Ravenloft Horror Within - source book set for June 2026

[Tobias Blackburn]

There's also Arak, Blutspur, and the Nightmare Lands, which the Black Box didn't provide a dark lord for.

Forlorn also had no known lord at the time.

There were also a bunch mentioned in the descriptions of their domains but not given full(ish) write-ups in the Black Box, namely Ivana, Gundar, the banshee of Keening (nameless at this time), Malken, Soth, the hags of Tepest, and von Kharkov.

For them, what we get in the descriptions of their domains is:

Ivana somehow took control from her mother, Camille.

Gundar found a temporary gate to Ravenloft and couldn't leave after he'd entered.

The banshee's spirit fled into the Mists after she was killed in Arak, and it wound up in Keening.

Sir Hiregaard is cursed to be Malken.

Soth followed what he thought was Kitiara's voice and wound up in Ravenloft.

The hags are only known through legend and myth, with no history.

Von Kharkov was a nosferatu exiled to the Ethereal Plane who stumbled into Ravenloft after decades of wandering.

Very true. It's really surprising to look back and see how much of the setting was created with re-writes and even completely reworking entire domains to better fit the design aesthetics of what DnD was at the time. The later books in 2e have a very different look and feel from the earlier books.

Even then, fan constantly rewrote and reworked domains to fill in gaps and improve, sometimes playing fast and loose to make it better fit the setting, or even just their own take on what makes something horrifying. The Books of S_ were full of that, and when they got to 3e the Kargatane stopped creating new domains and focused on tightening up the existing setting so it fit with 3e.

[Jeremy16]

There's also Arak, Blutspur, and the Nightmare Lands, which the Black Box didn't provide a dark lord for.

Forlorn also had no known lord at the time.

There were also a bunch mentioned in the descriptions of their domains but not given full(ish) write-ups in the Black Box, namely Ivana, Gundar, the banshee of Keening (nameless at this time), Malken, Soth, the hags of Tepest, and von Kharkov.

For them, what we get in the descriptions of their domains is:

Ivana somehow took control from her mother, Camille.

Gundar found a temporary gate to Ravenloft and couldn't leave after he'd entered.

The banshee's spirit fled into the Mists after she was killed in Arak, and it wound up in Keening.

Sir Hiregaard is cursed to be Malken.

Soth followed what he thought was Kitiara's voice and wound up in Ravenloft.

The hags are only known through legend and myth, with no history.

Von Kharkov was a nosferatu exiled to the Ethereal Plane who stumbled into Ravenloft after decades of wandering.

Very true. It's really surprising to look back and see how much of the setting was created with re-writes and even completely reworking entire domains to better fit the design aesthetics of what DnD was at the time. The later books in 2e have a very different look and feel from the earlier books.

Even then, fan constantly rewrote and reworked domains to fill in gaps and improve, sometimes playing fast and loose to make it better fit the setting, or even just their own take on what makes something horrifying. The Books of S_ were full of that, and when they got to 3e the Kargatane stopped creating new domains and focused on tightening up the existing setting so it fit with 3e.

Yes, but is 5e Ravenloft really the kind of thing that in 10 years will have enough fans to come in and want to do rewrites and expand upon? What direction can it be taken that doesn't turn it into more of what it already has become - a watered down derivative?

The old guard has already seen the "weekend in hell" version of the campaign setting. I think that is the crux of the complaints, not the little deviations here and there from the old formula such as every darklord having an Act of Ultimate Darkness in their background. But if that's your style of game, and the type of world you want to play in, have at it.

I, personally, expect something more from a venerated, well-loved campaign setting of 36 plus years instead of the constant resettings and tinkering I see that the publisher is content to issue to the public. There's really nothing new in these pages, no innovations, just the endless reskinning over of old cliches. I've reached the point where I'm willing to explore other campaign settings that others have recommended in these forums like Vaesen, or Grim Hollow, or the Crooked Moon, that have that old school Ravenloft feel instead of purchasing any official product from WOTC.

