Ravenloft Player's Handbook

[Messageboard Golem]

Step into the Darkness

Explore the Lands beyond the Mists, a world only hinted at in nightmares. Vampires stalk the night without fear of retribution. Shapeshifters rule their subjects with iron claw and blooded fang. The walking dead prey upon the living for their own mysterious ends. These are the realms of Ravenloft, a place like no other, where terror reigns supreme. Only the bravest of heroes dare risk eternal night to bring hope to the fearful populace.

Everything You Need to Be a Hero

This core rulebook completely updates the popular Ravenloft® setting, making it fully compatible with revised 3rd Edition rules. It has a wealth of vital information on everything from basic character classes, skills, feats and spells to the many lands, people and monsters hidden within the Mists. Hardcover.

Ravenloft books are published under license with Wizards of the Coast and are 100% compatible with revised 3rd Edition rules and the d20 System.

• Fully compatible with revised 3rd Edition rules.
• Perfect for players and Dungeon Masters alike.
Suggested for mature readers.

 

[heimdall]

The Ravenloft Player's Handbook is the revised edition of the Ravenloft Core Rulebook. However, it is not just a "3.5E update." If you are interested in playing in or running a Ravenloft game, you'll need this book. The book covers all of the rules necessary to have a solid Ravenloft game, much as its predecessor did. If you aren't familiar with Ravenloft, it's a Gothic setting for Dungeons & Dragons and it's been around since First Edition. As a result, it has a lot of history and flavor and makes for a great campaign. Unlike other campaign settings, Ravenloft focuses on low magic. Magic is rare and untrusted. Evil has complete dominion. It makes for a challenging game ripe for role-playing.

If you already have the core rulebook you may be wondering what has changed. That's what I'll focus on in this review.

Overall Changes:

• The font used for the intro text of each chapter is generally more readable. While this doesn't affect the rules in any way, it does give a better overall appearance.
• Some pictures have been added and others have been removed. This is to be expected in an update.
• A usable table of contents! - The original Core Rulebook did not have a good TOC. It's still pretty high level, but it's better than it was.
• The maps on inside covers are now tinged in red, not gray. This is an asthetic change, but it does make the maps slightly more readable.
• No ads appear at the end of the book. While White Wolf books have done this for years, I know it bothers some to think they are paying for an ad. The ads that are present in older Ravenloft books aren't present in this one.

Chapter 1: The World of Ravenloft

• A New Concept: Masques - This is a description of how Ravenloft touches upon an existing world in a malevolent way (without the world becoming part of Ravenloft). Perfect if you want to use some elements of Ravenloft without dragging a party into the setting. Or perhaps you just want to "test the waters..."
• There are a couple of additions to the Timeline - 756 Azalin commissions the Gazetteers and 758 (not 755) is now considered the present year. Nothing earth-shattering here.
• New Rules for Domain Magic Ratings - Adjust how magic works in a particular domain based on the belief of the people who reside there. Magic Ratings are separated from Civilization Ratings because it is entirely possible to be a primitive civilization that is very distrustful of magic (a la 1st Edition Barbarians) as well as Rennaisance civilizations with a heavy dependency on magic. There is a difference between divine and arcane magics in some cases. Each domain is different. The magic rating could be different for certain classes or certain individuals. This is expanded up on Chapter 4.

Chapter 2: Player Characters

• Starting Languages are now a sidebar instead of in the two-column text. This makes them more noticeable but nothing really changed here.
• New Rules for Class Weaknesses. Each class has a specific weakness due to the setting. Some classes seem to be hit more harshly than others (like the Barbarian and Druid). The class weaknesses bring the effects of the land more in the face of the players.
• Even though Psionics are handled in Ravenloft DMG, psionic classes are not covered in this sourcebook.
• Two prestige classes are new: Monster Hunter and Specialty Hunter. This supercedes the Witch Hunter prestige class from Domains of Dread. Basically, they expanded the concept of the Witch Hunter to go after other supernaturals as well. One glitch: The placement of 4th level spells is off... should be under specialty hunter.
• Skills - Some skills are affected by Ravenloft. One change from the core is additional language on Handle Animal dealing with contesting with a Darklord is included.

