Castlevania in Ravenloft *updated*

[Willowhugger]

I was thinking about using the Castlevania games as a basis for Ravenloft adventures that are of a more heroic and powerful mold than normal and was curious if I could get ideas from folk here.

Immediate ideas that come to mind...

Belmonts: A family of supernaturally strong and powerful vampire hunters that may or may not draw their strength from an evil lineage. Possibly relatives of Sergei if we do a "Strahd/Dracula" comparison but it might be better to do this as an entirely different setting.

(Has anyone done anything with Gundarak or Mircea in that Island of Terror?)

Devil Forger: I just love the idea of evil Alchemists in Ravenloft and Van Ritchen's arsenal seems like it could be a gold mine in this respect for a cursed servant of the damned being redeemed.

Dracula: The Castlevania version could be interesting to use as the idea of a vampire whom absolutely will not stay dead and has a multigenerational conflict with the PCs is positively gold.

Castlevania: I just love the idea of a Castle that itself is a character (why I love the House of Lament) and its a place that changes and draws evil to it (like Gryphon Hill) except combined together. Perhaps it might move.

[monty--]

I'm a MASSIVE Castlevania fan. Japanese gothic atmosphere is wonderful! Vampire Hunter D is stunning too! Love the orchestral music too.

[Willowhugger]

I'm a MASSIVE Castlevania fan. Japanese gothic atmosphere is wonderful! Vampire Hunter D is stunning too! Love the orchestral music too.

I heartily agree and in the spirit of things, the threads purpose has been changed.

[ChrisNichols]

Castlevania: I just love the idea of a Castle that itself is a character (why I love the House of Lament) and its a place that changes and draws evil to it (like Gryphon Hill) except combined together. Perhaps it might move.

Actually, the description of Kanchelsis' realm (Lair of the Beast and Mansion of the Rake) in the Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss bears a certain resemblance to Dracula's Castlevania.

Being the genius I am, I figured this out several years ago and now have a whole set of notes on the idea.

Back when Andrew Wyatt had his old Winding Road website, he converted several Castlevania monsters into Ravenloft creatures. I think this is probably the best use of Castlevania - generic adaptations of monsters and magic items without the baggage of the series intellectual property (Belmonts, Dracula, etc).

Chris Nichols

PS: There's a small nod to the Castlevania series in VRA. Can anyone identify it?

[Desertrising]

I actually really like the idea, I too have toyed around with the idea of converting castlevania to Ravenloft. Admited you loose some of the hopeless feel of a standard Ravenloft campaign, however for a great time I think it would work really well.

[Willowhugger]

Yeah, Castlevania depends on a somewhat anti-Ravenloft feel that the forces of light are every bit as powerful as the forces of darkness. I rather like this though and think it doesn't impact the setting badly.