Freaks & Facades: A D&D Campaign Recap

     Welcome to the Ravenloft Reading Room !        Tonight, my friends, we discuss the very first canon novel set in the Ravenloft setting, " Vampire of the Mists"  by Christie Golden !       While this was not the very first Ravenloft novel I ever read, I really wish it had been.  That's all I have to say right now, haha!  Tonight, we're going to give a broad overview of the history of the novel, and the story contained within!       This is going to be a very, very, veeeeeeeeeeerry long post; and we're going through a lot of spoilers as well.  You have been warned!     Although, you can read the novel for yourself first, if you want to go on this journey with me.  ( oops how'd this link to the pdf on the Internet Archive get here? )  Vampire of the Mists  by Christie Golden Book cover from Wikipedia Ravenloft 101 - Backstory      Vampire of the M...

     Hark, gentle reader! For Freaks & Facades has returned, continuing to tell a tale of Friendly Freaks navigating a world of deception and dastardly evils!  Welcome back, beginning at Session Seventeen - Faith and Hope !      This particular recap might confuse readers, as we are picking up right where Session Sixteen ended.  Might want to give that a reread, but here's our usual brief summary:      Our misbegotten wanderers enjoy  a festive and educational excursion to the University of Dementlieu, during the nationwide festival days of Primeur .  The outlanders in our group have seen marvels of science and the arts never fathomed in their own worlds, and have come to find answers to their burning questions about this strange world they were dropped into.  Our Ravenloft natives are along for the ride, also impressed by the advancement of their mist-swaddled lands.     Fenri has gotten dissatisfying...

   And now for something completely different!  Friends, I am extremely excited to share one of the longest fan ttrpg projects I have ever done.       In case it isn't obvious, my favorite campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game is  Ravenloft .  Ravenloft is the gothic horror and fantasy setting, made famous with D&D modules like  Curse of Strahd  and characters like  Strahd von Zarovich !  And my favorite era of the setting, as I am sure you can guess, is the D&D 3e/3.5 era by  Sword & Sorcery Studios !     S&S took all the amazing lore and character options from previous incarnations of Ravenloft, and updated-slash-expanded on them with the storytelling mechanics and themes of 3e/3.5 edition.  This was all done from 2000 to 2008.  As with any campaign setting of D&D, it has had a rabid fanbase for decades since its inception--Ravenloft was not afraid t...

    Greetings, ghouls and goblins, to another exciting update of Freaks & Facades !        Tonight's tale is set to be another fun Primeur excursion through a notable Port-a-Lucine landmark.  Welcome,   Session Sixteen - Old Friends!       In our last update, our Friendly Freaks have a few days to spend in the gleaming capitol of Port-a-Lucine.  It is the glorious harvest festival of Primeur; and already the group has spent this festival week meeting new acquaintances, placing in a fencing tourney, surviving a house of waxwork horrors, met several people who claim their loved ones were replaced, and said goodbye to Vincente Quint and Claudine LaFitte, for now.       The group decides to spend the next to last day of Primeur procuring outfits for tomorrow's Descartes Primeur Ball, and then traveling up the northern coast of Pernault Bay to the University of Port-a-Lucine!  What wonders and ...

     Greetings children of Ravenloft!  Tonight we dine upon a sumptuous new excursion,  Session Fifteen - Strange Acquaintances !       But first, I think we need a recap of everything that's happened so far this Arc!  What a first day of the Primeur wine and harvest festival it has been!     Our band of Friendly Freaks started the morning with much ambitious naivete.  The group bid farewell to Vincente Quint , the ex-vigilante Night's Vengeance of Campanula.  Claudine LaFitte, charming and delusional as ever,    escorted him to her secret society of do-gooders, expecting many stories of their time in the city while she's gone....     The first stop our party took was to  introduced themselves to Solange's adorable family...  They learned the complicated, yet charming parents of Solange,  Leon and Tybalt Charron ...     The early evening had the group partake o f good foo...

Hey friends, it's time for another round of First Arc Q&As ! But who is left to offer their insight and theories about the story, you may ask?     In all my excitement to share the responses of My Players and their Player Characters ; I forgot to answer some questions myself.   So sadly there has been this  veil between you, our wonderful readers, and your beloved eldritch Dungeon Master.  Well, no more!     Aboleth Eye proudly presents...  The Dungeon Master Q&A Special for Freaks & Facades' First Arc !  These were questions my fabulous Players asked, along with a couple from non-Players on my private Discord.

     Welcome, fine and friendly creatures of the night, to our latest Freaks & Facades banquet:  Session Fourteen - The House of Wax !     It has been some time since our last update.  Our group of friendly Freaks decided to end their first night of Primeur at the mystifying House of Wax, tantalized by the mysteries it holds.  And tragically our hungry readers have been left in suspense!       No  more!  So what will come of this next leap into the festivities of Primeur?  Who is the mysterious figure following our Freaks as they walk the festival streets?       We  return to our story of Freaks & Facades , so chew our story thoroughly as this next chapter unfolds!  We wouldn't wish you to choke upon what horrors we have on offer tonight...     This is quite a long one so get cozy and enjoy! Warning : this is a horror campaign setting, so please bear that in m...

     Come in, my pretties.  Come in from the blazing sun!  It's time for another story of Freaks & Facades.  We are at unlucky?   Session Thirteen -  a story of Clashing Ideals !       Our party of Freaks are becoming immersed in all that celebratory Port-a-Lucine has to offer.  The city, the beating heart of the western Core, is full of activity for the Primeur festival!  A festival of bountiful harvests, wine flowing freely, and many gatherings promoting the city's greatest achievements.        But can our Freaks enjoy themselves with all that they have experienced?  Can they throw themselves fully into the Primeur fun despite the darkness staining their souls?       Was that morning in the Port-a-Lucine suburbs making connections enough to assuage their worries?   Let us find out! Warning : this is a horror campaign setting, so please bear that in mind befo...

     Welcome, friends, once more to Freaks & Facades !        It's the Second Arc , dear readers!  Finally!  (Thanks to everyone for being patient for this update.)        [[ Spoilers Ahead for the First Arc!  If this is your first time reading our adventures, check out our Campaign Index here for all the highest highs and lowest lows! ]]      When we last left our band of beloved Freaks [at the end of   our  Session Eleven   finale ] they had just departed the northern village of Campanula  with much trouble in their minds.  And quite a bit of blood on their hands.        The Black Dog (malevolent huntmaster Baron Montagne ) was removed from power and the Material Plane, leaving the village without its leader and tyrant.  Hoping the village can now thrive without a malicious noble pulling its strings, the party traveled to the capit...

     We've heard from our amazing group for the First Arc Q&A - Players Edition , so now let's hear what each of our Players'  Characters  have to say.        It's now time for the First Arc Q&A -  Character Edition !      Our band of beloved Freaks has had quite a journey just within the First Arc.  Let us see what they're bringing into the Second Arc from their experiences!  All new traumas and tribulations to explore, hehe !     I gave each of our amazing Cast of Characters a set of questions that were submitted from myself, fans of the story and from one another.  Let us see how these characters grew (or have withered slightly) since arriving at the First Arc's beginning!  Here we go!