Chapter 3: The Ways of the World

• Tables for Horror and Madness checks have been condensed into a 3 column format to easily figure out how what nasty thing has happened to the PC (asthetic change). If you aren't familiar with Fear, Horror, and Madness checks, they are rules in the setting to determine when a PC might flee in fear, freeze in horror, or go mad because of some circumstance. This eliminates the argument where the DM says, "Your fighter runs away at full haste," and the player says, "But Ulrik is a mighty warrior, he won't flee from anything!"
• Madness Check Rules Change: High Wisdom actually HURTS you when making a madness save (discussed in a sidebar).
• There are additions in how spells are altered: Nondimensional Spaces has been added to handle pocket dimensions and the like and Transmutation has been added to handle involuntary physical transformations.
• The altered spells list has been updated to 3.5E.
• New spells specific for Ravenloft have been included.

Chapter 4: The Dread Realms

• Realm Magic Ratings have been added to all domains. Otherwise, not much of a change. The realm is described, as are the laws, culture, etc. Most of it looks word-for-word what was in the original Core.

Chapter 5: Horrors of the Night

• All creatures have been updated to 3.5E rules.
• There is new text in each section on how to hunt that type of creature/creation.
• DR for vampires are changed. Instead of a +1, +2, or +3, it now reads Silver and magic.
• There is now a table covering spell effects on ghosts.
• There is also a table covering spell effects on constructs.
• DR for Ancient Dead has changed. Ancient Dead no longer have +1, +2, or +3 listed for DR. Now either silver (rank one) or magic (ranks two-five).
• With respect to Ancient Dead, there is text on Cleric's turning... giving an example where a Rank 5 mummy can only be stopped from attacking the cleric (no more turn and have the rest of the party wail on it). A good shock for any hardy party.
• There is a table covering spell effects on Ancient Dead.
• A table covering spell effects on Fiends is included.
• Another table covering spells effects on hags.
• There is additional text on dealing with the vistani (since there is no text on how to hunt the Vistani).

Chapter 6: The Ravenloft Campaign

• No noticeable changes so far as I can tell. Then again, the original was just fine.

Overall there were enough changes that I felt warranted to buy the new book, but much of the text is still the same. Some of the formatting issues remain as well. In general there was quite a bit of clean-up, but they didn't get everything. Some editing of existing text was done. Case in point: things that needed to be called out in sidebars (such as languages) were. Anywhere they could make a table more readable it looks they tried to do so. There was not a tremendous change to the layout or look. If you're looking for a new setting, want to use the new rules, or your existing Core book is in pieces, this is worth the money.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

Wow, very odd that they kept the monster templates in the player's book instead of putting them in the DM's one.

 

[Darrius Adler]

Not sure how many others have picked it up yet but I recommend checking it out in the store before you do. Yet again rules have been added that don't need to be there like the Morality/Blessed rules in HoL. The Magic Rating system I can at least understand. I would never use it and is more complicated than it needs to be due to the way it is written. What amazes me is the Weakness section for each of the core classes. The idea of Rangers, Fighters, Rogues and Monks making a Powers Check just for advancing to a new level is ridiculous. I feel it goes against what the Powers Checks are intended for. You should make a check for doing something evil that you know is evil, not for playing the game/gaining XP. Also, failing a check for leveling up brings up the complication of how to repent that action to remove the taint? All the classes got hit in some way in the Weakness section but you can read those in the book. By far the Weakness changes anger me the most about the book and I have no intention of using those rules.

In the Sword and Sorcery catalog they said "discover a new dimension in Ravenloft -- the Masques." More like, here we will explain what Masque means because applies to Masque of the Red Death. Which they plan to release the 3.5 version of MotRD in 2004, so not really a new concept just a marketing ploy.

