The newest Dungeons & Dragons book is called Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. It will feature a ton of great content to help adventurers explore Ravenloft's multiverse, but the book will also include a short adventure that focuses on the House of Lament. Here's what fans should expect to find in the new adventure, based on the House of Lament from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft is set to release on May 18th, 2021. It will feature a number of new D&D subclasses, an extensive bestiary of new monsters, and dozens of setting ideas from the Domains of Dread. The book is designed with new story hooks and campaign customization in mind, but it will feature a brand-new adventure as well that takes place in the House of Lament.
Ravenloft is made up of many dimensions and pocket universes, typically referred to as the Domains of Dread. Each one usually has its own unique horror-themed spin. For example, Curse of Strahd's Barovia was but one of these Domains. This means D&D's return to the Ravenloft setting won't have to focus solely on vampires. One Domain may be focused on a zombie apocalypse, for example, while another Domain could be based off Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The Domains of Dread mostly come from AD&D, although Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft will feature new ones as well. The House of Lament is one of these Domains, and based on previous glimpses of this setting from AD&D, here's what players could expect to find there.
D&D's Ravenloft: House of Lament Domain & Darklord Explained
In Domains of Dread from AD&D, the House of Lament was essentially its own dimension. With its autumn weather and overgrown, decaying mansion, the House of Lament was like a haunted house on Halloween. It's a great romp through a haunted mansion, and it should serve as a great introductory adventure for Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.
In the AD&D campaign, the House of Lament was its own Darklord, the masters of these Domains of Dread. Since Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft already has a number of returning D&D Darklords, it's great to see the House of Lament is returning too. In Van Richten's Guide, The House of Lament is a short, 20-page adventure - but it should be just what players need to try out one of Ravenloft's horror-themed settings for themselves.
Ravenloft goes back over thirty years with Dungeons & Dragons, and Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft looks like a great way to blend the old with the new. For anyone looking for a haunted house adventure, the House of Lament should be just about perfect.