THE QUEENSWOOD

A RAVENLOFT DOMAIN OF DREAD BASED ON THE

PODCAST "WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS"

BY THOMAS AND RACHEL KOLAR

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Snow White (1937), and all affiliated characters and The Queenswood is a Ravenloft Domain inspired by the
settings property of Disney. Podcast "Wonderful World of Darklords: Episode 12,
Snow White."
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Contents
The Queenswood ...................................................................
3
Noteworthy Features.........................................................
3
Settlements and Sites..........................................................
3
The Castle............................................................................
4
Quedlinburg........................................................................
4
Rammelsberg......................................................................
4
The Forest...........................................................................
4
Queen Narcissa ......................................................................
5
Narcissa's Powers and Dominion......................................
6
Narcissa's Torment.............................................................
6
Roleplaying Narcissa..........................................................
6
Adventures in The Queenswood..........................................
7
Adventure Hooks for the Queenswood...........................
7
Queenswood Adventures...................................................
7
Other Works:........................................................................
11
The Queenswood
Domain of Vanity, Corruption, and Dark Forests

Darklord: Queen Narcissa

Genres: Dark Fantasy

Hallmarks: Mirrors, False Images, Beautiful Facades,

Poison, Magical Forests.

Mist Talismans: Mirrors, Jewels, Apples

Report 12: The Queen's Wood

If King Haggard’s land was a desert, where Settlements and Sites

the people were parched for a single drop of The ruler of the Queenswood, Narcissa, came
magic, theQueenswood was a flood. When I into power through a series of events that,
emerged from the Mists, the air was dense with if coincidental, would strain credulity to the
magical energies, to the extent that the forest breaking point. After his first wife died in
seemed to warp around me; the gnarled branches childbirth, the king fell in love with a beautiful
of the trees appeared to be terrible grasping and mysterious noblewoman; she claimed to be a
arms, and the eyes of the animals glittered distant cousin of the Dilisnya line, but I found
with a hungry and malevolent intelligence. I that her supposed family tree did not match up
thought that perhaps the capital city, with its to that bloodline’s admittedly tangled records.
shining cliffside castle, would be different . The king either took her claims at face value or
.. I arrived, I found that the roots
but when was so smitten with her that her lineage did
of the trees, and indeed the very stones of not matter to him, and wed her in a scandalously
the mountains, were pushing through the paving short period of time.After the king’s own
stones even as workers attempted to cut them death, Narcissa took over as regent until the
away. Like its abhorrent queen, the capital young princess Snow White could inherit the
has a beautiful, elegant facade, but cannot throne. Snow White’s mysterious disappearance
hide the ravenous magical energy devouring it in the forest was Narcissa’s final stroke of
from within. unimaginable good fortune.

Narcissa walks a curious line between

Noteworthy Features embracing her realm’s abundant magic and
fearing it. Rumors persist about her use of
Those familiar with the Queenswood know the
dark magic and alchemy to spy on her citizens,
following facts:
eliminate her rivals, and feed her vanity, and
• The kingdom is small but wealthy, a series of towns and even a cursory examination of her castle with
villages in the Harz mountains divided by deep forests. Eldritch Sight lent credence to these tales.
Those mountains are also sources of great mineral However, she spends a tremendous amount
wealth, particularly gems. of time and resources fortifying her castle
• The forest is an ancient, primeval place supposedly full against the encroaching forest, and whenever
of spirits, magic, and other strange things both good and she has business beyond the city walls, she
evil. sends her huntsmen rather than braving the
• Several years ago, the old king died. He left his second wilderness herself. A significant amount of
wife, Narcissa, as queen and regent for his daughter, her magical and personal energy is dedicated
princess Snow White. to hiding from the creatures that dwell in the
• While technically caretaker of the throne until Snow mountains beyond.
White comes of age, Narcissa has taken power with the
help of a her Huntsmen, a personal order of spies and This is not Narcissa’s only pursuit, however.
assassins. She surrounds herself with the most beautiful
• Narcissa has used the kingdom's great wealth to expand young women in the kingdom, noble and commoner
and refurbish her castle, and to establish a court of great alike, and encourages vicious competition as
beauty and glittering sophistication. they vie for her favor. Those who enter her
• Narcissa accepts only the most beautiful of maidens as inner circle often vanish soon after. I did not
handmaids, and cultivates fierce competition among the want to believe the rumors I heard about the
people of the kingdom to have their daughters taken ultimate fate of these women; later experience,
into her service. However, they are never seen again, a however, proved to me that all hags are cut
fact most are too afraid to mention in public. from the same cloth.

WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE

3
 Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is the self-described "gateway to the Harz
mountains," a crossroads that is the center of trade in
the kingdom, and is the place where many outlanders
first enter the kingdom. Quedlinburg is a much more
cosmopolitan city than even the capital, with merchants
and traders of many different nations settling and mingling
here. It is also a major center of the growing wealth and
prosperity of the kingdom. As such, it is the place where
Narcissa's rule is the loosest, and one of the only places
where outlanders are going to find people openly (if
quietly) speaking against the queen.

Rammelsburg
Narcissa's kingdom presents a glamorous, prosperous face Rammelsburg is the end of the road, the last major
to the world, concealing a dark and ugly truth underneath. settlement before the wilds of the Harz mountains and
Under Narcissa's rule, the kingdom's mining operations their forests. It is thus a center of mining and industry.
have expanded exponentially, and the consequent The miners, charcoalers, loggers, and other forest dwellers
expansion of trade has luxury goods pouring into the bring their wares to Rammelsburg to trade. It is a rough-
capital. The queen is canny enough to spread the wealth and-tumble place, full of hardscrabble miners drinking
around, and many families that used to be minor country their wages away. It is also the best source of information
gentry are funding new mansions loaded with beautiful, on the forests. The forest dwellers have decades of
expensive furnishings. The court life surrounding the experience coexisting with the fantastic creatures of the
castle seems be a life of ease and beauty. However, mountains. The average tavern in Rammelsburg has
Narcissa does not maintain power by wealth or charm people who can tell you almost anything you would want
alone. The true source of her iron grip on power is fear, to know about the mountains and the creatures that live
cultivated through magic, torture, and assassination. She there, and every miner or logger has a story about meeting
has an order of ruthlessly loyal secret police called the a spirit of some sort.
Huntsmen, and the same palace that contains her beautiful
throne room also contains secret dungeons and torture
chambers for anyone who breathes a word of disloyalty.
The Forest
However, power gained through fear is never secure, and
the paranoia and terror she has imposed on her people is
driving more and more of them against her.

The Castle
Narcissa's castle and the town built around it is the capital
of the kingdom, and the place where her role is most
absolute. The town is flush with the wealth of the nation,
and her court is full of pomp and gilded frivolity that hides
a culture of endless, hard-edged jockeying for favor and
status among the courtiers. The most coveted status in
the court is that of queen's handmaid, one of Narcissa's
personal circle of attendants. She recruits only the most Although the kingdom has rapidly expanded under
beautiful maidens of the kingdom in to the handmaids, and Narcissa's rule, the majority of the territory technically
many of them even come from non-noble lineage. Having under her rule is still the wild forest and mountains. These
a daughter accepted as a handmaid includes expansion of mountains border the Feywild, and the forests are full of
income and social status, and is the fastest way to climb Feywild crossings. Time itself seems to behave differently
the social hierarchy. As such, the competition is intense in the Forest, and one could perceive weeks going by
and sometimes literally cutthroat. The handmaids are within the forest when only a few days had passed in the
sequestered in the palace and not allowed any contact "outside world" or vice versa.
with their families or the outside world. The palace also
contains Narcissa's magical workshop, guarded by the The forest paths are thus full of spirits, dwarves, and other
undead remains of her victims. This is where she collects creatures of the Feywild. A traveler in the mountains
spells and magical items to use in researching new ways to can have all sorts of strange, dream-like encounters,
hold on to her beauty and her throne. from helpful spirits leading lost miners to safety, little
men dwelling under the earth, or a hag with a cottage
made of gingerbread. See "Legends and Tales of the Harz
Mountains" for some example encounters.

WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE

4
 and solstices, in which hags from all domains
come to worship and make sacrifices to the
evil spirits of the mountains; I admit to being
relieved that my visit did not coincide with any
of these bacchanals.

Despite the supernatural dangers of the

mountains and the forests, the common folk
of the Queens wood venture there often to
harvest a bounty of natural resources, for
the mountains are rich in silver and gems. No
one wishes to penetrate the forest too deeply,
Some say the forest itself is so close to the Feywild that however. It seems that my experience with the
it sometimes changes and responds to the passions and grasping, looming trees was not a mere attack
emotions of mortals. A maiden fleeing in mortal terror of nerves; many miners have turned back after
could have fear powerful enough to transform the forest seeing their deepest fears reflected in the
into a dark and hostile place, changing harmless logs in a trees, and one logger swore to me that her
river to hungry crocodilian creatures and regular trees into brother was devoured by crocodiles–which
awakened, grasping monsters. An innocent, pure heart had been floating logs a moment before, and
that is full of kindness can transform the dark forest into became floating logs again afterward. There
a beautiful sunlit wood full of blooming flowers, and the is a common saying in the Queenswood: if
wild animals into friendly and helpful companions. you bring darkness in your heart, the forest
will reflect it.

Optional Rules: "The Wild Beyond The The inverse of this, however, is the legend
Snow White." that one who is pure of heart has nothing to
fear from the forest–which has birthed the
The Forest is meant to be a fantastic, fairytale like place. I
persistent rumor that Princess Snow White
suggest using the Feywild Magic rules from chapter 2 of
is still alive, living in the heart of the forest
the Dungeon Master's Guide to represent the way time
and tended by blights turned gentle as summer
and memory can unpredictably change in this mysterious
realm. If you have access to "The Wild Beyond the flowers. A Quedlinburg sang a poignant
bard in
Witchlight," it has many useful resources for running a song about how the Harz Mountains longed
Feywild- style setting. Chapter 2 of that book includes a to possess her forever, as she was more
"Transforming the Domain" chart to offer ways the forest beautiful than all their riches, and so they
could change in response to positive and negative emotions transformed her into a nymph so that her purity
which I highly recommend using for this forest. Chapter 3 and loveliness would never be lost. The next
is set in a "deep dark forest" Feywild domain and thus has
morning, the bard had vanished without a trace,
many random encounters and locations you could easily
his door hanging from a single broken hinge.
adapt for this forest as well.

One particular location of note is deep in the forest, the Queen Narcissa
Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz. Also called
"Bald Mountain" for its treeless peak, the Brocken is a "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall..."
dark and haunted place renowned for ghosts, hags, and
other forces of evil. The people of the kingdom avoid it Narcissa began her life as a humble miner's daughter
as much as possible, especially on certain times of year, whose beauty was only matched by her ruthlessness
whispering of great revels of the powers of darkness and ambition. On the night of the witches' sabbat she
on the bare slopes of that mountain. To even have the disregarded all the traditional warnings and journeyed to
shadow of the Brocken fall on oneself or one's land is the Brocken.
considered an extremely ill omen or sign of malignant
supernatural influence.

While the Queenswood is home to multiple

mining and lumbering villages and a handful of
true cities, the vast majority of the kingdom is
dominated by the Harz Mountains and the thick
forests covering them. The forests are home to
all manner of fey creatures and magical beasts;
one might encounter anything from bloodthirsty
redcaps to territorial dryads to wolves the
size of horses. The people speak of frenzied
witches’ sabbats that occur at the equinoxes

WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE

5
 to a new supply of young maidens to use in preserving her
youth.

Narcissa's Powers and Dominion

Queen Narcissa has stats similar to a Green Hag. She
also has the following special powers stemming from her
supernatural connection to the Domain.

And There, My Faithful Huntsman, You Will *Kill* Her!."

Narcissa has transformed the kingdom into a police state,
where her will is primarily enforced by a loyal order of
secret police and assassins called the Huntsmen.