[alhoon]

I still haven't bought the book but I will, soon. Which domains should I focus on, you think? I loved Saidra from the new guys.

[Igor the Henchman]

Not sure. The book has very little that's new compared to Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. But the presentation is much improved.

Oh and by the way, I don't recommend ordering the Beadle and Grimm's Silver Edition. Contrary to the VRGTR one, which had some great extra material, this one mainly just throws in a few extra prints of the darklord portraits and domain maps and calls it a day. It also includes an extra tarokka deck, but no case to keep it in. The only new content is some player handouts and a very short Barovia adventure that frankly feels a bit rushed. To make things worse, the printing quality is noticeably worse than in the regular book. Wouldn't recommend at half the price.

[Speedwagon]

I still haven't bought the book but I will, soon. Which domains should I focus on, you think? I loved Saidra from the new guys.

Maybe take a look at Sithicus or the Shadowlands? Or maybe Borca? Or you can see the other, non-domain-focused chapters. I really liked the Ravenloft Adventures portion, I thought that was well-constructed.

[alhoon]

Not sure. The book has very little that's new compared to Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. But the presentation is much improved.

:/
Is it at least expanded?

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I got it yesterday and had a fast look before sleeping after working for 16 hours...
So the interesting thing I saw in my 5 minute look of it was the map layouts for some darklord estates and other important places.

Dr Van Richtens House in Mordentshire (haven't checked if it has the same layout as the one found in Dragon Magazine #260, Van Richten's Legacy: The Herbalist Shop by Cindy Rice and Steve Miller.


The Old Kartakan Inn & Taverna seems to have the same layout as the one found in Feast of Goblyns and the black box (Realm of Terror) building reference cards.


Misericordia is the estate of Ivana Boritsi is different with the one found in the building reference cards from the black box (Realm of Terror). I ll go for the interrior plan of CrowberryCake from https://imgur.com/a/yHMFBQU




I believe the same goes for the Degravo Estate which includes the Laughing House and the Playroom but I believe the buildings shape is different.




We get a glimpse of some parts of Castle Avernus from From the Shadows in its new shattered stationary existence but still I felt something missing.



Nedragaard Keep is also partially depicted though since they are ruins maybe there is a reason for that but I will have to check the map from When the Black Roses Bloom. The image of the keep in the illustration has nothing to do with its 2e dragonlance version from Tsr 08448 The Atlas Of The Dragonlance World (WtBRB had it also wrong it showed the The High Clerist’s Tower from DL9: Dragons of Deceit made by Diana Magnuson.


Veneficus seemed interesting but comparing it to the building reference cards from the black box (Realm of Terror) it has some changes (Red Tower's shape and some other changes)



Shadowborn Manor must be compared with the version found in Darklords as well as the Dungeon Magazine #31.


Cyre 1313 is something I am not interest in using.

D' Honaire estate is the 5e island version so not applicable for fans of the old status quo.

Schoss Mordenheim is totally different from the 2e version in Adam's Wrath and building reference cards from the black box (Realm of Terror) .




Blood 'O the Vine map is different from the one in the Forbidden Lore Box Set.


For Falkovnia they have Lekar's Gate (which one?) instead of Castle Draccipetri, but since they made the minimum cartography for the estate maps its better to leave it on some of us to make it, we have the building reference cards from the black box (Realm of Terror) to make it anyway.

I don't like the new version of Har' Akir it looks like it was inspired by Mumm-Ra from Thundercats, and his Black Pyramid. Totally different from the Touch of Death Map




Since 2007 Cthulhu is Public Domain so Hasbro desided to use it once more so we have Innsmouth and Cthulhu's Vault.

Kalakeri is new so I haven't checked it yet, but anyway I am a Sri Raji Raksasha fan.

