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Tomes of Ravenloft | A Curse of Strahd Supplement $4.95
Average Rating:4.5 / 5
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Tomes of Ravenloft | A Curse of Strahd Supplement
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Tomes of Ravenloft | A Curse of Strahd Supplement
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by matthew C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/02/2023 02:58:36

This is probably one of my favorite supplements I've ever purchased for a campaign. This really addresses one of the most common problems I've run into as a DM (outside of what an NPC's name is) -- fleshing out books. Up until this, most "books" I've handed out prior have been underwhelming for players. Books with basic names and descriptions are never satisfying, even when I've added in special mechanical benefits (advantage on your next history roll, and such). I have bought so many supplements with things like this and this has been the only one that hits the sweet spot.

Having a one-page snippit from an entire book has been easy enough for players to consume in a session, rather than daunting them with lore homework that never gets read, while still getting that "whats the book about??" question satiated. These also all have intention and purpose-- some with quest hooks, others with advantage, and some with just interesting lore. Additionally, these are all very interesting to read. The writing is captivating, but succient. My players favorite has been the feather's travel guide, they've brought it up at least 3 sessions now and it really smoothly allowed me to slide in some information about Berez.

Unfortunately now my players are even more excited to find libraries! Literally went into a house last session like "are there any books??" when they saw a bookshelf on the damn VTT map! I dread the day I run out of these... xD

Anyways, I couldn't be more satisfied with this purchase and I would greedily snap up any other supplements like this, especially for places like Faerun. Tomes for Waterdeep? Baulders gate? Phandalin? I would pay over 10 dollars for another small set like this, easily. 20+ for a larger bundle. You've saved me so much time and angst.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Hey Matthew! Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate them. I can tell you that I had some great fun writing up the stories, and I'm happy it shows. I'll not return to the D&D IP (unless something changes in a big way, as in being able to Kickstart projects that use the IP), but I could imagine doing a setting-neutral Kickstarter for a collection of books (in a book) at one point. This one was easy since it was born out of frustration when I wanted to DM the campaign myself, so I'm not sure if the idea would translate well outside of the campaigns & Forgotten Realms setting. We'll see what the future brings! :)
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Tomes of Ravenloft | A Curse of Strahd Supplement
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Sebrina C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/18/2021 06:02:05

Tomes of Ravenloft: Books, Letters, and Proclamations for Curse of Strahd by Christian Eichhorn (@squirrelgolem) CW: Horror, Graphic Descriptions

Tomes of Ravenloft is a collection of twenty three player handouts intended to enrich a Curse of Strahd campaign. The entries marked with a * in the Table of Contents are books or letters native to the campaign. They were mentioned somewhere in the text but had no substance—until now. The other entries are completely new creations.

This is a seriously impressive collection of in universe artefacts that run the gamut from providing substance for off-hand referenced already existing titles to new writings created whole cloth for this supplement, which provide a wealth of lore, inspiration, seeds and hooks, mechanical benefits, and even some tasty snacks!

With locations they can be found suggested, these pages are ready for printing and guaranteed to get a great reaction from your players and add all manner of flavour to your Curse of Strahd and Ravenloft games!

