Authors: Harold Johnson, Brett King, Ari Marmell, Steve Miller, Ryan Naylor
Type:Accessory – story hooks
Format: 184 pages, paperback
Release date: May 2005

Summary of content:
Largely developed story scenarios, based on legendary villains and movies.

Chapter One: To Inherit Eternity (Harold Johnson)
Chapter Two: The Curse of Ashington Manor (Steve Miller)
Chapter Three: The Brood of Blutkalte (Brett King)
Chapter Four: Noises in the Night (Ryan Naylor), including the magic item: Tome of Horror
Chapter Five: To Honor and Obey (Ari Marmell)
DM’s Appendix: Accompanying notes for each chapters.

Chapter One: New magic items – the Heirloom, Lucine Claw, Wanderer’s Guide, Waters of Eternity; Long cast of characters; New monsters: Ambiant (undead), Darque (aberration), Lost (or Echoes or Shells, aberration)
Chapter Two: New magic items – Rozaleen’s Tarokka; New monsters: Verhteig; NPC portrait: Lord Herod Ashington, Maekon, Rozaleen
Chapter Three: NPC portrait: Sebastian Blutkalte
Chapter Four: New monsters: Bogeyman – the Bad Thing, Mister Fox, Monsieur and Madame Croquemitaine, Alligator Lenny, the Scissorman
Chapter Five: New class: Voodan; the Loas of Souragne detailed

Reviews:

Tobias Blackburn

RAVENLOFT & THE DUNGEON MASTERS GUILD Introduction Adventurers find themselves trapped within Barovia, where they encounter a Vistani fortuneteller named Madam Eva. Using the power of the tarokka deck, she sets them on a dark course that takes them to the corners of Barovia, culminating in a fantastic vampire hunt. 2) Remove the incomplete tarokka deck from Maekon and place it elsewhere for the heroes to find. Steve Miller: FYI, the design of the adventure vis-a-vis Maekon and the Tarokka deck went like this. Maekon was in the house the whole time, playing with the deck in the master bedroom. Scrapped that idea, wanted her to be wandering and drawn back.

The only hope for the trapped adventurers is to heed the warnings of a mysterious fortune-teller named Madam Eva. Drawing random cards from her tarokka deck, she directs adventurers to search Strahd’s domain for artifacts and allies to help the master of Castle Ravenloft. The Principal Tarokka contains the same fifty-four cards as a mundane Tarokka deck, and barring an incomplete deck can be used as such without effecting a fate good or ill. However, when a user thoroughly shuffles the deck and then declares an intent to draw some number of cards, these Decks of Powers enact magic that can raise champions. Share your thoughts, experiences and the tales behind the art.

After having some time to digest the contents of Arthaus' latest Ravenloft, I feel confident enough to give it a fair review.

The book is set into five chapters (plus the obvious intro and DM appendix), each telling a campfire story. What follows the story is an explanation about the truth of the matter, as well as a discussion on how to incorporate it into your game.

What follows is actually a little more complex. Every author has a different style of writing, and the five different approaches to the project are quite obvious. Each chapter has quite a different feel to it, and some feel that they are sticking quite loosely to the formula.

Introduction: The introduction to the book explains the hold that the inspiration that Ravenloft takes from our imagination. From Dracula to Cat People to The Hook, Ravenloft seems to be at its best when adapting the frighteningly familiar tales we tell in the dark. It, of course, gives the outline that the rest of the book is to follow.

All 'crunch' is kept in the DM Appendix, by the way.

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Chapter One: To Inherit Eternity: The first chapter of DTDL was written by Harold Johnson. The story is a murder mystery at a dinner party/ auction, complete with cast of shady characters. It is by far the longest (the story toping out at 31 pages, the entire chapter being 47), but it has good reason. To Inherit Eternity first explains how to play the dinner party with your players (including options for changing key moments in the evening to keep players who read the adventure off their toes).

This chapter also serves the purposes of laying out the formula necessary to run a murder mystery of your own, as well as setting out everything you need to run a campaign based around the being known as Eternity. It lays out the quest for immortality, making suggestions for powers and events, but leaving it up to the DM. It also explains how to use the campaign or even the dinner party with characters from low to high levels.

If I had one problem, the dinner party itself feels like it would be difficult to introduce the characters into. With such a large cast and revelations that must occur at certain times, it would be a challenge for even the most experienced DM to run, and seems to involve a lot of railroading. After the party though, it opens up quite nicely.

Chapter Two: The Curse of Ashington Manor: Steve Miller's story involves murder, a curse reaching its peak, and a house which has suffered some tremendous tragedies. After the truth is explained, Mr. Miller gives the adventure itself. While the first chapter focused on a bar outline, this one is a meatier adventure, complete with map, site descriptions and an interesting use of the Tarokka deck. Of the adventure possibilities presented, I found this one to be my favourite, and can see it becoming a staple adventure of the setting, like Night of the Walking Dead or House of Strahd. It also introduces a new foe for the Vistani, but more on that later. While a DM might not run the adventure, it provides some excellent ideas for use with Sinkholes of Evil or Ethereal Resonance.

Chapter Three: The Brood of Blutkalte: Brett King's story of a family of killers is much more complicated than it first seems. What really shines in this chapter is the outline of serial killer adventures. This can be difficult to run, what with a four to one ratio for the average party, but King warns of common problems and how to avoid them. The particular serial killer involved in the story is quite unique, though it is possible to follow through the adventure and never have your player's learn the truth behind it. The adventure itself is a outline of important scenes and some clues to get them started.

Chapter Four: Noises in the Night: Ryan Naylor expands on an old Book of S_ article to bring this story of Bogeymen. Less an adventure than a how-to-guide, this chapter tells of the destruction of one family, and the truth of Bogeymen. How they are created, the rules they live by, and how they stalk their prey. Learning their stories can make you a target, but also can hold the keys to your salvation. And should the player's really want to, there are ways to change the nature of the bogeyman itself by changing the story. The chapter struck me as a bit of 'Van Richten Lite', telling the DM how to best use these creatures and make them memorable.

I also loved the addition of the Dread Possibility (and the return of my favourite 2e artifact): the Tome of Terror.

Chapter Five: To Honor and Obey: Of all the stories, this one is the creepiest. Madness, murder, voodoo and incest, Steve Marmell's To Honor and Obey was something of a shock. While all of the stories deal with adult themes, this one, the shortest of them, held the most visceral twist of them all. And trust me, it isn't a pretty story to begin with. After the story, there are suggestions on how to get your player's involved, but more time is spent on how to use the story to introduce a family as antagonists. It also points out that one of the characters is perfectly set up for Darklordship and goes so far as to explain his desires and how his curse would manifest.

DM Appendix: The Appendix is broken by the chapters, holding the game material for each story.

Chapter 1: 4

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