Let’s review the Ravenloft Adventures in Dungeon Magazine! Frankly, there are a lot less of these than I expected, and some of them are for Masque of the Red Death (an alternate Earth that uses Ravenloft rules). But, with the new book out from WotC, this seems like a good idea to take out my old magazines and see what there is…….
Before we begin…..SPOILERS abound.
Bane of the Shadowborn
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #31.
The domain for this adventure is mentioned in the new Van Richten’s book as one of the other realms. I don’t know that it needs to be placed there, however. The backstory and history is great, though, and could flesh out that domain a lot if one wanted.
Short review: Good concepts, which I like but don’t love. The PCs have to travel around a manor to find things to defeat an evil sword. Of course, as the subtitle of this adventure says in the magazine, “A good deed never goes unpunished in Ravenloft.” In many ways, this is a typical haunted house adventure.
Longer review: I really like that the sword is mocking and distracting them room after room, or at least trying to. I like that the Lady of the manor tries to help them, though it is a bit railroady and why she speaks in riddles rather than clearly is not ideal (though you can contrive why she has to). The rooms are distinct, and a DM could easily change up what the sword does room to room to suit their campaign. As you’d expect, the sword is rather difficult to kill. In some ways it feels too cliché or something for me, even for a Ravenloft adventure (which is funny, given how cliché the next one is, that I like a lot).
How I’d change it: I’m pretty sure I’d change up some of the enemies in each room so they are more scary and unusual. I’d have the Lady and the sword sometimes both appear in the same room and try to cancel each other’s goals out. The sword needs a rewrite in terms of power and weaknesses to work in 5e.
Horror’s Harvest
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #38
This takes place in Falkovnia, though I have no idea why that has to be. Frankly, this doesn’t need to be in Ravenloft at all…..
Short review: Good concept, good execution. Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I like this one a lot.
Longer review: Are there personalities or things I don’t love? Sure. But, there is much more to love than not. The entire village is laid out, there is a roster of NPCs, lots of rumors, and things podlings do to throw the PCs off the track. It is really well written to support a DM in running the game. I love that other than the main plant villain, nothing else here needs to be fought off as evil (though that doesn’t mean there isn’t evil to be found elsewhere that some PCs will feel obligated to deal with). The writeup on the main plant is REALLY LONG….and I still need to re-read it again and again……
How I’d change it: I’m pretty sure I’d change the encounter with Yuri somehow….he could be mad, sure, but I think that could be handled better than presented. I’m unsure, but I’d consider changing the idea that the PCs know about the comet, because every player will suspect the comet is doing something near where it fell. It is likely a better story if the PCs return home to their village, and things are different somehow….or they come upon a village without knowing about the comet. I love the idea of the radiation issues, but I would likely drop it from my campaign.
The Price of Revenge
Appears in Dungeon Magazine # 42
This takes place in Valachan. However, that domain is quite different in the new book. Changes would have to be made to properly place it and its villains. It feels like Barovia, but that’s not ideal……I think a domain lead by vampires or something like them but not Barovia would be good….
Short review: The PCs help an old woman carry out her curse on the evil town mayor. There is a lot to like here, and it feels like Ravenloft to me.
Longer review: Good concepts, needs fixing some. Some won’t like the stereotype for Vistani used here, but I think most can get through that. The PCs are trapped in a village where two undead rule. 12 years ago one of them infected a Vistani with its curse, and her mother cursed him to die. I like that the PCs can’t be sure the girl is good or not. The flowers are a great idea, and I really like that the PCs are being attacked in their sleep, though things would need to be updated for 5e for sure.
How I’d change it: I have no idea how a party would get a necklace around an awake vampire’s neck….so that needs to be updated somehow. I’d also give more clues or something that the last flower should NOT be picked. It is easy to figure out who the bad guys are, but that isn’t always a problem, and I’d likely not change that, though some DMs will want to, I suspect.
Felkovic’s Cat
Appears in Dungon Magazine #50
This also takes place in Valchan, but again, that land is greatly changed. This one? I’d move it out of Ravenloft, I think. Other than some of the things being undead, there really isn’t anything (in my opinion) about this that ties it to a domain and darklords.
Short review: Good concept, bad execution. Having an ally that can help them defeat a greater monsters is a good idea, as long as the DM can make sure the PCs are the eventual heroes, not the figurine.
Longer review: The PCs help a dead man carry out his revenge on the ruler of the land, by figuring out how to control the cat it represents. While there are things here to like (the figurine and its reaction to its creators undead wife), the final area of conflict is a not great “dungeon crawl” through a castle where the vampires react badly in terms of dealing with intruders.
How I’d change it: The whole ending area needs to be changed, somehow, imo, to be interesting and for the bad guys to properly react to the appearance of enemies. More likely, I steal the idea of the figurine and toss the rest of this aside.
The Laughing Man
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #52
Huh. This also takes place in Valchan. What’s up with that? This one could be anywhere, as it is a really a side trek, an encounter.
Short review: Good concept, great execution! An undead just trying to get rid of its cursed knife……
Longer review: The PCs come across a ghost cursed to “live” until it can get someone else to take its knife. I would 100% set this up by having stories about The Laughing Man for multiple sessions before they meet him and his victim. The backstory is good, but no PCs would ever learn all of it, so a DM can use the parts they want.
How I’d change it: Not a thing, other than making sure the monsters work in 5e and setting this up by having the PCs hear about The Laughing Man way before they meet him.
