Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

[The King]

I noticed that Wizards of the Coast had revamped the "oldies but goldies" I6 adventure in a 220+ pages semi-campaign.
If anyone buys it and intends to convert this adventure to Conan RPG, I would be very interested to know if it's easy to do it as vampires in DD aren't the same as in Conan (though nothing prevents to create 2 kinds of this accursed creature).

I just don't know how to treat level drain as there is no cleric.

Anyway the plot is Conanesque: a lost vale (in some mountain range in Brythunia) with cursed inhabitants, a haunted castle and a malevolent creature.

 

[slaughterj]

II just don't know how to treat level drain as there is no cleric.

One quick thought, apply negative levels like in DnD, but allow natural healing for them at something like 1/day (or 1+CON bonus / day), unless of course they get fully drained

 

[Bjorn the Barbarian]

You could always just do save versus a CON drain instead and if failed they loose 2 points of CON. Just allow for natural recovery period so they can get their CON back up. :twisted:

 

[The King]

Thanks.
You both are temptative.

 

[Bjorn the Barbarian]

Glad to help out.

 

[Netherek]

Frankly, why do you want the level drain ability from D&D?

If you are looking to create Spawn, have those slain by bllod drain become spawn on the following night. That fits the Vampire mythos, and doesn't require introducing another mechanic that really doesn't add to the game. Otherwise, the rest fits pretty smoothly into Conan, just use the existing Vampire Template from Scrolls of Skelos, or Akivasha as an example if don't have that. Vampire spawn would need a little adapting, but it wouldn't be too difficult, just adjust the stat mods and DR in relation to the Conan Vampire template.

 

[DaveNC]

I remember the first Ravenloft AD&D adventure from back when I first started gaming. Very cool - I agree that it could be adapted into Conan fairly easily. let us know how it goes.

 

[slaughterj]

Frankly, why do you want the level drain ability from D&D?

If you are looking to create Spawn, have those slain by bllod drain become spawn on the following night. That fits the Vampire mythos, and doesn't require introducing another mechanic that really doesn't add to the game. Otherwise, the rest fits pretty smoothly into Conan, just use the existing Vampire Template from Scrolls of Skelos, or Akivasha as an example if don't have that. Vampire spawn would need a little adapting, but it wouldn't be too difficult, just adjust the stat mods and DR in relation to the Conan Vampire template.

It doesn't need to be level drain, but it likely does need to do *something*, e.g., the CON drain seemed like a good idea.

 

[The King]

I still don't know what I'll do if I ever run it, but I want it to be dreadful because in D&D this is one of the few undead which drains 2 levels at once. Moreover all the ambience is based on this relationship because the vampire is at home and can attack whenever he wants. It is like a closed-room mystery and not just hack and slash.
The effect of the first attack must be terrific (say handling a party of 8 and killing 2-3 NPC).
Anyway if I have a proposal i'll submit it there.

However I wanted to know first if someone had already run it in a Conan game.
There were already conversion for Gygax's Necropolis and Thulsa's Mesopotamia but this one (Ravenloft) is special because it all plays between the PCs and one opponent.

 

[tarkhan bey]

I purchased the WOTC Expedition to Castle Ravenloft. It is IMO not really that suitable for Conan. It has the potential to devastate parties of characters that are not tooled up with magic items. Of course,you could rework a great many of the encounters but that is just a waste of time.
If you wanted to play this I would suggest that you would be better to get the original Ravenloft I6 module off e-bay. It will be a lot cheaper and contains all of the core information you need without the more overt fantasy stuff that this contains.There are a couple of copies on there at the minute.
As well as being a Conan Rpg fanatic, I am also a fan of the whole Ravenloft product line. Personally I would think that Ravenloft stuff would translate better to a Solomon Kane setting than to Conan but maybe thats just me.
Hope I have been of help.

 

[The King]

I like the ravenloft setting too (with dark sun) but on the contrary I think some could be easily converted into Conan.

As to your affirmation about the PCs needing many magical items to survive in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, could you please be more precise.

