At long last, Dungeons & Dragons is launching its first new sourcebook of 2026. Ravenloft: The Horrors Within hits shelves on June 16th, though D&D Beyond subscribers have an early look at its digital version. The book brings us back to Ravenloft, with a deeper, 2024 rules-compatible look at the terrors that lurk within the mists. I got a chance to check out both the digital and physical versions early for review. And let me tell you, this one feels well worth the wait.
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The Horrors Within is another sourcebook that mixes DM and player resources. It features adventure anthology-style encounters, 8 new horror subclasses, and details about 16 Domains of Dread. There’s also an extensive Bestiary full of terrifying creatures for DMs to throw at players. While a good bit of material is an updated take on Van Richten’s Guide, which uses the old 2014 rules, there’s plenty of new tidbits and details to enjoy. Not to mention, it’s just got an absolutely stunning art style that makes the physical book a collector’s item in its own right. Overall, I’ve rarely been quite so excited to get a new D&D sourcebook in my hands.
Rating: 4 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Thorough introduction to all things horror in D&D | Does sometimes feel like it’s trying to do a bit too much |
| Impressive variety of horror genres and options for both players and DMs | Recycles a good bit of content from Van Richten’s, though updated to 2024 rules |
| Stunning art style that feels cohesive throughout | |
| Good mix of updated 2024 versions of prior tools and new content |
The Horrors Within Offers Up Compelling New Character Builds and DM Tools for Horror Campaigns & Beyond
Like many recent sourcebooks for D&D 5e, The Horrors Within certainly attempts to deliver on breadth of content. There’s a little bit of everything here, from new monsters and Dark Lords to subclasses, playable species, and horror-tinged backgrounds. It also continues the adventure anthology trend, as each Domain of Dread features a mini-adventure for DMs to run in that region. At times, it does feel like the attempt to pack so much in forces a compromise on depth. But overall, I came away impressed with what Wizards was able to pack into this book.
The Horrors Within clocks in at 288 pages, and there is a lot packed into that relatively humble page length. For players sitting down to draft up their next character, the horror subclasses offer interesting options even if you’re not in a strictly horror-themed campaign. Though most of them are returning subclasses from Van Richten’s Guide, we do get 2 brand-new additions in the mix.
For me, though, it’s the new backgrounds that caught my eye. The Spirit Medium and Mist Wanderer both fit the horror theme perfectly, but also offer up a dark backstory for characters in any campaign setting. That said, the Dark Gifts are a bit more limited, with the written pre-req that you’re running a Ravenloft campaign. Of course, DM discretion could allow for some flexibility here.
Speaking of DMs, there’s a lot here for someone eager to run a horror campaign. The Horrors Within continues the trend of giving you the tools to flex your creative muscles, with Domains of Dread, Dark Lords, and new horror beasties to help. There’s even guidance on creating your own Dark Lord or Domain of Dread within all manner of horror subgenres from Body Horror to Cosmic Horror and beyond. If you want a bit more guiderails, I’d say stick to Curse of Strahd. But for the DM eager to dream up their own terrors with a little scaffolding, this book is sure to be a win. That said, if your table is still using the 2014 ruleset, a good bit of what’s here is also available in Van Richten’s Guide, though without quite as much detail.
With Stunning Art and Attention to Detail, This Sourcebook Feels Like A Big Level Up
I’ll admit that the last few physical products out of Wizards haven’t been my favorites. In particular, Eberron: Forge of the Artificer was a slim volume that didn’t quite feel as high-quality as I wanted. The art in many recent books has been stunning, but The Horrors Within takes that up a notch. It features fully saturated pages with gorgeous full art spreads, and the color palette and overall design direction feel cohesive on a whole new level. This is a book you want to flip through just to look at the images alone.
Each Domain has its own take on the overarching color scheme, which is similar to the unique art style for each dragon in Dragon Delves. But the use of fully saturated pages takes that up a notch. I also love that the book weaves the Tarokka deck throughout, pairing cards with each Domain. This gives the book a great excuse to showcase the beautiful art for the new Tarokka Deck product, even for D&D fans who don’t plan to buy the supplement. As a physical product, this book feels top-tier and well worth the wait between The Horrors Within and our last new official sourcebook.
Even if the book does lean into prior Ravenloft content a bit more than longtime players who already own Van Richten’s Guide might prefer, it feels like a solid level-up. The attention to detail and cohesiveness bring together the source material, guiding players and DMs on how it all fits together in a horror campaign or outside of one. For horror fans, it’s an absolute must-have. But even those who don’t plan to step into the mists any time soon may well enjoy some of the new options here, not to mention the stunning art style.
ComicBook received a copy of Dungeons & Dragons Ravenloft: The Horrors Within for the purpose of this review.
