It is back!!! What we do know about VR Guide to Ravenloft?

[grimrandall]

Todd Kenreck confirmed Har'Akir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDpeIdIao4k&t=622s

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Looks like this joke was prophetic.

There will be a 3rd version of VRGtR, a "Silver Edition" from B&G:
https://beadleandgrimms.com/silver/van- ... 3a662d6f09

[Joël of the FoS]

Oh no...

[Five]

Not releasing any details whatsoever as to how this book is any different only makes me wary of ever looking at anything from whoever that is.

I opened my Kenner Star Wars action figures and played the **** outta them (that's right, Boba Fett was legit battle-scarred and the school librarian was his sarlacc. Never did see him again. ****!), and Pokemon was after my time, so I guess people like me are outside the scope...

Strike that. Mine eyes are cocked. Re-read the "hints". Still a pass.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I'm sure it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but B&G's version of CoS was spectacular, so I'm looking forward to it. But as an admitted crazy collector, I'm exactly the target audience, so feel free to pass if it doesn't appeal to you.

[Resonant Curse]

I'm sure it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but B&G's version of CoS was spectacular, so I'm looking forward to it. But as an admitted crazy collector, I'm exactly the target audience, so feel free to pass if it doesn't appeal to you.

I tend to be a crazy collector as well, and the B&G premium editions look cool, but those price points are steep. :/

[onmyoji]

I'm sure it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but B&G's version of CoS was spectacular, so I'm looking forward to it.

How was it different from the standard CoS module? I've never heard of B&G before yesterday, when this alternate was announced.

— onmyoji

[Resonant Curse]

I'm sure it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but B&G's version of CoS was spectacular, so I'm looking forward to it.

How was it different from the standard CoS module? I've never heard of B&G before yesterday, when this alternate was announced.

— onmyoji

I don't remember on this particular product, but they usually break the adventure modules down into multiple smaller booklets and include physical maps of all the locations and some small trinkets and physical handouts for players.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Yes for instance one of the trinkets was the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind

https://geekmom.com/2021/02/geekdad-ret ... dle-grimms

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I'm sure it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but B&G's version of CoS was spectacular, so I'm looking forward to it.

How was it different from the standard CoS module? I've never heard of B&G before yesterday, when this alternate was announced.

— onmyoji

our own Jester did an "unboxing" here:
http://fraternityofshadows.com/forum/vi ... 46#p244346

The price point is certainly high, but I would argue you get what you pay for. I've never seen any module get such loving detail. I'm eager to see what they do for a supplement that's not a module (though I suppose they will "bling out" the House of Lament module inside nicely).

[Resonant Curse]

I'm sure it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but B&G's version of CoS was spectacular, so I'm looking forward to it.

How was it different from the standard CoS module? I've never heard of B&G before yesterday, when this alternate was announced.

— onmyoji

our own Jester did an "unboxing" here:
http://fraternityofshadows.com/forum/vi ... 46#p244346

The price point is certainly high, but I would argue you get what you pay for. I've never seen any module get such loving detail. I'm eager to see what they do for a supplement that's not a module (though I suppose they will "bling out" the House of Lament module inside nicely).

The smaller premium editions they have done are definitely worth considering. Some of the like $400 ones though were very underwhelming looking for the price point.

If I had the money lying around I would love to have them though. Currently focusing on rounding out the last few D&D novels I don't own. That Spelljammer pick-a-path was a bear to find and still cost something like $100. Old Ravenloft modules/sourcebooks are probably next on the list to finish.

[Matney X]

My sense is the designer's thought process behind the Grand Disjunction*, was to have each now fully-stand-alone domain make its own sort of internal logical sense without its neighbors necessarily contradicting its very existence.

My treks into Ravenloft have been few and far between, but I could never wrap my head around how The Core functioned at all (I guess I should have read Gazetteers?), and always kinda saw each Domain as an island, anyway. The only thing The Core provided in my games were physical roads between Domains, instead of having to Mist between them.

That said, breaking apart the Core actually feels super meta to me; each Domain is its Lord's personal hell, and IIRC the Dark Powers go out of their way to make sure no Darklord gets comfortable. What are DMs but the ultimate Darklord? The Grand Conjunction was one shakeup that made then-DMs uncomfortable, and this Grand Disjunction is doing the same thing.

I simply hope they acknowledge Ravenloft's lorical past, instead of trying to erase and recreate it.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

The only thing The Core provided in my games were physical roads between Domains, instead of having to Mist between them.

I disagree the relations between domains gives life to the Domains, political, financial religious and sociological. Don't forget hat the Mists are unreliable, people avoid them and there are not many major settlements near the misty border in general (Nevuchar Springs and Neblus, Arbora, Ungrad before the GC now even less)

Falkovnia has forced 4 domains, who live under fear of an imminent attack, to make a treaty of defence against it. Tensions grow when weapons and troops travel through these areas for Invidia.

