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 Credits
Design: William W. Connors
Editing: Dori "the Barbarian" Watry
Product Coordination: Timothy B. Brown
Cover Art: Robin Wood
Interior Art: Robert Klasnich & Stephen Fabian
Typesetting: Gaye O'Keefe
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Production: Sarah Feggestad
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ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS and AD&D are registered trademarks

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owned by TSR, Inc. RAVENLOFT and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or
unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written
permission of TSR, Inc. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the
book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United
Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.

ISBN 1-56076-351-5
TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd.
POB 756 120 Church End
Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton
WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB
U.S.A. United Kingdom
 A

Introduction 4 Chapter IV: Vulnerabilities 48

Ordinary Vulnerabilities 48
Chapter I: Types of Ghosts 8 Holy Water 48
Magnitudes of Power 8 Turning Clndead 49
Physical Consistency 11 Holy Symbols 50
Physical Appearance 13 Extraordinary Vulnerabilities 51

*,:
Origins of Ghosts 16 Allergens 51
Anchors 22 Magical Spells 52
Triggers 24 Personal Effects 59
Conclusion 25 Special Weapons 60 vM
Forged Weapons 60
Chapter II: Ordinary Powers 26 Enchanted Weapons 60
Insubstantiality 26 Specially Constructed Weapons 61
Invisibility 28
Rejuvenation 28 Chapter V: Speak with the Dead 62
Immunity 29 Types of Mediums 62
Magic Resistance 29 Focus Mediums 62
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Biological Spells 29 Guide Mediums 63
Unique Immunities 31 Host Mediums 63
Racial Abilities 31 Regression Mediums 64
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Class Abilities 31 Sympathetic Mediums 65

Creation of Clndead 31 Trance Mediums 66
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False Mediums 68
Chapter III: Extraordinary Powers 32 Locating and Hiring a Medium 70
Accelerate Aging 32 Through Recommendation 71
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Cause Despair 33 By Reputation 72

Cause Fear 34 Through Advertisement 73
Cause Paralysis 34 By Sensitivity 73
Cause Revulsion 35 Sources of a Medium's Power 74
Cause Wounds 36 Studied Abilities 74
Charm Animals 36 Incidental Abilities 75
Charm Persons 37 Lifestyles of Mediums 78
Command Clndead 37 Aloof 78
Create Illusions 37 Calculated 78
Dominate Victims 38 Morbid 79
Drain Abilities 39 Nomadic 79
Drain Energy 40 Reclusive 80
Drain Memories 40 Unworthy 80
Entrance Victims 41 The Vistani 81
Inhabit Bodies 42 Chapter VI: Investigating a Haunting . . . . 8 4
Inhabit Objects 42 The Phantom Army 84
Keen 44 Picking Up the Scent 87
Lure Victims 44 Stalking the Beast 88
Perform Telekinesis 46 Making the Kill 90
Resist Magic 46
Conclusion 47 DM's Appendix 92

0,
 or as long as mankind has kept should seek their every lair and see to it that
written records, the comings and these monsters were destroyed. I did not
goings of spirits have been noted. understand the scope of my quest then. To
Some are described as lights or track down and destroy all the vampires in all
recognizable shapes in the the worlds that I now know of is an impossible
darkness. Others seem to be real, task—but I have never hesitated.
but are nothing more than images No single man can do all that 1 have set forth
of light—as incorporeal as they are to do. It is my hope, however, that, by placing
unliving. They come in all manner what I know in a series of books, 1 will aid those
of shapes and sizes. They who would follow me on my quest. If you have
undertake macabre missions and seen the eyes of death looking at you, if you
have any number of motivations. have heard a feral hiss in the darkness, if you
Most are evil, some indifferent, and have known the terror that awaits, then you
a few good and kind. know the importance of my work. I offer you
In this work, 1 shall examine my heart, my prayers, and—most
them all. I shall share with you importantly—my knowledge.
what 1 can of my sparse knowledge In the three decades that have passed since
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and pray with all my heart that it the death of my wife and child, 1 have traveled
may be enough to keep you alive. If it is not, much. I have seen horror in all its shapes. I
then I pray even more that this knowledge shall have faced monsters that could only have
be enough to allow you to rest in true death and issued forth from the deepest pits of evil. In
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not to rise and haunt the night as an apparition every case I have been tempered by the
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in our darkened land. meeting. Those I destroyed filled me with the

energy to continue in my holy work. Those that
escaped my vengeance left me the wiser for
My Life Among the Dead
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each such encounter. (Never again, I vowed,

I
have lived a long life. If I am lucky, it shall would 1 be as short-sighted in a future meeting.)
not end soon. 1 am in good health, despite Those that defeated me—and there have been
all the storms I have weathered. Still, I know many despite my undeserved reputation for
that the black shroud of death will one day fall invincibility—have left me stronger for the
across me. When it does, I will look back upon wounds inflicted upon me.
a life that was long and hard, but not without its How many times have 1 been driven to
rewards. 1 have done much good—of this 1 am death's door by the creatures of darkness? 1
certain. I shall face the grave with no regrets cannot say. But in every instance 1 was
and but one sorrow. Let me recount it for you. determined to battle back from the injuries 1
My first encounter with the undead was with suffered and to have my revenge. I am a
the horrible vampire who called himself Baron peaceful, merciful man, but such vengeance is
Metus. When that fiend stole my beloved son sweet indeed.
Erasmus and then murdered my dear wife
Ingrid, I vowed I should devote myself to the
utter annihilation of all his diabolical kind. The Thundering Carriage

