Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd Cover, Synopsis Revealed

The cover and synopsis for Penguin Random House's new Dungeons & Dragons novel has been revealed. This week, Penguin Random House revealed the official title and cover for Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd, a new novel by Delilah S. Dawson. The new novel is due for release in April 2025. The new novel follows a group of adventurers who arrive in Barovia under mysterious circumstances and are summoned to Castle Ravenloft to dine with the infamous Count Strahd. This marks the first Ravenloft novel released in 17 years.

Penguin Random House has slowly grown its line of novels over the past few years, with novels set in Spelljammer, Dragonlance, and the Forgotten Realms released over the last year. Characters from The Fallbacks novel by Jaleigh Johnson also appears in art in the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide.

The full synopsis for Heir of Strahd can be found below:

Five strangers armed with steel and magic awaken in a mist-shrouded land, with no memory of how they arrived: Rotrog, a prideful orcish wizard; Chivarion, a sardonic drow barbarian; Alishai, an embittered tiefling paladin; Kah, a skittish kenku cleric; and Fielle, a sunny human artificer.

After they barely survive a nightmarish welcome to the realm of Barovia, a carriage arrives bearing an invitation:

Fairest Friends,

I pray you accept my humble Hospitality and dine with me tonight at Castle Ravenloft. It is rare we receive Visitors, and I do so Endeavor to Make your Acquaintance. The Carriage shall bear you to the Castle safely, and I await your Arrival with Pleasure.

Your host,
Strahd von Zarovich

With no alternative, and determined to find their way home, the strangers accept the summons and travel to the forbidding manor of the mysterious count. But all is not well at Castle Ravenloft. To survive the twisted enigmas of Strahd and his haunted home, the adventurers must confront the dark secrets in their own hearts and find a way to shift from strangers to comrades—before the mists of Barovia claim them forever.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Maybe it does, but given the amount of dissatisfaction expressed in this thread, perhaps this is not what contemporary audiences want.

ENWorld is largely populated by Baby Boomers and GenX posters who started with TSR D&D. They are mostly not the audience who just started with 5E, who are the majority of players, per WotC. ENWorld posters, in general, are the age of their parents or grandparents.

 

[Jaiken]

ENWorld is largely populated by Baby Boomers and GenX posters who started with TSR D&D. They are mostly not the audience who just started with 5E, who are the majority of players, per D&D. ENWorld posters, in general, are the age of their parents or grandparents.

I feel old now.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I feel old now.

I suspect most of us now have day-of-the-week pill cases, so you are in good company.

 

[Scribe]

I suspect most of us now have day-of-the-week pill cases, so you are in good company.

Listen, those are very helpful!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Listen, those are very helpful!

I have definite opinions on which ones are the "cool" ones!

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I suspect most of us now have day-of-the-week pill cases, so you are in good company.

Hey it's a good idea with all my... oh... oh no!!!

 

[Remathilis]

I have definite opinions on which ones are the "cool" ones!

Mine have a slot for morning/evening/dice.

 

[SteveC]

Well that was simply dreadful, so it does have that part of Ravenloft down pat. Like others have said, I am so not the core demographic for the game anymore. And that's too bad because a new novel for Ravenloft is something I would be really interested in.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And that's too bad because a new novel for Ravenloft is something I would be really interested in.

Just read something by Stephen King. Maine is clearly a Ravenloft domain.

 

[Guest 85555]

I suspect most of us now have day-of-the-week pill cases, so you are in good company.

Got mine. I always thought of EnWorld as pretty hip though