Ravenloft [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Ravenloft [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
alzoron
07-04-06, 08:24 AM Our group is currently playing a Forgotten Realms campaign, but our previous one was set in Ravenloft. A few of us a couple weeks ago were getting all nostalgic about our time in the Ravenloft campaign and our DM decided to throw us into Ravenloft for a couple sessions.

I'm wondering what changes to our characters in the Ravenloft realm would follow us back into Faerun. For instance:

1. If one of us gains a familiar/animal companion while in Ravenloft would it continue to be a dread familiar/companion in Faerun.

2. Horror/Madness penalties.

3. Dark Powers Check Failures and the resulting adjustments to stats.

4. Anything else I missed.
stclax_26
07-04-06, 10:58 AM One would have to actually escape from the Demiplane of Dread before such elements could be implemented. Were I DM and my group ended up in Ravenloft, they would have to restart their FR characters should they become bored with RL and wish their characters to return to FR. In my mind one of the underlining themes to RL, as far as non-natives recently interred in it, is the PCs' burgeoning horror when they realize they cannot escape!

#3 stands out to me at the moment: I would apply a suitable ECL to the PC depending on the level of DP failures and abilties gained from it. Also because such "gifts" usually have a drawback or stipulation for maintaining, sometimes as a physical oddity/deformity/tick or digesting something particular/cutting oneself/passing gas loudly a number of times a day (e.g.- a "catlike" rogue who was given the Embrace begins to clean himself at irregular intervals and has to kill a mouse and eat it 2/day), they would have to maintain those requirements or suffer the ensuing punishment for not keeping up with them (e.g.- the same rogue who left RL decided that he could train himself out of his old RL habits, sadly he learned quickly that the terrible stomach cramps and fever that ensued for not eating mice twice a day returned to haunt him at -2 to all physical skill checks and attack bonus) and to also keep their Outcast Rating in FR in regards to skills checks for human interaction. A kind of supernatural ability that the DP left on the PC as a parting gift for leaving the Mists, because they should have never been able to leave in the first place without something catastrophic like the Grand Conjunction or Time of Unparallel Darkness.

Basically, I would make the PCs regret they ever left RL, since in my mind they should never be able to leave (have I mentioned that yet? ;) ). Depending on how they escaped I would also judge whether or not the PCs should feel they are being "pursued" by the mists, keeping the dread of not knowing when or if they'll ever return to the Demiplane. During their adventures through Faerun, I may even throw in possible RL locations, towns, languages, cultures, and names that may sound or seem familiar to the PCs so as to make them question whether they truly escaped or not. This wouldn't be exceedingly hard considering some of the RL realms were based on FR people and places (Hazlik, Tristen, Kartakass, Rashemani, Church of the Lawgiver, etc).

For more in depth answers to your questions I would speak to the Fraternity of Shadows (www.fraternityofshadows.com), a really helpful bunch and more knowledgeable than I on such matters. Cut and paste the link.
Gray Richardson
07-05-06, 09:58 AM There is a portal to Ravenloft somewhere in the Greycloak Hills just north of Evereska.

Don't know if it is a two-way portal, but it might make for a good plot device for getting the players from one-world to the next.
Mace_Hammerhand
07-05-06, 03:09 PM 1. If one of us gains a familiar/animal companion while in Ravenloft would it continue to be a dread familiar/companion in Faerun.

2. Horror/Madness penalties.

3. Dark Powers Check Failures and the resulting adjustments to stats.

4. Anything else I missed.

1) it is a regular animal, Ravenloft isn't all about monsters, if this animal would turn into a dread whathaveyou, you could also argue that any items you find there would be cursed as well

2) if the character suffers from any type of mental problem due to it, he keeps it when leaving Ravenloft.

3) why should it revert? see points 1+2, it might be far easier to cure since it can be treated like a regular curse, but since the 'laws' of Ravenloft do not apply in the Realms it is much easier to cure.

4) If you tell me what you might have missed I can tell you what I think ;)
Kaewin
07-05-06, 05:25 PM I'm wondering how you got free. Aren't the magic items to help you go evil in nature? Personaly I would make the pcs suffer...um I mean go through great personal sacrife to escape and THEN I might not let them all escape. Of course if you do want them to escape but not to easy make them fight their way across the plain of shadows. Add a little risk to something that sounds so simple. But one should never just "escape" from Ravenloft. Depower them all treasue and xps gained should be lost. Of course all bad things should be kept it only makes sense in a twisted sort of way. Of course I do like the haunt thing. It should seem to follow them or just leave them with nightmares so great that spell user would have to make concetration checks to get enough rest to regain spells. To get rid of it the would have to have miracle cast on them or an epic type of quest.
Gallameed
07-09-06, 08:35 PM There is a portal to Ravenloft somewhere in the Greycloak Hills just north of Evereska.

Don't know if it is a two-way portal, but it might make for a good plot device for getting the players from one-world to the next.

