Ravenloft

In 1978, Tracy and Laura Hickman wrote adventures that would eventually be published as the Dungeon & Dragons modules Pharaoh and Ravenloft. Strahd von Zarovich was created by the Hickmans "after Tracy returned home from a disappointing session of D&D. Back in First Edition, the game was less of a storytelling game. [...] It didn't make sense to [Tracy] why a creature like a vampire was just sitting around in a random dungeon with oozes, goblins, and zombies. So he and his wife set out to create a vampire villain with fleshed-out motivations and history". When the Hickmans began work on Ravenloft, they felt the vampire archetype had become overused, trite, and mundane, and decided to create a frightening version of the creature for the module. They play-tested it with a group of players every Halloween for five years on their own game system with the adventure titled Vampyr. However, the Hickmans kept being asked about their "Ravenloft game", and so the Ravenloft name stuck. The duo eventually caught the attention of D&D's original publishers. They were hired to adapt it into the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons and it was released as Module I6: Ravenloft in 1983 by TSR. ==Publication history==

1st edition The first appearance of the setting was in Ravenloft, a stand-alone Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure module, published in 1983. In 1984, it won the Strategists' Club Award for Outstanding Play Aid. It was popular enough to spawn a 1986 sequel, Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill, and an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebooks novel, Master of Ravenloft, the same year. 2nd edition Ravenloft was launched as a full-fledged campaign setting, for AD&D 2nd Edition, in 1990, with the Realm of Terror boxed set, popularly known as the "Black Box", and winner of the Origins Award in 1991 for "Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1990". The campaign setting was revised twice during AD&D 2nd Edition: first as the Ravenloft Campaign Setting or "Red Box", then as the Domains of Dread hardback. In 1994, Ravenloft spun off into a sub-setting called Masque of the Red Death, set on Gothic Earth, an Edgar Allan Poe-influenced alternative Earth of the 1890s, where fantasy creatures and magic exist in the shadows of civilization. TSR also published a series of novels set in Ravenloft. Each was typically focused on one of the Darklords that inhabited the Ravenloft world, with several focusing on the figure of Count Strahd von Zarovich. Many of these early novels were by authors who would later receive wider fame as horror/dark fantasy authors. These authors have included Elaine Bergstrom, P. N. Elrod, Christie Golden, and Laurell K. Hamilton. 3rd and 3.5 edition A major revision of Dungeons & Dragons was released in 2000, the first edition published by Wizards of the Coast (which had acquired TSR in 1997). In the same year, Wizards of the Coast licensed the Ravenloft brand to White Wolf Publishing. Under its Sword & Sorcery Studios (and later Arthaus imprints), White Wolf Publishing released the 3rd Edition d20 System Ravenloft Campaign Setting (2001) and the 3.5 Edition ''Ravenloft Player's Handbook'' (2003). The campaign settings published by White Wolf introduced a number of alterations, many due to conflicts with existing Wizards of the Coast intellectual property. Specific references to D&D-specific deities were replaced with new names in the White Wolf Ravenloft settings (for example, Bane was changed to the Lawgiver). The license to the Ravenloft trademark reverted to Wizards of the Coast on August 15, 2005, but White Wolf retained the right to continue to sell its back stock until June 2006. The timing of this reversion meant that the Ravenloft supplement ''Van Richten's Guide to the Mists did not see print. Instead, it was released by White Wolf as a free download in late September 2005. The majority of the Van Richten's Guide'' series had already been published by TSR in the 1990s, before White Wolf's involvement. In October 2006, Wizards of the Coast released Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, a hardcover version of the original 1st Ed. adventure, updated for the Dungeons & Dragons v.3.5 rule set. This version includes maps from the original Ravenloft adventure, and new character-generation options. Expedition to Castle Ravenloft is a stand-alone supplement set for any D&D worlds, and only requires the three core books for usage. This book's setting is distinct from the Ravenloft of the White Wolf product line. Shannon Appelcline, author of Designers & Dragons, highlighted that by 2006 people were beginning to wonder if Wizards of the Coast might be preparing a fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons and stated that "the release of Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (2006) might just have offered another clue to the changing winds that lay ahead. First, it was a new line for 3.5e, suggesting that their original series of 3.5e books was coming to an end. Second, it was a fond look back at one of the most notable adventures from the AD&D days, just the sort of thing that Wizards published in the waning days of 2e". Appelcline later noted that, once fourth edition was officially announced, "the Expedition books that had begun publication in 2006 were revealed to indeed be part of Wizard's slow slide into 4e". fueling more speculation. A short story by Ari Marmell, "Before I Wake", based on the realms of Darkon, Lamordia, and Bluetspur was released on October 31, 2007, on the Wizards of the Coast website as a special for Halloween; it featured characters inspired by H. P. Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. In 2008, Ravenloft was revealed to be re-introduced to 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, as was depicted in the October issue of the Dragon online magazine. The Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition supplement Manual of the Planes (2008) established that in the retconned cosmology, the Domains of Dread (and by extension the Ravenloft setting) were now located within the Shadowfell, a mirror-plane of death and gloom lying adjacent to the mortal realm. While a 4th edition update to the Ravenloft setting was announced at Gen Con 2010, the product was never released. Ravenloft also appeared in official magazine articles, such as, Dungeon #207 "Fair Barovia" (October 2012) and Dragon #416 "History Check: Strahd and Van Richten" (October 2012). 5th and 5.5 edition In 2016, Barovia (one of the main locations within Ravenloft) was the main setting for adventure module Curse of Strahd which acts as an adaptation of the original Ravenloft module for the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. The adventure states: "The lands of Barovia are from a forgotten world in the D&D multiverse [...]. In time, cursed Barovia was torn from its home world by the Dark Powers and bound in mist as one of the Domains of Dread in the Shadowfell". Charlie Hall, for Polygon, explained that "instead of reinventing the wheel, designer Chris Perkins brought in the module's original writers — the husband and wife team of Tracy and Laura Hickman — to create the very best version of the famous module yet. [...] Tracy and Laura have been hosting nearly annual sessions of the original Ravenloft at their home, for friends and family, over the course of decades. When Perkins asked for their input, they flew out to meet with the team. The result was a torrent of ideas for new locations, characters and encounters". Wizards of the Coast released a new edition of the Curse of Strahd module, entitled Curse of Strahd: Revamped, on October 20, 2020. This module is the first released with the publisher's new focus on diversity and inclusion. Wizards of the Coast stated that "the adventure includes the latest errata and a revised depiction of the Vistani" who are based on stereotypes about the Romani people. Wizards of the Coast released a new Ravenloft campaign sourcebook, ''Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (2021), which introduces other Domains of Dread to the edition. It was published on May 18, 2021. The limited series comic Ravenloft: Orphan of Agony Isle'' (2022), by writer Casey Gilley and artist Bayleigh Underwood, then featured the mad scientist Viktra Mordenheim, the Darklord of Ravenloft's Lamordia domain introduced in ''Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. The novel Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd'' (2025), by Delilah S. Dawson, was the first Ravenloft novel to be published in 17 years. In March 2026, Wizards of the Coast announced a new seasonal content format for Dungeons & Dragons with the "Season of Horror" scheduled to begin in June 2026. This season will feature a return to Ravenloft. It will include the release of the 5.5 Edition sourcebook Ravenloft: The Horrors Within (2026) along with associated accessory products. The Horrow Within will detail sixteen Domains of Dread, including the new cosmic horror domain Innsmouth; a bestiary with Ravenloft monstrosities, denizens and Darklords; and, various player options such as subclasses, species, and Dark Gifts. The board game Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons – Ravenloft is scheduled for release in July 2026. The upcoming limited series Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft, by writer Amy Chu and artist Ariela Kristantina, will focus on monster hunter Ez D'Avenir who is hunted by Viktra; the first issue is scheduled to be published on August 19, 2026. ==Fictional setting==

Ravenloft is primarily a Gothic horror setting. Dungeon Masters are encouraged to use scenes that build apprehension and fear, culminating in the eventual face-to-face meeting with the nameless evil. Characters have a much greater significance attached to their acts, especially if they are morally impure, as they risk coming under the influence of the Dark Powers (through the game process called "dark powers checks") and gradually transforming themselves into figures of evil. The magical mists of Ravenloft could appear anywhere in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, drawing evil-doers (or player characters) into the Ravenloft setting. One exception is the phlogiston of the Spelljammer setting. The phlogiston blocks all planar travel, but the Ravenloft mists can appear in deep space inside crystal shells, according to the ''Complete Spacefarer's Handbook''. Luis Javier Flores Arvizu named the continuous presence