Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[The_Universe]

My first ever D&D experience was with the original Ravenloft, and it remains my all time favorite adventure. I'll be picking up Expedition to Castle Ravenloft to read, but I'm not holding my breath as to it's contents. If nothing else, I'm happy to spend a few buck to add my name to the many that appreciate WOTC revisiting some of the older lines.

Same for me, sort of. The guy running the game the very first time I played D&D (but not the very first time I played RPGs) was using the map of Castle Ravenloft, including all the traps, mosters, etc. but it wasn't supposed to actually be Ravenloft.

Too bad, too. Having read through the original module in later years, I've concluded that it would have been even more fun if we had actually run through the real thing.

 

[Tharian]

Anyway, didn't they just reprint one of the old Ravenloft novels? I'd think it strange if they did that and then deliberately ignored the setting in a reimagining of its most iconic adventure.

Not only did they reprint the novel, but if the inside cover or front page (I forget which) is correct, they'll be reprinting other novels later this year. I recall seeing at least two others listed, but I didn't pay close attention since I wasn't entirely certain that the book was a reprint and went to the copyright date to get that info.

 

[Echohawk]

Two of the Ravenloft novels have been reprinted so far, with two more on the way soon:

• Death of a Darklord (2006-07-11)
• Vampire of the Mists (2006-09-12)
• I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire (2006-11-07)
• To Sleep With Evil (2007-03-13)

 

[Ripzerai]

I just hope it's not watered down and generic'ized to the point of not reflecting the actual domain of Barovia in Ravenloft. Hopefully they'll actually give a brief discussion of the mists etc, ways to incorporate the demiplane into various worlds, ways to strip it of its demiplane status and just use it as generic creepy place X, etc.

As you can see from the table of contents, there's a chapter on the lands (not just the village) of Barovia on pages 48-88. So the product isn't just about the castle, not by a long shot.

The sidebar on page 5, "Adventures in Ravenloft" is probably about the demiplane as well, since otherwise it would have said Castle Ravenloft.

The Mists get a sidebar on page 49; I can't imagine those are anything but the mists of the Demiplane of Ravenloft (which are inspired by the mists surrounding Castle Amber).

There are sections on making the product a mini-campaign, a long adventure, a short adventure, or a one-night session. There might be suggestions for making it not a demiplane in one of those sections, or on the "using this chapter" sidebar on page 48, but it seems that the demiplane is the default assumption.

 

[Joël of the FoS]

Does anybody know if this is aimed at the Ravenloft setting, or whether this is aimed at general D&D, i.e. is it going to be a Ravenloft setting or generic setting?

Pinotage

It's most probably a generic thing, so DMs will be able to put this region in any setting. Or a standalone very small demiplane, perhaps, with the same use.

But as a Ravenlofter, my hope is that after playing it, and the novel re-release, many could want to know more about Ravenloft, the setting

Joël

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

When they puffed it up to a full setting, it was just so obvious that they were trying to make up ground that TSR had lost to WW's Vampire.

The puffing predates Vampire: The Masquerade, IIRC.

 

[Shadowslayer]

The puffing predates Vampire: The Masquerade, IIRC.

Hmm...that's interesting. Put it this way: I discovered Ravenloft-the-setting myself after Vampire had come out. At the time the box set came out, I wasn't playing too regularly. I do know that when I got the box, there was already other RL products out...so I didn't get it as a new release.

So maybe Ravenloft came first and I'm fulla *. (Not like its never happened before )

Next time I'm over at my Mom's place, I'll dig out what's left of my copy of the RL box set out of the attic and see what the dates are.

 

[Joël of the FoS]

Hmm...that's interesting. Put it this way: I discovered Ravenloft-the-setting myself after Vampire had come out. At the time the box set came out, I wasn't playing too regularly. I do know that when I got the box, there was already other RL products out...so I didn't get it as a new release.

So maybe Ravenloft came first and I'm fulla *. (Not like its never happened before )

Next time I'm over at my Mom's place, I'll dig out what's left of my copy of the RL box set out of the attic and see what the dates are.

I'll save you this trouble: the Black Box is 1990.

Joël

 

[MerricB]

The Mists get a sidebar on page 49; I can't imagine those are anything but the mists of the Demiplane of Ravenloft (which are inspired by the mists surrounding Castle Amber).

The original Ravenloft adventure had mists. The original adventure wasn't in a demiplane: it was a small barony (whatever) that was cut off from the rest of the world by the effects of the mists... people could get in, but they couldn't get out.

"No one has left Barovia for centuries. This is because of the trapping fog that exists everywhere in Barovia..."

The original ToC for Ravenloft (Module I6):

* Count Strahd von Zarovich....3
* Fortunes of Ravenloft....4
* Lands of Barovia...6
* Start of the Adventure...7
* Lands of Barovia Planned Encounters...7
* Svalich Woods...7
* Village of Barovia...8
* Burgomaster's mansion...9
* Gypsy Camp...11
* Castle Ravenloft....12
* Castle Ravenloft Planned Encounters
* Main Floor...13
* Court of the Count...17
* Rooms of Weeping...18
* Spires of Ravenloft...21
* Larders of Ill Omen...22
* Dungeon and Catacomb...24
* Optional Ending...30
* Appendices...30
* The Tome of Strahd...31

Cheers!

 

[Klaus]

The "mists" of the original module (and, I believe, EtCR) were later known as Strahd´s Choking Fog, the way he closed the borders of Barovia.