Everan's, Sebastian Crowe's, & Steinhardt's Guides in Ravenloft

[Hell_Born]

My copy of "Everan's Guide to Death & Beyond", a Dark Fantasy sourcebook for D&D 5th edition with a focus on necromancy, undeath and cosmic horror, arrived today. It also reminded me that I have a copy of two other third-party D&D 5e campaign setting sourcebooks; "Sebastiane Crowe's Guide to Drakkenheim", a Mordheim-inspired Gothic/Cosmic Horror setting from the creators of Grim Hollow, and "Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt", a campaign setting that is so obviously based on Bloodborne that I've never even played the game and I can STILL spot the references. Which in turn reminded me of something else...

I once did articles for Quoth the Raven examining the subclasses and races of Ghostfire Gaming's Grim Hollow setting and whether they could fit into a 5e game of Ravenloft. Would anyone be interested in my doing a similar breakdown for Everan's, Sebastian Crowe's, and Steinhardt's respective guidebooks? I'm not entirely sure if some of the other mechanical stuff from each setting, such as spells, or the rules for pistols, transforming weapons and Eldritch Moons in Steinhardt's Guide, or the grafting mechanics from Everan's Guide, are also of interest, but I figured that the subclasses and races at the very least might be worth looking at from a Ravenloft perspective.

Rather than wait for the 2026 issue of Quoth the Raven, I was thinking that I might break down each race and subclass individually here on the forum, get folks' feedback on the viability of my thoughts and anything I might have missed, and then I can do a "finalized" version of my collective analyses for Quoth the Raven #33.

So, what do folks think? Any interest?

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

It sounds like a great idea to me, though I have to admit I'm unfamilliar with the source material.

[Hell_Born]

Maybe this will help...

Sebastian Crowe's Guide to Drakkenheim is the Player's Handbook for Ghostfire Gaming's "Dungeons of Drakkenheim", a Dark Fantasy campaign they created that was clearly inspired by Mordheim. For the unfamiliar, it centers on the titular city of Drakkenheim, an imperial capital city which was annihilated by the strike of a comet, plunging the nation into a years-long civil war that's still ongoing at the time that the campaign starts. But more than that, the comet was made of a substance called "Delerium"; purple crystals that are ripe with magical energies, making them natural power sources for spells or creating magical items... but also causes them to induce insanity and mutation in anyone who spends a prolonged period of time in their presence. Not to mention literally corroding the fabric of reality around themselves, which slowly but surely allows entities from "The Space Between Worlds" (think the Far Realm, only slightly less hostile to life) to invade the world. Drakkenheim mostly revolves around exploring Drakkenheim itself, either to make yourself rich by looting the Delerium and/or the treasures of the city's population (variously killed or turned into insane mutant monsters), or to achieve nobler goals. This will be the shortest portion of this project, because Crowe's Guide to Drakkenheim has the least amount of potentially usable content. There are no custom races unique to the Drakkenheim setting, for one thing. For another, roughly half of the subclasses introduced in the book revolve around interacting with a mechanic unique to Drakkenheim; "Contamination", which represents the ongoing mental and physical pollution of a character with Delerium radiation, and which will turn them into an insane monster NPC if it gets too high. Thus, these subclasses are useless outside of Drakkenheim. So, the following could potentially be ported from Crowe's Guide into Ravenloft:
* New base Class; Apothecary
* Barbarian Subclass: Path of the Old Gods
* Bard subclass: College of Doomsayers
* Cleric Domain: Shadow
* Fighter subclass: Commander
* Monk subclass: Way of the Arcane Hand, Way of the Serpent
* Ranger subclass: Urban Ranger
* Rogue subclass: Smuggler
* Warlock Patrons: Cosmic, Flesh

Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt is, as I said in the opening post, a Dark Fantasy campaign setting clearly inspired by Bloodborne. Players take the role of survivors in the enormous gothic high fantasy city-state of Luyarnha, which is under the attention of terrible eldritch powers embodied in the form of a collection of otherworldly moons that randomly appear in the skies over Luyarnha at night, saturating the world with their dark powers. Each moon has its own unique effects - the Creeping Tarlight moon turns shadows into sticky, flammable, tarry ectoplasm; the Krakenlight moon envelops the city in an ethereal sea that pulls things towards the moon, etc - but their collective effect has been to transform vast swathes of the city's population into insane, mutated beasts who are slowly pulling down their uncorrupted brethren. Adventurers take the role of desperate survivors, or those willing to fight against the endless tide of beasts in hopes of somehow breaking the curse that is consuming Luyarnha. This setting has a new base class in the Jaegar (an aggressive superhuman warrior inspired by the Hunters of Bloodborne), new races and subclasses. There are some other setting-related mechanics, such as firearms, madness, trick weapons and eldritch carvings, but I'm thinking of focusing on the classes, subclasses and races in this project.

Erevan's Guide to Death and Beyond... honestly, I don't even know how to sum this up, but there's a new base class in the Thanatomancer, new races, and new subclasses.

So... yeah, if folks are interested, nominate a book and what you'd like to look at from it, and I'll start breaking down what's in it and give my thoughts on if it could be adapted to the Ravenloft setting.

[Hell_Born]

I'm deciding if I should or shouldn't cover the brand new races and subclasses from the 2025 remake of Grim Hollow and from the Last Citadel, a low magic zombie apocalypse dark fantasy setting, for this project as well, but for now, let's talk about the Guide to Drakkenheim...

Apothecary
The Apothecary class in the world of Drakkenheim is a catch-all name given to a variety of traditions that practice a distinct blend of science and sorcery, combining occult rituals with scholastic practices in order to push their skills beyond what those who limit themselves purely to science can achieve - especially in those fields relating to the body and the mind. Apothecaries are defined by their hunger for knowledge, which is why they are willing to risk their souls and sanity by exploring the occult - however tentatively or abstractly - in the first place. An apothecary can be a a benevolent soul seeking to brighten the lives of future generations with their discovers, an amoral monster interested only in proving their genius, or a madman obsessed with their theories to the point that they willfully blind themselves to the suffering they may or do cause in the pursuit of knowledge.

In general, apothecaries fit well into Ravenloft, with strong roots in Gothic Horror - or at least in "Screampunk", that blending of Gothic Horror and science fiction exemplified by works like Frankenstein, the Island of Dr. Moreau, or the Invisible Man. In a Ravenloft campaign, Apothecaries will most likely come from the more advanced domains, or else from noble backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to acquire knowledge and resources from those more advanced fields - and the hubristic urge to believe they can surpass the creations of the gods.

Alienists specialize in the study of the mind, seeking to unravel the mysteries of the brain, to unlock the latent potential of mental energies, and to better understand madness, dreams, and psychic phenomena. It goes without saying, but Alienists in the Demiplane of Dread will likely be connected to the nascent study of psychology, and will likely have a particular association with Dementlieu.

Chemists are devoted to studying the physical makeup of the world around them. Especially in how chemicals can be applied to burn, freeze, dissolve, electrocute or envenomate. They are masters of toxins, caustics and explosives, and often have a pronounced martial streak, turning their genius to the production of deadly weaponry. Lamordia is a natural home for Chemists, but some interpretations of Falkovnia may also make it a worthy home, with Chemists representing some of the more esoteric forms of weapons technology being chartered by the Ministry of Science to strengthen the Hawk's army.

Exorcists embrace the mystical side of knowledge. They are fascinated by the soul, and by creatures that seem closely related to the soul; spirits, angels, fiends, and fey, creatures that exist beyond the limits of flesh - but who can also seize the flesh for their own purposes. By studying these forces, Exorcists learn how to banish possessor entities - or bind them into prison-hosts and compel them to service. Apothecaries of this discipline often have a religious background, and may be an active part of a church. In the lands of the Core, Exorcists are most likely to come from Mordent, a realm notoriously troubled by restless spirits and whose people hold a particular dread of ghosts.

