Weird Headcanons Thread

[Baron Von Stanton]

So...
Funny story, there's a bar/restaurant a few streets away ftom my school called Nocturno.
And for a long while I had it mixed up with Nosferato. So I had this idea for an urban fantasy story where that bar has a secret floor serving flavoured blood for vampire clients. I might still write that story some day, though the name pun won't work as well as I wanted.

But now I think...
Well, let's say there's this tavern in Martira Bay called 'The Lonely Nosferato'. It's one of the best places to hang out in in the city (not like there's too little of those, though), but few know it's especially popular among the Kagrat.
The basement floor's menu caters for all sorts of undead palates, and mortal clients who aren't careful might end up in someone's cocktail.
WDYT?

There was a Tales From The Crypt issue where the protagonist winds up as a, for a lack of better terminology, bag of punch for a vampires' party.

[doctornecrotic]

I've mused that The Gentleman Caller had ties to Graz'zt at one point, perhaps he's a manifestation of Graz'zt!

[Baron Von Stanton]

I've mused that The Gentleman Caller had ties to Graz'zt at one point, perhaps he's a manifestation of Graz'zt!

Both of them are infamous for their malevolent lasciviousness.

[Mistmaster]

Maybe he is the son of Grazzt and Malcathenth.

[Pizza]

Like a lot of folks, I feel like Mordenheim makes a better Darklord than Adam.

One that's probably not too controversial but I haven't seen discussed is that Ravenloft should mostly be a low-powered setting. Other than Darklords and other significant bads and a couple exceptions like Gondegal or van Richten, the vast majority of NPCs are either 0-level or below name level (for 2e) or are relatively low-level NPC classes (for 3e). It's a setting where the PCs won't find a random 16th-level wizard tending bar, it's where that weird and powerful wizard in a tower outside of town is a 3rd-level adept.

There are very strange domains that exist but haven't been visited in canon that emerge from other TSR games. Somewhere there is a Gamma World domain. Ditto Boot Hill or Gangbusters. Those two would be more likely to be reached from Gothic Earth rather than the "usual" fantasy settings because they're metaphysically closer.

Somewhat related to the last, the humanocentrism of most AD&D settings is also why characters from those settings tend to get drawn into the humanocentric Core. There are other areas where nonhuman Darklords are much more prevalent, but the Mists tend to draw in people from places that are less focused on humans for those areas. It's possible to travel there, but most people would never try.

I ignore some of the retconned origins for domains. Vorostokov being Cerilian doesn't really jive for me, for example, so I keep it as coming from an unknown Prime world.

I like the idea of different race centric clusters. Not sure why people wouldn’t be trying to travel from here to there though.

There is the idea of what would it be like to be a beholder or a bolero Darklord which could be interesting.

Am I the only one who thinks WH40K might be a Ravenloft domain?

[DarkDruid]

My main headcannon is that most domains have to some degree, a greater level of technological development than their published “culture levels” suggest. Technology and knowledge not being specifically mentioned as unable to spread via travel between the mists should have resulted in the spread of many things.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

My main headcannon is that most domains have to some degree, a greater level of technological development than their published “culture levels” suggest. Technology and knowledge not being specifically mentioned as unable to spread via travel between the mists should have resulted in the spread of many things.

VRGTR does specifically mention technology being unable to travel via the mists. 'Regardless of a domain's culture and innovations, the mists prevent knowledge of them from spreading. Even if an invention is take from one domain to another, the suspicion of the new domain's inhabitants prevents it from gaining acceptance. Such is the subtle control of the Dark Powers, ensuring their nightmare realms remain just so'.
However, strict interpretation of this (no inter-culture influence ever) would directly contradict huge parts of established canon, so I'd say the mists stop something from spreading only if it would really ruin the domain's 'thing'.

[DarkDruid]

VRGTR does specifically mention technology being unable to travel via the mists. 'Regardless of a domain's culture and innovations, the mists prevent knowledge of them from spreading. Even if an invention is take from one domain to another, the suspicion of the new domain's inhabitants prevents it from gaining acceptance. Such is the subtle control of the Dark Powers, ensuring their nightmare realms remain just so'.
However, strict interpretation of this (no inter-culture influence ever) would directly contradict huge parts of established canon, so I'd say the mists stop something from spreading only if it would really ruin the domain's 'thing'.

