Like many Ravenloft tabletop adventures, 5 adventurers are plucked from the realms by the mists to seek out themselves in Barovia. As standard, Strahd sends considered one of his minions to ask the newcomers to his fortress to get pleasure from his hospitality, a.ok.a. for Strahd to mess with their minds and tempt them.
The characters are:
- Rotrog: An smug Orc wizard apprentice
- Kah: A shy Kenku cleric from Waterdeep
- Fielle: A cheerful human artificer from Baldur’s Gate
- Alishai: A moody, hot-tempered Tiefling paladin to Selune
- Chivarion: -natured Drow barbarian with a hairless tressym named “Homicide” as his pet.
Over the course of the novel, you uncover that every one was taken once they had been confronted with a horrible selection or had been poised to take an terrible motion. That units the stage for the crux of the novel—which character(s) will succumb to both Strahd’s temptations and/or the malevolent power of Barovia, embracing their darkest impulses.
Ought to You Purchase It?
I discovered Inheritor to Strahd attention-grabbing as a result of whereas it introduced parts of Barovia that Ravenloft gamers and DMs can be very accustomed to, not every little thing was what I had anticipated, regardless that I’ve GM’d Ravenloft adventures. The spirit of Tatyana most notably was introduced in a approach I didn’t anticipate based mostly on the prior info I had learn.
I don’t need to clarify an excessive amount of about Tatyana, and the way she components into the plot as a result of it might break the thriller of who falls prey to the darkness to grow to be the titular character. I’ll say that I suspected the doomed character at first, then talked myself out of it, assuming it was a feint to distract from another choice. A later character reveal bolstered my authentic suspicion, however I nonetheless thought there could be a twist to go within the one other path. There wasn’t however as an alternative of being unsatisfying, the ending makes me anticipating a sequel.
No matter how one feels concerning the thriller and sure facets of the ending, this Ravenloft novel might be very helpful for anybody considering of DMing an journey set in Barovia. Dawson, the writer of some Star Wars novels and several other fantasy novels, not solely units the tone very effectively for Barovia but in addition reveals how Strahd might be performed by a DM. The audiobook particularly showcased how even a easy dialog with Strahd might be equal components charming and sinister.
For individuals who like or desire audiobooks, the narration by Ellie Gossage was superb. It’s additionally obtainable in hardcover and book editions.
Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft: Inheritor of Strahd: B+.
