Ravenloft for 3.5...what's a guy to do?

[Voadam]

...though it is worth mentioning that Denizens of Dread is essentially 3.0, as well. Only the damage reduction apparently had a face-lift, whereas the stat blocks are still essentially using normal 3rd edition rules, as opposed to revised. The changeover to 3.5 tripped up the current Ravenloft muckity-mucks quite horribly (and they didn't do so great with 3rd edition, either, as Denizens of Darkness apparently had 2nd edition mechanics in it until one of the Kargatane came along to fix at least some of the sloppiness).

Really? I have the 3.0 one but haven't even seen the 3.5 one in the stores. Does it not adjust skills and feats to the simpler 3.5 calculation formulas? Does it not list Base attack and grapple modifiers or break AC down by types?

How many new monsters does it have?

 

[Joël of the FoS]

If you need more info, get at the reviews page of the Fraternity Of Shadows site (www.FraternityOfShadows.com), you'll get content of each of the RL books, and some reviews.

Joël

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

The gazetteers are a godsend for DMs who have been seeking more detailed info on domains for years. I can't recommend them enough.

 

[Alzrius]

I heard that the RL PHB actually had a section stating that characters must make a powers check every time they gain a level! Every time!

The problem with a lot of the RL products nowadays is that the quality ranges quite drastically from being exceptional (the Gazetteers, the new VR Guides), to bad (such as the RL PHB, and DoDread). The thing that makes it difficult is that even the bad products often have gems in them, but they require you to not only identify them yourself, but also polish them (the rules on levels of corruption on, iirc, Heroes of Light is just such an exampe).

 

[Hawken]

I heard that the RL PHB actually had a section stating that characters must make a powers check every time they gain a level! Every time!

This is not exactly true. The section about classes details "Weaknesses" of each class, and for the Fighter and Monk, maybe one or two others, they have a chance of having done something bad enough to warrant a Powers Check each level. Other classes have other conditions on Powers Checks, but it is generally for specific circumstances, not every level; such as if a wizard learns a new enchantment, evocation or necromancy spell. It is easily something you can leave out of the game though. There are enough situations that call for Powers Checks, you don't need to add more just because of the classes your PCs choose.

Others have answered about the RL PHB vs. RLCS well enough. But the RL DMG is also a good tool, though not strictly necessary. In addition to its suggestions for themes, music, techniques of terror, it also includes 3.5 adjustments to prestige classes in the DMG and adjustments for psionics in Ravenloft, as well as more magic items, info on the Dikesha dice and Tarokka cards and an NPC class, the Prophet. It definitely has a lot of good info that can be added to the game.

 

[Alzrius]

But the RL DMG is also a good tool, though not strictly necessary. In addition to its suggestions for themes, music, techniques of terror, it also includes 3.5 adjustments to prestige classes in the DMG and adjustments for psionics in Ravenloft

I just wanted to point out that it contains rules for adjustments of 3E psionics, not 3.5E expanded psionics. To be fair, most of the RL DMG's adjustment's are general, rather than specific, in nature, but it's still worth noting.

 

[Joël of the FoS]

The problem with a lot of the RL products nowadays is that the quality ranges quite drastically from being exceptional (the Gazetteers, the new VR Guides), to bad (such as the RL PHB, and DoDread). The thing that makes it difficult is that even the bad products often have gems in them, but they require you to not only identify them yourself, but also polish them (the rules on levels of corruption on, iirc, Heroes of Light is just such an exampe).

Indeed, but being critical persons, we can take whatever we do not like and throw it out. That is why you need to read reviews before getting the book, and after having read it, to compare your thoughts with others.

On the RL line, what bugs me more is the numbers of gross mistakes in Champions of darkness and Heroes of light. It is clear it was written in a rush, never test played, and poorly edited. But those are two of nearly 20 books.

However, most of the other books are very good to excellent. Some were better edited then others (the monster manual being a special case, as it seems a full round of revisions was, ahem, lost; and the 3.5 conversion is poor), but it's still a worthy buy for crafty DMs.

The 3.5 RL PHB is 99% rehash of the excellent 3.0 Setting Book, so it can't be that bad

Joël

 

[M.L. Martin]

The 3.5 RL PHB is 99% rehash of the excellent 3.0 Setting Book, so it can't be that bad

Joël

Yeah, but it's more expensive, cuts out some of the useful monster material, is uneven in its 'updates', and if you're new to Ravenloft or don't have a strong sense of the setting, use of the new Weaknesses and Magic Ratings seems likely to cripple PCs and frustrate players very quickly. (Not to mention what they do to suspension of disbelief in some parts of the setting--run the numbers on the druid weakness and compare it to Forlorn.)

Matthew L. Martin

 

[Joël of the FoS]

Yeah, but it's more expensive, cuts out some of the useful monster material, is uneven in its 'updates', and if you're new to Ravenloft or don't have a strong sense of the setting, use of the new Weaknesses and Magic Ratings seems likely to cripple PCs and frustrate players very quickly. (Not to mention what they do to suspension of disbelief in some parts of the setting--run the numbers on the druid weakness and compare it to Forlorn.)

Matthew L. Martin

*lol*, OK, not 99% but 95%.

Of course my advice too would be to get the 3.0 book instead, but it will be soon OOP, leaving only the 3.5 PHB.

Joël