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Expedition to Castle Ravenloft
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.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2006
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About the author
Bruce R. Cordell
165 books123 followersBruce R. Cordell authored books for Dungeons & Dragons over the course of 4 editions (2nd Edition through 5th Edition D&D). These days, he’s a senior designer for Monte Cook Games, LLC designing Numenera , Gods of the Fall, and The Strange. Also a novel author, his credits include several titles set in the Forgotten Realms. Bruce’s tenth novel, Myth of the Maker, is just out from Angry Robot Books:
http://brucecordell.blogspot.com/2017...
http://brucecordell.blogspot.com/2017...
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 23, 2008
First, I should say that it isn't that this book was poorly written. It is a decent dungeon crawl.
The reason I find this book to be an abomination is that it has drained Ravenloft of every drop of horror that it has ever held. TSR developed a wonderful horror setting for AD&D. White Wolf took a beautiful thing and polished it even more, making it wonderful.
Then Wizards of the Coast came along, bought the rights to Ravenloft from White Wolf and reduced the setting to a whimpering castrata.
Gone is the world from which there is no escape. Instead, Ravenloft is simply Castle Ravenloft, whose master, Strahd, is another fiend for the characters to attempt to defeat, rather than an impossibly powerful being to be feared.
One of the most horrifying things about the original Ravenloft setting was the fact that the true monsters had human faces. The monsters in Expedition, on the other hand, have monstrous faces, reassuring the characters that they are doing the right thing by ridding the world of another evil.
The reason I find this book to be an abomination is that it has drained Ravenloft of every drop of horror that it has ever held. TSR developed a wonderful horror setting for AD&D. White Wolf took a beautiful thing and polished it even more, making it wonderful.
Then Wizards of the Coast came along, bought the rights to Ravenloft from White Wolf and reduced the setting to a whimpering castrata.
Gone is the world from which there is no escape. Instead, Ravenloft is simply Castle Ravenloft, whose master, Strahd, is another fiend for the characters to attempt to defeat, rather than an impossibly powerful being to be feared.
One of the most horrifying things about the original Ravenloft setting was the fact that the true monsters had human faces. The monsters in Expedition, on the other hand, have monstrous faces, reassuring the characters that they are doing the right thing by ridding the world of another evil.
August 14, 2008
A fun lowish-level adventure. Not good for newbs though, plenty of stuff to kill you and resurrection isn't available for another 5-6 levels.
P.S. Bring a cleric for Lolth's sake, dont whine that y'all got whipped when you play through an undead campaign with four Drizzt clones
P.S. Bring a cleric for Lolth's sake, dont whine that y'all got whipped when you play through an undead campaign with four Drizzt clones
March 17, 2019
I probably shouldn't be writing my review right after finishing my read through and before running it, but here we are. This adventure is pretty good. I like how it's structured though (for DM's) it does require jumping back and forth between room descriptions and the encounters. I would normally give this book 4 stars without hesitation.
But here's the rub: there's no conclusion. So you get through this 200+ page book with 0 pay off. Nothin'! That is so frustrating to me. Now, I've been a DM long enough and my over-arching campaign is big enough that I can easily come up with something on my own. But it is still frustrating that one doesn't exist! DM's out there be warned!
But here's the rub: there's no conclusion. So you get through this 200+ page book with 0 pay off. Nothin'! That is so frustrating to me. Now, I've been a DM long enough and my over-arching campaign is big enough that I can easily come up with something on my own. But it is still frustrating that one doesn't exist! DM's out there be warned!
March 2, 2023
True there are a few holes (how did they get to B if not through the crossroads - but no show stoppers.
A well written take on a classic adventure.
A well written take on a classic adventure.
April 8, 2014
I'm going to echo a negative sentiment expressed by a fellow reviewer who said that this is not really a 'horrifying' or 'terrifying' adventure. At least, not based on what's on the pages.
However, I never found any difficulty in turning what's presented here (which, for my money, is easily the finest single-book adventure in my library, for reasons I'll discuss below) into a pulse-pounding, nail-biting experience for my players. To me, it's all on the GM to instill a given atmosphere (and for Murphy's sake, you don't always need to dim the lights, burn the candles candles and listen to mood music, but they do help when you're running low on inspiration!)
Where this book really shines for me is the fluid nature of it, which I'll admit was very off-putting to me at first. But once I sat down and figured out how to deploy the encounters as they are presented, I realized there was more than one way to skin the cat with this particular module -- and after that I ran with it and never looked back.
The lower level nature of this adventure does somewhat diminish its rank among the Ravenloft annals, simply because Strahd is supposed to be a primary villain sitting atop his castle and casting a long, dreadful shadow over the entire realm. This particular module's single failing is that it essentially takes a player all the way through the Strahd story, which I usually try to spread out over a few separate, linked campaigns to build the tension for the inevitable climax.