Mutagenists study biology and biochemistry, and in particular the way that the latter can be harnessed to "improve" the former. Most Mutagenists use their own bodies as canvasses to test their transmogrifying elixirs, risking body and sanity alike in pursuit of a better humanity. Obviously, Lamordia and Falkovnia make natural sources for Mutagenists.

Pathogenists devote themselves to the study of diseases. Both how to cure them, and how to improve them. Pathogenists make wonderful healers... but they also attract truly vile souls who see disease as a path to power, hoping to weaponize plagues and pestilences to fell their enemies. Few lands in the Core are especially renowned for their infectious diseases, making Pathogenists rare and odd wherever they arise, but the far-flung land of Nosos is a natural breeding ground for Pathogenists. There might potentially be Pathogenists working for the Falkovnian Ministry of Science, but this isn't likely; Dravok would never approve of the idea of sowing plague in advance of his troops.

Reanimators, next to Mutagenists, are perhaps the most feared and hated of all the Apothecaries, for their study is in the very nature of life and death itself - and how to blur the barriers between. They learn to breath a false life into corpses, and create unnatural things from artificially sculpted flesh, or perhaps a melding of corpse and machinery. This is perhaps the most notoriously Lamordian of the Apothecaries, but Darkon probably has its share of Reanimators as well.

Barbarian Subclass: Path of the Old Gods
In the world of Drakkenheim, Barbarians of the Old Gods worship the ancient patron deities of the civilized peoples, whose faith has been pushed to the margins by the rise of the aggressively henotheistic Faith of the Sacred Flame. Their devotion is rewarded with surges of divine might when they give themselves over to their rages, imbuing them with supernatural might and vitality. There are no specific deities in the Demiplane of Dread that might reflect this Path, but as a general archetype it easily slots into the setting, representing a barbarian who is able to wield the literal strength of madness or who has been gifted - or cursed - with a power they cannot control.

Bard subclass: College of Doomsayers
Doomsayers are dark prophets, whose chanting, songs and prayers speak of hopelessness, suffering, and gruesome death. They do not inspire allies to great feats, but instead terrify others into submission, placing them under a malaise of dread and despair that cripples their ability to fight. There would be no "College of Doomsaying" in the conventional sense in the Demiplane of Dread, but Doomsayers would certainly proliferate - whether genuinely blessed (or cursed) with oracular insight, or simply broken as a result of some traumatic event. The closest thing to an organized tradition of Doomsaying would be found in those religions where apocalyptic preaching and fearmongering are the tools of choice to keep the faithful obedient, and to cow outsiders into belief; the Darkonian sect of Ezra, the Eternal Order, the Lawgiver, and the Tepestani cult of Belenus would all make use of Doomsayers as "fire and brimstone" preachers.

Cleric Domain: Shadow
Clerics of the Shadow domain believe that darkness is not evil, but a natural and indeed necessary part of existence. Darkness can grant shelter to the weak, and punish the wicked; it is only when light and darkness work in harmony together that the world is balanced. On the other hand, there are those who worship the more stereotypical malevolent powers of the night, to whom darkness represents the true source of all power, or the end to which all are inevitably destined. This is not a doctrine that naturally aligns itself with many religions native to the Demiplane of Dread, apart from perhaps the Eternal Order or the Church of Hala, which regards the cosmic balance between equal and opposing forces as a fundamental part of its doctrine. An interesting spin might be on Shadow Clerics as a radical and perhaps heretical sect within the church of the Morninglord.

