A review of WotC D20 books for Ravenloft …

In this column, I will review WotC D20 products, in order to pinpoint what can be salvaged for a Ravenloft DM, as presented or with modifications. I will start with WotC’s products, but soon I could move to other publishers as well. You can buy the WotC products online on their site. Since the Ravenloft line is having a slowdown these days, it might be worthwhile to check the main D&D line for inspiration. For Ravenloft, products, the reviews are found here. The D&D universe is aimed at high fantasy and extravagant magic, so most other non-Ravenloft books need lots of pruning before using them in the Plane of Dread. These opinions are IMHO, and I do not pretend to present the only possibilities, but I sincerely hope to provide interesting ideas. This column will grow with time! If you want your comments on a D20 book to be posted here as well, send them to me at Joel@FraternityOfShadows.com.

Regards,

Joël Paquin

Year 2008

Year 2000

Players Handbook (Core book, 3.0 or 3.5) Usefulness for Ravenloft: absolutely unavoidable, as you need these books to play Ravenloft!

As an additional information, a ** indicated that thecreature has been covered by one of the VRG as I write this. This is a goodindication that they should have the highest potential in Ravenloft.

	Allip
	Assassin Vine
	Dire animal (bat, rat and wolf being the most common)
	Demon and Devil ** (but they should be very rare IMHO. I often think fiends have been overused in Ravenloft, considering it’s a low magic (and low level) D&D setting)
	Doppelganger
	Dwarf, elf, halfling and gnome, as PC and NPC
	Ghost **
	Ghoul **
	Golem **
	Hag (and Night Hag) **
	Lich **
	Lycanthrope **
	Mind Flayer (mostly limited to one domain, very rarelyencountered)
	Mummy **
	Owl, Giant
	Rakshasa (mostly limited to one domain - very rarelyencountered elsewhere, if ever)
	Shadow **
	Skeleton **
	Spectre **
	Swarm (of bat or rat being the most common)
	Vampire **
	Vampire Spawn **
	Wight **
	Winter Wolf
	Wraith **
	Zombie **
	Chapter 2: animals (all of it, according to the domainclimate)
	Chapter 3: vermin (mostly centipede, wasp, scorpion,spider)

The next list of monsters are somewhat outside on theperipheral of classic ‘gothic-ness’, but with a good background and adaptation,these could be inserted in a RL campaign.

My advice: use each of them only once and do not over usethis list. In Ravenloft, these should be unique!

	Animated Objects
	Bodak
	Carrion Crawler
	Dryad (fey)
	Gargoyle
	Harpy
	Hell Hound
	Medusa
	Mephit
	Nightmare
	Nymph
	Ogre
	Orc
	Sahuagin (see the Draga Salt-Biter entry in Islands ofTerror)
	Satyr
	Shadow Mastiff
	Shambling Mound
	Sprite
	Tarrasque (we had to include it in this list, since thatinfamous Black Box reference! OK, I guess most DMs would never use the Tarrasquein Ravenloft – a monster way too fantasy and powerful, but a cult revering itand trying to summon or awaken a Tarrasque on the Core, in some kind ofLovecraftian cult ways, perhaps ...)
	Treant
	Unicorn

It is followed by ‘Creating your personal history’, a guideon developing background information about your character’s life before becomingan adventurer: type of home, type of family (social position, ethics,reputation, ancestors, etc.), instruction, life events (childhood and youthevents), and current relationships (parents, friends, etc.). The book suggestsrolling it randomly through tables, but I suggest browsing in the tables insteadfor ideas, in order to make something more suited to you.

The end lists many names possibilities for characters, apossible addition to the Gaz’s suggested lists.

New prestige class – the most interesting for RL are:Devoted Defender (a personal guardian, very interesting idea here for NPCprotecting a darklord (Nostalia or other?)), Drunken masters (for monks),Duelist (interesting option for high cultural domains), Master of Chains (a fewacolytes to François de Pénible?), Master Samurai and Ninja of the Crescent Moon(for oriental domains flavor), Ravager (a sort of dangerous berserker lookingfor chaos, pain and death. A fiendish darklord could have a few of these asshock troops, or simply to spread terror through the land of neighbors … On thisidea, read also the ‘Ravagers’ organization on p 50).

