I was a bit too young when the original Ravenloft supplements were coming out. They seemed attractive to me when I saw the reviews and ads in Dragon Magazine, but I hadn't reached the (angsty) stage in my life where gothic horror really appealed to me. So, when I heard that White Wolf bought the license for Ravenloft and would be releasing roleplaying materials in the new edition of d20 I was very hopeful. Off all gaming companies, White Wolf was a perfect choice. I was not disappointed. This book has everything you need to run an extended Ravenloft campaign, in foreshortened form and by veteran authors of the setting. At the time they didn't know how much of a demand it would receive from their small but loyal original fan base and potential new d20 fans, so they foreshortened all the good parts form the original AD&D supplements. In this sense is it a triumph in its completeness and specificity. The best bits are the essays on creating an appropriate gothic horror setting, overview of gothic motifs, and of course the fabulous artwork. I dislike the d20 mechanics and many aspects of D&D overall, but for Ravenloft it's worth it.

This book is better than first, second, and Quite Possibly third base. ( )