PDA

View Full Version : (3.5) Updating Ravenloft



maniakmastah
2009-06-21, 05:11 PM
Hey ya'll, as my current campaign gets ready to come to a close, i've decided to surprise my players by introducing them to the Ravenloft setting (using some stuff from it now, but i decided to give my players the full taste of the Dread Realms). Now i have alot of the 3.5 Ravenloft books from Sword n Sorcery, but i'm wondering if all of you have any ideas to really make a Ravenloft game something to remember. Here's the info so far

-PCs range from 10 to 12 level, so i'm looking for fairly challenging adventures for them
-Thinking of making domains and Islands of Terror myself and could use some ideas, one involves a land well known for it's doctors and medical advances, and an island of terror populated by self aware constructs that attack and terrorize fleshling creatures on sight. Need hints for darklords and some good villains as well.

-Atmosphere advice to really hammer home a sense of fear and paranoia in my players.
-and anything else that could be useful.

I eagerly await your opinions and suggestions. Thanks for the help ya'll

Debihuman
2009-06-21, 06:47 PM
I love Ravenloft and have always been a big fan of gothic horror. First thing, don't rush. Players shouldn't necessarily be meeting the Dark Lords in the first encounter. Also, try to get your players to cooperate with you in setting the mood. We used to dim the lights and use glow-in-the-dark dice.

The problem with trying to be scary all the time is that eventually it stops being scary. It can start to be caricature of itself and you end up with unintentional humor. Don't get mad at your players for this as it happens a lot. Just make sure they get back on track after a few minutes. My former DM used to award experience points to people who made him laugh out loud.

How are you transitioning into Ravenloft? You might want to just have them walk into Ravenloft by accident after getting lost in the mists. The mist is almost like its own character in Ravenloft. It makes traveling difficult and harder to track someone else. At night the setting is really creepy and during the day, it's like any other setting for the most part. You'll have to keep track of time more than in a regular campaign but it shouldn't be difficult.

Where the PCs start off can always be interesting. Most campaigns start in Barovia and eventually introduce Strahd. If you have time, you can just let the PCs explore and uncover he differences between Ravenloft and the typical D&D campaign. Certain spells work differently and some don't work at all. And don't forget that clerics still receive spells but they lose any connection that they had with their deity.

Debby

Also, check out other resources: The Fraternity of Shadows is an excellent source of Ravenloft material online. Most of the netbooks are written for 3rd edition but even if you don't use the netbooks, there are lots of nifty ideas there. The website is: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com

El Dorado
2009-06-21, 08:32 PM
Do you intend to keep the PCs in Ravenloft for a brief period or an extended stay? Either way, I recommend keeping that particular detail to yourself---it will add to their unease. :smallwink:

Small details go a long way. People rushing to find shelter and towns locking their gates at sunset should be common. Unexplained disappearances. Have the ghost of a small child appear to a PC and begin to follow him or her. Our DM even tweaked spells: conjurations became dangerous to cast because you never knew what you'd get. Light spells didn't function. Divinations became unreliable.

Don't be afraid to make things really oppressive. It's the PCs job to make things better, after all. :smallsmile:

sigurd
2009-06-21, 09:35 PM
Start them off on a sailing ship in the Mists.

Make em happy to see land even if it is in Ravenloft :).

maniakmastah
2009-06-21, 10:53 PM
I love Ravenloft and have always been a big fan of gothic horror. First thing, don't rush. Players shouldn't necessarily be meeting the Dark Lords in the first encounter. Also, try to get your players to cooperate with you in setting the mood. We used to dim the lights and use glow-in-the-dark dice.

The problem with trying to be scary all the time is that eventually it stops being scary. It can start to be caricature of itself and you end up with unintentional humor. Don't get mad at your players for this as it happens a lot. Just make sure they get back on track after a few minutes. My former DM used to award experience points to people who made him laugh out loud.

How are you transitioning into Ravenloft? You might want to just have them walk into Ravenloft by accident after getting lost in the mists. The mist is almost like its own character in Ravenloft. It makes traveling difficult and harder to track someone else. At night the setting is really creepy and during the day, it's like any other setting for the most part. You'll have to keep track of time more than in a regular campaign but it shouldn't be difficult.

Where the PCs start off can always be interesting. Most campaigns start in Barovia and eventually introduce Strahd. If you have time, you can just let the PCs explore and uncover he differences between Ravenloft and the typical D&D campaign. Certain spells work differently and some don't work at all. And don't forget that clerics still receive spells but they lose any connection that they had with their deity.

Debby

Also, check out other resources: The Fraternity of Shadows is an excellent source of Ravenloft material online. Most of the netbooks are written for 3rd edition but even if you don't use the netbooks, there are lots of nifty ideas there. The website is: http://www.fraternityofshadows.com

Well, here's what i'm thinking, currently the PCs are in a place called Sanctuary, a large town that's been cut off for several years due to a massive ring of fog surrounding the whole area, and that escape isn't possible. They are trying to stop a family known as the Del Vinas family, who 65 years ago, were attacked and killed for being suspected of practicing dark magic and demon worship, however circumstances have also shown that they may have been set up. Nonetheless, the Del Vinas family have somehow come back and are currently bringing horror and misery to Sanctuary, over the course of the adventure, the PCs have faced the Del Vinas' minions, family members themselves, a mad scientist, a band of diseased ravaged werewolves, and other creatures, and now the PCs have 4 orbs needed to enter the Del Vinas compound.

Once the PCs finally square off with the BBEG and ,assuming they defeat the villain, he intends to reveal his trump card by activating a spell that, once unleashed, will slay and turn all of Sanctuary into a no man's land. During the spell however, someone who has been helping the PC can make them a choice, he can use his powers to disrupt the ritual and spare the town, but he has no idea what the ramifications will be. If they agree, the PCs will be caught up in crossing energies and planar rifts, causing all kinds of havoc for them before darkness overtakes them....once they come around, they find themselves in a place they've never seen before.

I've actually been to the Fraternity actually, good stuff, as well as the Kargatane site. Tell me what ya think.

wizuriel
2009-06-22, 12:46 AM
tagged for later