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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
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Pandora
Learned Scribe
Germany
305 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Oct 2008 : 06:48:32
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| One of the things I felt as being illogical in the Planescape books was the presence of low-mid level adventurers visiting other planes. They would have no chance of survival against something that "didnt like them" while traveling towards their destination. The original Ravenloft pulled you - if youre not doing a whole campaign of Ravenloft adventures - from the material plane to the Ravenloft adventure with no "potentially lethal travel" inbetween and you might not even notice the change of locations. This feels somewhat more acceptable than any horror setting which is simply put in the plane of shadows. Travel dangers are back? Dangerous Planar adventures require Plane Shift and / or Gate IMO or the DM has to hold back with random monsters and how they react. |
If you cant say what youre meaning,
you can never mean what youre saying.
- Centauri Minister of Intelligence, Babylon 5 |
Edited by - Pandora on 28 Oct 2008 06:49:44 |
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danbuter
Seeker
USA
74 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2008 : 16:34:50
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| The abstract looks nice. I refuse to pay for DnD Insider, however, so I'll never see the rest. |
Nothing beats the gray box!
Dan |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36910 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2008 : 17:38:39
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| I'm curious about the article, but the blurb on it made it seem like it wasn't truly Ravenloft. So I'm continuing to not pay for anything DDI until I feel there is something to buy. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2008 : 23:02:23
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| My interest is not exactly piqued, either. I never really got into Ravenloft anyway, though. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 28 Oct 2008 : 23:03:32
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Well, for myself, I found that the actual article itself was pretty good, with tons of nice lore and lots of shoutouts to classic Ravenloft.
Well then I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it. |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36910 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2008 : 02:40:14
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Well, for myself, I found that the actual article itself was pretty good, with tons of nice lore and lots of shoutouts to classic Ravenloft.
Did it feel like it was actually Ravenloft (the setting), or was it just dark and gloomy? |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2008 : 02:55:13
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In parts. There's definitely a RL-vibe to it. And for fans of the setting, like myself, you can easily pick up on the subtle hints of previous Dread Domain lore that's been used to flesh out parts of the setting. The rest is wholly unique.
As for "dark and gloomy," well, I'd say that really depends on just what you classify as "dark and gloomy." For me, it was suitably RAVENLOFT, but more like White Wolf's interpretation of the Domains of Dread, than anything I read in the 2e "Black Box." I'm not saying that's a bad thing, necessarily, but the TSR books will always be more RAVENLOFT to me than anything published for the 3e setting. Of course, I was a big fan of the 3e RL Gazeteers too, so... 
At most, I'd say this interpretation of the Domains of Dread is more like RAVENLOFT than the "Spider Moon" module was for the SPELLJAMMER setting.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 29 Oct 2008 02:57:48 |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2008 : 04:15:10
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I didn't think it was bad, but I was a bit disappointed that it was clearly pointed out that the whole point of having PCs in a Domain of Dread is for them to figure out how to get out (I know characters in Ravenloft often wanted to get out, but part of the point was keeping the players guessing if they ever would), and that one of the ways of getting out is by killing the Darklord (since only under certain circumstances does the Darklord stay dead).
While I liked some of the background material (and its kind of interesting to see them start to flesh out the "Points of Light" setting with backstory on places like the ones in this article), it does feel like some of the creeping horror is kind of sapped when PCs get the feeling that they can escape, its an objective, and it may just require a "tough" encounter.
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 29 Oct 2008 : 05:41:51
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LOL... it looks like I was right again.
I said they would be developing RL again after they didn't re-license it, and then when I heard all the stuff about 4e, I said they were going to plop it down into the Shadowfel. 
I still can't for the life of me understand why they made the Shadow Elves (Shadar-kai) human in 4e, when we already had the Shades in that niche. Just seems like a completely counter-productive change, IMHO.
Oh well... never played Ravenloft, but I did like it back in 2e. Unfortunately, I'm not interested enough to pay for the DDi for that.
Then again, if I wasn't interested in the new FR material enough, I really doubt anything will bring me around at this point. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Ikki
Seeker
Finland
57 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2008 : 14:40:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Pandora
One of the things I felt as being illogical in the Planescape books was the presence of low-mid level adventurers visiting other planes. They would have no chance of survival against something that "didnt like them" while traveling towards their destination.
But killing isnt the goal of those big bad monsters, but to take over the planes.
So when a pitfiend meets a lvl 1 Lawful Good paladin, he sure could stomp the paladin into mush. But what would change? Just one more rightously angered (and thus strong) angel guarding mount celestia.... and thus making the ultimate work of taking over the planes so much harder!
This is why they rather talk, offer perhaps a job.. yes, go stop those really nasty tanari? ;) See, we pitfiends arent nearly as bad as you have heard. We even keep our promises... And we pay way better than anyone else.
Oh and should you ever feel like doing good in a rougher fashion, we wont judge you unlike those selfrighteous fools of celestia. See, we understand that the greater good of the end always justifies the means :D |
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Brynweir
Senior Scribe
USA
436 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2008 : 15:23:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Ikki
quote:
Originally posted by Pandora
One of the things I felt as being illogical in the Planescape books was the presence of low-mid level adventurers visiting other planes. They would have no chance of survival against something that "didnt like them" while traveling towards their destination.
But killing isnt the goal of those big bad monsters, but to take over the planes.
So when a pitfiend meets a lvl 1 Lawful Good paladin, he sure could stomp the paladin into mush. But what would change? Just one more rightously angered (and thus strong) angel guarding mount celestia.... and thus making the ultimate work of taking over the planes so much harder!
This is why they rather talk, offer perhaps a job.. yes, go stop those really nasty tanari? ;) See, we pitfiends arent nearly as bad as you have heard. We even keep our promises... And we pay way better than anyone else.
Oh and should you ever feel like doing good in a rougher fashion, we wont judge you unlike those selfrighteous fools of celestia. See, we understand that the greater good of the end always justifies the means :D
I like the way you think, Ikki.
I've already said in another thread that like I the idea of the "good" guys unknowingly doing evil. It's even better if they get talked (confused) into it or do it while believing they're doing good. Seems to me that when you throw in a little plane travel you increase the chances of that happening, especially when they end up some place about which they have no knowledge (IC of course ).
I only know Ravenloft from the novels, but I like what I've seen. I may have to look into this. |
Anyone who likes to read something that's really dark and gritty and completely awesome ought to read The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. You can check out a little taste at www.BrentWeeks.com I should probably warn you, though, that it is definitely not PG-13 :-D
He also started a new Trilogy with Black Prism, which may even surpass the Night Angel Trilogy in its awesomeness.
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[DRAGON #368] 'Domains of Dread'
