Music Monday - Unholy (Ravenloft Version)

It's the first day of Fall and spooky season is upon us. Get in the mood by checking out this Ravenloft-inspired parody of Sam Smith's Unholy. Honestly, I think it's sexier than the original.

#RPGaDay2024 - Day 21-24

Been having some mental health struggles so I've missed a few days. Going to play catch up with this post.

Day 21 - "Classic Campaign"

For this one I'm going to talk about Greyhawk. While I've never had a steady game on Oerth, it's an old school setting that's always fascinated me. I had the City of Greyhawk boxed set as a kid and I loved it. I really regret getting rid of it and all my old school D&D stuff when I was in college. For me Greyhawk is a setting with a grand history  I can draw from. However what's great about it is in the end it doesn't matter to my specific game. It's a place that's known and includes names and things my players will recognize. However at the same time I can customize it and make it my own and most of the time my players are none the wiser (because they only have very surface level knowledge).

Day 22 - "Notable non-player character"

One of my favorite NPC's I've used in the past decade or so is Gadof Blinksy, from Curse of Strahd. He's a toymaker with a monkey that players can encounter. He was just a fun character, even though when the party meets him he's fallen into despair. When I ran the adventure the party bard (who was essentially a stand up comedian) bought a Strahd marionette from him that he animated during the final confrontation with Strahd.

Day 23 - "Peerless player"

I honestly don't want to talk about just one peerless player, because I have gamed with some amazing folks. Instead I will list some of the traits on a peerless players. These players show up on time and stay engaged. They get their time in the spotlight, but not to the expense of other players. The bring excitement to the games they play in. 

Day 24 - "Acclaimed advice"

I get the alliteration, but "acclaimed advice" sounds corny af. I'm going to go share some advice I heard somewhere at some point, but has stuck with me. 

"Just roll with it."

Don't get bogged down in games. If you aren't sure what the rules say at a certain point, just keep the gaming going and don't worry about the minutia.

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 9

And with this review I'm caught up on all issues of Strahd Loves, Man Kills by Dolorous Exhumation Press. Once again, I love this zine and you should be reading it.

Lurid Locations greatly expands on Keening, as presented in Van Richeten's Guide to Ravenloft. The feature also details the grisly Crouch & Treacle's Pie Shop. There's some obvious Sweeney Todd influence, though it's a demonic pact that fuels the murder and pies. There's also a great reference in the fact that the killers are the Butch and Baker and they made a deal with the Candlestick Maker.

My progressive Millennial self loves the new background presented in Baleful Backgrounds. The revolutionary seeks to overthrow those in power. 

Seeds of Evil gives a new adventure hook inspired by films like Crimson Peak and Winchester. Renwick Hall is a really neat idea and set up for for a one-shot or campaign.

Grim Phantasmagoria returns in this issue. is unlike other articles presented in the zine. The author focuses on folk horror and draws inspiration from Edgar Allen Poe.

Wicked Wanderings discusses how to use tropes of Ravenloft with 5e inspiration rules. Inspiration is something that I think is underutilized and to be honest, I forget about it at times. This article gives some great ideas.

Fatal Frames is back with three new reasons your Ravenloft party works together.

Tragic Heroes returns this issue with seven character concepts. The Alaune is a custom lineage mastermind rogue that's creature from Ivan Boritsi's plant expiraments. Anhktepot's Ka is human life domain cleric that is the darklord's soul in mortal form. The Cauldronborn Child is a hexblood Archfey pact warlock that was created by one of the hags of Tepest to cause trouble. The Headhunter from Valachan is a reborn hunter ranger is the head of Urik von Kharkov on a new body. The Shard of Azalin is human necromancy school wizard this is a shard of Azalin Rex's soul reborn. Viktra Mordenheim's Clone is a human batttlesmith artificer... that well is a clone of Viktra Mordenheim. Finally Vlad Drakov Returned is a human oath of conquest paladin that is a version of Falknovia's original (in publication history) darklord. 

Echoes of Doom is a fun article that recommends songs for inspiration for the Domains of Dread.

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 8

Strahd Loves, Man Kills by Dolorous Exhumation Press is fantastic. As usual, it's a zine packed full of useful horror content for your Ravenloft and other 5e games.

Lurid Locations gives new us four new locations. Maximilian's Waxworks is pretty obviously inspired by House of Wax and Waxwork. What I love about this location (which can be found in whatever domain you'd like) is that the displays show scenes from each Domain of Dread. Briar Hurst is a haunted house inspired by The Woman in Black. Wildeacre is inspired by the gothic novel Wideacre and Wuthering Heights. Finally the snowy Eisengraz by a wild dream the author had.

