Create Your Own Gothic Horror D&D Adventure with VAN RICHTEN'S GUIDE TO RAVENLOFT
Rudolph Van Richten is looking for help fending off creatures of the night. Will you and your adventuring party be the ones to help face vampires, zombies, cosmic terrors, and more? In case you haven’t guessed it yet, the new Dungeons & Dragons book, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, is opening up Ravenloft for fans to explore. Ravenloft is a gothic horror setting for the popular tabletop RPG. So far in 5E, fans have only officially been able to explore Ravenloft via the campaign Curse of Strahd. However, things are changing with the new book. Bring horror to your table (as long as everyone’s cool with it) with this new setting book.
Terror stalks the nightmare realms of Ravenloft. No one knows this better than monster scholar Rudolph Van Richten. To arm a new generation against the creatures of the night, Van Richten has compiled his correspondence and case files into this tome of eerie tales and chilling truths.
Discover the mysteries of Ravenloft, mist-shrouded lands where infamous Darklords lurk among ageless vampires, zombie hordes, cosmic terrors, and worse. Then make your choice. Will you create your own Domains of Dread, settings to host endless terrifying adventures? Or will you join the ranks of haunted heroes who embrace macabre lineages, dual-edged Dark Gifts, haunted subclasses, and other forbidden powers?
Inside Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, players and DMs will find information about the Domains of Dread, ways to build custom domains and Darklords; explore new backgrounds and trinkets; the dhampir, hexblood, and reborn lineages; two new subclasses (College of Spirits for bards and Undead pact for warlocks); Dark Gifts; new creatures; and a brand new adventure. All of that in two gorgeous covers. The main cover comes from Anna Podedworna while the alternate cover is by Scott M. Fischer. Wes Schneider, the lead designer for the book, said:
I’m a huge fan of all things horror, so it was an absolute thrill to frame this book around bringing frightening elements like mummy lords, cosmic terrors, and urban legends to more D&D tables. Working with exciting new voices in horror and visual artists like D&D concept artist Shawn Wood was essential to make sure we’re updating the aesthetic for today’s fans while staying true to the roots of Ravenloft.
Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft will launch on May 18 and can be pre-ordered now through local game stores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, D&D Beyond, Roll20, and more. The alternate cover will only be available through local game stores. Sadly, Wizards of the Coast doesn’t seem to have released the names of all the writers for the book, but I have included a thread from Ajit George who links out to people he worked with on the book including Jessica Price, John Stavropoulos, and Cassandra Khaw.
