D&D General The thread where I review a ton of Ravenloft modules

[TiQuinn]

The issue with it is it's very difficult to run (even by Ravenloft standards). But, as the 2nd adventure, it had a key role in establishing the setting. If you read that it will make understanding what the writers where trying to achieve in the later adventures a lot easier. And some later adventures reference events in this one directly (the one with the vampiric mindflayers certainly does). It also has some excellent "gothic" maps.

Yeah, conceptually, it’s a solid adventure. Like really creative stuff. It just needs a massive re-org. It would also be very rule-breaking for Ravenloft but in a good way, I think.

 

[TiQuinn]

There’s an attempted murder by one of the main villains (or, at least, the brother of the main villain), and there are zombies, and eventually the PCs end up at the brother’s house, where they find a bunch of ghouls, and they kill the brother, and then all is right with the world, except no, it’s not.

Yeah, Night of the Walking Dead plays a bit wonky but I realized that much of the story falls into place if you just get rid of the serial killer aspect and change some ghouls to zombies. When I ran it, I included an attack on the Inn sequence to give it a true Night of the Living Dead vibe with the party surrounded (with a few possible exits they’d have to find or create). I modified the Zombie Lord to remove the automatic death roll possibility and let him go mostly as is. This was back in 2e though.

Damn wish I had thought of the banjo…

 

[Remathilis]

I agree that Death House seems pretty straightforward. If I run it, I'm changing the hook into it, and moving it out of Barovia, since my campaign isn't set there. But I'd be curious to hear what makes it so terrible?

House of Lament looks excellent! But obviously my read-through can't compare to an actual play. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.

I've run both in two separate RL campaigns. I toned down the combat in both (replacing the shambling mound for a mummy) but my players enjoyed them well enough.

 

[Remathilis]

Not suggesting a review, but I would like to plug a classic DCC module: 34 Cage of Delirium (written by Wes Schneider who did that 5e RL book). It's a great dungeon crawl though a Haunted Asylum that is heavy on both combat and role playing as you try to put the spirits of the place to rest. Gets a little grindy in places but I've run it twice and my players loved it both times. Worth a look. It's on Drive Thru still.

 

[TiQuinn]

Not suggesting a review, but I would like to plug a classic DCC module: 34 Cage of Delirium (written by Wes Schneider who did that 5e RL book). It's a great dungeon crawl though a Haunted Asylum that is heavy on both combat and role playing as you try to put the spirits of the place to rest. Gets a little grindy in places but I've run it twice and my players loved it both times. Worth a look. It's on Drive Thru still.

I've found that of the non-generic fantasy settings, Ravenloft is probably the easiest one to adapt modules for. Got undead? Is it in any way horror inspired? It can fit.

 

[Remathilis]

I've found that of the non-generic fantasy settings, Ravenloft is probably the easiest one to adapt modules for. Got undead? Is it in any way horror inspired? It can fit.

It FEELS like a Ravenloft module in all but name. And one of Ravenloft's best tricks is that you can't make nearly anything a domain or micro domain if you need to and the Mists can carry you to where they need to be. It gets overused a little too much in published modules, but the ability to always end up where the adventure is can be a real advantage.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I've run both in two separate RL campaigns. I toned down the combat in both (replacing the shambling mound for a mummy) but my players enjoyed them well enough.

Yeah, replacing the shambling mound with something more interesting but less deadly is a good move. I would probably ditch the bit at the end where the doors try to eat the party too. This finished off my lot, and a most unsatisfactory ending it is!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes, definitely use non-Ravenloft adventures, D&D or otherwise. It’s just a matter of focusing the horror elements (most things can be horrific if looked at in a certain way). It’s probably better than using the railroady 2nd edition modules.

Sometimes a bit of tweaking. For example, I ran The Isle of the Abbey (GoS) as a Ravenloft adventure. One change: the smugglers hiding in the ruins didn’t know they had been cursed by the pirate queen they double crossed, and had starved to death centuries ago.

 

[Remathilis]

Yes, definitely use non-Ravenloft adventures, D&D or otherwise. It’s just a matter of focusing the horror elements (most things can be horrific if looked at in a certain way). It’s probably better than using the railroady 2nd edition modules.

Sometimes a bit of tweaking. For example, I ran The Isle of the Abbey (GoS) as a Ravenloft adventure. One change: the smugglers hiding in the ruins didn’t know they had been cursed by the pirate queen they double crossed, and had starved to death centuries ago.

They haven't reached that level yet, but the Styes (Ghost of Saltmarch) is definitely a good fit, far better than any of the suggestions that give for other settings.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They haven't reached that level yet, but the Styes (Ghost of Saltmarch) is definitely a good fit, far better than any of the suggestions that give for other settings.

The Styles is just down the coast from Innsmouth isn’t it?

I would say it’s easier to find a good adventure and make it Ravenloft than to find a good Ravenloft adventure!