History TabletopGame / Ravenloft

* FakeAristocrat: A rather odd case in the 5e soft reboot, which retcons that the vampire who murdered Dr. Van Richten's family, Baron Metus, wasn't actually a baron at all. His ''name'' was Baron, and so he liked to pretend he was an actual baron. His retcon-created sister basically does the same thing herself now.

* AbominableAuditorium: Lemot Sediam Juste is the playwright darklord of Scaena. Originally known for his comedies, his first tragedy provoked only laughter. In revenge for this slight, he locked the audience into the theatre and burned it to the ground, earning his darklordship. His realm of Scaena is a travelling pocket domain consisting of a single theatre. Juste has complete control over the intricate illusions he creates on his stage, can meld into any wooden surface in his theater and emerge elsewhere in the realm. He can also will the theatre to burn down (and then reform), and is immune to the flames.

* AncientTomb: Har'Akir and Sebua, being twin counterparts of AncientEgypt, have mummy-filled tombs all over the place.

* TheBluebeard: Bluebeard and Urik von Kharkov.
* BookDumb: One of the defining cultural trappings of Valachan is a deliberate scorn for "book learning", which they view as useless, impractical, and antithetical to everything that makes a person a "man". If it's not practical knowledge that can help one survive in the day-to-day world, it's derided; this actually puts the local priests in the odd position where the locals simultaneously depend on their magic, but scorn them for needing to be educated. In fairness, this trope is depicted as a strong hindrance to the Valachani--for example, it keeps them from realizing they are being ruled over and literally preyed upon by an alliance of vampires and werepanthers.

* CainAndAbel: Strahd and Sergei.

* CrystalDragonJesus: The Church of Ezra worships a Crystal Dragon Virgin Mary figure.

* DeathSeeker: Ankhtepot, the ruler of the realm of Har'Akir, wants nothing more than to retrieve the last bit of his soul. He believes that when he finally tracks down his his ''ka'', he will become mortal again, and will thus be able to die. What happens afterwards doesn't really matter to him anymore; he's just over the whole "existing" thing after countless centuries.

** Strahd's personal brand of skeletons and zombies have a number of advantages over the typical kind.

* GrandTheftMe: Eleni of Toyalis is the protege of the darklord Hazlik, who has promised she will one day succeed him in ruling Hazlan. He's ''kinda'' telling the truth -- he intends to hijack her body to circumvent death from old age.
* GreatDetective: Expy Alanik Ray, [[{{Expy}} based on]] Sherlock Holmes.

* {{Necromancer}}: Strahd is a [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Necromancer Specialist Wizard]], as are the darklords of I'Cath and the Nocturnal Sea. Azalin, while technically a generalist wizard, naturally has vast knowledge of necromancy (and was, in fact, Strahd's wizardly mentor before their falling out). There are likely tons of others lurking around, due to the nature of the setting.

* RealityIsOutToLunch: Vechor and the Nightmare Lands' Forest of Everchange.

* SinsOfOurFathers: Entire bloodlines can be cursed. In one or two realms, Darklord status is passed on generation to generation.

* SoftReboot: The 5e release of the setting is more this than a strict continuation of the 2e/3e version of the setting. Some plotlines are continued or remains the same, like Azalin having seemingly escaped from the Mists, resulting in Darkon collapsing in on itself, but most of the featured domains are revamped either slightly or entirely. A lot of darklords are also changed, most notably with a lot of GenderFlip. Generally the changes were well-received.

* InfantImmortality: Averted, there are {{undead child}}ren here and there, and plenty of monsters eager to steal infants for the dinner table or worse.

* RoguishRomani: The Vistani, the FantasyCounterpartCulture of the Romani, have a reputation as thieves, kidnappers and willing agents of evil.

''Ravenloft'' began as the sixth adventure in the "I" series of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure modules, published in 1983, where a party of adventurers end up in and around the eponymous castle. It received a sequel, ''Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill'' (I10), in 1986. It was turned into a full-fledged campaign setting for AD&D 2e in 1990 with the publication of ''Ravenloft: Realm of Terror'' (nicknamed the Black Box). The ''Ravenloft Campaign Setting'' boxed set (the Red Box), released in 1994, revised and updated the setting to include developments in the metaplot. In 1997, the hardcover ''Domains of Dread'' updated both setting and rules, and was the first version to include rules for the demiplane's natives. The setting was licensed for Third Edition D&D to Creator/WhiteWolf, who released supplements through their Arthaus imprint, starting with 2001's ''Ravenloft'' hardcover. They updated it for 3.5 with 2003's ''Ravenloft Player's Handbook''. Plans to publish a fourth edition version of the setting were cancelled, but a number of Domains of Dread were introduced to 4e's [[TabletopGame/NentirVale default setting]], thus integrating Ravenloft into fourth edition's core. The setting and some of the characters are also mentioned in the 5th Edition manuals, and an expanded UpdatedRerelease of the original I6 campaign titled ''TabletopGame/CurseOfStrahd'' was released on March 15, 2016. ''Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft'', the proper return to Ravenloft as a campaign setting for 5th Edition, was released on May 18, 2021, seeing a reimagining of the setting with established domains getting revamped and new ones introduced.

* YourMagicsNoGoodHere: Many spells don't function or have altered effects, to prevent players from circumventing the domain's rules. BlackMagic, on the other hand, is greatly enhanced but will quickly turn you into a plaything of the Dark Powers.

