metagaming about Ravenloft?

[Nefensis]

can someone know [lore] about ravenloft, someone who just arrived here, 2 feet away from the mists and say, oh yes ive heard of this place before and start talking about its history? never been here before.. you think?

[Nocte]

Nope. Straight up bullsh$t.

[Nefensis]

thats what  i tought, thank you very much

[DakkonVonStrell]

maybe  those with the half-vistani subrace could have a differant introduction and not arrive from the mists?  Just a thought.

[JironGhrad]

Half-Vistani is supposed to be non-playable as I recall

[Gwegowy]

A rhetorical question: why bother with lore checks in such a situation anyway?  People know their characters background.  If they're an outlander, they won't know a damn thing about Barovia, Ravenloft, etc.; however, if they're a native, they'll have some limited knowledge of the land.

[Bluebomber4evr]

half-Vistani *is* a playable race.

Full blooded-Vistani are not.

The introduction shouldn't matter whether you're in Ravenloft or not...the Mists can grab people wherever they are.

Native characters might know a thing or two. They'd probably know not to wander into a bank of Mists...they'd probably heard that the Vistani aren't to be trusted. They'd have heard of Barovia and Strahd, but wouldn't know the intricate details.

It is *highly* unlikely that any outlander would know this stuff. It's theoritically possible, but the chances are slimmer than Callista Flockheart.

[szabot]

New outsider here...

Fortunately, I, the player, know nothing about Ravenloft. So, it's easy to "pretend" that my character doesn't either.

However, is it better to have a background that a character remembers or not? In other words, when the character is "captured" does he still remember everything from before?

If so, what are the limits or guidelines for character backgrounds? I mean, I would not have my character come from Earth, but could he be from ~any~ D&D world I choose?

While I'm at it, even though this may not be the best thread for it, I have a more general question: for someone new here, what would you recommend I read on the forums before I start playing? I've got the haks and can log in just fine. I've read the server rules. What else should I regard as necessary or at least important reading before starting to play?

Cheers.

[Nefensis]

there is a few char that comes from *earth* ~from scotland more precisely~

you can be anyone you want, be serious and make sure of the roleplay you want to do.. a naive person can be fun.. but they dont become serious and aggresive overnight,

as for remembering your past, its all up to you, in your roleplay.

read (about ravenloft) knowing the mood of the setting is faily important to understand, this is not a happy joy joy place  

[szabot]

Thank you. Would reading the website section "About the World" be the best place to start? I've browsed the forums, but there is a lot there to absorb all at once (the "About the World" section has a lot, too!).

[Nefensis]

yeah About the world, thats what i meant, not about ravenloft CLoooSEEE enougH hehe

[szabot]

*gets to reading* Thanks.

[Bluebomber4evr]

New outsider here...

Fortunately, I, the player, know nothing about Ravenloft. So, it's easy to "pretend" that my character doesn't either.

However, is it better to have a background that a character remembers or not? In other words, when the character is "captured" does he still remember everything from before?

If so, what are the limits or guidelines for character backgrounds? I mean, I would not have my character come from Earth, but could he be from ~any~ D&D world I choose?

While I'm at it, even though this may not be the best thread for it, I have a more general question: for someone new here, what would you recommend I read on the forums before I start playing? I've got the haks and can log in just fine. I've read the server rules. What else should I regard as necessary or at least important reading before starting to play?

Cheers.

Your PC will more than likely remember everything about his/her past (though if you want your character to be amnesiac you can play that if you like).

Your character can come from just about anywhere, but it should be within reason. No characters from modern-day settings, no characters from science-fiction settings, no Star Wars characters, no cyborgs, and so on. Try to keep it within the scope of D&D.

And yes, do read the "About the World" section. I spent a lot of time working on it.  

[szabot]

I read up, settled on a background, and logged in...just to find that the name for the character that I had somehow picked out of my subconscious was the same name as some D&D deity...so remade it with a new name, but then played for hours. Great place so far, in every way.

Cheers.

[metagod]

I never knew much about ravenloft when I first started playing here, aside from the fact that it is a dark unfriendly place where lycans and undead are as common as people, everything else i know about the world is from what ive been told from pc's that have been here a long time or what npc's say, or from books i find in game, needless to say there is a lot of information, and if i dont know something i always go out of my way ic to learn it.