There she made a pact with two hags who were seeking "A Thunderbolt to Mix it Well. Now, Begin thy Magic Spell."
a third to complete their coven. Narcissa would share Through her dark pact with the hags, Narcissa has access
in their arcane power, and in 10 years she would be to all of her coven spells. She also has an extensive and
transformed into a hag and join them as the junior of their well-stocked arcane library and workshop to research
coven. Narcissa quickly used her new powers to assume Ritual spells outside of her normal spell list.
the guise of a mysterious noblewoman. She drew the
eye of the king, after poisoning his wife (Snow White's "Go On, Have a Bite." Narcissa has a crow familiar, and two
mother), and married him. Once she had secured her own magically bonded panthers that serve as her guards.
power in the kingdom she poisoned her new husband,
taking the throne as queen and regent for Princess Snow "Mirror, Mirror." The magic mirror in Narcissa's throne
White and bringing her land into Ravenloft. While room has the powers of a crystal ball of scrying. The
technically a placeholder ruler until Snow White comes of mirror can also be used once a day as an arcane focus to
age, Narcissa has seized power with the help of her magical cast any divination spell of 4th level or lower.
abilities and her secret police, the Huntsman. Any who
whisper disloyalty or question her rule are disappeared and Closing the Borders. When Narcissa closes the borders, the
tortured in her secret dungeons. forest becomes impassible, and seems to come to life to
attack those seeking escape.
Narcissa has even found a way to delay her debt to the
hags. She discovered a ritual in which she drains the lives
of beautiful young maidens, preserving her own youth Narcissa's Torment
and putting off her inevitable transformation into a hag.
However, the more she uses her magic to hold on to her Narcissa's torment springs from her vanity. Both her
power and beauty, the faster she ages, demanding more great beauty and her kingdom were won by, and are
and more "handmaids" to be recruited into her service maintained through, her magic. However, using magic
and never seen again. Some even dare to question the hurries her toward assuming her eventual place among
whereabouts of the daughters and sisters taken to the the hag coven she bargained with. She is able to delay
palace, and resentment against her violent and tyrannical joining the coven by sacrificing maidens, which is turning
rule is quietly growing. the kingdom against her. She can maintain control of the
kingdom through further magic, which brings her closer
The greatest threat to her Narcissa's power is the princess, to joining the coven.
Snow White. Snow White is as pure and virtuous as
Narcissa is wicked and cruel. Furthermore, Snow White is Both Narcissa's appearance and the kingdom are a beautiful
the rightful heir of the throne and has beauty even greater surface concealing an ugly reality which pushes through
than Narcissa's. The queen sought to end the threat that surface like vines growing through cracks in a wall.
of Snow White by ordering her most loyal Huntsman,
Humbert, to kill her, but Snow White's innocence and Despite all of the sacrifices and evil she has committed in
goodness stayed his hand. Snow White fled deep into the name of beauty, Narcissa is not and will never be the
the forest, finding refuge in the home of seven dwarves fairest of them all.
who mine gems from the mountains. Like Humbert, the
dwarves were won over by the beauty and goodness of
Snow White's heart, and are her devoted protectors. Roleplaying Narcissa
Personality Trait. " And now, a special sort of death... for
Narcissa now seeks to conceal Snow White's escape from
one so fair."
the court, and to find some way to finish her off. She is
Ideal. "Silence! You know the penalty if you fail."
hesitant to go into the mountains herself, as the forest is
Bond. “Her breath will still. Her blood congeal. Now I'll be
the realm of the spirits and her curse grows stronger as she
fairest in the land!"
spends time within that realm.
Flaw. " Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest
one of all?"
Narcissa currently seeks marriage to an eligible prince to
distract the kingdom, expand her rule, and give her access
WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE
6
Adventures in The Adventure Hooks for the
Queenswood Queenswood
I could not leave the Queenswood without
investigating the rumors surrounding Narcissa. Narcissa's kingdom is a major exporter of mineral wealth
Her handmaidens and ladies in waiting were and importer of luxury goods, and is thus a major center of
