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Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2026 1:12 pm
by Igor the Henchman
Drinnik Shoehorn wrote: Thu Jun 04, 2026 12:54 pm
Damn UK laws. Can’t see that. What does it say?
It's a blurry photo I took of the book's "Special Thanks" section. It extends thanks to many of the writers of 2E product line (including even JWM) and also to the Kargatane and to the Fraternity of Shadows.
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2026 4:40 pm
by The Dark
I was skimming the Table of Contents while the FLGS found the copy of Trials of Saruman they were holding for me and saw that Ebonbane is also back in the new book. I think that works better as an item-based Darklord than the sword from Carnival in VRGtR.
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 8:53 am
by Gonzoron of the FoS
Yup, I was going to post it myself, but you beat me to it. Very nice to be acknowledged.
(It even impressed my teen children, that's hard to do!
)
(Still Jealous of Joël's cover quote on that novel reprint.... grumble grumble.
)
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:10 am
by TheArcaneWeirdo
Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 8:53 am
Yup, I was going to post it myself, but you beat me to it. Very nice to be acknowledged.
(It even impressed my teen children, that's hard to do!
)
(Still Jealous of Joël's cover quote on that novel reprint.... grumble grumble.
)
Are your kids in the fandom?
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:10 am
by Gonzoron of the FoS
I picked up the regular and alt-art versions of the book, the DM's screen, map pack, and Tarokka deck from my LGS. (finally, a use for the store credit I had stockpiled from Magic events!) Started reading. So far so good, but I'm not sure yet what sets this apart from VRGtRavenloft. I'm just getting into the domain descriptions now, but they did enough recap in the opening chapters that you don't seem to need both books. Maybe this is the equivalent to the Red Box vs. the VRGtR being like the Black Box. Lots of overlap, but revised.
I'm still not happy with the domains being all separate, and I wish they'd at least throw in a line or two that provides for the option of a unified world. ("Sometimes the Dark Powers knit the domains together for a time, approximating a larger, material world, but still ringed in Mists at the edges of the clustered domains. During these times, travel between domains without closed borders is as simple as crossing political borders in more natural realms, and the denizens' memories are often altered to believe their world was always so. The standard state of Ravenloft is a fractured world, but if a cohesive one serves your campaign, the Dark Powers can oblige in their mysterious ways.")
But oddly, with the Mist Walker Dark Gift Feat, or a Mist Talisman, travelling the Mists from domain to domain is even easier than an old version Mistway. Barring closed borders, it seems to just happen 100% of the time if you have one of those with you. So even with the domains separated, with enough Mist Walkers sprinkled around you could approximate an old-school unified Core. I'm still a bit shaky on 5e rules, so I'm not sure, but the Mist Walker downside seems incredibly harsh, so I don't know if a PC Mist Walker could ever really work. Maybe if there's a way to build the character such that a DC 13 Con save is reasonably assured success?
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:14 am
by Gonzoron of the FoS
TheArcaneWeirdo wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:10 amAre your kids in the fandom?
Not exactly, but somewhat adjacent. I mean, they've grown up being scared to enter Daddy's office due to the Feast of Goblyns poster
, so they know what Ravenloft is to some extent, and have watched my glee at new additions to my collections, so they how into it I am, and they have played non-Ravenloft D&D with friends, and are into other fandoms. I did have to "come out" and explain to them what the FoS is exactly, but they were more impressed that embarrassed, which is rare these days.
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:16 am
by Speedwagon
Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:10 am
I picked up the regular and alt-art versions of the book, the DM's screen, map pack, and Tarokka deck from my LGS. (finally, a use for the store credit I had stockpiled from Magic events!) Started reading. So far so good, but I'm not sure yet what sets this apart from VRGtRavenloft. I'm just getting into the domain descriptions now, but they did enough recap in the opening chapters that you don't seem to need both books. Maybe this is the equivalent to the Red Box vs. the VRGtR being like the Black Box. Lots of overlap, but revised.
I'm still not happy with the domains being all separate, and I wish they'd at least throw in a line or two that provides for the option of a unified world. ("Sometimes the Dark Powers knit the domains together for a time, approximating a larger, material world, but still ringed in Mists at the edges of the clustered domains. During these times, travel between domains without closed borders is as simple as crossing political borders in more natural realms, and the denizens' memories are often altered to believe their world was always so. The standard state of Ravenloft is a fractured world, but if a cohesive one serves your campaign, the Dark Powers can oblige in their mysterious ways.")
But oddly, with the Mist Walker Dark Gift Feat, or a Mist Talisman, travelling the Mists from domain to domain is even easier than an old version Mistway. Barring closed borders, it seems to just happen 100% of the time if you have one of those with you. So even with the domains separated, with enough Mist Walkers sprinkled around you could approximate an old-school unified Core. I'm still a bit shaky on 5e rules, so I'm not sure, but the Mist Walker downside seems incredibly harsh, so I don't know if a PC Mist Walker could ever really work. Maybe if there's a way to build the character such that a DC 13 Con save is reasonably assured success?
I believe that there's support for that option to a degree, according to this early access Reddit post/screenshot:
&
So with that, I think that's useful! Idk if that's what you were looking for GonzoRon or not but I figured I'd share.
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:21 am
by Gonzoron of the FoS
Speedwagon wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:16 am
I believe that there's support for that option to a degree, according to this early access Reddit post/screenshot: ...
So with that, I think that's useful! Idk if that's what you were looking for GonzoRon or not but I figured I'd share.
Huzzah! yes! Exactly what I wanted to see. Hadn't gotten there yet, I guess. thanks!
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 11:01 am
by Igor the Henchman
Yep, and they threw a bone to Gothic Earth as well.
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 1:30 pm
by The Dark
I think the Pocket/Cluster/Core model ends up giving some more flexibility in domain design as well. Old Falkovnia wouldn't have the same meaning if Drakov was just a domineering control freak without also getting completely defeated by the other domains around him. Barovia being an isolated backwater is an effort instead of a natural side effect of being a lone domain. Trade companies can exist and universities draw students and faculty from multiple places. On the flip side, isolating domains like G'Henna and Kalidnay keep them from having major effects from proximity to other domains. It's certainly possible to run a Ravenloft campaign entirely in isolated domains, but it's not the play style that every DM will want for their campaign.
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2026 10:03 am
by Joël of the FoS
Gonzoron of the FoS wrote: Fri Jun 05, 2026 8:53 am
(Still Jealous of Joël's cover quote on that novel reprint.... grumble grumble.
)
Ah ah ah
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2026 11:00 am
by Joël of the FoS
That Core possibility makes me happy.
Too bad however they mentionned the 2e era books and not the 3e ones. I know there could be a possible WW 3e licence thing under that omission, but still, I would have acknowledged the previous 3e work somehow.
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2026 12:36 pm
by doctornecrotic
I appreciation the acknowledgements, but the modus operandi of Hasbro always involves backstabbing somewhere. I cannot in good conscious support the book, even if I am glad there are people on it this time who respect and like the setting. I wonder why they excluded the WW-license stuff too? Is it a company confidence thing, a la "well, we didn't write it"?
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2026 4:56 pm
by Joël of the FoS
Who are the authors?
(I’ll get my copy Monday)
Re: Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026
Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2026 4:34 pm
by Tobias Blackburn
Just picked up a copy and have been quickly skimming it. The artwork is amazing! Each of the detailed domains give their darklords a full two page spread image with their stats and a quote. You also get large images of important sites. I'd normally be annoyed with a lot of pages going just to art, but it really is a case of a picture being worth a thousand words. Really gets the domains feel across.
Looking forward to really get in to it a bit later tonight.