Ravenloft

[Sheleph]

'The gang' pops over and we play 3rd Edition Dungeons & Dragons once a week, and have a different campaign that runs episodically at weekends.

One is very firmly a Forgotten Realms campaign, set in the Time of Troubles, when life's just getting interesting. The other isn't, and having really enjoyed Ravenloft in 2nd Edition I was toying with placing the other campaign in the demi-plane in the near future, as it was also a firm favourite with the players.

But I've heard mixed thing 'bout the source material. Got oodles of 2nd Edition AD&D Ravenloft stuff, but the new 3rd Edition book, what's it like then, eh? Not got my mits on it yet, is it worth shelling out for?

• is the style still very horror, gothic?
• are players still kept on their toes in a cautious/scared kind of way?
• do the powers of domain lords still facilitate big plot stories?
• are PC spells and powers still nerfed around big time?
• do the lands still favour the bad guys?
• is access into and out of the lands still a nightmare?

Answers from those in the know to the usual address. Erm, that'll be here, then Ta!

 

[Sheleph]

No-one knows anything about Ravenloft?!

*gasps in disbelief*

 

[Cullhaven]

Soz mate. I bought first edition years ago and thought that the whole premise was absolute pants

 

[Cullhaven]

Mind you - I am the bloke who spent well over 100 quid on rolemaster stuff without looking closely at the system. We ended up playing it once and because none of us had a mainframe computer to work out the maths involved in the tortuous, number-crunching rulesfest that is Rulesmeister!

 

[Brutus]

Hell man!

If you want to use Ravenloft do.......the beauty of D&D is making things your way as the DM. Hmm lets see though.

Ravenloft always favoured the bad guys.......in my experience anyway, I had one character who had to find a way home because he got hold of a mace of disruption and suddenly everything in the bloody place was after him!.

But then, keeping the players on their toes. Well, that's up to the DM to be honest........just play the realm as you would have anyway, why bother with all the books?, except perhaps for plot and maps and what not. Although you can always get that information from the 2ED books mate.....as for stats for monsters and all, you can simply convert them using the gubbins in the 3ED source books.

As for getting there, umm......my memory is a little hazy on that, Ive been taken there through a pocket plane by a big nasty vampire woman....although she was rather sexy if memory serves correctly. I think there was a way in through some crazy marsh lands in forgotten realms.....or was it Dragon lance? :/

Well whatever, I think the easiest way of getting there would be the marsh methos where they simply walk through the fog and pop into existence in Ravenloft finding that the whole world has changed around them.......thats always a funny one in my experience!

If you haven't got any of the 2ED source books please drop me a line mate.......aside from this it might be worth your talking to Zed about this as he is really into the 3ED stuff and might just have the right source books. For the moment though you can always wing it.

The easiest way of all to get there though....if you can call it easy, is to get taken there on a spelljammer vessel. Never a pleasant experience but always entertaining if you introduce some gnomes into the equation

 

[Sheleph]

I've no plans to run Ravenloft, as if I want a horror genre I run World of Darkness stuff.

A friend who DM's when he visits ran 2nd Edition Ravenloft very well indeed, so I was wondering if anyone had experience of 3rd Edition, so whether it'd be worth starting a campaign. The book looks good, on first glance, but I was more interested if people had experience of how the campaign evolved in the new framework.

 

[Brutus]

Best to talk with Z then mate, I still refuse to shell out for all the 3rd edition stuff as I think 2ed works fine

Fraid I only have experience in 2ed though, guess I mis-read the question or somet!

 

[Cuthrose]

2ed works fine?

don't talk such non-sense!!!
its pants!
its the worst set of rules i've read, so mixed up!

and and pants!

3rd is better, but its still not real that good its sorted alot of problems out, but still has the core problem,

LEVEL SYSTEM

arrrrgggg its ssoooo horrible



but raveloft D20 has just came out!
so take a look at it!

 

[Brutus]

BAH don't make me laugh!

We sound like a bunch of people moaning about various versions of windows here, everyone like something else, as for the level system, I guess it is a problem because it can have the effect of making characters virtually invulnerable.....and then some.

I don't think I have ever played a game where there has not been a level system in place to be honest though, I think one of the more effective systems however was from Games workshop, warhammer fantasy role play if memory serves. It use a percentile system and players advanced their skills through careers and what not getting experience to spend changing career from kills and stuff. It worked quite well but suffered from simplicity.......INfact when I have some time over Christmas I might just try and run a warhammer or 40K game.......hopefully not one of bright ideas that fades into obscurity.....or gets eaten by the infernal work thing....bah whatever!

 

[Kaerwek]

Heh

The first real pen and paper mode roleplay game I've played was Warhammer Fantasy Role Play. Truly I haven't really seen much better ways of levelup since that. Currently I'm in a 3rd Ed game, and to tell the truth the levelup system is quite boring indeed. No roleplaying in actually advancing classes done, not to mention changing classes... Kinda sad about the advancement system, as in the old (good) days with WH you actually had to do some other work besides whacking monsters to get your preferred career and abilities. It was quite a pain in the arse at times though.

Kaer

 

[Simmo]

If my memory serves me right 'Pendragon' is not a lvl based RPG. Thinking back this was a fantastic game to play and GM... (remembers some great ad'lib RPG weekends'..

Does anyone else remember or play this. Its going back a bit, but I still have books and the 4 modules they produced?

Used to love GM' the court sessions and disputes over land boundries and fences that were a few feet in the wrong place!

 

[Cuthrose]

yup your right pendragon is'nt a level based and its very good!
i play it when i can!