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Ravenloft is set in a demi-plane, which easily sucks things in, but makes it hard for them to escape. Recognizable characters, clear enemies and goals, and a contained world that can be easily explored by both players and characters at the same time. It also has a few built-in aspects that make it an excellent choice for DMs and players alike, no matter the edition that they’re playing. It isn’t only the aesthetic of Ravenloft that’s made it so enduring. They’re meant to give players a fully fraught experience: If you’re looking for something truly terrifying and less pulpy than Ravenloft, you might try some of these horror RPGs. I’m holding my judgement, however, on just how effective horror implementation will really be when combined with the rest of 5e’s mechanics. While I’m not personally convinced that this is really necessary (as mentioned before, a setting with the surface aesthetics of horror has a different appeal than a true experience, and Ravenloft draws and keeps fans of the former well enough), I can see plenty of people making use of it.
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The newest sourcebook released by WotC includes suggestions for how to make the game more chilling, more like a proper horror TTRPG. And for a huge number of people, that’s extremely appealing.Īt least, Ravenloft has previously been a relatively fear-free setting. This isn’t a bad thing – it allows players to enjoy the dark aesthetics and stories without the actual discomfort of genuine horror. It evokes the thrill of being powerful and important rather than small and afraid. It’s mechanics center around combat and exploration rather than investigation and illusion. This is largely an effect of Dungeons and Dragons being an adventure game. But by and large, the setting is one of gothic adventure, rather than gothic horror. It varies from module to module, of course, and a DM interested in a truly terrifying camping would definitely find the setting useful. The only thing missing is the ability to actually horrify.ĭespite its gothic aesthetic, stories set in Ravenloft generally aren’t actually meant to invoke fear or existential dread in the way that true horror RPGs are (in fact, one might argue that even Rime of the Frostmaiden, an Icewind Dale module, invokes more emotional aspects of horror than Curse of Strahd does). It has the trappings of a horror setting, sure: ghouls, vampires, undead legions, an endless supply of dark and stormy nights. As creepy-crawly as it is, Ravenloft is not usually a horror setting.