Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume V - Revision history

The Lesser Evil: /* DM's Appendix Contents */

2016-06-16T23:47:26Z

DM's Appendix Contents

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	*New Spells– [[Befoul]]; [[Black Blood Frenzy]]; Black Blood Frenzy – Mass; [[Cuckoo’s Egg]]; [[Dead Man’s Tell]]; [[Hag’s Blessing]]; [[Rotted Warning]]; [[Weave’s Bounty]]; [[Wicked Permanency]]		*New Spells– [[Befoul]]; [[Black Blood Frenzy]]; Black Blood Frenzy – Mass; [[Cuckoo’s Egg]]; [[Dead Man’s Tell]]; [[Hag’s Blessing]]; [[Rotted Warning]]; [[Weave’s Bounty]]; [[Wicked Permanency]]

	Magic items– Hands of Power ([[Four-~~finger~~ Hand]], [[Many-Fingered Hand]], [[One-Fingered Hand]], [[Three-Fingered Hand]], [[Two-Fingered Hand]], [[Unfingered Hand]]); [[Regalia of Arak]] (Amulet of, Boots of, Cloak of, Crown of, Dagger of, Gloves of, Scepter of, Signet of, Sword of)		Magic items– Hands of Power ([[Four-Fingered Hand]], [[Many-Fingered Hand]], [[One-Fingered Hand]], [[Three-Fingered Hand]], [[Two-Fingered Hand]], [[Unfingered Hand]]); [[Regalia of Arak]] (Amulet of, Boots of, Cloak of, Crown of, Dagger of, Gloves of, Scepter of, Signet of, Sword of)

	*New monsters – Arak, [[Gwytune]]; [[Avanc]]; [[Goblin Beast]] template; [[Scourged]]; [[Widderìbhinn]])		*New monsters – Arak, [[Gwytune]]; [[Avanc]]; [[Goblin Beast]] template; [[Scourged]]; [[Widderìbhinn]])

The Lesser Evil: /* DM's Appendix Contents */

2016-06-16T23:42:04Z

DM's Appendix Contents

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	*New Divine domains- [[Bindings Domain\|Bindings]], [[Scrutiny Domain\|Scrutiny]], [[Weave Domain\|Weave]]		*New Divine domains- [[Bindings Domain\|Bindings]], [[Scrutiny Domain\|Scrutiny]], [[Weave Domain\|Weave]]

	*New Spells– [[Befoul]]; [[Black Blood Frenzy]]; Black Blood Frenzy – Mass; [[Cuckoo’s Egg]]; [[Dead Man’s Tell]]; [[Hag’s Blessing]]; ]]Rotted Warning]]; [[Weave’s Bounty]]; [[Wicked Permanency]]		*New Spells– [[Befoul]]; [[Black Blood Frenzy]]; Black Blood Frenzy – Mass; [[Cuckoo’s Egg]]; [[Dead Man’s Tell]]; [[Hag’s Blessing]]; [[Rotted Warning]]; [[Weave’s Bounty]]; [[Wicked Permanency]]

	Magic items– Hands of Power ([[Four-finger Hand]], [[Many-Fingered Hand]], [[One-Fingered Hand]], [[Three-Fingered Hand]], [[Two-Fingered Hand]], [[Unfingered Hand]]); [[Regalia of Arak]] (Amulet of, Boots of, Cloak of, Crown of, Dagger of, Gloves of, Scepter of, Signet of, Sword of)		Magic items– Hands of Power ([[Four-finger Hand]], [[Many-Fingered Hand]], [[One-Fingered Hand]], [[Three-Fingered Hand]], [[Two-Fingered Hand]], [[Unfingered Hand]]); [[Regalia of Arak]] (Amulet of, Boots of, Cloak of, Crown of, Dagger of, Gloves of, Scepter of, Signet of, Sword of)

The Lesser Evil: DM's Appendix

2016-06-16T23:41:20Z

DM's Appendix

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	*[[Andrew Wyatt]]		*[[Andrew Wyatt]]

			==DM's Appendix Contents==
			*[[Church of the Lawgiver]] (origin myth, doctrine, hierarchy and terminology, worshipers)

			*New prestige class– [[Tepestani Inquisitor]], [[Zelldrow]]

			*New Divine domains- [[Bindings Domain\|Bindings]], [[Scrutiny Domain\|Scrutiny]], [[Weave Domain\|Weave]]

			*New Spells– [[Befoul]]; [[Black Blood Frenzy]]; Black Blood Frenzy – Mass; [[Cuckoo’s Egg]]; [[Dead Man’s Tell]]; [[Hag’s Blessing]]; ]]Rotted Warning]]; [[Weave’s Bounty]]; [[Wicked Permanency]]

