D&D Battlemaps for Ravenloft: The Core

Written by: Zachary Velcoff

Within the Mists of Ravenloft lie the Domains of Dread, each the dominion and eternal prison of a Darklord. These beings of immense power, evil, and misfortune are trapped by the Dark Powers, unknowable entities that maintain the Mists. The Darklords’ downtrodden subjects, victims of captor and captive alike, are trapped with them.

Tracy and Laura Hickman designed the Ravenloft setting, which was first published by TSR for 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons in the 1983 module, Ravenloft. In this module, the vampire Count Strahd von Zarovich rules over the nation of Barovia and menaces the burgomaster’s adopted daughter, Ireena Kolyana, who bears a striking resemblance to the woman of his obsessions. If that sounds a lot like the plot of the 5th Edition module, Curse of Strahd, it’s because it is.

Curse of Strahd was released on March 15, 2016, and followed up by the setting dossier, Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, on May 18, 2021. While the Domains of Dread have grown beyond Barovia over the years, the setting retains its recognizable figures and the classic tropes of various horror subgenera.

Since Alex LeFort has provided us with the Top 10 Battlemaps for Curse of Strahd, this duo of articles will focus on the other Domains of Dread, specifically those depicted in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. We’ll start with the Domains of the Core, a cluster of Domains at the heart of Ravenloft, which–at least in previous editions–shared borders delineated by the Mists, and opened or shut at their rulers’ whim. For Domains of Dread beyond the Core of Ravenloft, check out the next blog post in this series, D&D Battlemaps for Ravenloft: Beyond the Core!

Victorian Greenhouse

Two Darklords vie for control of Borca: the perfumed poisoner, Ivana Boritsi, and her puerile cousin, the sadistic tinkerer Ivan Dilisnya. Between these rivals’ estates, the aristocrats of Borca compete for the power and favor of their mercurial Darklords. The common folk, caught in the middle, seek to scrape by without being embroiled in these deadly intrigues. Our top battlemap for Borca is Czepeku’s Victorian Greenhouse, whose Fey Bloom variant is perfect for the manicured gardens of Misericordia, the Boritsi estate. Here, the cunning alchemist cultivates the ingredients for her potent perfumes and poisons.

Other Battlemaps for Borca

Although Czepeku’s Victorian Greenhouse might be the best battlemap for Borca, others are fitting as well:

Grand Cathedral Crypt. In Borca’s capital, Levkarest, in the catacombs beneath the Great Cathedral of Ezra, the psions of the Ulmist Inquisition pry into the people’s minds in pursuit of evil to purge. Should the party seek the aid of these intrusive extremists–or run afoul of them–let them meet in the Blue variant of Czepeku’s Grand Cathedral Crypt.
Court of Justice. The residents of Sturben, while insulated from the machinations of Borca’s nobles, are subject to the severe justice of the Faceless Court. Should the party be called before its five iron masked judges, stage their trial in the Shadow Realm variant of Czepeku’s Court of Justice.
Grand Opera House. Across Borca from Misericordia lies Delgravo, the Dilisnya Estate. In its Laughing House, Ivan’s clockwork toys put on savage performances for their creator’s amusement. If the party receives an invitation to watch–or act in–such a performance, use the Spooky Night variant of Czepeku’s Grand Opera House to set the scene.

Shadowfell Fortress Interior

With the Hour of Ascension of its Darklord, the lich Azalin Rex, Darkon stands on the precipice of doom. The Shroud of Mists has begun to creep across its surface, condemning all they engulf to an unknowable fate. The Domain’s seat of power, Castle Avernus, is frozen in mid-air at the moment of its explosion. Here, the black shadow dragon Ebbasheyth awaits, harboring knowledge that may be critical to Darkon’s salvation. Our top battlemap for Darkon is Czepeku’s Shadowfell Fortress Interior, whose Original variant is great for Castle Avernus.

Other Battlemaps for Darkon

Although Czepeku’s Shadowfell Fortress Interior might be the best battlemap for Darkon, others are fitting as well:

Shadowfell Fortress Bridge. Perhaps a guardian loyal to Azalin Rex, or otherwise invested in Darkon’s dissolution, wishes to see the lich’s plans come to fruition and intervenes here to stop our meddling adventurers. Turn your party’s visit to Castle Avernus into a multi-map crawl with the Original variant of Czepeku’s Shadowfell Fortress Bridge.
Iron Wharf. In Azalin’s absence, three would-be rulers seek to become the new Darklord of Darkon. First of these, the vampire Alcio “Baron” Metus, is head of the Kargat, Darkon’s secret police, who operate out of the Black Tower in Martira Bay. Strange vessels with marvelous cargo frequently dock in this foggy port. If your players seek to confront the vampire, or to save Darkon by enabling her rise to power, let them meet in the Night Lights variant of Czepeku’s Iron Wharf.
Imperial Bath Complex. In a desperate attempt to save her home, Cardinna Artazas, elder mystic of the Eternal Order, has summoned back Darcalus Rex, Azalin’s predecessor, who now inhabits the amber springs of Cascana Sanitarium in the form of a necrichor. Cardinna believes Darcalus to be a necessary evil, but as Nevuchar Springs falls into corruption, she may begin to suspect that the bloody puppeteer she has brought into being is not the former wizard-king after all. Let the party confront “Darcalus Rex” or aid in his machinations in the Nemesis variant of Czepeku’s Imperial Bath Complex.
Prismatic Ballroom. Last of the contenders for Darkon’s throne is Madame Talisveri Eris, a permanently invisible aristocrat who appears when–and as whoever–she wishes to through the application of considerable cosmetics. Calasquel, Madame Eris’s estate outside the city of Il Aluk, is the site of extravagant balls, the most prestigious of which often take a turn for the deadly. Let our heroes face Madame Eris, or help her claim all of Darkon, in the Dark variant of Czepeku’s Prismatic Ballroom.

Opulent Ballroom

The impoverished citizens of Dementlieu desperately aspire to unattainable wealth and status. Here, even the aristocrats scrape by, making unconscionable tradeoffs to acquire the mere appearance of prestige. Literally and figuratively, the people of Port-a-Lucine go about masked. Once a week, the Duchess Saidra d’Honaire, Darklord of Dementlieu, hosts her Grand Masquerade at the luxuriant D’Honaire Estate, on an island in Lucine Bay. Should an attendee’s mask slip at this ball, or should an intruder be discovered, Duchess Saidra will disintegrate them on the spot. Whether your party is crashing this party or has somehow earned an invitation, stage their dangerous dance on the Original Night variant of Czepeku’s Opulent Ballroom.

Other Battlemaps for Dementlieu

Although Czepeku’s Opulent Ballroom might be the best battlemap for Dementlieu, others are fitting as well:

Grand Cathedral Interior. The Mother of Tears Cathedral, devoted to the goddess Ezra, is the only place in Dementlieu where status doesn’t matter. Here, all are equally wretched and equally deserving of sympathy. Set your player’s visit in the Original Moonlight variant of Czepeku’s Grand Cathedral Interior.
Drow Manor. The Red Widow Theater is Port-a-Lucine’s most risqué–and riskiest–cabaret. While the entertainment has no equal in Dementlieu, shapeshifting predators prowl the establishment for prey. Your party’s first visit might be their last. Use the Drow Ballroom variant of Czepeku’s Drow Manor for the Red Widow Theater.

River Stronghold

The zombie apocalypse has come for the realm of Falkovnia, whose Darklord, General Vladeska Drakov, has imposed martial law in an attempt to fend off the relentless tide of the walking dead. Her elite soldiers, the Talons, maintain a brutal order, impaling dissenters and deserters on the battlements of Lekar, the Domain’s remaining city. Flight is not an option for General Drakov, and with no end to the onslaught in sight, her days, and the days of her authoritarian government and all her people, are numbered. Visiting Lekar, your party is sure to be conscripted in its defense against the zombie hordes. Use the Bloody Battle variant of Czepeku’s River Stronghold to stage the siege.

Other Battlemaps for Falkovnia

Although Czepeku’s River Stronghold might be the best battlemap for Falkovnia, others are fitting as well:

Windmill Farm. Its buildings are in ruins, its people in graves, but Morfenzi's fields remain fertile. Here, the scientist Vjorn Horstman, aide to General Drakov, runs a Talon outpost, which oversees farmers brought here from Lekar to feed the beleaguered city. Horstman’s lab is hard at work on new weapons for the war effort, and our heroes would make for the perfect test subjects. Let them try out their new superpowers in the Red Moon Bloody Night variant of Czepeku’s Windmill Farm.
Ruined Courtyard. The survivors of Silbervas take shelter in the city’s ruins, avoiding rival scavengers, the zombie hordes, and the mysterious entity that has taken up residence in Dekovan Palace, which glows eerily by night. What our heroes find there is up to you, but any of this map’s darker variants would work for a dramatic encounter. I’d suggest using Shadow Realm, Flame Crystal, or The Lance, and let the map tell a story that points to the cause of Falkovnia's doom.
Dark Woods Edge. Few who enter Vigila Forest ever emerge from beneath its black trees again. Even the undead fear this haunted wood–perhaps some clue to their destruction lies within? Use the Fireflies variant of Czepeku’s Dark Woods Edge for players foolish enough to brave Vigila Forest.

