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]

Sadly, I have really severe ADHD that means I can either watch something, or read something, but I can't do both.

I can draw while watching or listening to something, but then I either lose about half of what I'm watching or I can't concentrate on my drawing.

Me too, I have a hard enough time staying focused on what I am listening to without distractions, with something else going on it's pretty much impossible.

Give me a nice wall of text any day!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

If this is done in the classic, it is a bad thing, and you lose control and wake up with no memory of the killings you have committed, I welcome it. If we are about to see lycanthropes as a viable PC race, that is getting into WW territory

The only way I would allow it is by making the person switch to Shifter, from Eberron, give them an allergen (which they don't know what it is at first) and then still say have no control and must change on on the full moon.

Book of the Raven (Candlekeep Mysteries) discusses PCs choosing to become wereravens. It doesn't suggest PCs loose control of their characters. It does include the change to lycanthropes discussed last week though - they have regeneration, rather than immunity to weapon attacks. I expect there will be more on this in the Ravenloft book. It may well come under "Dark Gifts".

 

[Remathilis]

Over two hours in and the villain of the story seems to be

Spoiler

Lord Soth!

The second hour was set on Faerun at an overly long wedding scene. Half the group come from this wedding after it is attacked by Soth who seeks an item called the Raven Crown. The Mists come, he leaves and the full group meets in Ravenloft.

What that means for Ravenloft is anyone's guess. Soth was previously released from Ravenloft due to a joint custody agreement with Dragonlance, and Todd Kendrick explicitly stated there was no Sithicus in the book, but this pod clearly is setting him up as a big bad of the story.

So... Dragonlance confirmed?

 

[Faolyn]

Over two hours in and the villain of the story seems to be

Spoiler

Lord Soth!

The second hour was set on Faerun at an overly long wedding scene. Half the group come from this wedding after it is attacked by Soth who seeks an item called the Raven Crown. The Mists come, he leaves and the full group meets in Ravenloft.

What that means for Ravenloft is anyone's guess. Soth was previously released from Ravenloft due to a joint custody agreement with Dragonlance, and Todd Kendrick explicitly stated there was no Sithicus in the book, but this pod clearly is setting him up as a big bad of the story.

So... Dragonlance confirmed?

Is this podcast supposed to be canonical to the new book? Maybe the DM just likes Soth and brought him in?

 

[Remathilis]

Ok, finished with episode one. Two cameos from the most famous Darklords in Ravenloft appear in an aside at the end. You can probably figure out who they are.

I won't speak more to the pod itself (it really could have used some editing for pace, it felt Snyderesque in places.) But it certainly felt like Ravenloft in places, abet with a far more diverse cast of PCs than normal. Hopefully next episode spends more time exploring and less time navel gazing to set up PC relationships. I'm interested in seeing what other teases there are.

Ac word of caution though, B. Dave Walters (the DM) seems pretty versed in lore and like many streamers, light on rules. It might be hard to gauge exactly how faithful he is to either regarding what is in the book. Take all of it with a pinch of salt and squeeze of lime until the book is out.

 

[Remathilis]

Is this podcast supposed to be canonical to the new book? Maybe the DM just likes Soth and brought him in?

I just made a word of caution on my last post to that. I wouldn't treat it as gospel, but I wager it's "official" status on the D&D YouTube channel means it's probably closer to the newest take. Not exactly good advertising to use a version that doesn't reflect close to the book version.

That said, it's more info to chew on than we had a week ago...

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Ok, finished with episode one. Two cameos from the most famous Darklords in Ravenloft appear in an aside at the end. You can probably figure out who they are.

Well, considering how they put their names on the screen, it is not exactly a secret.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Didn't it have got any rules about "transitional curses" to becoming a monster? What about anything like the "Hunger" of Vampire: the Masquerada 5th Ed?

 

[Remathilis]

Well, considering how they put their names on the screen, it is not exactly a secret.

I was being spoiler-vague here in case someone wants to watch it later.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Hopefully next episode spends more time exploring and less time navel gazing to set up PC relationships. I'm interested in seeing what other teases there are.

Four hour actual play shows tend to turn into Dungeons & Feelings pretty fast.