Seeds of Evil presents six new adventure hook. Bring Out Your Dead gives a party member a chance to bring back a fallen friend. The Devil Went Down to Harmonia brings the classic tune into the Domain of Dread. The Hunter and the Harengon involved the fey in Tepest.  The Havenhill Horror involved a creature secretly stalking an orphanage in Mordent. The Runaway Student sees the party hunting down a young aristocrat who's shirking his duties... but said duties might not be what they appear. Rime of Vorostokov isn't really a seed, but suggestions to alter Icewind Dale: Rime of Frost Maiden to the lands of the mists.

This installment of Portraits of the Damned presents five new npc's. Andullah is ageless wise woman that helps folks in the land of the mists with her herbs and talismans. Aster Krory is a vampire spawn underground pugilist seeking to find the vampire that turned him. He could be an interesting and unlikely ally. The Phantom of the Pit is a phantom warrior is a kindly spirit that sometimes appears to help those lost. Erzebeta Vargori is a  vampire member of the Kargat and like Bathory of legend needs to bath in blood of virgins to maintain her eternal youth. Konrad von Zarovich is a dhampir bastard son of Strahd. The swashbuckler seeks revenge on the father that abandoned him and his mother.

Forged In Shadow presents three new Ravenloft magic items. Groomscythe is magic sword that's had its magic twisted to punish infidelity. Haxanjager's Mutagen is a Witcher inspired potion that helps hunters fight monsters. Finally the Poltergeist Ring grants poltergeist like effects.

Grim Phantasmagoria is unlike other articles presented in the zine. This well written article gives the author's philosophy of how best to run gothic horror Ravenloft games. Even if your game doesn't enter the mists, this is a well-written and useful article. 

Fatal Frames five different adventuring party concepts appropriate for Ravenloft games. Like Grim Phantasmagoria this is different that other articles featured in the past and I dig it.

This issue's Cryptic Alliances discusses the Ba'al Verzi, a group of assassins that have previously been mentioned in Ravenloft fiction. They are from the land of Strahd's birth. There signature daggers are given magic item stats.

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 7

Still catching up on my reviews of Strahd Loves, Man Kills by Dolorous Exhumation Press. As usual, it's a zine packed full of useful horror content for your Ravenloft and other 5e games.

Lurid Locations presents and expanded and overhaul of Invidia. This version draws from The Monk from Mathew Lewis, as well as Anne Radcliffe's The Italian. Finally the Metroidvania video game Blasphemous provides some inspiration. This new take on Ividia is filled with passion and religion. Borrowing heavily from the gothic portrayal of Catholicism, it's a land of intrigue. Given my love of nunsploitaion, this one sounds great.

Cryptic Alliances explores the Church of the Holy Blood, the dominant faith of Invidia. There is a small group of holy saints for the religion presented.

Portraits of the Damned presents three new npc's. Anjelica Navarre is a fallen deva and strict zealot of the Church of the Holy Blood. The Hood Minister is a larva mage that poses as a humble holy man of the Church of the Holy Blood that is seen as a hero to the common man. Finally Father Raspaldo is a religious zealot that believe to truly know redemption you must first debase yourself with sin.

Baleful Backgrounds gives us one new background. The Apothecary (inspired by a character from Oliver Potzch's The Hangman's Daughter) is an herbalist.

Seeds of Evil presents three adventure hooks. Viva la Revolution! is based on The Gods Are Thirsty. The Bereaved  is inspired by Jules Verne's The Castle of Transylvania  and is a tale of love and loss. Finally the Piper and the Rat King has several sources of inspiration and is ultimately a new take on the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Midnight Horrors gives a few templates that turn man into the real monster. The Emordenung are poison touched individuals from the domain of Borca. There are also three templates that let you turn anything into an undead horror.

Forged In Shadow presents two new Ravenloft magic items. Sorrow's Pale Saber is a blade that once belonged to a hunter of lycanthropes. The synaptic blade damages psyches.

Tragic Heroes focuses on violent visionary character concepts. The chrononaut is a warforged clockwork soul sorcerer from the future that wants to prevent some dire event. The decapitator is an orc rune knight fighter that seeks to take the heads of the giants that have decimated their tribe. The draconic aspirant is a kobold draconic bloodline sorcerer that wishes to be a true dragon. The Green Hand Revelator is a lizardfolk circle of land druid from Har' Akir that seeks to rid the world of undead.  The Sidereal Vessel is a hobgoblin way of astral self monk that channels a great warrior of the past. The wrathbringer is a firbolg swarm ranger that brings the wrath of nature on those that seek to despoil it.