There is a high level stygian-like adventure by Gary Gygax that was already converted for Conan (Necropolis) so why shouldn't it be possible there?

 

[tarkhan bey]

I didnt say that you couldnt convert it into the Conan setting,but it would be a long and drawn out process. This IMO would be a waste of time because much of the detail in the new WOTC release is simply geared to enable players and GM's alike to use the new rules in the Heroes of Horror book. Much of this info serves only to convolute the basic story which is actually quite simple. I honestly believe that you would be better to buy the initial module I6 if you want to run this.It has all the core information that you need
I am just not feeling the Conan vibe in this product, unlike Mesopotamia and Necropolis. I think that Ravenloft and particularly lands like Barovia (the land where Castle Ravenloft is located)work better with characters from Renaissance/Reformation styled backgrounds or those characters whose societies are on the cusp of the age of enlightenment. Thus I think that this could work marvellously for a Solomon Kane setting(with some re-working).
There are,however,other realms in the Ravenloft line with attendant adventures which could work.Vorostokov and the adventure"Dark of the Moon" could be inserted into Hyperborea with minimal effort.
As for the need for magical items,there are a bucket load of Incorporeals in this book. Most of these are extremely hostile to the characters. These would need to be toned down both in numbers and in ability for a Conan party to stand any chance at all.
The hardcover itself is beautifully done and the interior artwork is excellent but an honest opinion of the product in question is that it was a waste of my money. It sacrificed a lot of the original Gothic romance of the setting by introducing overtly high fantasy nonsense in a bid to boost its sales.

 

[The King]

OK, you won.
Thanks for your comments anyway.

 

[emirikol]

Wow, I never thought to convert Ravenloft..but it definately could work well.

Using the I6 (or the current version), I'd set it somewhere cool either:
a) Stygia
b) Zamora

Zamora would require the least amount of mental conversion.

Stygia would work well because it could easily be a "tomb-like" setting. All you need to do is say "there's lots of heiroglyphs on the walls."

I would lose the level drain and do like earlier posters said and just do a 1 or 2 CON drain.

Considering the "turn undead" effect of D&D, the Gm simply must consider that if things start going badly for the PC's in any given encounter that the GM needs to take the "back rows" of zombies/skeletons and make them weaker.

The hardest thing would be the hook. Why the hell would ANYONE have any desire to go into a deathtrap just for death with little reward. Instead of having magic items on the go, I'd combine them into a better prize towards the end.

jh

..

 

[Netherek]

It doesn't need to be level drain, but it likely does need to do *something*, e.g., the CON drain seemed like a good idea.

They already do, it's the blood drain ability. That whole slam for enegy drain or even Con is just plain Cheese. If you want to tool up a vamp, borrow from WoD, esp. Dark Ages for various abilities. It's good stuff, and much closer to lore. That's what I'd do as far as going beyond the Template and adding a Spawn creation.

 

[The King]

Wow, I never thought to convert Ravenloft..but it definately could work well.

Using the I6 (or the current version), I'd set it somewhere cool either:
a) Stygia
b) Zamora

Zamora would require the least amount of mental conversion.

Stygia would work well because it could easily be a "tomb-like" setting. All you need to do is say "there's lots of heiroglyphs on the walls."
..

I would use a mountainous background as for Dracula.
Howard used a lot of isolated location which were difficult to reach. So for example a lost vale in mountain with only one pass to access it will do it.
But that's my point of view.

 

[The King]

There are,however,other realms in the Ravenloft line with attendant adventures which could work.Vorostokov and the adventure"Dark of the Moon" could be inserted into Hyperborea with minimal effort.
As for the need for magical items,there are a bucket load of Incorporeals in this book. Most of these are extremely hostile to the characters. These would need to be toned down both in numbers and in ability for a Conan party to stand any chance at all.

I considered your critics and decided I wouldn't buy the campaign book for now.
There are also excellent et detailled reviews on www.enworld.org about Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and this revamped adventure seems a bit heavier in fighting scenes.