Frequently Asked Questions
The bard sits close to the fire leaning back in the wooden chair with his legs resting on the aged oaken table. He is dressed in fine clothes, if a little worn, alternating from black to a deep red. He puffs out pale grey smoke as he finishes lighting his pipe the shakes out the match tossing the blackened twig into the fire. He looks up, the bells on his court jester’s hat jingle almost imperceptibly. He grins wide, almost unnervingly.
“Hello.” he said with a faint Low Mordentish accent muted from years of travel. “Come join me by the fire. I can see ye have many questions, I’ll answer as many as I can.”
He raises an eyebrow and lowers his pipe. His smile continues unbroken if not widening slightly. “I can see ye’re questioning my garb. Do not worry, just because I dress the fool does not make me one. What do ye wish to know first?”
Contents
Basics:
·What is Ravenloft?
·What do I need to play?
·What is a Domain?
·What are the Dark Powers
·What is a Darklord?
·What are the Mists?
Setting and Characters:
·What is the Core?
·What is an Island / Clusters?
·What is a Pocket Domain?
·How big is the Core? Why are there no map scales?
·How many people are in the Core?
·What are Outlanders?
·Who is van Richten? Is he dead?
·Who are the Weathermay-Foxgrove twins?
·Who is the Gentleman Caller?
·Who is S? Who is S’s patron?
·Who is Jander Sunstar? Why is he alive?
·Is Soth still in Ravenloft? Was he ever?
·Who are the Vistani?
·What is the Grand Conjunction?
·What is the Grim Harvest?
·What is the Shadow Rift?
·What are Mistways?
·What is the Time of Unparalleled Darkness?
·What is the Dukkar?
·What are Calibans?
·What are the names of the days/months?
·What is the common language spoken?
·What is the major currency?
·What are the major religions?
·Are there any demihumans?
Mysterious Mysteries:
·What happens when you die in Ravenloft?
·Are people in Ravenloft real?
·Why are there so few orcs or drow?
·What happens when a Darklord dies?
·Are there different starts and moons in different Domains?
Products:
·How many products are there?
·Which ones should I buy?
·Which ones should I not buy?
·Are there any 3/3.5 products?
·What Domains are in each Gazetteer?
·Will there be any more novels?
·Will there be any more modules/adventures?
·What is The Masque of the Red Death?
·Will there be any new products of Masque?
·What is the Black/Red box?
·What happened to Death Undaunted?
·What products are no longer canon?
·Has the original I6 adventure been republished or updated?
General:
·Where are there Prestige Classes for Ravenloft?
·Where are the Darklord stats?
·Where are the Psionics rules?
·Who is S&S/ Arthaus and why are they publishing Ravenloft now?
·Who are the Kargat?
·Who are the Kargatane?
·Who is the Fraternity of Shadows?
Ravenloft on the Net:
·I have game related questions to ask, who do I talk to?
·What are the good Ravenloft sites on the web?
* * *
·What is Ravenloft?
“Interesting first choice. Easy, but interesting. Ravenloft is a castle off in Barovia, round the middle of that rural nation. Interesting really, as Barovia is in the middle of the Core that places that castle as the heart of the continent. Not really a very interesting place, the Von Zarovich family has ruled Barovia from it for generations and they’re not known for their hospitality. Next?”
Ravenloft is (also) a Campaign Setting for the Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying game. It combines classic horror with high fantasy. It is a setting of Gothic style horror with the emphasis placed on atmosphere and suspense instead of blood and shock.
The Gothic tradition is found through novels such as Dracula, Frankenstein, Hound of the Baskervilles and the like. 19th century tales of darkness, hauntings, family bloodlines, decay, and curses. Villains stand in the forefront of Gothic literature as well rounded, complex characters, often more detailed than the heroes or ‘good guys’. Dark foreboding settings with castles or aged manor-homes atop hills backlit by lightning while wolves howl in the distance. It is from tales like that Ravenloft was inspired.
Originally Ravenloft was based on the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons adventure of the same name, aka I6 written by Tracy and Laura Hickman. It was one the best-selling AD&D modules, prompting a sequel, I10: The House on Gryphon Hill.
Ravenloft is a demi-plane in the D&D cosmology, separate for the rest of the worlds. It is gloomy land of mists and darkness where ancient evil lives in castles or crypts while villagers cower in fear in their towns. Evil is present everywhere and the forces of darkness are powerful indeed. But, there are heroes who know that after the darkest of the night comes a dawn…
·What do I need to play?
“I’m not sure I follow ye. Play what? Well if it is a game ye wish to play I would suppose you’d need to know the rules. If ye wish to win at any rate.”
The core D&D rule books are essential for play, as is one of the Ravenloft Campaign Settings. There are several other accessories that are helpful, but non-essential.
For Second Edition Dungeons and Dragons, in addition to the Players Handbook and the Dungeon Master’s Guide as well as the Monstrous Manual. The Ravenloft setting is the Domains of Dread hardcover book.
While out of print the vast majority of Ravenloft products are designed for use in 2nd Edition rules.
For Third Edition Dungeon and Dragons the new PHB and DMG are required. As is the Monster Manual. The Ravenloft Campaign Setting is the 3E book.
Although with the recent update to 3.5 Edition the RCS has been updated and is now the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook.
Other non-essentials but useful books include the Ravenloft book of monsters Denizens of Darkness, although this is being updated to 3.5 as Denizens of Dread with additional monsters. One of the Ravenloft Gazetteers is also recommended and so is the Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide, although those are nonessential.
·What is a Domain?
“Domains are what some of the more scholarly folk call the nations of the Core. Not too many non-bookworm types call ‘em that. Each ‘Domain’ usually has its own people and culture although there is some overlap. Like Mordent and Dementlieu, those are fairly alike, as long as ye don’t look too close. Now normally I wouldn’t repeat what I’m about to as it’s just legend, but some say that each ‘Domain’ comes from another world, and that they’ve been stolen and mixed together. Like puzzle pieces from different puzzles. Or that they were created one day from the Mists, as if something could just make land like a carpenter makes a table. Yeah, I know, sounds crazy to me too.”