Random Ruin presents a table of art based adventure hooks for Ghastria.

Forbidden Tomes lists inspiration from horror subgenres, such as disaster horror, occult detective stories, pyschological horror, and slasher horror.

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 6

I'm behind on my reviews of Strahd Loves, Man Kills by Dolorous Exhumation Press.  

Lurid Locations presents five new locations. The Iscarion Academy is prestigious academy in Dementlieu that takes some inspiration from aspects of Dune and Gotham Academy. The Trilobite is an amphibious vehicle inspired by Captain Nemo and the Nautilus. There is a new version of I'Cath was inspired by Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, which married addiction with Gothic novels. A new version of Rokushima Taiyoo was inspired by a variety of dark samurai flicks and the video game Sekiro. Finally Grauwald is a town that takes inspiration from The Witcher III, Dishonored, and Silent Hill.

Baleful Backgrounds gives us two new backgrounds. Rat-catcher definitely makes me think of Warhammer fantasy. On the flipside, stage magician only seems truly fitting for renaissance realms, though I guess they have their place in carnivals.

Wicked Wanderings expands on the idea of creating Vistani characters and present the various families from previous editions as backgrounds.

Seeds of Evil presents four adventure hooks. The Inheritance was inspired by the video game Darkest Dungeon. The Brass Messiah is inspired by S.M. Peter's Whitechapel Gods. The Exhumed Bride is inspired by real life events tied to artist Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Finally Voddo Drums was inspired by King Diamond's Voodoo album.

Portraits of the Damned presents three new npc's. The Black Iron Widow is a mechanical assassin inspired by Lady Mechanika. The wereboar Ivahn Katavarg and his clan were inspired by Sawney Bean. The Blood Soaked Diva banshee inspired by Kendare Blake's novel, Anna Dressed In Blood.

Cryptic Alliances explores the Corvidians, a rustic religion tied to worship of the Raven Queen.

Tragic Heroes focuses on character from metropolitan places.  The Dreadnaught Vigilante is goblin artificer who uses his technology to do what the forces of law will not or cannot do. The Firebrand is a human circle of wildfire druid that purges the streets with nature's flame.  The Ghostly Gorehound is a kenku wizard of the illusion school who performs during the day and adventures to experience the horrors of the mists. The Incarnate Saint is a human divine soul sorcerer that's the reincarnation of a saint. The Lunar Knight is an assimar oath of devotion paladin inspired by Sailor Moon's theme... and I love it. The Wormwood Devotee is a hexblood circle of dreams druid that is inspired by absinthe and the Green Fairy archfey tied to it.

Random Ruin gives tables tied to the Zherisian city of Paridon. We have charts for sewer infestations, the Jack the Ripper inspired Bloody Jack and who they may be, social upheavals that can affect the city and new religious movements that seek to take over the city.

Forbidden Tomes gives a list of the author's favorite gothic horror tales.

As always, this is a great issue and if you like horror and/or Ravenloft, you need to pick it up.

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 5

The seasons keep changing, which means it's time for the Summer 2022 issue of Strahd Loves, Man Kills by Dolorous Exhumation Press. Most of the features from issue 1, issue 2, issue 3, and issue 4 return. The focus of this issue is being haunted, though not necessarily by actual spirits.

Lurid Locations presents a reimagining of thee past domains. Though it was fae centric in the past, the Shadowlands has been reimagined into a "dark Arthurian fantasy." You have that classic inspiration as well as Dark Souls, the Witcher, and the Elric saga. The domain is in conflict. One one said you have an evil necromancer and his hordes. On the other you have a young paladin who drew an enchanted blade from a stone and is fated to save humanity. Unfortunately for all involved, the blade of legend is actually evil and has corrupted her innocent heart and made her xenophobic. In the middle of the conflict you have the demihumans and druids that exist in the middle, targeted by both sides. The second domain is Ohrbach Tower, a lonely clocktower that shifts around the domains of dread. It's a library and the stone is actually the flesh of a dead god. This domain is rather odd, but as a librarian, I love it! There is a fun random head librarian table. The final domain is Scholomance, the Strixhaven or Hogwarts of black magic. The name is a reference to the site where Dracula received his training in the dark arts.

