D&D 5E Ravenloft: In search of The Core

[Professor Murder]

So I like the new takes on the Domains for 5th ed, but I really miss The Core. Any thoughts or resources for using The Core with the 5th ed materials?

 

[Stormonu]

Grab the 2E poster maps (and books) and use them.

I think the most comprehensive compilation of the unused realms is the 2E Domains of Dread campaign book myself. No reason you can’t just lift them lock-stock-n-barrel and drop them back into Ravenloft, with the old connected map to boot.

(I much prefer the new versions myself, with them be unconnected/not fixed connections from one realm to another.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My homebred solution is there is two "layers". One is the "old version" and the other is the floating domain. Some dark lords can visit the old version, because they can't notice the difference, but other characters can notice they are in a "mirror universe".

 

[Charlaquin]

So I like the new takes on the Domains for 5th ed, but I really miss The Core. Any thoughts or resources for using The Core with the 5th ed materials?

I am not really sure what difference the existence of the core makes. Either way each Domain is surrounded by mist, which the Lord of the Domain can cause to become deadly if they wish to close their borders (except in special cases like Falkovnia where the borders aren’t under the Lord’s control). I suppose you might not need a mist talisman or the mistwalker gift to travel between domains when the orders are open? And you might have to travel through one domain on your way to another because they have fixed geographical relationships? Otherwise it seems pretty much the same to me.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

There's been a lot said about how the Core doesn't exist anymore in Van Richten's Guide... but it's honestly not too hard to homebrew it back in.

The maps included in 5E actually aren't too different than what's shown in the map of the core (though they're way more detailed), so you could easily piece them back together. That combined with the Darklords mostly still having the ability to close and open their borders, and you can recreate the core.

Lamordia for example looks quite similar, though it has been rotated.

 

[Remathilis]

So I like the new takes on the Domains for 5th ed, but I really miss The Core. Any thoughts or resources for using The Core with the 5th ed materials?

What are you missing from the core? The politics, the trade, the rivalries, etc? Nearly all of that can be handled with a little relaxing of the mist talisman rules, so it might help to know what you're missing.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Clearly I have too much time on my hands.

 

[Professor Murder]

What are you missing from the core? The politics, the trade, the rivalries, etc? Nearly all of that can be handled with a little relaxing of the mist talisman rules, so it might help to know what you're missing.

In essence this. I really enjoyed the Gazetteer series that White Wolf produced for 3rd. It created a living world with complex interactions and political ties. I get that you can just relax the mist travel rules, but it still has all these separate domains more like dimensions and less like countries.

 

[dave2008]

In essence this. I really enjoyed the Gazetteer series that White Wolf produced for 3rd. It created a living world with complex interactions and political ties. I get that you can just relax the mist travel rules, but it still has all these separate domains more like dimensions and less like countries.

I don't think there is any practical difference between some demiplanes separated by impenetrable mists and countries separated by impenetrable mists.

 

[Stormonu]

In essence this. I really enjoyed the Gazetteer series that White Wolf produced for 3rd. It created a living world with complex interactions and political ties. I get that you can just relax the mist travel rules, but it still has all these separate domains more like dimensions and less like countries.

As far as I am aware, all of that is non-rules information, so just using that instead of the 5E content shouldn’t present a problem. If something doesn’t sit right, then change it! The 5E version is simply “here’s what we think would be fun for modern players”, but if the old realms are more your jam, there’s no reason not to use it instead. Really, Van Richten 5E is a toolbox with two major components - 5E mechanics for horror campaigns and an example 5E campaign world. There’s nothing wrong with using the 5E mechanics and the old Core or vice versa if you’re playing an older game.

Of course, this all assumes you are the DM. If not, I’d discuss it with them and your preferences.