Quoth the Raven #32 Reaction Thread

[Rock of the Fraternity]

A Darkness Falls
by Mark "Rock of the Fraternity" Bartels

This story is brutal and ugly, but I mean that as a description, not a criticism. The brutality and ugliness are intentional. The story is set after an apocalypse. It ain't gonna offer much sunshine and light.

Even so, there is a surprising amount of humanity in the story, both our weaknesses and our virtues. Some of the scenes between Janie and Dona are unexpectedly poignant, but don't get sucked too far into sympathy for them. Don't forget what evils Janie has committed.

I enjoyed the pop culture reference behind the Society of the Wandering Eye. I liked the use of a classic Ravenloft monster whose reveal I did not anticipate, even when its signifier was clearly declared.

I can't say that I liked this story. It was too brutal and ugly for that. But I feel it was effectively told and well worth reading.

Thank you.
I tried something different this time from what I normally write, how I normally write. In that, I think - hope - I succeeded.
Thank you for saying it was worth reading. ^_^
And yes. Janie is a monster. Whether she's an irredeemable monster... that is a tale for another time.

[IanFordam]

Thank you.
I tried something different this time from what I normally write, how I normally write. In that, I think - hope - I succeeded.

An experiment does not need to be successful to be valuable, but even so, I think this one succeeds.

Thank you for saying it was worth reading. ^_^

Well, I feel it was!

And yes. Janie is a monster. Whether she's an irredeemable monster... that is a tale for another time.

In which case I'll be curious to read the tale.

[Jeremy16]

FALKOVNIA: LAND OF MILITARISM AND TYRANNY

While this article feels like the 3rd or 4th standard re-imagining of Vlad's domain I do appreciate Mistmaster's attempt at making it feel like a real nation instead of a one-note “Nazis are bad” kind of place. I think this domain would definitely benefit from more nuance, because as it stands now (at least since 3rd edition) it's either a place where PCs are forced to constantly fight against the state or else outright avoid it in their travels.

As for the Famous and Infamous section, this may be a sacrilegious take but there are way too many NPCs here - I count 46 in total!. Is that more than usual? :: checks previous QTR articles :: So, in MM's Barovia entry I counted only 36. (I figure both domains are equitable regarding size and importance.) So, yes, I'd say it is a bit excessive. All the backstories and DPs blend together after a while.

The only NPC that really stands out for me is Dargin Warhammer, as I like the key role he plays in both Vlad's and Gondegal's backstories.

As far as factions and organizations go, I really liked the different levels of the Ubermensch Projekt and adding the Talons under this category as well. It's a neat consolidation of the various Super Soldier programs fans have elaborated on over the years and can easily be translated into a more “traditional” Ravenloft setting.

I really like tying Gondegal's backstory so closely with Vlad's. This is something that I think should have been done all the way back with their Black Box's introductions. Their rivalry gives off an Arthur and Lancelot kind of vibe. (As an aside, I never liked making Gondegal the leader of the Knights of the Shadows, as to me that group has no clear ties to his usual base of operations in Falkovnia.)

As for the darklord himself, I felt like his Act of Ultimate Evil could be elaborated on further. It is unclear how Vlad staging a coup resulted in him losing most of his family. Was it the betrayal of his lifelong friend that doomed him to darklordship? In comparison Strahd made a pact with the devil, killed his younger brother, and attempted to take that brother's bride for his own. I get that the theme here is more about betrayal and blind ambition, but I would have liked to seen more of what Vlad had to lose from this deal.

Vlad's new curse, however, is truly excellent; it allows him to savor some victories for a change but almost immediately feel them turn into ash in his mouth. The force borders special ability is a neat trick, too, and I like the limitation put in place for it.

[Mistmaster]

Thanks for the feedback, about the the NPCs, I probably exaggerated detailing all of Drakov cabinet. I could have quoted some of them in other references. Manyof the NPCs, though, were used to add something ro Falkovnia itself.
About Drakov act of ultimate darkness, he killed his own sister and nephews in the coup and caused his own wife death, as Drakov married Gondegal sister, and Gondegal married Drakov's.

[Jeremy16]

Thanks for the feedback, about the the NPCs, I probably exaggerated detailing all of Drakov cabinet. I could have quoted some of them in other references. Manyof the NPCs, though, were used to add something ro Falkovnia itself.
About Drakov act of ultimate darkness, he killed his own sister and nephews in the coup and caused his own wife death, as Drakov married Gondegal sister, and Gondegal married Drakov's.

Hmm... I didn't pick up that detail on my read thru. Good to know!

[Jeremy16]

HERESY, HETERODOXY, AND HETEROPRAXY


This is a modest article (compared to the vast world building going on elsewhere), but really well done. I'm always in favor of anything that adds more nuance to the religions of Ravenloft.

I love the definitions that were given up front and the matter of fact presentation. It really feels like I'm peering over the shoulder of the author while he pores over esoteric tomes.

The various factions that were outlined, while not really gimmicky, are very believable. (It really goes to show that the slightest deviation can lead to a vastly different outlook on things.)