Forged in Shadow is a feature that presents a few Ravenloft themed magical items. The Armor of Ulverkrieg is fearsome looking plate that causes it's wearer to lose themselves and disregard their safety in battle. The Bellegard Lash is the Vampire-Killer wielded by the Belmont's of Castlevania renamed. Non magical versions of the chain lash are also gives weapon stats. Drackenmort is an intelligent greatsword designed to kill dragon and dragon-related things. Haxanjager's Writ are one time use items that can add elemental damage to a monster hunter's weapon. Iokantor Skull is the intelligent skull of a fallen wizard that can answer questions. Potion Injector is an item that lets a character get the effects of a potion as a bonus action. 

Baleful Backgrounds presents three new backgrounds. The doctor is trained in medicine and if you take this background you can pick one of five specializations: alienist, battefield medic, coroner, family physician, and plague doctor. Doomed Royal Scion is basically the Prince Hamlet background. The Gravedigger honestly fits as a background in any setting, but seems especially appropriate in Ravenloft.

Seeds of Evil presents five adventure hooks. We get hooks inspired by Poe, Nosferatu, Lord Soth/Sleepy Hollow, and Dishonored.

Portraits of the Damned presents two npcs that have been warped by the Abyss. Lady Edwina Thrush is a noble that's become overindulgent and warped into a nalfeshnee. Karlin Stroud envy led for him to pretend to be a dandy and eventually transform into a babua.

Cryptic Alliances explores two organizations. The Ring and Wand society are evil scientists that seek to steal eternal life from the fey. The Unholy Order of the Grave are agents of Death.

Wicked Wanderings takes the factions of the Sword Coast and discusses how the Mists warp their ideals. 

Tragic Heroes presents five character concepts. The Accursed Swordbearer is a shadar-kai Hexblade that serves the will of the Raven Queen. A human Monster Slayer ranger, the Bellegard Heir is basically a Belmont. The Hellion is a tiefling Oath of Redemption paladin that is determined to rise above their infernal heritage. The Living Weapon is a human Path of Beast barbarian that was turned into a weapon by an alchemists potions. Finally the Scarred Demon Hunter is a half-elf Way of the Shadows monk became a demon hunter after a shadow demon was unleashed and woke something within them.

Forbidden Tomes gives a list of ghost stories/films for inspiration.

This is another great issue and if you like horror and/or Ravenloft, you need to pick this one up. 

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 4

Dolorous Exhumation Press has released the spring 2022 issue of their Ravenloft fanzine, Strahd Loves, Man Kills. Most of the features from issue 1, issue 2, and issue 3 return. 

Lurid Locations presents a reimagining of thee past domains. Saragoss becomes the domain of nautical terror. The domain is an island made up of seaweed, flotsam, jetsam, broken ships, and other bits of ocean detritus. It is ruled by a former pirate wereshark. It's a wretched oceanic hive of scum and villainy (of the piratical and cult variety). There are also some Innsmouth-like traits. The second domain mentioned is Bluetspur. It's a small realm of Lovecraftian madness. It only gets a page, because it was always a small island of terror in the setting. Finally the island of Sourange is presented. This is a Carribean/Louisiana inspired domain. The primary them is the horrors of incarceration. It is ruled by a zombie warden (though he appears to be human). It is also a realm of nature spirits and has a voodoo feel to it. Considering I really want to run a nautical game soon, these domains will be great stopovers for my campaign.

Baleful Backgrounds presents three new backgrounds. The demimonde is a sex-worker and was inspired by the cunning ladies of Black Sails, Penny Dreadful, and Deadwood. I really like it and mit makes me think of one of my characters, Sam Whoreson. The mooncusser is an individual that uses techniques to trick ships into crashing into shores. Finally the mudlark searches the muck of river beds and things for loose coins and items of use.

Seeds of Evil presents four adventure hooks. The first involves a masked ball and an assassin. The second involves a diabolical tome in Saragoss. The third involves tracking down a flesh golem. The final hook involves survivors guilt and PTSD. It is my favorite of the four.

Wicked Wanderings presents possible ways to connect the realms of Ravenloft into a connected setting, like previous additions. There are five useful ideas that you can adopt for your games, if you so choose.

Portraits of the Damned presents  three villainous minions. The Parvoska sisters are twin dhampirs. They were created by and serve mindflayer masters. Unlike regular dhampirs that feed on blood, they drink cerebral fluid. Birdlime is a vulture aarokocra that serves as a professional henchman. He loves what he does and what he does isn't pretty.

