It is back!!! What we do know about VR Guide to Ravenloft?

[Igor the Henchman]

I have more problems with VRGtR with each passing day, but Harkon's and the twins' skin color isn't one. That's totally fine.

I want to know why Gondegal is a woman now.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

I mean, that’s messing with two world’s canon.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I want to know why Gondegal is a woman now.

Well, the name is Gondegal.

My problem with race swapping is, what point does it serve? ....

I tick several progressive stack boxes, being gay, having several hidden disabilities, coming from a broken home,, etc, but I don’t need every product I read to have a gay, depressed, dyspraxic man who’s parents have broken up. But writers such as we have got would try and shoehorn in at least one of the progressive stack markers because “diversity”.

The point it serves is to present a feeling of welcome and belonging for people who have traditionally looked at something like D&D, seen a sea of white faces in the books, and a sea of while male faces at the tables, and felt "this clearly isn't for me." It's great that you personally haven't felt that way for a lack of characters like you. No one's saying you have to feel that way, or that everyone does. But anecdotally, there are a lot of people that do. I've seen enough people online and in person who do like seeing themselves reflected in media and other games, and feel welcomed by the big tent diversity on display in stuff like this, that I think it's a positive move. We can quibble about whether it's better to invent new characters or change the old ones, and whether it makes a difference to change a character's race if that's all you change, etc. But the personal experience you relate here isn't universal.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I agree with Drinnik Shoehorn in this one, to change already established characters for the sake of diversity is problematic and easy the least. I agree though with what has been said before about many races existing in Europe (Moorish, Saracen etc) don't forget that Portugal and Spain where Arab conquests in the 7th century AD. There was a problem with the setting in it's begining with only Von Kharkov, Chickenbone and Mayonaka being the only non white characters of importance. I personally had made a Valchani NPC as a member of the party in the 90's (I haven't played much since then). With my group we always wanted female players to play with us, but it was difficult then to find teenage girls (we were teenagers too then) who were interested, at least here. Then the only obvious domain for non white characters in the Core other than Valachan was Darkon. There were no depictions and images of non white character's outside oriental domains in the setting, even in the fore-amentioned Souragne the images in Night of the Walking Dead of the zombie servants dinning hadn't had diversity (well at least not having the only non NPC images in the setting being non white zombie slaves is good). I think the computer games had diversity. Hazlan was another domain that could be used but the Rashemani are almost considered slaves in that domain so the situation was still problematic. But racism existed also in Medieval Europe and in older times.

https://notevenpast.org/did-race-and-ra ... ddle-ages/

As I 've said before Ravenloft for me is a place of evil and injustice and as such there is still discrimination between domains, humanoid races and people of color in my version, that could be used to make the party feel isolated because being seen as "outsiders". I agree that out of respect of people who have suffered racial or sexist attitudes there had to be change towards something more universal. But in my opinion this (changing established characters) is not the way to do it, as Drinnik said they could have created new NPC's (heroes / villains).

On another note I found this fan made map of Realms of Terror:
https://preview.redd.it/aks9c08g71p51.p ... cc7c8d6dbd

At least they didn't make drastic changes like this in Barovia...

And better than the non-existing map of Bluetspur (unless if the domain is in the PC's minds...)

PS
I don't remember who wrote that the imagery in the new book looks Disneylike. I think this is really well described, I found something cartoonish in the images but couldn't describe it but this description covers me completly.

[Five]

Post deleted because I don't have it in me anymore

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Did anyone read the Elder God-Brain's description/ short background?
The one from the Kargatane is by far better and more dramatic.

[Lucius]

I´m not familiar with the 5th ed books style, but I was hoping for stat blocks for the darklords.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Well if I judge from this D&D Beyond trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo
They took out the setting's Gothic Horror aspect to install a Rockabilly one.

[Jander Sunstar]

I want to know why Gondegal is a woman now.

Wait..WHAT!!!!

[Mephisto of the FoS]

I want to know why Gondegal is a woman now.

Wait..WHAT!!!!

If Jander Sunstar hadn't been used already in 5E Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus I think he would also have been switched

[Igor the Henchman]

Wait..WHAT!!!!

From the Adventures in Falkovnia table, on page 103:

A knight named Gondegal attacks Talon patrols and claims she can lead common folk to a safe holdfast. None who go with her are seen again. The Talons hire the party to hunt down the knight.

And there's plenty of other cases. Lord Hiregaard and Pieter Van Riese have been gender-flipped as well. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just... random.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Wait..WHAT!!!!

From the Adventures in Falkovnia table, on page 103:

A knight named Gondegal attacks Talon patrols and claims she can lead common folk to a safe holdfast. None who go with her are seen again. The Talons hire the party to hunt down the knight.

And there's plenty of other cases. Lord Hiregaard and Pieter Van Riese have been gender-flipped as well. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's just... random.

Hopefully it’s the original’s daughter using his name.

Gondegal was name checked in a book in the original Baldur’s Gate, so they really either haven’t done their homework or are just that lazy.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

Gondegal was name checked in a book in the original Baldur’s Gate, so they really either haven’t done their homework or are just that lazy.

I believe they just randomly chose which character's to change and just did it. I saw somewhere that the new Hiregaard is the daughter of Sir Tristan as for Van Reese if they changed that too I don't believe the new darklord is his daughter.

What a mess....

PS
Has anyone interviewing Wes Schneider or any other writer about the new edition ever thought to question them what they believe old fans of the setting will feel... or is it a forbidden question since all the attention goes to promote the new product?

I would really like a sincere review at some point.

[Igor the Henchman]

I saw somewhere that the new Hiregaard is the daughter of Sir Tristan

Not so much, it would seem:

An unparalleled warrior, Myar Hiregaard united the nomadic tribes of the vast plains of Nova Vaasa. But, while respected as a soldier, Myar made a poor peacetime leader. When brutal games could no longer keep her interest, she incited hostilities between two of her vassal tribes, then led her own forces to crush them. Subtly, she did this again and again. After Myar's greatest massacre, the Mists enfolded all of Nova Vaasa, splitting Myar's personality in two when they did. Now she rules her people with strict fairness, but when her bloodlust is piqued, she transforms into the raging knight called Malken and sows discord across the plains.

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

I think it’s becoming clear they don’t care about the setting and are more interested in performative wokeness. They want to look like they care about diversity, whilst doing the bare minimum to actually be diverse.