Top 5 Best Ravenloft Products.

[woodsdarkman]

My top 5 worst list sure brought out alot of different feelings from people so let us see if we can do it again. Everything was in consideration this time except: I6, I10, and The Black Box Set. It would be to easy for them to make the list.

5. Feast of Goblins.
The first module. The prototype. Not perfect by any stretch and the adventure is over the top. Still the adventure is long and detailed and ripe with role play. Three domains, Dr. Domini, and even a cameo by Harkon Lucas. The amount of info on Kartakass alone is worth the price. Feast of Goblins set the bar for what was to come.

4. Domains of Dread.
I am going to get flack for this one. Somehow it left out some domains and gave us reused charts from the Players Handbook which was a total waste of space. Yet, DoD was packed with around 400 pages (in small print I might add) with information and was an attempt to make Ravenloft a viable setting and kept the continuity from earlier products. The main reason it makes the list is it looks great sitting on my coffee table.

3. Carnival.
My biggest complaint about Carnival was it was to short. An entertaining read from start to finish I could not put it down. This "game" product was a better read than most books I have read. Carnival truly captures the spirit of what Ravenloft was all about and is one of the highlights of the entire line.

2. Bleak House.
I miss box sets. The smell, the slowly opening full of anticipation knowing I was going to get my monies worth. What great times. Bleak House is the ultimate box set that has epic written all over it. The adventure is top notch especially the first part with Dr. Domini. It putters a little in the middle then ramps up in the end. The Death of Rudolph Van Ritchen lives up to the hype and exceeds it.

1. The Ravenloft Gazetteers.
Something I always wanted from the start of Ravenloft was a detailed book of all the domains and their lords. It took a long time but we finally got it. These books are so full of information it is astounding. Past events are explored and new events are hinted at. And as a bonus we get a new plot featuring Azalin and with it comes a great story, one to this day burns me with a rage that we never got to see finished. The great part was it was written by great writers who knew and loved Ravenloft and it came across in the product. Out of the 5 Gazetteers I could not pick a favorite, that would be like choosing which one of my kids I love best. It may just dependon which domains are your favorite.

[HuManBing]

Agree with you wholeheartedly on Carnival and the Gaz's.

Carnival is way up there. It was the book that made me sit up and think "Woah, now here's a Ravenloft product!" Fascinating characters, well-thought-out rules expansions, and an overarching mystery plot that gave even the GM something to really think about... it doesn't get much better than this. Basically, a prototype of the entire 3E Gazetteer line. Which brings us to:

The Gazetteers. Carnival writ large. What happens when you gather a load of excellent writers, great creativity, and also a much superior attention-to-continuity than most other campaign settings (canon quibbles with Malken and a few other "problem areas" notwithstanding). This was the product that took Ravenloft well beyond its "weekend in hell" roots and made it a true persistent, believable, historied Demiplane. As with Carnival, it did a great job of "fluff" in present profiles and "crunch" in rules expansions, and also introduced the headscratching mystery of S., narrator of the Gazetteers, and her personal journey into self-knowledge under her dark patron.

Honorable mentions: Tarokka Deck (Talon and Fabian), Forbidden Lore boxed set, and Masque of the Red Death. If Gothic Earth doesn't count, then RL DMG.

[Zilfer]

I agree with the Gazetteer's Everytime i look at it I find a small sentance that could provide a whole adventure! It's so full of plot hooks that I'm now trying to narrow my scope down to Barovia and suck it dry before adding anything of my own. (Too late for that really but whatever!)

I recently got the Tarokka deck and I keep forgetting to look into the DM's guide!!! Damn! This is the second time I've remembered at work, and gone home done a reading for a character and only used the cards that came with the set for meanings!! Grr.... well I don't have time today... I have to kill a bunch of Zombies in Black Ops 2, but one day....

Other than that I think I6 because that's what hooked me and my group onto the setting which I wasn't 'convinced' that I'd like such a setting or if i'd be able to run it. (still not sure my game is 'gothic' but i like it and strive to kind of get the feeling in our games)

my 2 WolfFangs.