New Tepest is probably the only change in 5e IMHO that could make sense, inpsired by movies such as Midsommar and The Wickerman (not the one with John Cage the original), and has at least continuity. We have a new Viktal as well.


Castle Pantara in Valachan becomes Pantara Bungalow... ehmm... sorry Pantara Lodge...
Chakuna this... Chakuna https://www.youtube.com/@TheNaturalDay?app=desktop

T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E!!! bring back Von Kharkov!
For all the changes in 5e this was the most unnecessary.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Has anyone got the Shadows of Sithicus adventure?
Is i t good?

[Mephisto of the FoS]

In Mordent they have Crawford in the map which is taken from Dungeon Magazine #65 "The Unkindness of Ravens" by Jason Kuhl which I referenced and placed in Mordent in Quoth the Raven #28 in my massive and a bit complicated, by some readers (and rightfully so) article "The Conch Shell of Sorrows". It was also in VRGtR but I hadn't realised before since I don't own that. That's nice

PS
Crawford and Crawford Manor were first placed in Mordent by the Cartographic Society, too bad they weren't mentioned in the Credits (Special Thanks) as I believe they had made really inspiring stuff.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

Maybe instead of complaining about changes, we should try to put ourselves in the creators' shoes and think why they would make them?

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

For example, I think 'secretly vampiric noble exploiting his realm' is a good but overdone trope, which Ravebloft already has its share of. It takes something really special to necessiate another take on it in the same franchise, and 'but this one is black' isn't really enough.
The new Valachan darklady isn't exactly original - she's a straight-up evil expy of Katanis from 'The Hunger Games' - but she brings to the table a flavour of horror that other darklords don't really cover.
I'm not saying Von Kharkov isn't good - the way he covers up his feedings is pretty interesting - but there was reasoning behind his replacement. It was the reasoning of making each domain an opportunity for completely different plots, with minimum reptition.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

I think 5e writers kinda found out that horror doesn't have to involve undead, and got carried away with it.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Maybe instead of complaining about changes, we should try to put ourselves in the creators' shoes and think why they would make them?

The changes I mentioned were basically image oriented. Instead of following the design of already existent buildings they redesigned them. Places like the Shadowborn manor were we already had blueprints from two past TSR products. Veneficus follows mostly the same design with some architectural changes which are unnecessary as they don't give us something new. The same goes for The Herbalist Shop, Degravo, Nedragaard Keep, Schloss Mordenheim, Blood O' the Vine. There is no actual reason apart of aesthetics to change Ebonbane's image to a bad ass looking high fantasy sword. We know why they made the changes in 5e it was to attract younger audience and to be more inclusive, but the changes I mentioned are in majority on aesthetics, redesigning already published maps. What is the point in that?

Har' Akir which had a major make over is now a semi sci-fi (still) Ancient Egyptian-style domain which instead of being a direct reference to Ancient Egypt is now a high fantasy sci-fi-inspired indirect reference to Ancient Egypt (Stargate, Thundercats, Gods of Egypt etc). The reasoning for this change supposedly was a respect to Ancient Egyptian culture and a non-appropriation of it, but is it?

For example, I think 'secretly vampiric noble exploiting his realm' is a good but overdone trope, which Ravebloft already has its share of. It takes something really special to necessiate another take on it in the same franchise, and 'but this one is black' isn't really enough.

Von Kharkov was much more than that. First he was unique of starting his life as an animal, then turned into human before finally joining the Kargat as a vampire. In the short story Von Kharkov from Tales of Ravenloft he constantly tries to repress the beast in him not realising that that is his true nature. Much more interesting than someone who killed him and sacrificed herself to become darklord to save her people, where is the Act of Ultimate Darkness in that?

"but this one is black" isn't really enough.

