Steve Miller (11)Critiques

Nothing impressive. An adventure that feels like it goes out of its way to ensure the same ending regardless of player choices; ends up feeling like they're less participants in, and more the audience of the drama that unfolds.

I had low expectations for this one but it's a decent and serviceable little sourcebook. From the beginning a main staple of the Ravenloft setting were the lineages of the main characters. It’s a motif in gothic horror that some families harbor evil in their genes that revisits generation after generation, fell curses and all that wonderful stuff. This book allows you to put that theme into game mechanics, allowing you to make PCs and NPCs in the cannon family bloodlines or create them of your own design. It’s a bit rules heavy but the redeeming factor is the continuation of the Laurie and Gennifer Weathermay-Foxgrove metaplot. You never know just what mischief those sly vixens are going to get into next, and the short stories provide fine filler material.½

Ah, the heady days of 2nd Edition. This is an update of the various "Boxed" editions of the Ravenloft Campaign Setting, with a lot of extras thrown in. There's all sorts of essays and articles on the setting and many updates of the metaplot so I guess it's worth getting. TSR loves to sell you the same thing many many times and this is a prime example. Some of the artwork is a little hokey, but hey it's a game book for crying out loud and there's enough Stephen Fabian stuff to keep you happy.

Okay, guys. You need to buy this one just for the wonderful artwork in here. Put the whole thing on a frame and stick it on the wall 'cause it's frelling gorgeous. The stories aren't half bad too. Great adventures with just the right gothic horror feel. Highly recommended, even for d20 DMs.½