reluctant to share their mistress’s secrets, but trade. PCs have numerous reasons to come to this Domain
a few made catty remarks about how her current as part of a delivery or trade mission. It is also very well
favorite, Greta, would not be in favor for long. known that the mountains and forest are full of Feywild
It seemed like this was the way with Narcissa’s Crossings, so any PCs looking for resources or NPCs in the
favorites; I would have wondered why all of her Feywild have good reason to visit. Finally, the PCs might
attendants seemed to think that things would have a more directed reason to travel here. Perhaps an
end differently for them, but one can never NPC they are connected to has a daughter taken to be one
underestimate the power of self-delusion. of Narcissa's handmaids, and the NPC is suspicious enough
to reach out for help. If one of your PCs is a dwarf or there
Given the number of magical and mundane are any major dwarven NPCs, they could be contacted by
poisons in the castle, it was not difficult to the seven dwarves to aid in protecting Snow White.
ensure that Greta would be indisposed for a
time, and Mask of Many Faces allowed me to Queenswoods Adventures
assume her appearance. After an evening in
There are two core adventures in this Domain, depending
which the entertainment consisted largely of
on how much you want to engage with the forest or with
women praising Narcissa’s beauty while casting
the political situation in the castle.
subtle aspersions on one another, the queen
dismissed them and asked Greta–me–to attend
In the forest, the players have numerous options for
her in her personal chambers.
strange, fairy-tale like Feywild encounters, but the core
story is going to involve Narcissa's plans to kill Snow
As the queen led me to her chamber, which was
White. Perhaps the PCs are tricked into helping Narcissa,
dominated by an enormous mirror, a strange and
delivering a poison apple to Snow White, etc. See
subtle transformation gripped her. She seemed
"Narcissa's Plans" for some suggestions. Snow White
to shrink with every step, her back twisting
cannot be killed (she is a part of Narcissa's Torment) and
into the slightest suggestion of a hump. Her
perhaps the PCs can play the Prince Charming role and
hands were less slender than bony, with faint
revive her from the edge of death.
traces of liver spots along the knuckles, and
her cool green eyes began to bulge from their
In the castle, you can do a more political story about
sockets. When I stepped back, repulsed, from
opposing Narcissa. Rescuing one or more handmaids
the creature that was half a woman and half a
from her before she drains their life could be excellent
hag, she cackled and performed the words and
combination of social/court intrigue (to discover where
gestures for a spell that should have frozen
the handmaid has been taken) and dungeon diving into
me helpless to the spot. My patron’s ring
Narcissa's secret workshop. You could also do a version of
went cold on my finger as the spell passed
the Humbert story and convince a reluctant Huntsman to
harmlessly through me, but I feigned paralysis.
disobey/rebel against Narcissa.
The witch approached me, her features twisting
and aging further with each passing moment,
You could combine these core stories by having Prince
holding a jeweled dagger. “You are fair,
Charming locked in the dungeon for rejecting Narcissa out
Greta,” she leered, raising the dagger over my
of love for Snow White. Snow White gets successfully
heart, “but with your youth and beauty, I’ll be
poisoned and the PCs have to free the Prince from the
fairest in the land . . .”
dungeon and deliver him to Snow White to revive her.
I had seen enough. I released my disguise,
A final interesting story could involve the hags Narcissa
assuming my form of dread, and unleashed an
made her original bargain with. They could be the ones
eldritch blast. The next few moments are ..
who bring the PCs to the domain, to hurt Narcissa and
. somewhat muddled. I was conscious of no
destabilize her kingdom. This will force Narcissa to use
thoughts beyond destroying this monster, of
more and more magic, bringing her closer to her future
causing her as much pain as she had caused the
hag state. The hags could be a good "you are evil but
women who died helpless and terrified in this
powerful and we have a common enemy" set of NPCs to
room, for no better purpose than to feed the
help and guide the PCs.
vanity of this loathsome parasite. It was not
until I felt the agony of her claws and teeth in
my flesh that I realized I was outmatched, and
used gaseous form to flee.