A list of combat tricks follows the book, with new itemsfor combat. The end of the book provides sample plans for variousdefense places, such as a Lighthouse Keep, a dwarven or gnomish defense, etc.

Those are:

	Banedead (Undead, CR 3) – created from fanaticalworshippers of evil deity. A good way to recycle cool but defeated villains.
	Baneguard (Undead, CR 2) – skeletons as skilled warriorsand guardians of a place
	Bat, Bonebat (Undead familiar and messenger, CR 2); NightHunter (giant bat, CR 1), Sinister (a LN intelligent bat, looking like a MantaRay. CR 3. Could be an interesting temporary adventure companion, guide, or hintprovider? ).
	Chitine (Monstrous Humanoid, spider-like, CR 1), somewhathigh-fantasy but creepy. Originally created by drows, evil fleshcrafters from RLcould create Chitine? A possible variant of the RL broken ones.
	Crawling Claw (Construct, CR 1/3), the Adams family‘Thing’-like creature
	Darktree (Plant, CR 7), an evil treant-like creature
	Doppelganger, Greater (Shapechanger, CR 12, quite tough),absorbs it’s victim’s knowledge
	Dread Warrior (Undead, CR 3), fighters turned undeadquickly by wizards of Thay, so they keep some of their former intelligence andfighting skills.
	Green Warder (Plant, CR 4), while closer to a fey to me asthey are humanoid. Guardian of forests.
	Meazel (Monstrous Humanoid, CR 4), to update Salizarr from2nd ed. MCII
	Spectral Panthers (Magical Beast, CR 4), for Valachan ?
	Spider, Hairy (Vermin, CR 1/2); Sword Spider
	Unicorn, Black (Magical Beast, CR 3), evil beasts
	Template – Curst (for humanoid trapped by a curse that willnot let them die)
	Template – Ghost (and variant powers from the MM ghostentry)
	Template – Lich (and variant powers from the MM lich entry)
	Template – Lich, good
	Template – Lycanthrope, werebat (Monette!), werecrocodile,wereshark
	Template – Revenant, the undead wanting to avenge its death

Year 2001

Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting (WotC, #11836, 2001) (Usefulness for Ravenloft: very low, as FR is generallyseen as the antithesis of the type of game that is the Plane of Dread ) Prestige class: Shadow adept (p. 52) – a possible variantfor the RL Fraternity of Shadows.

New spells(p. 66+): Claws of Darkness (turn one hand to ashadowy claw), Cloak of Dark Power (protect the subject from the light of thesun), Flensing (strip the flesh from a victim. Power Check I guess)

New monster: Dracolich (p. 310; Undead dragon, as aone-shot option for higher level campaigns). Template – Shade (p. 314; Possibleuse with Fey or the Plane of Shadows)

Trivia: The current remains of Castle Spulzeer (from the2nd edition FR-RL crossover adventure of the same name) are discussed in the 3EForgotten Realms campaign setting book, ‘Running the Realms’ chapter, in the‘Known dungeons of faerun’ section (page 293).

Ch 2, ‘Churches and organizations’ describes variousreligious organization and hierarchies. Useful to develop any church. On page40, the House of Death is an interesting organization of morticians turningundead hunter by night.

Ch 3 is about prestige classes. We have enough already forRL, so I won’t comment these PRCs :) OK, OK, some could make interesting NPCs –Divine Oracle, Master of Shrouds (evil spellcaster who magically seizesincorporeal undead and sets them to do their bidding).

Ch 4: Some interesting spells could be found in Ravenloft:

	Beastmask (Disguises the target so that an animal orbeast will believe the creature is a natural or dire animal)
	Brambles (for Forlorn druids perhaps: small magicalthorns or spikes protrude from the surface of a wooden weapon, such as a club, greatclub, etc.)
	Curse of Lycanthropy (cause temporary lycanthropy in ahumanoid by touch attack. Effect of this spell broken by remove curse orsimilar. This spell can make PCs freak out in RL!)
	Maddening Scream (Cause the subject to scream, gibber,and leap about as though completely mad)
	Plague of Rats (Summon a swarm of dire rats to attacksall other creatures within a 20 foot, causing damage and spreading filth fever)

Ch 3 – PrCs. Mostly designed for fantasy settings...However: Candle Caster could make an interesting NPC, with the VRA candles.Elemental Savant could make an interesting evil RL NPC, if the class is adaptedto RL elementals. Mindbenders could make interesting PRCs for d’Honaire or theBrain.

