Table of Contents
Tis not the moment still and dread, when sorcerers use their baleful power; when graves give up their buried dead, to profit by the sanctioned hour. -Matthew Lewis, The Monk
A cleric uses a magical glyph to seal an ancient crypt, trapping the evil within. A necromancer toils in a moonlit graveyard, animating a horde of undead minions. Many characters in Ravenloft possess the power to twist or even shatter the laws of nature for their own ends. Magic allows mortals to control men's minds, smite their foes with supernatural energies, or even grant life to the dead. In short, magic allows mortals to play at being gods.
Spellcasters native to Ravenloft have learned most of the limitations of magic through generations of research. Folklore is likewise filled with warnings against the risks of tampering with the laws of nature, though these superstitions often exaggerate or distort the truth. If a spell effect simply doesn't function in Ravenloft, most spellcasters believe that the effect is inherently impossible. They may even scoff openly at the though that such things may be possible in "other lands".
Spellcasters from other worlds have to learn how magic has been warped through trial and error. If you're playing an "outlander" spellcaster, you may want to skip this section to preserve the mystery and allow yourself to learn magic's secrets along with your character.
Abjuration
These spells would normally return an extraplanar creature to its home plane, but the Dark Powers don't allow such an easy escape from their realm. Instead, abjuration spells transport the creature to a random location within Ravenloft (but not across closed domain borders).
Astral
The Dark Powers severely restrict Ravenloft's connection to other planes. Although astral matter can be drawn into Ravenloft, any spell that would normally project a subject into the Astral Plane automatically fails. However, see "Teleportation".
Closed Domain Borders
No amount of mortal magic can overcome the effects of a closed domain border. However, a creature's natural or extraordinary abilities may render it immune to the effects of a specific border closure.
For example, a creature that has no biological processes, and is thus immune to poison by its very nature, wouldn't be impeded by a poison-based closed border effect.