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

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Perhaps summary of it (with spoiler tags of course)?

Not much to spoiler really. Haunted house is haunted. Aside from the Ouija gimmick, which could be fun on a VTT, there isn't anything surprising.

 

[Remathilis]

Anybody knows if they plan to produce a ravenloft themed ouija board?

Not announced yet, beyond Beadles and Grimm platinum boxset. I can't imagine though their won't be; the brand synergy is too perfect.

 

[Charlaquin]

I got it on D&D Beyond. So far, my only real complaint is that the hexblood's permanent crown thing is a very specific sort of color that doesn't really connect with traditional witch lore and I'll likely be dumping that. I also wish some of the abbreviated domains got more meat -- they're basically thumbnails.

Maybe give them a Witch’s Mark instead?

 

[Charlaquin]

So between this and the fact that Darklords can never actually be destroyed... is there any way for player actions to permanently matter in 5E Ravenloft?

Well, if you (Magnus Archives spoiler):

Spoiler

kill Strahd and destroy Castle Ravenloft simultaneously, you can sever the Dark Powers’ connection to the Shadowfell, but then they can travel to all the other planes

 

[Burnside]

If you look at the domain maps, each one is done in a different style.

I assumed this is because most of them were reprints from earlier editions - is that not the case?

 

[Remathilis]

I assumed this is because most of them were reprints from earlier editions - is that not the case?

All the maps are new. Well, Barovia is from CoS.

 

[Necrozius]

I'm loving the Dark Gifts a whole lot. I really like the format and utility. Perfect to my needs for introducing ill-fated powers into a campaign.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I assumed this is because most of them were reprints from earlier editions - is that not the case?

No, they are all new.

 

[Faolyn]

So between this and the fact that Darklords can never actually be destroyed... is there any way for player actions to permanently matter in 5E Ravenloft? If they save a town from a werewolf queen, does it stay saved, or could it be right back under that villain's domination as soon as they leave? If the heroes settle down and retire after a career of fighting evil, do they just get shuffled into the nightmare mix of Ravenloft's existence, fodder for the next passion play the Dark Powers decide to put on?

The book says it could be years or even longer before the Darklord comes back to life.

But anyway, Ravenloft is a place for small victories. If the werewolf queen isn't a Darklord, then yes, she can be killed. If she is... then you may have given that town years or even an entire generation in which to recover from her predation.

Or not; you could say a new monster moves in right away. It is a horror setting, after all.

 

[Burnside]

I often find the "but this means my players can't CHANGE anything" argument for Ravenloft to be a weird one.

First off, sure they can if you as the DM decide they can.

Second off, most of those elements - Strahd always comes back in a few months, etc, are there because WotC wants certain elements canonically to remain in place with a eye towards re-visiting them in future official products. Those elements don't have to be canon for you and your campaigns.

Third off, 99% of the time, the ONLY way your players would even know that what they did will be undone is if you feel compelled to tell them so for some reason. Like if your players kill Strahd and escape Barovia in Curse of Strahd, from their perspective that's a big win. There is ZERO need for you to inform them "Oh, he came back three months later and everything re-set" and certainly their characters have no way of knowing that. So it's a case of complaining about something you were perfectly at liberty to just not mention (the adventure certainly doesn't call for you to mention it).