Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence called a "pocket dimension" with the name "the Demiplane of Dread", which consists of a collection of land pieces called "domains" brought together by a mysterious force known only as "The Dark Powers". Each domain is mystically ruled by a being called a "darklord", which is a person or monster who has committed an act or acts of evil so foul as to attract special attention from the Dark Powers. The darklords are imprisoned within the borders of their domains and cannot escape by any means, although most can seal their domain borders with a thought. Within their domains, the darklords are forever tormented by the objects of their desire (often the objects they committed their crimes to achieve), which the Dark Powers dangle before them like the fruits of Tantalus. Each darklord's desires and motivations differ; some desire love, others hunger for glorious victory, or one might envy the defeat and humiliation of their enemies like another rival darklord. Ravenloft is a Dungeons & Dragons module, coded I6, written for use with the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ruleset, by TSR. Written by husband-wife duo Tracy & Laura Hickman, Ravenloft is considered by many fans of the genre to be the finest D&D module ever published. ... Image File history File links Rv-logo. ... Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is a best-selling fantasy author, best known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR. They also wrote the Dark Sword trilogy, the Death Gate Cycle, and the Sovereign Stone... TSR, Inc. ... The logo of White Wolf Publishing, one of White Wolf, Inc. ... Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ... d20 redirects here. ... A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. ... “D&D” redirects here. ... A roleplaying game (RPG) is a type of game in which players assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. ... The fictional campaign setting of Ravenloft for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game is divided geographically into a number of domains. ... Tantalos, by Goya In Greek mythology Tantalus (Greek Τάνταλος) was a son of Zeus[1] and the nymph Plouto (riches)[2] Thus he was a king in the primordial world, the father of a son Broteas whose very name signifies mortals (brotoi)[3] Other versions name his father as Tmolus wreathed...

Setting

Ravenloft is primarily a Gothic horror setting. Dungeon Masters are encouraged to use scenes that build apprehension and fear, culminating in the eventual face-to-face meeting with the nameless evil. Characters have a much greater significance attached to their acts, especially if they are morally impure, as they risk coming under the influence of the Dark Powers (through the game process called "dark powers checks") and gradually transforming themselves into figures of evil. Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

The magical mists of Ravenloft could appear anywhere in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, drawing evil-doers (or player characters) into the Ravenloft setting. “D&D” redirects here. ...

The Dark Powers

The Dark Powers are a malevolent force who control the Demiplane of Dread. Their exact nature and number are purposely kept vague, allowing for plot development in accordance with the Gothic tradition of storytelling—where the heroes are frequently outclassed and outnumbered by unknowably evil forces beyond their control. Strawberry Hill, an English villa in the Gothic revival style, built by seminal Gothic writer Horace Walpole The gothic novel was a literary genre that belonged to Romanticism and began in the United Kingdom with The Castle of Otranto (1764) by Horace Walpole. ...

The Dark Powers most frequently serve as a plot device for Ravenloft, especially concerning the Dark Lords, the de facto visible rulers of the Ravenloft Demiplane. Where the players are often tormented and opposed by the Dark Lords, the Dark Lords are themselves tormented and opposed by the Dark Powers. Of course, the difference lies in order of power—while many D&D adventures focus on allowing a band of heroes to prevail over a Dark Lord (much as in the spirit of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula), no such victory over the Dark Powers is conceivable.

Most frequently, the Dark Powers make their wishes and intents known through subtle manipulations of fate. Thus, Barovia's vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich's many attempts to win back his love, Tatyana, are doomed to failure, but the Dark Powers arrange such that he never truly loses hope. Each time, for example, Strahd's own actions may be partially culpable for his failure, and as such he may go through crippling self-recrimination, rather than cursing the gods solely and giving up. Most other Dark Lords have similar tales of frustration, kept all the more unbearable because the flicker of the possibility of success is never truly extinguished. The fictional campaign setting of Ravenloft for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game is divided geographically into a number of domains. ... Count Strahd von Zarovich is a fictional character originally appearing as the feature villain in the highly popular Advanced Dungeons and Dragons adventure module Ravenloft. ...

Not all Dark Lords acknowledge the Dark Powers directly, however. Strahd, for example, in his own memoirs, speaks only of a force known as "Death," who mocks him with the voices of his family and former colleagues throughout his life. Vlad Drakov, the Dark Lord of Falkovnia whose military expeditions are doomed to constant failure, seems even to be totally oblivious of any non-mortal factors in his repeated defeats.

The Dark Powers also seem capable of non-evil manipulations. Although their machinations are often directly responsible for the misery of many of Ravenloft's inhabitants, they also appear to play a role as dispenser of justice. Some tales of innocents, who have escaped Ravenloft for happier environs, are attributed to the Dark Powers, who have judged a being worthy of reward and release from their misty domain.

