Van Richten's Arsenal ?'s

Wiccy of the Fraternity · Wed Aug 23, 2006 7:27 pm

In brief, VRA was not written by VR himself Instead it was written by the Twins and a group of associates familiar with VR himself in order to aid monster hunters in Ravemloft hunt and destroy their prey. In that respect it had some in kind with the old VRG's but that is about it. Mostly it was a optional handbook thatwas useful to players and DM's alike in the general guide to many nasties that lurk in Ravenloft.

Mangrum · Post by **Mangrum** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:04 pm

Rotipher wrote:Because there were (presumably) newbie gamers out there, who weren't involved in 2E-era Ravenloft, and had no idea who he was.

Exactly.

(It was also needed to justify the title, and served as an opportunity to clear up some of VR's increasingly arcane chronology.)

Van Richten · Post by **Van Richten** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:47 pm

Well all in all VRA I think is the best S&S VR Guide.
It seems like every time I read the book I find something new.

The more a VR guide tells about Van Richten the happier I am. Its a shame VRA Volume II will never be writen.

Van Richten · Post by **Van Richten** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 8:49 pm

Mangrum wrote:
Rotipher wrote:Because there were (presumably) newbie gamers out there, who weren't involved in 2E-era Ravenloft, and had no idea who he was.
Exactly.

(It was also needed to justify the title, and served as an opportunity to clear up some of VR's increasingly arcane chronology.)

Was there anything of VR edited out of the book?

Mangrum · Post by **Mangrum** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:38 am

Van Richten wrote:Was there anything of VR edited out of the book?

No. As I recall, there were some slight trims to chapter one (mundane equipment), 95% of which was later released as a web extra, but nearly everything written for the book made it in.

Some formatting issues aside, VRA remains the Arthaus Ravenloft book with which I'm singularly most satisfied, despite my initial belief that the book was a bad idea (but I've gone over that ad nauseum in the past).

Charney · Post by **Charney** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:43 am

Mangrum wrote: Some formatting issues aside, VRA remains the Arthaus Ravenloft book with which I'm singularly most satisfied, despite my initial belief that the book was a bad idea (but I've gone over that ad nauseum in the past).

And for me it's the best book that the kargatane made along with Gaz I!

Joël of the FoS · Post by **Joël of the FoS** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:20 am

It's indeed a great book, with many new ideas (alchemical), but for me mainly because it added to the game Ravenloft-specific items, spells, etc.

Joël

Jonathan Winters · Post by **Jonathan Winters** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:21 pm

The Kargatane books were all very good, but I think that one might be the best of them all IMHO.

Actually, the only complaint I have is that it made me want a complete alchemical guide...

Patrick

Gonzoron of the FoS · Post by **Gonzoron of the FoS** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 1:57 pm

Jonathan Winters wrote:The Kargatane books were all very good, but I think that one might be the best of them all IMHO.

Actually, the only complaint I have is that it made me want a complete alchemical guide...

Agreed.. I so want to try out those Feats and the PrC, but it seems to be screaming for just a bit more options...

Van Richten · Post by **Van Richten** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 5:58 am

Here is a question or questions?

On the cover of VRA and on page 15, what kind of gun is that guy holding?

What domain has that gun and where can I find stats for it?

To my knowledge thats looks to be an 1800's gun.

Charney · Post by **Charney** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:19 am

Van Richten wrote: On the cover of VRA and on page 15, what kind of gun is that guy holding?

What domain has that gun and where can I find stats for it?

To my knowledge thats looks to be an 1800's gun.

I think it's just the artist's creativity. I doubt he thought about whether or not such guns existed in RL or not.

ScS of the Fraternity · Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:16 am

Flintlocks are available in Ravenloft, which has bypassed the clumbsy arbequese, the matchlock, the wheellock and the thousands of unreliable primative firearms that came before.
This is most likely a mater of convienience, because no one would bother with a weapon that couldn't be used as frequently and as reliably as a fantasy flintlock.

Rotipher of the FoS · Post by **Rotipher of the FoS** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:10 pm

ScS of the Fraternity wrote:Flintlocks are available in Ravenloft, which has bypassed the clumbsy arbequese, the matchlock, the wheellock and the thousands of unreliable primative firearms that came before.
This is most likely a mater of convienience, because no one would bother with a weapon that couldn't be used as frequently and as reliably as a fantasy flintlock.

No problem with omitting the cruder stages of firearms' evolution; just take it as read that such things were already obsolete in Mordent, when that domain was incorporated into the Core. If less-reliable firearms did turn up in a Ravenloft game, it'd probably be as antiques mounted on the wall of some old Mordentish manor house, or perhaps in the hands of dusty undead from that domain's pre-I10 history.

Mangrum · Post by **Mangrum** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:27 pm

As a note, in the 3E Ravenloft product line, most firearms are wheelocks, whereas masterwork firearms are snaplocks.

Van Richten · Post by **Van Richten** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 1:56 pm

If you go by real world guns. The wheel-lock, snap-lock, flint-lock and all the rest are all 1 or 2 shot guns.

The pistol in the drawing (VRA page 15) is a revolver and a 6 shot gun.

Café de Nuit

Welcome, friends, to our establishment.

Van Richten's Arsenal ?'s