Ravenloft Opinions please

[enrious]

Doc, I think the second idea is a good one; truth be told I've never been in a campaign where we didn't know it was R/L.

IIRC according to the 3e R/L book, much of the lands would seem identical to anywhere else, open meadows or normal cities, or even bog areas but there aren't flashing neon signs proclaiming "Ravenloft - Abandon all hope ye that enter here"

I've always felt that the denizens make Ravenloft, Ravenloft - not the land. Put in some tragic figures in an otherwise beautiful area and that's as much Ravenloft as vampires attacking in the night.

But that's me.

 

[Bonehoard Taffer]

Well it looks like I am in the minority here (I'm used to it by now) , but I think you should be upfront with your girlfriend. Especially if she enjoys stories set in gothic type settings. You can still surprise her and thrill her with the unexpected.

One one things that's vital, I think, to this particular setting is mood and even if she knows the nature of the Dread Realms, you can still set the right mood and catch her off guard. It's like when you watch Frankenstein or Dracula or the Wolf Man, you know basically that there are monsters, and that it's got a certain atmosphere. They are still fun the first time you experience them.

Finally, depending on how you handle it as a DM, there can be as much of a sense of wonder from exploring a cave and being surprised by a large spider that decends from it's web as there is from riding in a coach and having a spectral form materialize beside you.

 

[adndgamer]

Well, first off, I must say that Ravenloft looks like it would rock! I just glanced through it at the bookstore today, but didn't have cash to buy it. I especially like some of the feats. I'm definitely running a campaign set there.

Now, on topic... I would maybe not necessarily say that it's ravenloft, but I would give her the chance to take ravenloft feats at first level.

Hm. Actually, disregard that. I would tell her, but not tell her everything. Tell her you'll be playing Ravenloft, but don't tell her what kind of genre it is. Tell her about how the different classes are a wee bit tweaked differently than in the PHB in this world, and give her the list of feats.

That's my 2¢.

-Paul

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I have decided to spring it on her as a slow surprise. Her character is going to be travelling on the fringe of society pursuing a murder who travels from small town to small town killing women in taverns.

Eventually she will catch up to the guy but only as he wanders into a dark forest thick with fog.

I am not sure if I will let her truly catch him there though. I think he will make for a good long term foe as his actions cause him to gain more and more power from the Dark Powers of Ravenloft.

 

[Green Knight]

I say go with the first option.

For one, it'll allow her to take Ravenloft specific feats. As someone pointed out, it sucks making a character specific to one world, only to get shunted to Ravenloft where some of those abilities no longer mean a damn.

Second, she doesn't know jack squat about Ravenloft, unlike all of us. Whereas we'd all flip out if we got swallowed by mists and realized we were in Ravenloft, she wouldn't think it was a big deal and would probably just confuse her. So I say make her a native. Possibly an Innocent, who has never experienced any of the horrors of Ravenloft.

... yet.

 

[Hattersai]

This is up there with Dark Sun for campaign worlds that I love.
Just the atmosphere alone was enuff to get me hooked...literally.
You just have to make sure you got the right kind of players though. Hack & Slash can be done but it just ain't right.