moonglum wrote: Sat Jan 17, 2026 8:27 pm
It could also be a good reason to take a look at the 3e (and even 2e) Ravenloft content and perhaps give the older rulesets a swing. This site was built around the 3e Ravenloft setting and, as someone mentioned above, 2e and 3.0/3.5 really elicit that feel through the rules in a way that 5e doesn't (not that I don't think 5e is a great game). I agree with the poster who said that Ravenloft as 5e presents it is a farcry from Ravenloft as it has been discussed on this site and presented in the 3rd edition books. I played 5e for several years after it came out, and my opinion is based on that. But, from what I read now, at this point they've got most, if not all, classes having magic and/or healing capabilities? And I've seen the art and read pieces of new 5e RL content. It is simply not the same.
5th edition is waning in popularity with the revision. Obviously not waning by serious numbers, but it will happen, because it always does. And then the next revision or edition will hit. I think its time that fan communities, message boards, fan sites, and especially gamers, just find the edition that they enjoy the most and put their creative energy into that, with a line in the sand. It is worth maintaining a steady flow of content and appreciation for the game that you enjoy the most, even if it is out of print. The constant moving of the goal posts is tiring.
Anyways, the tone of the Ravenloft content that has always been promoted with this website since its inception has been that of the 3e (and to a lesser extent 2e) books. Muchlike Dragonsfoot sticks to TSR D&D, GiantITP is largely a 3.x site and so forth, I see merit in continuing to grow the site by sticking to its roots.
Obviously I am biased, but bias is often worthwhile. Mundanity is often the result of trying to please a majority
Second best case, imo, would be system neutral.
I'd like to give a hearty hear hear to that sentiment. I also have a bias, because of course I do, everyone does. But I truly believe that that bias is based on a decline in the overall tone and quality of the Ravenloft experience from 3.5 to 5e. Everything from the classes and how they mesh, to the artwork in the new printed materials just feels off. I think the reason having a mesh of 2e and 3.X works is because the tone doesn't really shift too hard between those editions. I also stand by my statement that the well to draw upon for new 5e content is DEEP, because of how many online resource sites started gaining momentum at the same time 5e was starting to kick off. So in my mind, there is no need for us to focus on creating content for an edition that already has a saturated "market" if that makes sense?
