Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Review: Ravenloft for D&D 4e

Castle Ravenloft Board Game
Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition is not really remembered by many very fondly. I felt it had some great points, and I had fun with it, but it catered to a particular type of play, and Ravenloft wasn't really that well suited to it. But that didn't mean Wizards of the Coast didn't try.

Castle Ravenloft Board Game

This was a board game/RPG hybrid based on the D&D 4e rules. I played it, it was fun. 

The thing that gets me, though, is why Ravenloft?  Other than vampires, hags, some undead, and things like that, I see no reason this had to be set in Castle Ravenloft.  I get the dungeon-crawlyness of it, and I understand the desire to tie it in with a Classic product, but the game could have just as easily been the Tomb of Horrors Board Game or Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Board Game.  Frankly, I could swap out Strahd for Acererak and keep everything else the same (hear that WotC, your next boxed Board Game, can be Tomb of Horrors, and I want a cut!).   Of course, there is an obvious reason.  I got this sight unseen and wanted it largely because it was Ravenloft. 

Dragon #416 (4e)

October 2012

At this point Dragon and Dungeon went back to Wizards of the Coast and were released as online versions only. As such they were formated to fit a computer screen and not really as print media.

This issue covers a variety of Ravenloft topics, including the ongoing fight between Strahd and Van Helsing.  

We also get some character options for Ravenloft native characters. Claudio Pozas has a history on Lord Soth, and Ed Greenwood is back with Awakened Golems.

Dragon #416


Dungeon #207 (4e)

October 2012

The companion magazine to Dragon features a number of adventures set in Ravenloft and/or horror-themed settings.  

Claudio Pozas is here as well with "Fair Barovia."  This adventure puts the adventurers and Strahd on the same side of the battle to save Barovia. "Timbergorge" among other things makes the connection between Ravenloft and the 4e Shadowfell. 

Dungeon #207

Both magazines amount to the most said about Ravenloft in stand-alone products. There were bits in the Shadowfell book and the Undead book. 

I would have liked to have seen more, but maybe this fine as is. Like I said, 4e catered to a different sort of game.

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