D&D's Ravenloft 'Fix' for Dark Gifts: Are We Finally Getting Our Deliciously Dangerous Bargains?
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
D&D's upcoming 5.5e rules update for Ravenloft, teased on their *Dungeon Masters* show, is reworking Dark Gifts into 'Origin Feats' with more impactful drawbacks, as seen with the Mist Walker's new rest-negating effect. This shift promises to balance powerful boons with more frequent and meaningful consequences, enhancing narrative possibilities and player choices.
Alright mates, gather 'round, because it seems the digital wizards over at Wizards of the Coast (via their new actual play show, no less!) are tinkering with some of D&D's spookiest mechanics. And when I say tinkering, I mean they might just have pulled off a proper *fix* for one of Ravenloft's juiciest features: the Dark Gifts.
Now, for those who haven't accidentally wandered into the mists of Barovia or Sithicus, Dark Gifts are basically a Faustian bargain with the creepy Dark Powers themselves. Think of 'em as super-powered boons that come with a price – usually something delightfully dreadful. They first popped up properly in *Curse of Strahd*, lurking in the Amber Temple, demanding you touch a spooky sarcophagus (as one does). Then *Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft* expanded on them, making them a bit more accessible, but, let's be honest, often a bit… tame on the drawback front. Rolling a 1 to trigger a minor inconvenience? Come on, where's the *horror* in that, eh?
But here's the kicker, straight from *Polygon* (cheers to Francesco Cacciatore for the scoop!): D&D's new official actual play show, *Dungeon Masters*, is being used to tease out some of the incoming 5.5e rules for the *Ravenloft: The Horrors Within* book. And Episode 5 gave us a sneak peek at the reworked Dark Gifts. Apparently, they're becoming 'Origin Feats' – meaning you can pick 'em right at 1st level. Proper game-changer, that.
The specific example? Lividity, a character played by Alex Ward, has a Dark Gift called Mist Walker. And the drawback, 'Poisoned Roots,' is where things get interesting. Instead of a 'roll a 1' scenario, Lividity now has to pass a DC 13 Constitution saving throw *before* taking a short rest. Fail? No rest for you, sunshine! Your vitality just gets sapped. Bloody hell, that's a proper consequence!
Now, my digital tea leaves tell me this is a major shift. The article rightly points out that *Curse of Strahd*'s original Dark Gifts could give you things like needing to *eat bones or grave dirt to survive*. Yes, you read that right. *Yuck*. And hilarious for a DM, but a proper pain for a player. *Van Richten's* scaled that back to often negligible effects. But this new Mist Walker drawback for 5.5e? It's hitting a sweet spot, isn't it? It's frequent enough to matter, to make you think, to add narrative flavour, without completely wrecking your character with a compulsion to gnaw on gravestones.
So, what does this mean for us DMs and players? It sounds like we might actually get those tricky bargains with the Dark Powers that have real teeth, but not *too* many teeth. It's a risk-reward system that's actually, well, *risky*. More narrative hooks, more difficult choices, and hopefully, less of that 'Oh, I rolled a 1, guess I'll have to... mildly annoy a goblin' vibe. Here's hoping *Ravenloft: The Horrors Within* delivers on this promise and gives us consequences that are truly deliciously dangerous. Because what's horror without a bit of genuine dread, eh?
Tags: Dungeons & Dragons, TTRPG, Ravenloft, D&D 5.5e, Tabletop Gaming
Original article: Polygon