As you say, that could be interpreted in a way that contradicts much that’s already established. It also as written does not actually say the that the knowledge doesn’t spread or the tech not work, simply that it doesn’t gain acceptance. Which even with a strict interpretation leaves room for drastic changes that can occur.

For instance, I am currently active in local efforts to try and prevent a local developer from bringing in an AI data center. It’s a very bi-partisan and popular stance in my city to be against the center in particular and AI in general. Yet even still the project is being pushed through by a corrupt council and obviously AI has gained a large influence over many things despite objections. In other words, it isn’t accepted yet still very present.

Of course I still imagine it would appear very differently in each domain. For instance I simply can’t see Falkovnia’s darklord (whicher version is used) turning down renaissance era artillery. From the perspective of a normal general it’s a strategic no-brainer let alone one facing ceaseless legions of undead. Wouldn’t it be something though for the demiplane-induced suspicions the soldier have, say about a cannon exploding in their face, be forced to compete against the orders of their lord or else be shot with it anyways?

Meanwhile in Barovia maybe Strahd adopts things he finds interesting throughout the centuries to the point that he becomes a student of science in addition to magic. Like Castlevania’s Dracula. Or perhaps the Abbot makes the Belviews into beings more along the lines of Mordenheim’s creations rather than the Mongrelfolk. But I don’t see many beyond a few individuals or the Vistani really embracing new things.

[Baron Von Stanton]

Of course I still imagine it would appear very differently in each domain. For instance I simply can’t see Falkovnia’s darklord (whicher version is used) turning down renaissance era artillery. From the perspective of a normal general it’s a strategic no-brainer let alone one facing ceaseless legions of undead. Wouldn’t it be something though for the demiplane-induced suspicions the soldier have, say about a cannon exploding in their face, be forced to compete against the orders of their lord or else be shot with it anyways?

Common sense in the Demiplane, as is here, is an ironically named flower that does not thrive in everyone's garden. It's been repeatedly stated that Vlad Drakov detests "modern" weapon because he truly believes that using alchemy to hurl a chunk of metal out of a metal tube through the air to shatter someone's sternum is a cowardly and unmanly way to kill someone. And because Vlad's whims are literally the law of the land in Falkovnia, the staff of the Ministries of Science and of Magic are forbidden from making siege engines or gun-powder based artillery if they don't want to suffer from the everdreaded Stockimarsch Syndrome.

I mean, you would think that it would be easy to sell "a superior way to wage war" to an obsessed warmonger like Vlad Drakov, but, he's stubborn while being haughtily assured that literally only he has the best ideas when it comes to warfare. It's all but openly stated that the Dark Powers reinforce this mindset in Vlad as a part of his curse to constantly wage and lose wars.

[KingCorn]

I've had the idea that Ivana Boritsi has published several books on horticulture under various pseudonyms. Don't know why, just seems a way to flesh out her character by giving her a hobby.

[Baron Von Stanton]

I've had the idea that Ivana Boritsi has published several books on horticulture under various pseudonyms. Don't know why, just seems a way to flesh out her character by giving her a hobby.

Or do-it-yourself perfumery?

[The Dark]

I've had the idea that Ivana Boritsi has published several books on horticulture under various pseudonyms. Don't know why, just seems a way to flesh out her character by giving her a hobby.

At least one of them is focused on toxic plants, both to humans and to other animals. It's ostensibly intended to help people identify potentially dangerous ones, but still contains a thorough description of how to grow them, since (as the foreword explains) people may want to do things like placing certain plants along the edges of decorative gardens to discourage deer from foraging in them.

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

I've had the idea that Ivana Boritsi has published several books on horticulture under various pseudonyms. Don't know why, just seems a way to flesh out her character by giving her a hobby.

Lovely.
(You see, that's the sort of thing I meant people to post here!)

[Baron Von Stanton]

...people may want to do things like placing certain plants along the edges of decorative gardens to discourage deer from foraging in them.

I can tell you from a decade of personal experience that deer need a lot of discouragement from foraging in people's gardens, given as how I've seen them mow down my tulips, chew on my tea bush and eat my azaleas with impunity. They will eat cigarettes off of the ground, yet find my goji plants unpleasant.

[Mistmaster]

Markov likes opera. He uses magical sound recorders from Liffe to listen to it, often while he "operates"