Still, it is a magnificently-written and meticulously-crafted, modular adventure which will likely test a new GM's patience to learn, but it's a price well worth paying.
However, I never found any difficulty in turning what's presented here (which, for my money, is easily the finest single-book adventure in my library, for reasons I'll discuss below) into a pulse-pounding, nail-biting experience for my players. To me, it's all on the GM to instill a given atmosphere (and for Murphy's sake, you don't always need to dim the lights, burn the candles candles and listen to mood music, but they do help when you're running low on inspiration!)
Where this book really shines for me is the fluid nature of it, which I'll admit was very off-putting to me at first. But once I sat down and figured out how to deploy the encounters as they are presented, I realized there was more than one way to skin the cat with this particular module -- and after that I ran with it and never looked back.
The lower level nature of this adventure does somewhat diminish its rank among the Ravenloft annals, simply because Strahd is supposed to be a primary villain sitting atop his castle and casting a long, dreadful shadow over the entire realm. This particular module's single failing is that it essentially takes a player all the way through the Strahd story, which I usually try to spread out over a few separate, linked campaigns to build the tension for the inevitable climax.
Still, it is a magnificently-written and meticulously-crafted, modular adventure which will likely test a new GM's patience to learn, but it's a price well worth paying.
February 20, 2008
As far as game modules go, this one has presented my group with quite a few springboards to leap from, which is great. My current game has been blending d20 past European Victorian characters into the world of Gothic terror, and, for the most part it's been fun.
Ravenloft is very flexible, with a myriad of ways to run, and the potential for repeat playability (though, I would assume, most of your play group should be very different when you do this. I can't imagine any group playing for months, finally vanquishing Count Strahd, then saying "Let's do that again!"). Also, with a bunch of good Gothic story ideas from zombie invasions to Werewolves to Evil Gypsies, it serves as a great springboard for any number of side plots the Dungeon Master wishes to sprinkle in.
The big problem the book has, which is my general gripe by anything printed by Dungeons and Dragons nowadays, is that it focuses too much on combat. I've scaled a chunk of that down when my characters were playing outside the castle, but now that my characters are inside the castle proper, it's been two fights a day. I guess bread and circuses is what the audience wants, though, no?
Ravenloft is very flexible, with a myriad of ways to run, and the potential for repeat playability (though, I would assume, most of your play group should be very different when you do this. I can't imagine any group playing for months, finally vanquishing Count Strahd, then saying "Let's do that again!"). Also, with a bunch of good Gothic story ideas from zombie invasions to Werewolves to Evil Gypsies, it serves as a great springboard for any number of side plots the Dungeon Master wishes to sprinkle in.
The big problem the book has, which is my general gripe by anything printed by Dungeons and Dragons nowadays, is that it focuses too much on combat. I've scaled a chunk of that down when my characters were playing outside the castle, but now that my characters are inside the castle proper, it's been two fights a day. I guess bread and circuses is what the audience wants, though, no?
May 26, 2015
Back in the yesteryore of D&D, there was an adventure about a vampire in a castle by a village. Ravenloft has been an icon of the game ever since. In this, Ravenloft gets a facelift and a nosejob, bringing it into the 3.5 edition with style and grace. Instead of tarot, we use the 3 Dragon Ante deck (nice tie in for those of us who picked up other products), and the set-up of the story changes depending on how the cards turn over - so that you can play this adventure more than once, without knowing everything ahead of time on your second, or third time through... or fourteenth. The module also breaks itself into a smaller options, so that you can turn this book into a one-night session, or a full-length campaign. Extremely well done, applause to all who worked on it.
June 24, 2011
I have always been a huge fan of Ravenloft since I got the AD&D module I6. This is a re-deux of the module with rules and characters converted to the 3.5 ruleset. It is every bit as fun and exciting as the original and the maps and pictures really bring it to life. This is definitely a book you'll want to add to your D&D collection!
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April 26, 2016UGH, this place again? I've never beaten Ravenloft. I've tackled it twice with two different PCs in two different editions, & each PC was the only survivor of their party (& fled). This third edition version is particularly brutal, a real meatgrinder. Sometimes, that's the worst; sometimes that's the best. Depends on what you & your party are looking for. -MK
June 2, 2011
A great re-visiting of the classic AD&D module. My players are still struggling through Act 1, but we're enjoying ever minute of each session and I hope to invest the time and energy to play it through until the bitter end.
November 12, 2012
A lovely book, particularly in presentation -- this resource just seems better put together than many 3rd Edition D&D products. It takes the original adventure to a heavily detailed and whole new level.
June 24, 2014
This was a lot of fun. The actual castle was a bit too large of a dungeon for my group (we skipped a bunch of it) but all the stuff preceding it was great.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews