Ravenloft Expedition Pack: Is it Worth it?

For Neverwinter Ravenloft the devs continue their most recent approach of pre-releasing a “Founder’s Pack” that includes novelties and other incentives that fit the module’s theme. For Module 14 the pack is called “Ravenloft Expedition Pack” and is currently available for the early bird price of [sc name=”zenicon”]7,500. After June 26th it will cost [sc name=”zenicon”]10,000 on the market. That’s a lot, so let’s talk about whether the pack is actually worth the investment.

What’s Included?

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What players get right now is an unique mount, title, and fashion set. While most of the fashion’s and mount’s value is defined by their look, the latter features a good defensive equip bonus (4,000 HP + 1,000 Life Steal) and useful Insignia Bonuses (Artificer’s Persuasion, Magistrate’s Patience, Victim’s Preservation). Additionally there’s five Coalescent Wards, 20 Blood Rubys, and a VIP voucher. Everything except the voucher is unbound and can be sold.

After the launch of Ravenloft, players can claim a second pack that contains campaign currency, a companion that increases drop rates of campaign currency, and 20 Enchanted Keys. The keys were not included in the Expedition Leader Pack of Mod 13 and are obviously a nice addition. Also included are items related to the new Ravenloft expansion. Players get five random Tarokka cards, item level 490 armor and ammunition for a new buff device called “Vampire Hunter Kit”.

Value in Astral Diamonds

As we’ve done with the Expedition Leader Pack let’s quickly go through the included items and estimate their worth. