Ravenloft (2024) / Ravenloft (2014) Venn Diagram?

Hi all,

I'm currently weighing whether to pick up the new Ravenloft book, but I've been reading through the previews and I'm getting mixed signals. A lot of the early looks suggest the contents might be largely a rewrite or re-skinning of the 2014 Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (VRGtR).

I loved VRGtR. I thought it had some of the best monster design of the 2014 edition. However, I'm hesitant to drop $60 on a new book if it just rehashes the same Domains of Dread, monsters, and horror tropes without adding significant new mechanics, setting details, or story hooks.

Has anyone managed to do a rough "Venn Diagram" comparison of the two yet? Which Domains are getting expanded or updated versions? How much of the monster stat blocks and lore are recycled vs. genuinely rethought? Are there new gameplay mechanics that weren't in the 2014 version?

I've not done a full comparison myself but the general consensus, to quote Mystic Arts, is "it's a fantastic book with no reason to exist."  By all accounts it's well written, has a lot of very interesting world building including several new Dark Domains, and finally has the Dark Lord stat blocks that Van Richten's missed out, but on the whole too much of it is just a revisit from the earlier book which was already considered one of the best 5e releases they've done. I have bought the digital version and I'm sure I'll get use out of it but a flick through a lot of the new Domains are interesting but only a page long whilst most of the ones that are more fleshed out are reworks from the older book

Character Options

• Species
  • 3 updated (1 reprint from a digital release)
  • 1 new
• Backgrounds
  • 2 updated
  • 2 new
  • All backgrounds can award a Dark Gift feat
• Dark gifts
  • All updated to feats
  • 7 updated
  • 1 new
• Origin feats
  • 2 new
• Subclasses
  • 2 updated from Van Richtens
  • 3 updated from other sources
  • 2 new

Domains of Ravenloft

• 13 previously explored domains
  • Now include multiple maps and encounter ideas
• 2 new domains
• 1 domain explored in more depth

Ravenloft Adventures and Creating Domains of Dread

• Different focus building Ravenloft adventures
• Explores different genres
• Haunted Bastion options

Monsters

• 31 updated monster stat blocks
  • 1 CR change (Gremisha: CR 1/8 > CR 2)
  • 1 stat block removed (Swarm of Gremisha changed to a modification trait to the Gremisha)
• 19 new monsters (36 including the 17 Dark Lords)
  • Including 5 non-Dark Lord NPCs

Magic Items

• 2 new
  • Including 1 sentient artifact

Teos Abadía on Alphastream did a great pair of video reviews of Ravenloft. 

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within - What I Really Liked!

Ravenloft: The Horrors Within - What I Didn't Love

Quote from Gnomarchy >>

Hi all,

I'm currently weighing whether to pick up the new Ravenloft book, but I've been reading through the previews and I'm getting mixed signals. A lot of the early looks suggest the contents might be largely a rewrite or re-skinning of the 2014 Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (VRGtR).

I loved VRGtR. I thought it had some of the best monster design of the 2014 edition. However, I'm hesitant to drop $60 on a new book if it just rehashes the same Domains of Dread, monsters, and horror tropes without adding significant new mechanics, setting details, or story hooks.

Has anyone managed to do a rough "Venn Diagram" comparison of the two yet? Which Domains are getting expanded or updated versions? How much of the monster stat blocks and lore are recycled vs. genuinely rethought? Are there new gameplay mechanics that weren't in the 2014 version?

The two big new things I was looking forward to were:

• the Innsmouth domain, which I found to be a hugely disappointing pile of meh that I can't imagine ever using in a campaign or even as a one-shot
• the additional Bastion options, which are actually pretty great for the most part -- and being able to add a Liminal Space to your Bastion just as Backrooms is a massive hit in theaters is pretty incredible timing, really

Quote from AntonSirius >>

• the additional Bastion options, which are actually pretty great for the most part -- and being able to add a Liminal Space to your Bastion just as Backrooms is a massive hit in theaters is pretty incredible timing, really

 
That timing is phenomenal!

Daði has some opinions on this one that you may find useful. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQF783yE82g

The TL;DW is there's a lot of overlap, and unless you didn't buy Van Richtens, or you really want the 5.5 options, you may be happy with what you've gotten already.

Would there be any reason for someone to pick up the 5e version if they have neither? Are there things in there that were not updated in the new one that might be worth a look?

Quote from sabin76 >>

Would there be any reason for someone to pick up the 5e version if they have neither? Are there things in there that were not updated in the new one that might be worth a look?

 There are some Domains of Dread that are detailed more comprehensively in Van Richten's than Horror Within, such as Blutespar

Quote from Gnomarchy >>

Has anyone managed to do a rough "Venn Diagram" comparison of the two yet? Which Domains are getting expanded or updated versions? How much of the monster stat blocks and lore are recycled vs. genuinely rethought? Are there new gameplay mechanics that weren't in the 2014 version?

 I Think Davyd gave the best no nonsense reply showing what is in the new book. But a bit of my take on this as a forever DM, if you are a DM running 5.5e like I do, it's not even a question, get the book. Lot's of new and great stuff for a DM. 

If you are a player, and your DM does not own the book, and you are playing 5.5e and want to play one of the Options in the book, get it, absolutly worth the price. 

If you are playing just (2014)5e as DM or a player, don't bother. 

The new stuff in the book is great though, and the mixed signals are just youtubers trying to get views. The Artificer subclass is not as bad as Pact Tactics says it is, the other subclasses and Species are all flavorful and good, the best Ranger Subclass in 5.5e as well. 

And lets face it I love the cleric and warlock subclasses as well. The dark gifts are great and as a DM my next campaign I may make use of them as a plot point. So yeah I personally think it's the first setting book in years worth the WotC price, and I really hope further books have at least as much.

(WotC no more half books like Spelljammer please, in fact please redo Spelljammer but properly)