The regions of the Demiplane of Dread are divided up into Domains. Domains are typically culturally distinct and often quite different from their neighbours. Each Domain has a particular horror style or favour associated with it from science gone mad to dark supernatural and even Lovecraft-ian monstrosities.
Domains are created in the image of another world or from the mind of a founder with people, buildings, and histories fabricated by the so-called Dark Powers. Domains can also be pulled or copied from their own worlds and drawn into the Mists. And some say that Domains have always existed and have just been shrouded by the Mists until they were revealed.
·What are the Dark Powers
“Now who mentioned those? Well, remember earlier I mentioned how each nation might have been removed from elsewhere or created? The same people who sometimes claim that claim the lands were stolen or made by these scary other-worldly forces. They’re like gods only nobody builds temples to them. Nobody I’ve met or who’d be sane anyway. Generally they’re blamed for all the bad things that happen when lazy people don’t wanna admit they made a mistake. They get the rap for all sorts of general bad luck, anytime something bad happens it’s attributed to theme, a giant imaginary scapegoat.”
The Dark Powers are the mysterious creators of the Demi-plane. What they are is reputed to defy description and it is unknown if they really are multiple or a single entity. All that is known is that they are the Higher Powers that manipulate or outright control events for whatever purpose that best suits their unknown plans.
They are, essentially, a plot device for Dungeon Masters, a form of Deus Ex Machina to do whatever is needed. They will probably never be officially detailed or described and forever remain a secret of the Mists.
·What is a Darklord?
“You’re not interested in the easy questions are ye. Sure ye’d rather not hear about the best places to east in Mordentshire? Alright, Darklords are these legendary people, real nasty buggers. Souls black as pitch who have all made deals with some devil in exchange for power. Haven’t met any me-self, or at least met one who admitted to being one. I’m pretty sure they’re some form of boogie-man to scare naïve adults into not cheating their local Baron or what-have-ye out of taxes. If they are real they’re the last people ye’d want to pick a fight with. Most people who believe in them claim they’re everyone from their local lord that’s too strict with the laws to their noisy neighbour who stays up to late singing drinking song.”
Darklords are tragic figures of evil who have been granted great powers by the Dark Powers, but also suffer terrible curses. Each curse is designed specifically for that Darklord to frustrate their deepest desires. In addition all Darklords are responsible for their fate, in one way or another, they willingly chose damnation through thought or action.
They are powerful individuals with great influence over events in their home Domain, sometimes even being the political ruler of the entire Domain. However, many Darklords prefer to act from behind the scenes, enacting their plans with guile and cunning.
There is almost always only one Darklord in any given domain. However, as with all things there are exceptions.
·What are the Mists?
“An easy one. To some extent. Regular mists are just cool steam from rivers or the seas, but anyone who spends enough time traveling knows that there are different types of mist. The Mist, with a capital ‘M’ are what borders all the known lands. Beyond them lies other lands –or ‘Domains’ if ye must- or a nothingness from which no one ever returns. Now a good Mordentish gentleman like me-self knows there’s more to the Mist than meets the eye. Ye can get lost in them easily, even if ye almost stand still. And they’re almost always pea-soupers. Getting lost in the Mists is about one of the worst things ye can do next to sleeping out of doors in Kartakass. Some people walk out of the Mists from strange far away lands, or even emerge days after they entered claming to have been gone but scant hours. Days and nights seem almost the same in the Mists. Some say there’s nothing beyond the edge of the Core but the Mists. But I’ve ventured beyond more than once, and they’re wrong. If there was nothing, what would ye stand on?”
The Mists rise up at the edge of any Domain that is not a border to another Domain. They are pale white and almost impossible to see through. The misty borders of Domains are fluid, stretching in and out over time, sometimes by miles.
The Mists of Ravenloft, like the Dark Powers are a Dungeon Master device. They are reputed to be able to transport people anywhere, and even through time. Some people even get taken out of Ravenloft, but this is so rare it is almost unheard of.
In some types of Domain the Mists take on other appearances, such as snows or sandstorms or a flickering heat wave.
·What is the Core?
“Ye don’t know what the Core is? Where are ye from, Sri Raja? Well it’s is the land we’re in now, the largest landmass in the Mists. There are almost twenty lands that make up the Core. The Mists border it to the North and South and the two seas to the West and the East. Sorrows and Nocturnal respectively. I stay away from those me-self, water travel make me nauseous.”
The Core is the main landmass in the Ravenloft setting. It is a small ‘continent’ made up of around nineteen main Domains in addition to the seas which are filled with smaller islands that are sometimes Domains in their own right. The Core is the heart of the Ravenloft setting with the region being made up of the most ‘gothic’ style of cultures and climates, the most traditionally European region.
It is also claimed that the Darklords of the Core are the most potent and have the most desire and ambition, if not power.
·What is an Island / Clusters?
“Islands are small lands completely surrounded by the Mists. No neighbours to speak of, least none that ye can see. Clusters are more of the same, only with two or three Islands strung together. Most Clusters seem to be just larger Islands but the natives insist there are differences. I dunno, one desert looks like every desert if ye ask me.”
Islands of Terror are single Domains isolated in the Mists with no neighbouring Domains. They are accessible only through Mistways, by trusting the enigmatic Vistani, or at the will of the Dark Powers. While Islands can be of any size most are smaller than the Domains of the Core, although there may even be Islands that are larger than the entire Core!
Clusters are multiple Islands that have joined together. It is rumoured that they first appeared after the Grand Conjunction although they could have existed before. The Core is essentially the largest of the Clusters.
Typically clusters have a unifying history, culture of climate such as the deserts of The Amber Wastes or the connection to the Shadowborn family in the Shadowlands.