I would love to know everything about this titbit!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
alzoron 07-04-06, 08:24 AM	Our group is currently playing a Forgotten Realms campaign, but our previous one was set in Ravenloft. A few of us a couple weeks ago were getting all nostalgic about our time in the Ravenloft campaign and our DM decided to throw us into Ravenloft for a couple sessions. I'm wondering what changes to our characters in the Ravenloft realm would follow us back into Faerun. For instance: 1. If one of us gains a familiar/animal companion while in Ravenloft would it continue to be a dread familiar/companion in Faerun. 2. Horror/Madness penalties. 3. Dark Powers Check Failures and the resulting adjustments to stats. 4. Anything else I missed.
stclax_26 07-04-06, 10:58 AM	One would have to actually escape from the Demiplane of Dread before such elements could be implemented. Were I DM and my group ended up in Ravenloft, they would have to restart their FR characters should they become bored with RL and wish their characters to return to FR. In my mind one of the underlining themes to RL, as far as non-natives recently interred in it, is the PCs' burgeoning horror when they realize they cannot escape! #3 stands out to me at the moment: I would apply a suitable ECL to the PC depending on the level of DP failures and abilties gained from it. Also because such "gifts" usually have a drawback or stipulation for maintaining, sometimes as a physical oddity/deformity/tick or digesting something particular/cutting oneself/passing gas loudly a number of times a day (e.g.- a "catlike" rogue who was given the Embrace begins to clean himself at irregular intervals and has to kill a mouse and eat it 2/day), they would have to maintain those requirements or suffer the ensuing punishment for not keeping up with them (e.g.- the same rogue who left RL decided that he could train himself out of his old RL habits, sadly he learned quickly that the terrible stomach cramps and fever that ensued for not eating mice twice a day returned to haunt him at -2 to all physical skill checks and attack bonus) and to also keep their Outcast Rating in FR in regards to skills checks for human interaction. A kind of supernatural ability that the DP left on the PC as a parting gift for leaving the Mists, because they should have never been able to leave in the first place without something catastrophic like the Grand Conjunction or Time of Unparallel Darkness. Basically, I would make the PCs regret they ever left RL, since in my mind they should never be able to leave (have I mentioned that yet? ;) ). Depending on how they escaped I would also judge whether or not the PCs should feel they are being "pursued" by the mists, keeping the dread of not knowing when or if they'll ever return to the Demiplane. During their adventures through Faerun, I may even throw in possible RL locations, towns, languages, cultures, and names that may sound or seem familiar to the PCs so as to make them question whether they truly escaped or not. This wouldn't be exceedingly hard considering some of the RL realms were based on FR people and places (Hazlik, Tristen, Kartakass, Rashemani, Church of the Lawgiver, etc). For more in depth answers to your questions I would speak to the Fraternity of Shadows (www.fraternityofshadows.com), a really helpful bunch and more knowledgeable than I on such matters. Cut and paste the link.
Gray Richardson 07-05-06, 09:58 AM	There is a portal to Ravenloft somewhere in the Greycloak Hills just north of Evereska. Don't know if it is a two-way portal, but it might make for a good plot device for getting the players from one-world to the next.
Mace_Hammerhand 07-05-06, 03:09 PM	1. If one of us gains a familiar/animal companion while in Ravenloft would it continue to be a dread familiar/companion in Faerun. 2. Horror/Madness penalties. 3. Dark Powers Check Failures and the resulting adjustments to stats. 4. Anything else I missed. 1) it is a regular animal, Ravenloft isn't all about monsters, if this animal would turn into a dread whathaveyou, you could also argue that any items you find there would be cursed as well 2) if the character suffers from any type of mental problem due to it, he keeps it when leaving Ravenloft. 3) why should it revert? see points 1+2, it might be far easier to cure since it can be treated like a regular curse, but since the 'laws' of Ravenloft do not apply in the Realms it is much easier to cure. 4) If you tell me what you might have missed I can tell you what I think ;)
Kaewin 07-05-06, 05:25 PM	I'm wondering how you got free. Aren't the magic items to help you go evil in nature? Personaly I would make the pcs suffer...um I mean go through great personal sacrife to escape and THEN I might not let them all escape. Of course if you do want them to escape but not to easy make them fight their way across the plain of shadows. Add a little risk to something that sounds so simple. But one should never just "escape" from Ravenloft. Depower them all treasue and xps gained should be lost. Of course all bad things should be kept it only makes sense in a twisted sort of way. Of course I do like the haunt thing. It should seem to follow them or just leave them with nightmares so great that spell user would have to make concetration checks to get enough rest to regain spells. To get rid of it the would have to have miracle cast on them or an epic type of quest.
Gallameed 07-09-06, 08:35 PM	There is a portal to Ravenloft somewhere in the Greycloak Hills just north of Evereska. Don't know if it is a two-way portal, but it might make for a good plot device for getting the players from one-world to the next. I would love to know everything about this titbit!