Important Ravenloft news!

[AlterEgo]

http://www.white-wolf.com/ravenloft/?li ... icleid=276

Looks like Arthaus is giving the Ravenloft license back to WotC.

Where will it go from here?

Will we have to wait until 4th edition for new products?

Have the Dark Powers been stringing us all along only to leave us in our own cage of despair?

[Rotipher of the FoS]

It's a bummer, but not really a surprise. At least we know the situation for certain, now; waiting for a final verdict on Ravenloft's future (or lack thereof) with Arthaus was very frustrating, Internet speculations and rumors nonwithstanding. :-/

Great news that we'll get to see VRGtMists, at least! Even as an unedited download, it'll be a nice capstone to Arthaus's work, and thankfully it won't be true vaporware.

[Bloody Morgan]

This could be a good thing, could be a bad thing. We'll just have to wait and see what Wizards say their plans are really.

Though I am also glad to see that we will still get the Guide to the Mists.

Bloody Morgan

[Dr Bloodworth]

Isn't it weird how this coincides with Wizards releasing Heroes of Horror? While I'm cautiously optimistic when it comes to that book, perhaps Wizards'll do something with the license. Honestly, having more money behind it could be a very good thing. Or a very bad thing, depending on your perceptions of Wizards...

[ScS of the Fraternity]

Its the end! Its the End!
Flee, flee! Only the righteous will be spared!

Well, that's the end of the second age of Ravenloft.
Let us remember both the good times and the bad as our fan community treks once more into the mists and journies into that undiscovereed country.

Know ye now that this is not the end. Yea, it is a new begining. Though its mortal life has been shuffled off, the carcase itself rests fitfully in its casket. Soon, it shall break free of its crypt-like-crysalice and rises once again to bark at the moon.

That which can forever lie, in strange eons even death may die.

[Don Fernando]

Isn't it weird how this coincides with Wizards releasing Heroes of Horror?

I had the same perception when I saw the release date of Heroes of Horror. Now I think that HoH is the first step that WotC is taking towards the new "third age of Ravenloft". Let us hope it will be better.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

dammit... just when I was getting comfortable.

I'm sure there will be another rebirth eventually, but I hope WotC doesn't just sit on the rights for too long. And when we do get more product, I hope we don't have to start from scratch with ANOTHER campaign setting, and ANOTHER monster manual, etc..

I'm glad we'll get to see VRGttMists, but I guess Masque of the Jade Horror is in limbo. Condolences to all the authors who were looking forward to seeing it in print.

On the bright side maybe we'll get some more novels eventually...

[DarkDuo]

To all of those who love and support Ravenloft:

Now that the news is out, we can reply to those who have asked about the future of Ravenloft. As you have read, the rights to the Ravenloft line have reverted to Wizards of the Coast (along with the rights to Gamma World).

We are sorry to see the line leave ArtHaus and hope that Wizards makes some favorable decisions concerning Ravenloft, a game we have loved for a long time -- ever since that first Castle Ravenloft module by Tracy & Laura Hickman so many years ago gave new life to the D&D vampire and saved it from being just another entry in the Monster Manual.

We have enjoyed being the developers for the line and are happy that we were able to produce nearly 20 books (and one Tarokka deck) over the years. We've also had the privilege of working with many good writers and editors and artists, who have all given so much to the creation of the current Ravenloft setting.

Kudos to the Kargatane for their efforts in keeping the line alive for so long and to all the old Ravenlofters who responded to the opportunity to enter the Dread Realms once again -- Skip & Penny Williams, Dale Donovan, Harold Johnson, to name a few. Many thanks to the folks of the RPGA's Living Death membership whose tournaments kept Masque of the Red Death "alive" and who did such good work on the updated version of Masque. Thanks to all our writers, editors and artists for jobs well done.

Above all, thanks to all of you who bought the books, used them (or threw them down in disgust!), who gave your opinions freely and frequently and did not stint in your criticism when you felt it was warranted.

We are here to answer any questions you may have to the extent that we can (and we'll let you know when we don't know or can't say).

Again, thanks.
Here's to looking forward to Ravenloft's future, whatever it may be, and hoping it's a good one!

Jackie Cassada & Nicky Rea, outgoing developers

[alhoon]

here are the news.

And IMO they are GOOD news. I agree with Don Fernado and Orang Santu. Probably WotC will make something out of Ravenloft again. They turn again towards atmosphere with HoH

While I believe we will have the same quality products as we did with S&S at last we will be able to say:

"Hazlik is a Red Wizard from Faerun" and "The Blackguard's name was Soth".

I only have one question:
If (probably and hopefully) WotC decide to go on with Ravenloft will they use the same authors/editors/artists/book format/book atmosphere? I loved the way the Gaz's were and VRGttWD and VRGtSF were my favorite books.

[Algaris]

Gosh darn it. And there was me hoping for another Gazetteer to round off the Core and Van Ritchens Guide to The Mists at the very least. At least we are getting an electronic version of Van Ritchens Guide to The Mists .

Personally I would be very surprised to see Wizards do anything with Ravenloft, given that they are putting so much into Forgotten Realms and Eberron. If they do take it up again, I hope that they will keep the mood, flavour and format of the setting, not jamming each book generic rules, and monsters, concentrating on high fantasy or power gaming.

Anyway I would like to say thank you to ArtHaus for producing the excellent material they have and for the DarkDuo, the Kargatane, all the different authors and artists. Without you the 3rd Edition of Ravenloft could not have been the excellent setting it was.

Who knows, may be this could be the start of a new exciting future for Ravenloft.

[Mangrum]

So does this mean we can now release the cut material from earlier books as web extras? Such as the big chunks that couldn't fit in Gaz IV and V, or the darklords written up for Secrets of the Dread Realms?

I'd like an official answer on that one, if possible.

[Wiccy of the Fraternity]

John, if you could get a definite yes on that, we would love to see that material available on the web

And as I have said elsewhere on this forum, the official releases may be at an end, but the FoS will still be around to release unofficial materials for people, so the setting is not at an end... it's just dieting

[Mortepierre]

What I would really like to understand is the marketing reason(s) behind this move. Given Gamma World's lack of popularity, I can see why it went down the drain but Ravenloft?!?

Six out of ten of their bestsellers (as displayed even now on the S&S website) are RL products for crying out loud!

Or is it that WotC didn't want any competition for their soon-to-be-released HoH?

[Willowhugger]

I used to be a game designer (don't bother looking for my stuff). It's often not issues of this at all. Sometimes the money just isn't coming in and the designers want to divert it for other interests. In WW's case, it might be they want to focus on their line some more or the license was too expensive.

[Willowhugger]

Since the line is ending, I was curious if anyone of the group could lay down what they thought were Azalin's ideas behind it anyway and what exactly he was up to.

I liked her story arc and figure it's not something that's gagged against (I honestly doubt there's was much officially planned at all)