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Credits Design: William W. Connors Additional Design and Editing: Steve Miller Project Coordination: Harold Johnson Box Cover Art: Dana Knutson Booklet Cover Art: Stephen Fabian Interior Art: Valerie A. Valusek Border Art: Dana Knutson Graphics: Dawn Murin & Greg Kerkman Cartographer: Dennis Kauth & Rob Lazzaretti (Kau-Lazz) Art Director: Bruce A. Zamjahn Typography: Angelika Lokotz Proofreading: Cindi Rice SpecialSample Thanks: Davi dfile Wise, Bruce Heard

TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. 201 Sheridan Springs Rd. 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM, and RAVENLOFT are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. The TSR logo is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, characters names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. © 1996 TSR, inc. All rights reserved. Made in the U.S.A. Random House and its affiliated 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. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. able of Contents

Introduction Page 3

Heroes Page 4 Dr. Rudolph van Richten 4 The Thinker 6 monsters Page 7 Cerebral Vampires 7 Daclaud Heinfroth 9 Captain Ridg Baykur 11 Dr. Piotr Rehner 12 Young Colin 13 Baron Metus 14 Madame Radanavich 15 Settings. Page 17 Map of the Caravel Mercy 18 The Island of Dominia 19 Map of Dominia 20 Asylum Grounds 22 Asylum Ground & First Floor Sample file 23 Asylum Basement & Attic 24 Martira Bay 25 Map of Martira Bay 26 Map of Martira Bay Jail 31 The Black Tower Map 32 The Asylum Inside Front Cover The Golden Dome Illustration Inside Back Cover enetrating so many botched room secrets, we cease to descriptions disrupt the flow of believe in the the game, and thus the mood. unknowable. But there Ad-libbing during play is expected and it sits nevertheless, calmly encouraged, but sometimes an encounter licking its chops. or location sets the stage for future events. If the DM misses a detail, then it 5 —H.L. Mencken, might become necessary to go back and Minority Report revise events. Careful reading of Books 1 & II and examination of this book will The pages of this book are filled with minimize the chances of that happening. material that the Dungeon Master will find invaluable in the running of the ITlaps and Diagrams Bleak House campaign. The material in this book is used Most of the pages in this book contain throughout the course of the Bleak House maps, diagrams, and other illustrations adventures. This is most true of the of the places that the heroes will explore character sheets, especially that of Dr. during play. These range from the island Van Richten. of Dominia, where the diabolical Daclaud It perhaps goes without saying, but Heinfroth maintains his sanitarium, to the like most other material in this set, the city of Martira Bay in Darkon, where information contained within these pages Baron Metus has taken up residence. is for the DM's eyes only. Heroes and Villains Using This Book Another large portion of this book is Some DMs may find it easiest to use allocated to the description of the major this book by pulling the staples from it MPCs, both good and evil, who appear in and carefully cutting it into loose sheets. Bleak House. These range from the noble If this is done, care must be takeSamplen not to filebut tormented Dr. Rudolph van Richten lose a single sheet, however, for most of to the sinister Madame Radanavich, the them are vital to running the force behind all the dark happenings in adventures. this tale. Either intact or separated, this book should always be kept close at hand Setting information during play. All of the keys to the maps that follow are presented in the 64-page Also included in these pages are brief and 96-page adventures that compose descriptions of the island of Dominia, the rest of this boxed set. which has undergone some changes When preparing to run the Bleak since it was described in the RAVENLOFT® House campaign, we recommend that Campaign Setting, and the city of Martira DMs study the maps of the various Bay in Darkon. The details on Martira locations as they read the area Bay have been provided to help DMs descriptions. In a game of suspense and create adventures beyond those included horror, keeping the players' imaginations in this box and are also helpful in focused on the story and their establishing the flavor of the city. characters is all-important, and fteroes