Tragic Heroes presents five character concepts. This issue's concepts focus on the idea of the "dire duelest." The Alien Blade is a githyanki fighter stuck in Ravenloft that wants to return to the Astral Plane and their queen. The Ascetic Iconoclast learned to duel through esoteric study, rather that traditional training. The Brutal Swordmaster uses heavy armor and weaponry, unlike most dexterous duelists. The Exsanguinated Exuberant is a dhampir swashbuckler that wants to inspire future generations. Finally the Tybaltian Vengent seeks revenge against a family of nobles that brought the downfall of their kin.

Random Ruin presents a Ravenloft adventure creation chart.

Forbidden Tomes gives a list of cosmic horror for inspiration.

This zine is one of my favorites that currently being made. Little Baphy and I both agree, you need to pick up all available issues. 

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 3

Dolorous Exhumation Press has released a third issue for their Ravenloft fanzine, Strahd Loves, Man Kills. Most of the features from issue 1 and issue 2 return. 

Lurid Locations presents a reimagining of Sanguinia that focuses on gothic fear and the oppressive nature of feudalism. The realm has two Darklords, Count Mangus von Karlock (vampiric knight) and Countess Yulia Skarnstein (vampire cult leader and worshiper of Malcanthet, Demon Queen of Succubi). Both are presented with followers and roleplaying tips. Locations and info on the domain's residents are also included. Finally there are 1d8 adventure hooks

Baleful Backgrounds presents a new character background for 5e. The Penny Dreadful Writer is the author of horrific tales of monsters, mayhem, and murder. This is a fun background and there's a fun table to help determine the title of the character's most notable work. 

Seeds of Evil presents two adventure seeds related to Barovia. The first is pretty epic... Strahd vs Dracula! It makes sense really. What if the Mists pull Transylvania from Gothic Earth? If that happened Strahd and Dracula would have to have a faceoff. The second idea is The Resurrection of Strahd. I like this idea because it continues and twists the classic. Also it borrows ideas from Castlevania, particularly Symphony of the Night. The send includes a d8 chart to figure out who the conspirator in the Devil Strahd's resurrection is. 

Portraits of the Damned is details two witchhunters that have been twisted by their fanaticism. Reverend Krast has endured many hardships and has become cold, seeing the world as a place that needs to be cleansed of witchcraft. He is inspired by Reverend Trask from Dark Shadows. Sister Vulcra was a nun from a militant sect who was reportedly slain by devils, but arose reborn three days later. She wears armor to hide her beauty (and hates those that notice it). She was inspired by Saint Celestine and the Battle Sisters from Warhammer 40K.

Cryptic Alliances discusses three factions. The Barbarez Legion are a mercenary band of gnolls that slaughter for in the honor of their demon lord, Yeenoghu. The Crucifuge are orders that seek to combine traditional necromancy demonic forces, and other magic to create new types of undead to prowl the realms.

Tragic Heroes presents four character concepts and the best race/class combination to make them. The Disciple of Slaughter is a normal personal haunted by the spirit of a convicted murderer who was killed and for their crimes. This spirit empowers them to slaughter with reckless abandon. The Evicerant learns to separate their physical and astral selves and use both to battle enemies. The Geist Caller is a divine agent who calls upon the spirits of the dead for knowledge. Sacral Custodians protect sacred burial grounds and can call upon the blessed dead for aid.

Random Ruin presents a d100 chart of dark secrets for players. These can add a nice, dark edge to characters.

Forbidden Tomes gives a list of dark fantasy literature for your inspiration

I've said it before and I will continue saying it. I love this zine. I ordered a copy as soon as I got the email that said it was available. 

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 2

Dolorous Exhumation Press has released a second issue for their Ravenloft fanzine, Strahd Loves, Man Kills. Most of the features from issue 1 return. 

Lurid Locations presents a weird west reimagining of Nova Vaasa. Ruled by the Darklord Myar Hiregaard, this domain is an accursed frontier. The domain changes from its classic interpretation to Manifest Destiny gone wrong. The wild frontier is made up of temporary villages and farmsteads By day, the steward of the domain seeks to tame the wild land and turn it into a prosperous nation. By night the revenant, Malken and her posse of wights. The section ends with d4 adventure hooks.

Baleful Backgrounds presents two new character backgrounds for 5e. The Dandy is someone of doubtful morality and social standing that can move between social circles. Inquisitors serve organized religious seeking out heretics and the faithless. They are feared by those that gain their attention.

Seeds of Evil discusses how to adapt Candlekeep Mysteries to the domains of dread. Candlekeep is replaced by Ludendorf University Library's "Special Collections Department." The SCD, as it's known puts an interesting twist on the adventures, making then feel a bit more Cthulhu-ish. Ludendorf University Library makes a great patron, if you use those rules from Eberron: Rising from the Last War or Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. The entire hardback isn't adapted, but the first five adventures are. 