Two classes are interesting for RL villains: Pale Master (amage taking powers from undead), and True Necromancer (the classic ‘first, Ikill you’ evil necromancer)

Ch 4 – Tools of the Trade. Very interesting alchemicalitems, like disappearing ink, glowpowder, healing salve, scentbreaker powder,etc. A good complement to the VRA’s items. Follows a discussion on creation ofmagic items costs.

Ch 5 – spells. Discussion on spell research. Someinteresting new necromantic spells: Choke (a pair of hand strangle your target),Command Undead, Corpse Candle (interesting and creepy detection device),Disguise Undead.

	Death Armor (surround yourself with negative energy)
	Another version of Disguise Undead (from Tome and Blood)
	Ghostharp
	Haunting Tune (cause deep depression)
	Infestation of maggots (on a target, quite creepy)
	Reveille (ask a dead person what caused its death)
	The weird Revenance spell (you make a slain ally to comeback to life for one round per level, and resume fighting ?)
	Shroud of Undeath (undead think you are one of them)
	Skeletal guards
	Summon Undead I, II, III, IV and V
	Undead Lieutenant (empower one undead to command others).
	Many of these would need power checks by the way.
	Magic item: Oil of Animate Dead
	Appendix: Spectral mage template – for mage dead andbrought back as ghost, willingly or not.

However, the ‘A Druid’s Grove’ web enhancement is a goodread for any DM looking to enhance his Forlorn experience. You can get it here.

Appendix – the shadow template can be used to createinteresting shadow-type monsters, with or without conjunction with theRavenloft Plane of Shadows article (USS 03).

Appendix: Region of dreams could represent a discussionstart for the Nightmare Lands mechanics in third edition.

While high fantasy, the Mind Flayer assassin would be agreat villain’s tool (the Brain’s most trusted assassin?).

Chapter 2 – Religion. Details various religious (orrevolving around a church) NPCs. Most are high fantasy gods worshipers, andbecause of that, of low interest to RL.

Chapter 3 – Mages. High fantasy stuff. While interestingread, not really useable in RL.

Chapter 4 – the law. Various fantasy law enforcers.

Chapter 5 – Adventurers. Most are unusable as they wouldlook ridiculous in RL.

The oriental domains of I'Cath, RokushimaTaiyoo mainly, but also Sri Raji perhaps could benefit from this book. However, the trap is to keep a gothic-like atmosphere inthese domains, as they are primarily Ravenloft domains, and secondarily fantasyOriental domains. To add too many fantasy details could make it less interestingin a Ravenloft campaign (the Oriental basic classes or races, for example).Also, the feats are also mainly for combat. Be careful not to add anything thatcontradicts Ravenloft rules.

Some PrC could be interesting in RL - Shapeshifters (ifadapted with RLish shapes, like ghosts instead of spirits, etc.), Ninja ofcourse, Shadow Scout, Singh Rager (other type of shapeshifter, could be alycanthropic Order), Witch Hunter being quite cool (powered down of course). Themartial arts can surprise PCs! There are interesting spells in a Ravenloftcontext (Ancestral Vengeance, Ghost Light, Know the Shadows, the Lesser Spiritspells, are the ones that struck me).

New monsters: Bajang (an evil fey), the cool Bog Hag (wearstheir victim’s skin!), Buso Tigbanua (ghoul family undead), Dokufu (shapechangerthat implants eggs in humans. An Alien-like adventure, anyone ?), Gaki (undeadspirits), oriental ghosts, Hebi-no-Onna (option to the RL version), Hoppingvampires, Pennaggolan (yep, the gutsy undead), Yuki-on-na (an Oriental Icequeen).

The WE, Mahasarpa, is good read too for Asian domains.

Chapter 2 is on skills and feats. It starts with aninteresting discussion on poison, for your favourite ermordenung. A usefuldiscussion on traps follows. It ends with new feats that are more interestingthen many found in RL books. Most are not too much powered.

Chapter 3 – Bards and Rogue Equipment. This chapter startswith bard tools, a very good read on musical instruments. A box on ‘undeadbards’ is quite cool and can generate many ideas. Follows is a list of thievesitems, some quite well thought.