Dr. Rudolph van Richten Sage and Monster Hunter r/ Lawful Good lOth-level Thief

ARMOR CLASS 10 Str 11 (7) MOVEMENT 12 Dex 16(7) LEVEL/HIT DICE 13 Con 10(7) HIT POINTS 76 Int 17(12) THACO 16 Wis 16(10) No. OF ATTACKS 1 Cha 10(7) DAMAGE/ATTACK By weapon SPECIAL ATTACKS Nil SPECIAL DEFENSES Nil MAGIC RESISTANCE Nil Thieving Skills Pick Pockets 15% Open Locks 40% Find/Remove Traps 85% Move Silently 40% Hide in Shadows 45% Detect Noise 65% Climb Walls 70% Read Languages 80% In recent months, as Baron Metus has filled The parenthetical entries for Van Richten's his nights with terrible dreams, Van Richten's Ability Scores indicate the effects of his stay on appearance has changed. His hair tends to be the island of Dominia. These scores will return to tangled and unkempt. His face, normally clean- their normal levels at a rate of 1 point per week shaven, is almost always covered with stubble after he leaves the island. Sample filethat, like his blonde hair, has given way largely As Ravenloft's greatest monster-hunter, Dr. to gray. His eyes, although still pale blue, are Van Richten is as feared by the dark lords and bloodshot and watery, giving him the look of a minions of the land as they themselves are by long-suffering vagrant. Lastly, his once lean and the average adventurer. For many of them, he is catlike physique has deteriorated to the gaunt a troublesome bane who defies all their attempts and sickly frame of a broken man. to be rid of him. For some, he has even been the cause of an early death. Combat: Van Richten believes that his greatest weapon is his mind. He knows that his best hope Description: Rudolph van Richten is slightly past for defeating the powerful creatures that stalk middle age, although several encounters with Ravenloft's dark night is to study and then outwit ghosts and other undead creatures have left him them. On many occasions, the only thing that looking older than that. He wears his blonde hair saw Van Richten through tough situations was short on top and long in back. In recent years it his quick mind. Dr. Van Richten never engages has become shot through with streaks of gray. in battle without extensive study of his potential Van Richten's pale blue eyes have always been enemies and their weaknesses. said to have the sparkle of youth in them. Unfortunately, the trio of evil that has descended on him has all but destroyed that keen mind. The sparks that remain only occasionally flare up. itaoes

Background: Rudolph van Richten was born in Heartbroken, Van the city of Rivalis, Darkon. Like most inhabitants Richten returned to his of the Demiplane of Dread, he grew up without home to find that Baron Metus any knowledge of the true nature of the land in had beaten him there. In return for the which he lived. He had kind, loving parents, and destruction of Erasmus, whom Metus had both Van Richten and his younger sister Maria claimed as his companion, the baron had slain grew up safe and happy. The educational Van Richten's wife. This grief of this discovery benefits of attending a boarding school in Nartok almost destroyed Van Richten. and the university in II Aluk developed his keen In the days that followed, Van Richten realized analytical skills. that there was far more to the world than he had As he matured, Van Richten found himself ever seen from his small apothecary. The night drawn to the healer's craft. By the time he had was full of evil things that the common man had become an adult, his interest had grown into a no hope of defeating. He and his family had career. Although he had little skill in the art of been the victims of such creatures, and he surgery and knew nothing of the healing magics launched a crusade for future victims so common on other worlds, Van Richten began everywhere. to apply a scientific method to his herbal Eventually, Van Richten's life came full circle: medicine. Through testing and experimentation, Arturi Radanavich, a member for the tribe that he became one of the most skillful herbalists in had stolen his son, befriended Van Richten and all of Darkon. When he inherited the family forgave his crimes against the Vistani. Van estate upon the death of this father, he outfitted Richten in turn forgave Arturi for the crimes his two rooms in the manor house to serve his tribe had committed against him. At peace for medical practice. the first time in decades, Van Richten retired to Having established himself as a healer, Van his adopted homeland of Mordent to live out his Richten's happiness seemed assured when he declining years in peace. He even entertained married and became a father. Sadly, Van notions of reestablishing ties with his sister or Richten's fortune was destined to change. returning to Rivalis One gloomy night, a tribe of Vistani came to This was not to be. Van Richten soon found his shop. One of their number had been gravely himself plagued by nightmares worse than even injured, and the tribe ordered the famed Dr. Van the most horrible confrontation with monsters Richten to heal him. The young man's injuries had inspired. An acquaintance recommended were beyond Van Richten's power to heal, andSamplethe eminen filet Dr. Heinfroth. However, when Van fearful of the gypsies, he begged them to take Richten sought him out, a diabolical trap that what they would and let him be. He had no idea had been years in the making was sprung. that the thing they would claim was his son, Erasmus. Current Sketch: Van Richten's time on the Enraged, Van Richten pursued the gypsies island of Dominia has left him a broken man. and confronted them, only to discover that they His health has been shattered, leaving him with had sold the lad to the vampire, Baron Metus. Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of 7 Furious, and with the aid of powers he did not each. His much-vaunted intellect has also then understand, Van Richten destroyed the started to crumble. gypsies and started tracking down Baron Metus. Even with his nerves and health so badly When he arrived at the Baron's tower, Van beaten, Van Richten is not about to admit defeat. Richten was greeted by the son he feared lost. This is especially true when he learns that Baron At first relieved, Van Richten was horrified to Metus has returned from the dead. discover that he had been too late to save his boy. Erasmus had been transformed into a vampire. Erasmus begged his father to destroy him to free him from an eternity of suffering as an undead creature. Van Richten wept as he complied, for he knew that he had no choice.