of supernatural beings as one of the factors that made Ravenloft a very well received role-playing game setting during the 33 years of its existence. The Dark Powers The Dark Powers are a malevolent force who control the Demiplane of Dread. Their exact nature and number are deliberately kept vague, allowing for plot development in accordance with the Gothic tradition of storytelling – where the heroes are frequently outclassed and outnumbered by unknowable evil forces beyond their control. Academic Martine Gjermundsen Ræstad commented that the Darklords of Ravenloft have "intention and free will" which results in them also having "a level of accountability" when their actions are judged by the Dark Powers; however, the punishment cycle which pushes Darklords "to further evil" raises questions about the motivations of the Dark Powers, and whether their purpose is to deliver "just punishment to evil souls" or whether they are "a force propagating and nourishing evil". The Dark Powers "are believed to have been responsible for the overall creation of the Dread Domains". The concept of Domains and locations in Ravenloft, besides Barovia and Mordent, was introduced in the 2nd Edition campaign setting book Ravenloft: Realm of Terror (1990). The metaplot of the adventure series was used to update the setting: "David Wise, leader of the 'Kargat' of Ravenloft designers at TSR, has said there were a few reasons for the changes. Some domains were changed or removed because they didn't fit into Ravenloft ecologically [...]. Some domains were removed or merged because their lords were too similar, and finally some islands of terror were kicked to the curb just because they were 'less exciting'. [...] A few domains that had appeared since the publication of Ravenloft: Realm of Terror were notably missing [...]. All told, Ravenloft Campaign Setting covers 20 core domains and nine islands". Some of the more notable Domains include: • Barovia: the first Domain introduced and "foreboding" home of Strahd von Zarovich. • Carnival: this domain "wanders the mists" itself, "populated by wild performers and a powerful, living sword". In ''Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft'', "Falkovnia has been reimagined as a nightmarish Groundhog's Day-style loop, where a struggling nation—which happens to be ruled by a brutal warlord—is endlessly besieged by massive hordes of the walking dead, who just so happen to look like everyone this warlord has ever killed". Wes Schneider, lead designer of ''Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft'', highlighted that "Hazlan's a great example of a Ravenloft domain where the 'technology' behind its horror concept has improved since its origin. [...] Since the '90s, our collective imaginations have expanded on what an evil magic dystopia might look like. [...] Hazlan is a domain where anything wizards could do they've done to the extreme, and they're still doing it, all in the name of magical discovery and with the effects scarring the realm's people and land. This makes it the domain for all manner of weird monsters, amoral experiments, magical contagions, unnatural weather, collapsing reality, meteor showers, mutations, disasters, and so much more". Darklords Darklord is the title used to refer to the mystically imprisoned and cursed ruler of a domain. A Darklord was originally an individual who had committed a truly horrific crime, which drew the attention of the enigmatic Dark Powers. The Dark Powers then proceeded to craft a personal kingdom around the Darklord. This crafted domain serves both as a kingdom and a prison: Within their domains, the Darklords are forever tormented by the objects of their desires, which are often the objects for which they committed their crimes. Vistani The Vistani are a nomadic ethnic group. They are based on depictions of the Romani people. Since their introduction in the original Ravenloft module (1983) as fortune-tellers, they became a unifying element in the Ravenloft and the Masque of the Red Death campaign settings, which offer Gothic horror scenarios. In a Ravenloft adventure, the Vistani have some control of the Mists of Ravenloft, which divide realms, while the players are generally confined to a region from which they must escape by solving one or more problems. Players generally need help from the Vistani to travel reliably from one open realm to another. The Vistani people were "described as superstitious" and had "abilities to curse and hypnotize players or cast spells like Evil Eye". They were also originally stereotyped "as 'uncivilized' and heavy drinkers", but this portrayal was removed in the adventure module Curse of Strahd Revamped (2020). The fictional character Rudolph van Richten, a famous Monster Hunter in Ravenloft and author of a series of guides to hunting and slaying various monsters, had a great enmity for the Vistani for most of his monster-hunting career, but his opinion improved during his penning of ''Van Richten's Guide To The Vistani, during which he befriended a mortu'' (a Vistani outcast). ==Reception==

