Hello,
I have recently purchased the FR Campaign Setting, and found it to be my cup of tea. In fact, I really like it. But, I am curious about Ravenloft, specifically the 3.5 version from White Wolf. I was wondering if it was any good, what makes it unique, and what the different White Wolf Ravenloft products cover. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
WaterdhavianFlapjack
I've got the 3.5 Ravenloft setting PHB. I got it because I loved the old Ravenloft, and I like the idea of having it to spring on our gaming group, some misty night when they're camping ...
It's pretty good. It has the Ravenloft feel to it, which is VERY DIFFERENT from the other game settings. Ravenloft isn't about heroic figures defeating evil and living happily ever after - it's about people standing alone against the dark, even though the dark will always win. It's a dark setting and really needs a lot of atmospheric DMing. I can't see players who don't lean more to the role-playing end of the gaming continuum enjoying it for very long.
Overall, I would say that it's still a good setting, the new books are good, and it's worth trying if you want to do a little horror-influenced D&D. White Wolf has the books on sale right now, so it may be a good time to try it.
If your group would like that sort of thing, then I would recommend it. If they're more classic S&S/heroic fantasy, then it might be okay, but it would take a lot of work, and you might wind up changing the setting in a way that would take away its unique flavor, which (at least to me) is its primary appeal. If it wound up just being the Flanaess or Faerun with extra undead, I wouldn't like it - YMMV.
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I don't play 3.5, but i can tell you that Ravenloft was one of my most memmorable DMing experiences. We ran the entire campaign over 3 summers (2000-2002) supplementing the published material with adventures from Dungeon as well as some I worked up. We used a 17th century Mordentshire as our base (muzzle loading firearms blowing up in our hands) & ran virtually everything TSR had published (except the module w/Lord Soth)using Solomon Kane-ish adventurers traveling with Dr Van Richten. Numerous TPKs (many PCs returned as lycanthropes or undead) & maimed or insane characters later, we're still talking about that campaign. Here's the list (by Ravenloft chronology) of the adventures we played (for all our toil & abuse we ended up as members of a twisted carival troupe-pre HBO):
734
Dem Bones Sithicus 9240
Ghost of Silverhill Invidia D58
At the Zombie Dance Nightmare Lands 9240
Ghoul of My Dreams Hazlan 9240
Standing Stones of Sundown Invidia D25
735
Bride of Mordenheim Lamordia RR2
The Surgeon’s Knife Lamordia 9495
Corrupted Innocents Borca RR2
Undying Justice Borca 9495
Rite of Terror Borca RR2
Gazing Into the Abyss Darkon 9495
Through Darkened Eyes Tepest 9495
Shadows of Your Smile Sithicus 9240
I Am the Lizard King Sithicus 9240
Wail of the Banshee Sithicus MK
736
Feast of Goblyns (H) Kartakass RA1
Alligator Stomp Wildlands MK
Web of Illusion Sri Raj RM2
.Uncharted Desert Isle Demise MK
The Dark Place the Finger D49
Jinglin Mordo Circus Lamordia D7
The Gundarakan Gambit Gundarak Mk
737
Horror’s Harvest Falkovnia D38
Castles Forlorn 1-3 Forlorn 1088
Last of the Lupins Forlorn MK
How Heavey Is Down? Forlorn MK
Castles Forlorn 5-6 Forlorn 1088
A Matter of Faith Scaena NBk
The Scarlet Kiss Mordent 9495
Nos Regrets Darkon MK
Ship of Horror(H) Nocturnal Sea RA2
A Light in the Belfry Avonleigh 9494
738
The Price of Vengeance Valachan D42
Felkovic’s Cat Valachan D50
Family Feud Valachan 9495
Inn of the Smiling Spirit Valachan D29
Bane of the Shadowborne Shadowborne Manor D31
Lady of the Mist Sea of Sorrow D42
Cloaked in Fear Stauton Bluffs D57
Bosco in Hell Stauton Bluffs 9240
Beheadin’ for the Hills Barovia MK
House of Strahd Barovia 9418
Shredded in Sebua Sebua MK
Khamsa's Folly Har A'Kir D40
Touch of Death(H) Har A’Kir RA3
House on Gryphon Hill Mordent I10
Tomb It May Concern Richemulot D22
The Created Odiare RM2
739
Castles Forlorn Forlorn 1088
Kantora Strangler Nova Vaasa Mk
Adam’s Wrath Lamordia 9439
Kagemusha I’Cath 9240
Wererats of Relfen Darkon D14
Ghost of Mistwood Darkon D35
Night of the Walking Dead(H) Souraign RQ1
Delving in the Dark Souraign MK
Ride Captain Ride Isle de Tempete MK
Thoughts of Darkness Bluetspur RQ2
740
From the Shadows(H) Darkon RQ3
Roots of Evil(H) Barovia RM1
The Baron’s Eyrie Isle of Terror D58
741
The Taskmaster’s Leash Dementlieu 9495
Serpents of the Sands Sebua D37
Ancient Dead Har A’Kir 9495
Kahmsa’s Folly Har A’Kir D40
Dread Lair of Alokair Nova Vaasa 9240
The Awakening Nova Vaasa 9452
742
Hour of the Knife Pharidor 9456
Dumgeonland Isle of Terror EX1
Land Beyond the Magic Mirror Isle of Terror EX2
Seawolf Dementlieu D55
743
Howls in the Night Mordent 9466
Ravager of Time Lamordia I8
744
Dark of the Moon Vorostokov 9419
Blood in Moondale Liffe RR2
The Cedar Chest Liffe RR2
The Dark Minstrel Liffe RR2
745
Circle of Darkness G’Henna 9493
Jerry the Vampire Dementlieu 9240
746
The Living Crypt Dementlieu RR2
Brainstorm Dementlieu MK
The Vaka’s Curse Dementlieu D50
Man With 3 Faces Demetlieu RR2
747
A Rose for Talakara Isle of Terror D25
The School of Necross Darkon D27
The Evil Eye Invidia
748
The Nightmare Lands Nova Vaasa 1124
Death’s Cold Laughter Nova Vaasa RR2
749
Death Unchained Falkovnia 9523
Death Ascendant Darkon 9526
750
Death Triumphant Darkon 1146
Bleakhouse Necropolis 1141
751
The Heart’s Final Beat Necropolis 11445
Servants of Darkness Tepest 9541
The Shadow Rift Tepest 1163
Die Vecna, Die Burning Peaks
Castle Spulzeer Argarath 9544
The Forgotten Terror Argarath 9531
752
The Carnival Mists 11382
Nice list, ehb. ;)
Anyways, one more question: How does Ravenloft compare to Heroes of Horror, if it does at all?
Thanks again,
WaterdhavianFlapjack
Nice list, ehb. ;)
Anyways, one more question: How does Ravenloft compare to Heroes of Horror, if it does at all?
Thanks again,
WaterdhavianFlapjack
My brother picked up Heroes of Horror yesterday and I would have to say that it promotes many of the same ideals as Ravenloft does, however, I think it's purpose is to help you infuse a more horrific, fear-inducing flavor into any existing campaign or adventure. If you are playing in the Ravenloft setting you have specific localities, chronology and NPC's that plunge your PC's into the darkness. They can't help but be immersed in it because there is no way to escape it.
If you simply wish to inject some horror or create a more "horrific" setting within your own game, then Heroes of Horror is a well written and highly useful book.
However, I think that if you already own the Ravenloft DMG (not so much the Ravenloft PHB) then Heroes of Horror will feel painfully redundant. (As it did for me). As someone who has been running Ravenloft since the first boxset, Heroes of Horror wasn't needed.
Still, a very well made book and high quality.