Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="PMárk" data-source="post: 7701489" data-attributes="member: 6804619">I'd call Golarion "half-living" because it has novels and some of the APs are taking into consideration and acknowledging prior ones. But yes, mostly it's supplements and even novels are more local and character/location-based, not revolving around big, world-spanning events. So it either takes the best of both approaches, or doesn't do any of the two in a particularly satisfying way, depending on the person's expectations and is she like the setting, or not?I agree what made FR unique is it's extensive lore and ongoing story and novels and it's connection to the greater D&D multiverse (as I wrote earlier, to me D&D isn't just one world, it's the multiverse). Without those it's just a generic high fantasy setting among a hundred plus one similar one and not even a particularly interesting one. Even the iconic signature things FR has are due to the novels (and to some extent tho old Bioware games), like the drow and the whole Underdark, or Icewind Dale, or Elminster, Drizzt, Farideh, etc. Without those it's just a very generic medieval-ish high fantasy with generic elves, generic dwarves an generic orks. It might be a good thing for newcomers, but honestly, for me without the stories and metaplot, it's just not that interesting.It could be interpreted, with little strain, in the way that Barovia was simply closed down when the heroes arrived. However:- From the DMG: "In remote corners of the Shadowfell, it is easy to reach horrific demiplanes ruled over by accursed beings of terrible evil. The best known of these is the valley of Barovia, overlooked by the towering spires of Castle Ravenloft and ruled by Count Strahd von Zarovich, the first vampire. Beings of the Shadowfell called the Dark Powers created these domains as prisons for these "darklords," and through cruelty or carelessness trapped innocent mortals in these domains as well."  I take that description description as it's the 4e model, every domain is it's own demiplane, pockets in the Shadowfell. I'll be much happier with your version, when the Ravenloft setting stands as it was and could be reached through the Shadowfell. I don't really know why they didn't take that route. I don't have links, but I recall someone from WotC clearly stated somewhere that it's indeed the 4e paradigm. As for CoS:- It changes Strahd's background and makes him to a more 2bit villain without any redeeming qualities.- It speaks nothing about any lands around Barovia, in fact, it gives the imrpession to me that there's no such thing. - The Vistani could travel through the fog, but it's not stated to where. As there is Vistani in FR in the AL modules i take it that Barovia is indeed standalone and Vistani are travelling to other planes, like Faerun.- It has Van Richten, yes, and drops an easter egg that he's from Darkon. However doesn't say anything about where Darkon is, or that it is another Domain of Dread. There isn't any other hints, no mercantile connections to other lands, no faiths of the old setting, nothing (I might be wrong, admittedly I just skimmed through the book). - There is no sun in Barovia, just a dim faux-sun, which doens't restrain vampires. Basically it's a big all-time feast. IMO that takes away a lot from the suspension of traditional gothic horror.- Barovians are mostly not real people, just soulless shells the Dark Powers created to make it more like a real place for Strahd. Only 1/10th of them have souls (the original ones whose got sucked in there with S) and they are reincarnated over and over again.- The whole place is just not made as a working, full-fledged setting (no sun, too much constant bloodshed, not enough farmlands and crops, too little population, etc). It's a prison and a very big lair, nothing more.- The dark Powers are clearly defined and IMO in a very boring way. You can even find them and interact with them.As it stands, it is a good adventure, but it isn't the setting. It's the retelling of the original modul with expanded and more detailed Barovia, but, aside from one or two easter eggs, it's jus doesn't acknowledge anything that came after that and actively invalidates the setting as a whole. [MENTION=21556]Jester[/MENTION] Kanuck had a more detailed review on 5mWorkday, I'd recommend to read it, if you have the time.So I don't argue the overall quality of the modul, or the book itself as a physical product, but it's not a "toe-dipping into Ravenloft" to me. For that I wouldn't want a whole CG at this point, but I'd expect the acknowledging of the broader setting in an appendix, or in the introduction and some continuity and connection to it, like trade or faiths. Those could even provide more story hooks, the borders could remain closed through the adventure.</blockquote>

Verification