They have made Knowledge Ravenloft part of Knowledge the Planes and all characters must buy it as a cross class skill. This knowledge is also suposed to be very hard to come by which makes Anchorite of the Mists, Stygian Attendant and possibly a few others difficult classes to get.

The updated Witchhunter is now Monster Hunter. After you take levels of Monster Hunter you can advance into a second prestige class that requires 3 levels of Monster Hunter. These are Specialty Hunter classes that focus on a specific group of creatures. The classes look ok but not sure I would take them as a player. The requirement of 5 ranks in Knowledge the Planes seems to damage this class though as no one can take it until 8th level. This makes most of the abilitys of the class seem a bit weak for the high levels you have to take it at. The Specialty Hunter class: Witchhunter could be an interesting villain though.

There are a few new spells

Looks like most of the rest is the same as the 3.0 Setting Book. Aside from the fact that now at the end of most of the monster sections they tell you to reference Van Richten's Arsenal for various rules.

 

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Methinks with The RLBH and products like Champions of Dorkness (no, I did spell it correctly) the phrase an Arthaus bigwig used when describing their vision of Ravenloft 3E just after they got the lisence is coming back to haunt me. "This ain't your momma's Ravenloft" indeed.

 

[heimdall]

A couple of clarifications...

The Magic Ratings are marked as optional for those DMs who want to use them.

The Powers Check for leveling is marked as a suggestion if the DM doesn't want to try and keep track of the hardening of a person from a life of fighting and killing. Strictly speaking, it's a chance a Powers Check will be required. A Powers Check isn't definite, even if you go with the "easy way."

 

[Joël of the FoS]

A word to word 3.5 reprint of the Ravenloft Third edition book (see that review), the Ravenloft Players Handbook contains some highly controversial new rules:

The Magic Rating system (p 26-31). I don't get it. First, it seems complicated to use, and anyway the rationale behind it escapes me … In a MR 0 domain, people believe in science instead of magic, so spells takes three times the normal time to learn, study and cast, because "the lack of belief in magic espoused by the land's inhabitant" ? Since when in D&D does the populace belief has a link to magic's effectiveness where they live ? An option I will not use.

The new 'weakness' section for the core classes (p 48-52). Fighting classes (fighters, rangers, rogues and monks) have to make a Powers Check for advancing to a new level, because of the violent way of that class in combat. I feel it goes against what the powers checks are intended for - a warning to PC committing evil actions knowingly, so they unjustly punish player. An option I will never use for PCs, but perhaps for NPCs, to simulate the appeal of darkness on these while they got to the level they are.

The wizard's 'weakness' is to have a power check for learning a new spell of evocation, enchantment and evocation (*lol* at power check for learning 'Tenser's floating disk' as someone pointed out). Same comment - an option I will not use. Players playing a wizards should make a power check for their evil acts, not for learning tools of his class, even necromantic. I will mock the NRA by using one of their false statement in our world, but true in the D&D logic - guns do not kill, evil people do. It's not the spell you have in your spellbook, it's what you do with it.

The new weakness for druids is even stranger: within a 20-mile radius of a sinkhole of evil, there is a chance that the land is tainted and incite a druid to commit evil actions (and then make a powers check - making a powers check for being 'compelled' to do evil ?). It doesn't work with the small Forlorn domain and Castle Tristenoira's heavy sinkhole of evil … Anyway, after two failed check, his/her alignment turns to evil ? Please ! And the % of this happening seem quite high anyway …

The updated Witch-hunter (from SotDR) prestige class is now the more generic 'Monster Hunter'. These are specialty classes that focus on one specific group of creatures (either beasts, or demons, ghosts, corporeal undead, or witch/hags). Well made.

There are a few new spells (p 117-120) - mostly 3e conversions from 2nd edition DoDread, IIRC.

The book is of course great, as it is a 3.5 reprint of the Ravenloft Third Edition book, but the new optional rules are odd to say the least.