Starting a Ravenloft Campaign Needs?

[Korath]

I've been playing D&D for many years now, mostly forgotten realms. I really want to get involved in Ravenloft. The research I have done tells me to buy the following books:

Ravenloft PHB 3.5
Ravenloft DM guide
Ravenloft Gavetteer
Denizens of Dread

Is this a good starting package? What other recomendations are out there?

TY

[Joël of the FoS]

Welcome to the mists

I would add Van Richten's Arsenal to this must list.

Then, if you still have money in your piggie: Legacy of Blood, VR Guide to the Walking Dead, and Dark Tales & Disturbing Legends

You can get these books at White Wolf in their "we have a year to sell our stock" 50%+ off sale.

Joël

[Coan]

All these are good of course. But if you haven't played Ravenloft before and want to have a test run, just get the players handbook. It sets out all the ground rules and the major add ons for the game. All the other books are just extra. So I'd say just get the PHB, read through it then if you like it get some of the other products.

Now they aren't making any more you won't have to worry about falling behind in a collection -if that's a thing for you (like it is for me).

[Jester of the FoS]

In order of necessity:

*Ravenloft Player's Handbook (or Campaign Setting, whichever you can find cheaper).
* One of the five Ravenloft Gazetteers (based on whichever land strikes your fancy from the RL: PHB).
* Ravenloft Dungeon Master's Guide (opional but great advice on running a game and the feel of the setting).
* VanRichten's ______ (Arsenal, or Guide to Walking Dead, or Guide to the Shadow Fey. All are good but that order works)
* Denizens of Dread (the monster book. Iffy as it's a bad update to 3.5 from a bad update from 2E, but still useful and good inspiration).
* Anything else...

[Jester of the FoS]

Oh, and stay away from Champions of Darkness. That book leads to the madness...

[Tobias Blackburn]

Oh, and stay away from Champions of Darkness. That book leads to the madness...

And the Dread Potato

[Korath]

TY for the prompt replys. This is the best site I've seen so far for my research and the forum seems fairly active.

[Joël of the FoS]

About Ravenloft, it is indeed the best place

[JinnTolser]

Sure is.

Obviously the RL Players Handbook is a must-have. Unless you want to play 3.0 instead of 3.5, in which case the RL Campaign Setting is just as good.

After you get that and settle on a starting land, you should pick up the relevant Gazetteer (assuming that the land you choose is located in the Core). The information in the RLPHB is relatively scarce, and you get far more in-depth looks at the lands of Ravenloft in the Gazetteers.

After that I would recommend Denizens of Dread (or Denizens of Darkness for 3.0). Yes, the updates aren't perfect and some of the stats need fixing, but there are a TON of great monsters in there, which makes for much more interesting and uniquely Ravenloft encounters than just using creatures out of the standard Monster Manual.

That's really enough to start a good campaign. After that you can expand into Van Richten's Arsenal if you want more gear, prestige classes, other player or NPC goodies. Or if you feel like custom-building monsters, Van Richten's Guides are excellent (I can vouch for VRG: Walking Dead as one of the best D&D supplements I have ever purchased).

[Dominique]

One thing I would also recommend doing before picking out a gazetteer, if possible, is briefly flipping through a Ravenloft DMG in a bookstore to help you choose your domain. The DMG gives thumbnail sketches of the darklords and also advice about which domains are best for starting a campaign, which isn't always obvious from the PHB (sure, you obviously don't want to start off in Necropolis, but the PHB doesn't really tell you that Borca is one of the meanest domains out there and will kill inexperienced PCs in the bat of an eye of they're not extraordinarily careful). Flipping through isn't a must for choosing your domain, and the DMG isn't as helpful overall as a gazetteer, so I'd still recommend getting one of those first. But if you see a DMG in a store, give it a quick look.

[Coan]

One thing I would also recommend doing before picking out a gazetteer, if possible, is briefly flipping through a Ravenloft DMG in a bookstore to help you choose your domain. The DMG gives thumbnail sketches of the darklords and also advice about which domains are best for starting a campaign, which isn't always obvious from the PHB (sure, you obviously don't want to start off in Necropolis, but the PHB doesn't really tell you that Borca is one of the meanest domains out there and will kill inexperienced PCs in the bat of an eye of they're not extraordinarily careful). Flipping through isn't a must for choosing your domain, and the DMG isn't as helpful overall as a gazetteer, so I'd still recommend getting one of those first. But if you see a DMG in a store, give it a quick look.

Maybe someone from the Frat would like to set up a FAQ or download on which domains are best to start off with -a beginners guide to Ravenloft if you will.

I'd be willing to work on that.

[Joël of the FoS]

Maybe someone from the Frat would like to set up a FAQ or download on which domains are best to start off with -a beginners guide to Ravenloft if you will.

I'd be willing to work on that.

From the FAQ I'm not sure, as starting domain depends on the DMs and players's preference.

However, it could be a good QtR article!

Joël

[Bloody Morgan]

Korath, what kind of setting appeals to you? Standard fantasy with a dark edge (Darkon), medieval with fear of the dark and all that is inhuman (Barovia), social and advanced with intrigue and advancement (Dementlieu)? There's a huge amount in the Core alone for different settings.

Bloody Morgan

[Korath]

Korath, what kind of setting appeals to you? Standard fantasy with a dark edge (Darkon), medieval with fear of the dark and all that is inhuman (Barovia), social and advanced with intrigue and advancement (Dementlieu)? There's a huge amount in the Core alone for different settings.

Bloody Morgan

I think I'm more for the fear of the dark and all that is imhuman approach. I am a great fan of Brian Lumley and his Necroscope series of books, if that gives you an idea.

Right now I'm currently in Kuwait for the MI National Guard. I should be home in Dec sometime. That is when I plan on ordering these handbooks, etc. I posted this thread for some ideas so I can order the books right before I come home. TY again for the responses.

[Bloody Morgan]

I think I'm more for the fear of the dark and all that is imhuman approach. I am a great fan of Brian Lumley and his Necroscope series of books, if that gives you an idea.

It does

If your fear of the inhuman includes things that can appear to be human until the time is right, then I think that Barovia (Gaz I) is the place for you. Doors are locked at sunset, and it doesn't matter if your own grandmother is outside begging to be let in, they're not opened. The night is filled with hungry wolves, vampires, fey and lycanthropes. Which makes it fun when something tears out a window in the PCs house and snatches someone dear to them into the darkness...

If you prefer your inhuman to be plasmic and lovecraftian - kinda like the Vampire World books.... hmm. Bluetspur is the obvious choice, but it's a: not detailed in any 3rd or 3.5 Edition books, and b: all you can really do is fight illithiads or be enslaved there. If you like the Lumley approach, I'd recomend a modern domain such as Dementliu or Lamordia - or even the doppleganger-plagued Pardion - and have an "enlightened" secret society who are actually controlled by beings from Bluetspur. There's a cult mentioned in Forgotten Lore who might fit this, but it's been a while since I read it. Will check tonight for you.

Bloody Morgan