Chapter 4 is on organisations – thieves and assassinsguild, spy network, smugglers, etc. It is of limited interest in RL. However,the bardic organisations can generate good ideas for your campaign when bardsare involved.

Chapter 5 – you and the world around you, is a gooddiscussion on role playing rogues and bards.

Chapter 6 – new spells for assassins and bards. Nice ideasbut nothing to write your undead grandmother in Darkon.

The WE of this book, a bardic adventure “The Hand of theHighwayman”, can be adapted to Ravenloft (Kartakass).

Year 2002

Chapter 2 starts with Handle Animal skill discussion. It isfollowed by new feats, but all are related to nature.

Chapter 3 presents new items – new weapons (of whichblowguns and nagaika – whips with glass studded in it) and new magical items(arrow of cure light wounds? Gives a cure instead of damage. Effective on undead!).It continues on Infusions (druidic divine spells stored in a special treatedherb – interesting option on druidic alchemistry)

Chapter 4 is a discussion on animal companions. Of course,in Ravenloft animal companions are not always as trusty as in other settings. Italso includes statistics for new dire animals (Dire Toad, Dire Hawk, Dire Snake,Dire Horse, Dire Elk, Dire Elephant

Chapter 5 - PrCs: Animal Lord (odd sort of druidic wildshape ability, bonding with an animal type ex: wolf, dolphin, etc.), Bane ofInfidels (xenophobic caster who increase its power by sacrificing humanoids hethinks are infidels. Possibly interesting class for Inquisitionwarriors-clerics), the Blighter (druids disconnected from nature, now seeking todestroy it. Cool powers such as speak with dead animals and undead wild shape,animate dead animals, etc. Very interesting potential Ravenloftish villainshere!), Foe Hunter (pursuing endlessly his dedicated enemy, ever saw thatsomewhere?), Tamer of Beasts (Willard, anyone? Or for a Richemulot wererat? Or aValachan panther tamer?) and other prestige classes.

Chapter 6 is for new divine spells. Some have horrorpotential:

	Darkseed (Slow-kills plants)
	Fire Eyes (You see through natural fire, smoke, and fog)
	Scarecrow (Animal becomes shaken)
	Creeping Cold (Deals progressive damage from cold – Jezraoption?)
	Decomposition (Wounded creatures suffer 1 extra hp/round)
	Countermoon (Stops lycanthropic shapechanging for 12 hours)
	Blight (Deals ld6/level to a plant creature, or blights a100-ft . spread)
	Miasma (Gas cloud suffocates target)
	Kiss of Death (Creates reusable poison, delivered by touchattack)
	Contagious Touch (Infects one touched creature/round withchosen disease).

This book too has a WE called ‘A Druid’s Grove’. Well madeand informative.

The Pharaonic pantheon could help enrich a campaign in theAmber Wastes (Osiris, Set, etc. and Sobek (a croc god) for the Wildlands). It isfollowed by monsters: Minions of Set, and a greater Mummy template.

A few spells in appendix: Armor of Blackness, Blacklight,Touch of Madness, Undeath to Death

Chapter 3: Strongholds in the campaign. Building itadventure hooks, running a stronghold, protecting it, assaulting a stronghold

Chapter 4: Example Strongholds. With maps and details. Highfantasy keeps for most. The “Cheap keep” could be a good map for Ravenloft.

There is a note on fighting in cramped quarters (pp. 10)and “playing monster smarter then you” on pp. 68.

	“Watery grave” (EL5) is a sea hag’s lair.
	“All of the treasures, none of the trap” (EL 6) is quitewicked J
	“An object lesson” (EL 7) is using many animated objects.