Another interesting aspect is the framework for dealing with heretics of all different faiths. It's good to see that there are more moderate approaches to such trespasses instead of the knee jerk witch burning of the Tepestani Inquisition.

Like others, I love the exploration of the growing rift between the Hazlani and Nova Vaasan versions of the Iron Faith.

The only complaint I have is the glaring lack of information on one of the core's major religions – The Eternal Order. And, some sadistic part of me wants to see what heretics of the Wolf God could possibly preach (perhap a peaceful co-existence with the hairless apes?) and what sanctions would be brought down upon them!

[Tonitrus]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback! When people are playtesting stuff for me, I have a policy to never say anything until everyone's done giving feedback, so that my commentary doesn't inadvertently disrupt feedback I might otherwise receive. It seems wise to continue that policy here, so I'll avoid commenting further for now.

Anyway, a review!


Darkon's History Explored

My Ravenloft game was defeated several years ago by the final-boss of gaming (scheduling), so I have been out of the loop for a while. As a result, I have not read QtR31 and came into this article without any preconceptions. I didn't really feel like I was missing something, so it works very well as a standalone article. I think I was briefly confused about which group corresponded to which race, as has been previously mentioned, but I figured it out.

I particularly love the concept of "none of this is real, but let's explore it anyway." One of my favorite things about the Demiplane of Dread is the way that false history plays with the concept of realness, and this article leans hard into that. Given that the Mists don't seem to be bound by time, I'm not even especially sure the events in false histories don't actually happen in some form.

I love the moon-phase etiology.

I did find the silence stuff distracting, because I kept thinking that the Tempites would have quickly invented a sign language. It works for mythic pre-history, but it did distract me a few times.

The Kuduk adoption/rewriting of local cultures is an excellent touch.

The sayings are fantastic.

Great article, love the concept! I feel like I could use many things from this article for background provided by old tomes or conversations between academics, and I always love things that add depth to the world, particularly when I can grab bits of things on-the-fly in the middle of game without having to commit to ingesting an entire article, chapter, etc.. There's enough depth here that I can go into as much detail as I want, while the nature of the information and the way it's presented means I don't have to if the situation at the table doesn't require it.

[IanFordam]

The only complaint I have is the glaring lack of information on one of the core's major religions – The Eternal Order.

I see the Nevuchar Springs sect of the Church of Ezra as a kind of splinter group from the Eternal Order. DIfferent deities, similar missions, same grim outlook.

[IanFordam]

The Dark One
by Le Maxul

I must admit to having a mixed reaction to this article. On one hand, it is well written, and it contains definite seeds of potential. On the other hand, I don't think the ideas ever quite come together.

In particular, I don't have a good sense of the dogma of the cult of the Dark One. There is the section regarding the goals of the cult, but it sidesteps the issue. There are the cult's two secrets. Even so, their purpose was too nebulous for me to get a handle on.

What are catbears, and why are they associated with the Dark One? What's the metaphysical importance of the coffea plant? What makes the fateless undead different from the usual undead? There are plenty of cool details here which would benefit from some expansion.

(Also, even if the Dark One is most commonly called the Dark One, I would recommend providing a less generic alternative name as well, just to disambiguate the Dark One from other Dark Ones. For example, see p.174 of this same issue.)

I do like the various NPCs. They are a good example of how providing detail can open up possibilities. I also appreciate the accompanying Dread Possibilties, even if two of them take the unexpected stance that the PCs are allied with the cultists.

My favorite aspect of the whole article, though, is the section on L'Morai. In fact, I would welcome an article dedicated to what has happened in that domain since the events of Carnival of Fear. Clearly the author has some interesting ideas, and I would be curious to learn more about them!

I hope my critisms don't discourage the author from writing future articles for Quoth. I do see much that is promising here.

[Baron Von Stanton]

The Dark One
by Le Maxul

What's the metaphysical importance of the coffea plant?

There's a reason why Amentia sells chintzy coffee cups as a part of his evil schemes, y'know.

[LeMaxul]

The Dark One
by Le Maxul

I must admit to having a mixed reaction to this article. On one hand, it is well written, and it contains definite seeds of potential. On the other hand, I don't think the ideas ever quite come together.

In particular, I don't have a good sense of the dogma of the cult of the Dark One. There is the section regarding the goals of the cult, but it sidesteps the issue. There are the cult's two secrets. Even so, their purpose was too nebulous for me to get a handle on.

What are catbears, and why are they associated with the Dark One? What's the metaphysical importance of the coffea plant? What makes the fateless undead different from the usual undead? There are plenty of cool details here which would benefit from some expansion.

(Also, even if the Dark One is most commonly called the Dark One, I would recommend providing a less generic alternative name as well, just to disambiguate the Dark One from other Dark Ones. For example, see p.174 of this same issue.)

I do like the various NPCs. They are a good example of how providing detail can open up possibilities. I also appreciate the accompanying Dread Possibilties, even if two of them take the unexpected stance that the PCs are allied with the cultists.

