D&D 5E Meet Ravenloft's Harkon Lucas and Rudolph Van Richten

WotC has shared some artwork from Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, featuring the titular vampire hunter himself, and the darklord of Kartakass, Harkon Lucas.

"Rudolph Van Richten prepares for his next expedition, watched over by the spirit of his son, Erasmus."

"A born liar and shape-shifter, Harkon Lukas orchestrates elaborate manipulations.
He's rarely seen without his signature wide-brimmed hat; wolf's tooth necklace; and violin, which he calls Bleeding Heart."​

 

[Hussar]

Just to add a pedantic point about ships. Sure fantasy ships are cool. But why would a dnd ship have 200 gun ports?

Sure go ahead and mix time periods but we don’t have cannons in most DND settings so why draw ships with cannon ports?

This is why art direction matters. Anachronism is one thing but outright impossibilities given the facts of the setting are a bad thing.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Just to add a pedantic point about ships. Sure fantasy ships are cool. But why would a dnd ship have 200 gun ports?

Sure go ahead and mix time periods but we don’t have cannons in most DND settings so why draw ships with cannon ports?

This is why art direction matters. Anachronism is one thing but outright impossibilities given the facts of the setting are a bad thing.

Canon are known in Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep. Eberron has eldritch canon and similar items. As for other settings, ask your DM. Where you thinking of any illustration in particular?

 

[Hussar]

Canon are known in Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep. Eberron has eldritch canon and similar items. As for other settings, ask your DM. Where you thinking of any illustration in particular?

Don't know about Eberron, but, Forgotten Realms doesn't have ship board cannons. They have bombards, but, the FR ship technology would make their use very difficult, and the notion of a broadside, with a 100 cannons to a side, impossible. It would rip the ship apart. Do firearms such as muskets, blunderbusses exist in the Forgotten Realms?

And, no, no real images in mind. And, to be fair, 5e seems to have nipped this one in the bud. They've REALLY scaled back on the naval technology in the modules - GoS's ship is a Hansa Cog (albeit a REALLY big one) and the ships they show in Waterdeep Dragon Heist are either pure fantasy and magic (such as the existence of submarines) or pretty much in keeping with the time period.

It was particularly egregious in 3e where you had images in Dragon with actual 18th and 19th century Ships of the Line images complete with gun ports. I mean, these are ships that wouldn't look out of place in the War of 1812 or even the American Civil War. They're cool and all, but, really, really out of place. For example, this from Dragon 345:

The straight up fantasy stuff doesn't bother me in the least, because magic. But, gun ports are just a step too far. And, yes, I know I have a sickness. Why do you ask? It's just one of those proud nail things that stands out for me. I know it's nit picky and most people couldn't give a rat's patoot. It's my disease and I'm very happy with it.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Don't know about Eberron, but, Forgotten Realms doesn't have ship board cannons. They have bombards, but, the FR ship technology would make their use very difficult, and the notion of a broadside, with a 100 cannons to a side, impossible. It would rip the ship apart. Do firearms such as muskets, blunderbusses exist in the Forgotten Realms?

And, no, no real images in mind. And, to be fair, 5e seems to have nipped this one in the bud. They've REALLY scaled back on the naval technology in the modules - GoS's ship is a Hansa Cog (albeit a REALLY big one) and the ships they show in Waterdeep Dragon Heist are either pure fantasy and magic (such as the existence of submarines) or pretty much in keeping with the time period.

It was particularly egregious in 3e where you had images in Dragon with actual 18th and 19th century Ships of the Line images complete with gun ports. I mean, these are ships that wouldn't look out of place in the War of 1812 or even the American Civil War. They're cool and all, but, really, really out of place. For example, this from Dragon 345:

The straight up fantasy stuff doesn't bother me in the least, because magic. But, gun ports are just a step too far. And, yes, I know I have a sickness. Why do you ask? It's just one of those proud nail things that stands out for me. I know it's nit picky and most people couldn't give a rat's patoot. It's my disease and I'm very happy with it.

Huh, I had assumed those were portholes. I thought that kind of ship IRL had little hatch door thingies covering the gun ports?

 

[Rabulias]

I think those are portholes/windows. Cannon ports are usually square (with a round gunport, it would take more time to align the cannon correctly into a round hole). Also, gunports had shutters that could close them up when not in use. Of course, I'm just going by what I see in movies...

 

[TheCultMachine]

Hm. Not really liking the art. Harkon looks like a dorky leprechaun, and the picture with Rudolph is meh. I don’t want bright colors in my Ravenloft book. I want dreary.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Don't know about Eberron, but, Forgotten Realms doesn't have ship board cannons. They have bombards, but, the FR ship technology would make their use very difficult, and the notion of a broadside, with a 100 cannons to a side, impossible. It would rip the ship apart. Do firearms such as muskets, blunderbusses exist in the Forgotten Realms?/

Ed Greenwood is no longer Word of God with regard to the Forgotten Realms (although a DM is free to follow his rulings). Dragon Heist has pistolleers, and the technology required to make a pistol is a good hundred years later than a ship mounted cannon. There are actual cannon in the Baldur's Gate CRPG, which a DM may choose to rule canon if they wish. So it's not cut and died. D&D may or may not have cannon, and therefore may or may not have high-sided ships. Historically, ship-mounted cannon are pretty much contemporaneous with Full Plate armour.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Huh, I had assumed those were portholes. I thought that kind of ship IRL had little hatch door thingies covering the gun ports?

Yeah, pretty important to close them when turning if you don't want a Mary Rose!

The main distinguishing feature of a cannon-armed warship are the high sides where the gundecks have been added.