Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft offers a lot of terrific material for players and DMs alike for building out their own Ravenloft campaign, or more broadly, for creating a horror-themed D&D adventure or campaign. The book is lavishly illustrated, clearly written and nicely laid out, and is quite in line with the generally high production values I have found in my other 5e books.
A good portion of the book - Domains of Ravenloft (pp.60-180) - provides additional setting information on Ravenloft, which is you've already visited the place in Curse of Strahd, this should give you plenty to book a return visit. Or, you can turn that adventure book into something larger with the additional detail provided here. It's all fun stuff to read and to imagine one's players in.
Monsters of Ravenloft (p.222-255) offers a bunch of fun critters and villains to throw at your party as well. They are all horror-themed, of course, so they will feel most suitable for horror adventures or campaigns. But you could work one of these into a particularly dark and spooky corner of a dungeon or one-shot you're writing on your own, just fine.
But where the book really shines is in its sections on Creating a Domain of Dread (p.38-60) and Horror Adventures (p. 184-221), which are marvelously written chapters on how to get into the tone and direction of a fantasy horror game.
Creating a Domain of Dread is helpful intro material for those looking to dive into a horror campaign, and offers nice overviews of various sub-genres of horror, which make the whole thing a bit more manageable to understand and absorb. Just calling a game a horror game is fairly broad, and creates a lot of opportunity for players to have widely divergent expectations of where the game will take them, and that leads to an experience that often isn't as fun for everyone as i could be.
The Horror Adventures section is aimed at DMs, but would be a good section for any player to read as well. It is a really, really great section because it doesn't presume one knows what makes a horror story tick. Sure, everyone knows what it's like to be scared or creeped out, but actually crafting that experience for others so that they enjoy it is a much more difficult and nuanced thing. And this chapter provides a lot of helpful tips on how to set atmosphere, create tension, and so on. It also has some really important guidance on setting boundaries, checking in on the players and seeking consent. It gets into the concept of having a Session Zero for the campaign (which is a good idea for any campaign in any game, really), and it stresses that just because you know your players, it's not good to presume to know what their deepest fears are. The point being, running a game that triggers your friend's most intimate fear or trauma is not a legit avenue for entertaining them, yourself, or the other people at the table. And guess what? Everybody has something deep down that they just don't want to see mined for role-playing. We just don't like to talk about that often.
There are those gamers who feel such things are unnecessary, to the point of grousing over how this book is too "PC" or "woke" or whatever other buzzword folks like to use to complain about how hard it is to actually be respectful of others at the table. (These same voices seem to have difficulty accepting illustrations of adventurers in wheelchairs, which also appear in this book. That seems like a strange hill to defend, and one that provides no avenues for heroism. But I digress.)
The reality is, a horror game is still about having fun. And if you genuinely freak out a player because you weren't mindful of their limits, you've failed as a GM and you've done harm to your player. That's not what any game should be about, even a horror one. And keeping these things in mind is a way to respect everyone at the table. Very few games bother to address this, let along provide helpful guidance to DMs on it, so for this section, I'd give the book a sixth star, if I could.
I will also say this - I didn't see any specific sections on "Insanity" or "Madness," as often appear in other horror games, and I welcomed that. Such approaches often treat mental wellness with a very broad brush, ignorantly wielded. Van Richten's Guide often rounds back to how much fear a player is experiencing, and how debilitating that is to one's character in the moment. It doesn't rely on tired old concepts of mental collapse that a) lead to lazy storytelling and b) often reinforce a weird kind of aggression from DMs who say where and when a character is no longer fully in control of their faculties. Once again, there are those who find this approach too gentle. I say that in a world where we are making strides to acknowledge and destigmatize mental wellness issues so that people in the real world can get the help they need without shame or ridicule, using things like D&D to dress up in broad stereotypes about mental illness isn't helpful, and is not pointing towards a better future for this game, our beloved hobby or the RPG industry.
Van Richten's Guide is a rich, detailed and fun book that I am looking forward to integrating into my game. I'm not a particularly huge horror gaming fan. But I can see the many things here that I can make use of and bring a sense of dread into my game that I think my players will enjoy.
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From the manufacturer
The Mist Beckons
In a far-flung corner of the plane of Shadow drifts a hidden expanse of roiling mist and vague semi-reality. At this eerie edge of the multiverse lie the Domains of Dread, nightmare demiplanes that form the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Ravenloft.
