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.

 

[Li Shenron]

Yes! More settings and less rules!

 

[Parmandur]

Very interesting.

We can expect this will follow the same six chapter outline that Ravnica, Eberron, and Theros do:

• Chapter One: Character creation. (Ravnica had a 18 page Chapter 1, Eberron's was 85, while Theros was 21: I would expect about 20 pages for Ravenloft)
• Chapter Two: The Dread Lord's, maybe?
• Chapter Three: the Domains of Dread Gazetteer
• Chapter Four: Adventure creation material, and the 20 page adventure (Ravnica had a 50 page Chapter Four including a 12 page intro Adventure, Eberron's was ~120 pages with a 14 page intro Adventure, and Theros had a 84 page Chapter with a 10 page intro Adventure)
• Chapter Five: Magical treasure
• Chapter Six: Beastiary (40 pages here, as opposed to ~60 for Ravnica, ~40 for Eberron, and ~50 for Theros)

 

[Parmandur]

As someone stated elsewhere, say 2 pgs a domain should be healthy. What people should not expect are unique stats for all the darklords.

Based on looking at the other three WotC in-house campaign settings and what we know about the size of the bestiary and character content in this book, I'd say about 3 pages per Domain/Dread Lord seems probable.

 

[dave2008]

As someone stated elsewhere, say 2 pgs a domain should be healthy. What people should not expect are unique stats for all the darklords.

I bet we get some Darklord stats. Similar to how MToF had some of the Nine, but not all of them.

 

[Parmandur]

I bet we get some Darklord stats. Similar to how MToF had some of the Nine, but not all of them.

Probably a few "this guy is a Mummy Lord, with variations X and Y" style things.

 

[Parmandur]

I really like how this is looking like a Gothic Horror potpourri, makes for easy cafeteria shopping as a DM in need of piece's parts.

Also appreciate that they are rebooting the problematic elements of the Setting, with cultural consultants taken into account.

 

[Nightbeat84]

More flavor for each dark lord for the DM,s to come up with there own stat blocks ?

As someone stated elsewhere, say 2 pgs a domain should be healthy. What people should not expect are unique stats for all the darklords.

 

[dave2008]

Probably a few "this guy is a Mummy Lord, with variations X and Y" style things.

We could see that, but I bet we get full write-ups on a few.

 

[dave2008]

I really like how this is looking like a Gothic Horror potpourri, makes for easy cafeteria shopping as a DM in need of piece's parts.

What interest me is that it seems to be trying to tackle more types of horror than just "Gothic Horror."

 

[Parmandur]

What interest me is that it seems to be trying to tackle more types of horror than just "Gothic Horror."

Well, that's sort of the nature of the genre, to a degree, and I expect they are being loosey-goosey with genre terms, like when they talk about Eberron as "Pulp" (as opposed to D&D standard rooting in...checks notes...pulp fiction).