- 2 days ago
My first Ravenloft review covers what to expect from this dark fantasy setting. See if this horror RPG is the right fit for your table.
I recently picked up my first Ravenloft product and wanted to share some initial impressions. Whether you are a long-time D&D Ravenloft fan or completely new to the gothic horror genre, this discussion breaks down the atmosphere and gameplay experience. I talk through the specific elements that make this setting unique and why it has quickly become a favorite of mine.
This breakdown is intended for anyone considering adding more gothic horror to their tabletop gaming sessions. By the end, you will have a better understanding of what the Ravenloft setting offers and whether it aligns with your group's playstyle. I focus on the tone, the aesthetic, and the overall feel of the product, helping you decide if these Ravenloft products are worth the investment for your next campaign.
Subscribe for weekly tabletop RPG breakdowns, and let me know in the comments if you prefer classic fantasy or gothic horror settings.
buymeacoffee.com/melodiesandmonsters
Explore the Ravenloft horrors within this classic Dungeons and Dragons setting. Learn why this gothic domain is unique for players.
This video examines the Ravenloft setting, focusing on the atmosphere and themes that define its reputation. Whether you are a veteran Dungeon Master or a player new to the table, this breakdown clarifies what makes these specific modules stand out from standard fantasy campaigns.
We look at why the Ravenloft horrors remain a staple of table-top gaming history. You will gain a clearer understanding of the lore and the tone required to run these adventures effectively, even if you have never purchased official material before.
Subscribe for weekly Dungeons and Dragons breakdowns, and comment below with your favorite horror campaign memory.
0:00 Entering the Mists: A Newcomer's Perspective
3:25 Is This Edition Worth Your Time?
7:56 Crafting Your Own Domain of Dread
11:00 The Mechanics of Dark Gifts
14:42 Species, Monsters, and Interpersonal Horror
I recently picked up my first Ravenloft product and wanted to share some initial impressions. Whether you are a long-time D&D Ravenloft fan or completely new to the gothic horror genre, this discussion breaks down the atmosphere and gameplay experience. I talk through the specific elements that make this setting unique and why it has quickly become a favorite of mine.
This breakdown is intended for anyone considering adding more gothic horror to their tabletop gaming sessions. By the end, you will have a better understanding of what the Ravenloft setting offers and whether it aligns with your group's playstyle. I focus on the tone, the aesthetic, and the overall feel of the product, helping you decide if these Ravenloft products are worth the investment for your next campaign.
Subscribe for weekly tabletop RPG breakdowns, and let me know in the comments if you prefer classic fantasy or gothic horror settings.
buymeacoffee.com/melodiesandmonsters
Explore the Ravenloft horrors within this classic Dungeons and Dragons setting. Learn why this gothic domain is unique for players.
This video examines the Ravenloft setting, focusing on the atmosphere and themes that define its reputation. Whether you are a veteran Dungeon Master or a player new to the table, this breakdown clarifies what makes these specific modules stand out from standard fantasy campaigns.
We look at why the Ravenloft horrors remain a staple of table-top gaming history. You will gain a clearer understanding of the lore and the tone required to run these adventures effectively, even if you have never purchased official material before.
Subscribe for weekly Dungeons and Dragons breakdowns, and comment below with your favorite horror campaign memory.
0:00 Entering the Mists: A Newcomer's Perspective
3:25 Is This Edition Worth Your Time?