	Ash Rats (CR1, annoying pest rats that dwells in flames)
	Banshee (CR 17 (!), but not the Ravenloft type. It’s a 169hp monster. They have interesting powers, but they seem like a cross between abanshee and an evil nature fey. Odd)
	Boggle (CR3, a second ed monster made to 3e. think Golum –sneaky humanoid that likes to steal)
	Bone naga (CR 11, an evil undead naga. Highly intelligent,poisonous and telepathic monster. Aberration that could be used once, not unlikean aboleth)
	Catoblepas (CR 6, ok, not Ravenloftish, but cool uglymonster)
	Chains golem (CR 5, created by kytons. Good potential forgothic monster)
	Corpse gatherer (CR 19 (!), ridiculous gargantuan animatedgraveyard, 195 hp. Subtle as an elephant in a cramped pottery store)
	Crimson Death (CR 11, a blood drinking spirit undead, livesin marsh and loves fog)
	Deathbringer (CR 17. see Corpse Gatherer. Leader of undeadarmies)
	Effigy (CR 17, spirit that steals body, but its hatredmakes it flaming after some time)
	Famine Spirit (CR 19, another ridiculously strong (200+ hp)undead. However, scale it down and it can be an interesting ghoul lord or ghoulsubtype. The closest thing to the Glutton of G’Henna perhaps)
	Fihyr (CR 3, a weird aberration monster, feading on fear.Could be used once too*)
	Golem – stained glass (CR 5)
	Grave crawler (CR 16, a 162 hp slug-like undead, turningflesh to stone. Sure! Gimme a case!!)
	Ixitxachitl (CR 3, for the vampiric type. Even if avampiric ixixatxikxatichitichtictl (sp?) was featured in CotNV, I’m not reallysure it fits…)
	Jahi (CR 16, weird tiny undead snake-like spirit, feedingoff the charisma of thos it dominates into doing “hedonistic” activities. Oddbut could be the start of an adventure in the sophisticated, decadent domains)
	Legendary animals (CR 6-10, animals of great powers. Ideasfor the wildlands?)
	Meenlock (CR 3, horrible humanoids that were once humans orhalfling)
	Moonrat (CR ¼, interesting critter: those are ordinary ratsthat get intelligent and dangerous under moon light – they get organized, makeplans, etc. Oh? You suspected wererats? Think again!)
	Raggamoffyn (!) (CR 1-3, weird construct that animates whena magic object is thrown in the refuse with other ordinary objects. Odd but coolidea, IMHO)
	Spawn of Kyuss (CR 5, the 2e monster from Greyhawk,multiplying by its worm infecting its victims. Yuck)
	Yugoloth (for our fav’ dog headed demon. CR 17. Perhapsideas here to modify the Gaz I entry)
	Template: Death Knight
	Template: Half-golem (yep…). For those interested, one ofthe two web enhancements of this book develops more on the half-golem idea.
	Template: Spellstitched (undead infused with spell castingabilities. Interesting idea to suit a chosen minion)

* When I say “can be used once” or rarely, I mean these aremonsters usually far from the typical fare of Ravenloft monsters. They are notgothic monsters, but have a great horror potential. For a typical Ravenloftcampaign, I’d recommend the use of aberration type monster very rarely.

Chapter one - Defining evil: This section is really greaton defining evil and evil acts, as it can help define a background for avillain. Follows is a section on fetishes and addictions(cannibalism, masochism, self-mutilation, sadism, psychopathy, necrophilia andbestiality). The chapters end with a “Creating Villains” text, which isgreat to enrich a villain background. In the example villains, one is the DreadEmperor (a dreadful blackguard-like that chains children to his plate) The chapter sets the tone by discussing topics that weregenerally avoided by TSR/WotC, like rape, drugs, sexual fetishes, etc. It isquite courageous as D&D before that always fought against a bad image in thepress and the public in general. I think it is a good idea that D&D assumes itself andfinally explores an optional fantasy evil facet in details.

Chapter two – variant rules: A great chapter exploringPossession (variant ways to DM possession, and how to “use” a possessedcharacter), Sacrifices (rewards to the priest making sacrifices), Curses (veryinfluenced by Ravenloft – dying curses, family curses, etc.), Diseases (some arevery nasty and awful!), Other ideas around evilness (Dark Speech, Pain, Hivemind,Vile damage, evil weather (a rain of frogs? Hey, a great RL idea J ) Many Ravenloft hooks in this chapter, to tailor your nextvillain.

Chapter three – evil equipment: It starts with torturedevices (ever wondered what is the damage of an Iron Maiden?), executionequipment (hanging rope damage, for ex.), new traps for armor and equipment andalchemical horrors. The chapter continues with drugs. What makes this book veryoriginal is that none of the proposed drugs are copied from our real world. Theyare high fantasy drugs, with no parallel at all with real drugs. So I think thebook avoided criticism here by making it great and innovative. I could see wellthe vistani manufacturing some of these to addicted clients. Or used in a plothook where the PCs should try a drug to have a vision on a specific problem. Then the chapter continues with poison, and evil spellsmaterial components.