The precise nature of the Dark Powers of Ravenloft is never explicitly described in the game material, with the exception of a few of the novels based on the setting, and even those are considered non-canon. In a sense, the Dark Powers are intended to be eternal unknowns, an array of capricious, unforeseeable wills whose motives and actions the player characters cannot hope to understand.

Inspirations

Ravenloft (RL) is noted for its use of analogues of fictional characters from Gothic and horror literature and, rarely, historical figures. Examples include Count Strahd von Zarovich and Vlad Drakov, who are analogous to Bram Stoker's character Count Dracula and his historical inspiration, Vlad Ţepeş, respectively; Doctor Victor Mordenheim and his creation, Adam, analogous to Mary Shelley's characters Doctor Frankenstein and his Creature; heroic Dr. Rudolph van Richten is analogous to Abraham Van Helsing; and Frantisek Markov, an analogue of H.G. Wells' character Doctor Moreau. The Vistani are a horror-film-inspired stereotypical representation of Gypsies. The Vistani often have fortune-telling powers, often using the Tarokka, a fantasy version of the Tarot. Other notable mirror images in Ravenloft included Sir Tristen Hiregaard and his alter ego Malken, who are also directly inspired from the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story (written by Robert Louis Stevenson); a lesser known Darklord by the name of Maligno (A puppet that comes to life) who is an obvious darkly twisted version of the Carlo Collodi's "Pinocchio" story; and the three hags who are closely related to the three witches in William Shakespeare's Macbeth and to other mythological female trios that predate the play. This article is on analogue as a literary term . ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... Count Strahd von Zarovich is a fictional character originally appearing as the feature villain in the highly popular Advanced Dungeons and Dragons adventure module Ravenloft. ... Abraham Bram Stoker (November 8, 1847 – April 20, 1912) was an Irish writer, best remembered as the author of the influential horror novel Dracula. ... Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. ... Portrait of Vlad III in the Innsbruck Ambras Castle Vlad III Basarab (other names: Vlad Å¢epeÅŸ IPA: in Romanian, meaning Vlad the Impaler; Vlad Draculea in Romanian, transliterated as Vlad Dracula in some documents; Kazıklı Bey in Turkish, meaning Impaler Prince), (November or December, 1431 – December 1476). ... Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (née Godwin) (30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English romantic/gothic novelist and the author of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. ... This article is about the 1818 novel. ... Dr. Rudolph van Richten is a fictional character in the Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting of Ravenloft. ... Helsing and Van Helsing redirect here. ... Frantisek Markov is a fictional character; he is one of the domain lords of the Dungeons & Dragons campaign Ravenloft. ... H. G. Wells at the door of his house at Sandgate Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 - August 13, 1946) was an English writer best known for his science fiction novels such as The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine. ... Categories: Stub | Science fiction novels | 1896 books | 1933 films | 1977 films | 1996 films | Steampunk ... The Vistani are a fictional race of mystical gypsies native to the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting of Ravenloft. ... Languages Romani, languages of native region Religions Christianity, Islam Related ethnic groups South Asians (Desi) The Roma (singular Rom; sometimes Rroma, Rrom) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. ... For prophecy in the context of revealed religions see Prophet. ... This article is about the general history, iconography, and uses of tarot cards. ... The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll1and Mr. ... Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850–December 3, 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. ... he Tuscan village where his mother, Angela Orzali, was born. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by Théodore Chassériau. ...

In addition to borrowing from the world of literary horror, Ravenloft incorporated characters and features from existing Dungeons & Dragons settings. Lord Soth, a villain from the Dragonlance setting, appeared as a darklord in Ravenloft, as did the Greyhawk lich-god Vecna and his traitorous former lieutenant, the vampire Kas. The Lost King Gondegal, from the Forgotten Realms setting, also appeared, though not as a darklord. These are examples of characters already well-established in their respective origin campaign settings. Some Ravenloft characters were given backstories saying they hailed from existing campaign settings, although in some cases the original settings have no record of them. The lich Azalin Rex was retroactively attached to Greyhawk, for example. Lord Soth, the Knight of the Black Rose (full name: Lord Loren Soth of Dargaard Keep), is a fictional character in the fantasy realms of Dragonlance and later Ravenloft. ... The current edition Dragonlance logo, as seen on all books published in the more recent times. ... This article is about the role-playing game setting. ... In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Vecna was a powerful wizard who became a lich, and eventually achieved godhood. ... In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Kas the Bloody-Handed was the most trusted lieutenant of the despotic arch-lich Vecna, who wielded the Sword of Kas in his masters name. ... It has been suggested that Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting be merged into this article or section. ... Azalin Rex or The Rex is the wizard king of Darkon in the White Wolf Campaign world of Ravenloft for the Dungeons and Dragons Role Playing Game. ...

System

Since 2001, Ravenloft has used the d20 System, with a few modifications. Additional new saves are used within Ravenloft: Fear, Horror and Madness, as well as the standard Fortitude, Will and Reflex saves. New Prestige Classes, spells and feats have also been added. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... d20 redirects here. ... Appearing in a primitive form in the second edition rules of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and developed extensively in the third edition rules, Prestige Classes (PrC) are character classes that offer specialized, exclusive abilities once certain restrictive requirements are met. ...

History

First published as a stand alone Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module also called Ravenloft, it was popular enough to spawn a Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebook, a sequel module (I10: The House on Gryphon Hill), and in 1990 was launched as a full-fledged campaign setting with the Realm of Terror boxed set, popularly known as the "Black Box". The campaign setting was revised twice during Second Edition - first as the Ravenloft Campaign Setting "Red Box", then as the Domains of Dread hardback - before Wizards of the Coast cancelled the line after acquiring TSR. In 1991, the "Black Box" won the Origins Award for Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1990. For other uses, see Dungeons & Dragons (disambiguation). ... Ravenloft is a Dungeons & Dragons module, coded I6, written for use with the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ruleset, by TSR. Written by husband-wife duo Tracy & Laura Hickman, Ravenloft is considered by many fans of the genre to be the finest D&D module ever published. ... Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks is a series of 18 gamebooks published from 1985 to 1988. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is a publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. ... TSR, Inc. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... The Origins Awards, presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design, are presented at the Origins International Game Expo for outstanding work in the game industry. ...

TSR also published a series of novels set in Ravenloft. Each novel was typically focused on one of the darklords that inhabited the Ravenloft world, with several focusing on the figure of Count Strahd von Zarovich.

Ravenloft was licensed to Arthaus Games for Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition and revised "3.5" Third Edition and published by White Wolf Game Studio through the Sword & Sorcery Studios imprint. Arthaus' license to the Ravenloft setting was allowed to revert to Wizards of the Coast on August 15, 2005, but Sword & Sorcery retained the right to continue to sell its backstock until June of 2006. The timing of this reversion meant that the Ravenloft supplement Van Richten's Guide to the Mists did not see print; instead, it was released as a free download in late September 2005.[1] “D&D” redirects here. ... The logo of White Wolf Publishing, one of White Wolf, Inc. ... The Sword & Sorcery imprint is used by White Wolf to publish its d20 & OGL material. ... Wizards of the Coast (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is a publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes. ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see June (disambiguation). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Rudolph van Richten is a fictional character in the Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting of Ravenloft. ...

The campaign setting published by White Wolf introduced a number of alterations, many based on conflicts with existing Wizards of the Coast intellectual property. Lord Soth, a character created for the Dragonlance setting, was removed from Ravenloft; the island featuring the demi-god Vecna and his rival, Kas, was likewise excised due to the characters' origins in the Greyhawk setting; any references to D&D pantheon gods have been replaced with Ravenloft-specific deities. This article is about the role-playing game setting. ...

Currently the future of the Ravenloft setting is unknown, though there is speculation among fans that it will be shelved until another gaming company pursues a license from Wizards of the Coast.

In October 2006, Wizards of the Coast released Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, a hardcover version of the original 1st edition adventure updated for the Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5 rule set. The 2006 version includes maps from the original Ravenloft adventure, and new character generation options. Expedition to Castle Ravenloft is stand-alone supplement, distinct from the Arthaus Games product line, and only requires the three core books for usage. In 2007, Wizards of the Coast announced the printing of two new Ravenloft novels, Black Crusade and The Sleep of Reason, fueling speculation that new gaming material may soon become available. For other uses, see October (disambiguation). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... “D&D” redirects here. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Novels

A number of tie-in novels were released, set in the Demiplane of Dread:

• Vampire of the Mists (September 1991), by Christie Golden, (ISBN 1-56076-155-5)
• Knight of the Black Rose (December 1991), by James Lowder, (ISBN 1-56076-156-3)
• Dance of the Dead (June 1992), by Christie Golden, (ISBN 1-56076-352-3)
• Heart of Midnight (December 1992), by J. Robert King, (ISBN 1-56076-355-8)
• Tapestry of Dark Souls (March 1993), by Elaine Bergstrom, (ISBN 1-56076-571-2)
• Carnival of Fear (July 1993), by J. Robert King, (ISBN 1-56076-628-X)
• I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire (September 1993), by P. N. Elrod, (ISBN 0-7869-0175-6)
• The Enemy Within (February 1994), by Christie Golden, (ISBN 1-56076-887-8)
• Mordenheim (May 1994), by Chet Williamson, (ISBN 1-56076-852-5)
• Tales of Ravenloft (September 1994), Edited by Brian Thomsen, (ISBN 1-56076-931-9)
• Tower of Doom (November 1994), by Mark Anthony, (ISBN 0-7869-0062-8)
• Baroness of Blood (March 1995), by Elaine Bergstrom, (ISBN 0-7869-0146-2)
• Death of a Darklord (June 1995), by Laurell K. Hamilton, (ISBN 0-7869-4122-7)
• Scholar of Decay (December 1995), by Tanya Huff, (ISBN 0-7869-0206-X)
• King of the Dead (March 1996), by Gene DeWeese, (ISBN 0-7869-0483-6)
• To Sleep with Evil (September 1996), by Andria Cardarelle, (ISBN 0-7869-0515-8)
• Lord of the Necropolis (November 1997), by Gene DeWeese, (ISBN 0-7869-0660-X)
• Shadowborn (March 1998), by Carrie Bebris and William Connors, (ISBN 0-7869-0766-5)
• I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin (June 1998), by P. N. Elrod, (ISBN 0-7869-0754-1)
• Spectre of the Black Rose (March 1999), by James Lowder and Voronica Whitney-Robinson, (ISBN 0-7869-1333-9)

Vampire of the Mists is the first novel in the Ravenloft books gothic horror series. ... Christie Golden is an award winning author, that lives in Denver, Colorado, USA. She has written eighteen novels and sixteen short stores in fantasy, horror and science fiction. ... James Lowder (born January 2, 1963) is an American author and editor, working most often within the fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror genres. ... Christie Golden is an award winning author, that lives in Denver, Colorado, USA. She has written eighteen novels and sixteen short stores in fantasy, horror and science fiction. ... Patricia Nead Elrod is an American fantasy writer specializing in novels about vampires. ... Christie Golden is an award winning author, that lives in Denver, Colorado, USA. She has written eighteen novels and sixteen short stores in fantasy, horror and science fiction. ... Click on adjacent number for more information! ... Bust of Marcus Antonius Marcus Antonius (Latin: M·ANTONIVS·M·F·M·N¹) (c. ... Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American horror, magic, fantasy, erotica and romance writer. ... Tanya Huff Tanya Sue Huff is a Canadian fantasy author born in 1957 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ... Patricia Nead Elrod is an American fantasy writer specializing in novels about vampires. ... James Lowder (born January 2, 1963) is an American author and editor, working most often within the fantasy, dark fantasy, and horror genres. ...

Notes

White Wolf, Inc. hosts a Ravenloft RPG Chat Game called Rookhausen, which is an online text-based role-playing game. Rookhausen was created by Conrad Hubbard, and expanded upon by the efforts of numerous volunteer Dungeon Masters and players. The logo of White Wolf Publishing, one of White Wolf, Inc. ... An online text-based role playing game (OTBRPG) is a role-playing game played online using a solely text-based interface such as TELNET, an internet forum, or in a chat. ... Conrad Hubbard is best known as a web designer and author for White Wolf, Inc. ...

See also

• Masque of the Red Death
• Ravenloft domains
• Rudolph van Richten

Masque of the Red Death is a campaign setting for the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons named after the Edgar Allan Poe short story of the same name. ... The fictional campaign setting of Ravenloft for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game is divided geographically into a number of domains. ... Dr. Rudolph van Richten is a fictional character in the Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting of Ravenloft. ...

External links

• Barovia.de - dark fantasyart, and adventures of Ravenloft
• Fraternity of Shadows - the largest Ravenloft fansite, with many Ravenloft netbook, information, official book errata, etc. The site also has a large FAQ section, should you need more game information on Ravenloft.
• Secrets of the Kargatane - no longer updated, this website was once one of the largest sources of Ravenloft information on the Internet
• Midway Haven Alchemical Observatory - another popular Ravenloft fansite that supplies netbooks and features light-hearted takes on Ravenloft in general. The Midway Haven website is expected to expand in early 2007, when its in-game storyline takes its characters to new and bizarre directions.
• The Lonesome Road - Original source for Ravenloft material.
• The Mordent Cartographical Society - This website contains maps and information on the Domains.
• White Wolf Downloads - a page where you can download extracts of d20 System Ravenloft products and the entire unpublished Van Richten's Guide to the Mists.
• Ravenloft UK - a UK-based Ravenloft fansite
• TSR Archive Ravenloft product list
• Ravenloft Prisoners of the Mist - A Persistent world based in the Ravenloft setting for a game called Neverwinter Nights.