Discover the mysteries of Ravenloft, then make your choice. Will you create your own Domains of Dread, settings to host endless terrifying adventures? Or will you join the ranks of haunted heroes who embrace macabre lineages, dual-edged Dark Gifts, haunted subclasses, and other forbidden powers?
The Mists of Ravenloft are rising. What mysteries will you discover among the Domains of Dread? What nightmares will you shape? And once you enter the Mists, will you ever escape?
Whether for a night or an eternity, Ravenloft seeks heroes of all sorts and pits them against their greatest nightmares.
Face Your Fears
This book introduces options for designing characters well-suited to horror adventures and encourages players to embrace their own role in creating tales of terror.
Monstrous Lineages
Whether the work of witchcraft, the blood of a curiously fanged ancestor, or an unnatural return from the grave, characters may be, or become, transformed by a lineage that alters them in fundamental ways. Special traits and abilities manifest shortly thereafter—a vampire's life-draining bite, a hag-like ability to beguile the senses, or the lingering presence of death in their touch.
Horror-Themed Subclasses
Bards of the College of Spirits channel powerful effects drawn from the long-forgotten tales of the spirits they summon. And warlocks who dare make a pact with an Undead Patron may be gifted the power to defy death itself.
Two background options are also included—the Haunted One with a harrowing past and the Investigator, driven by the need to hunt down even the most elusive clues.
Dark Gifts
Warlocks are not the only adventurers tempted by whispered promises and sinister bargains. During character creation or over the course of an adventure, characters may be granted Dark Gifts—mysterious powers that come at the cost of an insidious influence.
Unsettling Trinkets
A crumpled drawing of an old, imaginary friend, a ring of keys to forgotten locks, or a porcelain doll's head that always seems to be watching you—characters can also start their adventure with a curious trinket that may lead to dreadful revelations or be nothing more than grim keepsakes.
Flesh is Lamordia's most abundant natural resource.
A Tour Through the Mists
Dare your players to enter the wandering carnival or a perilous ancient tomb. Draw them into lands full of zombies, werewolves, and mind-bending cosmic horrors. Each Domain of Dread is a perfect expression of a particular flavor of the macabre.
Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft takes Dungeon Masters on a tour of Ravenloft's most infamous locales, with special introductions to each Domain's Darklord, themes, key sites, characters, and tables full of adventure ideas.
Create Your Own Domains
DMs will also find advice for creating their own Domain full of sinister sites, unexpected monstrosities, a unique culture, and the perfect villain at the center of it all.
Genres of Horror
Folk horror, cosmic terrors, body horror, dark fantasy, and more—bury players alive inside your favorite horror genres. This book includes an overview of each genre's defining features and tables full of ideas for genre-appropriate monsters, villains, settings, and adventure plots.
Ominous shadows rise beyond the campfire's light. Steps echo through the halls of a supposedly empty house. Something whispers from under the stairs. Such details fill horror tales, but what place do they have in your D&D game?
Horror Toolkit
Strike fear in the heart of even the boldest adventurers, with advice and optional rules for making your D&D adventure truly terrifying.
Create Tension & Inspire Terror
Encourage your players to roleplay fear by letting them choose something their character finds frightening from the "Seeds of Fear" table. Or have them track a Stress Score that increases during tense, frightful encounters. Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft is full of tools and tips for transforming your D&D game into a unique horror experience.
Haunted Traps & Curses
A sudden drop in temperature, a distorted reflection in the mirror, or a sound of distant, mournful music—the observant may recognize the signs of a haunted trap before setting it off. This book includes a selection of horror-themed traps that reveal grim histories and frightening tales, plus rules for creating your own.
Rules and examples of curses are also provided—ominously poetic consequences that may befall characters after fateful choices, whether it be defiling a tomb or the spilling of innocent blood.
Survivors
This book introduces stat blocks for "survivors"—simple, premade characters that represent everyday people with just a hint of talent. Survivors can be used to recapturing the tension and fear that arises without access to the power and resources available to higher-level characters. Or they may let players witness first-hand events they might otherwise only hear about—whether it's front-row seats to an important historic event or a part to play in a character's ominous dreams.
A Nightmarish Bestiary
Creepy "carionette" dolls, floating undead heads, and a relentless killer straight out of a slasher film—this book contains a bestiary of monsters ranging from beloved horror classics to creative terrors that will haunt your nightmares. It also includes tips for restoring mystery and menace to creatures players may find too familiar to be frightening… or so they think.