H
The sorrow, of course, is that 1 have become ow did 1, a devoted vampire hunter, come
what I have become at the cost of losing my to be an enemy of the incorporeal undead
family. At that time, however, I was a much as well? The inclusion was not a difficult
younger man. I meant only that I should battle one. It began on a cold autumn night in
the dread vampire in all his shapes—that I Lamordia. 1 was close on the trail of a vile
creature that I call the child vampire. The details
of my encounter with that dark beast are
presented elsewhere (see RR1, Darklords), so I
shall not dwell on them here. While researching
the creature, 1 happened upon a lonely country
inn, the Thistle & Bonnet. The place was so
charming and the darkness approaching so fast
that I bade my companions stop. We discussed The boundaries which divide Life from
the matter briefly, and then decided to spend Death are at best shadowy and vague.
the night. Who shall say where one ends, and
The innkeeper, a cheerful fellow with the where the other begins?
unlikely name of Bellikok, saw to our every
need. He presented us with a great feast of a — Edgar Allan Poe
dinner, saw to it that our glasses were always "The Premature Burial"
full, and never seemed at a loss for some clever Tales of Mystery and Imagination
comment or anecdote to move the
conversation along at a merry pace. In all, a
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perfect hosteler.
All that changed, however, as the gleaming
copper clock on his mantle rang ten. No sooner
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had the last chime died than a look of concern

crept across merry Bellikok's face. I feared that
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he had grown ill and moved to comfort him. "I

am a physician," I said. "Is there anything I can As the sound drew nearer and nearer, he
do for you?"
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became more agitated. "That conveyance bears

For an instant he seemed taken aback by my no guest I'll have in this place," he hissed. "No,
concern. Then he allowed a wry smile to cross indeed. That carriage rides forth from the
his face and let out a short laugh. "Would that gaping maw of blackness itself. I know not
you could, kind sir," he breathed. where she travels to, but I know what comes
Seeing that my companions were as curious with her passing. Here, move to the windows.
as I about the cause of his sudden change of You'll see what I mean. . . ."
spirits, 1 bade him continue. Dropping his head With that, he blew out the lights in the inn
so that he looked only upon the floor and not and gathered us all about the large window that
upon our faces, the innkeeper did as I looked out upon the road. In the distance, we
suggested. saw an eerie glow moving down the highway
"Do you hear the sound of that carriage, sir? toward us. It seemed to be moving at an
Low and distant, like thunder looming on the incredible speed and to be giving off a light
horizon?" such as I have only seen on ships at sea that are
I cocked my head and, as he had said, I did wreathed with St. Elmo's fire.
indeed hear the sound of a coach in the Suddenly the horrific conveyance was upon
distance. Still, there seemed nothing unusual us. It flashed past our window at a speed I
about it. Indeed, thinking that it might promise would not have thought possible. I had only the
another customer for the night, I offered him briefest of looks at the thing, but its impression
that consolation. "Surely you have room for is forever set in my mind. The wagon was large,
another guest?" as bulky as any merchant's coach I've ever
 seen. It was drawn by a team of four great still draped in flesh, they reached out at us
horses from whom all flesh and tissues had through windows barred with bones. Their faces
been removed. At every step of these skeletal were pitiful, etched with agony and torment. In
steeds lighting flashed when hoof struck earth. the second that they were before me, I felt all of
The ebon wood of the coach—carved and the suffering and anguish that radiated from
etched with evil runes and dark figures—was their tragic faces. These were the damned.
illuminated clearly by a shower of azure sparks Then, even before I saw it was upon us, the
that sprayed away from the wheels as the coach conveyance was gone—racing away down the
rolled along the road. highway at a speed beyond my comprehension.
As shocking as this macabre vehicle was, its I was about to speak, seeking to voice my
occupants were even more memorable. The horror, when the innkeep motioned for silence.
coachman was a gaunt and skeletal fellow, well Instantly the sky erupted in thunder. Huge
suited to the team he drove. As he passed, I saw sheets of lightning raced from horizon to
him strike at his horses with a whip, the lash of horizon, shedding a brilliant blue light across
which was composed of pure lightning. When it the countryside. Rain fell upon us in a mighty
snapped above the beast, a great crash of cascade, battering the windows with the
thunder roared out and the animals seemed ferocity of a hurricane and turning the road
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moved to even greater speed. outside into a morass of mud. The storm, more
Through windows set in the coach's doors, I savage than any I had ever felt before, lasted
could see the grim passengers of this only for a few minutes, and then it was gone.
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nightmarish wagon. Gaunt and thin, but these "My God," was all I could say.
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