Ravenloft
In 1978, Tracy and Laura Hickman wrote adventures that would eventually be published as the Dungeon & Dragons modules Pharaoh and Ravenloft. Tracy returned home from a disappointing session of D&D where he felt the game was less of a storytelling experience in its first edition. He questioned why a creature like a vampire sat around in a random dungeon with oozes, goblins, and zombies without fleshed-out motivations or history. The couple set out to create a frightening version of the creature for their module. They play-tested it with a group of players every Halloween for five years on their own game system under the title Vampyr. The duo kept being asked about their "Ravenloft game" by others, so the name stuck despite the internal title. Eventually they caught the attention of D&D's original publishers TSR. They were hired to adapt it into the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and released as Module I6: Ravenloft in 1983.
The first appearance of the setting was in Ravenloft, a stand-alone Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module published in 1984. It won the Strategists' Club Award for Outstanding Play Aid that same year. A 1986 sequel titled Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill spawned from its popularity alongside an Adventure Gamebooks novel called Master of Ravenloft. In 1990, Ravenloft launched as a full-fledged campaign setting for AD&D 2nd Edition with the Realm of Terror boxed set popularly known as the Black Box. This set won the Origins Award in 1991 for Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1990. The campaign setting was revised twice during AD&D 2nd Edition: first as the Ravenloft Campaign Setting or Red Box then as the Domains of Dread hardback. In 1994, Ravenloft spun off into a sub-setting called Masque of the Red Death set on Gothic Earth an Edgar Allan Poe-influenced alternative Earth of the 1890s where fantasy creatures and magic exist in shadows of civilization. Wizards of the Coast acquired TSR in 1997 and later licensed the Ravenloft brand to White Wolf Publishing which released the 3rd Edition d20 System Ravenloft Campaign Setting in 2001 and the 3.5 Edition Ravenloft Player's Handbook in 2003. The license reverted to Wizards of the Coast on the 15th of August 2005 but White Wolf retained rights to sell back stock until June 2006.
The magical mists of Ravenloft could appear anywhere in the Dungeons & Dragons universe drawing evil-doers or player characters into the setting except for the phlogiston of the Spelljammer setting. The Dark Powers are a malevolent force who control the Demiplane of Dread with their exact nature and number deliberately kept vague allowing plot development according to Gothic tradition. Heroes frequently find themselves outclassed and outnumbered by unknowable evil forces beyond their control. Academic Martine Gjermundsen Ræstad commented that the Darklords have intention and free will resulting in them having a level of accountability when judged by the Dark Powers. However the punishment cycle pushes Darklords to further evil raising questions about whether the powers deliver just punishment or propagate evil. Vecna and Lord Soth escaped Ravenloft becoming the only two known Darklords to do so. Vecna attained status as a Greater God while Lord Soth ignored his domain causing the Dark Powers to lose interest in imprisoning him. Most other Darklords face similar tales of frustration where the flicker of success is never truly extinguished. Strahd von Zarovich's many attempts to win back his love Tatyana are doomed to failure yet the Dark Powers arrange such that he never truly loses hope.
Each Domain is ruled by a Darklord but each Darklord was imprisoned in their Domain by the Dark Powers. The crafted domain serves both as a kingdom and prison granting incredible power within borders while preventing escape though most can seal borders with thought. Within domains Darklords are forever tormented by objects of desires often those for which they committed crimes. The concept of Domains besides Barovia and Mordent was introduced in 1990 with the book Ravenloft: Realm of Terror outlining size spanning 40,000 square miles across 26 different domains including eight islands. Revised 1994 boxset removed destroyed domains adding new ones covering 20 core domains and nine islands. Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft published the 18th of May 2021 includes overview of 39 Domains with wholesale revisions applied to many. Barovia remains the first Domain foreboding home of Strahd von Zarovich inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula. Falkovnia originally featured a brutal warlord analog for Vlad the Impaler now reimagined as endless siege loop where walls keep death at bay but also trap ruler Vladeska Hazlan functions as vast magical laboratory treating realm as experiment ground. Lamordia paid homage to Frankenstein ruled by mad scientist Viktra Mordenheim unable to replicate Unbreakable Heart device keeping reborn lover Elise alive.
