Uttering “Ravenloft”

[kbob]

I did not know the best place to put this so im trying here. Ive been playing DnD since i was a child (ADnD). I seem to remember somewhere that if you are on another plane and you happens to mention “Ravneloft” that the mist of the Dark Powers would envelope you and take you to your new home. The odds of this heppening would be slim for several reasons, not the least of which that would prob mean you read it from someone who has been there and actually was granted exodus. Or maybe the dark powers invaded your world and left a note for some poor sap to find. At any rate, i can’t seem to remember the reference. Was it official DnD game lore (maybe something put out years ago by TSR) or was it from one of the novels? Or perhaps im just crazy? Anyway, anyone know?

[Tetrasodium]

I did not know the best place to put this so im trying here. Ive been playing DnD since i was a child (ADnD). I seem to remember somewhere that if you are on another plane and you happens to mention “Ravneloft” that the mist of the Dark Powers would envelope you and take you to your new home. The odds of this heppening would be slim for several reasons, not the least of which that would prob mean you read it from someone who has been there and actually was granted exodus. Or maybe the dark powers invaded your world and left a note for some poor sap to find. At any rate, i can’t seem to remember the reference. Was it official DnD game lore (maybe something put out years ago by TSR) or was it from one of the novels? Or perhaps im just crazy? Anyway, anyone know?

Ravenloft can snatch people and places from anywhere, the idea that ravenloft itself would seed rumors to help with that end is not totally implausible. With that said, at there are some (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vistani) in ravenloft who can come & go reliably that could have done it too

[holywhippet]

I think uttering the names of some of the great old ones in D&D are supposed to have consequences, but I've not heard the same about Ravenloft. Generally the best way to get into Ravenloft is to be an extremely bad person so the dark powers will take note of you and drag you in for punishment (it might help to be an undead).

[DrKerosene]

I’m only familiar with uttering “Pazuzu” having any effect.

I do recall that The Mists of Ravenloft can get someone almost anywhere, except in Wildspace. I recall that for abductees hiding in Wildspace it is said that very unlikely and extreme things will happen until that person is forced into a place where The Mists can reach them.

[Corsair14]

Since people outside of Ravenloft have never heard of Ravenloft then I doubt saying the name would have any effect. You can count the number of people who have escaped the domain of dread on one hand and two of those were dark lords like Lord Soth and the few others were very powerful and not likely to talk about it. Its not like the Fey realm which has transit back and forth. Once you go to Ravenloft, you don't come back to be able to talk about it.

[Glorthindel]

Also, although Ravenloft is the name of the setting, "in-setting", it is only the name of Strahd's Castle (which I believe is named in honour/memory of his mother, but I can't remember the connection). Granted, the castle does have the distinction of being the first thing to be created within the demiplane, the residents of the plane don't know that (it is a particular feature of a newly-created realm that everyone else's memories get altered to remember it always being there), so it holds no significance to them beyond just being Strahd's Castle, so it unlikely that the name could travel beyond the demiplane in a way that would grant it significance.

Also, given that the Castle existed somewhere before it entered the demiplane (wherever Barovia's home plane might be), its name would be known in that planes history, so if this theory was true, there would be a lot of random people being dragged into the demiplane by accident from the home plane, and that notably isn't the case.

[Naanomi]

The setting is called Ravenloft, but the place isn’t really called that... just like Darksun is a place and Athas (or perhaps just the tablelands) is a place... I’m not sure why the marketing term referencing a single place in the larger demi-plane of dread would have particular power that way

[LibraryOgre]

As others have said, I know of no such rule. Ravenloft takes people as it will; there is no way to summon yourself to it.

[furby076]

Not that I'm an expert (been playing since 2nd edition, but havent read all the books, plus...memory), but I never heard of that.
As others have said, Ravenloft takes particularly bad people - but not just bad, but with the potential to be powerful. Strahd was taking because he was powerful on his home plane (I think FR) and did a REALLY bad thing. However, others in the realms have done REALLY bad things and Ravenloft never decided to take them. So, in reality, the demiplane of dread picks and chooses based on the author writing the book or the DM making the campaign.

NOTE: the demi plane of dread also snatches good people, but typically they are collateral damage from snatching bad people (e.g., Strahd, Barovia and it's inhabitants). Kind of unfair, but the demi plane is not an entity of good. If it were given an alignment: Neutral Evil would be appropriate.

Double Note: Vistani cannot leave Ravenloft (they would, any being in ravenloft would leave without a moments hesitation). The Vistani can freely travel between the different realms of ravenloft...no other denizons can do so. Vistani are plot devices to help (or hinder) PCs...usually help, by completing a mission for them

[Spore]

I don't think so. This seems more like an ingame rumor for peasants to spread. Or some DM did this in his or her game, and people liked it so now it seems like canon.

Think about the Dark Powers. I feel they are like a vague and indescribable warlock patron. I don't think they would dump random people into their worlds - even though that is EXACTLY what the Vistani and other servants are doing here...scratch that. They probably ARE dumping randos into their realms. But at least for Faerun (and the plot hook to CoS) you have to go willingly.

(Free) Will is a major point for many D&D spells. Only the most powerful spells can overwhelm a strong mind (I always assume stuff like Charm Person just WORKS on the random citizen), and many worlds have deities watching over their mortals. I don't think Mystra would like someone to abuse her domain to snatch people away.


Double Note: Vistani cannot leave Ravenloft (they would, any being in ravenloft would leave without a moments hesitation). The Vistani can freely travel between the different realms of ravenloft...no other denizons can do so. Vistani are plot devices to help (or hinder) PCs...usually help, by completing a mission for them

Isn't the first plot hook for CoS literally a Vistani visiting a Faerunian tavern to seek aid in the name of Barovia's burgomaster?

[Naanomi]

I don't think Mystra would like someone to abuse her domain to snatch people away.
Although I’d argue that whatever the Dark Powers are (I think they were originally Baernoloth, but have been joined by other Evil entities through the Demiplane itself over time) don’t seem to be stopped much by the actions or preferences of the Gods... though if I recall the Lady of Pain prevents people from getting sucked there straight from Sigil; so there are limits to their power

[Corsair14]

The people of the Domains of Dread didn't exist before the realm itself existed. The Dark Powers create them and their individual and shared memories when they create the realm. In The Black Crusade the realm it takes place in didn't exist before the protagonist first stepped foot into it only to find an ancient land, paranoid about evil spirits in the woods(for good reason) hidden and ancient witch cults, an old religion and its zealous inquisition hunting the witches and a people whose families have lived in their villages for many many generations. However a Vistani(who can leave the plane as the novel shows although not by their own accord) ends up there as well and is trying to figure out whats going on since none of this existed before they got there and she is the only one who knows it. There is also no dark lord.

SPOILER
Sad part about this novel is I never understood why the future dark lord was made into a dark lord. To me he didn't do anything wrong and I foresee him as another Lord Soth. Doesn't want to be a Dark Lord, refuses to play dark power's reindeer games and gets sent back to the real world.

[furby076]

Isn't the first plot hook for CoS literally a Vistani visiting a Faerunian tavern to seek aid in the name of Barovia's burgomaster?

iirc, ravenloft sent them, so not really because the Vistani wanted to go