			Magic items– Hands of Power ([[Four-finger Hand]], [[Many-Fingered Hand]], [[One-Fingered Hand]], [[Three-Fingered Hand]], [[Two-Fingered Hand]], [[Unfingered Hand]]); [[Regalia of Arak]] (Amulet of, Boots of, Cloak of, Crown of, Dagger of, Gloves of, Scepter of, Signet of, Sword of)

			*New monsters – Arak, [[Gwytune]]; [[Avanc]]; [[Goblin Beast]] template; [[Scourged]]; [[Widderìbhinn]])

			*Detailed Portraits – [[Othmar Bolshnik]] – Prince of Nova Vaasa; [[Gwydion the Sorcerer-Fiend]]; [[Sir Tristen Hiregaard]]/[[Malken]]; [[Lady of the Lake]]; [[Loht]] – Prince of Shadows; [[Queen Maeve\|Maeve]] – the White Lady; [[The Three Hags]] (Laveeda Mindefinsk, Leticia Mindefinsk, Lorinda Mindefinsk), [[Tristessa]], [[Wyan of Viktal]]

	==Dates==		==Dates==

Cure at 00:41, 10 February 2011

2011-02-10T00:41:58Z

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			==Game Rules==
			3.5 Edition

	==Domains==		==Domains==

Cure: /* Ryan Naylor */

2010-04-16T08:11:36Z

Ryan Naylor

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	===[[Ryan Naylor]]===		===[[Ryan Naylor]]===

	And so we come to the last book before the Great Falling Out. Will we ever find out what happens to Our Hero?		And so we come to the last book before the Great Falling Out. Will we ever find out what happens to [[Our Hero]]?

	Anyone who has looked at my work will probably have noticed that I love fairy stories. Love them. I also like using tyrants and sadists, and creating a big web of references to past RL work. In this book, we’ve got Loht and Gwydion as tyrants, but I think we’ve avoided sadists for the moment. We’ve also got solid fairy tales. I loved writing this chapter if only for that reason.		Anyone who has looked at my work will probably have noticed that I love fairy stories. Love them. I also like using tyrants and sadists, and creating a big web of references to past RL work. In this book, we’ve got Loht and Gwydion as tyrants, but I think we’ve avoided sadists for the moment. We’ve also got solid fairy tales. I loved writing this chapter if only for that reason.

Cure: /* Ryan Naylor */

2010-04-16T08:10:48Z

Ryan Naylor

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	Another point was that I somehow had to make the Shadow Rift a nasty place to be for both the Arak and mortal visitors, which basically meant finding a way around TSR’s adventure endings. That wasn’t too hard. What was hard was trying to keep my dates straight with the temporal fugue, and trying to ensure what I wrote meshed with VRGttSF (which was being written at the same time) and TSR, and the past descriptions of Arak in other sources. For example, VRGttSF had Arak killing each other not infrequently, whereas SotDR, TSR and Gaz V all had Tristessa as the only time the Law of Arak was broken. So I talked to Rucht and decided Shunning could punish treason as well as murder, and hopefully everything comes out happily.		Another point was that I somehow had to make the Shadow Rift a nasty place to be for both the Arak and mortal visitors, which basically meant finding a way around TSR’s adventure endings. That wasn’t too hard. What was hard was trying to keep my dates straight with the temporal fugue, and trying to ensure what I wrote meshed with VRGttSF (which was being written at the same time) and TSR, and the past descriptions of Arak in other sources. For example, VRGttSF had Arak killing each other not infrequently, whereas SotDR, TSR and Gaz V all had Tristessa as the only time the Law of Arak was broken. So I talked to Rucht and decided Shunning could punish treason as well as murder, and hopefully everything comes out happily.

	Still another problem—Our Hero wasn’t allowed to go into the Rift at all. So I had to think of a way for her to get the information she needed without doing so. I invented the Keeper of Secrets (based on Planescape’s darkweaver) and had her capture a powrie. Sadly, Our Hero resorts to torture again, which, along with vivisection, seems to be her favourite tools (which implies a lack of creativity on my part, as well as hers). For all those people who think she is amoral rather than evil because she only vivisects evil people, I snub you. She’s blatantly evil. She sacrificed her daughter for the sake of knowledge.		Still another problem—Our Hero wasn’t allowed to go into the Rift at all. So I had to think of a way for her to get the information she needed without doing so. I invented the Keeper of Secrets (based on Planescape’s darkweaver) and had her capture a powrie. Sadly, Our Hero resorts to [[torture]] again, which, along with [[vivisection]], seems to be her favourite tools (which implies a lack of creativity on my part, as well as hers). For all those people who think she is amoral rather than evil because she only vivisects evil people, I snub you. She’s blatantly evil. She sacrificed her daughter for the sake of [[knowledge]].

