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Message: <blockquote data-quote="humble minion" data-source="post: 9500213" data-attributes="member: 5948">It's a funny thing though, isn't it - creating a Ravenloft party which has come from 'outside'?The player knows in advance that their backsotry NPCs won't get used because they'll be on the other side of the Mists, and that any plot hooks they carefully lay are likely to go the same way.  And then, the expectation is that your PC will be from a 'conventional' fantasy world and will be slowly getting exposed to how Ravenloft works over time.  So isn't it, in fact, kinda metagamey to build a PC that WOULD be suited to a Ravenloft game?  I mean, I'm kind of exaggerating for effect here, but there's a pretty strong argument that the best Ravenloft PC, in a really deeply I6-traditional sense, is a PC who not only doesn't know they're going to be in a Ravenloft adventure, but also was created by a player that doesn't know that either.In which case the 5 'PCs' we've seen on the book cover and in the blurb are in fact perfectly appropriate - because they're the sort of party you'd expect to find in FR or Exandria.  They're NOT deliberately Ravenlofty.Which perhaps goes some way to explaining why I prefer Ravenloft-native PCs, or at least I did back in the day of the Core, not so sure with the new iteration.Edit:Cheating a bit, here's my 5-person party for a Ravenloft adventure.  They're Ravenloft natives but not Barovian natives.  Instead, they come from Borca and mostly meet on the stagecoach into Barovia.Human female ranger/rogue, noble background, destined for the monster hunter subclass after finding one of Van Richten's Guides in the family library and slaying the undead minion of someone important.  Being sent away from Borca because she's reached an age where her parents think she might be of interest/prey to Ivan or Ivana.  Strong sense of mission, overestimates her own capabilites.Halfling female abjurer wizard.  Grew up in an idyllic rural village, studious and upriight, the pride of her village, then sent along to make it good in the big city under the guidance of her uncle.  When she arrived, she realised her uncle was in a vicious blackmail and standover gang.  She refused to be part of that, and took employment working secutiry at one of Borca's banks/moneylenders.  Only just starting to work out that they might even be worse than her uncle - but is finding she enjoys the respect/order that they provide regardless.  Sent along to Barovia to handle some sort of financial matter for local businesses.  Prim, stiff-necked, cautious, very Lawful.Tiefling male grave cleric. Foundling abandoned on the doorstep of a small church of Ezra, grew up under the care of the anchorite there who treated him as a son.  Did cleaning, gravedigging etc but has only recently become a priest.  Was assigned to be Barovia's resident cleric by superiors who miiight just want the demon priest dead, perhaps because they know who his parents are.  Genuinly meek, pious, and humble - the innocent abroad - sheltered, a bit naive, in line for some bitter disillusion.Human male zealot barbarian.  Crazed rag-clad warrior hermit, long beard, middle aged Rasputin type.  Did something(/s) truly horrible in his youth, perhaps as a soldier, took to religion to try to come to terms with himself.  Has decided that the tiefling has a great destiny as a holy man, and will loyally follow him, ponder on his teachings (or just his off-hand musings, if teachings are thin on the ground), and will kill anyone and anything that gets in his way in order to make sure that destiny comes to fruition.  Messianic, wild-eyed, overwhelmingly certain.Aasimar male armorer artificer. Once a powerful celestial, stripped of power for arrogance and pride, and reborn into a semi-mortal form in the so-far-futile hope he'd learn humility.  Only partly remembers his previous existence, but is obsessed with regaining his former potency, and pursues that goal by scribing objects with runes in the primal language of creation, thereby enchanting them. Favors spells of light and fire, and items that would emulate the celestial abilities he lost.  Vindictive, arrogant, judgemental, ferocious, but capable of great grace towards innocents especially.</blockquote>

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