·What is a Pocket Domain?
“A what? Well given the size of some of ‘em Islands I’m hard pressed to imagine anything smaller. And not like ye could squeeze an entirely different land into someplace without the people noticing. Well more rumours and legends here, but there is talk of houses or buildings that appear overnight then vanish, only to reappear across the Core. I once saw a spectacularly mediocre play in Port-a-Lucine in this interesting playhouse, and when I returned the next week I couldn’t find it anywhere. Of course I was intoxicated to some extent the first night…”
A Pocket Domain shares much in common with Islands of Terror except it exists as inside of other Domains, a Domain within a Domain. Some have a set location and other drift through mists settling wherever.
Pocket Domains are typically much smaller than full Domains, often only existing as a single building or structure.
·How big is the Core? Why are there no map scales?
“When ye have travelled about as much as me-self ye learn that most maps are only accurate a quarter of the time. Cartographers are too concerned about curves or rivers or heights of mountains to really get everything perfect. Trips take as long as they take, which is always longer than ye plan.”
Earlier books have the main landmass of the Core at around 180 miles by 200 miles. The Sea of Sorrows and the Nocturnal Sea add about 80 and 90 miles respectively.
However, this is prone to change as the mists that border the known Domains ebbs in and out, and distance is relative in the Land of the Mists.
In short the size of the Core and most Domains has been purposely left out to allow Dungeon Masters to set the size to fit their Campaigns, the Core can be left small for a more claustrophobic feel or enlarged to whatever size is deemed appropriate.
·How many people are in the Core?
“Enough that ye can never easily find who ye are looking for, but not enough that ye can avoid bumping into the people ye are avoiding.”
Around 490, 000 humans and demi-humans. This is not including large numbers of goblins and undead.
This figure is entirely dependant on the size of the demiplane. Some Dungeon Masters (as mentioned above) prefer the world to be much larger and the numbers will be adjusted as needed.
·What are Outlanders?
“A minor distinction given to people really. There are so many lands in the Mists, and so many that people simply do not leave often for other places. These more isolated lands are so detached that when people leave them they are ignorantly unaware that there are even other lands in the Mists! They just accidentally end someplace, such as the Core, all confused over where they are. Ye can recognise the Outlands by their strange languages and clothing, they’re the individuals with the amusing looks of complete befuddlement on their faces. Oh many of them have the best tales, very entertaining. Stories of far away worlds which they claim to be from where there are Flying Citadels and winged lizards or where the gods walk among men. They make for an excellent winter’s night around the fire.”
Outlanders are anyone who enters Ravenloft from the outside. They can be snatched up by the Mists by random or from being close to a person of great darkness when they are drawn in. Or the newcomers could have accidentally entered via magical spells gone awry, stepping through a one-way portal, or sometimes even on purpose.
They are not always believed by the locals and often spend most of their time looking for a way back home.
·Who is van Richten? Is he dead?
“Never met the gent me-self, despite him traipsing around me homeland. The late Doctor Rudolph van Richten was a Darkonian scholar and herbalist who moved to Mordent to open a shop and write books. His books were mostly on fantastic creatures such as Vampires, Werebeasts and the like. Eight texts in all and he was working on a ninth when he vanished. His unfinished text, along with the others, were complied, edited, and republished by his adopted nieces, the Weathermay-Foxgrove twins. Some say he was a madman, others a great storyteller, and others call him the greatest hero the land has known. Honestly, he always struck me as a wee bit of a nutter me-self.”
Doctor van Richten was a healer until a familial tragedy prompted him to put down his medical instruments and pick up a sword and a pen.
Van Richten published eight works on identifying, hunting, and slaying monsters that stalk the Land of the Mists. Included were van Richten’s Guide to: Vampires, Ghosts, the Created, Werebeasts, Liches, Ancient Dead, Fiends/Demons, and Vistani. These were later re-published by his ‘nieces’ (see below) as the Monster Hunter Compendiums volumes 1-3 including an unpublished tome, van Richten’s Guide to Witches.
In the year 750 van Richten left on a quest and never returned (as seen in the Bleak House boxed set). His fate is uncertain as the official canon end of the adventure was never revealed, but whatever the end he remained in the House.
·Who are the Weathermay-Foxgrove twins?
“Met these two once or twice and they seemed surprisingly sane. They’re the adopted nieces of Rudolph van Richten and blood nieces of one George Weathermay (known himself as either a hero or a intolerant crusader). Pleasant enough company, and very easy on the eyes if ye know what I mean. I know one’s good with weapons and the other spells, but I couldn’t tell them apart to save me life.”
Laurie and Gennifer are young adventurers determined to follow in the footsteps of both their uncles. They view their van Richten as a great champion and have vowed to continue his reputed work.
Like van Richten they believe that the greatest weapon a hunter can have is not a big sword but knowledge. They continue his chronicling the nature of evil as well as educating fellow heroes on how to hunt creatures of darkness. They have started writing new guides in the name of van Richten, their first is the Guide to Walking Dead.
·Who is the Gentleman Caller?
“The Gentleman Caller. Another mythic spook told around firesides to scare the unwary. But since ye are by the fireside I might as well tell ye. He’s this enigmatic gent that people would have ye believe is behind all events that unfold across the lands. He never does anything exactly, but starts the ball rolling as it were. Then vanishes before anyone can stop him and moves on to cause more trouble. And he does this all according to some grand master plan that is so complex mortal minds cannot comprehend it. He also steals babies and eats them before making his pacts with the devils. And many other such tales.”
The Gentleman Caller is a mysterious individual that initiate events in the Dread Realm and then leave before any heroes arrived. This is seen in several publish adventures. His motives are unknown and his identity a secret shrouded in the mists. It is unknown even if he is acting under some greater plan, perhaps beyond mortal comprehension, or if his simply enjoys random generating chaos.
