Ravenloft is back in 5e?

[Five]

[We know a bit about one already: "Kalakeri (endless war between two factions inspired by Indian folklore, "political machinations as dark powers vie for control of the land in a never-ending war " and "where darklords Ramya, Arijani, and Reeva each vie for control. ")"

Yes, that's right. A few pages that'll introduce a new domain carrying some cultural flavour to Ravenloft is better than nothing. Hopefully it'll get picked up on by someone with appropriate insight and be further developed through a fan project similar to a gazetteer. I don't care who writes about it as long as the targeted culture base comes through.

I'''ll admit, I have avoided cultural trimmings in the past because of my ignorance (limited exposure/knowledge), and the amount of time I need to put in to research it so I can properly do it justice.

I hope injections like this will eventually lead to gelling Ravenloft into a culturally diverse (folklorish) world setting. Horror is, afterall, a fiend to ALL...

[Starscream]

Its branded Ravenloft but it's not Ravenloft. I hope that we will collectively carry the torch for the real Ravenloft and keep the real Ravenloft alive.

Who is with me?

count me in. the more I read about this book, the less I want to know.

this is Ravanloft for casual gamers, the ruin of the D&D industry. To sell to them, they have made only mediocre or worst product.

[onmyoji]

Rudolph Van Richten is more akin to the PCs than any of the Dark Lords. Popularity for this purpose is irrelevant. He is the settings example of a "good guy". Ravenloft's moral compass.

Completely agree with this. But as we all know, everyone in the Core has their own price that the Dark Powers are all-too-often more than willing to pay. Even someone with Van Richten's morals is hardly incorruptible. Planning to pull some fun narrative things in this regard later in our campaign. It's one thing to have a hero. It's quite another to lose them.

-- onmyoji

[tomokaicho]

this is Ravanloft for casual gamers, the ruin of the D&D industry. To sell to them, they have made only mediocre or worst product.

The incredible thing is that WotC could have introduced these Islands of Terror for 'weekend in hell' style gaming without touching the Core. I think some of the things they have done, such as gender switching Darklords, is designed to provoke controversy so the authors can complain about 'toxic fandom'. We've seen this endlessly and we have to stop taking the bait.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I think I speak for the rest of the FoS (and if not, feel free to pipe up) that this place will always be a home for the original Ravenloft AND this new Ravenloft, however it ends up turning out. There will be those of us who know and love the original, some of whom will reject the new version as heresy. There will be those that embrace part or all of the new version. And there will be those similar to onmyoji, whose first experience will be the new version who come to love the old stuff when exposed to it. We will be the home for Ravenloft fans, whatever Ravenloft they found first, and whatever Ravenloft they love best.

[onmyoji]

I think I speak for the rest of the FoS (and if not, feel free to pipe up) that this place will always be a home for the original Ravenloft AND this new Ravenloft, however it ends up turning out. There will be those of us who know and love the original, some of whom will reject the new version as heresy. There will be those that embrace part or all of the new version. And there will be those similar to onmyoji, whose first experience will be the new version who come to love the old stuff when exposed to it. We will be the home for Ravenloft fans, whatever Ravenloft they found first, and whatever Ravenloft they love best.

Thanks for the shoutout! Though, I do hope that (like me) this new product brings a bunch of people here, and they end up enamored with the vast wealth of canon to be found here. Honestly, this place has been a godsend (devilsend?) in terms of campaign planning. All I had to do was look a little bit past Curse of Strahd, and BOOM. Here I am. As if the Mists pulled me into THIS scholarly domain, haha.

But yeah. Here's hoping it drives more newcomers to a search for Ravenloft's past.

— onmyoji

[Resonant Curse]

I'll have to up my game of buying older Ravenloft products before the general wider spread interest in D&D and Ravenloft in particular spikes the already increasing out of.print book prices.

At least I have Birthright, Spelljammer, and Planescape all finished...

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I just figured it out...

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft was written while Dr. Rudolph Van Richten was under the care of Dr. Dominiani. So everything written in that book is the result of the good doctor suffering a psychotic episode...

[onmyoji]

I just figured it out...

Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft was written while Dr. Rudolph Van Richten was under the care of Dr. Dominiani. So everything written in that book is the result of the good doctor suffering a psychotic episode...

Headcanon accepted.

Though it could also be a fake, and only attributed to Van Richten. For those of us who'd want to stick it after the Grand Conjunction, RVR doesn't have much life left. Could easily have been written by someone else in his style.

— onmyoji