D&D 5E [Updated with cover!] The D&D Book Is.... Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft!

Yesterday's hints that a new D&D book would be announced today have born fruit -- we now have a product description and a title! It's a Ravenloft setting book, with tools and new rules for horror-themed games, and new horror-themed character options. I'll update this post with a product image as soon as one is revealed -- the official announcement allegedly comes today!

D&D 5E - Here's the Ravenloft Alternate Cover!

As usual, there is an alternate hobby-store exclusive cover for the upcoming Ravenloft book. Here's a look at it! And here's the full wraparound art. https://www.enworld.org/threads/updated-with-cover-the-d-d-book-is-van-richtens-guide-to-ravenloft.678411/...

www.enworld.org

D&D 5E - Everything We Know About The Ravenloft Book

Here is a list of everything we know so far about the upcoming Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. Art by Paul Scott Canavan May 18th, 256 pages 30 domains (with 30 villainous darklords) Barovia (Strahd), Dementlieu (twisted fairly tales), Lamordia (flesh golem), Falkovnia (zombies), Kalakeri...

www.enworld.org

Here’s some info on Dr. Rudolph Van Richten! He's a vampire hunter (he appeared in Curse of Strahd, and he's been around in the Ravenloft setting for decades) and is basically Van Helsing to Strahd's Dracula. His name appears on a whole pile of 2nd Edition D&D sourcebooks, all titled "Van Richten's Guide to.... Vampires/Ghosts/Werebeasts, etc."

The Ravenloft setting, of course, features a bunch of 'domains' other than Barovia itself, each ruled by its own Dark Lord. Strahd rules Barovia, but even other signature D&D villains like Lord Soth and Vecna have been placed in Ravenloft ruling dread domains of their own, along with an assortment of other domain rulers.

The Mist Beckons

The image below is not of the upcoming book, but of one of the many D&D 2nd Edition Van Richten's Guides.

 

[dave2008]

Its not that I'm uninvensted in my characters (then again I havent played one in close to 20 years) to me its a game and I dont take it overly serious. If my character dies or has something bad happen its not that big of a deal.

That is basically how we play too and why I don't try to use "horror" for a long-term campaign.

I get the horror one shots. To me thats the only way they work, anything more than that becomes boring and lacks variety. And it does take player buy in which sometimes is hard to get if they just want to hang out and roll dice for a few hours. Im sure there is value in this book but I wouldnt run a Ravenloft campaign these days.

This is my experience as well.

 

[iltharanos]

"More than 30 new and familiar Domains of Dread."

This is interesting for a number of reasons. If they use the old lore, and the new setting book is in the same timeframe as Curse of Strahd, that means the geography of the Core would be radically different from the current timeframe of the 3e books (20 years or so of difference). Makes you wonder too if the new domains are geographically adjacent to the Core or if they're "Islands of Terror" just floating in the Mists. For that matter, they may not even use the concept of geographically adjacent domains and every domain could just be free-floating through the Mists with travel being random.

 

[R_J_K75]

I think your cool, RJ, keep it up.

Wasn't trying to be or insinuating that I was so I'm not sure where you came up with that idea? I play D&D recreationally, just as I'd watch a hockey game or go to a concert. Hope Im not playing the game wrong? You've found a myriad of players you enjoy playing with, good for you.

 

[Hatmatter]

Wasn't trying to be or insinuating that I was so I'm not sure where you came up with that idea? I play D&D recreationally, just as I'd watch a hockey game or go to a concert. Hope Im not playing the game wrong? You've found a myriad of players you enjoy playing with, good for you.

It was my way of saying I like your posts. Stay cool.

 

[Professor Murder]

The fact that it's a jungle setting isn't radical reimagining. Older editions of Ravenloft had at least one "jungle" setting: Sri Raji. Sri Raji was Indian-inspired, which judging from Kalakeri, might be something similar.

I gave the vid a watch. New darklords and big changes to previous domains. Falkovnia losing Vlad Drakov and instead going with a zombie apocalypse theme for example.

 

[dave2008]

This looks like a paint job rather than a focused modification of the rules to make horror possible in 5E. That's not unexpected, but mildly disappointing anyway.

Hard to tell at this point IMO, but the 5e standard is to have as minimal rules modification as possible. So I wouldn't expect a bunch of new rules or radical departures. But you never now.

To be honest, the more I read about the content the more interested I've become. I was initially a maybe leaning to likely just buying the monsters on D&D Beyond; now I am a probable to buying the book and get the monsters on D&D beyond

 

[Professor Murder]

shrugs When you write a single-word question, don't be surprised when someone gives an obvious answer.

And yet still I was disapointed.

 

[iltharanos]

I gave the vid a watch. New darklords and big changes to previous domains. Falkovnia losing Vlad Drakov and instead going with a zombie apocalypse theme for example.

Ooh. I haven't watched the vid, so that is radical reimagining.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

From this article; The Mist Has Lifted Around D&D's New Sourcebook: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft

 

[Professor Murder]

View attachment 133193
View attachment 133194
View attachment 133195
View attachment 133196

From this article; The Mist Has Lifted Around D&D's New Sourcebook: Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft

Speculation: The look of fear on the tiefling reads as a PC to me, which gives me hope that the race restrictions of the pervious versions of the setting will be well and trully dead.