So far the Gentleman Caller is reputed to have been mentioned in the following products:
* The Evil Eye
* Bleak House
* Children of the Night: Vampires
* Servants of Darkness
* Carnival
* Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium Volume Three
* Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume II
·Who is S? Who is S’s patron?
“S? I don’t think ye are paying me enough to talk about that. Wait, are ye paying me at all?! Oh well, just impress ye with my knowledge this is what I’ve heard. And it isn’t much. There’s this scholar traveling from one land to the next interviewing people and gathering as much knowledge as she can find. Yes, that’s right, she. Haven’t met her but I’ve bumped into more than a few people that have and she has a reputation for getting information one way or another, an a talent for loosening tongues that borders on unnatural. She’s writing all she learns down in these books know as the ‘Doomsday Gazetteers’, all for some mysterious patrol. But ye didn’t hear this from me. Or at all!”
S is the unnamed and mysterious writer of the Doomsday Gazetteers, published as The Ravenloft Gazetteers. Little is know about her save that she is a female and presumably a wizard of some skill.
Her patron, whose identity is only hinted at, albeit strongly, in Gaz1 and is revealed in the second Gazetteer.
·Who is Jander Sunstar? Why is he alive?
“Heard his name pop up a few times in some old, old legends. Ancient really. He’s an elf from a far away land of flying ships and castles in the clouds where giant flying lizards start fires with their breath. The standard poppycock the Outlands claim. Mister Sunstar was most frequently seen in Barovia although his more recent sightings place him in other lands. I doubt it is the same Sunstar, more likely a descendant, as he apparently has not aged. As long lived as the fey are I would still expect him to be showing some years by now!”
Jander Sunstar is a several hundred year old outlander vampire and possibly one of the oldest vampires in Ravenloft. He is from the world of Faerûn, home of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. He is featured prominently in the first Ravenloft novel, Vampire of the Mists.
At the end of the book he is presumed to have died, but as was later revealed he is still quite alive (or at least not dead-dead). The Mists and/or Dark Powers apparently spared him from death for some purpose, perhaps they were just unwilling to part with such an amusing plaything so soon.
His statistics are featured in the accessories Children of the Night: Vampires and Champions of Darkness.
·Is Soth still in Ravenloft? Was he ever?
“Ah, the Cursed Knight. Or the Black Rose. The Sithicans really dislike speaking of him by name. He left around six years ago or so, in 752 if my memory doesn’t fail me. Which it never does. His castle crumbled and a fairly unpleasant dwarf took over ruling the lands for him. But then again, what dwarf is pleasant? Of course some people refuse to accept he is gone and still carry on as if he never left. Perhaps they’re unable to accept change. Or perhaps they know something the rest of us don’t…”
Officially Soth left Ravenloft to return to his home world of Krynn after the events of the book Spectre of the Black Rose, leaving someone else to be Darklord of Sithicus.
However, more than one Dragonlance author has claimed that Soth never left Krynn. His creators never gave their permission for him to be used in the, although the official word from Wizards of the Coast (who are technically the legal owners of Soth) is that he did enter Ravenloft and then leave. Given the flexible nature of time in the Demiplane he could have returned the second he left.
Many Dungeon Masters prefer Soth in Ravenloft and in their campaigns he remains in Sithicus. But in all current canon products Soth is long gone.
It should be noted that since Soth is classified as a Dragonlance character he cannot be named directly in Ravenloft products as they are no longer published by WotC. He is instead referred by aliases.
·Who are the Vistani?
“The Vistani are nomadic travelers who dress in bright colours and travel in caravans of brightly painted wagons offering fortune telling or selling their wares. The Vistani are thieves and murderers who will cut yer throat and steal yer purse without hesitation. The Vistani are magical creatures that only appear human but have strange powers, they can curse ye as easily as they draw breath and freeze ye in place with their Evil Eye. This is all true. But this is also all false.”
The Vistani are a race of vagabonds that travel through the Mists going where they please. They are an exaggeration of gypsies as seen in classic literature and film. It should be noted that they are in no way associated with the real Roma, nor are they representations of any real people living or dead.
Only full-blooded Vistani are considered Vistani, those with even a drop of mixed blood are considered Giogoto, or Half-Vistani. All non-Vistani are called Giorgo. Vistani are divided into tasques which are further divided into tribes. For more information on the Vistani see van Richten’s Guide to the Vistani or his Monster Hunter’s Compendium vol 3. The 3E campaign settings also contain condensed information on the Vistani as well as rules for playing a Half-Vistani character.
·What is the Grand Conjunction?
“The wha… oh, silly me. Ye mean the Great Upheaval. Yes, some of the more learned do call it the Grand Conjunction. Most of us common folk refer it as the upheaval. Nasty bit of business it was too. The earth shook and the Mists rose up everywhere. Lands appeared and disappeared. It was a nightmare come true. I was still a lad at the time, what with it almost two decades ago and all, but I still remember being more scared then I have since. And I’ve almost been eaten by wolves, goblyns, and a group of very hungry caliban. Nothing has ever quite been the same since then. ‘Specially the maps. And travel, what with that great big gaping hole in the middle o’ the Core right where Markovia and G’Henna used to be.”
The Grand Conjunction was an event that occurred in the year 740 in the Barovian Calendar. After heroes fulfilled a prophecy (known as the Hexad of Hyskosa) the Dread Realm threatened to pull itself apart. Domains left and rejoined the Mists and the Core was visibly altered. For a brief moment all the curses imposed on the Darklords were lifted! But the Conjunction collapsed soon after it began. This was due to the prophecy being prematurely forced and was completed improperly out of sequence.
Changes that occurred during the Grand Conjunction include:
* Borca and Dorvinia joining into a single domain.
* Bluetspur, G'Henna, the Nightmare Lands, and Markovia are wrenched from the Core. The first three become Islands of Terror while Markovia becomes an actual island in the Sea of Sorrows.
* The empty space formly occupied by G'Henna and Markovia becomes the mysterious "Shadow Rift."
