Ahem, there are plenty of us twenty-somethings who enjoy Dio for his vocal prowess and not just some "ironic" adoration for the overall aesthetic of late 70s/early 80s metal.

As for the subject of horror, I think there are some slasher movie plots that would do really well in the context of an RPG. It all has to do with how the adventure is pitched, and frankly "Survival Horror" is way more interesting to me as a player and GM than a lot of the classic Hammer/Universal approach to character archetypes and ALSO ties in better with the whole idea of Gygaxian play better than those stories.

Survival Horror/Slasher films typically involve unskilled/"average" people either succumbing to or overcoming situations far beyond their ability and understanding, much like a lot of low to mid level games I've played. On the flipside, the Hammer/Universal interpretations of Gothic horror ("Dracula" in particular) typically place the protagonists in a position of Holy Justice sent to vanquish a diabolic evil.

Of course, those movies and stories are great, but to me as a player and GM, the premise seems a bit stilted compared to something considerably more conducive to Appendix N style play. So to merely throw out slasher films based on the gore factor, is a pretty baby/bathwater situation.

Okay, I'll be honest here:

All this has happened before, all will happen again.  

These trends come and go, but the really good stuff sticks around. Back when the last big Gothic Horror wave hit with The Crow and Interview with the Vampire and (hold your nose, thou whining blaggard) Vampire The Masquerade, there were about a billion lesser imitators and hangers on.

But that trend started because a tiny group of creators and hardcore fans kept the style going, reinventing it, questioning, regurgitating it and yeah, for the most part sucking donkey balls. But every once in a while something special comes out of that.

For example, when the Walking Dead comic launched, there was no big Zombie trend. It was just a couple guys who really loved zombie movies and kept the ball rolling.  Now Kirkman is the next Stan Lee, minus the absurd profligacy.

So here's the thing: If you want to chase around trends, you'll always be sub par and uninteresting.  But if you really love Ravenloft, and see a chance to reinvent Hammer Horror (which reinvented Universal Horror (which reinvented Horror plays (which reinvented Penny Dreadfuls))) then you fucking do it, do it well, and maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be what some producer somewhere is looking for.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/map_ravenloft1TH.jpg

Happy All Saints Day!

Quote from: JonWake;704700All this has happened before, all will happen again...

Hrmm... Cylons in Ravenloft.

Quote from: Snake_Eyes;704708http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/map_ravenloft1TH.jpg

Happy All Saints Day!

That kicks ass

Quote from: GrumpyReviews;703014Is Ravenloft relevant anymore?

It is if you want to play it, or run it, or write for it.

That's the only standard of relevance worth having nowadays. IMHO, YMMV, etc.

That image looks cool but at that size I can't read any of it.

Quote from: RPGPundit;705248That image looks cool but at that size I can't read any of it.

You will have to download it from the WotC site to get the full sized image.

Quote from: RPGPundit;705248That image looks cool but at that size I can't read any of it.

Just click it with your mouse!!

Quote from: Snake_Eyes;705317Just click it with your mouse!!

It still comes out too small.

That's 'cause the thumbnail was linked, not the main one.

Here's the main one.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/map_ravenloft1.jpg

If that map is accurate it would be very useful for the gm. It has been years since I ran the old module, but that map looks...amazing.

Quote from: JRT;705776That's 'cause the thumbnail was linked, not the main one.

Here's the main one.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/map_ravenloft1.jpg

Oh yes. Much better!