The Dark Site

I. What is RAVENLOFT ?
II. Gothic Horror
III. Fantasy
IV. The Rules
V. The World
VI. The Masque of the Red Death
VII. And More Information ...

Note : RAVENLOFT in caps refers to the game and Ravenloft to the world.

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I.
RAVENLOFT is a rather splendid 'fantasy (classic) gothic horror RPG', based on the second edition AD&D rules. This sentence alone may require some explanation.
What an RPG is, probably does not ; if I am correct you will have read this about a thousand times.

II.
'The Mists cloak dangers more horrifying than you can imagine'
Milos Donskoy

(Classic) Gothic Horror is the most important element of the definition of RAVENLOFT.
Dark glooming castles, black clouds racing past the moon, wolves howling in the distant woods ...
those are images of gothic horror, which evolves around fear, mystery and desire.

Fear is the most important part, and also the most delicate. Unlike modern horror, which usually consist of horrible images and gruesome carnage and knife-wielding maniacs.
Gothic horror is far more sublte : lights never go out all at the same time, but one by one they are softly extinghuished. A sinister mystery lies behind all events, and despite many warnings not to, the heroes are compelled to unravel it.

The antagonists are bad, beyond redemption, but still somewhat human, usually driven by a passion beyond healthy preoccupation. This in essence makes them melacholic, after all the ghost haunting man may only be seeking to join his love. This does of course by no means justify his actions if he harms another. He is still bad, but his human reminiscent makes him more frightening than any nuclear dinosaur.

Huge old castles, ruins dark and threatning, are excellent locations for the story to play in. Nature is never impartial and usually sides with evil, as the clouds can block much needed moonlight and the storm compelles one to stay where he rather wouldn't be. Man is infinitely small and insignificant.
Threats that loom in shadows or fog don't even have to real. The fear is.

Horror as a literary genre has developed a number of techniques to evoke this fear, and they are given in the RAVENLOFT rulebook for you to use.

III.
'Imagination can be far more terrifying than reality'

Next to this gothic horror element, there is a somewhat unusual combination with 'fantasy'. Those literary genres are not exactly mixed by custom. The fantasy-element is of course very much like the AD&D setting and is mainly visible in the rather medieval world (with some exceptions) : swords and bows, elves and dwarves, magic and gods ...
In other words : RAVENLOFT could easily be thought of as a crucible for 'Dracula' and 'The Lord of the Rings', with quite some modifications to both. As bizarre as this may sound, it actually works !

IV.
'The Rules by which we all abide ...'

As mentioned earlier on, RAVENLOFT is rooted in the second edition Ad&d rules (as it is now no longer edited, conversion to the 3E rules are mostly the work of fans on the net).
The things you will need to play correctly, then, are the 'Player's Handbook' ; the 'Dungeon Master's Guide' and the sourcebook 'RAVENLOFT : Domains of Dread' . And then there are numerous things to be added, such as the Van Richten Guides To ... , the Monster Hunter Compendiums, and of course adventures to play.
A full assortment of dice (D4-D6-D8-D10-D12-D20-D00) is also close to vital.

In order to increase roleplaying, some rules have been including called the Fear, Horror and Madness checks. They serve to see how well or poorly an PC reacts to the horrors of the land. The first time PCs meet a ghost, for example, might well leave them running as far as their legs will take them. Fear, and to a lesser degree horror checks, are not used if a PC is already roleplaying his fear. This encourages them to act more vividly.

Magic, and thus wizards and priests, but also psionics, are alteered by the Land. 'Domains of Dread' describes in detail exactly how.

V.
'Demiplains & Domains & Darklords'

!Warning! This information should really not be read by players ; DM's ONLY .

What then is the world they call 'Ravenloft' ? This is a difficult question, and the answer is complex. First and for all, it is a closed pocket of the multiverse, a 'Demiplane' as it is called. Connections to the other planes are scarce. Entry to Ravenloft is usually easy, owever, escape may prove to be close to impossible.
This 'Demiplane' is controlled by the 'Dark Powers' ... and ruled by evil.