* Arak is absorbed into Darkon and Arkandale into Verbrek Gundarak is absorbed into Invidia and Barovia.
·What is the Grim Harvest?
“Now this is more recent history. Back in 750 BC King Azalin of Darkon vanished in this explosion that killed every living thing in the city of Il Aluk. Not only that but even now eight years after ever living thing that enters the bleedin’ city still instantly dies. The nation fell into chaos as all the barons competed for power the church all but collapsed. Nasty bit of business all around. Now, King Azalin eventually returned and claimed to have been guarding Darkon from an invasion from the Pale Realm of the afterlife. Not sure if I entirely buy that tidbit of propaganda, but then again I never spend too much time in Darkon anyway. At least never more than a month if I know what’s good for me, know what I mean? You don’t? Well, that’s a tale for another day, eh Gov?”
Seveal years ago King Azalin of Darkon prepared and activated something known as the Doomsday Device in an attempt to reach a higher state of being. Instead he vanished and everyone in Il Aluk was instantly slain! The entire population of the Slain City is now undead and it is ruled by a being who claims to be Death itself! For a time the entire Domain of Darkon was known as Necropolis, but with the return of Azalin it is merely Il Aluk referred to as that.
Azalin was eventually restored to power due to the intervention of heroes. The details of this are only hinted at and the full truth with likely never be known (see the Death Undaunted question).
·What is the Shadow Rift?
“The Shadow Rift is where Markovia and G’henna existed before the Great Upheaval wrenched them from the Core. It is a deep chasm that is filled with thick swirling mist that obscures the bottom from sight. The edges are steep and reputed to be un-climbable. Lots o’ legends about what’s in the Rift. That it is a portal to Hell or that evil faerie creatures make their home there. Or that it is completely bottomless and anyone who enters falls into a continual void. Heard of more than one person entering, haven’t heard of a single soul leaving. Well, there is a tale. Of a brave –or more likely insane- explorer who ventured in and managed to returned. They say he was gone for only a few days but returned an old man, and that he starved to death despite devouring several meals. But that’s just a tale and I’d be more likely to believe it if the teller weren’t also trying to sell me a bridge.”
All is revealed about the Shadow Rift in The Shadow Rift. The mega-adventure also reveals the fate of the Domain of Arak, missing since the Grand Conjunction, and introduces the mysterious Shadow Fey (who are also included in Denizens of Dread). Even more will be revealed (and updated to 3E) in the forthcoming van Richten’s Guide to the Shadow Fey.
·What are Mistways?
“Mistways are an Ezra-send to travellers like me-self. I mentioned the smaller Mist shrouded Islands earlier. Well Mistways are paths through the Mists that lead to them. True ye can’t so much see them as just hope ye are not wandering off course. And the directions are vague, telling travelers which general diction to walk into the Mists in at best. But if ye want to go study in Pardion or get some rare spices in Sri Raja there is no other way to do it.”
Mistways are somewhat reliable paths in the misty boarders of certain Domains, usually in the Core, that lead to Islands or Clusters. Mistways are used by traders to reach these strange or exotic locations and then return home.
Not every Mistways is wholly trustworthy, and not every trip guarantees a two-way voyage.
·What is the Time of Unparalleled Darkness?
“Eh, just another legend. Like the dead rising up to consume all the living like the Darkonians are always so darn paranoid about. It is this big end-of-the-world catastrophe. Something that will make people look back on the Great Upheaval and the Requiem as the good o’l times. But since I’ll probably be dead by then I don’t think I’ll worry too much bout it.”
The Time of Unparalleled Darkness is a foreshadowed event that is prophesied to occur in the year 775. Little is know for certain but what is known is that somehow Doctor van Richten will be involved (despite somehow being dead), and most likely so will the Gentleman Caller.
Really just a DM tool to be introduced if wished, but really not required. It is your standard prophesied apocalyptic future event
·What is the Dukkar?
“Getting into obscure Vistani legends here. Not too many people know about this. Only female Vistani can predict the future and read fortunes. But every know and then a male seerer is born. They’re all really afraid of them. Really. If you’ve ever met the Vistani you know how rare is this. The nomads spend their nights camping outside for pity’s sake! Anything that spooks them is something I avoid if ye know what I mean.”
The Dukkar is said to be a male Vistana born with the Second Sight, who, if allowed to live, is fated to destroy his people. He is a blind spot in the Vistani ability to predict the future, and as such a great danger. For more see van Richten’s Guide to the Vistani.
The current Dukkar was born and described in the adventure The Evil Eye and is (presumably) mentioned in the forthcoming Ravenloft Gazetteer vol 4. The seer Hyskosa (whose prophecy resulted/caused the Grand Conjunction) was retroactively identified as a Dukkar.
·What are Calibans?
“Sad little buggers, them. Or rather sad BIG buggers. When someone is cursed while with child or has a little nipper soon afterwards the magik warps the baby in the womb. They’re generally dumb as posts and about as pretty, but I’ve met few people stronger. Pretty much shunned and disliked by ‘civilized’ folk as monsters and baby-eaters. Pretty dumb if you ask me. Some caliban I’ve met have been the most kind and gentle of souls. Of course there was that chap in Martina Bay who ate babies…”
Calibas are the equivalent of half-orcs in Ravenloft. As there are fewer (if any) orcs in the world of Ravenloft there are equally few half-orcs. Caliban replace them as a player character race for Third Edition.
Calibans are the product of cursed individuals having children, or the by-product of magical incidents. They are generally ugly and deformed humans with great physical strength, although they have a wide range of appearances.
·What are the names of the days/months?
“Pardon? Monday, Tuesday, et& and January, February, et&. I assume you’re either joking or I mistranslated your tongue. It happens. I assume you are asking why everyone used the Barovian Calander, and how such an insignificant rural rock of a nation got such importance. Sheer luck. Because they are in the middle most roads and traders end up passing through there. From North to South and from East to West. Since every trader needs to know when to schedule the same as every other trader they all adopted Barovian timekeeping. At least that’s my theory.”
