Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft

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A new source book is being released for the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Van Ritchen’s Guide to Ravenloft is slated for a release of May 18th 2021.

This book will expand the world of Ravenloft that was first explored in the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons with Curse of Strahd.

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The book was teased with a neat interactive ouija board style reveal that lead to the words “The Mist beckons!”

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For more well versed players in the history of Dungeons & Dragons, this book shares a name similar to an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons book called “Van Richten's Guide to Vampires” an AD&D: Ravenloft Accessory. This book was released back in 1992.

Along with this book, there was also the release of an edition for Ghosts, Werebeasts and Shadowfey.

There were many other books released in this series, so it’s really cool that Wizards of the Coast is paying homage to the title by incorporating it into the newest release for the current game.

I am curious how much of the content from these books will be revitalized in the 5th Edition version of Dungeons & Dragons.

But enough of the past books for this campaign setting. The real reason that Wizards of the Coast is continuing the expansion of this theme is actually simple.

The Curse of Strahd Campaign book has been and continues to be more many players, their favorite adventure for the current version of Dungeons & Dragons released back in March of 2016. The game was subsequently re-released called “Curse of Strahd Revamped” with additional items as well as some corrections to the source book in 2020.

We did a review on Curse of Strahd that you can check out here!

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Now with the new source book coming out in May of 2021. Players will be able to explore much more of the horrors of Ravenloft.

This book is described to contain:

  • Source material for the Domains of Dread where each domain has it’s own unique flavor of horror, story hooks and new characters.

  • Craft your own D&D horror setting, add tension with optional rules and get advice for running a game that’s ghastly in all the right ways

  • Create characters with lineages tied to vampires, undead, and hags.

  • Horror themed subclasses

  • New backgrounds

  • Dark gifts

  • new nightmarish monsters from an expanded bestiary and brows a collection of mysterious trinkets

  • Explore Ravenloft in the included adventure, that can be used as a drop in to a current campaign or a stand-alone adventure

It’s very interesting that Wizards of the Coast has decided to continue to expand on the world of Ravenloft. I am sure that there are many of fans out there that are really happy with this decision. But I am also sure that there are many players that were wishing for a different book to come out as well.

With the recent settling for Greyhawk, it would have been awesome to see some content coming from that setting, or entering a new setting entirely that has yet to be explored with the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons.

The book is currently up for pre-order on Amazon and can be pre-ordered using the Amazon Affiliate link here.

Comment below and share this article around. What are your thought’s on the newest setting guide that is on it’s way for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition? Was this the setting you were looking for? Or where you looking forward to something else?

Source: https://dnd.wizards.com/products/van-richtens-guide-ravenloft