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Ravenloft (module)
''Ravenloft'' is an Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons), adventure module for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game. The American game publishing company TSR, Inc. released it as a standalone adventure booklet in 1983 for use with the Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, first edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' game. It was written by Tracy Hickman, Tracy and Laura Hickman, and includes art by Clyde Caldwell with maps by David C. Sutherland III, David Sutherland III. The plot of ''Ravenloft'' focuses on the villain Strahd von Zarovich, a Vampire (Dungeons & Dragons), vampire who pines for his lost love. Various story elements, including Strahd's motivation and the locations of Magic item (Dungeons & Dragons), magical weapons, are randomly determined by drawing cards. The player characters attempt to defeat Strahd and, if successful, the adventure ends. The Hickmans began work on ''Ravenloft'' in the late 1970s, intent on creati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clyde Caldwell
Clyde Caldwell (born February 20, 1948) is an American artist. Self-described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters. With his work at TSR in the 1980s, he is considered one of the artists contributing to fantasy art's "golden age". Early life Born on February 20, 1948 in Gastonia, North Carolina, Caldwell was interested in becoming an artist from an early age, "I became an artist sort of by default ... I couldn't do anything else! I was into music for awhile. I played the guitar for a local band. I also enjoyed writing both stories and songs. But drawing and painting were the easiest for me." Caldwell took up an interest in painting fantasy and science-fiction art while in junior high school. "My biggest influences back then were the covers of the Edgar Rice Burroughs books. I wanted to paint pictures like those covers. My parents had always encouraged me in my artwork, but they didn’t understand why I was painting sc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game, an adventure or module is a guide for managing player knowledge and activities within a specific scenario. Commercially, a published adventure comes as a pre-packaged book or box set that is used exclusively by the Dungeon Master. It typically contains background information for the plot or story, maps, vignettes of interesting locations, site inventories, creature descriptions and statistics, player visual aids, and suggested rules for evaluating events and likely player actions. The term ''adventure'' is currently used by the game's publisher Wizards of the Coast. In early editions of the game these publications were commonly referred to as ''modules'', which stems from the term ''dungeon module'', used to refer to the earliest adventures published by TSR, with other variations on the module name appearing on latter adventures. The term ''module'' continued to be popular among players of the original ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White Dwarf (magazine)
''White Dwarf'' is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop, which has long served as a promotions and advertising platform for Games Workshop and Citadel Miniatures products. During the first ten years of its publication, it covered a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing games (RPGs) and board games, particularly the role playing games ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D''), '' Call of Cthulhu'', ''RuneQuest'' and '' Traveller''. These games were all published by other games companies and distributed in the United Kingdom by Games Workshop stores. The magazine underwent a major change in style and content in the late 1980s. It is now dedicated exclusively to the miniature wargames produced by Games Workshop. History 1975: ''Owl and Weasel'' to ''White Dwarf'' Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone initially produced a newsletter called ''Owl and Weasel'', which ran for twenty-five issues from February 1975 before it evolved into '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dungeon (magazine)
''Dungeon'' (originally published as ''Dungeon: Adventures for TSR Role-Playing Games'') was one of the two official magazines targeting consumers of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game and associated products; '' Dragon'' was the other. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150. Starting in 2008, ''Dungeon'' and its more widely read sister publication, ''Dragon'', went to an online-only format published by Wizards of the Coast. Both magazines went on hiatus at the end of 2013, with ''Dungeon Issue 221'' being the last released. History TSR ''Dungeon'' (initially titled ''Dungeon Adventures'') first received mention in the editor's column of '' Dragon'' Issue 107 (March 1986). Lacking a title at that point, it was described as "a new magazine filled entirely with modules" made available "by subscription only" that would debut "in the late su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ravenloft
Ravenloft is a campaign setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' roleplaying game. It is an alternate time-space existence known as a ''Demiplane, pocket dimension'' or demiplane, called the Demiplane of Dread, which consists of a collection of land pieces called "Ravenloft domains, domains", brought together by a mysterious force known only as #The Dark Powers, the Dark Powers. Each domain is tailored to and mystically ruled by a being called a Darklord (Ravenloft), Darklord who is forever trapped and surrounded by magical mists surrounding the domain. Strahd von Zarovich, a vampire in the original ''AD&D'' ''Ravenloft'' I6 module 1983, became the first Darklord, both ruler and prisoner of his own personal domain of Barovia. How Count von Zarovich became the darklord of Barovia was detailed in the novel ''I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire''. As originally established in the ''Ravenloft: Realm of Terror'' boxed set known as "the Black Box" released in 1990, the Ravenloft campaign ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Campaign Setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place. Usually a campaign setting is designed for a specific game (such as the ''Forgotten Realms'' setting for ''Dungeons & Dragons'') or a specific genre of game (such as medieval fantasy, or outer space/science fiction adventure). There are numerous campaign settings available both in print and online. In addition to published campaign settings available for purchase, many game masters create their own settings, often referred to as "homebrew" settings or worlds. While obviously connected to game materials, campaign settings are supported also by other media, such as novels and comic books. Examples of major campaign settings include numerous settings within the ''Dungeons & Dragons'', as well others such as ''Battletech' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gothic Fiction
