- Hardcover: 221 pages
- Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (Oct 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 078693946X
- ISBN-13: 978-0786939466
- Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 2.5 x 20.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 837,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Revisit a classic D&D adventure, now expanded and updated!
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft is a 224-page D&D adventure that harkens back to classic 1st-edition adventure, Ravenloft. This adventure expands on the original adventure, introduces some never-before-seen threats. It also features a new encounter format designed to make running the adventure easier for the Dungeon Master. This new layout includes such details as more graphics and readily available stat blocks, both of which can shorten prep time and gameplay.
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft is a 224-page D&D adventure that harkens back to classic 1st-edition adventure, Ravenloft. This adventure expands on the original adventure, introduces some never-before-seen threats. It also features a new encounter format designed to make running the adventure easier for the Dungeon Master. This new layout includes such details as more graphics and readily available stat blocks, both of which can shorten prep time and gameplay.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft is the perfect campaign for those dark, stormy winter nights as it follows the player characters through a land reminicent of Transylvania to the small town of Barovia where the sinister events begin.
The book is laid out in an easy to follow format which allows for the DM to run the adventure without too much trouble. However it requires a much greater amount of pre-game reading before running than other adventures as the plot and main villain are much more complex that others. One of the greatest aspects of the title is that it can be replayed again and again thanks to its timeless story of horror plus there are five seperate motives for the villain, each affecting the outcome of the game. One of the most charming aspects of the adventure is that the PCs' objectives are determined by a random tarot card reading, another element that improves the lifespan of the product.
However there are some slightly annoying aspects to the product. The combat encounters are all very well pre-arranged with maps and tactics that novice DMs can jump right in (something that annoys me slightly as it enforces too many rules to the running of the game and almost forces you to use miniatures in the game). Yet these highly detailed enounters are linked by very hazy and bland descriptions that leave the DM a little lost for what to focus his preporation time on. The adventure is also very difficult for the levels that it suggests. The party that I run the game against was a group of undead hunters and still had trouble with the adventure. The castle itself is very detailed and scary but also confusing and so very vast which is difficult to explain to the PCs unless you want to reveal the entire map to them.
Overall the product is good but is not quite so easy to just pick up and play as the developers have hoped. With quite a lot of preperation you should be able to run one of the most scary and memorable campaigns for your players with one of the most horrific villians ever.
The book is laid out in an easy to follow format which allows for the DM to run the adventure without too much trouble. However it requires a much greater amount of pre-game reading before running than other adventures as the plot and main villain are much more complex that others. One of the greatest aspects of the title is that it can be replayed again and again thanks to its timeless story of horror plus there are five seperate motives for the villain, each affecting the outcome of the game. One of the most charming aspects of the adventure is that the PCs' objectives are determined by a random tarot card reading, another element that improves the lifespan of the product.
However there are some slightly annoying aspects to the product. The combat encounters are all very well pre-arranged with maps and tactics that novice DMs can jump right in (something that annoys me slightly as it enforces too many rules to the running of the game and almost forces you to use miniatures in the game). Yet these highly detailed enounters are linked by very hazy and bland descriptions that leave the DM a little lost for what to focus his preporation time on. The adventure is also very difficult for the levels that it suggests. The party that I run the game against was a group of undead hunters and still had trouble with the adventure. The castle itself is very detailed and scary but also confusing and so very vast which is difficult to explain to the PCs unless you want to reveal the entire map to them.
Overall the product is good but is not quite so easy to just pick up and play as the developers have hoped. With quite a lot of preperation you should be able to run one of the most scary and memorable campaigns for your players with one of the most horrific villians ever.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you're looking at this I'm sure you already know that this is an amazing premade adventure-campaign-one off-whatever you want it to be. Partly because of that, but mostly that its interesting, well written and loving conversion of a classic.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
17 reviews
45 of 47 people found the following review helpful
A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO THE ORIGINAL
23 Nov 2006
Format:Hardcover
The original Ravenloft module from the 1980's was one of the most popular adventures ever for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Later the Ravenloft boxed set would be introduced followed by dozens of other boxed sets and adventures in the 90's. Now Ravenloft has finally returned in a new hardcover campaign book from Wizards of the Coast, seeking to recapture that magic. While I would have loved to see a new boxed set with great foldout maps, WOC's seems to want to do everything in hardcover format so I guess we will have to live with it.
Once again we meet Count Strahd von Zarovich who has unique powers that make him far more powerful than your average, run-of-the-mill vampire thanks to his unique tie to the village of Barovia, cast right out of a 19630's Universal horror film (although Strahd himself seems less based on Bela Lugosi than in the original Ravenloft module. The randomness and replay-ability of the original module has been faithfully replicated and kept in tact, meaning that this is one campaign that can be repeated with very different encounters and results due in large part to the gypsy fortune teller Madame Eva whose card readings set the stage for random events and encounters.
Another feature which is nice is that the book can be played as one lengthy campaign which will take months to complete, or played in shorter, even one night sessions as guidelines are presented for each type of scenario. Again, this only serves to bolster the replay factor of the campaign. In addition, there are specifics laid out to drop Ravenloft into the Forgotten Realms, Eberron, or even D20 Modern.