The names of both the days and the months are the same in Ravenloft as they are in the real world. There are twelve months and 365 days per year. Although the standard Calendar in the Core is the Barovian Calendar currently at the year 758.
Individual Domains such as Islands or Clusters may have a separate or unique Calendar and names for the dates, but in general the Core uses the standard names. It is worth noting that many Domains have their own Calendar in addition to the Barovian, but BC is the most common.
A calendar for the year 758 is available for download at the Fraternity of Shadows homepage at: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/
·What is the common language spoken?
“Well now, that depends on where ye are. Most Clusters have a common tongue, that’s the one spoken by the most traders so any merchant worth his salt knows how to speak it. As for the Core there really isn’t one. Oh, Darkonese is the most common in sheer numbers, what with the size of the place. But not everyone speaks that. To the West most people speak Mordentish as there are multiple lands that it is in spoken in. And to the East, Thayvian is quite common. But frankly every land has its own pet language or dialect, often two.”
There is no common or trade language in Ravenloft. While there is a limited overlap between some Domains such as Mordent and Dementlieu most Domains have their own native tongue.
See the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook for more details and lists of languages, or look in the Ravenloft Gazetteers which include samples of the languages from the featured Domains.
·What is the major currency?
“Gold and silver my friend. Most lands mint their own coins with their own names, but over the years a standard size has emerged. The quality of metals tends to be higher in the more advanced lands, but foreign coins tend to be accepted by most merchants. And there are always money changer selling their services. Most peasants only see copper in their lifetimes, and even at my richest I’ve only had a few handfuls of gold coins to jingle. A far cry from those cities in the Outlander tales where there are small hills of coins guarded by monsters. If only…”
Ravenloft uses the standard D&D currency system only platinum is much rarer and seldom used.
Precious metals are not any less rare in Ravenloft and are not worth any more than in other lands, but there are just fewer dragon hoards or ancient treasure troves. Likewise communities have smaller amounts of available money on hand .
·What are the major religions?
“Never been what ye would call a church goer, but I’ve picked up a few tidbits on the faiths. The big ones are the Church of Ezra that’s mostly to the West but has small chapels across the Core. Got a nice following in Darkon too. The church of Belanus is also big in a few lands. The Overseer is the big religion over most of the South-East, while Darkon has this cult of personality known as the Eternal Order built around their King, Azalin. Additionally there are the usual cults or small faiths such as the one in Barovia to the Morninglord, or the followers of the Wolf God.”
Religion in Ravenloft is just as important as in other campaign worlds, but there are marked differences. There are a much higher number of priests who do not cast spells in comparison to the fewer ‘true’ clerics. The gods do not communicate with their followers in Ravenloft, it is unknown if they have truly all but abandoned their followers there or if they cannot penetrate the Mists. Outlanders often feel cut off from their gods or ignored as their prayers go unanswered.
·Are there any demihumans?
“I presume ye mean things such as the fey and dwarves. I have seen them although they mostly stick to themselves. People tend to get spooked around the unknown, and there little that is less unknown than the motives of some pointy eared guy who’s been alive longer than ye bloodline. There are a few communities of the non-humans in Darkon, regular hodgepodge of races, that land. And Sithicus, this land to the South, is mostly full of halflings and elves. Going there gives me the shivers me-self. But most of the time when ye walk into a town ye’ll find it full o’ regular old humans.”
While not as populous or as accepted as in other worlds there are still demihuman races in Ravenloft. With the exception of Half-orcs all the player character races are present in the Land of the Mists. These communities do tend to be more insular or out of the way than in other lands where non-human races are more tolerated.
The more human races, such as halflings, do find easy acceptance in all but the most bigoted Domains. Elves and the more detached or magical races have a harder time gaining the trust of the common folk and even when accepted they are not always welcomed. Other Domains however, such as Tepest, are highly untrusting of anything that is different from themselves, meanwhile Domains like Falkovnia frequently enslave non-humans as lesser beings.
·What happens when you die in Ravenloft?
“Ye die, simple as that. Ye stop breathin’ and ye heart stops its pumping before ye start to smell up the place and require being tossed in a nice ditch somewheres. After that I don’t rightly know. Depends on who ye ask and what church best suckers donations from ‘em. Afterlifes are a plentiful in the Land of the Mists. Only way to really find out is ask someone who’s dead, but they’re not likely to tell ye the full truth anyway.”
There is no official answer on whether a soul can leave Ravenloft, but there are many opinions.
Some believe that souls can leave and drift off to their final rest, other believe that souls are recycled back into the mists. Darker views hold that even the souls of the departed cannot leave or that the Dark Powers consume the soul after death. There is some question of whether people in the mists even have souls.
As always the final decision rests in the hands of the DM.
·Are people in Ravenloft real?
“I act real. That’s all that matters. If ye cut me I bleed and the like. Since ye can never really be sure it’s just better to accept everyone’s real than take the chance ye are wrong. Ye can disbelieve all ye want and justify ye actions as much as possible but there’ll still be consequences. Better safe than sorry.”
This is the biggest metaphysical conundrum in Ravenloft. The Dark Powers appear to be able to create or manipulate whole cities and nations complete with false histories. Is anyone real?
Are all people in Ravenloft drawn from other worlds, or are they copied from the other planets? It would be easy to assume everyone in the Realm is from the same world as the founder of each domain, but this gets complicated when the founder is a native, such as in Dementlieu. Or is everyone in the Land of the Mists merely an imaginary construct. But if this is the case what moral consequence is there for killing a hollow shell? Or perhaps everyone is real from somewhere with their memory altered when they were brought over.
There is also the question of creation of souls or people. Are the dark powers as powerful as the gods of other fantasy worlds and as such have the abilities to create life and/or souls? It has been shown that the dark powers can contain a demigod (eg Vecna) so the full extent of their powers is unknown.