My favorite aspect of the whole article, though, is the section on L'Morai. In fact, I would welcome an article dedicated to what has happened in that domain since the events of Carnival of Fear. Clearly the author has some interesting ideas, and I would be curious to learn more about them!

I hope my critisms don't discourage the author from writing future articles for Quoth. I do see much that is promising here.

Not at all! I thank you for the criticisms! I'll take all of these into consideration, maybe expand cult info on next year's Quoth I do admit that sometimes I like to leave things nebulous and undefined, but maybe I overdid it a bit.

Perhaps I'll add a section that reveals a bit more on the Dark One themselves, including other names/titles. The same section will provide some insight on catbears and coffee.

I'll consider writing more on L'Morai itself too, perhaps a dedicated article on the domain. Although that may end up as an adventure on DM's Guild.

[Jeremy16]

HOT TIME IN A COLD PLACE

This is a nice, simple adventure that nevertheless serves as a good introduction to Graben Island and its environs. It has a classic murder mystery feel that reminds me of 2E modules like Hour of the Knife or Howls in the Night. I would have liked to have seen a few more red herrings to keep PCs busy during the day and between attacks, but that's about the only criticism I have.

[Jeremy16]

THE GOBLINWOOD: LAND OF THE GOBLINS AND OTHER FORSAKEN PEOPLE

I said in a previous review that having a homeland for goblins and other monstrous humanoids set in Ravenloft would be a good idea and Mistmaster does an excellent job of fleshing out just such a realm here. Even if you don't subscribe to his World of Ravenloft approach, this domain can be lifted whole cloth and inserted into the Core as is (I'm looking at you, Shadow Rift). Plus, if you have someone that wants to play one of these fantasy races you can use it as a ready made background without having to make them an Outworlder.

The article dragged in the middle, however, due to all the various pantheons being recited ad nausem. I get that MM wanted to highlight each group's unique set of deities, but I think one run through with each tribe's equivalent god or goddess would have been more concise.

For some reason the darklord, Shingrak, didn't really grab me. I have to admit having a bonafide (get it?) dracolich in the setting is a neat idea. But, something about his background reminded me of the “and then he killed them all...” trope that I saw way too much of in VRGtRL, which is a mark against it in my eyes.

[Jeremy16]

THE DARK ONE

Excuse me for saying this, but... what did I just read?

This article is an odd duck. From the introductory story the cult of the Dark One begins sounded intriguing, so I gave it the benefit of the doublt. But, unfortunately, for me the concept fails to come together in the end.

For instance, I'm still unclear how “fateless undead” are any different from your standard model. And just what the heck is a catbear, an owlbear's little cousin? Tell me, I'm dying to know!

Another strange inclusion are the references to l'Morai, the domain from the Carnival of Fear novel. I've never read the book, so if the author is building off something from that story they are going to have to give me more than the few breadcrumbs that I managed picked up on.

As it stands, this feels like a lot of quirky, disparate elements thrown together just to keep people guessing. That's a valid approach DMs can take when running a game, but it's not such a good idea when you're introducing a brand new cult you want DMs to use.

[Jeremy16]

COLLODI: LAND OF PUPPETS AND FABLES

Confession time: Even thought I have a copy of the book in my household, I have not read the original story of Pinocchio. I have, however, watched the Disney movie (the 1940 original, not that live-action claptrap) within the last year, so I guess it all evens out. I say that just in case I comment on something that stinks and it turns out Mistmaster pulled it from the original book, that's egg on my face. (May the ghost of Walt Disney forgive me!)

Anyway, on to the actual review...

First off, there's way too many living puppets running around this place. First there's Mileno and Maligno. Then twelve more are added in? Why exactly? Having one good former puppet (Mileno) duking it out against a currently bad puppet (Maligno) is a perfectly good set up for conflicts. Adding in multiple “brothers” and “sisters” just seems to muddy the waters needlessly. As I always say in these reviews - the more you make of something, the less unique it becomes!

Moving on, I would normally be annoyed by all the animals turning into men and back into animals again that can be found in the Famed and Infamous section, but there's a lot of that going on in the original stories as well. And it serves as good way to highlight the lurid, dream-like tone of the land.

The darklord is a mixed bag, however. I really dig that the temporal ruler of the domain is just a puppet of the true master of the domain. I see what you did there, Mistmaster! But making the coachman's role more prominent sidelines the the tragedy of Mileno, and Maligno. I think having their contest over the love of their father should have been more closely tied to the domain's creation.

It would have made for a more interesting dynamic if in this timeline Gepetto was already dead, and Mileno was now an adult. That way you can have Maligno resent all the accolades and perks that his good twin gets as a result of his status as a full member of the community while the puppet can never be fully accepted in normal society. (That may be infringing upon Peter Pan's territory, but I believe the ghost of J.M. Barrie would let it slide just this once.) Taking the concept one step further, you could even explore the idea of Mileno's growing resentment towards Maligno because the marrionette never has to suffer the indignity of growing old and frail!

Overall, there's a lot of neat concepts here, even if not all of them work for me.