Gothic fiction, sometimes called Gothic horror in the 20th century, is a loose literary aesthetic of fear and haunting. The name is a reference to Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages, which was characteristic of the settings of early Gothic novels. The first work to call itself Gothic was Horace Walpole's 1764 novel ''The Castle of Otranto'', later subtitled "A Gothic Story". Subsequent 18th century contributors included Clara Reeve, Ann Radcliffe, William Beckford (novelist), William Thomas Beckford, and Matthew Gregory Lewis, Matthew Lewis. The Gothic influence continued into the early 19th century, works by the Romantic poetry, Romantic poets, and novelists such as Mary Shelley, Charles Maturin, Walter Scott and E. T. A. Hoffmann frequently drew upon gothic motifs in their works. The early Victorian literature, Victorian period continued the use of gothic, in novels by Charles Dickens and the Brontë family, Brontë sisters, as well as works by the American ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Player Character
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not controlled by a player are called non-player characters (NPCs). The actions of non-player characters are typically handled by the game itself in video games, or according to rules followed by a gamemaster refereeing tabletop role-playing games. The player character functions as a fictional, alternate body for the player controlling the character. Video games typically have one player character for each person playing the game. Some games, such as multiplayer online battle arena, hero shooter, and fighting games, offer a group of player characters for the player to choose from, allowing the player to control one of them at a time. Where more than one player character is available, the characters may have distinctive abilities and differing styles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magic Item (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, a magic item is any object that has magic powers that inherit it. These items may act on their own or be the tools of the character possessing them. Magic items have been prevalent in the game in every edition and setting, from the original edition in 1974 until the modern fifth edition. In addition to jewels and gold coins, they form part of the treasure that the players often seek in a dungeon. Magic items are generally found in treasure hoards, or recovered from fallen opponents; sometimes, a powerful or important magic item is the object of a quest. Development 1st edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' In the first edition, all artifacts are classed as miscellaneous magic items, even ones that are weapons, armor, or rings. Each artifact has a certain number of Minor, Major, and Prime Powers, and of Minor, Major, and Side Effects which trigger when the item is acquired, or its Major and Prime Powers are used. The po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vampire (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, a vampire is an undead creature. A humanoid or monstrous humanoid creature can become a vampire, and looks as it did in life, with pale skin, haunting red eyes, and a feral cast to its features. A new vampire is created when another vampire drains the life out of a living creature. Its depiction is related to those in the 1930s and 1940s Hollywood ''Dracula'' and monster movies. In writing vampires into the game, as with other creatures arising in folklore, the authors had to consider what elements arising in more recent popular culture should be incorporated into their description and characteristics. Publication history The vampire was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game. The vampire as a player character concept was present in Dave Arneson's playtest group for the original version of the rules. It led to the creation of a vampire-hunter, which became the basis of the cleric clas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
House Of Strahd
''House of Strahd'' is an adventure module for the 2nd edition of the ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game, published in 1993. Plot summary In ''House of Strahd'', the player characters are stranded in Barovia, and must breach a haunted castle and destroy its master, the vampire-wizard Strahd von Zarovich. Elements that made the original ''Ravenloft'' module are still present, such as Madame Eva, the mysterious gypsy fortuneteller, Strahd's variable objectives (determined randomly, so the adventure can be replayed), and the deadly catacombs with the moving black ceiling. The revision introduces some new creatures (meld monsters, gargoyle golems), develops Strahd's tactics (with sections labeled "Strahd's Opportunities" that suggest attack routines triggered by the party's actions), and adds a Time-Track Table (so the referee can anticipate the sunset). Publication history TSR published ''House of Strahd'' (module code RM4) in 1993. It was updated from the '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David C
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the third king of the United Kingdom of Israel. In the Books of Samuel, he is described as a young shepherd and Lyre, harpist who gains fame by slaying Goliath, a champion of the Philistines, in southern Canaan. David becomes a favourite of Saul, the first king of Israel; he also forges David and Jonathan, a notably close friendship with Jonathan (1 Samuel), Jonathan, a son of Saul. However, under the paranoia that David is seeking to usurp the throne, Saul attempts to kill David, forcing the latter to go into hiding and effectively operate as a fugitive for several years. After Saul and Jonathan are both killed in battle against the Philistines, a 30-year-old David is anointed king over all of History of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