·Why are there so few orcs or drow?
“The smart-alec reply ‘because they are not real’ springs to mind, but then again I have claimed that about many a thing and been proved wrong. And so many Outlanders claim to have locked blades with ‘em. Too many to just be coincidence. But I do not see many, or any for that matter, in the Core. Of if they are here they keep well hidden like most of the other beasties who know the agony of fire and sting of a good pitchfork. This is not their land and they know they do not belong, as interlopers they must keep to themselves or… I am sure ye know.”
Drow and orcs are few and far between in the Land of the Mists because they simply do not easily fit the feel of the setting. They are out of place and break the atmosphere and mood, like having a Toreodore harpy in the Forgotten Realms or a western gunslinger in Dragonlance.
Orcs are savage creatures that have no real mythical counterpart (being all but invented by Tolkien), they are warriors and despoilers with no humanity, sympathy, or tragedy. It is hard to invoke pathos for an orc. There is no feeling of “there but for the grace of God, go I.”. This is not to say that a single lone orc has no place in Ravenloft, but there is seldom a place for hordes or orc raiders.
Likewise drow do not fit in as a large community or a full race. Drow are an unrealistically evil race that is malicious and cruel by their very nature. Evil for the sake of evil with simplistically two-dimensional motivations. While this may fit the mood of an epic high fantasy game it does not work well with the concept of Ravenloft. A drow does not choose to be evil, it cannot fall from grace or succumb to temptation for every drow is evil. Save that one in the Realms who is solely remarkable for the fact he isn’t evil.
Both orcs and the drow can be modified to fit the feel and atmosphere of Ravenloft, but in doing so they effectively cease to be orcs and drow. In all but name. An intelligent orc that is compassionate and a productive member of society is not an orc, it is just an ugly and strong human.
·What happens when a Darklord dies?
“The same thing that happens to everyone else, one would imagine. Rigor mortis followed by decomposition and an overly drawn out and boring funeral. But there is reputed to be more to Darklords than that. If they are slain by someone good then that is that, while if their killer is evil supposedly the killer gains their power and becomes the replacement Darklord.”
When a Darklord dies most often either their killer or the next most worthy individual (not necessarily the most evil or lethal, but the person with the most potential for evil deeds who has also succumb to temptation) becomes the new Darklord. The new Darklord gains great power but is also horribly cursed and forever denied their greatest desires.
If the Domain is small it might disappear entirely (most likely with Islands or Pockets) or return back to the world it was originally from. It could be absorbed by surrounding Domains, either as a whole or separated into sections.
·Are there different starts and moons in different Domains?
“I have only ever seen one moon in the sky if that is what ye are asking. Although, I haven’t spent much time in Nova Vassa and avoid Sithicus if I can help it. And all stars look alike so ye are asking the wrong story teller about constellations. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I could tell ye the stories about the constellations, but I could not point them out for a gold coin a day for a month.”
Yes and no. All the Domains in the Core have the same sky, constellations, moon and all. Likewise, Domains in Clusters all share the same sky although this may or may not be the same sky as in the Core.
However, there are anomalies. Until Soth left the only moon visible in Sithicus was the black moon, Nuitari. And there is some talk that Nova Vassa may have five moons, but this has not been confirmed (it was described as such in the Awakening, hopefully its forthcoming Gaz entry will clear this up).
“Well, while I can see ye have many more questions that need to be asked and answered I have told ye all I can. I am sure we shall meet again someday. But just because I can help you no longer does not mean your questions will go unanswered…”
·How many products are there?
Lots. Although there is still but a handful of Third edition products there is a plethora of Second Edition products such as novels, adventures, and accessories that contain usable descriptive and background information that has yet to be republished or updated.
At last count there was: 5 Campaign Settings, 3 Campaign Expansion, 3 monster books, 31 Accessories, 29 Adventures, and 20 novels.
Out of print material can sometimes be found on Ebay, look for it there.
For a complete list of products click here: http://www.geocities.com/montemal666/products.htm
·Which ones should I buy?
All of them. ;) It really depends on how much canon information you want.
It is generally accepted that the best must-reads or the most useful and/or entertaining are accessories are: The Carnival, the Gazetteers, the Nightmare Lands, and most of the van Richten Guides. While the best adventures are: The Evil Eye, Night of the Walking Dead, When the Black Rose Blooms, and the Bleak House boxed set.
Other than that the only essentials are a Campaign Setting and usually one of the monster books.
·Which ones should I not buy?
Better phrased ‘which ones should I but last after I have bought everything else.’ ;) While almost every Ravenloft product has some useful purpose, important information, or redeeming qualities some are much less useful than others.
Champions of Darkness, A Light in the Belfry, and Requiem: the Grim Harvest are considered to be either misguided or just plain bad.
·Are there any 3/3.5 products?
Yes, several. Both the Ravenloft Players Handbook and the Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide are designed for 3.5.
All later products will also be for 3.5.
·What Domains are in each Gazetteer?
Ravenloft Gazetteers each focus on three to five domains.
Gaz 1 details: Barovia, Forlorn, Kartakass, and Hazlan.
Gaz 2 details: Darkon, Necropolis, Falkovnia, and Lamordia.
Gaz 3 details: Dementlieu, Mordent and Richemulot.
Gaz 4 details: Borca, Invidia, Valachan, Verbrek, and Sithicus.
Presumably Gaz 5 will detail Nova Vassa, Keening, Tepest, and the Shadow Rift with future Gazetteers detailing the seas and clusters.
·Will there be any more novels?
No.
The most recent Ravenloft novel is Spectre of the Black Rose. Beyond that, Wizards of the Coast has no intentions to release any Ravenloft novels in the foreseeable future, and the licensing deal with Arthaus apparently does not include the possibility of releasing novels.
·Will there be any more modules/adventures?
