After that, if this spark your interest, you could by a gazetteer that will provide you with more details about a particular domain than the great-picture in the Campaign setting.
You could also consider buying denizens of dread for the monster and the ravenloft dungeon master guide that could help you a little with the narrative content. But never having read the RL DMG, i cannot really say to you if he is useful or a reedition of the 3.5 WOTC DMG.
There are reviews of most RL products available in the Drawing Room of the Fraternity of Shadows website:
http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Drawing_Room.htm
Two books is all you really need, one (core rulebook) if you like to provide your own details.
Or as Thanael said, the second edition black box if you can get your hands on it. Stephen Fabian's art on its own will get you into the mood of Ravenloft.
So you guys are not reccomending to pick up the Ravenloft DMG? Does it contain mechanics or other stuff? If I can find both books cheap, then I'll definitely get the DMG but why didn't you guys reccomend it?
A touch of background: Ravenloft was the first published campaign setting I ever purchased, and with the exception of my own homebrew world, it remains my absolute favorite to run. You could say that I know it well.
The Ravenloft DMG, sadly, is one of the least useful RPG sourcebooks I have ever purchased... for me. If you're new to gamesmastering, and in particular know very little about Ravenloft and how it relates to other campaign settings and how to establish mood for a session, then make the investment. If you're not a rookie, then don't spend the money. I kinda regret having done it myself - It's the last book I'll EVER buy sight unseen.
For MY money, here are my suggestions:
1. Original Ravenloft black box. Buy it, and buy nothing else. It's excellent, it's incredible, it's informative, and most importantly, it doesn't leave any holes. It is complete within itself.
2. As many of the AD&D modules as you can find, in particular, Adam's Wrath and Castle Ravenloft.
Big space here.
3. Sword & Sorcery's Ravenloft Player's Handbook. It's all you need to BEGIN playing in Ravenloft.
4. As many of the Gazetteers as you can afford and find. They really are excellent sourcebooks.
5. Denizens of Darkness is the Ravenloft Monster Manual, and it's good. Given my preference, though, I'd rather have the old-school AD&D Monstrous Compendia for Ravenloft, then convert them myself.
6. The AD&D Ravenloft softcover sourcebook, Carnival. It's a brilliant twist on "running away to join the circus."
Them's my three cents' worth. Best of luck to you. Make `em pee on themselves; see how good that feels. :D
First of all, it's 3.5. And I think/feel 3.5 being released so quick after 3.0 is for double sales and double sales only. Sorry, but I'm a gamer, not a collector. Never could understand the phenomenon behind Pokemon and those other card games...
Second, the core rulebook was all I really needed to keep updated with Ravenloft's newest incarnation. Even then, I don't think there are too too many changes from 2E.
Third, and this ties in with reason number two, I'm Ravenloft original. The setting was already adjusted by me and my crew back when, so we know what we have, and how our version of Ravenloft runs. And mechanically, the d20 DMG is all that we need really, if we want to update our campaign. We're 1E-on, 2E-off as it is, and we're contemplating whether or not we even want to make the transition to 3.0 at this point. I might be out a few bills with the Ravenloft products that I did purchase, but whatever. I don't mind throwin' some coin to support resurrection costs. :D
All the same, this is just me from my side of the fence.
Numerous examples of not-darklord-level villains & evil locations.
Full section on divination tools, the Tarroka mainly.
Tips about creating stories with a RL feel.
Etc..
Not the most mandatory of books but a valuable one nonetheless.
Oh, and it's 3.0, not 3.5. I know S&S advertised it as such but it's not. Not that it really matters given how few rules are in it...
Oh, and it's 3.0, not 3.5. I know S&S advertised it as such but it's not. Not that it really matters given how few rules are in it...
Really?
Oh well.
What IS needed:
A campaign setting such as the RL: Campaign Setting or the RL: Player's Handbook. The RL: PHB is -as mentioned- a 3.5 update/reprint that is almost identical, buy whichever you can get cheaper.
The D&D Core books (PHB, DMG, MM)
What is OPTIONAL:
The RL: DMG, which contains alot of good advice. Not really useful if you are a master DM who thinks they have nothing left to learn and/or if you have a mountian of past RL products. Overall it's a great book on writing Ravenloft adventures, capturing the feel of the setting and the like.
RL: Gazetteer, five of these were published and each covers a section of the world. Not essential but very nice on expanding the setting.
Also of use are the Ravenloft 'Red Box', the reprint of the 2nd Edition Campaign Setting (prefered by me due to the more complete NPC write-ups and descriptions of all the lands), Domains of Dread (same as the above only in an easier to find hardcover book). These might be easier to locate in used gaming stores.
As for the rest, I wrote a goodly number of the reviews on the Fraternity of Shadows site so my opinions should be easy enough to read there if elaboration is required.
Also of use are the Ravenloft 'Red Box', the reprint of the 2nd Edition Campaign Setting (prefered by me due to the more complete NPC write-ups and descriptions of all the lands),
I want to amend my previous recommendation to agree with this statement. The Red Box indeed was more complete, but the cardstocks from the Black Box were (and indeed still are) important to me in my play.
It's good to see input and opinions still being flung around regarding my favorite published setting, though. Thanks for keeping it alive (or undead or whatever applies).
Also don't forget to pick up the freeebies:
Gazetteer V (d20) : http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=415680
and some 2E adventures: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads
;)
The Magic Item section is the only one that wasn't a home run in my opinion. (pretty poor, actually). But the music recommendations, the example communities, the Prophet NPC class, advice on pacing, cut scenes, the psionic rules (they are 3.0 because the XPH wasn't out yet), the revamped tarrokka ruels. All very very good.
Joël
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Van Richten Guides to... Most of them are 2E wheich might make them hard to find but I don't see how you can go wrong VRgtVampires, VRgtGhosts, and VRgtWerebests. The 3.0 VRgtWalkingDead was also a real winner.
Finally there were adventures put out called Chilrdren of the Night: "X". I thought the CotN
ampires, Ghosts and Created were all excellent sources of adventures and inspirations.Basically there is a lot of good stuff out there.
-Eric Gorman
Basically there is a lot of good stuff out there.
Indeed, and since Ravenloft isn't heavy on mechanic, most 2ed stuff is very easy to convert to 3e.
Joël