The Sea Wolf
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #55
This takes place on a ship. It is modern for most games, but easily changeable. It doesn’t need to be in Ravenloft, but I think it works well there, so figure out how an ocean going ship makes sense in your game…..But really, there is nothing here that deals with domains and whatnot (even the article says you don’t need to place it there).
Short review: Good concept, very good execution! A murder mystery on a ship, where all the suspects have good alibis for most of the time.
Longer review: The PCs are on a long ship voyage when murders start. They find a series of notes (great for handouts or popouts online!) that help them figure out what is going on. I love that the author gave the suspects alibis most of the time. You could easily have more murders, so that every suspect had an alibi for every murder but one……
How I’d change it: I don’t know what I’d change. It’s well done! (Ok, not Van Richten on board…..). Ok, I’d probably move it out of Ravenloft….
The Baron’s Eyrie
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #58
This takes place on an unidentified island in the domains…..so it can go anywhere you want, really. The backstory fits in most any domain.
Short review: Good concept, good execution! A flying island is abducting people to feed the master (ok, the island isn’t…but you know what I mean).
Longer review: The PCs have to figure out that werebats are abducting people and then invade their floating island. I like that the lesser versions don’t want to serve their master, and I’d really play that up a lot. I also love that they won’t go where the spiders are, but I doubt the PCs will either, so not sure if that is just cool for effect, or will come into play…..I hope that my players save the doppleganger, only for it to change shape and run off as soon as they hit the ground (laughing at the PCs for saving the wrong person….) so they have to go back.
How I’d change it: I’d flesh out the idea that the dead haunt (harmlessly, but the PCs don’t know that) the island a lot. I would want a way for the PCs to save the captive NPC other than reducing the baron to 10 hit points. No idea what that is.
Jigsaw
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #61
This takes place in Switzerland. I’d place it in Lamordia for sure…..Meant for the Masque of Red Death system (alternate earth)
Short review: Good concept, I’m unsure how I feel about it. A Frankenstein-like “monster” just wants to marry its creator, but she is marrying someone else.
Longer review: The PCs are basically enlisted by both the “monster” and its creator to help them. I really don’t like that the monster turns into a killer when it is spurned, but that is the nature of the domains, I guess. I really don’t know if there is a right choice here, for the PCs, if you make the monster more sympathetic and not a killer.
How I’d change it: I’m not sure I’d use this one, but if I was, I’d either make the monster more sympathetic, or his bride not to be more evil.
The Last Dance
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #64
This takes place in Richemulot. However, I don’t think it fits the theme there. I’d move it to Lamordia or Dementlieu.
Short review: Good concept, I’d change quite a bit. The idea of a ball that is recreated by puppets made of sewn up flesh is a GREAT Ravenloft idea…..but the execution is missing something for me.
Longer review: The PCs are hired to investigate something in a basement, but it is too obvious their patron is up to something….The idea of the puppets is great, but I feel it isn’t fleshed out enough, enough of the focus. I love that the villain here is a lesser darklord of sorts, who just wants to kill adventurers for their loot.
How I’d change it: I’d move this to Dementlieu for sure. The villain is pretending to be something she isn’t, throwing a ball that isn’t really what it seems. Maybe people go to this ball out of some kind of feeling if they don’t, that the real darklord will kill them. Maybe the PCs are there for that reason, and the villain tries to get them out of the ballroom so she can kill them, use their body parts and money to make more dancers? Creepy.
Falls Run
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #67
This takes place in West Virginia, on a train. How you get that into your fantasy world is up to you! It also features guns and stuff……Meant for the Masque of Red Death system (alternate earth)
Short review: Meh. Some good stuff, but I won’t be using this as is. The true definition of railroading the PCs (pun intended). But even after the train crash, if the PCs don’t go after the cult, the cult eventually goes after them for no reason other than the adventure says they do.
Longer review: I don’ think I’m using this at all…..so, not much more for me to say. I’d only search it out if you want a more modern adventure.
How I’d change it: Maybe steal the map and villager names? Steal the idea of being rescued by the villagers after a crash?
Dark Magic in New Orleans
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #71
This takes place in New Orleans and has some issues with how certain people and religions are portrayed (some of you won’t like that sentence, sorry, not sorry). Too many issues that I don’t want to get into here, just know I won’t use it.
The House on the Edge of Midnight
Appears in Dungeon Magazine #76
This takes place on an unnamed island….me? I’d get rid of the natives, for reasons. The doctor operates on shipwreck victims. Really, I’d move him to the shore of one of the domains, and have a small village nearby?
Short review: Great concept, some issues with the execution. A mad doctor that just wants to restore his child to real life…..not a fan of the primitive natives idea, though.
Longer review: I really love the idea of the villain here, but most PCs will never know that backstory. The question for the DM is how to get them to the house, and how to creep them out with what this guy has done…..and wants to do to them. It is pretty short, and could be run easily in 1 session if run as is. I’m not sure the motivation of the two ghosts, other than they are ghosts so they try to do bad things?
How I’d change it: The more I think about it, the more I’d put it on an island, but replace the “natives” with a few small villages. Each has its own villain/story about why that village is a tiny domain of one home/village. People travel and trade normally, but each village has its dark secret. I’d make the ghosts in this one more interesting somehow.
If you’d like….you could check out my products on DMs Guild….