Cryptic Alliances discusses older Ravenloft secret societies that didn't get discussed in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. The Ata-Bestaal seek to shed the trappings of civilization and gain power through tooth and claw. Bestial races from Theros and Eberron are great ways to represent those that have been transformed. The Church of Hala are devoted to a witch goddess. Because witchcraft is scene as evil in most lands, they stay is small numbers. The Dark Delvers are a group of cavers devoted to defeating a primordial known as the Hated Mother. The Eternal Order is a mad cult obsessed with death and becoming undead. The Fraternity of Shadows is a secret order of wizards that exist throughout the mists. They seek to unlock the truth about Ravenloft and it's Dark Lords. The Ildi'Thaan are a secret society connected to Bluetspur and the psionic arts. Finally Viktra's Children are a coterie of sentient creations of Viktra Mordheim that have survived destruction and banded together to present the animating arts.

Portraits of the Damned is a new feature giving souls to add to your game. Donesta Sangino is a painter and enchanter. She uses her powers to bind the wills of her subjects and patrons. The Viscount is a drow gunslinger who made a mistake and has found himself trapped in the Mists. He seeks to live peacefully as a wandering gambler, but violence follows him. Traits and adventure hooks are presented for both npcs. The Viscount entry also gives stats for his firearms.

Tragic Heroes presents five grim gunslinger character concepts for Ravenloft. Of these my favorite is the Revenant Pistolero. These gunslingers have died and risen from the grave to seek revenge. You don't actually have to include firearm rules for these dark souls, because their decaying six shooters are just the focus for their magic. 

Random Ruin isn't present this time, but Forbidden Tomes makes its return. The suggestions given this time focus on body horror.

Like the first issue, I highly recommend this one. It's a simple throwback zine. There's not a lot of flash, just great content. 

Going to the Chapel…

Part two of the Innistrad double feature launches tomorrow. After the Midnight Hunt, the Crimson Vows begin.

Strahd Loves, Man Kills Issue 1

Strahd Loves, Man Kills is a brilliantly named 5e Ravenloft fanzine by Dolorous Exhumation Press. The first issues focuses on witchcraft, hags, and other bits of folk horror. There are several features, all of which are pretty cool.

The zine starts with Lurid Locations. The location presented in this issue is Strega Hollow. This holler is designed to be placed in a remote section of Tepest. It's a mining town ruled by a hag family that openly worship the devil, Asmodeus. The area has a magical bog that heals... at a cost. Additionally a few npcs (with motivations) and adventure hooks are presented.

Baleful Backgrounds presents new character backgrounds. Like all 5e backgrounds, they have skill/tool proficiencies, starting equipment, a feature, and personality traits/ideals/bonds/flaws. The first is the Country Squire. These are landed gentry that have lived a life associated with privilege. The second is the Cut-Wife. These are midwives and herbalist that provide unconventional medicine in rural communities.

Seeds of Evil presents a horror based adventure seed. This issue includes The Thing In Elbert's Parlor. The hook is that a character's uncle has a new acquisition, a mummy from Hark'Akir.

Cryptic Alliances are new cults and organizations that dwell in the dark realms. The Cult of the Rotmaiden is a group of nihilistic druids that worship Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi. It's members have been abused by those in power and seek revenge on the powerful. While they are definitely evil, there are sympathetic aspects to the organization and its members.

Tragic Heroes gives brief outlines for character ideas. They present the concept and then give suggested builds. The focus of this issue is troubled troubadours. While I think all five of the presented concepts are good, the Crossroads Nightingale is my favorite. Like Robert Johnson, this soul sold their soul to the infernal at the crossroads to become a maestro. 

Random Ruin presents a random tables to help you name your campaign. Finally Forbidden Tomes presents a collection of inspirational folk horror.

This is a great zine. It's not flashy and feels like a throwback. I really like that aspect of it. If you're a fan of Ravenloft, it's definitely worth picking up a copy. Issue 2 dropped this week. I ordered my copy and will do a review of it as soon as it comes in. 

Join the Midnight Hunt

I’ve talked about my love the Magic the Gathering’s plane known as Innistrad. It’s full of gothic horror and is very Ravenloft-esque. You can use Planeshift: Innistrad to take your 5e game to the realm. The prerelease for the next MTG set Innistrad: Midnight Hunt is tomorrow. The cinematic trailer for it came out today and I wanted to share it.

Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

 I am “D&D Beyond” ready for this book.

You can read about the book here.

