuff is pretty big in cult circles, the same sort that traditionally did stuff like play D&D, and still gets play in certain venues.

 

[Remathilis]

Not what I am saying.

No, you're actually going one worse and accusing some of being critics who are posing as fans, like it's some insidious plot to infiltrate the fandom.