I placed the Office video for fun. Blacula is a landmark American blaxploitation horror film, it is celebrated as a pioneer of Black horror, subverting traditional genres into powerful symbols of Black power and cultural identity. The movie skillfully uses the vampire myth to critique white supremacy, colonialism, and systemic oppression.It isn't about a vampire who just happens to be black it is more as Von Kharkov is more.

The new Valachan darklady isn't exactly original - she's a straight-up evil expy of Katanis from 'The Hunger Games' - but she brings to the table a flavour of horror that other darklords don't really cover.

We had Verbrek for that since the Realm of Terror (Black Box).

Valachan was much more than just a stage to copy The Hunger Games, it still had that colonial vibe of a foreigner forcing his laws to indigenous people (except that he was not white). And I am saying that cause in the Dungeon Magazine # 50 adventure "Felkovic's Cat" there was an unfortunate image of The Black Leopards of Valachan (the elite, shape-changing secret police) taking a blond white damsel in distress (Maria) to the Baron while an old woman begs the closest Black Leopard to release her. The Black Leopards as a name is also a bit problematic as it is similar to the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers Party was a revolutionary Marxist and Black Power organization best known for their armed patrols to monitor police brutality in African American neighbourhoods and its extensive community "Survival Programs". The group grew into an international movement advocating for systemic societal change to have the name appear similar with Valachan's secret police was a bit ill-decided.

Then fortunately later in Domains of Dread the Valachani natives are described as tall and black skinned with long straight black hair, so the above image is incorrect, that was also a change but for the better becoming more inclusive. Additions and changes such as this are good and have meaning others are unnecessary.
I see Von Kharkov as a far gothic-horror resemblance to Félix Éboué who built hospitals, schools, and advocated for the advancement of local African elites, but he worked entirely within the brutal framework of the French colonial apparatus. Under his administration, tax collection and forced labor were strictly enforced to maintain economic output, highlighting a rigid adherence to imperial directives regardless of the human cost. Von Kharkov is "loved" by his people even if he is brutal.

I'm not saying Von Kharkov isn't good - the way he covers up his feedings is pretty interesting - but there was reasoning behind his replacement. It was the reasoning of making each domain an opportunity for completely different plots, with minimum reptition.

Von Kharkov had many more interesting things like his association with cats and the effects of his panther bite and as I wrote before Verbrek fit the bill for the change that was made.

I think 5e writers kinda found out that horror doesn't have to involve undead, and got carried away with it.

All Ravenloft Campaign designers had this in mind that's why there are so many darklords in previous editions who are not undead. From the new darklords in this book the really new ones (*) are undead to a 42.86% as opposed to the official older darklords who were around 35.82%.

Dominic D'Honaire / Sandra D'Honaire* (undead)
Vlad Drakov / Vladeska Drakov
Chtulhu*
Ramya Vasavadan* (undead)
Sarthak*
Victor Mordenheim / Viktra Mordenheim
Flimira Vhage*
Chakuna*
Vigilant's Bluff Paladin* (undead)

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

Maybe instead of complaining about changes, we should try to put ourselves in the creators' shoes and think why they would make them?

The changes I mentioned were basically image oriented. Instead of following the design of already existent buildings they redesigned them. Places like the Shadowborn manor were we already had blueprints from two past TSR products. Veneficus follows mostly the same design with some architectural changes which are unnecessary as they don't give us something new. The same goes for The Herbalist Shop, Degravo, Nedragaard Keep, Schloss Mordenheim, Blood O' the Vine. There is no actual reason apart of aesthetics to change Ebonbane's image to a bad ass looking high fantasy sword. We know why they made the changes in 5e it was to attract younger audience and to be more inclusive, but the changes I mentioned are in majority on aesthetics, redesigning already published maps. What is the point in that?

Har' Akir which had a major make over is now a semi sci-fi (still) Ancient Egyptian-style domain which instead of being a direct reference to Ancient Egypt is now a high fantasy sci-fi-inspired indirect reference to Ancient Egypt (Stargate, Thundercats, Gods of Egypt etc). The reasoning for this change supposedly was a respect to Ancient Egyptian culture and a non-appropriation of it, but is it?