Falkovnia has attacked Darkon many times, the undead have risen every time to defend Azalin's kingdom and The Eternal Order and the whole concept of the Gray Realm were based on that.

All life across the face of Arak was eradicated in 588 BC by a sandstorm of unprecedented ferocity that scoured the land clean in, an event recorded as the Scourge of Arak that created the domain of Keening. Then centuries later after the Grand Conjuction the former lands of Arak belong to Darkon. The reputation of the Mountains of Misery for being haunted by the fey has gradually eclipsed by a reputation for being haunted by the dead.

On the comment on the roads mentioned...

A new road is being built connecting Strigos Road with the East Timori Road at Liara in Nova Vaasa to the Argenteus and Tempe roads just east of Tempe Falls. The Forgotten Hills, can became a hideout for intrepid or desperate bandits, arguably making the northern frontier of Nova Vaasa a more dangerous place.

If for instance travelling doesn't exist there wouldn't be any bandits waiting in the middle of nowhere among other things. It reduces the outskirts of a domain for use by the populace putting most of the tension of a domain in each domain's settlements. Why travel at all? Why should anyone be a merchant if you have to be brave enough to enter the Mists for commerce with other domains and make money if it is dangerous. And since travelling through the Mists s dangerous then there would be an inflation on prices for goods. How do correspondence and in general information travel now since all are Islands of Terror? Dr Van Richten used to correspond with many allies having a large network of information, he even played chess with a noble in Nova Vaasa, how easy would that be now without roads?

Then you have several events I am naming a few inter-domain that have changed the history of a domain.

In 735 BC Duke Gundar and one of his "trusted" minion made a plan, organising the Gundarakite Conspiracy to annex Katakass involving a powerful Artifact. The plan failed the Duke was killed and a few years later the Barovian Occupation of Gundarak begun.

Sithicans were living under constant fear of the Death Knight Lord Soth but still they believed he was the only reason why Valachan had not attacked them.

After the Grand Conjuction Barovia annexes the western part of Gundarak while the rest is set free under pre-Mallochio Invidia. The Gundarakite rebellion begins against Strahd Von Zαrovich's reign and Barovian Occupation, revolutionaries settle in Castle Hunadora, selling the ex-darklord's skeleton to a charlatan, and Duke Gundar was later revived.

Malocchio's mercenary soldiers have been attacking neighbouring domains searching for Vistani, in the Dukkar's constant pogrom against them and creating tension between Invidia and it's neighbours. Then in 752 BC, Malocchio hatched a scheme with Azrael Dak (and through him, Inza Kulchevich) to destroy Soth and give political control of Sithicus to Dak. Malocchio commanded his troops to amass at the Invidia-Sithicus border, where they were to remain as a distraction to Soth and enable Dak to enact his treachery. However, Dak bribed the Invidian troops to defect and go further into Sithicus to attack Nedragaard Keep. Mallochio managed to sent an agent disruption of Azrael's ritual led to the Hour of Screaming Shadows and thereby the foiling of Dak's plot. The entirety of the former Invidian incursion force was lost in the calamity.

In Tepest after G'Henna and Markovia dissappear leaving behind a void called the Shadow Rift an Inquisition against the fey and their "allies" begins.

There was also a meta-plot for the Time of Unparallel Darkness where war was brewing between various domain (Kartakas/Verbrek/Valachan).

Holy Wars prepared by fanatics of the Lawgiver and power plays between Hazlani and Nova Vaasan priests.

What is Necropolis now a hole in Darkon where Il Aluk used to be?

The Nocturnal Sea ( with it's sea abyss domain The Drowning Deep ) and Sea of Sorrows how does this work now? Is the Sea of Sorrows a sea Island of Terror?
Why use ships when you can travel through the Mists, so no sailors and pirates then except Saragoss?

Even before the Gazetteers relations between domains was important, since the first official adventure Feast of Goblyns. The Core is what made the setting successful and it was an inspiration then to create a whole setting out of one domain. Now what is the inspiration behind dissolving a setting to create many little hells?

[RPGaff]

Hello! I'm a bit of a lurker here and don't really post, but I thought people might be interested in this Dragon Talk with Wes Schneider on VRGtR's Barovia:

https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/featur ... ow-barovia

He brings up Borca (in the context of the Boritsis and Dilisnyas), as well as Darkon and Mordent (when referring to Van Richten's backstory).

It sounds like domain-hopping might be part of the setting, and we can look forward to more Dragon Talks on other domains...

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Just to clear everything up, all the April Fools posts have been moved to a separate thread. We at the FoS do NOT actually have advanced copies of the book, and all we know is what we've collected in this thread from publicly available sources. As far as we know, there are no silly crossovers with other Hasbro franchises.... as far as we know.

Thanks for a bit of April Fools fun! Now back to the real news....