CONFIRMED: Ravenloft for 5th Edition

[Guardian of Twilight]

I would love to see a guide of some sort released for Ravenloft, especially if it has half-Vistani as a race and the Knight of the Shadows written up as character options.

I don't expect to get this, really. BUT. I suspect that we'll get a couple Unearthed Arcana related to Ravenloft around the time that Curse of Strahd comes out, much like we got a few Underdark-themed UA after Out of the Abyss. I expect the Powers Checks or a Morality system to appear in UA, rather than the adventure, to be honest.

That's very possible, yes. Unearthed Arcana would be a great way to test the waters of a system that they're working on if one isn't provided in the adventure.

I know that the DMG has a system for Fear, Horror, and Madness if I'm not mistaken, correct? My book is away from me just now, so I can't be certain.

[Dion of the Fraternity]

Where do you buy them? Do you have to go to a con to get it? Or are they in stores?

They're available through http://dmsguild.com

I already submitted some stuff, and I'm okay with what I'm receiving in return.

OK, so what's UA now? (I'm guessing not a splatbook of alternate classes and such like it was in 1e and 3e) Is that an online column? In Dragon/Dungeon, or available for free? (Is there still an online Dragon and Dungeon magazine like for 4e? If so, might we see some tie-in content there?)

Unearthed Arcana is a monthly release of unofficial rules tweaks which may or may not become official later on (e.g., the Storm Sorcerer, now official because of the Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide, first appeared via UA).

Dragon/Dungeon don't exist anymore, but Dragon+ Magazine (a monthly magazine featuring D&D events and releases) exists as an iPad app or something.

[NeoTiamat]

Wonderful news! And looks like I know what my first 5E product will be.

[alhoon]

Do you have to go to a con to get it? Or are they in stores?

They are digital. The vast majority of the material is digital, except, for some reason the ACTUAL adventure.
Probably done so, in order for people like me to have to wait a month for the book to come to the local store, or come with Amazon while WotC laughs with us as we fidget in anticipation.
I'm pre-ordering this book to spoil their fun.

Adventure Paths. They put out 6 adventures in 6 months where one leads into the next. (and there are assorted accessories to go with it, like decks of cards or map folios)

Nope, they don't break it to 6 adventures. You get the whole thing.

Where do you get that? free download? or free hardcopy in stores?

Free download.


Here's a few links:
Adventurers league: http://dnd.wizards.com/playevents/organized-play
The article about the Adventures league open to all so you can get your adventures
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/dd ... t-open-all

And here's the latest UArcana link: http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/kits-old

[Le Noir Faineant]

I don't think they legally CAN use the 3E material from a different company

There's no way they licensed their stuff out to Arthaus without a clause saying they could use whatever Arthaus added.

It's generally possible, because of what people call "the autonomy of the source" - meaning, that it's generally possible for a license owner to to come to the same thoughts and design the same designs as any current license holder. - For example, the Peter Jackson Middleearth franchise routinely borrows from MERP, and ICE would have no way of protesting.

Wizbro authors, however, notoriously don't do that; much criticism over the last decade has stemmed from them not doing any noticeable research before rebooting any of their classic materials. - Maybe it's a project time issue, maybe some more obscure sources are simply not available to them, but it's the red line in their work for the last ten years, at least.

OK, so someone who's been following 5e, catch me up to speed...

Hehehe, I am so glad I wasn't the only one who had to google all of this.

[Skyrock]

This will probably just be like "Expedition to Castle Ravenloft": A heavily extended and altered rehash of I6 in an isolated Barovia independent of the Ravenloft setting, and a lot of deviations from it (like the zombie plague or the halfling vistani).

[Dion of the Fraternity]

To be fair, I6 and Expedition were independent of any campaign setting.

[buriedbybooks]

On a slightly related note Jim Zub, who wrote wrote the "Legends of Baldur's Gate" comic has announced the next D&D comic will be set in Ravenloft.

"MINSC AND BOO ARE BACK and things have never looked more dire, as mysterious forces draw the legendary ranger and his crew of adventurers to RAVENLOFT, the Realm of Terror… where they find themselves face to face with undead horrors in the land of eternal night!"

http://www.jimzub.com/dungeons-dragons- ... -in-april/

[Joël of the FoS]

That's cool, thanks BbBs

[Zilfer]

GO FOR THE EYES BOO!!! GO FOR THE EYES!!!

[Jester of the FoS]

Take my turn answering as well.

OK, so someone who's been following 5e, catch me up to speed:
What is Adventurer's League? Is that like RPGA was? Is there a way to get those adventures?

Adventurer's League is the RPGA. More or less. Back in the day, the RPGA had numerous programs (Living Greyhawk, Xen'Drik Expeditions, Living Death). In 4e we had Living Forgotten Realms. Now we have the AL. It's just the latest organized play banner.

The adventures were free, but you needed to be a store organizer to get the password. Now they're available to everyone but cost money.
You can play in stores and other public locations, downloading adventures from the DMs Guild (for 2-4 bucks) and use those characters in convention games and specials. And if you buy the adventures yourself, you can run at home.

So there'll be 14 or so Ravenloft themed adventures this season.

What is DM's Guild?

A PDF webstore.

Basically, it's run by DriveThruRPG and owned by WotC. It doesn't use the OGL and you can use any of Wizard's IP you want, including monsters and class content. Writers get 50% of the profits of sales (down from the 60% DriveThru gives). You're also allowed to use the Forgotten Realms, adding NPCs and places in your adventures.

Think a giant 3rd Party Product store centered on the Realms or setting agnostic material.
I have a book of new feats on there already (5 Minute Workday Presents: Feats) and have a book of traps in the works.
And a little closer to the Curse of Strahd launch I might throw my caliban, dhampire, and such up on the site.

Has WotC been following a model similar to the PF APs? Assuming the initial product doesn't bomb, how much more could we expect throughout the year?

The first storyline adventure was two 96-page books. Since then they've instead released single volume 256-page books. They're stand alone with no Pathfinder-like support.
They do two storylines a year. Other than that, we have no idea what to expect in terms of player support.

You can buy maps and the like directly from the cartographers. Mike Schley (http://www.mikeschley.com/ ) will likely be doing many of the maps so expect a glorious map of Barovia and the castle.

[alhoon]

By the way, I see WotC is selling "Ship of Horrors" again, after giving it out for free as txt for ages. So, since there's a money price attached, do we know if they finally fixed the adventure by providing a map for the manor in the island, or if it's still "The DM should make the manor and fill it with enemies. Make sure to make it challenging buddy!" ?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

By the way, I see WotC is selling "Ship of Horrors" again, after giving it out for free as txt for ages. So, since there's a money price attached, do we know if they finally fixed the adventure by providing a map for the manor in the island, or if it's still "The DM should make the manor and fill it with enemies. Make sure to make it challenging buddy!" ?

Not a chance. The original printed version was the same way. I'd be shocked if anyone at wotc remembers that, our noticed it on proofreading.and and if they did I'd be shocked if they shelled out money to pay a cartographer for such an old adventure that sold perfectly well without a map for the manor. There are plenty of maps of manor houses out there, sold standalone or in other adventures

[ewancummins]

After reading some really racist, offensive,pandering, politicized marketing crap from Wizbros, I can state with utter confidence that I will never buy Curse of Strahd.

[Zilfer]

^ what did you read? o.o'