For example, I think 'secretly vampiric noble exploiting his realm' is a good but overdone trope, which Ravebloft already has its share of. It takes something really special to necessiate another take on it in the same franchise, and 'but this one is black' isn't really enough.

Von Kharkov was much more than that. First he was unique of starting his life as an animal, then turned into human before finally joining the Kargat as a vampire. In the short story Von Kharkov from Tales of Ravenloft he constantly tries to repress the beast in him not realising that that is his true nature. Much more interesting than someone who killed him and sacrificed herself to become darklord to save her people, where is the Act of Ultimate Darkness in that?

"but this one is black" isn't really enough.

I placed the Office video for fun. Blacula is a landmark American blaxploitation horror film, it is celebrated as a pioneer of Black horror, subverting traditional genres into powerful symbols of Black power and cultural identity. The movie skillfully uses the vampire myth to critique white supremacy, colonialism, and systemic oppression.It isn't about a vampire who just happens to be black it is more as Von Kharkov is more.

The new Valachan darklady isn't exactly original - she's a straight-up evil expy of Katanis from 'The Hunger Games' - but she brings to the table a flavour of horror that other darklords don't really cover.

We had Verbrek for that since the Realm of Terror (Black Box).

Valachan was much more than just a stage to copy The Hunger Games, it still had that colonial vibe of a foreigner forcing his laws to indigenous people (except that he was not white). And I am saying that cause in the Dungeon Magazine # 50 adventure "Felkovic's Cat" there was an unfortunate image of The Black Leopards of Valachan (the elite, shape-changing secret police) taking a blond white damsel in distress (Maria) to the Baron while an old woman begs the closest Black Leopard to release her (the Black Leopards is also a bit problematic as its name is similar to the Black Panthers best known for their armed patrols to monitor police brutality and its extensive community "Survival Programs").

Then fortunately later in Domains of Dread the Valachani natives are described as tall and black skinned with long straight black hair, so the above image is incorrect, that was also a change but for the better becoming more inclusive. Additions and changes such as this are good and have meaning others are unnecessary.
I see Von Kharkov as a far gothic-horror resemblance to Félix Éboué who built hospitals, schools, and advocated for the advancement of local African elites, but he worked entirely within the brutal framework of the French colonial apparatus. Under his administration, tax collection and forced labor were strictly enforced to maintain economic output, highlighting a rigid adherence to imperial directives regardless of the human cost. Von Kharkov is "loved" by his people even if he is brutal.

I'm not saying Von Kharkov isn't good - the way he covers up his feedings is pretty interesting - but there was reasoning behind his replacement. It was the reasoning of making each domain an opportunity for completely different plots, with minimum reptition.

Von Kharkov had many more interesting things like his association with cats and the effects of his panther bite and as I wrote before Verbrek fit the bill for the change that was made.

I think 5e writers kinda found out that horror doesn't have to involve undead, and got carried away with it.

All Ravenloft Campaign designers had this in mind that's why there are so many darklords in previous editions who are not undead. From the new darklords in this book the really new ones (*) are undead to a 42.86% as opposed to the official older darklords who were around 35.82%.

Dominic D'Honaire / Sandra D'Honaire* (undead)
Vlad Drakov / Vladeska Drakov
Chtulhu*
Ramya Vasavadan* (undead)
Sarthak*
Victor Mordenheim / Viktra Mordenheim
Flimira Vhage*
Chakuna*
Vigilant's Bluff Paladin* (undead)

Okay.
I bow to your wisdom. My apologies to the Valachani nation.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

Other fandoms responding to remakes be like: Shame on you! This franchise used to be good, but now you made it woke!

The Ravenloft fandom responding to remakes be like: Shame on you! This franchise used to be woke, but now you made it less woke by trying too hard!