No. Arthaus says that straight modules do not sell well enough to justify making them. But the designers say they will add plenty of adventure seeds and hooks into their products to make up for this lack.
·What is The Masque of the Red Death?
Masque of the Red Death was a boxed set of a variant of Ravenloft set on a version of our Earth in the 1890s. In MotRD a powerful supernatural force has spread causing all that is superstition to become real. As it was set in the ‘real world’ magic was much rarer, more so even than standard Ravenloft. Included were firearms and variations of the standard character classes.
There were two supplements released: The Gothic Earth Gazetteer and A Guide to Transylvania.
A Third Edition version of MotRD is in the work and will be released sometime between 2004-05.
·Will there be any new products of Masque?
Yes, see above. A hardcover book bringing back Masque of the Red Death and updating it with new rules is in the works. Whether future sourcebooks will be released remains to be seen.
·What is the Black/Red box?
The Black Box was the original Ravenloft campaign setting, also known as Realm of Terror.
The Red Box is the update of the above set after the Grand Conjunction and containing most of the information from both the Red Box and the follow-up accessory Forbidden Lore.
·What happened to Death Undaunted?
Evil gnomes. It’s always evil gnomes.
Death Undaunted was going to be the mega-adventure follow up to the Death/Grim Harvest series that would bring back Azalin as king of Darkon. It was to be released free from the then official Ravenloft site, Secrets of the Kargatane.
It didn’t happen.
Speculation runs rampant, most of which is wrong. It is likely this will never see the light of day (although hints of what the adventure might have included can be found in Gazetteer Volume II).
Over the years several products for one reason or another have contradicted or not worked with the rest of the Ravenloft line. While minor differences can be corrected or worked around some products are simply unfixable for one reason or another.
Non-canonical works include the novels The Enemy Within, Lord of the Necropolis, and the entry for Desmond LaRouche in the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III.
Yes. The original I6 adventure Ravenloft for AD&D was republished as a Silver Edition reprint by the RPGA which can still be found occasionally on Ebay or stores that sell used gaming products.
The adventure was also updated as the Second Edition product The House of Strahd which included both the original AND updated stats for the villain. Dragon magazine #315 is also supposed to have an updated version of I6 for 3.5.
·Where are there Prestige Classes for Ravenloft?
Prestige Classes are included in van Richten’s Arsenal vol. 1, Champions of Darkness, Heroes of Light, and the Ravenloft Player’s Handbook. Additional PrC can be found in Ravenloft Gazetteers although not every Gaz includes them.
Revisions of the Prestige Classes included in the Dungeon Master’s Guide are included in the Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide.
A complete list of Prestige Classes can be found on the Fraternity of Shadows website at: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com
·Where are the Darklord stats?
Darklord statistics are included in neither Ravenloft Third Edition nor The Ravenloft Players Handbook. They were deemed fit for Dungeon Master’s eyes only.
While brief backgrounds can be found in the Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide stats are included in the accessory Secrets of the Dread Realm and in the appropriate Gazetteers. The stats in the Gazetteers supersede those in Secrets of the Dread Realms.
·Where are the Psionics rules?
Modification for the 3rd Edition Pisonic rules can be found in the Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide along with notes on the classes and Ravenloft variants.
It should be noted that the Psionic Handbook will be undergoing a major revision shortly in the conversion to 3.5, but it is expected the rules in the RL: DMG will still apply.
·Who is S&S/ Arthaus and why are they publishing Ravenloft now?
Swords & Sorcery is the brand label of Arthaus produced d20 products. Arthaus is owned by White Wolf games, the publisher of such RPGs as Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse.
Wizards of the Coast licensed Ravenloft and all related characters and places to White Wolf.
·Who are the Kargat?
The secret police of Darkon that enforce the will of Azalin and maintain his laws.
They were also the name given to the Wizards of the Coast team in charge of developing Ravenloft. When a product was written by a number of the designers it was credited to ‘The Kargat’. Members included David Wise, William W. Connors, and Steve Miller writer of stuff.
·Who are the Kargatane?
A secret society in the Mists, entry usually results in death for the applicant.
But also the name of individuals from the Ravenloft mailing list who got together to write netbooks (the famous Book of S__ series) and eventually started a website, the Secrets of the Kargatane.
Their site was the first Official site approved by WotC.
Then it closed. Mostly due to several members of the Kargatane being busy writing official Ravenloft products.
·Who is the Fraternity of Shadows?
A group of mages searching for knowledge on the nature of the Dread Realms.
Also the combination of the former editors of the Undead Sea Scrolls netbook and the Quoth the Raven netzine. They are currently attempting to fill the e-void left when the Kargatane shut down the majority of their website.
The Fraternity of Shadows can be found at: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/
·I have game related questions to ask, who do I talk to?
You can ask people at the Monte Mal Message Board
You can also try your luck asking Ulfgar at the same forum.
·What are the good Ravenloft sites on the web?
Wizards of the Coast. The official Dungeons and Dragons website complete with Message Boards on Ravenloft and all that is official.
Swords & Sorcery. The current publishers of the Ravenloft line.
Secrets of the Kargatane. The former official home of Ravenloft on the net still has many good netbooks and access to the Ravenloft catalogue for looking up names of people, places, and things.
Fraternity of Shadows. Two combined netbook staff attempting to help fill the void left when SotK closed its doors on Halloween ’03.
http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/
Mordent Cartophraphic Society. Mapmakers charting many places in the Land of the Mists.
Ravenloft Renaissance. A personal response to the end of the SotK with a focus on the high culture Domains.
http://ravenloftrenaissance.freehomepage.com/
The Republic of Monte Mal. Original home of the FAQ and site of general knowledge on the Domain of Monte Mal.
http://www.geocities.com/montemal666/index.htm
Ravenloft, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms and all related names and/or characters are copyright Wizards of the Coast, their own Darklords at Hasbro and occasionally licensed to White Wolf/Arthaus