I hope I scarred that haughty face.

WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE

7
 Narcissa's plans
Plan How Narcissa seeks to kill Snow White
1 She gifts Snow White a seemingly mundane object that will kill her, such as ribbons that will magically strangle her.
2 She poisons some food Snow White is preparing.

3 She magically causes some danger of the forest to target Snow White, such as a tree collapsing.
4 She magically sends a storm to threaten Snow White, who is wandering the forest.

5 She sends Huntsmen to track and kill Snow White.

6 She magically compels animals to attack Snow White.

WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE

8
Legends and Tales of the Harz Mountains
Encounter Legend
1 Many years ago, a young noblewoman escaped into the forest to run away with her lover, a knight from a rival family.
Escaping her family's pursuit, she wandered deep into the forest and died there. As she died, her tears formed a
magical spring whose waters have powerful healing properties. The spring is guarded by the ghost of her knightly
lover.
2 Deep in the forest lurks a snake spirit, who takes the form of a beautiful woman to lure and devour wayward travelers.

3 On certain special nights, blue flames appear over the site of a buried treasure. However, the treasure must be dug
out and removed in absolute silence or it disappears.
4 A giant roams the forest, dressed in furs and carrying a tree trunk for a club. He will grant wishes, but those wishes
are always fulfilled in a dark and fearsome way.

5 In one part of the forest is a valley grows a magic flower that can heal any ailment of body or soul. The flower only
blooms one night a year.

6 The mine monk is a friendly spirit dressed in archaic miner's clothes who is said to wander the forest, helping the pure
of heart.

7 A white stag roams the forest, a great prize sought by many hunters. He is actually a prince under a curse, and if you
catch him without shedding blood, you break the curse.

8 A certain farmer in the mountains has a small copse of trees that seem to talk sometimes. They are the hosts of a trio
of dryads, who will magically aid anyone who can convince the farmer not to cut the trees for firewood.

9 A fierce and wild people live in the mountains, who have built a mound of skulls around the grave of their greatest
leader. They say that leader was buried with his powerful enchanted weapons and armor.

10 Deep in the forest is an old, abandoned temple built over an ancient sacred place. In the ruins of the temple there is a
rose-crested goblet full of holy water, which when drunk cures any ailment.

11 The farms around a particular manor are nightly raided by small, invisible creatures from under the earth stealing the
crops. The lord of the manor would reward anyone who could catch and stop these invisible thieves.

12 The Wild Hunt roams the mountains at night. If you come upon them, the lead huntsman will ask you to hold his
horse so that he can rest. If you are able to hold on to the fierce beast for one hour, the huntsman rewards you
greatly.

WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE

9
 I confess that I have never been so tempted to
abandon my duties and remain in a domain as I
Your curiosity is one of your more admirable
was in the Queenswood. Not because I wished qualities, my little servant. Be assured that, in
to settle there–far from it–but because I
time, you may learn of your Patron’s plans. For
would
like nothing more than to see Narcissa driven
into the forest that she so hates and fears,
that whatever darkness she brings in her heart
the time being, continue to treat all knowledge
may consume her.
perform, and I
However, I
will perform it.
have a task to
as valuable. A single grain of truth can reveal
obfuscated details even to one such as I, who’s
I admit that Narcissa may
my investigation of
have gotten somewhat out of hand. Nonetheless, knowledge of these realms surpasses all others. In
you are the one who told me that I should not
let my nerves interfere with my work, and that this case, your tenacity has revealed the source of
I should rely upon the powers you gave me; I
did so, and I learned the fate of Narcissa’s
Narcissa’s power. A bargain with Hags to maintain
attendants, the fate that she doubtless wishes
to visit upon Princess Snow White should she
her control over the realm, no doubt. The magic
ever reappear from the forest. This information she possesses to remain youthful in appearance is an
could well be valuable to you–although I cannot
be sure, as I still do not know exactly what you old, crude ritual. Disappointing, but useful.
wish to learn from this survey.
Bargaining with the fey is a fool’s errand. Such
At any rate, I Queenswood
promises are nigh impossible to break as, much
did leave the
behind me, despite my desire to change the lot
of its young women for the better.
a gold coin as a Mist talisman, I
Holding
reflected
like the chaotic effects of wild magic, fey magic
that the next domain on my itinerary was not has the tendency to develop a life of its own.
likely to fill me with such hope. Every town
has good moments and bad, and sometimes The Queenswood may be under similar influences,
the good predominates for a time ... but not
in Nottingham. which would account for the illusionary horrors
that manifest within. If this Snow White lives
regards,
and is ‘pure of heart’, then perhaps it would
create a sanctuary of a sort for her. However, if

D
.
such a person exists beyond the imaginings of the
peasantry, she would be as rare as an alluring hag.