Alchemy District

In Hazlan, experimentation runs amok, unchecked by environmental consciousness, political constraint, or moral consideration. The monstrous inventions of the wizard Hazlik and his apprentices pollute land, water, and sky, and the common folk are little more than victims of the Darklord’s power, paranoia, and greed. Over the warped swampland of the Brew sits the mining village of Ramulai. Its alchemical industry poisons the people, chokes the air in smog, and regularly sets the Burning River aflame. Use the Smog variant of Czepeku’s Alchemy District for the party’s visit to this miserable settlement.

Other Battlemaps for Hazlan

Although Czepeku’s Alchemy District might be the best battlemap for Hazlan, others are fitting as well:

Alchemy Dungeon. Many are the laboratories of Sly-Var, home to the wizards who seek the Darklord’s favor. These unscrupulous inventors have no qualms about abducting commoners for use in their experiments. Should your party become the wizards’ victims–or be tasked with rescuing them–use the Original variant of Czepeku’s Alchemy Dungeon for their escape attempt.
Salt Plains Observatory. The red towers of Hazlik’s palace, Veneficus, soar above Red Rise mesa. It’s rare for the Darklord to keep company, and rarer still for that company to ever leave. If your players have an audience with Hazlik or seek to defeat him, use the Ruby Palace variant of Czepeku’s Salt Plains Observatory for their meeting.

Ages of the Vale: Tavern

In Kartakass, all the world's a stage, and every living thing is a player. Here, people, birds, and even trees are engaged in a cutthroat competition for notice, admiration, and praise. Undying fame is the goal, reality is nothing more than an act, and boredom is a fate worse than death. Death itself is no stranger to Kartakass: hungry wolves roam the forests between the settlements, travelers turn up with broken necks beneath the eerie trees of Wildersung Wood, and werewolves hunt by the light of the full moon. Skald, the largest town in Kartakass, is home to the Old Kartakan Inn and Taverna, where performers entertain the audience nightly in hopes of impressing its charming proprietor, Harkon Lukas, the loup garou Darklord of the Domain. Those who become Harkon’s protégés are quick to find artistic success and fame, and just as quick to earn his jealousy. Use the Indoors Stage Night variant of Czepeku’s Ages of the Vale: Tavern for the Old Kartakan.

Experimental Surgery Theater

Lamordia is a frigid domain of gelid estuaries and windswept islands. Miners unearth strange ores from the snowcapped mountains of the Sleeping Beast, icebreaker steamships ply the icy Sea of Secrets, and the scientists of Ludendorf University deal in cadaverous research. Lamordia’s Darklord, Dr. Viktra Mordenheim, is a sociopathic genius whose experiments in the medium of flesh have given rise to one wandering immortal and a host of horrid creations. When not bogged down by the distractions of lesser minds or hunting for her masterpiece across the frozen wastes, Dr. Mordenheim operates out of her laboratory in Schloss Mordenheim. Use the Floor 2 Blackboard Experiment variant of Czepeku’s Experimental Surgery Theater, should your party come to confront Dr. Viktra Mordenheim, or participate–voluntarily or not–in her clinical trials.

Other Battlemaps for Lamordia

Although Czepeku’s Experimental Surgery Theatre might be the best battlemap for Lamordia, others are fitting as well:

Iron Wharf. While I recommend the Night Lights variant, earlier in this article, for the port of Martira Bay in Darkon, the Rain variant of Czepeku’s Iron Wharf has the right foul-weather steampunk vibe for the docks of Ludendorf.
Steam Factory. The walled mining town of Neufurchtenburg sits at the foot of the Sleeping Beast mountains. The town's refineries process radioactive minerals not found anywhere else in Ravenloft, often with catastrophic results. Use the Original or Overheated variants of Czepeku’s Steam Factory for such a refinery.
Annis Hag Lair. The indigenous people of Lamordia hold that the Sleeping Beast mountains are named as they are for a reason and have warned the miners that by extracting the beast’s bones and blood, they risk its apocalyptic awakening. If your party ventures across this range, set their journey in the Frost variant of the Annis Hag Lair.
Island Fort. Lamordia’s Darklord is not its leader. That dubious honor falls to Baron Rudolph von Aubrecker, who nearly perished in a shipwreck but was saved by Dr. Mordenheim. The doctor extracted Baron von Aubrecker’s brain and placed it in a jar, but the Baron is unhappy with the means of his salvation. From his island castle of Schloss Aubrecker, Baron von Aubrecker seeks to rebuild his body–and exact his revenge on Dr. Mordenheim. If your party visits the Baron–to aid him against Dr. Mordenheim, or vice versa–you can use the Snow Roof variant of Czepeku’s Island Fort for his home.

