Ravenloft - Denizens of Darkness - comments?

[drnuncheon]

Saw this at my FLGS, didn't have enough time to look through it, but I was wondering how useful it would be for people running games outside of Ravenloft.

Anyone have any info?

J

 

[Eryx]

I picked it up for use in my Scarred Lands game, and the monsters contained within are workable into any campaign with some tweaking of their background.

Only two or three (the human variants such as the Vistani) are more difficult. The monsters themselves will work well.

 

[Simon Magalis]

A good friend of mine designed the Backwards Man for the book. I haven't seen it yet but I am excited for him. YAY

 

[Nightfall]

For the benefit of all En Worlders here that love Ravenloft, I humbly submit the listing given by one of the former Karg, John W. Mangrum for ALL the monsters in the book (note no CR is given folks but LOTS of templates! )


Akikage (Shadow Assassin)
Animator (template)
Arak: (Shadow Fey) Powrie (Redcap), Shee, Sith, Teg
Arayashka (Snow Wraith)
Assassin Bug, Giant
Backwards Man
Bakhna Rakhna
Baobhan Sith (Black Sprite)
Bastellus (Dream Stalker)
Bat: Carrion Bat, Skeletal Bat
Beetle, Scarab: Grave Scarab, Giant Scarab, Monstrous Scarab
Boowray
Bowlyn
Broken One
Carrion Stalker
Carrionette
Cat: Midnight Cat, Plains Cat, Crypt Cat
Changeling (Kin): Powriekin, Sheekin, Sithkin, Tegkin
Cloaker, Dread: Shadow Cloaker, Resplendent Cloaker, Undead Cloaker
Corpse Candle
Crimson Bones
Dhampir (template)
Doppelganger, Dread
Dream Spawn: Gray Morph, Shadow Morph, Ennui
Dreamweaver
Drownling
Elemental, Dread: Pyre, Blood, Mist, Grave (including Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Greater and Elder variants)
Ermordenung (template)
Fenhound
Figurine: Ceramic, Crystal, Ivory, Obsidian, Porcelain
Furies: Alecto, Tisiphone and Megarea
Geist: (template) Geist, Bussengeist, Poltergeist
Ghoul Lord (template)
Goblyn
Golem, Dread: Bone, Doll, Gargoyle, Glass, Mechanical, Zombie
Grave Ooze
Gremishka
Grim
Grim Reaper (Death Spirit)
Head Hunter
Hearth Fiend
Hebi-no-onna (Snake Woman)
Hounds, Dread: Mastiff, Phantom Hound, Carcass Hound
Human, Vistani
Imp, Assassin
Impersonator
Jack Frost
Jolly Roger
Kizoku
Lebendtod (template)
Leech, Witchbane
Living Tattoo (template) Samples: Dark Man, Living Spear, Violet Panther, Grandfather Raven, Winged Snake, Silver Wolf
Living Wall
Lycanthrope: (template) Lowland Loup-garou, Mountain Loup-garou, Werebadger, Werejackal, Werejaguar, Wereleopard, Wereray, Wereraven
Marikith: Marikith Hunter, Marikith Queen

One head's up I might as well start spreading the word on now: This is a hive queen, not the Hive Queen. This is what the Hive Queen had herself turned into, but she's actually considerably nastier.

Mist Ferryman
Moor Man
Nightmare, Dread
Odem
Paka
Plant, Dread: Bloodroot, Bloodrose, Crawling Ivy, Death's Head Tree (and detached Death's Head), Doppelganger Plant, Fearweed, Lashweed, Quickwood (Spy Tree), Undead Treant (and sidebar on Dread Treants)
Quevari
Radiant Spirit
Ravenkind
Razorback
Reaver
Red Widow
Remnant, Aquatic
Rushlight
Scarecrow, Dread
Scavyt
Sea Spawn: Master, Minion
Shadow Asp
Shadow Fiend
Skeleton: Pyroskeleton, Strahd's Skeletal Steed
Skin Thief
Spirit Waif
Subdweller
Tenebris
Tentacle Rat
Troll, Dread
Unicorn, Shadow
Valpurleiche (Hanged Man)
Vampire Strains: (templates, including aging categories) Chiang-shi, Nosferatu, Cerebral Vampire, Vrykolaka, Dwarven Vampire, Elven Vampire, Gnomish Vampire, Halfling Vampire
Vampyre
Vorlog (template) includes sidebar on Vampire Companions, which Azalin previewed
Wight, Dread: Common Wight, Greater Wight
Wolfwere: Wolfwere, Greater Wolfwere
Zombie Fog: Zombie Fog, Fog Cadaver
Zombie Lord (template)

...and then you get a four-page excerpt of the Van Richten's Arsenal introduction. Specifically, Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove recounting the life of Rudolph van Richten.

Sound pretty good doesn't it folks?

 

[Eryx]

Ravenloft Monsters

As you can see there are a lot of nice juicy, gooey monsters in there, and a good number of templates (which I think is just great).

My only frown came from some of the artwork which was a little naff and didn't quite fit my idea of RL, but that aside, the books great.

 

[M.L. Martin]

Erratum

(note no CR is given folks but LOTS of templates! )

Actually, I believe you mean no ECLs.

Matthew L. Martin

 

[Nightfall]

No...what I mean is I don't have a CR listing/rating for these monsters. ECLs I don't dwell much on.

 

[M.L. Martin]

No...what I mean is I don't have a CR listing/rating for these monsters. ECLs I don't dwell much on.

OK. I'm sorry; I thought you were referring to what was in the product itself--ECLs have been explicitly stated as not being in there, but I believe CRs are.

Matthew L. Martin

 

[Nightfall]

Right, which I don't know since I don't own the darn book! I only know four CRs what previews have shown from the Kargatane site. After that I'm pretty darn clueless.

 

[UD]

I would give this thumbs up. I got sent it by accident instead of Spells and Spellcraft. At first I was like "Ah, crap..." I flicked through it and I was like "Hell yeah! Wohooo! I need this book!"

It is full of really cool monsters (lots of undead....) Very cool, and I can say this from the perspective that I dont have any other Ravenloft book.