Domains of Dread to get 4e treatment?

[Mangrum]

Any chance you know what that means, good sir, and whether it's a good or bad thing?

It's the virtually verbatim answer to a question someone asked about bringing back RL at a 4E seminar; I have no insider knowledge. The only other RL tidbit dropped is that, like Sigil, it will apparently receive a nod in the Manual of the Planes. (Unlike Sigil, however, which will apparently receive a certain amount of attention in said book, I would expect RL to get a brief, passing mention to simply establish its existence and position in the 4E cosmology.)

[Lord Soth]

Thanks for the clarification and the information.

*pre-orders Manual of the Planes*

[Matthew L. Martin]

Well, I think Ravenloft will likely be #4 or 5 on WotC's big list of campaign settings they want to put out, if they follow their one setting a year plan. We know 1 and 2 are Forgotten Realms and Eberron, 3 will likely be Dragonlance, so then it'll be either Dark Sun, Greyhawk or Ravenloft. Just my best guess based on the popularities of the various settings, and I don't see Planescape or Mystara being revived anytime soon...

Hopefully, in October, we'll get a better idea of what WotC's plans for the future of Ravenloft are... anybody want to put any money on Cyre being added to the Core?

EDIT: Forgot Dragonlance... which they still happen to be producing books for.

Not many, though; Dragonlance is winding up most of its series as of next year, and no new ones have reportedly been announced. Between that and the fact that the game line has sputtered and died several times for TSR/WotC, I really don't expect a DL revival.

I'll be interested to see how 4th Edition Ravenloft plays out; it will probably be different--maybe a bit more like the Black Box, almost certainly a bit more D&Desque than some versions of the setting--but I will be interested. But then, I'm a heretic who would like to see Necropolis reimagined as the Shadowfell reflection of Il Aluk and Hazlan as a tiefling/warlock-themed domain, would have few qualms about rolling back to 735, and would almost cheer to see Lord Soth, Sithicus, and the Time of Unparalleled Darkness purged from the setting with consuming fire.

[Lord Soth]

and would almost cheer to see Lord Soth... purged from the setting with consuming fire

[Rotipher of the FoS]

EDIT: Forgot Dragonlance... which they still happen to be producing books for.

Not many, though; Dragonlance is winding up most of its series as of next year, and no new ones have reportedly been announced. Between that and the fact that the game line has sputtered and died several times for TSR/WotC, I really don't expect a DL revival.

According to a couple of Dragonlance fan sites, a later GenCon panelist said that DL will be returning as a novel line, and that it's on the list of worlds to be revived for 4E. How far up or down the list, they didn't say.

[Dimitri Mazieres]

I found this on ENWorld.

To summarize:

So, according to Randy Buehler, "October will also see the Domains of Dread return to D&D, with the long-time Ravenloft concept being folded into the core now."

I'm not sure what to think of it. It doesn't sound like the Ravenloft we all know and love...

[Bluebomber4evr]

"Folded into the core?" with dragonborn et al?

Pass.

[Mangrum]

What were you expecting? That they would take pains to ensure that Ravenloft isn't fully compatible with the main game line?

Know why there aren't any dragonborn in Ravenloft? 'Cause "dragonborn" wasn't a PC race during 2nd or 3rd edition. If it had been, they would have been there.

[The Arcanist]

Perhaps dragonborn will take the Caliban Treatment like the half-orcs did in 3rd edition, and that was a good adaptation IMHO.

They could be some sort of cursed humans, vaguely resembling reptiles (and hated and feared by the common folk by this) and maybe their breaths will change damage to poison or necrotic damage to make them a bit less flashy, who knows, its too early to tell, just dont reject the idea of 4E Ravenloft before you see what they do with it.

[BigBadQDaddy]

Every edition of D&D has needed a mountain of alterations to the rules to make it a Ravenloft game. You really think 4E would be harder to convert to Ravenloft in comparison to 2E or 3E?

It's too bad that WotC would never pony up the cash to make a stand alone "Ravenloft RPG". A complete stand alone game designed to truly cater to gothic style horror gaming.

[Charney]

Every edition of D&D has needed a mountain of alterations to the rules to make it a Ravenloft game. You really think 4E would be harder to convert to Ravenloft in comparison to 2E or 3E?

It's too bad that WotC would never pony up the cash to make a stand alone "Ravenloft RPG". A complete stand alone game designed to truly cater to gothic style horror gaming.

In that case it's up to us, the fans, to make such a setting!

[HuManBing]

Every edition of D&D has needed a mountain of alterations to the rules to make it a Ravenloft game. You really think 4E would be harder to convert to Ravenloft in comparison to 2E or 3E?

It's too bad that WotC would never pony up the cash to make a stand alone "Ravenloft RPG". A complete stand alone game designed to truly cater to gothic style horror gaming.

In that case it's up to us, the fans, to make such a setting!

I'm trying something along these lines with GURPS. Not too much to show for it for now but the game system is pretty flexible.

I looked at World of Darkness, Exalted, and a load of others (Unknown Armies et al) and they had systems specifically written for a certain feel. But I went for GURPS in the end because it is more customizable. The downside to this is I'm making slow progress because there are a lot more rules you could use or exclude and I'm churning through that process at the moment.

I do think that d20 was not a particularly good system for Gothic horror though.

[Rotipher of the FoS]

Perhaps dragonborn will take the Caliban Treatment like the half-orcs did in 3rd edition, and that was a good adaptation IMHO.

They could be some sort of cursed humans, vaguely resembling reptiles (and hated and feared by the common folk by this) and maybe their breaths will change damage to poison or necrotic damage to make them a bit less flashy

If we have to include them, then this is the option I'd prefer over adding a dragonborn domain or the like. They wouldn't even necessarily have to stay reptilian; perhaps something vulture-like and ghastly would work well, like the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal.

[Isabella]

I wrote some suggestions on integrating Dragonborn into Ravenloft here.

http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/foru ... highlight=

Judging from people's reactions, WotC shouldn't even bother trying to change them to fit them in, they should just stuff them in as is - nothing they do will make anybody happy.

[Nahuris]

I personally hope they pay more attention to the fan base with Ravenloft than they did with other aspects of 4E.... Most of the players I chat with on other forums don't feel 4E has been an improvement at all.

On a side note, I have been incorporating Ravenloft into my Warhammer Fantasy game, and it has been going over quite well with my players..... I'd be interested in seeing some of the GURPS ideas as well.

Nahuris