My questions is these: to what extent are darklords aware of the outside world? To what extent can they move from one domain to the other? What about the other people within their domain? Or does all this stuff differ from region to region?
Most importantly: Each domain is basically a demiplane, right? Enclosed in the Mists? How, therefore, do the PCs move around the world? Is there, in fact, a 'world' in the normal sense, i.e. a geographical area that you can map concisely?
Answers to these would be much appreciated.
Thanking you in advance,
Suzu.
Here's a very interesting 3E Ravenloft lot still very cheap at £1 on ebay.co.uk, or how about the old 2E Black Box for 50 pence or in better condition for £4? You can get the 3E Ravenloft Core Rule book from abebook.co.uk for £9.19.
Used 2nd Edition books are mostly quite cheap nowadays with a few exceptions. Keep an eye on ebay (searching for "ravenloff" also often yields a few results) BTW you can also buy pdfs off most 2E products for $4-5.
As for the FoS releases there is a sort of Beginner's Guide to Ravenloft planned soon. See this thread
Get at least one of the old 2E Boxed Sets or Domains of Dread or the 3E Ravenloft Core book for an overview of Ravenloft.
Ravenloft is the demiplane. The domains are it's lands. Some border each other and form 'The Core', a continent if you will, some are "islands" or "clusters" floating in the mists.Each domain is separated by it's borders which the darklords can often somehow close. Darklords can't leave their domains, they are their prisons. People otoh can normally leave them unless the darklord closes the border. Most darklords are aware of the other domains, though not nessecarily of the nature of the Demiplane itself i.e. Darklordship, domains, domain borders (mechanics). The lands also shift and have rearranged in the past. New domains appear, domains can merge or dissappear altogether.
The Mordent Cartographic Society has lots of maps, though I believe they portray the old Core.
Here are the Jester's maps:
Old Core
New Core
Here's another Core map
You can find more maps on the Fraternity site or with a google search.
Also if you post the questions on the FoS boards you'll likely get more detailed answers.
Further introductory reading:
Ravenloft entry on Wikipedia
A Brief introduction to Ravenloft on the White Wolf site
The Fraternity FAQ
Reality wrinkles also present a unique strategy. Darklords inside a reality wrinkle lose their granted domain powers: Ivana Boritsi loses her ability to detect poison as well as her immunity to poison, but not her poison kiss (that she gained before becoming a darklord, though she's still immune to that). Ivan Dilisnya would lose his Envenom ability and his immunities to disease, paralysis, and poison (rendering him rather helpless). It's never really been said, but I'd assume while inside a wrinkle they also become vulnerable to final destruction if their link to Ravenloft brings them back to life. Azalin, as a lich, would still have his phylactery since it's not part of the Land; Harkon lukas, who returns by taking possession of the nearest wolf, would lose that ability because it's tied to the Land.
Only one outsider I've heard about had the ability to let Darklords travel out of their domains--Malocchio Aderre. Before he was sealed in Invidia, he had the ability to move freely about Ravenloft and even take Darklords outside of their domains as long as they remained inside his reality wrinkle.
As for the Guide to the Mists, that's available here.
For the new darklord thing, it doesn't have to be the killer of the old darklord and might not even be related to it, it is just the new evilest thing in the domain. And then the domain undergo a little change to fit his new lord a become a suitable prison.
Van Richten's Guide to the Mists is also a free netbook (I believe). It has some interesting things in it, and has some specific things on the mists themselves. It also has a rather creepy intro...
True. But that's some tough reading for a newbie (no offense). It's available on the White Wolf site i linked to above.
But better get the basics covered first.
It's been a long time since I touched any of my RL books and have read so many other game books after that, but IIRC, the domain either choose a new darklord or just disepear in the mist.
For the new darklord thing, it doesn't have to be the killer of the old darklord and might not even be related to it, it is just the new evilest thing in the domain. And then the domain undergo a little change to fit his new lord a become a suitable prison.
But don't mistake "the evilest" with "the most powerful evil". Ravenloft's evil is measured on a gothic scale. So no demon darklords for example.
Thanks a lot guys, you've been a big help
Are you playing 2E or 3E btw?
Anyway, I'm worried that if I buy the little black box I'll end up just using Ravenloft. So, thanks for your help, and I really mean that, but I shan't be buying.
Again, thank you very much, you folks have been really helpful.
Hey, there are other people making homebrew games/domains/netbooks on the board as well. If you want to contribute, or maybe pick up an idea, here are a few threads (if you haven't already looked at them)
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=749687
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=908165
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=906072
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=862501