[Joël of the FoS]

All of the above, plus: VRGttSF and VRGttWD

[Garudos Celestar]

5. Circle of Darkness
4. Servants of Darkness
3. van Richten's Guide to Demons
2. The Evil Eye
1. Carnival

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order): Bleak House, Castles Forlorn, Night of the Walking Dead, Howls in the Night, van Richten's Guide to Ghosts, van Richten's Guide to the Vistani, van Richten's Guide to the Created, Vampire of the Mists, Feast of Goblyns, Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume IV, Legacy of the Blood.

Bleak House and Castles Forlorn are the 2 that could easily switch out with other adventures on my top 5 list depending on my mood on a given day, and the van Richten's Guides frequently change order in my mind as well.

[Cam]

I haven't read any Ravenloft novels, so I can't comment on them, but I guess I am surprised not to see any of those make others' lists. People always seem to have such strong opinions on them. That, and no cardboard Strahd, are the surprises for me so far.

The Black Box is what drew me into the setting (and really, what drew me into D&D and RPGs overall), so that will always be number one by a large margin for me. And I think individual components of the Black Box, in addition to the base sourcebook, might also make my list if that were allowed. But sticking to the rules of the thread, for all the reasons others have mentioned, for me it's

1. Carnival
2. Gaz I
3. Gaz IV
4. Gaz III
5. Gaz V

I struggled in deciding between Gaz II and Gaz V for the # 5 spot. I don't use Necropolis, Keening, or the Shadow Rift often in my own games, which is why they are at the bottom of my top 5.

Honorable mention: Lots (including Gaz II).

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

This one's really, really tough.

1. The Evil Eye
2. Gaz I
3. Carnival
4. Vampire of the Mists
5. Children of the Night: Ghosts

Honorable mentions (too many to mention, really): The Nightmare Lands, Ravenloft Campaign Setting (3E), Domains of Dread, The Tarokka Deck, Castles Forlorn, VRGttVistani, RLMCII, Gaz II, Legacy of the Blood, Tales of Ravenloft, To Sleep with Evil.

[Dion of the Fraternity]

I will most likely be flayed by certain people here because of my selection, which as usual does not conform to conventions.

5 - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
So why did I put this here, despite the known fact that Ravenloft purists despise it like the Plague? Because it could be considered a gateway product. D&D beginners could use this as a standalone product detailing what standard D&D 3.5 can do (either as a short adventure or as an entire campaign), but it could also be used as a hint that hey, there's more to Castle Ravenloft than just this tiny domain--there's more!

4 - Vampire of the Mists
Ravenloft's first novel, with a dark, enchanted storyline that crosses two worlds and introduces the early years of the Dread Realms' first domain

3 - Talon Dunning's Tarokka Deck
Because I'm a freak of nature, I adore the art on the cards; so much so that the set could really be used for actual divination!

2 - Castle Ravenloft Board Game
Yes, you heard right. I chose this because I played it and--believe it or not--it doesn't play like any other board game. In fact, it DOES play like a watered-down RPG that has a customizable yet unpredictable story that runs pretty good for those times that you and your acquaintances who are unfamiliar with either RPG's or Ravenloft could play casually.

1 - Domains of Dread
It's the most extensively described standalone product ever made for native Ravenloft campaigns. Need I say more?

Honorable Mention - Legacy of the Blood
How else to play Ravenloft by becoming a scion of one of the great families that populate the world? This actually reminds me a lot of the World of Darkness system as well as the L5R system, thus it deserves an elevated spot.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

1. Carnival.
2. Van Richten's Guide to Demons.
3. The Evil Eye.
4. Castles Forlorn.
5. Scholar of Decay.

Scholar is still one of my go-to books when I can't decide what to read.

[woodsdarkman]

Some very interesting choices. I know I said my list could include novels but I left them out on purpose. I am planning a novel list in the future so I am saving my opinions for that.
Never played the Castle Ravenloft board game. I am hoping to get it for christmas and look forward to playing it. For those who like Expedition to Castle Ravenloft I have another list coming soon that I hope makes my case as to why the product is total crap.
Anybody who wants to put all the Gazetteers in one spot instead of choosing between them may do so, hell I did.
Also would like to say that the Frat's Gazetteers can be lumped with them and I should have mentioned them with the Gazetteers , especially The Nocturnal Sea Gaz. Those Gaz's are really good, hell they are very good, and for anybody to ignore them because the are not "official" products is missing some true gems. And no I did not contribute to them in any way shape or form. No bias just a fan.