	We increased the number of Fractures to ensure the Shadow Rift was a bit more playable, as well as explaining how the Arak got to Falkovnia. All of these are from folklore or Inferno, except the one about “going down” which I stole from Doctor Who. The Black Marsh is obviously inspired by the most horrific memory of my childhood, the bit in the Neverending Story where Artax the horse drown in the swamp. I still feel awful thinking about that scene. The other great influences of my childhood, the Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal are both referenced as well.		We increased the number of [[Fractures]] to ensure the Shadow Rift was a bit more playable, as well as explaining how the Arak got to Falkovnia. All of these are from folklore or Inferno, except the one about “going down” which I stole from Doctor Who. The [[Black Marsh]] is obviously inspired by the most horrific memory of my childhood, the bit in the Neverending Story where Artax the horse drown in the swamp. I still feel awful thinking about that scene. The other great influences of my childhood, the Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal are both referenced as well.

	Designing a language for the Arak was a lot of fun and surprisingly easy. I took every example I could find of the language, tried to work out what it would mean, and then worked out which syllable meant what. So Gwydion (gwy-dion) means “sorcerer-fiend”, and gwy (sorcerer) was reused in gwytune, the sorcerer fey. I challenge everyone to try to work out what means what.		Designing a language for the Arak was a lot of fun and surprisingly easy. I took every example I could find of the language, tried to work out what it would mean, and then worked out which syllable meant what. So Gwydion (gwy-dion) means “sorcerer-fiend”, and gwy (sorcerer) was reused in gwytune, the sorcerer fey. I challenge everyone to try to work out what means what.

Cure: /* Ideas That Others Cut */

2010-04-08T04:26:01Z

Ideas That Others Cut

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	* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing that the rumors of lycanthropy among the Straffers are quite true; Othmar eagerly seeks out werebeasts to press into his service. A little more detail on the insidious Nikko Hetch was also provided.		* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing that the rumors of lycanthropy among the Straffers are quite true; Othmar eagerly seeks out werebeasts to press into his service. A little more detail on the insidious Nikko Hetch was also provided.

	* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing the [[Mudman of Bergovitsa]] to actually be [[Desmond LaRouche]], an [[alchemist]] and [[physician]] formerly in the service of [[Tristen Hiregaard]]. Desmond’s research focused on the alteration and purification of the soul, a branch of research that Hiregaard took a very personal interest in. Unfortunately, an “accident” with the chemicals in his [[laboratory]] has left him in a pitiable state, and with a grudge against his former employer.		* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing the [[Mudman]] of [[Bergovitsa]] to actually be [[Desmond LaRouche]], an [[alchemist]] and [[physician]] formerly in the service of [[Tristen Hiregaard]]. Desmond’s research focused on the alteration and purification of the soul, a branch of research that Hiregaard took a very personal interest in. Unfortunately, an “accident” with the chemicals in his [[laboratory]] has left him in a pitiable state, and with a grudge against his former employer.

	* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the [[Brotherhood of the Whip]], remnants of the cult that served the Iron Duke. Their founder believed the Duke to be an avatar of the Lawgiver, and they research [[conjuration]] and [[demonology]] in hopes of calling their Lord back to them.		* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the [[Brotherhood of the Whip]], remnants of the cult that served the Iron Duke. Their founder believed the Duke to be an avatar of the Lawgiver, and they research [[conjuration]] and [[demonology]] in hopes of calling their Lord back to them.

Cure: /* Ideas That Others Cut */

2010-04-08T02:50:12Z

Ideas That Others Cut

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	* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing that the rumors of lycanthropy among the Straffers are quite true; Othmar eagerly seeks out werebeasts to press into his service. A little more detail on the insidious Nikko Hetch was also provided.		* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing that the rumors of lycanthropy among the Straffers are quite true; Othmar eagerly seeks out werebeasts to press into his service. A little more detail on the insidious Nikko Hetch was also provided.

	* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing the Mudman of Bergovitsa to actually be Desmond LaRouche, an alchemist and physician formerly in the service of Tristen Hiregaard. Desmond’s research focused on the alteration and purification of the soul, a branch of research that Hiregaard took a very personal interest in. Unfortunately, an “accident” with the chemicals in his laboratory has left him in a pitiable state, and with a grudge against his former employer.		* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing the [[Mudman of Bergovitsa]] to actually be [[Desmond LaRouche]], an [[alchemist]] and [[physician]] formerly in the service of [[Tristen Hiregaard]]. Desmond’s research focused on the alteration and purification of the soul, a branch of research that Hiregaard took a very personal interest in. Unfortunately, an “accident” with the chemicals in his [[laboratory]] has left him in a pitiable state, and with a grudge against his former employer.

	* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the Brotherhood of the Whip, remnants of the cult that served the Iron Duke. Their founder believed the Duke to be an avatar of the Lawgiver, and they research conjuration and demonology in hopes of calling their Lord back to them.		* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the [[Brotherhood of the Whip]], remnants of the cult that served the Iron Duke. Their founder believed the Duke to be an avatar of the Lawgiver, and they research [[conjuration]] and [[demonology]] in hopes of calling their Lord back to them.

	* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the Lights of Liberty, a group of young firebrands and aging philosophers dedicated to overthrowing the rigid, ruthless aristocracy and replacing it with a more flexible, merciful aristocracy.		* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the [[Lights of Liberty]], a group of young firebrands and aging philosophers dedicated to overthrowing the rigid, ruthless [[aristocracy]] and replacing it with a more flexible, merciful aristocracy.

	As I look it over, I realize that it’s an even heftier list than I had thought. I wish I could have included all these ideas in the final chapter; the domain lost a lot of flavorful bits with their absence. Feel free to ask me any questions about any of these ideas, or anything else relating to the chapter, by e-mail (acermak@earthlink.net) or on the FoS forums; I check them semi-regularly and I’ll get to your questions as soon as I can.		As I look it over, I realize that it’s an even heftier list than I had thought. I wish I could have included all these ideas in the final chapter; the domain lost a lot of flavorful bits with their absence. Feel free to ask me any questions about any of these ideas, or anything else relating to the chapter, by e-mail (acermak@earthlink.net) or on the FoS forums; I check them semi-regularly and I’ll get to your questions as soon as I can.

Cure at 07:15, 4 April 2010

2010-04-04T07:15:19Z

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	* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing the ''[[hestdrikker]]'' to be a strain of diseased, outcast jermlaine, driven feral and blood-thirsty by the sickness in their veins. Worse yet, the sickness can be transferred to the horses the jermlaine feed from, making them mad and dangerous. The same sidebar had a second section, discussing the ''[[Doedridere \| doedrideres]]'' in greater detail, and discussing how to stat them using VRGttWD.		* A Dread Possibilities Sidebar revealing the ''[[hestdrikker]]'' to be a strain of diseased, outcast jermlaine, driven feral and blood-thirsty by the sickness in their veins. Worse yet, the sickness can be transferred to the horses the jermlaine feed from, making them mad and dangerous. The same sidebar had a second section, discussing the ''[[Doedridere \| doedrideres]]'' in greater detail, and discussing how to stat them using VRGttWD.

	* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the [[Gorkynites]], a sect within the Church of the Lawgiver that seeks to lead a holy war across the Core, much as Prince Gorkyn did in ages and worlds past. Councilman Mathias Bolshnik is one of the sect’s leaders, and he whispers many words into Othmar’s ears…		* A Secret Society Sidebar describing the [[Gorkynites]], a sect within the Church of the Lawgiver that seeks to lead a [[holy war]] across the Core, much as [[Prince Gorkyn]] did in ages and worlds past. Councilman Mathias Bolshnik is one of the sect’s leaders, and he whispers many words into Othmar’s ears…

	* A Secret Society Sidebar describing Malken’s criminal network in more detail.		* A Secret Society Sidebar describing Malken’s criminal network in more detail.

Cure: /* Ideas That I Cut */

2010-02-18T19:38:24Z

Ideas That I Cut

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	* An [[Iron Father]] Prestige Class, for priests that rise high in the Lawgiver hierarchy. Abilities focused on commanding others and diminishing or revoking the powers of other Lawgiver clerics.		* An [[Iron Father]] Prestige Class, for priests that rise high in the Lawgiver hierarchy. Abilities focused on commanding others and diminishing or revoking the powers of other Lawgiver clerics.

	* A [[Proclaimer of the Law Prestige Class]], representing a sect of flagellant Lawgiver priests who claim to be direct messengers of the Lawgiver’s will, and demonstrate special abilities that support that claim. They have no official position in the Church, which isn’t quite sure what to make of them but has suffered for every past effort to suppress them.		* A [[Proclaimer of the Law]] Prestige Class, representing a sect of flagellant Lawgiver priests who claim to be direct messengers of the Lawgiver’s will, and demonstrate special abilities that support that claim. They have no official position in the Church, which isn’t quite sure what to make of them but has suffered for every past effort to suppress them.

	* Also, one cut by me was accidental. Somehow, I left the Law Enforcement Sidebar out of the final draft I sent in, despite having it typed up and ready to go. My fault on that one, though I can’t guarantee it wouldn’t have been cut even if I had left it in.		* Also, one cut by me was accidental. Somehow, I left the Law Enforcement Sidebar out of the final draft I sent in, despite having it typed up and ready to go. My fault on that one, though I can’t guarantee it wouldn’t have been cut even if I had left it in.