Fighter subclass: Commander
While Battle Masters study tactics in order to maximize their own effectiveness in the fray, Commanders study them to better guide their allies to victory, directing allies and keeping careful eye on the actions of their foes to achieve their goals. Commanders are a natural phenomena that arise in any situation where multiple warriors gather together for a common goal; commanding officers in official militaries or mercenary companies, the unofficial heads of peasant militias, even bandit chiefs or urban gang bosses, all fall under the umbrella of the Commander. As such, there is no difficulty in justifying this subclass in a Ravenloft campaign.

Monk subclass: Way of the Arcane Hand
The idea of being able to tap into and wield cosmic forces through the proper alignment of body, mind and soul is, in many ways, the foundation stone of most monk philosophies. The Way of the Arcane Hand is unusual only in that it considers arcane magic to be one expression of that cosmic energy, and their practices endow them with a limited degree of arcane spellcasting alongside the iconic and formidable martial arts practices. In the Demiplane of Dread, this Way is endemic to Hazlan, although it's possible that small and secretive orders practicing it may be found in Darkon, dating their traditions back to the legendary Arcane Age and having survived the forcible unification of the nation under Daraculus.

Monk subclass: Way of the Serpent
Monks practicing the Way of the Serpent combine martial arts stances and philosophies inspired by serpents with mastery of polearms - spears, tridents, halberds, glaives, pikes. Their fighting style emphasizes evasion and deflection, using the reach of their weapon and deft movement to keep a foe at bay, until they can be dispatched with deadly-accurate thrusts. Like most monk subclasses, this is most likely to be found in Hazlan if restricted purely to the Core, simply because most monks found in the Core hail from that domain. Otherwise, it is likely to be found in domains that possess an abundance of serpents to serve as inspiration - namely the Amber Wastes and far-removed Sri Raji.

Paladin Oath: Oath of Hexes
Paladins of this Oath are sworn servitors to deities of magic, fate and death, or to creatures that embody those same forces, such as hag covens or inscrutable fey. They enforce the wills of their patrons, and are charged to keep the secrets of the ages, act as arbiters of fate, and to show no mercy to those who have earned their wrath. In the Demiplane of Dread, Paladins of this Oath are rare and terrible figures; at best, they may be the warrior arm of the cults of Hala or the Eternal Order, while at worst, they may serve the inscrutable Shadow Fey or even a hag coven. Apart from those who enforce the will of the Eternal Order, they likely conceal their patronage, which only furthers the dread that others regard them with.

Ranger subclass: Urban Ranger
As their moniker makes it evident, Urban Rangers have adapting the traditional tactics of mobility, archery and guerilla warfare that are common to most ranger orders for use in densely urban environments, stalking cities and large towns rather than the remote wilderness. In the Demiplane of Dread, these rangers hail from the largest cities of the Core, such as those found in Darkon or Nova Vaasa, but remote Paridon is a natural breeding ground for this tradition.

Rogue subclass: Smuggler
Wherever goods of some kind are made illegal or restricted, there will be rogues seeking to acquire the massive profits to be had of getting these illicit goods into the hands of people who will pay VERY well for them indeed. Any domain that has some level of civilization in the Demiplane will have smugglers in it; even a more primitive land like Barovia may have smugglers so long as it has aristocrats eager to acquire items that their feudal lords may not approve of their having.

Warlock Patron: Cosmic
Cosmic Patrons are creatures of the open heavens; beings tied to singular stars, constellations, the sun and moons, planets, and even the void of space itself. They are easy enough to justify in any domain where an individual may look to the sky above and beg for something, anything, to listen to their plea.

Warlock Patron: Flesh
The true nature of the patrons of Flesh Warlocks is unknown, only that they are creatures that exist outside of the frame of reference for any sane(ish) individual. In essence, this is another interpretation of the Great Old One patron, but one whose powers lie in dominion over biological matter, such as Shub-Niggurath. It fits into Ravenloft as well as any Cosmic Horror themed class, I suppose... Honestly, this is the hardest one to justify, in my opinion, because there's not really very much lore to figure out on what this patron IS, outside of a mixture of Cosmic and Body Horrors.