Customer Reviews

Children of the Night: Vampires (AD&D 2nd Ed Roleplaying, Ravenloft Accessory)

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"Children of the Night: Vampires" is the first in the "Children of the Night" series, which also includes "Children of the Night: The Created," "Children of the Night: Werebeasts" and the out-of-print "Children of the Night: Ghosts." "Vampires" revolves around imaginative variations of that favorite bloodsucker; it is suitable for use in Ravenloft and in other campaigns, and is intended as a complementary volume to the various Van Richten's books. As with others in this series, Vampires presents 13 mini-adventures, each a story centered around an interesting individual or unusual type of vampire.

The books in this series are a great buy, presenting 13 well-written and potentially expandable adventures in a single accessory. In this volume we are offered quite a variety of creatures, some tied more or less to Ravenloft and its special creatures or cities, others from an "anywhere" background or originally from one of the other AD&D campaign worlds and dragged into the Mists of the Ravenloft Domain of Dread by evil circumstances. In either case, these adventures are readily adaptable to fit the flavor of any campaign, though the style of this first of the "Children of the Night" series seems to assume a greater familiarity with Ravenloft than the other volumes do.

Don't think that becauses vampires are so popular a subject that the possibilities are burnt out: In these adventures we are offered a scarred and wretched man divinely cursed to wander the desert in thirst, only able to briefly quench his thirst through fluid from his victims; a druidic vampiress whose thirsty habits run to tree sap; and a "penanggalan," a horrid female creature whose head flies free from her body and zooms around at night dangling a long black tail, looking for folk to drain. Demihumans and nonhumans are not exempt from the vampire scourge: Here we meet an elf originally from the Forgotten Realms who loathes all vampires--his problem being he himself has become one; an elven vampiress from Dragonlance's Krynn, whose terrible twisted face can stun or kill on sight; a greater vampiric Ixitxachitl; and a dwarven scholar, a "Vampire Sage" with unusual powers who once served the lich Azalin. In the entries specifically tied to Ravenloft are a vampiric slave who was once a Ravenloft Vistana, or gypsy; a sea vampire and his crew of undead pirates; a sadistic, permanently invisible vampire trickster; the scheming vampire niece of Ravenloft's powerful Count Strahd; a "vorlog," a vampiric monster who stopped just short of becoming undead; and a crime boss vampire with sewer alligators for friends. The cover art is good and so are the interior maps, though in general the interior art is not quite up to usual Ravenloft quality. All in all, a choice collection of adventures, tricks, and traps.

Highly recommended for vampire fans running any AD&D 2nd Edition campaign.

--Sharon Daugherty for Skirmisher Online Gaming Magazine

This is a brillinat book for all Ravenloft DM's, and those who run other settings and have a love for Vampires. 13 adventures, each with a unique adversary, and hooks for expanding the adventure, and connecting it into an ongoing campaign, this product is the beginning of a new line for Ravenloft, and heres hoping the rest of this series follow this ones illustrious beginning.

When I bought this book, I was interested, but cautious. I had never run Ravenloft, and even though I knew the setting, I was afraid I didn't have any good campaign ideas. This book changed that. The characters described within are colorful, interesting, and deadly, if done right. The mini-adventures included with each character are easy to adapt to whatever Domain you set you players in and useful as guidelines if you don't want to run them as is. I can't wait for the next Children of the Night book!

This book is full of short encounters with the denizens of the night. Looking for something to throw your party off track or a way to get them moving? With this accesory you'll easily be able to complete the task. In my first Ravenloft Campaign I was hesitant because I didn't think I knew enough about the realm. Using this accessory I was able to keep the campaign fun and exiting for the players without having to jump in over my head and end up ruining the experience for myself. I would recomend this book for all Ravenloft DM's and others as the adventures are designed to be easily used in any realm.

This is a brillinat book for all Ravenloft DM's, and those who run other settings and have a love for Vampires. 13 adventures, each with a unique adversary, and hooks for expanding the adventure, and connecting it into an ongoing campaign, this product is the beginning of a new line for Ravenloft, and heres hoping the rest of this series follow this ones illustrious beginning.