The players will begin in the village of Barovia and begin play due to one of several different adventure hooks. They will eventually meet up with Ireena Kolyana, daughter of the late Burgomeister and find themselves smack in the middle of a rampant zombie outbreak that would make George Romero proud. The players will go on to investigate the expansive surrounding lands before arriving at the very gothic Castle Ravenloft.
At over 200 pages, the designers obviously have much more to work with in establishing the setting of this haunted castle and describing the various rooms and encounters in far more detail than in the original module, and they do a wonderful job. This castle is downright creepy and you never know what lurks beyond the next door. In all there are some 90 areas described within the castle, not including the decrepit crypts of Ravenloft which add another 40 areas to explore. While it says its geared towards 4 6th level characters, that strikes me as a bit under powered.
The Appendices describe a couple of new prestige classes, magic items, weapons, and artifacts but they really keep the new equipment to a minimum. As usual the book features fantastic work from numerous artists.
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft has some big shoes to fill but I think it does so quite successfully.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Once again we meet Count Strahd von Zarovich who has unique powers that make him far more powerful than your average, run-of-the-mill vampire thanks to his unique tie to the village of Barovia, cast right out of a 19630's Universal horror film (although Strahd himself seems less based on Bela Lugosi than in the original Ravenloft module. The randomness and replay-ability of the original module has been faithfully replicated and kept in tact, meaning that this is one campaign that can be repeated with very different encounters and results due in large part to the gypsy fortune teller Madame Eva whose card readings set the stage for random events and encounters.
Another feature which is nice is that the book can be played as one lengthy campaign which will take months to complete, or played in shorter, even one night sessions as guidelines are presented for each type of scenario. Again, this only serves to bolster the replay factor of the campaign. In addition, there are specifics laid out to drop Ravenloft into the Forgotten Realms, Eberron, or even D20 Modern.
The players will begin in the village of Barovia and begin play due to one of several different adventure hooks. They will eventually meet up with Ireena Kolyana, daughter of the late Burgomeister and find themselves smack in the middle of a rampant zombie outbreak that would make George Romero proud. The players will go on to investigate the expansive surrounding lands before arriving at the very gothic Castle Ravenloft.
At over 200 pages, the designers obviously have much more to work with in establishing the setting of this haunted castle and describing the various rooms and encounters in far more detail than in the original module, and they do a wonderful job. This castle is downright creepy and you never know what lurks beyond the next door. In all there are some 90 areas described within the castle, not including the decrepit crypts of Ravenloft which add another 40 areas to explore. While it says its geared towards 4 6th level characters, that strikes me as a bit under powered.
The Appendices describe a couple of new prestige classes, magic items, weapons, and artifacts but they really keep the new equipment to a minimum. As usual the book features fantastic work from numerous artists.
Expedition to Castle Ravenloft has some big shoes to fill but I think it does so quite successfully.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Great new format
8 Nov 2006
Format:Hardcover
I'd like to echo J Tucker's review. I picked this book up because I thought it would be fun and nostalgic to run my players through good old Ravenloft. What I got for my money seems to be a complete rework of how Wizard's is publishing their adventures now. Specifically, how they have reworked presentation of combat encounters. It works wonderfully!
I absolutely HATE page flipping when I run a game. I try to have as many things memorized as possible as well as critical notes on a one sheet so that any page turning is kept to a minimum. This new format is great. I have a small map, stats and tactics all on the same page. No need to page turn to run an encounter and no need for notes! Everything is right there in front of me. I can't say enough about this. It's been a long time coming.
I think in the past Wizards and other D20 publishers have tried to show that they are not skimping on content by publishing stat blocks one time only in an appendix and asking the DM to flip back to that page each time that particular stat block is needed. My guess is they decided that republishing stat blocks at each point harkened back to the early 90s fluff, large margin BS that was coming out of TSR.
Wizards take note. There is a balance to be struck and I for one love the balance you've found here. Not only is the adventure fluff less, its high quality, fun and EASY to run. Thank you!
I absolutely HATE page flipping when I run a game. I try to have as many things memorized as possible as well as critical notes on a one sheet so that any page turning is kept to a minimum. This new format is great. I have a small map, stats and tactics all on the same page. No need to page turn to run an encounter and no need for notes! Everything is right there in front of me. I can't say enough about this. It's been a long time coming.
I think in the past Wizards and other D20 publishers have tried to show that they are not skimping on content by publishing stat blocks one time only in an appendix and asking the DM to flip back to that page each time that particular stat block is needed. My guess is they decided that republishing stat blocks at each point harkened back to the early 90s fluff, large margin BS that was coming out of TSR.
Wizards take note. There is a balance to be struck and I for one love the balance you've found here. Not only is the adventure fluff less, its high quality, fun and EASY to run. Thank you!
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Good horror adventure
6 Nov 2006
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was really surprised by the quality of this book. I have never been impressed by Bruce Cordell's work, and have always been a skeptic of published adventures. But, as a veteran gamer, I can say this book satisfies. Great wilderness sites, an expansive "dungeon", plenty of dangerous monsters and traps, and good artwork combine to create the chilling atomosphere a Ravenloft adventure should possess. And the new encounter format is one of the best D&D improvements in years, especially for gamers like me who hate page-flipping during combat.
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