7:56 Crafting Your Own Domain of Dread
11:00 The Mechanics of Dark Gifts
14:42 Species, Monsters, and Interpersonal Horror
Category
🎮️
GamingTranscript
00:00Alright, so we're going to talk about Ravenloft, the horrors within, not the horrors, the horrors, okay, and before we,
00:13before we go any further, yeah, I never bought any Ravenloft thing before, I used to be more, well, I'll
00:24tell you later more about it, I love Ravenloft, I know a lot of
00:30a decent amount about Ravenloft compared to a normie, but yeah, no, okay, yeah, I never, I never bothered, I
00:40had other, uh, games, uh, I was running, I was more into vampire, I never ran a vampire game, wow,
00:48I bought a ton of stuff in part of the years, lost his daughter's stuff, and more of a player
00:55than a bear, I'm going to be shocked, okay, alright,
01:00so, never got the Van Richens, yada yada, never got Curse of Strahd, 40 years of, uh, nerddom, and more
01:13or less, yeah, never got into it, but, yeah, and somebody comes in while I'm recording,
01:21Hi, Hi, Avalon, let me be on camera, okay, close the door, alright, where's my daughter, okay, yes, I never
01:33got it, uh, every other of you gonna see, they probably are super into the Ravenloft, or not at all,
01:42uh, I either bought Van Richens, and the 5.0 Ravenloft, I haven't,
01:48I'm not a big 5.5 edition player, uh, I mean, fan, I play it, but, it is what it
01:59is, you know, it's, you either drop out of gaming completely, like I kinda did for, uh, 4th edition,
02:06or you're married to whatever, what's he's putting out, actually, 4th edition was a dismal time,
02:16because Vampire, switched to Vampire the Requiem, which was kind of a different setting,
02:23in some way, some things, mechanically, were better, but, it didn't have the toxic charm that Vampire the Massacre had
02:36had, that's just me, alright, so yeah, I never got any of that, uh,
02:43uh, I have no, skin in the game, on other editions,
02:49a couple things missing, that I know, lore-wise,
02:52should have been better, and I'll address that,
02:56but yeah, I am a, a fresh,
02:59person, getting caught in the mist,
03:03hopefully, I'll be fine,
03:05okay, two second, pause,
03:07I gotta check on something in my house,
03:10I'll edit this out,
03:12and we are back, okay,
03:15so yeah, fresh eyes, fresh ideas,
03:17not too much nostalgia,
03:19though,
03:21I'm a geriatric gamer,
03:23I guess,
03:25alright,
03:27so, is this
03:29new edition
03:30worth it?
03:32again,
03:34that's, uh, that's a good question to ask yourself,
03:37I think it is
03:39coming from somebody
03:40who doesn't own
03:42any Ravenloft material,
03:44if you do,
03:46the question is,
03:47do you need
03:49the new stats,
03:50the new
03:51tidbits here and there,
03:53or can you
03:54work with
03:55whatever was
03:57from the previous
03:57editions,
04:00it's your call,
04:02backgrounds are way more important
04:04in this edition,
04:05uh,
04:06we've shifted from
04:08a nature,
04:10inner nature base,
04:11where like,
04:12an elf is
04:12different than a dwarf,
04:15and therefore,
04:15their stats are different,
04:16to a
04:17nurture base,
04:19which means
04:19a creature that lives in the mountains
04:21will be different than a creature,
04:23the same creature
04:24it out of
04:25if it
04:25was raised
04:26on the ocean,
04:28both are
04:29not true
04:30in real life,
04:31it's a combination of both,
04:33but
04:33it's an academic debate
04:35that is
04:36hidden
04:36underneath a lot of the changes
04:38from 5.0
04:39to 5.5,
04:42and, uh,
04:43just barboring the crap out of you,
04:46all right,
04:47so yeah,
04:47the book is not bad,
04:50I picked
04:52this
04:53cover,
04:55there's a regular cover,
04:57with, uh,
04:59Van Richen
05:00lounging in a chair,
05:02very similar
05:03to the,
05:05um,
05:07Curse of Strahd
05:08cover,
05:10of, uh,
05:11Strahd,
05:12you have to say it
05:12like Bela Lugosi,
05:13I see Strahd
05:15speaking with, uh,
05:18Bulgarian,
05:20Bulgarian,
05:21uh,
05:22accent,
05:23of course,
05:25and
05:26we are
05:27puzzling,
05:29as we talked about,
05:31the,
05:31the regular cover
05:33is
