Ravenloft: The Horrors Within is hardly the first Dungeons & Dragons 5e sourcebook to tackle Ravenloft. However, it is the first new installment under the 2024 rules revision. It’s also arguably the deepest dive into horror we’ve seen from D&D. Along with a bestiary packed with new and returning monsters, The Horrors Within outlines 16 unique Domains of Dread. Many will be familiar to those who’ve perused Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. But 3 of them are entirely new terrors for D&D players and DMs alike.
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Many of the Domains of Dread detailed in The Horrors Within are familiar locales, especially Strahd’s home of Barovia. But two are brand-new additions to Dungeons & Dragons, while a third has newly graduated from “other Domains of Dread” status to a fully-fledged realm all its own. If you’re most excited for new content, rather than updated takes on familiar D&D features, the new Domains of Dread are no doubt what you most want to see. I had a chance to check them out early, and I’m here to break down the terrors that await, in order from least to most horrifying.
3) Sithicus
Sithicus leans into a Dark fantasy vibe and is associated with the Padalin Tarokka card due to its former Knight of a Dark Lord. It is a shadowy, warped reflection of the world of Krynn, and it bears all the destroyed promise that entails. Once a stunning elven realm, it’s now full of endless ruins and a horrifying, cataclysmic fire. Certainly not a place for a pleasant vacation, but also not perhaps quite as horrifying as some other regions detailed in The Horrors Within.
Along with its ruins and violet flames, Sithicus is home to The Great Chasm. This massive, gaping wound is of unknown depth, and few who enter it ever return. I don’t know about you, but “gaping hole of unknown depths” is pretty terrifying, and certainly earns Sithicus a place among the Domains of Dread. But its Dark Lord, Lord Soth, is more brooding than he is violent or terrifying. Sure, he’ll come for you if you threaten his realm, but he’s not that invested in the whole thing. As such, this is probably the least immediately and obviously horrifying of the newly introduced Domains. That said, there’s plenty to work with here, and a campaign set here could produce quite a few scary good moments.
2) The Shadowlands
The Shadowlands made a brief appearance in the “Other Domains of Dread” section of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. So, it won’t be entirely new to players or DMs. However, The Horrors Within expands that single paragraph entry to a fully fledged Domain of Dread, complete with a new Dark Lord to go with it. In that respect, Shadowlands counts itself among the new possibilities for horror settings. Infused with Gothic horror vibes, this Domain is aligned with the Torturer Tarokka card. And its new darklord, Ebonbane, is one of the book’s most dreadful foes.
The Shadowlands are home to a circle of cursed knights, forever doomed to battle against foes that resurface time and time again. And of course, they risk falling prey to Ebonbane, a sapient sword hellbent on destroying them all. There’s also the risk of getting lost in the dreamlike Phantasmal forest, which is constantly shifting and changing shape. In short, your standard spooky Gothic horror setting, but with the added layer of a sword that can corrupt and control the dead. This is definitely a solid horror setting, but it’s not quite as dreadful as the most iconic newly introduced domain in The Horrors Within.
1) Innsmouth
Innsmouth is, of course, home to the cosmic horror known as Cthulhu, who serves as this Domain’s Dark Lord. This marks the first time Cthulhu has been officially featured in D&D, and it gets a new dreadful Domain to rule over. Associated with the Bishop Tarokka card, this realm is full of strange shapes that dot the rocky coast. From strange statues to miasmic pillars, the very landscape here feels alien. And it also happens to be packed with cults vying for control. Yay.
Cults and shadowy ruins are unsettling enough, but Innsmouth’s true horror lies in the fact that it is home to Cthulhu. Or more accurately, it is a prison to the eternal nightmare. Though it may be physically chained, Cthulhu’s presence fills Insmouth with horrible cosmic visions that bleed into the dreams of any who dare tread upon the island. Its ultimate goal is to tempt a wary adventurer to free it, where it will bring about the end of the multiverse as we know it. It’s honestly pretty horrifying, making Innsmouth the most bone-chilling of the newly added Domains.
Which Domain are you most eager to be haunted by (or use to haunt your players)? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
