QtR 27 review thread

[Mephisto of the FoS]

This is an image I made more than a decade ago

[Mephisto of the FoS]

This is a review for the articles I v'e read so far the Dominia Survey and Loose End's

Loose End's (SPOILER ALERT) which I agree with another review, that though well written I don't see why would have to give so much attention to a veteran soldier from Falkovnia who lives in self exile especially since the biggest flaw of the all-powerful lich is that he suffers from overconfidence and though he keeps one of his many eyes on adventurers who enter his domain, he expends no serious effort towards their extermination until they stand in the way of one of his motivations. And if you think that at the same time he has to govern the biggest domain in the Core, experiment with new projects and obsessively plan his plots I don't see a motive behind the artist's probable demise.

Now that I said Demise I have to say that I really like the work done with the Seas of Sorrows Gazetteer, with the exception of Altheas background (QtR 21) which although being dramatic it is too high fantasy for my taste and the poor selection of Greek names for those who speak the language (I am Greek by the way). Stelios is a diminutive of the name Stylianos, which it's metaphorical meaning is (puncheon of the church), making it a christian name and not Ancient Greek. Lefteris is also problematic in that it is a modern Greek diminutive of Eleftherios (which means he who is free, the female name Eleftheria means freedom), so Eleftherios would be more appropriate, Lefteris is too modern. But I would change both names they sound funny in a fantasy setting. They remind me of one of the first episodes of Xena the Warrior Princess (Xena by the way is not an Ancient Greek name, actually it is not Greek at all) where they had to fight the "army of Petrakis" (meaning the army of little Peter), something that refer's to a liitle kid no more than seven or eight years old, an easy task I guess for the warrior princess.

Anyway...
(SPOILERS FOR NON DM's)
now to the review of the present survey on Dominia...
I have to say that this version of Daclaud is the best I 've read so far. When Dr. Dominiani appeared in the first official Ravenloft adventure Feast of Goblyns he was an interesting character but with some obvious problems in writting. In game mechanics he was a normal vampire with the energy drain attack that just drunk celebral fluid (making extra Int damage), who appeared more wolflike to adventurer's so that they would think he is a werewolf but then he would't be present during the day... (looks like a werewolf but behaves like a vampire... hmm... very odd... I wonder... I've got it! he doesn't appear during the day so that we think he is a vampire while he is a werewolf, lets melt all the silver coins we have to make bullets!). This is some major gashlighting written there... Well just let me say that his castle was more interesting than him in Feast of Goblyns.

Then there was just this reference in his Red Box background that he manipulated the adventurer's from Feast of Goblyns and betrayed Duke Gundar, but he was left as he was with a hint of what his darklord curse was "Thus, Dominiani's dream of lordship is fulfilled, yet his domain is pitiful small. It is said that Dominiani always hears laughter in the wind, echoing like the maniacal hysterics behind the walls of his sanitarium, mocking his small achievement." making his curse similar to the one of Harkon Lukas, OK we know that he wanted his domain but not for that, there was no drama, no real character background or motivation for doing what he knows best, making people mad (and not just because he drinks their celebral fluid). By the way celebral fluid injections... very good. The Island of Terror version Dominia in the Red Box was almost unplayable, a forest full of wolves and an asylum, not really interesting.

In Bleak House the character was revived making his background and motives more interesting, he was a well written character but I never understood why celebral vampires control seagulls, except that Dominia is an island and has many. Also there are no clear motives on why Daclaud wanted to get rid of Gundar except the typical "if my master is killed I will be free", or "if he dies I will rule Gundarak" which are both motives but overused. The island in Bleak House was dull, just an asylum in the middle of a forest on a small cliffed island.

But now all the information collected from all these products has been combined to flesh him out and his island more...

It suits him of being an alchemical philosopher and him being a celebral strain of nosferatu vampire is better than previews version. Also the celebral vampire creation chart is interesting and the celebral vampires being different is a nice addition compared to the "I enjoy the sun, love seagulls and I kick ass" version in Bleak House .