''Ravenloft'' began as the sixth adventure in the "I" series of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons adventure modules, published in 1983, where a party of adventurers end up in and around the eponymous castle. It received a sequel, ''Ravenloft II: The House on Gryphon Hill'' (I10), in 1986. It was turned into a full-fledged campaign setting for AD&D 2e in 1990 with the publication of ''Ravenloft: Realm of Terror'' (nicknamed the Black Box). The ''Ravenloft Campaign Setting'' boxed set (the Red Box), released in 1994, revised and updated the setting to include developments in the metaplot. In 1997, the hardcover ''Domains of Dread'' updated both setting and rules, and was the first version to include rules for the demiplane's natives. The setting was licensed for Third Edition D&D to Creator/WhiteWolf, who released supplements through their Arthaus imprint, starting with 2001's ''Ravenloft'' hardcover. They updated it for 3.5 with 2003's ''Ravenloft Player's Handbook''. Plans to publish a fourth edition version of the setting were cancelled, but a number of Domains of Dread were introduced to 4e's [[TabletopGame/NentirVale default setting]], thus integrating Ravenloft into fourth edition's core. The setting and some of the characters are also mentioned in the 5th Edition manuals, and an expanded UpdatedRerelease of the original I6 campaign titled ''TabletopGame/CurseOfStrahd'' was released on March 15, 2016. ''Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft'', the proper return to Ravenloft as a campaign setting for 5th Edition, is set to be released on May 18, 2021, word from the writers being that they've reimagined the setting, with established domains getting revamped and new ones introduced.

* TheFairFolk: The shadow fey, of the Shadow Rift. These range from benign pixies to savage redcaps to cruel sidhe lords, all psychically manipulated by an EldritchAbomination.

* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: Many of the lands. Convincing prospective tourists to visit beautiful "Darkon," "Dementlieu" or "Ghastria" is probably something of a challenge. 3rd edition sourcebooks sometimes lampshade the trope -- for example, "Dementlieu" is named that way because of its (false) history as a realm of ''immense'' political instability and constant war, resulting in its own people dubbing in "the madness place", and the name stuck even after things finally settled down.

** Some of the Darklords can be like this, most likely so the [=PCs=] can sympathize with them, even if just a little.

** Gwydion is an EldrichtAbomination that has a power level comparable to many deities, but is locked within a prison of his own making. It's hinted that he too may be beyond the Powers' ability to contain if he escapes.

* PowerfulAndHelpless: Count Strahd von Zarovich is an immortal DomainHolder of a considerable chunk of the multiverse, but his one true wish—gaining the love of the only woman he has ever loved—is kept forever just out of his reach by the PowersThatBe.

* CreepySouvenir: One of the villains (Jacqueline Montarri from CraniumChase above, natch) collects the still-living heads of her victims.

* CrystalDragonJesus: The Church of Ezra worships a Cristal Dragon Virgin Mary figure.

* DoesNotLikeMagic"

* IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace: Many of the lands. Convincing prospective tourists to visit beautiful "Darkon," "Dementlieu" or "Ghastria" is probably something of a challenge.

** Being summoned into Ravenloft can't go back to where they came from or their normal lives. Depending on what they are or why they were summoned, they may have a problem with this.

* {{Uberwald}}: Barovia

* ClockPunk: Mechanical Golems are clockwork/steam golems in corporating both magic and technology.

* MistakenforUndead: Bone Golems, a sub-type of golem native to Ravenloft, are constructed from the bones of previously re-animated skeletons. Anyone who tries to fight it like they would an ''actual'' undead creature is in for a nasty surprise, however, as it lacks their vulnerabilities. Ditto for Zombie Golems, similar to flesh golems, but made from formerly animate zombie creatures.

** The above-mentioned Bone and Zombie Golems are a mish-mash of assembled parts form numerous creatures.

* ActuallyNotAVampire: Vamp'''y'''res are physically powerful, unnaturally beautiful, pale-skinned and sharp-fanged humanoid creatures who feed on blood...but are living beings, pack-hunting predators who fill the same ecological niche as lions or wolves--only with human prey.

** Meet the Resplendent Cloaker, a creature which resembles a cloak. When a potential host comes near it blinds them with ''color spray'' and forces itself to attach to their neck. That's bad. But it feeds by rapidly healing its host's wounds. That's good! It also constantly gives off a dazzling glow which attracts all sorts of attention. In '''Ravenloft'''. That's bad. Also, if it's ever injured or covered up it drains the host's life to heal itself and trying to take it off might ''kill'' the host. That's ''really'' bad. But, as the kids say, it ''is'' pretty blingtasmicacious.

* MistakenforUndead: Bone Golems, a sub-type of golem native to Ravenloft, are constructed (as you might expect) from the bones of previously animated undead. Anyone who tries to fight it like they would an ''actual'' undead creature is in for a nasty surprise, however, as it lacks their vulnerabilities. Ditto for Zombie Golems, similar to flesh golems, but made from formerly animate undead.
* MixAndMatchMan: Like flesh golems outside the demiplane, Ravenloft flesh golems are made from various corpses. ''Unlike'' their foreign cousins, Ravenloft flesh golems have a spirit within them (usually from the brain or from a stolen soul) that makes them fully sapient. And angry.