The company offers one of four box images to suit a Dungeon Master's favorite type of horror: ... [+] gothic, folk, body or cosmic. Show
For Dungeons & Dragons fans who can afford it, Beadle & Grimm’s boxed sets have become synonymous with an immersive experience for the official Wizards of the Coast adventures. Other companies have taken note, as partnerships with Paizo and Critical Role were announced over the past year to enhance those worlds with deluxe accessories. While we wait for more information on those upcoming boxes, let’s take a look inside a review copy of the Silver Edition of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. MORE FROM FORBESAn Exclusive Look Inside Van Richten's Guide To RavenloftBy Rob Wieland Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft offers Dungeon Masters an excellent resource on how to add horror to your D&D campaign whether as a dedicated theme or a spooky episode to change things up. It also reintroduces the Domains of Dread to Fifth Edition as a place where players can battle many different types of horror. For fans that took on the Darklord of Barovia in Curse of Strahd, the book offers other domains where they can bring light. For others, it’s a gateway to the Mists that might have nightmares that are more appealing than vampire royalty. House of LamentThe introductory adventure, House of Lament, shows of Beadle and Grimm’s strengths as a company. The adventure gets props, full battlemats and some extra encounters added to make it truly memorable. House of Lament can be run three different ways, which makes these extra elements all the more valuable. My players enjoyed exploring the spooky old house via the battlemat. When I revealed a spoiler on the other side of one of the maps, they reacted as if I’d pulled a magic trick. MORE FROM FORBESVampire: The Masquerade Returns To Chicago By NightBy Rob Wieland The Domains of DreadVan Richten’s Guide To Ravenloft is included in the boxed set in a split format. This allows Dungeon Masters to hand out different parts of the book as needed. Each of the domain maps is also reprinted individually to help set the scene when the mists part. There are also some choice bits of spooky jewelry like a skull ring and a raven pendant that can be used as magic item props. Dungeon Masters can make their own props too; there are wine labels that can be slapped on a real world red from some of the infamous cursed wineries in the mists. MORE FROM FORBESAn Exclusive Look Inside Van Richten's Guide To RavenloftBy Rob Wieland The Top PropThe standout piece from the Silver Edition box is a planchette. That’s the piece of a spirit board that everyone touches as it zips from letter to letter spelling out a message from the other side. It’s central to the mystery of House of Lament but could just as easily be used in other adventures to allow Dungeon Masters to give out spooky clues. While the Tarokka deck featured in Curse of Strahd is a better thematic fit for the Vistani, I’m looking forward to giving this piece as an oracular artifact for their own use. The spirit board is a large fold-out poster which offers a big surface area that covers the table but lacks something in the authenticity department. I would have preferred a weathered board as another artifact, but it’s something I can easily do myself scouring thrift stores and rummage sales looking for a Ouija game that’s already pre-seasoned. MORE FROM FORBESInside The Legendary Edition Of Curse Of StrahdBy Rob Wieland The Silver Edition of Van Richten’s Guide To Ravenloft is available directly from Beadle & Grimm. Follow Your Favorites! Sign in to get custom notifications of new products!
Is Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft Curse of Strahd?Game Designer Amanda Hamon, who worked on the Barovia section of the book, promises that Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft provides a "direct throughline" from Curse of Strahd, but the main draw here is a fully fleshed-out resource for those 30 new Domains of Dread, each with its own supervillain to match Strahd.
Is Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft worth it?Overall, Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft is the perfect sourcebook if you want to inject horror into your D&D sessions. It is easily one of the most varied and interesting takes on the Ravenloft setting that we've ever seen.
What does Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft add?The new D&D sourcebook Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft adds two horror-themed subclasses -- the College of Spirits Bard and the Undead Warlock. Whenever a new Dungeons & Dragons supplement releases, players immediately want to know what new subclasses are available.
Is Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft a campaign?Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft is a 256-page campaign and adventure guide for using the Ravenloft setting in the 5th edition. The book includes an overview of 39 Domains of Dread and a 20-page adventure called The House of Lament.
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