Lord Soth, the fallen death knight best known for haunting Dragonlance, is climbing back into the role of a Darklord in D&D's next big sourcebook, Ravenloft: The Horrors Within. Wizards of the Coast hasn't said it outright, but a preorder-bonus mini-adventure called D&D Encounters: Shadows of Sithicus leaves very little doubt. Sithicus is the Domain of Dread that trapped Soth during the classic 2nd Edition Ravenloft era.
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See how it worksThat matters because Lord Soth's placement has been a slow-burn lore argument for thirty years. He started as a Ravenloft Darklord, then got pulled back into Dragonlance with the late-90s Dragons of Summer Flame novel, and hasn't been an official Ravenloft prisoner since. Bringing him back into the Mists reopens one of the franchise's most famous villains to a whole new generation of DMs.
The preorder listing spotted this week on D&D Beyond lists 17 Darklords with full stat blocks across 16 Domains of Dread. Strahd von Zarovich and Lord Soth are the only two confirmed by name so far, and it's a strong opening pair. Both were mainstays of the classic 2nd Edition Ravenloft boxed set.
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Set up your group for freeThe rest of the book is shaping up to be substantial. Sixteen Domains of Dread, seven horror-flavoured subclasses from Reanimator Artificer to Undead Warlock, four new species including the Lupin, four backgrounds, nine Dark Gifts, and over 50 monsters. Cthulhu reportedly gets a stat block as well (AC 18, a chunky 385 HP), with a domain riffing on Innsmouth joining the mix.
Ravenloft: The Horrors Within lands 16 June worldwide, with D&D Beyond subscribers getting early access ahead of shelves depending on their tier. Preorders opened on 13 April, and the digital bonuses include the Mists of Ravenloft Digital Dice Set, the Ravenloft Play-Along Pack, and the Shadows of Sithicus adventure.
For DMs eyeing a gothic horror campaign this summer, start the party-building conversation now. If your regular crew isn't up for 16 Domains of full-spooky D&D, find a Ravenloft-friendly group near you and crack the book open with a fresh party.
Sources: EN World | Wargamer | Dungeon Mister
