These Feats Could Have Been Better... | Ravenloft: The Horrors Within | 5.5E D&D

My Patreon:   / comradewarners   Dark Gift Feats in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within – Why I Am Disappointed The new Dark Gift feats are finally here, and after reading through all nine of them, I have to say – I am not a fan. These are supposed to be sinister bargains with terrible prices, but what we got are underwhelming origin feats with drawbacks that barely matter. In this video, I break down every Dark Gift from the full release of Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, including Aberrant Anatomy, Echoing Soul, Gathered Whispers, Living Shadow, Mist Walker, Second Skin, Symbiotic Being, Touch of Death, and Watchers. I also cover the two new origin feats, Sharp Eye and Survivor, and explain how these feats interact with the Haunted One, Investigator, Mist Wanderer, and Spirit Medium backgrounds. The problems? Most of the benefits are tiny – holding your breath for an hour, a cantrip or two, a few feet of Blindsight, or a once‑per‑day free casting of a low level spell. The supposed “terrible prices” are almost all the same: when you roll a natural 1 on a d20 test, make a save or suffer a mild condition like Stunned, Incapacitated, or Deafened for one turn. That is not a terrible price. That is an inconvenience. And here is the real kicker – a halfling can reroll ones, essentially ignoring the drawback entirely. A fighter with constitution saving throw proficiency can build around it. Where is the risk? Where is the high‑reward, high‑stakes bargain that makes a horror campaign memorable? I compare each Dark Gift to its original version from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. Some of those older versions had random tables, actual benefits that mattered, and drawbacks that felt meaningful. The new versions feel watered down and safe. If you were hoping for feats that tempt you with real power at a real cost – the kind of bargain that makes you question if it was worth it – you might be as let down as I am. Watch the full breakdown and let me know in the comments if you agree or if you think I am being too harsh. Subscribe for more honest 5.5E D&D content. Peace. ========================================= Socials: Patreon:   / comradewarners   Discord: https:   / discord   Twitch:   / comradewarners   Twitter:   / comradewarners   TikTok:   / comradewarners   Instagram:   / comradewarners   ========================================= Please Note: Some of the Links shared are affiliate links. This just means at ZERO cost to you, if you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. 0:00 - Intro 0:23 - Brief Background Summary 1:21 - Sharp Eye (Origin Feat) 3:07 - Survivor (Origin Feat) 4:16 - Dark Gifts Explained 6:36 - Aberrant Anatomy (Dark Gift Feat) 10:46 - Echoing Soul (Dark Gift Feat) 13:46 - Gathered Whispers (Dark Gift Feat) 16:31 - Living Shadow (Dark Gift Feat) 20:02 - Mist Walker (Dark Gift Feat) 24:18 - Second Skin (Dark Gift Feat) 26:53 - Symbiotic Being (Dark Gift Feat) 30:55 - Touch of Death (Dark Gift Feat) 34:28 - Watchers (Dark Gift Feat)