Chapter four – feats: For evil NPCs, perhaps. That part isa little weak, IMHO.

Chapter five – PrCs: OK, starting with this chapter, we areleaving the Ravenloft possibilities. The PrCs presented are mostly orientedtoward demons and fiends.Some good ideas includes the Cancer mage (a wizardspreading diseases), the Lifedrinker (a PrC for vampires!), Vermin Lord, Warriorof darkness.

Chapter six – evil spells and items: The largest chapter inthe book. Often gory, high fantasy, or touching demonic magic. I don’t see manywith potential for Ravenloft. The evil items are also high fantasy and mostlygory.

Chapter seven – Lords of Evil: Demons stat. This chapter isoften quite vile J

Chapter eight – evil monsters: Very oriented toward demonsand devils. The chapter provides stats for Eye of Fear and Flame and for Vilewights (for those who played too much with the black arts). Some templatesfollows: Bone Creature and Corpse Creature (to create intelligent skeletons andzombies) and Corrupted Creatures (ex: corrupted wolf).

Year 2003

Chapter two – adventuring gears. Nice ideas for NPC or PCadventuring supplies. Very good addition to the list in the PHB or the RL3ebook.

The “special and superior items” section containsalchemical items, but they should be rare in RL. A RL DM should prune this list(candle of focusing, and candle of resting, ghostoil (makes a weaponincorporeal), gravebane (repulsive to undead) are good additions).

The list of poisons is a page long: it’s a must for poisonreference.

Chapter three – vehicles. Everything you always wanted toknow with D&D vehicles – naval, air borne or on ground. Basic stats and ways todrive them for each.

Anybody building a zeppelin in Falkovnia?

Chapter four – hirelings and creatures. Discussion onguilds and cost to hire a craft specialist. Buying spell casting? Mercenaries?Exotic mounts? Less useful in RL.

Chapter five – magic items. Long list of mostly highlypowerful magical items, except a few that caught my attention: arrow of eyes(see through an eye on an arrow), bolts of voice (put an annoying voice insidethe target), claws of the leopard (grants animal abilities), mace of unlife(evil item).

Chapter six – special magical items. Ways to createintelligent magical items, including cursed magical items and artefacts. Highfantasy.

	Bhut (CR 9, corpse stealing undead)
	Caryatid Column (CR 6, the pilar changing to construct)
	Chwidencha (CR 9, monster from the abyss, but creepy spidercreature that could be adapted to RL)
	Crypt Thing (CR 3, the undead from 1e Fiend Folio thatloves to teleport defilers)
	Huecuva (CR 7, another 1e FF update. Huecuvas are undeadcreated from clerics that failed their vows. It is a template)
	Hullathoin (a CR 15 lizard-like monster, creating undeadminions to protect it. That it an undead eludes me, it’s more like an aberrationto me)
	Iron Cobra (CR 2, snake construct,
	Jackalwere (CR 2)
	Kelpie (CR 10, aquatic fey, chaotic evil)
	Necrophidius (CR 2, another snake like construct. This oneis undead looking)
	Shadow Asp (CR 1)
	Swarm (CR various, according to creature. Good ones arePlague Ant, Locust Swarms, Scarab Beetle, Viper, Wasp)
	Sword Wraith (CR 7, undead of mercenaries
	Wendigo (CR 6, evil cold fey template, chaotic evil)
	Wicker Man (CR 11, construct mad of small branches
	Yellow musk creeper (CR 4, a plant creatingplant-controlled zombies, with template to create the zombies)
	Appendix two is about grafts and symbionts. For the nextnecromancer in town, select some undead grafts. The symbionts are things thatattach to their host and gives them benefits and try influencing the host.

Chapter two: Prestige Classes. Of the fantasy list, somehave horror potential: Black Flame Zealots (assassins), Runescarred Berserkers(weird barbarians with magic sigils on them. For spicing up the Forlorn goblins? Vorostokov?), Talontar Blightlord (evil priest dealing with poison,corruption, disease, and undead), Thayan Slaver (for Hazlan, perhaps),

Chapter three: Regions and feats. Forget this chapter forRavenloft.