Update:

I just saw the variant cover and had to add it. 

Add Jason Voorhees To Your 5e Game

I was looking for some cool homebrew 5e horror content and found these. This person did an amazing job of taking Jason and making him fit into a D&D world. Go to the original post to get easier to read (and print) versions of these images.  It's not a direct translation of the film, but it is a great homage. While it can be dropped into any game, it's perfect to add to something like Curse of Strahd (and includes notes on how to do so).

The Carnival of the Damned

The Carnival of the Damned is a 0-level tournament-style Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure written by David Baity (of Dark Trails fame).

The premise of The Carnival of the Damned is fantastic. The characters are a band of villagers trapped in a mist shrouded carnival searching for the children of the village.

Unlike most funnels, this adventure has an elaborate back story, that the party will discover as they move through the dark carnival. It's a tragic tale of a jester finding and losing love, a unicorn, and the dark bargain he made to a mad clown god to save his life. There are several items found throughout the adventure to relay this story.

The carnival includes 28 twisted encounter locations. My favorite locations are the Petting Zoo (which includes killer bunnies and transparent cow) and The Tattoo Parlor (where you can get some magical ink). In addition there are 12 random carnival encounters. There are multiple paths to take and to finish the adventure (including built-in justified railroading), so this can be played with the same group multiple times and the experience will be different.

I would be doing the book a disservice if I didn't mention the art. It's thoroughly creepy and fitting. I love every piece. It's menacing, but often humorous, which is a great co

Even if you don't play DCC, this is a great adventure to pick up. Given the mist shrouded nature of the carnival, I think you could easily use this as your introduction to Curse of Strahd. Perhaps Gelos is a servant of Strahd or another entity trapped by the Dark Powers.

To folks that like horror adventures I highly recommend this one. It contains excellent writing, cool art, and a great story. You can run it multiple times and it will still feel fresh. There are so many unique monsters and magic items, you can pull from this for a long time. Finally, DCC is very rules lite (when you look past the charts), so this one wouldn't be hard to convert to your favorite variation of D&D.

You can grab print copies of The Carnival of the Damned here.

5th Edition Horror

5th Edition Horror is a supplement released by Fat Goblin Games. And if horror is something you want to focus on in your 5th edition game, this book is essential.

Before I get into the content, I'll mention the tome's specs. It's a 132 page soft cover. The interior is in crimson and shades of grey. The art is fitting for the subject and either gothic or horrific. Visually the interior looks like a 2nd Edition Ravenloft book, which is perfect given the subject.

Now let's dig into the content.

The first chapter discusses horror in roleplaying games. This short chapter discusses what horror is, how to add it to rpg's, and different types of horror. While it's only a few pages, there's some great advice and info here.

The second chapter includes several new races for your games. They are caliban, changeling, graveborn, ravenfolk, shadeling, werekin, and wretched. Each one definitely fits into the horror motif. My favorites are the caliban and the wretched. Technically originating from any race, these poor misshapen souls can be quite brutish and are despised by civilized folks. My other favorite races is the wretched, which are essentially playable flesh golems. Ever wanted to play Frankenstein's monster? Here's your chance.

The second chapter focuses on character classes and is packed full of new goodness. We presented with a new class, the apothecary. This class is a mixture of magic and science and could fill some interesting roles in a party Their creations can heal and restore, or damage and control. My only critique is that it's called the apothecary, but in the description the class is often referred to as the pharmacist. Every class gets a new specialty too. Here are a few of my favorites. The possessed berserker barbarians rage comes from literally being possessed, a curse, or some sort of unholy lineage. Even if you don't have a horror-centric campaign, there are some great roleplay possibilities with this one. The corrupt contemplative is really cool. It's a corrupted monk who's abilities are death related. Finally their's a new warlock patron, the undead lord that's a perfect fit for Ravenloft. The warlock's patron could even be Strahd himself... which would be quite a twist.

Chapter Four includes six new backgrounds. A few of them have alternate versions which extends the selection. Chapter Five includes the monster lore skill and some of the thought behind it's creation. There are 18 new feats to add a dark twist to your characters. My favorite is the Underdog feat which gives you bonuses when the odds are against you, but also have to have 6 successful death saves to stabilize.

Chapter Six focuses on equipment. There's a nice discussion of improvised weapons and shields. There are many new equipment packs and several useful new items (including rules for stakes).