His association with Medraut is great giving a reason to all the references of experiments he was doing in Feast of Goblyns.

At last we know if Akriel Lukas lives or not. She has potential as a character so I was glad that she is still around and we find that Dark Keep fountain again (and we learn who created it).

Daclaud's motives and background history is enriched, he has the best motivation for dispatching Gundar that could have been written (he wanted to anchor himself to the land because he is affraid of non-existance) and finally he has a more fitting curse, not one just being his domain is pitifully small, or he affraids of going mad (since I guess all Heinfrothesesess (nice addition too) probably were or are affraid of going mad.

The Heinfroth Forefathers dread possibility is amazing (also the cure for madness), at last some vampire triad in the style of the Ancients in so many vampire movies and at last a patriarch vampire (correct me if I am wrong but I think it's the first one ever mentioned in the campaign setting).

At last a reference on Erlin

I really like the return of so many items from Feast of Goblyns and at last that coffin artifact is back in play. I had used it in a one-o-one challenge follow up to the Feast of Goblyns adventure of an adventurer who was turned into a celebral vampire by Daclaud using the coffin. The PC who before was a vampire hunter wanted to destroy his previous comrades in arms, who let him die and be tranformed into an abomination (the character's way of thinking because of alignment change is obvious I guess). That was combined with the main adventure in another session, were the vampire PC used the coffin to set a trap that slowly transformed the party's ranger into a nosferatu vampire. Thus they were manipulated and forced to join the vampire PC in his quest to assassinate Duke Gundar so they could "stop the rangers transformation". It was the motivation they needed to go to this suicide quest of assassinating one of the oldest vampires in the setting (we all know how that ended) the vampire PC was needed to help on infiltrating the castle (he was invited there before). Also the story of the portal in Castle Hunadora was used as a second motive for those who wanted to escape Ravenloft, and it is good to know that Daclaud also experimented with it... ah yes the ranger didn't make it and he asked his fellow adventurer's to kill him before turning into a nosferatu.

I really like the explanation of the "Dr. Dominiani" namegiving by the Duke and Daclaud's association with the FoS is good in making him also some kind of specialist on Ravenloft knowledge I believe it suits him well.

I guess the Feyr was the creature that Soth encountered in Knight of Black Rose after killing Medraut and entering the portal, I always wondered what creature that was, too high fantasy for me but it also reminds me of a Clive Barker kind of monster. (I just re-read the part with the "portal" in Knight of the Black Rose and that monster (speculation Feyr) was in the tunnel from Magda's Vintsani stories not the one in Castle Hunadora, the guardian in castle Hunadora seems more like a shadow fiend or something made of shadow in general).

When I first read the word Ward Zero I had this image reminiscent to Larkhill bioweapons program from V for Vendetta, Weapon XI from Wolverine or the experiments to cure cancer from Deadpool, and I have to say I was a bit cautious but now that I read what ward zero is I believe it is really creative and logical? in horror game standarts at least.

The force of good in the domain is very well chosen, something that is not obvious and can hide in plain sight, but I am sceptical about Wormwood.

Bitterbark makes a comeback from Feast of Goblyns and I like the room at Peristalsis but I wouldn't use the cranium rats myself.

I like the idea about the blood corals is a nice addition although it doesn't protect the island from Gundar.

I am not a fan of boogeymans in general but others are so yes good addition there too, also the one with sleeping mr Tasker.

My vote goes for Dr. Black and Dr. White as best backgrounds OK Dr Green too, the rest for best orderlies.

The addition of Madness Feats so that adventurer's can actually play their character's instead of roaming around like crazy people sounds good the feats make lunatic PCs playable.

Finally I realy like the sleepwalkers and somnolent, somehow it has the feeling of the 1920 German silent horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari which is fitting to the whole asylum theme.