05:34just Strahd
05:35lounging,
05:37Strahd
05:37speaks with,
05:39uh,
05:40a Bela Lugosi
05:41an accent,
05:42uh,
05:42something Bulgarian
05:45that we think is
05:46vaguely
05:47Eastern European,
05:48which is good,
05:50always good,
05:52always very good,
05:54key,
05:55yeah,
05:56alt cover,
05:57looks like,
05:58uh,
05:59are we done,
06:00like,
06:00we don't need
06:01another copy,
06:02of Strahd
06:03on the balcony,
06:05Strahd
06:06lounging in chair,
06:09Strahd,
06:10it's
06:11over,
06:13all right,
06:14uh,
06:15I like this alternate,
06:16it's matte,
06:17it's moody,
06:19uh,
06:19it feels
06:20different,
06:21uh,
06:22and it's
06:23one of the
06:24Taroka cards,
06:25which
06:25I actually
06:27bought as an
06:28accessory,
06:28I usually don't buy
06:29accessories as much,
06:31sucker for dice that
06:34are mystery packs,
06:36but I didn't get this
06:37one,
06:37actually I did buy
06:38some,
06:39oh,
06:40I don't know what I
06:41did with the players,
06:42this,
06:43the,
06:44um,
06:45DM screen,
06:46it's somewhere in my
06:48chaotic life,
06:49uh,
06:50it's gonna pop up,
06:51uh,
06:52whenever,
06:53all right,
06:54we're going back,
06:55Strahd,
06:57uh,
06:57and honestly,
06:58it's kinda cool,
06:59I bought the
07:00Taroka cards,
07:02I don't know why,
07:04uh,
07:05here,
07:07so,
07:09let me see,
07:10I'm just rounding,
07:11I'm going over my notes
07:12on my teleprompter,
07:13I want a teleprompter,
07:15I always thought it
07:16was the coolest,
07:17okay,
07:18let's going back,
07:20um,
07:21I'm gonna talk about,
07:22okay,
07:22I used to be more
07:23into Vampire Masquerade,
07:25and,
07:26uh,
07:27I'm not anymore,
07:28the older I get,
07:29the more,
07:30the fantasy of living
07:32forever sucks,
07:34uh,
07:35just being younger
07:37than your elders
07:38sucks,
07:38watching people you
07:40love age sucks,
07:42aging does suck,
07:44but,
07:45you accept
07:46your own mortality
07:47more than
07:48mortality of others,
07:51especially your parents,
07:52I don't know,
07:53this is just me,
07:54uh,
07:55here we are,
07:56okay,
07:57so,
07:58let's go back
07:59and talk about this book,
08:00I loved,
08:01a lot of little things,
08:03I love Cthulhu
08:05becoming
08:06part of Ravenloft
08:07with Innsmouth,
08:08I mean,
08:09yeah,
08:10I love,
08:12they give you the idea,
08:13you can take any horror
08:14setting,
08:16and put a little
08:17mist around it,
08:18there's rules on how to
08:19make your own domain
08:20of dread,
08:21and here we are,
08:22we have,
08:23uh,
08:25so Salem's Lot,
08:27you can do,
08:29uh,
08:30I'm like,
08:30The Town of It,
08:31yes,
08:31a lot of Stephen King's,
08:33or,
08:34uh,
08:35novels seem perfect,
08:37because,
08:38they're not massive worlds,
08:40they're little small towns
08:41that are isolated,
08:43you can even do,
08:45um,
08:46the hotel,
08:47or Shining,
08:48you know,
08:49isolating the mountains,
08:51can't really leave,
08:52you know,
08:53one of the ghosts
08:54can be
08:54the dreadlord,
08:56oof,
08:57brilliant,
08:58by the way,
08:59it's a great little setting,
09:00great little update,
09:02um,
09:03things I think
09:04that could have made it better,
09:05section N,
09:07Appendix N,
09:09something where you refer to
09:10every horror genre stories,
09:13and,
09:13uh,
09:14tell people,
09:15hey,
09:17these are the favorite books,
09:19uh,
09:19that inspired this edition,
09:22read them,
09:23read,
09:24I mean,
09:26the only people who seem to read
09:27are DMs,
09:28and,
09:28they,
09:29they're more skimmers
09:31than readers,
09:32at least,
09:33that's what I've become,
09:35read Dracula,
09:37changed my life
09:38when I was a teenager,
09:40uh,
09:40read,
09:41interview with a vampire,
09:43read,
09:44uh,
09:44I don't know,
09:46dungeon crawler Carl,
09:47apparently,
09:48I have to finish that book,
09:49I love it,
09:51I'm just,
09:51slow at reading,
09:54um,
09:54going back,
09:55okay,
09:56so,
09:56read,
09:58what else,
09:59I recommend,
10:00uh,
10:00people to be better DMs,
10:02or,
10:02I don't know,
10:03watch movies,
10:04they should make,
10:05they got made a whole section of that,
10:07they did it,
