Ravenloft is back in 5e?

[Jester of the FoS]

''I'm triggered by my PC being killed."

Losing the hyperbole, there is a growing trend I’m seeing that is players disgruntled thief characters aren’t immortal and can die.

The whole concept of threat seems to be disappearing. I love the Ouside Xbox guys, but I stopped watching their D&D games because it became obvious they were never going to face real jeopardy.

Yeah... that trend has been growing since the mid-80s when all them young'uns started demanding that their characters not die immediately at 0 hp.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

The whole concept of threat seems to be disappearing. I love the Ouside Xbox guys, but I stopped watching their D&D games because it became obvious they were never going to face real jeopardy.

You have entered the lower levels of Castle Hunadora where the childlike Medraut had his laboratory.
You walk into a corridor and see bright colored lights in the end of it.
As you reach at the end of the tunnel you see...

[Mephisto of the FoS]

So OK since there is a whole article on how to make your players feel comfortable why should they change characters like Drakov in the new book. He could still be around without any graphic details of preferred ways of torture etc. and anyway if you open a history book you will read the real Vlads, Nazis or even Pol Pots attrocities so I don't see the point of the rewrite. I feel this is an overzealous overprotection of the reader because they made mistake in CoS of how they depicted the Vistani compared to Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani which was I believe based on myths of mystical powers rather than stereoypes.

Just a theory, but I suspect that in the new 5E version of the setting the domains of dread are going to be separate islands floating alone in the mists. If that's the case, Vlad's old "I want to conquer my neighbors!" shtick doesn't work anymore, so he/she needs something else. Hence, a new direction. Again, just me speculating.

You might be right

"Tying all the different realms together in the book are a people who will be familiar to players who’ve ventured into Ravenloft before: the Vistani, who formed a major part of The Curse of Strahd’s setting. A nomadic culture, the Vistani provide a chance for adventurers to encounter people who have visited lands beyond the one their current story is taking place in. “You’re not generally going to run into Lamordians in Barovia, or the folks from Valachan—you could in isolated instances, but as a general throughline, these are characters you might run into again and again. "

That makes it even worse... the transactions and relations between domains was one ofthe best elements in the game especially after non outlander PC's were introduced.

[Jester of the FoS]

So OK since there is a whole article on how to make your players feel comfortable why should they change characters like Drakov in the new book. He could still be around without any graphic details of preferred ways of torture etc. and anyway if you open a history book you will read the real Vlads, Nazis or even Pol Pots attrocities so I don't see the point of the rewrite. I feel this is an overzealous overprotection of the reader because they made mistake in CoS of how they depicted the Vistani compared to Van Richten's Guide to the Vistani which was I believe based on myths of mystical powers rather than stereoypes.

Just a theory, but I suspect that in the new 5E version of the setting the domains of dread are going to be separate islands floating alone in the mists. If that's the case, Vlad's old "I want to conquer my neighbors!" shtick doesn't work anymore, so he/she needs something else. Hence, a new direction. Again, just me speculating.

It's not a bad theory. I don't think they'd get rid of the Core, but they *might* to emphasise the isolation.

To me, getting rid of Drakov feels fairly similar to the reasoning behind getting rid of Duke Gundar. It makes some sense, but so much work had been put into the land to make it interesting. But if someone skipped the 3e books, I can see it feeling a little redundant.

I'm more curious what the end up doing with the Vistani. They're undoubtedly going to change the heck out of them to drift farther away from the Romani comparisons. I expect a return to the 4e "adopted culture" story.

[SkiBird]

I guess I'm cautiously optimistic? As others have mentioned, I'd be more in favor of a continuation of the timeline (as opposed to a rewrite). So far though, at least a few of the things hinted at have piqued my interest.

[Igor the Henchman]

I'm more curious what the end up doing with the Vistani. They're undoubtedly going to change the heck out of them to drift farther away from the Romani comparisons. I expect a return to the 4e "adopted culture" story.

That's already the case. In Tasha's Cauldron, there's an artifact called Luba's Tarokka of Souls that was crafted by a legendary halfling Vistani. Apparently she was a Vistani leader who tried to create a community of kindness and resilience in Ravenloft and wasn't willing to bargain with creatures of the night like Madam Eva did.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I'm more curious what the end up doing with the Vistani. They're undoubtedly going to change the heck out of them to drift farther away from the Romani comparisons. I expect a return to the 4e "adopted culture" story.

Yes like that Halfing Vistani from Tasha's cauldron of everything, I am absolutely not a fan of the idea. The story of the Vistani as an outlander ethnic group of different castes with mystical powers that entered Barovia (then the only domain of the Demiplane) to seek shelter from an unammed enemy is too good to trash it.
Just not portraying them as drunken immoral bandits would be enough for me as well as not using the racist term that has been used in the past.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I am watching Todd Kenreck's video fro the upcoming book and he mentions that Ravenloft is one of his favourite settings and then he sais that Vlad Drakov was a vampire, I guess he is not a really big fan after all...

Also he mentions that the darklord of Dementlieu is going to have ghouls as footmen, well dressed ghouls with rotten teath and is going be a mixture of fey and fairytales and Masque of the red death. Not at all machiavellian...

So lets hope he just is missinformed as in the case of vampire lord Vlad Dracov Dracula.

[DocBeard]

Wow this exploded.

As far as boundaries go, to experienced DMs it can feel like a waste of wordcount, but it's important to remember that every DM's guide is someone's first and a lot of these ideas can be useful to talk about. Good DMing, especially good horror DMing, is all about trust. Your players need to trust that you are not going to fuck them over, and you need to trust that your players will communicate their needs with you. Some people new to the art might need a little help establishing this at a table. An entire chapter might be a bit much, but is it any different from the old guides in the big red box that taught us fun ways to increase the atmosphere at the table?

I'm not thrilled with fundamental character changes to a setting so much about character. Pretty much every preview I've seen feels like it'd be better off as a new Domain, or a different Domain. Why are they trying to make Dementielu Tepest, for example? If you want a matriarchal warrior tyrant, why change Drakov when Elena Faith-Hold is right there and does that so much better? They're only a couple of sentences and some interviews but I can understand the trepidation.

[Joël of the FoS]

I am watching Todd Kenreck's video fro the upcoming book and he mentions that Ravenloft is one of his favourite settings and then he sais that Vlad Drakov was a vampire, I guess he is not a really big fan after all...

Also he mentions that the darklord of Dementlieu is going to have ghouls as footmen, well dressed ghouls with rotten teath and is going be a mixture of fey and fairytales and Masque of the red death. Not at all machiavellian...

So lets hope he just is missinformed as in the case of vampire lord Vlad Dracov Dracula.

I posted the link, then listened to it, and removed it. Many strange things said, indeed. Removed the link.

[Jester of the FoS]

I am watching Todd Kenreck's video fro the upcoming book and he mentions that Ravenloft is one of his favourite settings and then he sais that Vlad Drakov was a vampire, I guess he is not a really big fan after all...

Also he mentions that the darklord of Dementlieu is going to have ghouls as footmen, well dressed ghouls with rotten teath and is going be a mixture of fey and fairytales and Masque of the red death. Not at all machiavellian...

So lets hope he just is missinformed as in the case of vampire lord Vlad Dracov Dracula.

You can be a fan and still not know all the lore. Especially if it's been a decade or two...

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I am watching Todd Kenreck's video fro the upcoming book and he mentions that Ravenloft is one of his favourite settings and then he sais that Vlad Drakov was a vampire, I guess he is not a really big fan after all...

Also he mentions that the darklord of Dementlieu is going to have ghouls as footmen, well dressed ghouls with rotten teath and is going be a mixture of fey and fairytales and Masque of the red death. Not at all machiavellian...

So lets hope he just is missinformed as in the case of vampire lord Vlad Dracov Dracula.

You can be a fan and still not know all the lore. Especially if it's been a decade or two...

I have a good memory (at least with thing that interest me) so yes maybe I was a bit strict about that, but Vlad Drakov is a bit iconic as the human that is worse than monsters. On the other hand he is making a review and probably gets paid for that so the least he could do was do a better research.

[Mistmaster]

In my hopinion the principal problem with the anticipated changes is that they are making every domain a modern horror movie; zombie hordes, explicitly monster-filled lands, obvious threats. No place for politics, intrigue, human horror and such.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

In my hopinion the principal problem with the anticipated changes is that they are making every domain a modern horror movie; zombie hordes, explicitly monster-filled lands, obvious threats. No place for politics, intrigue, human horror and such.

Exactly!

Who wants to hack and slash some displacer beasts in Valachan? Not me...

I am proposing some more changes to the setting

Jaqcueline Renier to be replaced by a Greater Otyugh, known as queen of the sewers whose curse is to fall in love with garbage.

Ivana Dilisnya will change places with Ivan Boritsi the "Black Widower"

Lord Malken Hiregaard turns to the hideous Tristan

And Frantisek Markov is an intelligent gorilla from Planet of the Apes.

[Joël of the FoS]

Mod hat?
**** that noise.

I'm out.

Have fun without me, dudes.

[mod- text and profanity removed]

Those were not acceptable words in a gentlemen's discussion. You are not the only person passionate about your ideas, and we love discussions. You know it, since you've been here for a long while. But frankly, so uncool to insult a moderator... with such an uncool insult?

You announced on the pbp boards that you leave the FoS. Your choice.