D&D General What are your favorite Domains of Dread?

[Stormonu]

Despite my fondness for Ravenloft as a setting unto itself, I tend to find the weird or isolated domains more compelling. Particularly pocket domains like The Winding Road, Scaena, and Davion. I also like Forlorn, for some reason.

Honestly, though, I tend to find the darklords more interesting than many of the domains themselves.

I want to like Forlorn so much (undead Nessie!), but the boxed set of that domain just left me cold. Perhaps it has too much going on ("I'm a vampire! I'm a ghost! Now I'm in the past, and you're in my future - look, Nessie!!!!")

 

[JEB]

I want to like Forlorn so much (undead Nessie!), but the boxed set of that domain just left me cold. Perhaps it has too much going on ("I'm a vampire! I'm a ghost! Now I'm in the past, and you're in my future - look, Nessie!!!!")

Honestly, I think Forlorn being much too complicated is part of its irrational appeal for me. But don't get me wrong, objectively the domain is a mess.

 

[humble minion]

Honestly, I think Forlorn being much too complicated is part of its irrational appeal for me. But don't get me wrong, objectively the domain is a mess.

True. There's so much cool stuff there - but viewed as a whole it's an incoherent train wreck. Especially the Darklord. And undead Nessie (what, a LIVING lake monster wasn't interesting enough??) is just kinda there and has nothing to do.

I'm doing a reread of the 3e Gazetteers at the moment, inspired by the new release - I'll have to get to the Forlorn one and remind myself of how they handled it. The Gaz line was normally very strong on making domains grounded kinda places which felt like you could actually live and adventure and do things there.

 

[Remathilis]

I want to like Forlorn so much (undead Nessie!), but the boxed set of that domain just left me cold. Perhaps it has too much going on ("I'm a vampire! I'm a ghost! Now I'm in the past, and you're in my future - look, Nessie!!!!")

Forlorn is the domain designed by that one guy who plays a warforged moon druid/shadow monk sailor so he can go "lol, robot pirate dinosaur ninja!" as his character concept.

Too many competing ideas contradicting each other.

 

[embee]

I'll see your H+R Block and raise you the DMV. For the lightning round, you have to choose between either picking someone up from the airport or helping them move.

I'll raise you one men's room at the New York City 8th Avenue Port Authority Bus Terminal.

 

[Voadam]

I'm doing a reread of the 3e Gazetteers at the moment, inspired by the new release - I'll have to get to the Forlorn one and remind myself of how they handled it. The Gaz line was normally very strong on making domains grounded kinda places which felt like you could actually live and adventure and do things there.

The Gazetteers were a great part of the Arthaus line. I really wish WotC would put the PDFs back up for sale. I only grabbed one before the surprise take down of all the 3e licensed PDF stuff years ago and the trickle of 3e Ravenloft repostings has not expanded for a long time.

With the 5e setting as a thing hopefully that will change.

 

[R_J_K75]

I'll raise you one men's room at the New York City 8th Avenue Port Authority Bus Terminal.

I'll take your word for it but thank god I can say I've never had the pleasure of being there.

 

[Bedrockgames]

The Gazetteers were a great part of the Arthaus line. I really wish WotC would put the PDFs back up for sale. I only grabbed one before the surprise take down of all the 3e licensed PDF stuff years ago and the trickle of 3e Ravenloft repostings has not expanded for a long time.

With the 5e setting as a thing hopefully that will change.

this is just my opinion but I found them too detailed, too grounded, and a bit too gothy for my Ravenloft tastes (though I am sure my first two objections were probably selling points for many). I also found the art style just didn’t land as well as that early Fabian art (I know not all Ravenloft books in 2E used it but it was so important to the feel for me). But the I like my Ravenloft a bit campy, and to balance the surreal with the real

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

How about operatic metal?

Sithicus is opera. Pure opera

 

[Bedrockgames]

How about operatic metal?

I love metal, but I still maintain Soth is a traditional man, with a taste for opera (besides power metal uses too many major keys )

With his range and that outfit, he was born for opera