Ravenloft - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ravenloft

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
May 11, 2005 2:41:54 what is Ravenloft
thanks
#2
zombiegleemax
May 11, 2005 6:34:42 http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/FAQs.htm
#3
The_Jester
May 11, 2005 13:48:05 Simple answer: a published campaign setting for the Dungeons and Dragons game, like Dragonlance or the Forgotten Realms only with a different feel.

Complex answer: a published campaign setting designed for second edition AD&D and based on a couple classic AD&D 1st Edition adventures that has been licenced and is currently being updated and published for 3E and takes place in a dark, gloomy and atmospheric world where evil and darkness is predominant and good is but a candle trying to hold back the night.
#4
zombiegleemax
May 13, 2005 0:30:18 A usually low magic campaign world based on a union between traditonal fantastic heroes and gothic elements. By gothic I mean the villians usually embody one of the classic types of "human evils/sins" and can pass themselves of as anyone else. Villians don't do evil becuase they are orcs and inherently evil. They do the things they do because they have complex goals and got "twisted" somehwere along the way. A typical RL adventure often incorporates an investigation to discover what's going on and possibly the weaknesses of the villians involved, followed by a single epic confrontation.

If Brahm Stoker and Edward Allen Poe were writing for D&D this is probably what you would get.

-Eric Gorman
#5
zombiegleemax
May 13, 2005 8:12:22 thanks much help.
now is it true that once in you cant get out? is it the same for summoned elmentals and such the like.
#6
gonzoron
May 13, 2005 10:42:41 Yes, pretty much.

Without the aid of a major artifiact, or finding a rare portal, or the express permission of the mysterious and god-like creators of the demiplane, nothing gets out.
#7
zombiegleemax
May 13, 2005 13:31:36 What gonzo said, though I'll note that the newer RL materials downplay the older "weekend in hell" games, where people from Greyhawk or such get sucked in and usually try to leave as soon as they can, in favor of playing characters born and bred in Ravenloft.

The land has a strange, patchwork feel in many ways, as each nation/state is actually the prison ("domain") of a powerful and evil being referred to as its darklord. The darklords are often, but not always, rulers of their lands-- but they always have uncanny powers due to their ties to the lands, and usually (but not always) the ability to 'close the borders' by supernatural means, sealing their realm off fom the others. The domain's culture and atmosphere also often reflects some aspect of the darklord, either by being colored by their personality or enhancing the curse that is part of their imprisonment. Domains may geographically join up with each other in "clusters", of which the largest is the Core or main continent, comprising about 20 domains. (One of the nicest things about the new RL materials is that there have been attempts to make the Core hang together more as a continent, and to give domains distinct cultures, compared to some of the older materials.)

Many of the most famous darklords are modeled on literary (and sometimes historical) horrors: there are Ravenloft analogues to Dracula, Frankenstein and his creation, Jekyll and Hyde, and even Dr. Moreau. (For historical horrors, darklord Vlad Drakov is a mix of the worst elements of the historical Count Dracula, Ivan the Terrible, Stalin and Hitler.)
#8
zombiegleemax
May 15, 2005 19:21:40
thanks much help.
now is it true that once in you cant get out? is it the same for summoned elmentals and such the like.

Everything said above.

In additon directly to your question: magic in RL is generally poorly understood: (1) by natives because in most (but not all) places they burn "witches" when they rear their ugly heads, and (2) by foreigners because RL has its own set of modifications to the Core D&D rules.

One important change in game mechanics is that there are forceful "dark powers" that mold the land. No PC magic can trump it. Planar travel is almost impossible. Things summoned tend to stay (and almost always become hostile over this "discovery"). Some divinations also don't work "right". For example with very few exceptions its not possible to learn if something has an evil alignment (just if its lawful or chaotic).

These "limitations" are vital to the atmosphere of the setting. Without them the gothic component breaks down and for example the "werewolf hunt" devloves into duck-duck-goose as the paladin walks through the village going .... "not evil, not evil, not evil, A-HA!"