Game designer Rick Swan commented in 1994 that when the Ravenloft setting first came out, it "just didn't seem special, a Forgotten Realms variant with a few more bats", but after supplements like Forbidden Lore, The Created, and the ''Van Richten's Guide series, Swan felt that "the Ravenloft campaign has proven to be a credible adventure alternative for players interested in the dark side of the AD&D game. Though it lacks the flamboyance of Call of Cthulhu and the, er, bite of Vampire'', the Ravenloft setting remains the hobby's most enduring fusion of horror and fantasy". Darker Days Radio declared Ravenloft the "greatest D&D campaign setting", citing the unique gothic horror elements and classic villains such as Azalin Rex. In the Io9 series revisiting older Dungeons & Dragons novels, Rob Bricken highlighted that Vampire of the Mists "isn't scary, per se, but Strahd wreaks enough horror and carnage to drive home that Ravenloft is much, much more sinister than the Forgotten Realms. [...] Ravenloft (and I guess Forgotten Realms) vampires have all the tropes: They can turn into bats, wolves, and mists, and they don't cast reflections. They can control animals and enthrall people, to a degree. They can't cross running water, and they have to be invited into a home to enter. Unless they're an extremely powerful vampire like Strahd, natch". Shelly Jones, in the journal Analog Game Studies: Volume IV, highlighted the Tarokka Deck mechanic used in both the original Ravenloft (1983) module and the 5th edition Curse of Strahd (2016) module to add randomization to the game and increase replayability. Jones wrote: "The Tarokka Deck incorporates an inconsistency in the game play that reflects fragmented traumatic memory and reifies the inconsistency present within an abusive relationship". Jones also highlighted that "without sunshine as a key time-tracking element, players are forced to rely upon other means to signal the passage of time within Barovia. Further adding to that disorientation is the knowledge that the players have been abandoned from anything familiar or real. [...] This alienating effect, based upon the physical environment as well as the psychological manifestations, traumatizes characters". "for reinforcing harmful stereotypes through its portrayal of the Vistani, an in-fiction analogue for the Roma people". In 2020, Wizards of the Coast announced "in the editorial process for Strahds reprint, as well as two upcoming products, Wizards worked with a Romani consultant to present the Vistani without using reductive tropes". On this update, Jon Ryan, for IGN, wrote that "it's worth noting that the book's illustrations of the Vistani still evoke Romani culture, and some players may still associate certain abilities [...] with outdated cultural stereotypes". Julie Muncy, for Io9, criticized the "granular changes" to the Vistani people as not very extensive and that "while there's a real opportunity here to do better work—the aforementioned diversity pledge also mentioned future works that will feature the Vistani people and aim to complicate their depictions—starting that work with a fancy collector's edition feels less like a promise to do better and more like a victory lap". == Official products ==

Ravenloft has acted as the official campaign setting for multiple Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying adventure modules, sourcebooks and accessories. It has also been the main setting for novels and video games. Video games • ''Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession'' PC game (1994) • Ravenloft: Stone Prophet PC game (1995) • Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft PlayStation 1 game (1996) • Dungeons & Dragons Online PC game expansion "Mists of Ravenloft" (2017) • Neverwinter (video game) expansion module Ravenloft; Windows, Xbox One, PS4 (June 26, 2018) == In other media ==

• In 2016, Wizards of the Coast added an additional license option to their 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons open game license. It allows individuals and third party publishers to create and sell content based on specific Wizards of the Coast intellectual property, if the content is sold through the Dungeon Masters Guild storefront. Multiple third party supplements and adventures set in Ravenloft have since been released through this program. • Tales From the Mists (2019–2020) was an official actual play series which streamed on the Dungeons & Dragons Twitch and YouTube channels. TK Johnson was the show's Dungeon Master with a "cast of four players (Lysa Chen, Kayla Cline, Hadeel Al-Massari, and Ashley Warren) plus two rotating party slots filled by new players every four episodes". Christian Hoffer, for ComicBook.com, wrote: "One of Tales from the Mists' greatest strengths is that it feels very much like a gothic horror story, with an emphasis on death, the macabre, and terror lurking right around the corner. [...] While Dungeons & Dragons is perhaps best known for its combat encounters, Tales from the Mists seems to take its gothic horror roots seriously. [...] This might be an adjustment from how some people think of Dungeons & Dragons, but Tales from the Mists is a masterclass on how to run a horror campaign using mood and environment to set the tone instead of a constant parade of scary monsters". B. Dave Walters was the show's Dungeon Master with a cast of six players: Tanya DePass, Noura Ibrahim, Deejay Knight, Mark Meer, Saige Ryan and Becca Scott. ==References==