The word is out that next D&D book/campaign setting is going to be Ravenloft and I could not be more pleased!
What do we know so far?
It will be released on May 18th, 2021 and it has both the normal and game store exclusive covers. I have already preordered both.
Thirty Domains of Dread will be detailed. These include Lamordia, Dementlieu (both from the original 2nd Ed set), Kalakeri (new), and Falkovnia (revised).
Likewise, we are getting old, new, and revised Darklords. One that seems to be causing a stir is Dr. Viktra Mordenheim and her creation Alyss. Not sure if she is a genderswapped Viktor, a daughter or something else. I mean, lets be honest, even Hammer did the wives and daughters of all their great movies. Ravenloft can too.
Gothic Horror will be covered as well as more traditional "ghost" stories, psychological horror, dark fantasy, and D&D's own brand of cosmic horror. Which is good, I love all that Far Realm stuff.
While the book is called "Van Richten's Guide" the eponymous Van Righten disappeared before he could complete his last volume "Van Richten's Guide to Witches." So I am expecting, and am promised, new monster hunters to carry on his legacy. Our cover girl appears to be Ezmerelda d’Avenir, one of the newer vampire hunters in Barovia.
There are two new sub-classes, College of Spirits Bard and the Undead Pact Warlock.
For lineages, there are dhampir, hexblood, or reborn characters, which offer vampire, hag, and undead lineages, respectively.
Characters can also get "dark gifts" to aid them in their fights...or to help them become the monster they truly want to be.
There will be 40 pages on monsters; some new and some familiar ones. I am expecting to see a Brain in the Jar myself.
And a new adventure. A new take on the House of Lament.
It also sounds like they have a wide variety of voices and inputs on this which is great; horror is a universal concept. Many are horror authors. I while I do love my Gothic Horror, I also love all horror. I am looking forward to seeing the Vistani become something more than an uncomfortable stereotype.
So folks are complaining about the "loss" of Falkovnia, but's let's be honest here. Falkovnia and Vlad Drakov were nothing more than the "leftovers" after Barovia and Strahd mined all the Dracula lore. I never even used it much back in the 2e days and I am certainly not missing it now. Falkovnia is now a zombie apocalypse land and I think that works better to be honest. We didn't really have one of those.
Sithicus may or may not show up, but Lord Soth certainly won't. Also not a surprise really. Those rights were a tangled mess anyway.
I am rather looking forward to this book. Ravenloft was MY game for all of 2nd Ed AD&D and college. I bought every campaign book, adventure, and yes even novel I could get my hands on. I was contributing to the Kargatane official netbooks of Ravenloft material. My 2nd Ed AD&D is Ravenloft; I don't separate the two.
My only question is do I put this on my D&D5 shelf, my horror shelf, or my Ravenloft shelf?
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ReplyDeleteConsider me HIGHLY interested!
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