-Eric Gorman
#9
zombiegleemax
May 17, 2005 10:29:08 thanks for the help.
#10
Hauntmaster
Oct 06, 2013 17:40:51
As said from the previous but I have to add it is my favorite Realm. I hope WOTC will bring back Domain of Dread for 4.0 version.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax May 11, 2005 2:41:54	what is Ravenloft thanks
#2 zombiegleemax May 11, 2005 6:34:42	http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/FAQs.htm
#3 The_Jester May 11, 2005 13:48:05	Simple answer: a published campaign setting for the Dungeons and Dragons game, like Dragonlance or the Forgotten Realms only with a different feel. Complex answer: a published campaign setting designed for second edition AD&D and based on a couple classic AD&D 1st Edition adventures that has been licenced and is currently being updated and published for 3E and takes place in a dark, gloomy and atmospheric world where evil and darkness is predominant and good is but a candle trying to hold back the night.
#4 zombiegleemax May 13, 2005 0:30:18	A usually low magic campaign world based on a union between traditonal fantastic heroes and gothic elements. By gothic I mean the villians usually embody one of the classic types of "human evils/sins" and can pass themselves of as anyone else. Villians don't do evil becuase they are orcs and inherently evil. They do the things they do because they have complex goals and got "twisted" somehwere along the way. A typical RL adventure often incorporates an investigation to discover what's going on and possibly the weaknesses of the villians involved, followed by a single epic confrontation. If Brahm Stoker and Edward Allen Poe were writing for D&D this is probably what you would get. -Eric Gorman
#5 zombiegleemax May 13, 2005 8:12:22	thanks much help. now is it true that once in you cant get out? is it the same for summoned elmentals and such the like.
#6 gonzoron May 13, 2005 10:42:41	Yes, pretty much. Without the aid of a major artifiact, or finding a rare portal, or the express permission of the mysterious and god-like creators of the demiplane, nothing gets out.
#7 zombiegleemax May 13, 2005 13:31:36	What gonzo said, though I'll note that the newer RL materials downplay the older "weekend in hell" games, where people from Greyhawk or such get sucked in and usually try to leave as soon as they can, in favor of playing characters born and bred in Ravenloft. The land has a strange, patchwork feel in many ways, as each nation/state is actually the prison ("domain") of a powerful and evil being referred to as its darklord. The darklords are often, but not always, rulers of their lands-- but they always have uncanny powers due to their ties to the lands, and usually (but not always) the ability to 'close the borders' by supernatural means, sealing their realm off fom the others. The domain's culture and atmosphere also often reflects some aspect of the darklord, either by being colored by their personality or enhancing the curse that is part of their imprisonment. Domains may geographically join up with each other in "clusters", of which the largest is the Core or main continent, comprising about 20 domains. (One of the nicest things about the new RL materials is that there have been attempts to make the Core hang together more as a continent, and to give domains distinct cultures, compared to some of the older materials.) Many of the most famous darklords are modeled on literary (and sometimes historical) horrors: there are Ravenloft analogues to Dracula, Frankenstein and his creation, Jekyll and Hyde, and even Dr. Moreau. (For historical horrors, darklord Vlad Drakov is a mix of the worst elements of the historical Count Dracula, Ivan the Terrible, Stalin and Hitler.)
#8 zombiegleemax May 15, 2005 19:21:40	thanks much help. now is it true that once in you cant get out? is it the same for summoned elmentals and such the like. Everything said above. In additon directly to your question: magic in RL is generally poorly understood: (1) by natives because in most (but not all) places they burn "witches" when they rear their ugly heads, and (2) by foreigners because RL has its own set of modifications to the Core D&D rules. One important change in game mechanics is that there are forceful "dark powers" that mold the land. No PC magic can trump it. Planar travel is almost impossible. Things summoned tend to stay (and almost always become hostile over this "discovery"). Some divinations also don't work "right". For example with very few exceptions its not possible to learn if something has an evil alignment (just if its lawful or chaotic). These "limitations" are vital to the atmosphere of the setting. Without them the gothic component breaks down and for example the "werewolf hunt" devloves into duck-duck-goose as the paladin walks through the village going .... "not evil, not evil, not evil, A-HA!" -Eric Gorman
#9 zombiegleemax May 17, 2005 10:29:08	thanks for the help.
#10 Hauntmaster Oct 06, 2013 17:40:51	As said from the previous but I have to add it is my favorite Realm. I hope WOTC will bring back Domain of Dread for 4.0 version.