• The Abbot’s Letter to Vasili. A letter explaining the Abbot’s thoughts about his life choices, linking him to Vasili von Holtz and the Belview family. A nice glimpse of their relationship or at least the Abbot’s perspective on Strahd/ Vasili. • The Anti God. A heretical text about the gods. Offers insights on the inner workings of the world and the gods. Very interesting and will definitely spark interest and discourse between the more and less religious elements of your party. • Baking (for) Children. A collection of recipes by and for hags. Offers insights on baking and benefits checks using cook’s utensils. Can be found in Old Bonegrinder or in Castle Ravenloft near the cauldron. You can try out the recipes at home, only switch bone flour for regular flour. In universe document that contains actual recipes (though perhaps use an alternative to boneflour). • Balinok Mountains Survey Report. A survey commissioned by King Barov before the invasion. Offers a quest hook to prospect for gold in Lake Luna and information about the Amber Temple. There’s gold in them there hills and this might inspire your party to try and mine it, which could set up all manner of fun. • Barovian Home Remedies. A hodgepodge of questionable tips and remedies for real and imaginary ailments. Despite the mechanical benefits, the remedies aren’t guaranteed, but will certainly make for interesting sidequests if carried out. • The Blade of Truth. Accounts of Inquisitors Zeke Ulmist. Owning heretics with facts and logic, as well as a fascinating new take on the chicken, egg and becoming more powerful that the gods Dilemma. • Castle Building 101. A book about the basics of building castles. A practical manual and an amusing read. An extract from chapter 1 is provided. If the rest is like this, I’d read the whole book! • The Devil We Know Poems by Lady Fiona Wachter Ribald, silly and fun poems from Vallaki’s favourite book club host. • Embalming: The Lost Art. A paper detailing advanced embalming techniques. Interesting conversation topic for parties. A Thayan guide to getting the most out of your dead workforce. • From the Life of Saint Markovia. A book detailing the life and death of Saint Markovia. Not only will this help you find the body of the saint, but it will fill in some if they Backstory to boot! • Goats of the Balinok Mountains. A paper about goats. You will be relieved to know the little bleaters are thriving, as well as prospects of treasure and mounts. • The Grimoire of the Four Quarters. A book detailing ways to summon and negotiate with devils. A ritual guide to summoning Devils with good reviews from the Wachter book group. • Hymns to the Dawn. A volume of chants to the Morninglord. Sing Lathander! Sing Lathander! Sing Lathander to the Lord of Morning! • Killing the Devil. A pamphlet that hangs in Vallaki’s dark alleys. Fuck Strahd, I won’t do what he tells me! A hook that could be a trap or a way to meet the resistance. • Legends From the Svalich Woods. A book featuring dark stories about the Svalich Woods. Improve your knowledge of the scary forests of Barovia and read a creepy tale that could spark a quest. • Life Among the Undead. A tragic story, written by one “Vasili von Holtz.” An insight into the mind of Strahd. If one writes about themself as another persona and publishes it under that pseudonym, is it a self insert fanfic about the self? • The Oath Celestial. A historical book about the knights of the Holy Empire of Valentia. An interesting history of an even older order of knights that could give you the edge when dealing with the Order of the Silver Dragon. • Rictavio’s Journal A couple of hare-raising pages from the ridiculous diary of Rictavio, showing Van Richten’s inner party boy. • Rituals for Mother Night. A book containing rituals to interact with Mother Night. These grim and gritty rituals are a creepy thing to come across, but each grant their own boons of enacted correctly. • Van Richten’s Guide to Lycanthropy and Vampirism. A book containing information on vampires and lycanthropes. Mechanical and practical help for the Barovian on the go. • Travel Guide: Balinokova. A guide with information about Barovia before Strahd invaded.
Move aside Volo, there’s a new (old) kiss and tell all travel writer in town! Love to see the contrast between sunny Balinokova and the Domain of Dread, Barovia. • Von Holtz’s Letter to Lovina A glimpse of the sensitive side to the abusive monster that is Von Holtz/ Strahd. • Wolf’s Head Jamboree A proclamation for the Vallaki event the party just missed. Free pikes!

This is a seriously impressive and rich collection of fun, informative and impactful writings that will certainly spark joy!

Credits Author: Christian Eichhorn Editor: John Parker

My Affiliate Link: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/356173/Tomes-of-Ravenloft--A-Curse-of-Strahd-Supplement?affiliate_id=1507682



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Tomes of Ravenloft | A Curse of Strahd Supplement
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by J. B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/05/2021 20:35:59

Given that I've purchased similar dmsguild Ravenloft supplements with more meat on their bones, more dynamic designs and more variability of use, that are priced lower and are far less heavily promoted by the guild, I can't help but be disappointed.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Hey J.B., I'm saddened to hear that. Seeing that you had a preview of about half the product and knew these are player-handouts, I can't fully grasp the root of your disappointment. My pricing for this product is the regular one of $5 for ~10.000 words, I can't price it any lower or I can't make a living—judging an indie product by its price and not its quality is brutal. I'd be happy if you sent me an e-mail (christian.eichhorn.dmg@gmail.com) to talk about it some more. Especially your remark about the promotion makes me think there's more to this story and I think we can find an amicable solution that helps us both.
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Tomes of Ravenloft | A Curse of Strahd Supplement
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Zsofia B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/04/2021 13:44:59

A superb assortment of handouts, both to immerse your players and to help you drop bits of lore. I'm very happy with the purchase.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
<3
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Well, that first reply was a heart, but I guess it was lost in translation. So the old-fashioned way: thank you so much! :D
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