[Zilfer]

Unforunately I haven't taken a look at those Sea Gaz yet particularly because my group doesn't seem to go on sea voyages alot. I like running the occasional ship battle but not by the rules in the book I think... xD too much book keeping so I run it cinematic instead. xD

[Hazgarn]

1. Gaz 3 - Because I love Mordent. It's my favorite domain, and I love the entries on the families, and the description of the domain was wonderful.
2. VRGttWD - Toben, Ratik, all the special feats and qualities for undead, and I loved the different "categories" of undead and the lore behind them.
3. Dark Tales and Disturbing Legends - The bogeymen, the voodan class, and the immortal were my favorite parts.
4.Van Richten's Arsenal - I loved the NPC accounts. Even more than the Gazetteers, I would consider introducing it in-game for the players.
5. I, Strahd: Memoirs of a Vampire - Probably not a popular one for a top five, but as a novel I enjoyed it enough that the first time I read it I a. read through it in a single dusk-til-dawn period (this used to be a tradition of mine with vampire novels), and b. read through it a second time immediately after reading it. It introduced me to the setting, and when my friend went off to college and bequeathed me his DnD library, I stumbled into the rule books eagerly and was hooked.

Honorable mention: The Souragne Gazetteer.

[Trike]

I'm having a hard time picking out the top 5. But I want to toss in an honorable mention.

Master of Ravenloft - Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Gamebook #6

This book has always had a spot in my heart. This was actually my first encounter with Ravenloft and it's a great "Choose Your Own Adventure"-style battle against the Vampire Lord himself.

[brilliantlight]

1. Carnival
The "freaks" definitely make things different and the mysterious and powerful Isolde is a good source for various adventures. More than once I have sent my players off to Isolde for either information or to pay back favors she has done for them.
2. Nightmare Lands
You can put your players through almost anything with this domain. Since almost everything is in their mind you can go really wild. The plot you come up can be completely different. I used the various characters past histories, hopes and fears to come up with it representing them with various monsters, objects and people.
3. DT+DL
Despite the Bogymen it is a very good source for ideas. I like the Vistani Seer and the time travel of the Curse of Ashington Manor. It makes the players have to think about what is really going on. I love the idea of a doppelganger ghost. It really allows you to make it difficult for the players to figure out what is really going on. The villian in Honor and Obey is a bit different than most. He is a rapist/theif/slave owner instead of a despot. I went with the idea that he was the dark lord of his own domain. His curse is his domain is small filled only with mind controlled minions. He finds his life totally meaningless.
4. Howls in the Night
A mystery that uses a "Hounds of the Baskerviles" kind of plot line. I used Alanik Ray and made it a homage to Sherlock Holmes. He threw the party a few clues now and then but most of them were hidden in a string of meaningless deductions. Again the party can't be absolutely sure who can be trusted (outside of Ray and Sedgewick) and what exactly is going on.
5. Castles Forlorn
Going back and forth in time is always interesting and can make things a bit puzzling for players and makes it a bit difficult for them to figure out what is exactly going on. How to deal with the DL and finally escape the domain of Forlorn took some effort.

As you have probably noticed in my descriptions most of my games tend to be mysteries/puzzles and not straight combat or even terror. The reason I like Ravenloft so much is that so much is secret. Many of the major power players are hidden and most of the open power players have hidden agendas. Outside of Drakov all my DLs are schemers and love to play manipulation games.

[HuManBing]

I will most likely be flayed by certain people here because of my selection, which as usual does not conform to conventions.

5 - Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
So why did I put this here, despite the known fact that Ravenloft purists despise it like the Plague? Because it could be considered a gateway product. D&D beginners could use this as a standalone product detailing what standard D&D 3.5 can do (either as a short adventure or as an entire campaign), but it could also be used as a hint that hey, there's more to Castle Ravenloft than just this tiny domain--there's more!

It's also a very decent adventure for 3rd ed., which probably shouldn't be surprising, given its august roots from I-6 and House of Strahd. I like it, definitely.