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

 

[Bedrockgames]

I don't think it does. None of the maps seem to have a key like you noted, this is the closest I could find to a measurement & it's hardly concrete
View attachment 133516

Is that from the S&S book?

 

[tetrasodium]

Is that from the S&S book?

yes

 

[Remathilis]

Is that from the S&S book?

My guess is yes, based on trade dress.

 

[Faolyn]

Honestly, it is becoming more and more that I know so little that I wouldn't even know what to ask about, and it seems that you really need those in-depth details to appreciate what is going on in each domain.

I suggest going through some of the Netbooks I linked, and the Quoth the Raven netzines. Unless you have some money going spare, in which case I suggest the actual books. Especially the Van Richten Guides, which are good reads and can work in any setting. The final one, Van Richten's Guide to the Mists, was released legally for free because S&S lost the license before they could publish it. No art, and it's "written" by the Foxgrove-Weathermay twins who are not my favorite people in the setting, but it's a decent book anyway. And free! (I put the Mistlings from there to really good use one session.)

The main thing about the setting is that--as is emphasized in the Van Richten's books--each creature is very much a unique individual, and who they were before they became a monster informs so much of what they're like as monsters. There is no Hobgoblin Cleric #3 in Ravenloft.

Edit: Updated QtR link.

 

[humble minion]

The main thing about the setting is that--as is emphasized in the Van Richten's books--each creature is very much a unique individual, and who they were before they became a monster informs so much of what they're like as monsters. There is no Hobgoblin Cleric #3 in Ravenloft.

And related to this, one thing that the various RL lines have NOT always sufficiently emphasised is that this affects how the game is played. A Ravenloft game played in the spirit of what I see as the 'flavour bibles' of the setting - Van Richten's guides, and the Gazetteers - is going to be slow and investigative and combat-light by the standards of most D&D games. The combats that do occur will likely be more dangerous and higher-CR in comparison to the PCS (no curbstomping orc warbands at 7th level, like my SKT party is in the process of doing currently), and running away will sometimes be necessary.

If you're using a model where advancement is keyed purely to killing monsters in combat, leveling in RL is going to be slooooow. Story XP awards are pretty much a necessity (as well as players buying into the whole concept and feel of the game).

And this also ties into why i prefer the RL-as-living-world implementation, rather than a reductive, small-domain model where everything is tightly tied to the Darklord, like CoS gave us. It gives PCs lesser threats to handle and genuinely eliminate as they advance through the levels, without everything just being a facet of one overarching bad guy pulling all the strings (which let's face it, doesn't make a lot of sense in Lamordia or Mordent, or Nova Vaasa, or Paridon). Maybe they eventually face a Darklord, maybe they don't, but they do get a chance to hopefully make a difference to some people in the meantime - and it rubs in that evil and horror is everywhere and in everyone, not just sprouting from Strahd or whoever.

 

[Aldarc]

And this also ties into why i prefer the RL-as-living-world implementation, rather than a reductive, small-domain model where everything is tightly tied to the Darklord, like CoS gave us. It gives PCs lesser threats to handle and genuinely eliminate as they advance through the levels, without everything just being a facet of one overarching bad guy pulling all the strings (which let's face it, doesn't make a lot of sense in Lamordia or Mordent, or Nova Vaasa, or Paridon). Maybe they eventually face a Darklord, maybe they don't, but they do get a chance to hopefully make a difference to some people in the meantime - and it rubs in that evil and horror is everywhere and in everyone, not just sprouting from Strahd or whoever.

Here, I think that there will obviously be a difference of tone and play options between an adventure focusing on "All About Strahd" and a non-AP campaign for "My Adventures in Barovia."

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I's also entirely possible that Strahd looks at them, fixes the adjustments on their armor & says"back again? do a better job this visit" while wandering off laughing

That is a fun idea, but I think I would enjoy that sort of thing exactly once, and then only if there is then a way out of the loop, and an actual final conclusion with consequences that aren't effectively erased later because "there has to be a dreadlord of Borovia".

The whole thing doesn't even make sense, to me. If Borovia is a Dread Domain because Strahd needs to be punished, it is nonsensical for the consequence of his death to be...someone else becomes the dread lord....dark lord? whatever.

The whole adventure is pointless if there is no possible ending wherein the people of Barovia aren't saved.

 

[Aldarc]

@doctorbadwolf, I think that plays into what gives Ravenloft a bit of a theme park feel for me. The drama of the various Dark Lords mostly repeats itself artificially as a result of the Dark Powers' machinations. The adventure happens and then the "ride" resets for the next group of attendees. Alternatively go to a different domain (e.g., Frontier Land, Adventure Land, Tomorrow Land, Fantasy Land, etc.) for a different "ride" or set of "rides." Occasionally new rides or theme park areas are added or removed, but the pattern continues.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

a reductive, small-domain model where everything is tightly tied to the Darklord, like CoS gave us.

There is no reason you have to run CoS as "all about Strahd". There is plenty going on in Barovia, and plenty of room to add more. You could easily turn CoS into a Barovian sandbox adventure and ignore Strahd. He just aint interested in this group of adventurers.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The Domains were treated seriously, most of the time, even if the source material wasn't.

Now, Curse of Strahd having a crypt for "Sir Klutz Tripalotsky: He fell on his own sword"--that's corny. And stupid.

Read the original I6 module. It is full of corny jokes of this nature. Indeed I think that one came from there. The Hickmans recognised the inherent silliness of the source material and incorporated it.