Update on the Ravenloft Board Game

[Lost Heretic]

Was hoping for something a bit more atmospheric, like Arkham Horror or Betrayal at House on the Hill (which is getting a reprint soon, BTW. woohoo!)

I concur. However, we only see a few small hallway tiles - I'm sure there are bigger tiles which have more interesting locations.

[Jester of the FoS]

As in the Zombies Boardgame? Cool! Someone else who likes boardgames besides lil ole me!

Tarlyn, buddy, you have no idea...
http://boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/gonzoron


As for the cheap comment, I guess it's hard to pin down the gut feeling, but the board tiles and and cards look very generic. The minis look like they came right out of Descent. Descent is not a cheap game, mind you, but the point is, if not for the box and rules being the pic, I'd have no idea this was a Ravenloft game. Was hoping for something a bit more atmospheric, like Arkham Horror or Betrayal at House on the Hill (which is getting a reprint soon, BTW. woohoo!)

Well, I recognise the dracolich mini from an earlier DDM set, so they're likely going with old sculpts and the same plastic, only unpainted. So, all in all, this is likely a low-cost product for them.

I do hope there are more recognisable tiles that feel like scenes ripped from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft but possibly not.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

another pic available

My thoughts:
- still doesn't scream Ravenloft to me. Looks a lot like Descent
- there is a lot in the box. They skimped on the unpainted minis from old molds, but otherwise, I suppose it's a good value in terms of raw "Stuff". Just wish the graphic design was a bit more thematic.
- notice the "healing surge" tokens. Looks like there will be at least a passing resemblance to 4e rules.
- can't make out Strahd, but I see a dracolich, a smaller dragon, some big spiders, maybe a wolf, some skeletons, vermin of some sort, a couple gargoyles maybe?
- the dungeon tiles we see are still boring. hoping for more of interest in the unseen stack of tiles
- The little coffin tiles are a nice touch. wonder what they're for.
- There's a bit more variety in classes than I expected. Perhaps I'm showing my age when I expected only a Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, and Rogue (or Thief? ) . But there's a Ranger there.

Still hoping the rules make up for what I see as lackluster components (albeit a lot of them...)

[Lost Heretic]

Huh, yeah, those tiles look extremely plain. I like the miniatures, I just hope they're rigid plastic.

[LadySoth]

Wow. I was originally very excited about this, but after seeing the pics, well, this just looks lame. I mean, not even a board? WTF's up with these lame, generic (as others have already pointed out) tiles? The Age of Conan boardgame, for comparison, is wonderful and has an amazing *themed* board. I'm glad I didn't shell out the dough for the RLoft game, and I don't think I will now, what a disappointment! Gonz is right, it doesn't even look like Ravenloft. I think I'll go stare at my 4e boxed set now. . .

[Jester of the FoS]

It's pretty much what I expected.
It's not an original idea, just slapping D&D rules on Descent. With a touch of other games. They're not borrowing board game elements to make a D&D game, they're adding D&D elements to a board game.

The tiles are generic so they can be used for multiple scenarios and click together.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Sorry for steering off topic but...

Was hoping for something a bit more atmospheric, like Arkham Horror or Betrayal at House on the Hill (which is getting a reprint soon, BTW. woohoo!)

About damn time! Hopefully they include all the errata from the last printing.

Oh, and for what it's worth

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/user/bigbadqdaddy

[HuManBing]

Looks like a half-baked attempt to release a diffident and generic product to a specific gamer base.

Pity. A proper setting-specific board game with the company's full support behind it could have been pretty damn impressive.

[LadySoth]

Looks like a half-baked attempt to release a diffident and generic product to a specific gamer base.

Pity. A proper setting-specific board game with the company's full support behind it could have been pretty damn impressive.

Completely agree with you. I'm not fond of the recent change in status RLoft has endured in D&D land under WoC. At first WoC was doing a lot of great things for the setting, but now most of its just rubbish, as this board game attests to. From being its own campaign setting, relegated to now just being another generic D&D adventure, which is sad, as IMO Ravenloft is one of the most, if not THE MOST compelling and engaging franchise under the D&D banner. With the recent popularity of vampires in popular culture (Twilight films, TrueBlood, etc.) it would seem to be an opportunity for a new golden age for Ravenloft as its own setting. Shame on WoC for making it go to heck.

[alhoon]

Where are all the pictures everyone is so disappointed about?

[steveflam]

Alhoon, if you go to Boardgamegeek . com, and do aa search for the Ravenloft Board game, you can see the pieces of the game
near the middle or bottom of the page. They aren't all that great looking. Kind of disappointing like the
Pirate Strahd.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Alhoon, if you go to Boardgamegeek . com, and do aa search for the Ravenloft Board game, you can see the pieces of the game
near the middle or bottom of the page. They aren't all that great looking. Kind of disappointing like the
Pirate Strahd.

At least they're not using the Pirate Strahd mini. It seems Strahd will be an (unpainted) remake of this:
http://www.miniaturetrading.com/im/sele ... ards_lang/

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Latest news... designer interview
http://boardgamenews.com/columns/matt-j ... -boardgame

[DoctorMoreau]

You know, I spent quite some time working on Ravenloft cards for Runebound. It was a lot of fun, something I'd love to finish.

They seem to have more of the Ravenloft atmosphere than this game

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t174 ... hallenges/
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t174 ... nd/allies/
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t174 ... nd/heroes/
http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t174 ... und/items/

(The unrecognizable characters are from my own Ravenloft game and wouldn't have made it in to my final if I ever finished this, they were just... fun to make.)

That said, in regards to the Castle Ravenloft Board Game, I'm a collector/fanboy, there isn't a doubt in my mind that I'll own this, I hope they reveal more of the Castle Ravenloft atmosphere. I can't decide if that's a good thing to support the franchise or a bad thing to support such a lacklust attempt.

[DoctorMoreau]

At least they're not using the Pirate Strahd mini. It seems Strahd will be an (unpainted) remake of this:
http://www.miniaturetrading.com/im/sele ... ards_lang/

Hey, it'll give me a good excuse to use my Ral Partha Strahd Mini!

http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Maus ... /RL_12.jpg