Grand Hunter’s House

Mordent is a realm haunted by the terrifying ghosts of previous generations, and beholden to their outdated ideals and unreasonable demands. The ghostly Darklord of this realm, Lord Wilfred Godefroy, is haunted by all the ghosts of this realm: from the wife and daughter he slew, to the people killed by his attempts to lay his own soul to rest, to each new being who meets the end of their life in Mordent.

In the House on Gryphon Hill, just outside of Mordentshire, Lord Godefroy keeps to his own floor, avoiding the ghosts of his family members, terrorizing his spectral dogs and servants, and trying in vain to rebuild the Apparatus, the alchemical device that first damned Mordent, causing the Mists of Ravenloft to rise up and claim it. The Haunted variants of Czepeku’s Grand Hunter’s House make for a great House on Gryphon Hill: the Upper Floor variant can be the domain of Estelle and Lila, the Ground Floor that of the miserable Darklord himself, and the Basement from Below the site of the terrible Apparatus.

Other Battlemaps for Mordent

Although Czepeku’s Grand Hunter’s House might be the best battlemap for Mordent, others are fitting as well:

City Streets. The legendary doctor Rudolph van Richten, when not hunting monsters, works out of an herbalist shop in Mordentshire. If the party seeks the doctor's advice or is in the market for herbal tinctures, use the Apothecary Ground Floor variant of Czepeku’s City Streets for van Richten’s shop.
Plague Hospital. The Ulmist Inquisition operates in Mordent as well, with another cell in Mordentshire’s Saulbridge Sanitarium. Use the Night variant of Czepeku’s Plague Hospital for their headquarters.

Village Farmhouse

On its surface, Tepest appears to be a realm of peace and plenty, a pastoral idyll of bountiful harvests and smiling farmers. In truth, however, the villagers of Viktal–Tepest's last settlement live under the constant surveillance of the green hag, Mother Lorinda. Her faithful, the Mother’s Minders, pluck out their left eyes to allow the hag to see through their empty sockets. Four times a year, on the solstices and equinoxes, Tepest offers up a single mortal–preferably a drifter, a stranger just passing through (a PC, perhaps?)–to the Darklord. Mother Lorinda feeds this unfortunate victim to her “daughter,” Laoirse (all her creations are named Laoirse, and none of them last very long). For this grisly homage to Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” I recommend the Village Day variant of Czepeku’s Village Farmhouse. Look how serene it seems! Surely nothing bad could happen here.

Another Battlemap for Tepest

Although Czepeku’s Village Farmhouse might be the best battlemap for Tepest, another is fitting as well:

Serene Lakeside. Beyond Viktal, past the woods where the Gurgyl roams, at the foot of the cave-pocked, fey-haunted Mount Arak, lies the valley of the Lost Court. On the shores of Lake Lenore, Nobody’s Inn provides shelter from the darkness and the things that lurk within it. Use the Original Night variant of Czepeku’s Serene Lakeside for this inn, whose skeletal innkeeper, Bryonna, is sure to welcome your PCs with a toothy grin.

Tropical Island Village

Through the rainforest of Valachan, the Darklord Chakuna hunts, her displacer beast, Yana, at her side. Some full moons, Chakuna chooses 15 contestants and pits them against each other in a Most Dangerous Game. Those competing in the Trial of Hearts must reach one of two shrines in Valachan before the Darklord, her allies, or another competitor tracks them down. One of the few places that defies Chakuna is the village of Shuaran, a small coastal settlement on the outskirts of Valachan. If your party comes here seeking shelter or passage out of the Domain, use the Original Night variant of Czepeku’s Tropical Island Village.

Honorable Mentions

The following maps didn’t make the cut for the Top 10 but are still likely to prove useful for your players’ journeys through the Core of Ravenloft:

Sewer Tunnels. The Gnawing Plague rages through Richemulot, borne by rats obedient to its Darklord, the wererat Jacqueline Renier, who rules this virulent Domain from Chateau Delanuit, her estate on an island in the Musarde river. Beneath the Chateau is the Inverted Court, an underground palace connected to the sewers of Pont-a-Museu. For these sewers, use the Original Night variant of Czepeku’s Sewer Tunnels.
Rebel Camp. Depending on which release of Ravenloft you set your campaign in, Darklord Gabrielle Aderre’s son Malocchio is either a murderous brat who can do no wrong or a murderous rebel in open defiance of his mother. If the latter, you might use the Original Night variant of Czepeku’s Rebel Camp for a battle site in Invidia’s civil war.
Mountaintop Altar. The banshee Tristressa met a grim fate in life atop Mount Lament. Should your party ascend the mountain that looms over the village of Anwrtyn to confront the Darklord of Keening in her lair, you can use the Night Green Shrine variant of Czepeku’s Mountaintop Altar.

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