Chapter four: Magic and spells.

	Animate Dread Warrior (a Dread Warrior is a dead skilledwarrior brought back to serve)
	Nybor’s Gentle Reminder, and Nybor’s Stern Reproof (tocontrol slaves – Hazlan)

Chapter five: magic item. High fantasy, one of them beingthe Thayan Bombard (Hazlik should have one!)

Chapter six: monsters of the East.

	Blightspawned (CR9, corrupted treant)
	Dread Warrior (CR2, undead warrior)
	Hag – bheur (CR9, a cold dwelling hag), shrieking hag(CR10), hagspawn (template)
	Juju zombie (template, thougher zombie, that still has someintelligence)

Chapter seven and later focuse on developing the ForgottenRealm (Adventuring in the East), eight (Aglarond), nine (the great Dale), ten (Rashemen),twelve (Thesk), and thirteen: the Border Areas

Chapter eleven describes Thay. An Hazlan maniac couldread this to enrich the already great stuff of Gazetteer One (or to make a listof Thay things that annoy Hazlik)

They are not monstrous manual ghost, but players in anotherstate. While you are a ghost, you gain level in eidolon (formerlyfighting classes) or eidoloncer (formerly spell casters). When you have morelevels in these classes compared to the classes you had when you were living,you succumb to the Calling and are sucked to the Land of the Dead.

For Ravenloft, it could be an option for some PCs (or NPCs):they stay around for a time as ghost, until their quest is finished, or they arebrought back to life. Or perhaps a domain could have Ghostwalk traits? A domainwhere the dead stays around for a moment? A new domain or Mordent, perhaps? Mixit with real monstrous manual ghosts and one would need discernment to interactwith corporeal NPCs...

Some of the Ghosts Traits can be used in Ravenloft for“regular” ghosts, as they can give ideas to enrich a description, background orghost habits. An interesting discussion on possession and ghost powers follows. A long list of new feats are cool for ghosts (Agony Touch –drain ability, Control Visage – shape changer, Corpse Malevolence – possess acorpse and haunt it; etc.). Many of these feats can make interesting abilitiesfor monstrous manual ghosts. Some magic items could be used in Ravenloft (those weaponshaving an effect on incorporeal beings, etc.). They should be rare, of course.

New spells are also presented:

	Bonerattle (affect anything with bones)
	Detect ghost (good idea, but it should be rare and shorterthen 1 minute / level)
	Disguise Undead (shape changing on undead)
	Dispel possession (force a possessor to exit the possessedbody)
	General of Undeath (more hit dice are controlled)
	Ghost Companion (a new state for you familiar?)
	Ghost Touch Armor (against incorporeal beings)
	Ghost venom (poison against incorporeal)
	Incorporeal Disharmonics (bards music against incorporeal)
	Nightmare Lullaby (put your target in a surreal state,thinking he is in a nightmare)
	Pleasant Visage (disguise the apparent wound of a ghostappearance)
	Protection from possession
	Shroud of Undeath (you pass as an undead among other undead)
	Undeath to death (snuff unlife out of undead)
	Wall of ectoplasm (a wall against incorporeal)

Magic items: Bonecrusher arrows (undead bane), Mace ofUndead Prowess (raise the level for rebuking or commanding undead), but most arevery high fantasy.

Chapter two(The City of Manifest – the city got its namebecause dead people souls can “manifest” their presence and interact with thelivings), three (Ghostwalk Campaign), four (Countries) and six (adventures) canbe useful to design an eventual ghostwalk domain. Some parts can be turned togothic with adaptation (the entrance to the Land of the Dead, Mortician Guild,etc.). Ghostwalk is however very high fantasy material (lots of dwarven magic,dungeon crawls, yuan-ti and many fantasy monsters, magic sewers, etc.)