The seventh chapter focuses on magic, including spells, rituals, and magical items. The spells add a nice touch to villains and can also help heroes fighting the darkness. There are new rituals that feel perfect for a horror game and there are also ritual-rules for non-casters. These sound like they'd be great adventure starters. The magic items are a mixed bag of horrific and cursed items. There are also some excellent tools for those that heroically shine their light into the darkness and fight it's evil.

Chapter Eight focuses on poisons, diseases, and haunts. Of note, a disease that could cause the zombie apocalypse is included in this chapter. Chapter Nine gives codified rules for madness, a classic element of horror fiction and games. Chapter Ten gives tips on creating horror adventures and looks at various places they could take place.

Chapter Eleven is the meatiest (pun intended) chapter in the book. This discusses monsters and other villains. There are 23 new monsters (well mostly new, a few are D&D classics that didn't appear in the 5e Monster Manual). There are some other creature types, but most of the monsters are undead or aberrations, which are the most iconic horror foes. My favorite monsters are the new corpse dragons. These dragons are probably not what you're expecting from the name. They aren't necessarily undead abominations, but are horrific creations tied to classic medicine. There are six villain templates that can expand pre-existing monsters. These templates are helpful because in addition to giving crunch adjustments, they are include descriptions on how to use the villain archetypes.

As I said at the start of this review, if you want to inject a dose of horror into your 5E you will WANT this book. There's so much horrific content and it's all fantastic. If you're planning on running Curse of Strahd you NEED this.

I've ran Curse of Strahd once already, but now that I have 5th Edition Horror, I really want to run it again. There really isn't anything in the book that could be incorporated into WOTC's re-imagining of the gothic horror classic. The doll monster, for example, gave me a great idea on how to expand interactions with my all-time favorite npc, Gadof Blinksy. Shadelings are great substitutes for Darklings, if you wish to allow and outcast Vistani as a character. Ravenfolk could definitely have a tie to the wereravens that watch over Barovia.

#RPGADAY2017 - Day 4

Day 4: Which RPG have you played the most since August 2016?

While I don't have a regular game, I've played more 5E sessions than anything this past year. I finished my Curse of Strahd game and started a Storm King's Thunder game (though it was scrapped after several sessions). Thus far, 5E is still my favourite iteration of D&D, though I'm not as enamored with it quite as much as I was before (probably because I don't run it regularly now). It might also be because I'm diving too much into the official stories and not running my own games.

In care your curious, Fantasy Flight's Star Wars is number two on the "played the most since 2006" list. It's super fun and I'd like to run it more (and maybe actually play).

Castlevania Season 1

Season 1 of Castlevania is fantastic. The voice acting is top tier, the action is stylish, the animation is slick, the story is interesting, and the show is bloody as Hell.  Even though he isn't in the season much, I love this version of Dracula. He's a tragic villain, but still a villain. You feel sympathy for him, despite his drastic and genocidal actions. Plus, Graham McTavish is a fantastic actor and voice actor. Richard Armitage (Thorin from the Hobbit films) does an excellent job as Trevor Belmont too. The character provides some nice humor to the otherwise dark series. It's also cool to see a character regain some of his faith.

I only have two complaints:

1. The season is way too short. It's only four 23 minute episodes. This will be improved with Season 2, which will be 8 episodes.
2. There is no wall chicken. Though from what I've read, the writers really tried to include this throwback to the video games. They just couldn't find a good spot in season 1.

If you're playing Curse of Strahd or Lamentations of the Flame Princess and want some good inspiration, this is the series for you. Friday I statted out the primary weapon of the Belmont Clan, the Vampire Killer for LotFP. I might stat out some of the characters and monsters (from the show and video game series) soon.

Curse of Strahd: Potions

Curse of Strahd: Potions is a one page pay what you want pdf on the Dungeon Masters Guild. It presents 7 Ravenloft themed potions. The powers provided by these concoctions often come at a price. They are as follows:

Moon Blood - You blood becomes acidic to vampires and undead that decide to bite you.

Wolf Eye's - You gain superior darkvision and sunlight sensitivity while under the effects of this potion.

Gallows Ichor - Weapons coated in this black ichor overcome damage reduction

Vistani Elixir - You gain advantage on all rolls for a few minutes and disadvantage on all rolls for a few days.

 Corpseworm - This potion contains a centipede like creature that allows you to speak with a dead corpse, though after a few days a swarm of centipedes erupts from the corpse's mouth.

Morninglord's Tears - This potion can cure Lycanthrope from one that has not yet transformed, though doing ages the drinker.

Vial of Mist - This potion creates a 20ft sphere of mist.

These are all really cool and add a nice bit of flavor to Curse of Strahd. Pick it up and pass the creator a few silvers.