One D&D Horror Adventure
Take players on a chilling journey with the included horror adventure, "The House of Lament." A spirit board in the appendix can be photocopied for use as a prop, and the climax of the tale may serve as a springboard into future adventures in the Domains of Dread, if you dare enter.
Playing Dungeons & Dragons
Become an Adventurer
Adventurers come in all shapes and sizes. Find one that’s fun for you.
An elvish cleric, driven from society for trespassing on tradition. A dwarven paladin, atoning for an ignominious past. The Player’s Handbook provides the skeleton for your characters. Flesh them out however you choose.
Join the Party
D&D brings people together and forges new friendships. Silly moments spawn inside jokes; moving battles leave treasured memories—whether in the heat of battle, embroiled in social intrigue, or solving clever puzzles, your party has your back.
Choose Your Own Path
The woods are growing dark. Behind a mass of ivy, you see the stones of a crumbling castle. What do you do?
In D&D, your options are limitless. Because the Dungeon Master, as narrator of your tale, can improvise in reaction to any choice you make, what happens next is entirely flexible. Do you dare go on?
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Beautiful book and a great campaign setting. The nice thing about Ravenloft is because of the nature of the Mists that transport beings to and from the setting, it is easy to pop PCs in and out of it.This is great if the horror mood strikes you, say in October, and you want to spend the month freaking out your PCs with a crimson-soaked slasher chase, and then spit them back out of Ravenloft back into an ongoing campaign.Also, because of Ravenloft’s many possible realms , any genre of horror can be used. The book even gives short descriptions of various genres, along with some story ideas. It gives you tools to craft your own realms.Of course, 17 pre-created domains of dread have been provided , with fetching maps to boot. Another 32 domains are given a less thorough treatment.There are also backgrounds and rules for playing dhampir and some subclass options as well as a really nice bestiary with some choice baddies.There is an adventure provided as well.It’s all deftly written by those who are clearly familiar with horror, and beautifully illustrated.My only complaint, and this is how you know this book is good stuff, is that i wish there were more.Highly recommended to DM’s who want to create a horror campaign within the Ravenloft setting.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2023
Style: Physical BookVerified Purchase
Beautiful book and a great campaign setting. The nice thing about Ravenloft is because of the nature of the Mists that transport beings to and from the setting, it is easy to pop PCs in and out of it.
This is great if the horror mood strikes you, say in October, and you want to spend the month freaking out your PCs with a crimson-soaked slasher chase, and then spit them back out of Ravenloft back into an ongoing campaign.
Also, because of Ravenloft’s many possible realms , any genre of horror can be used. The book even gives short descriptions of various genres, along with some story ideas. It gives you tools to craft your own realms.
Of course, 17 pre-created domains of dread have been provided , with fetching maps to boot. Another 32 domains are given a less thorough treatment.
There are also backgrounds and rules for playing dhampir and some subclass options as well as a really nice bestiary with some choice baddies.
There is an adventure provided as well.
It’s all deftly written by those who are clearly familiar with horror, and beautifully illustrated.
My only complaint, and this is how you know this book is good stuff, is that i wish there were more.
Highly recommended to DM’s who want to create a horror campaign within the Ravenloft setting.
This is great if the horror mood strikes you, say in October, and you want to spend the month freaking out your PCs with a crimson-soaked slasher chase, and then spit them back out of Ravenloft back into an ongoing campaign.
Also, because of Ravenloft’s many possible realms , any genre of horror can be used. The book even gives short descriptions of various genres, along with some story ideas. It gives you tools to craft your own realms.
Of course, 17 pre-created domains of dread have been provided , with fetching maps to boot. Another 32 domains are given a less thorough treatment.
There are also backgrounds and rules for playing dhampir and some subclass options as well as a really nice bestiary with some choice baddies.
There is an adventure provided as well.
It’s all deftly written by those who are clearly familiar with horror, and beautifully illustrated.
My only complaint, and this is how you know this book is good stuff, is that i wish there were more.
Highly recommended to DM’s who want to create a horror campaign within the Ravenloft setting.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Wayne
Best of the 3 recent books I bought
Reviewed in Canada on December 9, 2022Style: Physical BookVerified Purchase
João C S Marques
Mais Raveloft, mais escuridão, mais Strahd
Reviewed in Brazil on December 29, 2021Style: Physical BookVerified Purchase
Florian
Geniales Source Book
Reviewed in Germany on August 28, 2023Style: Physical BookVerified Purchase
Dan Poprdan
Excellent horror source and some really cool features
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2022Style: Physical BookVerified Purchase