[Marius_Manners]

It's like this...how would anyone know what's beyond the cave of no return, if there's no returning to give word of what's beyond it?

Like Captain Jack said in Pirates of the Carribean, "If there are no survivors, where do the stories come from I wonder?"
Nobody has ever come back from Ravenloft, as there is no known escape. Nobody in any other world would even fathom it's existance, much less know it's history.

[Roosh]

Ravenloft is common knowledge among Sigil's bloods, and many a cutter has heard of it, too. They know what it is, where it is, what goes on in there, and why you never want to wind up there. My character and his associate happen to be a pair of primes-turned-planewalkers, and have undoubtedly heard of it, but out of respect for the atmosphere, (especially because just about everything else I do is a giant slap in the face of gothic horror) Rick hasn't mentioned that fact. Chances are I never will (selective amnesia?), but should I ever, it will probably be along the lines of, "Oh, crap. This is Ravenloft. We are so pantsed."

I will then become an NPC farmer, because really, once you know you are doomed, there's no use fighting it.

[Bluebomber4evr]

Bear in mind though, that even if your PC knew of the place, he wouldn't call it Ravenloft...that's an OOC descriptive term for the setting...IC, "Ravenloft" is just a castle in Barovia.

Those few outlanders who know of the place would probably call it the "Demiplane of Dread," while natives often call it "The Land of Mists."

[metagod]

i made the mistake of calling the place ravenloft once. .

the signs above shops here and there that say "Ravenloft" through me off :p

but then so does the guide to the universe on the top of bookselves aka "Bioware" book *snickers*

[hempiestad]

It's like this...how would anyone know what's beyond the cave of no return, if there's no returning to give word of what's beyond it?

Pertaining to the land of mists:
Word gets out, many have excaped the grasp of the dark powers, whole lands escaped in the grand conjunction, and several ravenloft adventures (almost all) allowed an optional escape if the DM wished.

But the term "ravenloft" would not be used, and there would be no imediate understanding.  no blocks going to walk out of the mist and see a gypisy and say " darn gum it i'm in the demiplane of dread". Even if stories have been heard there never 100% true some exageration would be involved. so time would be required for any charater to come to understanding of his location.

thnk you

[Akril]

A rhetorical question: why bother with lore checks in such a situation anyway?  People know their characters background.  If they're an outlander, they won't know a damn thing about Barovia, Ravenloft, etc.;

Whilst there would need to be a damn good reason for this being the case I dont see why they cant know a damn thing.

After all - people have escaped Ravenloft (been permitted to leave).

Rumours and minor knowledge are bound to have leaked out.

Of course the likelihood of a level 1 character having come across it is incredibly remote.  Also - there is considerable knowledge available about Ravenloft in the Outerplanes (again making it incredibly unlikely a Level 1 character would know anything).

I think on the whole a rule saying you know nothing is probably best - as all of a sudden every tom dick and mary will have a backstory involving some means of knowing everything.

But if there was a good reason then exceptionally it should surely be possible (even better yet possible to know a rumour which is completely wrong).

[Jasperot9l]

Im fine with players having knowledge of Ravenloft but it must be tempered with what CAN be known.

A person could know that the entire world sits in the Etherial, its a prison for the vast majority, the lands permiated with evil and a few domains are nearly direct copys of real world places.

All that can be learned from the few who have returned during the weekend in hell era.

Offlimit topics would be the Darkpowers, The very idea of darklords, the nature of power checks and Ravenloft specific monsters.

No one short of Azalin and his direct lutenants would know that info.

[Bluebomber4evr]

Im fine with players having knowledge of Ravenloft but it must be tempered with what CAN be known.

A person could know that the entire world sits in the Etherial, its a prison for the vast majority, the lands permiated with evil and a few domains are nearly direct copys of real world places.

All that can be learned from the few who have returned during the weekend in hell era.

Offlimit topics would be the Darkpowers, The very idea of darklords, the nature of power checks and Ravenloft specific monsters.

No one short of Azalin and his direct lutenants would know that info.

Strahd knows that stuff, too....as do the heroes who participated in the Grand Conjunction ...but yeah, a very select few would even begin to know about that stuff.