Café de Nuit

If so far you browsed the message board without posting...

1) I ain't judging. Maybe you're shy, maybe you're out of ideas, maybe you signed up to see one thing and don't know what next.
2) Now is your opportunity to stop lurking and start being a part of our fraternity!

So here are a few questions:

1) How did you get into Ravenloft? Who introduced you to the setting?
2) Who is your favourite darklord? What's your favorite domain? And why?
3) Who is your favourite non-darklord Non-Player-Character?
4) What questions do you have about the setting?
5) Do you have a favourite Roleplay Gaming book? Not necessarily a Ravenloft one.
6) Did you play an adventure set in Ravenloft yet? If you have, who's your last (or current) player character? If you haven't, what's stopping you, and how do you engage with the fandom?

Yes, let's reply and don't be a lurker for once. I do have some posts, but when you look how often in the 20+ years here, you could call me a lurker.

1) Way back in 1991.. someone I met while studying had various (A)D&D stuff. Mostly Forgotten Realms, which I started to collect as well, but also the black box. ''Is it fun?" "Meh, only vampires and werewolves" was his reply. I didn't inquire further, but I stuck in my head. When I started buying FR-stuff, I always looked through the box with RL-stuff as well. I remember From the Shadows, Ship of Horrors and Van Richten's Guide to Vampires being there. 2 years later, I met someone else who had just purchased Castles Forlorn. I borrowed it from him, even copied the whole thing (including the maps) on a Xerox, and what awestruck. I loved the story, the castle, everthing. Around that time the revised Red box was there, so I bought it. Afterwards I traded the Black box with the first friend for 4 FR novels. And I bought Castles Forlorn as well, because I needed to have the original of course. And now, I have everthing complete . (Except some really odd things perhaps).

2) Forlorn I'd say - well the countryside is not that interesting, but I still love the castle.. And Tristen. And as I get older, I'm getting a soft spot for Strahd as well (Loved that story as well, Vampire of the Mist is my favourite novel). In general, I like the darklords with a human side. Lately I've been DM-ing in Invidia a lot, so Gabby is also becoming more and more of a favourite.

3) A couple, Jander because of VotM But I like the weathermay twins as well. And Isolde (2ed), really a great character.

4) After 30+ years in RL, I don't have much questions left.. or perhaps: does anyone have a nice map of Hunadora, which looks like both the description in the gazetteer and Knight of the Black Rose?

5) Undermountain, just because it was my first non-campaignset box I ever bought. I love these maps, but I don't think I'd ever play that dungeon again - my PCs have more city based campaigns without big dungeons.. but who knows. For Ravenloft, it must be the gazetteers I think. I didn't have high hopes for Curse of Strahd, but it added so much more to Barovia than Expedition or I6 did, so I like it as well.

6) Except for some small adventures back in the 90's, I only DM'ed. I don't think this board should be read by players btw. My campaign started in FR, but made some small 'weekends in hell' to RL, starting with the Created, Night of the Walking dead, later Touch of dead, Forlorn, House of Strahd, when Black roses bloom, hour of the knife and ship of horrors. Later they ended up in RL again via Neither Man nor Beast, and I played through Adam's Wrath, Port-a-Lucine (home brewn but many smaller CotN-adventures added to these), Gryphon Hill, Feast of Goblyns, Vecna reborn and now via The Evil Eye to A calling from Verbrek.

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So not technically a lurker but finally got my account reset - so I am back.

1) How did you get into Ravenloft? Who introduced you to the setting?

I started playing AD&D - 1st / 2nd at school and was at college in 91 -when I picked up the box set, MC and Feast of souls. I don't think I've ever been so excited. I was played a halfling adventurer in House of Strahd in 1994 and still remember the Bach classical organ music in the castle that the DM played. Even now it puts hairs on the back of my neck. For the record I am still amazed House of Strahd did not reproduce all the great artwork in i6 for handouts (even though it was twice the size). How it was never a box set also still bothers me. Given TSR produced so so many box sets (Why , Why - shakes fist at the sky).

2) Who is your favourite darklord? What's your favorite domain? And why?

I liked Mordenheim /Adam over Strahd and Azalin and I enjoyed the fact the first black box kept a few areas for the DM. I think Ebonbane and House of Lament showed that you could really get a different vibe to a Darklord. I even invented a few of my own. A trapped sentient Ai domain crouched in a third world war ruined city and a WW1 inspired domain of never ending battlefields and zombies in gas marks with bayonets.

3) Who is your favourite non-darklord Non-Player-Character?

I quite like if you escaped Malkens domain he would sent an assassin after you. I had a lot of fun crafting those. Oh and the Kargat Kargatane relationship= again giving them distinct characters

4) What questions do you have about the setting?

How did I10 never ever get an update or remake or anything. I6 gets all the love - its just not fair. I converted it to PF1 , called it 'shires by the sea' and they never guessed they were trapped in Mordentshire.

5) Do you have a favourite Roleplay Gaming book? Not necessarily a Ravenloft one.

Think Call of Cthulhu 5th edition is hard to beat. Throw in WFRP 1e - enemy within, mix with Elric / Stormbringer and the original FR campaign set. Drop in Warlock of firetop mountain and stir with From the Ashes and you have my perfect gaming set. Oh and as a treat topping 'Realm of terror'. The first box set is for me just something so different and so superb.

6) Did you play an adventure set in Ravenloft yet? If you have, who's your last (or current) player character? If you haven't, what's stopping you, and how do you engage with the fandom?

Many Many times. Its a heavy influence on my characters. Lucky the Boots Baggins will always be my favorite Castle Ravenloft explorer.

Finally - I just love it when we get a real fog or mist out my way at night. Who doesn't think - hmmmm if only !