10:08they briefly mentioned a paragraph,
10:11that,
10:11uh,
10:12Strahd is Dracula,
10:14Mordheim is,
10:15a,
10:16is a,
10:17uh,
10:17Frankenstein setting,
10:19yada yada,
10:20they could have done more,
10:22also,
10:24name,
10:25your,
10:26authors that inspired you,
10:28you have a whole,
10:29Innsmouth and Clue thing,
10:31not a single mention of the,
10:33of Lovecraft,
10:35so you can,
10:36you know,
10:37I mean,
10:38what are you scared,
10:40owing money,
10:41on public domain stuff,
10:43reestablishing that,
10:44the Lovecraft estate,
10:46probably,
10:47um,
10:48has an ownership claim,
10:50ugh,
10:51by the way,
10:52here we are,
10:52here we are,
10:54it's just that,
10:55uh,
10:56let's see here,
10:58okay,
10:59one thing I genuinely loved,
11:01um,
11:02was the dark gifts,
11:04those little,
11:06uh,
11:08adaptations,
11:08or,
11:09feet,
11:10they're technically feats,
11:12but,
11:13they're feats with a,
11:14um,
11:16powerful,
11:17uptown,
11:18upside,
11:18and a downside,
11:20it reminds me of,
11:22oh,
11:23again,
11:23another Vampire Massacre reference,
11:25there's merits and flaws,
11:26at the end,
11:27merits were kind of,
11:28little things you picked up,
11:30but character creation,
11:32character creation,
11:34and,
11:35flaws,
11:36same thing,
11:37but,
11:37you could,
11:38either spend,
11:39create,
11:40points that have gone,
11:41or otherwise,
11:42towards disciplines,
11:43that we got,
11:44for,
11:44merits,
11:45merits,
11:45or,
11:46you could just,
11:47load up on flaws,
11:49and then,
11:52get matching merits,
11:53which was interesting,
11:54and,
11:54which I think,
11:56you know,
11:57WotC should create flaws,
11:59flaws,
12:00that you could,
12:01pick up at character creation,
12:04uh,
12:04and match them to a feat,
12:06so like that,
12:08they won't be like the dark gifts,
12:09because dark gifts are,
12:10regular feats,
12:11with a little drawback,
12:12something that could saddle your character,
12:15but at the same time,
12:16add,
12:17uh,
12:18something else,
12:19like anti-feats,
12:22flaws,
12:22well,
12:23yeah,
12:24here we are,
12:25so yeah,
12:26that's an idea,
12:27uh,
12:27I'm gonna invent it,
12:28but hey,
12:29you know,
12:31WotC Hasbro,
12:32call me,
12:33I've got a ton of ideas,
12:35alright,
12:37okay,
12:38I'm a dork,
12:38uh,
12:40we are here,
12:41we are there,
12:43yeah,
12:44there are things I didn't like,
12:45was,
12:46uh,
12:47I really felt,
12:49that,
12:51um,
12:52I love the new,
12:54uh,
12:54NPC,
12:55uh,
12:57races,
12:58or species,
12:59now they're called,
13:00I just felt,
13:02that,
13:02the Lupin,
13:04being a powerful werewolf character,
13:07is interesting,
13:08but,
13:09the horror,
13:10of being a werewolf,
13:11or,
13:12being around a werewolf,
13:14is you don't know,
13:15when you're dealing with,
13:17what you're just,
13:18you know,
13:20anyways,
13:20werewolves are like Hulk,
13:22or,
13:23uh,
13:23there's a monster hiding,
13:24inside a creature,
13:26it'd be much more interesting,
13:27if you had played a human,
13:30that,
13:30you know,
13:31if they had,
13:32if they failed so many roles,
13:34in a row,
13:35they would,
13:35flip out into a monster,
13:37that became an NPC,
13:39than,
13:41just playing an overpowered,
13:42wolf creature,
13:43I mean,
13:44that's just,
13:45being a super furry,
13:47um,
13:48again,
13:49those are my ideas,
13:51my take on,
13:52the horror,
13:53of a werewolf,
13:54if you just want to play,
13:55uh,
13:56werewolf based,
13:57uh,
13:58thing,
13:59uh,
13:59WotC already had,
14:01shifters for,
14:03Eberron,
14:04repackage them,
14:05make them spookier,
14:07but,
14:08they already had,
14:10uh,
14:10werewolf adjacent,
14:12uh,
14:13PC species,
14:16or,
14:17race,
14:18I don't know,
14:18I prefer,
14:19species,
14:20I know my PCs is more,
14:22PC,
14:24um,
14:25because,
14:26yeah,
14:27race,
14:28racism,
14:29but,
14:30species in my brain,
14:32I could have a,
14:33the mind of a toddler,
14:35rhymes with feces,
14:37aka poop,
14:38poop,
14:40so,
14:40yeah,
14:40it's that,
14:43all right,
14:45so,
14:45yeah,
14:46I do think,
14:47so you have,
14:48um,
