5E D&D Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft haunted heroes dark gifts

Dark Gifts Await 5E D&D’s Haunted Heroes with Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

June 24, 2021

The Mists of Ravenloft swallow adventurers from across the multiverse to pit them against whatever horrors the Dark Powers conjure. Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft describes these Domains of Dread and the Darklords who both rule them and remain imprisoned by their own nightmare realms. The fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Haunted Heroes facing such horrors can gain an edge though. Whether their origins lie in the same tales of terror or the Dark Powers of Ravenloft grant a Dark Gift these 5E D&D characters forge ties to the grim and haunted domains and gain a double-edged connection to these genres of horror. Let’s get into it.

Creating a 5E D&D Ravenloft character

Playing 5E D&D adventures set in the eponymous Ravenloft setting adds a thick layer of spooky atmosphere. Ghost stories, murder mysteries and alien horrors represent just a tiny taste of the suspenseful scenarios awaiting heroes. Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft wisely prefaces the juicy new character options players love with a thorough guide for creating the kinds of Haunted Heroes who embark on such fearful quests.

Much like how adventurers in the Theros setting receive Supernatural Gifts from the gods the bold heroes of Ravenloft adventures are granted mysterious powers through the insidious influence of the horror setting’s Dark Powers. But before such boons are bestowed upon these 5E D&D characters the book calls on players to ask themselves — are you sure you’re ready?

While Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft includes a wealth of valuable guidance on preparing for horror and running horror games for 5E D&D in later chapters aimed at Dungeon Masters it’s extremely cool to see related material right up front in very first chapter aimed at the other players and specifically placed before any new lineages, subclasses or other character options.

I’ve written and talked many times about the responsibility of all the other players in a 5E D&D game aside from the DM and I couldn’t be more pleased to see this notion begin to creep into official sources like this. Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft explicitly advises players to create character prepared to be scared. It’s okay to play a brave hero but at the end of the day the bravest people are those with the moral strength to face their fears and not those without any. (For the mechanically inclined there’s rules to support this too so you can even game your characters fears if that’s your jam.)

“Not everyone exploring the Domains of Dread comes from those grim lands. Work with the DM to determine your character’s origins. Has your character lived their entire life among the Mists? Or do they hail from another D&D setting, a place of your own design, or a more mysterious homeland?” — From the Mists or Beyond sidebar in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft

Developing ideas for a character’s fears along with exploring the concept of evil lurking in their own moral fiber lends a tremendous amount to Ravenloft adventures. Reading between the lines of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft illustrates how these particular kinds of quirks add to the roleplaying experience. Let’s face it — how characters react to the environment is the essence of an RPG (and the most basic three step process for playing them). If a player and their character aren’t invested in the overall experience then the Ravenloft setting with its trappings of horror aren’t going to be anything special.

The book offers up some terrific points for players to keep in mind for contributing as an active part of the atmospheric storytelling and adventures. Many of these Habits of Horror Heroes apply to any RPG experience with a few specifically tailored to facilitate the kinds of horror adventures Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft encourages. Things like focusing on the game, prioritizing consent and enjoying the struggle enhance any 5E D&D game while reminders like limiting comedy and adding to the horrific circumstances foster these genre stories directly.

5E D&D Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft Dark Gifts

Sinister forces lurk in the shadows, enticing the unwary with Dark Gifts. [Image courtesy Wizards of the Coast]

Dark Gifts for dark 5E D&D characters

The concept of gifts reminds me of the earliest days of 5E D&D when it was still D&D Next and the big marketing hype was this edition’s modular nature. While the design team could have done a much better job organizing and presenting game material in this regard nevertheless it is a component and modules like this wonderfully illustrate the potential.

For starters the Dark Gifts bestowed by the Dark Powers of Ravenloft grant characters new features and abilities. Try and find a player who isn’t interested in this. The huge number of players with a penchant for dark and edgy characters notwithstanding who wouldn’t want a special power for their 5E D&D character?