For the inhabitants, life is not remarkably different from other worlds. They are unaware of the darkness that surrounds them. How other for those who enter this realm without willing to, and the scolars who learn too much. In many ways, they can see the corrupting of the Land on both magic and people. The magic is altered : necromancy is heavily boosted, while spells versus evil and undead lack the powers they once had. Spells are made subordinate to the Domain Lord's will.
Men and women are commit foul deeds are remarked and 'rewarded' for this. Every single one of these gifts however is also a handicap.
What exactly those Dark Powers are, is not known. Most associate them with the Mists, bogeyman for natives, but as real as can be. The Mists have the power to transport people to Ravenloft. The Dark Powers create and alter Ravenloft, without mortals or Gods having any influence over them.

Next to all this, Ravenloft is divided into several 'Domains', each with its geographical and cultural identity. Often it are copies of the world from where the Lord originates, which are copied into Ravenloft when the ruler sets an ultimately evil deed. It is believed that Barovia was the first Domain, when Strahd Von Zarovich made a pact with 'Death' and was granted eternal life, hoping in doing so to conquer his love's heart. Alas, that night treason was commited, and his love suicided. Strahd himself was indeed immortal, as a vampire and trapped in the Demiplane. The Domains of Ravenloft are centered on a continent, the Core, on isles in the surrounding seas, or in the Mists, or sometimes relocate. On certain times in history, Domains were added or the geography of Ravenloft was totally changed.

All Domains are ruled by a Lord, of which the most powerful are the Darklords. Of all these were brought to Ravenloft because they were beyond redemption. Domains on Ravenloft are often a slightly changed version, taunting the lord with what he wants - but will never get.
As the Lords are tied to the Land, they have unseen powers over it. On the other hand, escape from it is not possible for them.

All this makes Ravenloft a divers and beautiful land by day - but lethal by night. Names as Realms of Terror and Domains of Dread are very suitable indeed ! More than elsewhere, Ravenloft is the prey to werewolves, vampires, zombies and liches.

Next to Strahd, already mentioned above, and one of the most powerful of Darklords, you will come across the name of Rudolph Van Richten. He was a doctor and herbalist, until he lost his son to a vampire. He then crusaded against the evil in the Land. His knowledge is written down in his Monster Hunter's Compendiums and Guides. Unfortunately, he disappeared some time ago.

Technically and to avoid confusion, Ravenloft is another world for heroes to explore after they are brought there from their home world. Low level heroes are not really recommended, despite some very nice introductory adventures.

VI.
'Elementary, dear ...'

The world describes above however is not the only RAVENLOFT game world : Not so long ago, an expansion campaign set named 'The Masque of the Red Death' (a reference to E.A.Poe) was released. In this boxed set, the accent shifted even more towards atmosphere, as the setting is now late 19 century, the Victorian Age, whiwh I think you will agree with me, is a superb setting. Indeed few settings are a suitable for a vampire plot than foggy 1890's London streets, in which not only Holmes and Watson wander, but also Conan-Doyle, Poe themselves,and many others. This means of course that magic (the occult) is placed somewhat on the background, less prominent and more mysterious, and that heroic swordfights are replaced with marksmanship.
The concept is also changed : no more Lords, but a mysterious dark force known only as the 'Red Death', ancient cause of evil in this world.

VII.
'... before we come to this unpleasant business however, we have only one question for you : ... how can we help you ?'
The Kargatane

More information on Ravenloft itself and gaming material is available in your Gamesshop (in Belgium this is definitely the Lonely Mountain), as well on the internet :
* www.kargatane.com
The kargatane are a rather shadowlike organisation, who have taken over the burdens of RAVENLOFT affairs ince it is not edited anymore. The Kargatane make sure that this world is not forgotten.
(word gets around, WotC will publish new material on internet only, check out www.wizards.com)

*http://thedarksite.freehompage.com can offer you a more personal discours of a RAVENLOFT campaign.

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Michael Wiesner, modified after 'An Introduction to the Mists' and 'RAVENLOFT : Domains of Dread'; 2001.