The only thing missing (I know it is not finnished) are the illustrations and island map, if you want help with these for the finalized Gazetteer don't be affraid to ask.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Typo... my bad. It's a SHE since she is supposed to be a witch, the name taken from Ravenia Von Zarovich (Strahd's mother) as Dilisnyan propaganda.

My bad as well, for not catching it during proofing. whoops!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

the poor selection of Greek names for those who speak the language (I am Greek by the way). Stelios is a diminutive of the name Stylianos, which it's metaphorical meaning is (puncheon of the church), making it a christian name and not Ancient Greek. Lefteris is also problematic in that it is a modern Greek diminutive of Eleftherios (which means he who is free, the female name Eleftheria means freedom), so Eleftherios would be more appropriate, Lefteris is too modern. But I would change both names they sound funny in a fantasy setting.

My apologies on those! But, hey, it wouldn't be Ravenloft without names that sound appropriately foreign to English speakers, but completely ridiculous to native speakers of the language they are trying to evoke. I'm open to suggestions on possible changes before the final netbook, if you want to PM me some.

[alhoon]

Late to the party. I found the new QtR interesting and a great thank you to all authors. Most interesting to me at least were the short NPCs and Darklord ideas. Sparks I could use in my campaigns even outside of Ravenloft.

[tomokaicho]

Has anyone ever put QtR into a nice bound print?

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Hmm. Wouldn't there be copyright issues?

[Joël of the FoS]

Has anyone ever put QtR into a nice bound print?

I guess you mean for individual use?

No, but I did so for all FoS reports. A paper copy is a good reference while DMing.

When using USS, BoS or QtR, I just print the needed article.

Joël

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Leederick. Can you explain in more detail why this one is banned?

Ivan's narcissism doesn't permit anyone of being reminded how he was fooled and Dorjan escaped. Also one of the villains of the play who is not portraid really flattering is named Navi Ayn’Silid which is an anagram of Ivan Dillisnya.

Liebesverbot: Ponzio Pilato is Pontius Pilate right?

Actually it is, I wan't lie... I missed that...ooops...

[Joël of the FoS]

I just got a set of errata and modifications from Rock, and one errata from Mistmaster (eath/heart).

If you have such a thing too, let me know quickly - by email or PM, and I'll insert these in the final version.

Joël

[Mistmaster]

I had signaled you another thing Joel if you noticed.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

What happened with the final version? Is it going to contain a full Dominia article too?

[Joël of the FoS]

It's ... on the way!

No only the SoS FoS report will include the final version of Dominia.

And no, do not ask when it is released

[brilliantlight]

I have been rather busy, so I am only now getting around to QTR27.


Friedliches Königreich
5e primed me to see hobgoblins as more eastern, I remember the DMG mentioning them as an example wuxia plot and the art has samurai/ming-like spaulders/sode. They'd be special troops with flaming arrows ambushing boats at the Red Cliffs. So if I am reading this right, the dwarves are magically peaceful, so hobgoblins have nothing to fear, but the Darklord is trying to enact propaganda against them? Seems like a strict but nice domain, assuming you stay far from the Darklord's business. I'm curious if there are external threats that require military action? Seems like a good domain to plug part of the shadow rift with, because Drakov would hate all the demihumans.

These are standard Tolkien type hobs. I use mostly 3.5 myself and if they are eastern in 5 they changed them a lot. Outsider dwarves are magically peaceful, native dwarves see no need to be hostile to them. In their false history dwarves and hobs have always gotten along well, so there is no need for magic in their case. You are right about the propaganda campaign, but it's hopeless. It is one thing to convince someone that some group they don't know is greatly evil, it is another to convince them that a group they have been friends with for the last few generations, who they know very well and live nearby are innately evil. Yeah, Drakov might squabble with them before he gets stompped again.

[Joël of the FoS]

Revised version is available for download. See link in announcement thread.