When I was younger and just getting into D&D (2E), the Ravenloft Campaign setting was one of my first obsessions in the game. Being a horror-obsessed person , the Domain of Dread’s gothic horror vibe drew me in from the moment, I saw Strahd on the cover of that fog covered box set, and from that moment on I grabbed every bit of Ravenloft I could get. From modules that went through the Grand Conjunction (think an apocalypse that split all the domains) to the original I6 Ravenloft, which I upgraded to 2nd edition by hand. I also read the line of books including the 2 I, Strahd novels (Did anyone else play that PS1 Ravenloft fighting game?).
Then at some point I fell out of tabletop games in general, and didn’t even think about D&D until Fifth Edition hit. Of course, I wanted my beloved Ravenloft (and Planescape) to return to the game, and in 2016, we sort of got that with the Curse of Strahd. Curse of Strahd for those not in the know is not an update of the Ravenloft campaign setting, unfortunately, we are still waiting on that. But it does bring players into the Demiplane of Dread, in Strahd’s realm of Barovia to explore the realm in depth, in an attempt to take down the endless entity Strahd von Zarovich.
Now, Wizards of the Coast has begun updating some of the earlier 5e modules such as 201’s Tyranny of Dragons which combines the first 2 5E modules Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat into one volume. This book fixes some minor things about Curse of Strahd (mostly the long-standing issues with the Vistani). However, the box set is amazingly substantial. It contains a very nice replica Tarokka deck, a DM’s screen made exclusive for Curse of Strahd alongside, the reprinted book, maps, a creatures of horror book, and themed post-cards to send to your party/friends inviting them to the game.
The adventure itself is sandbox in-flow, so there is some set structure, but the early Tarokka reading sets the flow of the game. That means that some sections might be too powerful for players to visit early on or be too easy for players later, but it does show the true dark heart of Barovia, and the wicked evil of Strahd throughout.
I would have preferred if Curse of Strahd Revamped came as part of a re-released Ravenloft – Fifth Edition, but this box set sure makes it appealing to run Curse of Strahd again (once this is all over) with all the new accessories in tow. This set comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.