The Vistani people were described as superstitious with abilities to curse and hypnotize players or cast spells like Evil Eye. They were originally stereotyped as uncivilized heavy drinkers before removal in Curse of Strahd Revamped module released the 20th of October 2020. Their portrayal was further retconned in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft published the 18th of May 2021 making them no longer considered superstitious instead focused on traditional practices grounded in D&D magic forms. The fictional character Rudolph van Richten famous Monster Hunter had great enmity for Vistani until befriending mortu outcast during penning Van Richten's Guide To The Vistani. Wizards of the Coast announced in editorial process for Strahds reprint working with Romani consultant to present Vistani without using reductive tropes. Jon Ryan for IGN noted illustrations still evoke Romani culture while some players may associate certain abilities with outdated stereotypes. Julie Muncy for Io9 criticized granular changes not very extensive starting work with fancy collector edition feeling less promise than victory lap. Christian Hoffer for ComicBook.com highlighted domains now function as prisons meant to torture specific souls purging misogynistic colonialist racist elements naturally during updating.
Game designer Rick Swan commented in 1994 that initial release didn't seem special a Forgotten Realms variant with more bats but later felt campaign proven credible adventure alternative for dark side AD&D players lacking flamboyance of Call of Cthulhu yet enduring fusion horror fantasy. Darker Days Radio declared Ravenloft greatest D&D campaign setting citing unique gothic horror elements and classic villains such as Azalin Rex. Shelly Jones in Analog Game Studies Volume IV highlighted Tarokka Deck mechanic used both original module and Curse of Strahd adding randomization increasing replayability reflecting fragmented traumatic memory within abusive relationship. Without sunshine key time-tracking element players forced rely upon other means signaling passage time within Barovia alienating effect based physical environment psychological manifestations traumatizes characters. Stu Horvath noted in Monsters Aliens and Holes in Ground book 2023 that Strahd vessel audience relationship ever-changing evolving vampire legend broadly drawn so every group can make him own defining tastes people table. Tales from the Mists actual play series streamed on Dungeons & Dragons Twitch YouTube channels the 1st of April 2021 featuring cast including Lysa Chen Kayla Cline Hadeel Al-Massari Ashley Warren plus rotating slots.
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Common questions
Who created the Ravenloft Dungeons & Dragons module?
Tracy and Laura Hickman wrote adventures that were eventually published as the Dungeon & Dragons modules Pharaoh and Ravenloft. They play-tested their frightening version of a vampire creature with a group of players every Halloween for five years on their own game system under the title Vampyr.
When was the first Ravenloft campaign setting released?
The first appearance of the setting was in Ravenloft, a stand-alone Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module published in 1984. In 1990, Ravenloft launched as a full-fledged campaign setting for AD&D 2nd Edition with the Realm of Terror boxed set popularly known as the Black Box.
What is the purpose of the Dark Powers in the Ravenloft setting?
The Dark Powers are a malevolent force who control the Demiplane of Dread with their exact nature and number deliberately kept vague allowing plot development according to Gothic tradition. Heroes frequently find themselves outclassed and outnumbered by unknowable evil forces beyond their control while the punishment cycle pushes Darklords to further evil raising questions about whether the powers deliver just punishment or propagate evil.
How many domains exist in the Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft published the 18th of May 2021?
Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft published the 18th of May 2021 includes overview of 39 Domains with wholesale revisions applied to many. Barovia remains the first Domain foreboding home of Strahd von Zarovich inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula.
When were Vistani stereotypes removed from the Curse of Strahd Revamped module?
They were originally stereotyped as uncivilized heavy drinkers before removal in Curse of Strahd Revamped module released the 20th of October 2020. Their portrayal was further retconned in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft published the 18th of May 2021 making them no longer considered superstitious instead focused on traditional practices grounded in D&D magic forms.