Gifts (whether Supernatural, Dark or otherwise) also create an opportunity for DMs to spotlight whatever makes a setting special. Dark Gifts are meant for starting characters but can certainly be granted during an unfolding story as well and in all cases speak to the setting both mechanically and narratively. In both cases where they show up in 5E D&D for specific settings these gifts represent an external force exerting influence on the characters. As you probably imagine Dark Gifts offered by Dark Powers demand a price for whatever boon they grant.

Echoing Soul. These characters lived past lives and those lives aren’t ready to give up the ghost quite yet. A Soul Echoes table provides examples of the nature of this gift, which grants proficiency in two skills and an additional language. But beware the natural 1 on the d20 — that’s when Intrusive Echoes emerge to overtake the character’s perceptions!
Gathered Whispers. Haunting voices heard in the wind are nothing out of the ordinary in the Domains of Dread but this Dark Gift gives those voices an audience inside a character’s mind. A Whispering Spirits table offers examples for what haunts these characters, who learn the message cantrip and a reaction making the character a conduit for the whispers in their head to manifest as a terrifying howl. Watch out though because a natural 1 on the d20 for these characters gives the voices inside a captive audience!
Living Shadow. You’re the cleverest fellow ’twas ever your fortune to know. You’ve taught a trick to your shadow to stick to the tip of your toe. And it’s all yours. Oh, the cleverness of you. A Shadow Quirk table gives suggestions for your shadow’s behavior, which teaches you the mage hand cantrip and extends the reach of your attacks. Careful for a natural 1 on the d20 though, which gives your shadow a measure of control over you!
Mist Walker. This Dark Gift puts a character squarely in the Ravenloft with a connection to the mysterious vapors that pluck heroes from other worlds to deposit them in the Domains of Dread. A Misty Travels table gives some ideas for how a character developed this connection, which allows them to cast misty step and navigate the Mists to visit whatever domain they wish. This powerful Dark Gift comes with an equally hefty price when the player rolls a natural 1 on the d20, which compels them to travel through the Mists before they waste away to nothingness.
Second Skin. These characters are not always who they appear to be thanks to this Dark Gift, which conceals a different form with its own dark motivations. A Second Form table offers some concepts for this other self, which manifests through an altered version of alter self. Heroes with this Dark Gift need not fear the natural 1 like the others although a Change Catalyst triggers an involuntary transformation so there’s that.
Symbiotic Being. This basically makes your character into Venom or a Necroscope style wamphyri for those familiar with the fantastic horror novels by Brian Lumley. A Symbiotic Nature table determines the entity sharing this character’s body, which has a distinct personality, mental ability scores and languages plus a skill that it grants the host organism. The symbiote also exerts its will to survive when the host’s life is in mortal danger but like the Second Skin there are times it takes over to fulfill it’s Symbiotic Agenda.
Touch of Death. Nothing too noodly here. Like it says on the tin these characters harm those who come into contact with their bare skin. This reminds me of Marvel’s Man-Thing character and their motto that whosoever knows fear burns at their touch. (You thought I was going to make a Giant Sized Man-Thing reference didn’t you?) A Deadly Touch table explains why this touch is so deadly, which deals increasingly more necrotic damage as the character reaches higher levels and overcomes resistance to the damage. The only real drawback here is narrative, which I find very strange. It’s compelling for sure but come on, they couldn’t come up with something? Feels like a glaring omission to me.
Watchers. A great horror story has got to have at least one incredibly paranoid character right? Except these heroes really are being watched by spiritual entities at all times. A Watchers table provides a terrific list of forms these spirits take on, whose presence grants the watched one advantage on Investigation and Perception along with immunity to the blinded condition. But these extra eyes and the unsettling nature of being watched means these characters have disadvantage on Deception, Performance and Persuasion checks as well as saving throws against the scrying spell. I particular love how the spiritual watchers are visible to others too, something these characters can exert their will to try and suppress.

*Featured image — Monster hunters Gennifer and Laurie Weathermay-Foxgrove corner the werewolf Natalia Vhorishkova in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. [Image courtesy Wizards of the Coast]