Chapter five: Monsters

	Bonesinger (template for undead evil bards)
	Dread Ram (CR 3 monstrosity. Cool drawing, by the way)
	Ghost template (for Ghostwalk ghost beings)
	Mumia (template, a variant of mummy)
	Necroplasm (CR3, ooze-like undead)
	Spectral Steed (CR3 undead horses, cool drawing too. Thebite level drain effect is cheesy but it could be replaced by something elsemore fitting to RL)
	Undead Martyr (CR 2 animated corpse/spirit that stillprotects someone it protected in life)
	WE: new monsters
	Blood ghoul (template for humans temporarily altered toghoul-like beings by drinking vampire blood. They serve the vampire)

After this date, all books are 3.5

A few mentions of Soth are made in the book:

	On page 158, in the Nightlund area description:
	On page 203, in the DL time line:
	On page 212, Soth’s song accompanies the Death Knighttemplate:

Web enhancement: just a note that a very detailed color mapof the setting has been released as a web enhancement. It’s an 8 page map thatneeds to be scotched together. Nice idea, isn’t it?

Chapter two– Variant Rules. The chapter discussesinteresting goodness topics, like exorcism, heroic sacrifice and martyrdom,mercy and prisoners (an often difficult question), Tithes and religiousofferings, etc.

One great part is about voluntary poverty, and benefits ofpoverty. This has a great potential for Ravenloft characters.

Chapter three– Exalted Equipments: sanctified weapons,non-lethal weapons, ravages (strange substances that damages evil character,like a poison), relics (interesting items, not too powerful. I wonder howeverhow to adapt these items to Ravenloft as there are very few saints…)

Chapter four – Feats. Most of the feats could be used by Ravenloft PCs or NPCs (ex: Non-Lethal substitution – change lethal damage of aspell to non-lethal)

Sacred vows and the ones that are linked to it are goodRavenloft choices: vow of abstinence, vow of chastity, vow of non-violence (forTara Kolyana), of obedience, of peace, of poverty, of purity.

Some are very powerful for Ravenloft however and should betones down (ex: Exalted Turning – deal 3d6 damage to turned undead? Toopowerful)

Chapter five– Prestige Classes.

Odd fantasy classes, mostly related to good angels-likepowers, in opposite to the demon-oriented PrC of the Book of Vile Darkness. Someare interesting for NPCs:

	Apostle of Peace (interesting PrC, with pacifying touch andcensure fiends ability)
	Risen Martyr (you come back after an horrible death tofinish a task or follow a cause. You’re not undead, just back ;) )
	Swanmay (females sworn to protect the nature against evil)

Chapter six– Magic. Most spells are high fantasy and verypowerful, ex: Last Judgement (reciting a list of the target’s deed, you calldown the judgement of the heavens upon it), Unheartly Beauty (one people lookingat you get a save or die), or 40d6 damaging spells…

A few have potential in Ravenloft IMHO: Ease Pain, Glory ofthe Martyr (make a bond with another person: you get the damage that personreceive), Moment of Clarity (get a second save against mind affecting spells),Rain of Roses (that scratches evil flesh only), Remove addictions, SilveredClaws (make you silver claws, druid 1).

It is followed by fantasy magic items (redeemed unholysword?). Some items could suit well a Ravenloft paragon of good, like Eia Pax orothers – enfeebling or paralysing weapons, for example.

Chapter seven – Celestial Paragons. New celestials. Goodread, well made and designed for most, but useless in Ravenloft.

Chapter eight – Monsters.

Mostly about new celestials or good creatures from thePlanescape setting (eladrin, archon, etc).

	New type: Deathless (those dead that are still good and notundead. It’s a cross between a good undead and living creatures. Very Odd),exemples: Crypt warden (protect tombs), Sacred Watcher (died while protectingsomeone)
	Aleax (the creature punishing you by being a double of youthat you have to fight)
	Saint (a warrior with celestials powers)
	Sanctified creature (an evil creature turned good, ex: reddragon)
	Swarm – odd stuff like apocalypse frogs, locusts,deathraven, sunfly

Underdark (Forgotten realms) (WotC, # 88581, October 2003) (Usefulness for Ravenloft: not at all, it is highly fantasyand only applicable to FR: drows, kuo-tua and underdark stuff. There areillithids, but on the fantasy side, and none at all horror) A PrC, the Vermin Keeper could make an interesting villain,if we see his effects long before meeting him. A few monster are interesting: All-consuming Hunger (an oddmass of body parts), stats for an illithid Elder Brain, Giant Maggot, IneffableHorror (a Cthulhu-like horror), an illithilich (p. 136)

Year 2005

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