14:49what do you,
14:50we have,
14:50we have the Dampia,
14:52which is your vampire,
14:54you have the Lupin,
14:56which is,
14:56you're always woofed out,
14:58werewolf,
14:59and then,
15:00you have,
15:02uh,
15:02what,
15:03I think you have,
15:04like,
15:05those undead-y ones,
15:06I forgot what they're called,
15:07I could look it up,
15:09because we have time,
15:10and,
15:11uh,
15:12I'm,
15:12I have nothing but time,
15:15uh,
15:16okay,
15:16oh,
15:16be born,
15:18doodooey,
15:19gotta be born,
15:19we're kind of cool,
15:20you mean Frankenstein monster,
15:22you can be more of,
15:23like,
15:25undead,
15:26oof,
15:27yeah,
15:28also,
15:31one thing that I don't cover,
15:32is you can do horror comedy,
15:34that could be,
15:35I mean,
15:35there's every domain,
15:36there's a different genre,
15:38of horror,
15:39nobody's horror comedy,
15:40I mean,
15:41we could have,
15:42Adam's Family,
15:42or the monsters,
15:45where,
15:46PCs,
15:48are,
15:49are the monsters,
15:51but the world around them,
15:52is either horrified of them,
15:54or you could do something,
15:55like,
15:55Edward Scissorhands,
15:56more serious,
15:57where,
15:58the monster,
16:00is not evil,
16:02the world,
16:04and the conformity,
16:05is evil,
16:06which,
16:07kind of,
16:08fits more with,
16:09the,
16:09the kind of,
16:10wokey,
16:12out view,
16:12that,
16:13once he has,
16:15you know,
16:16I am,
16:16neither woke,
16:17nor,
16:18I am,
16:18I am,
16:20I am not woke,
16:21I am not based,
16:22I am just broke,
16:23but yeah,
16:24I think,
16:25if you want to have,
16:26the woe is me,
16:28kind of,
16:29monster,
16:30you could do that,
16:31I guess the Lupin,
16:32who is always a werewolf,
16:34could work on that,
16:34but there is no,
16:35domain that,
16:36covers that kind of,
16:38interpersonal horror,
16:39I guess that was,
16:41what Vampire of the Masquerade,
16:42was about,
16:43is about,
16:44it was interpersonal horror,
16:46you know,
16:47especially if you play low level,
16:51even if you go,
16:54levels,
16:55I mean generation,
16:57low,
16:57I mean high generation,
16:59vampires that are low powered,
17:02even thin blooded,
17:04that,
17:04might be,
17:05damn near human,
17:07and have to,
17:09play against,
17:11humans that are,
17:12that are family,
17:14vampires that are,
17:17gazillion times,
17:18more powerful,
17:19that's,
17:20the kind of horror,
17:20you can put in there,
17:22that's not,
17:23in this book,
17:23it's not,
17:24their personal horror,
17:25is not addressed well,
17:28I think,
17:29when I think about it,
17:30again,
17:30I haven't run,
17:31or played anything,
17:32out of this book yet,
17:34definitely want to,
17:36when I,
17:37make,
17:38I want to make a video,
17:39where I create some characters,
17:41and,
17:41show what I got,
17:43I don't know,
17:43where they are at,
17:45okay,
17:48I don't know,
17:48yeah,
17:49I think we should have,
17:49the appendix N,
17:52what else,
17:53Taroka,
17:54I was going to,
17:54talk about it,
17:55but I'm going to,
17:55make a separate video,
17:57same thing with,
17:58the DM screen,
18:00because they work together,
18:01so you can use,
18:02Taroka cards,
18:03for your random monster,
18:05roles,
18:08an alternative,
18:10very more tactile,
18:11be more fun,
18:12if,
18:13especially,
18:14if,
18:15in the,
18:16in the,
18:17environment,
18:18dungeon,
18:19wilderness,
18:20encounter,
18:20blah,
18:20blah,
18:21you have the players,
18:22draw a Taroka card,
18:24Taroka card,
18:25look on the table,
18:27don't say a few things,
18:28and then,
18:29play out the monster,
18:31later,
18:31a little bit later,
18:33right,
18:34well that's that,
18:36when it's stitched together,
18:37a live recorded today,
18:38I'm exhausted,
18:40this is like the gazillionth time,
18:41I recorded this,
18:43if it doesn't work,
18:44I'm literally going to start recording,
18:46on my cell phone,
18:47because,
18:48my setup is cool,
18:49and it doesn't work,
18:50half the time,
18:52alright,
18:53ranty ranty,
18:54blah,
18:54blah,
18:54bye,
18:55subscribe and comment,
18:56subscribe and comment,
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