Ravenloft, Where are the fans?

[Ralif Redhammer]

We enjoyed it, but it's definitely a surprisingly tricky module to run. I nearly got tripped up on those dang isometric maps a bunch of times.

I've run the original Castle Ravenloft once for my group - with mixed success. The players found the experience so bad that they shied away from everything with the name Ravenloft on it.

 

[gamerprinter]

I use Fraternity of shadows a lot for research purposes, pity so few people have fond memories of Ravenloft, hopefully if it gets a revival in 5th they will sort out a lot of the original issues

Oh, there are plenty of people with fond memories of Ravenloft (its in the top 10 on many lists for D&D settings).

While not Ravenloft per se, my published homebrew, the Kaidan setting of Japanese horror (PFRPG) is greatly inspired by Ravenloft concepts, and in many ways darker than Ravenloft itself. Like Ravenloft, mists surround the archipelago of islands of Kaidan and may prevent passage through (in or out). The Imperial and Shogunate government is operated by powerful undead beings, mostly yurei ghosts. In Ravenloft with enough failed powers checks, you're stuck in Ravenloft for the rest of your life. In Kaidan, all you have to do is die, and your soul is bound to Kaidan forever in a broken reincarnation cycle. Kaidan is an archaic Japanese word that means "ghost story".

 

[Celebrim]

I'm a fan.

In fact, I'm such a fan of the concept generally, that even when I'm not using the Ravenloft setting - the fear, horror, and madness rules, the curse rules, and many other aspects of play are in force at my table (and actually replace many spell effects).

I6: Ravenloft is a tricky module to run. Partly because it has some definite 'tournament' style construction as well as being a story module. You have to decide which module you want to run, the absolutely lethal tournament module or the character/story centric module. As a death trap dungeon, in my opinion I6 is more lethal than S1: Tomb of Horrors.

I have never run a campaign in the Ravenloft setting, but there are lots of things I like about the setting. And yes, Feast of Goblyns reads like a good module, though I've never run it or played it.

I'm never in a rush to reveal campaign level secrets to the players. Players don't need to understand the setting fully. Heck, in Ravenloft not even the Dark Lords themselves fully understand their own nature. It's always better to let things come out in play.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I'm never in a rush to reveal campaign level secrets to the players. Players don't need to understand the setting fully. Heck, in Ravenloft not even the Dark Lords themselves fully understand their own nature. It's always better to let things come out in play.

When I was running it, the big thing that let the secrets out was stuff like the novels and players buying and reading setting material. Over time they figure out stuff like powers checks on their own though (it becomes clear what you are rolling when they do something evil).

 

[Revan79]

Eventually they know the drill and at that point it makes sense to shift to the players being natives. Some of the later books like Domains of Dread and the S&S version of Ravenloft for d20 give some tools for making this more manageable. Definitely having them become monster hunters, if they are game, is a good fit as players learn more. Monster Hunts and Investigations are really where the game shines in my view. Read the Van Richten books (the original ones) and use those to get ideas for adventures and you should be set.

One thing to keep in mind: players don't have to face the Darklords. I rarely introduced them in my own campaigns over two decades. Other than pocket lords, I think in total they met: Ivan Dilisnya, Harkon Lukas and Vlad Drakov. You can certainly have players face off with dark lords if you like, but i find making your own villains or minor lords works best.

Because of the timeline there is a fair chunk of downtime available to the PC's before the next portion of the Hexad becomes fufilled, once they complete Feast of goblyns so trying to brainstorm ideas for a small adventure in between that maybe Rudolph van Richten sends them on..

 

[JeffB]

Fan of the setting. The original RoT box. And some of the modules of the time (RQ/RA, etc.)

I never much cared for I6 though. It has some great concepts, but I never felt compelled to run it BITD.

 

[JamieEvan]

I am a big fan of Ravenloft. Ravenloft was a great campaign setting.
I love Ravenloft with every fiber of my spooky soul.

 

[psiconauta_retro]

One thing to keep in mind: players don't have to face the Darklords. I rarely introduced them in my own campaigns over two decades. Other than pocket lords, I think in total they met: Ivan Dilisnya, Harkon Lukas and Vlad Drakov. You can certainly have players face off with dark lords if you like, but i find making your own villains or minor lords works best.

I agree and my experience has been similar, the only Darklords I ever introduced was Stradh and Yagno Petrovna (because he features in Circle of Darkness, which is a fun adventure). Recently I got an copy of When black roses bloom so I have hope that one day Soth maybe be I introduce too.

 

[psiconauta_retro]

Oh, there are plenty of people with fond memories of Ravenloft (its in the top 10 on many lists for D&D settings).

While not Ravenloft per se, my published homebrew, the Kaidan setting of Japanese horror (PFRPG) is greatly inspired by Ravenloft concepts, and in many ways darker than Ravenloft itself. Like Ravenloft, mists surround the archipelago of islands of Kaidan and may prevent passage through (in or out). The Imperial and Shogunate government is operated by powerful undead beings, mostly yurei ghosts. In Ravenloft with enough failed powers checks, you're stuck in Ravenloft for the rest of your life. In Kaidan, all you have to do is die, and your soul is bound to Kaidan forever in a broken reincarnation cycle. Kaidan is an archaic Japanese word that means "ghost story".

Wow wow wow, Sir, hold it right there! Did you say Japanese horror??? I´m looking for your setting already! It can´t be a coincidence that lately I have a fixation with horror anime, I definitely want to play a demon hunter Onmyoji or a bad-ass Shih (from White Wolf´s Demon Hunter X), or even a cursed PC. My current main sources of inspiration for that PC would be Ayakashi´s Bake Neko, Mermaid Forest, Vampire princess Miyu and Tokyo Ravens (weird selection, but that is what I am aiming for ).

I assume you are very much into horror and also into Japan/Japanese themes. I like both very much but I have never thought how to make them work in an RPG game. Going back to the main subject of the threat it seems hard enough (to me) to keep the right mood in a campaing of Ravenloft´s gothic horror (which is more popular and has many sources of reference and inspiration easily available), so to achieve the right feel for a game of Japanese horror sounds like a fair challenge. How do you get it?

PFRPG is Pathfinder, no? I dont have it and have never tried it but Im sure it runs on 5e very smoothly!

 

[psiconauta_retro]

Based on my very limited knowledge of the Ravenloft´s published adventures the worst one is "Red Death" which is part of the Masque of the Red Death boxed set. I found out about it a few years ago when I was looking for a one-shot adventure to play on Halloween. "Red Death" is a complete railroad which is not even interesting (so we didn't plat it).

Which is the Ravenloft´s adventure that you have enjoyed the least?