WONDERFUL WORLD OF DARKLORDS | SNOW WHITE

10
Other Works: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/418215/The-
Raven-Nebula?affiliate_id=241770
This domain write-up is based on Episode 12 of our
If you’re the kind of person running spooky adventures,
podcast "Wonderful World of Darklords." It's a monthly
and you know kids, there’s a good chance you’re in the
podcast where we adapt a Disney movie into a Ravenloft
market for Halloween and spooky stuff that’s kid friendly.
Domain of Dread. You can find it at
I’d like to pitch Rachel’s amazing Halloween Mother
Goose book.
https://redcircle.com/shows/the-wonderful-
world-of-darklords
https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Ghost-Nursery-
Rhymes-Monsters/dp/1585363928/
For more "adapted media into horror gaming." I’ve
adapted John Carpenter's 1980 nautical horror film “The
For more D and D specific spooky kids stuff, Rachel and I
Fog” for three adventure settings. Something in the Fog
wrote a guide to children’s horror games. We go through
is setting neutral, Fog Over Saltmarsh for Ghosts of
each of the “Genres of Horror” from Van Richten’s Guide
Saltmarsh and Fog over Barovia for Curse of Strahd.
to Ravenloft and discuss how to adapt them for young
players. We look at examples of each genre from books,
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/387249/Something-
shows, or movies of children’s horror, and then discuss
in-the-Fog?affiliate_id=241770
adapting a couple famous children’s horror stories into D
and D adventures. This is going to very useful for running
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/359994/Fog-over-
any of these Disney Ravenloft adventures for kids.
Saltmarsh?view_as_pub=1
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/369751/Ravenloft-
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/359997/Fog-Over-
Gives-Me-Goosebumps-Genres-of-Horror
Barovia?view_as_pub=1
On the topic of kid’s horror, I did a guide to running a
Speaking of John Carpenter, I also adapted the original
more young player friendly version of Curse of Strahd
1978 "Halloween" for two settings. "You Can't Kill the
with guidelines on horror-themed games for young players
Boogeyman" is setting neutral and "Barovian Boogeyman"
(ages 8-12) called “Strahd gives me Goosebumps.” It can
is for Curse of Strahd.
be useful for running with adults if you have some players
who are not comfortable with all the child murder.
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Kill-the-Boogeyman?affiliate_id=241770
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/348639/Strahd-
Gives-Me-Goosebumps?view_as_pub=1
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/385365/Barovian-
Boogeyman?affiliate_id=241770
Speaking of Curse of Strahd I’ve also got a re-write of
Death House for Curse of Strahd on the DMs guild.
A final note on John Carpenter, I also adapted "Prince
It’s made to be a better introduction for new players.
of Darkness" (1987) for two settings. Setting Neutral
It’s a totally new, tighter, less lethal ghost story (the
("You Will Not Be Saved" and Strixhaven ("Prince of
chambermaid is the stepmother is the murderer is the
Annihilation."
boss ghost, no cult, no dungeon) with ghost PC rules and
resurrection at the end.
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Not-Be-Saved?affiliate_id=241770
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/311769/Another-
Death-Another-House
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/409215/Prince-of-
Annihilation?affiliate_id=241770
Happy Gaming!
Just to prove I don't only do John Carpenter, I adapted
the classic story "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" into two
adventures. Setting Neutral ("Sleepy Hollow") and Curse
of Strahd ("Headless Horseman of Barovia").

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/411750/Sleepy-
Hollow?affiliate_id=241770

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/410729/The-
Headless-Horseman-of-Barovia?affiliate_id=241770

That was a project that came out of the podcast, and we

did another project for our "Treasure Planet" episode.
"The Raven Nebula" is a conversion of Ravenloft into
a Spelljammer setting with a number of plot hooks for
sailing the Astral Mists.

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