It’s really no secret to those who know me or at least follow us on twitter that I’ve fallen pretty hard back into tabletop Dungeons and Dragons in the past year. Since then my senses have definitely been tuned to pick up any and all news of impending DnD product releases. So it was of no surprise when I got myself all excited the Castle Ravenloft board game was announced. It’s kinda/sorta based on the Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition rules, but stripped down to the basics and runs without the need of a dungeon master.

If you’re a tabletop Dungeon Master then the idea of a DM-less game is at the minimum an interesting one. Sitting on different sides of the screen, spending time preparing the adventure, knowing for the most part what’s going to happen, playing the part of spoil, etc. feels a bit strange sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I love DM’ing and plan to do it for a long time (players willing), but it’s nice to all play a game together against the game system itself. And in that Castle Raveloft provides the perfect backdrop to get your fix on.

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