FR Sages, is there any place in Faerun for a gothic realm?

[Felon]

I plan on picking up Ravenloft, but I'd like it to fit into the realms somewhere rather than be some demiplane the characters get shunted off into. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Odhanan]

Westgate is known for its v-... dark alleys, I mean, but that may be a bit too "urban" to represent Barovia. Maybe somewhere not too far, along the Dragon Coast?

 

[Sunderstone]

I would probably locate this in the Moonshae Isles, probably Gwynneth and north of Myrloch Vale.

 

[Sammael]

I'd make Barovia one of the Border Kingdoms. Check the series of articles on Border Kingdoms that's been running on the WotC site for a while now.

 

[Sejs]

The border kingdoms (assuming I'm thinking of the right ones) may be a bit too tropical, being on the shining sea and all.


Personally, I'd take the Great Dale (p201 in the FRCS if you're interested) and change the flavor a bit. Make the ruler your Strahd instead of a reclusive druid in a living wooden castle that kills all visitors. The rest really is just a minor adjustment in tone to make it more gothy and you're set.

You've got your big forrest, mountain vale, introversive rural folk, plenty of room for gypsies and oodles of horror. Plus the climate's right, and it's sufficiently remote.

Hell, come to think of it, I may just do this for my game as well...

 

[ericlboyd]

I plan on picking up Ravenloft, but I'd like it to fit into the realms somewhere rather than be some demiplane the characters get shunted off into. Anyone got any ideas?

You could substitute Barovia for Darkhold and Sunset Vale. If you want to keep Darkhold in your campaign, just move Barovia to the northern or southern end of the range.

The valley north of Llorkh is pretty isolated. That might work as well.

--Eric

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think the Great Dale idea works the best. That's a lightly detailed area with similar flavor to begin with. In fact, I'd add some of that flavor to Ravenloft instead of just doing a straight substitution.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

how about the underdark. Lots of spiders, very gothy.

 

[countgray]

There are a lot of places it would fit. Narfell would be good. Thesk, the Great Dale, Vaasa, The Ride, Damara. You could put it in a few places in the North, perhaps sandwiched between the Greypeaks mountains and the Serpent Hills. Or just west of the Stormhorns. Or the Gulthmere forest area. Even a quaint little region on the edges of Amn or Tethyr. The Borderkingdoms south of the Lake of Steam would be excellent.

If you are just using Castle Ravenloft, and Barovia, it could fit in easily in a ton of places. If you are using all the domains of dread then a little bit more creative squeezing will be necessary.

 

[Sanackranib]

have you considered the stone lands north of Cormyr. lots of ruins and undead. and a prime target for those of the adenturing bent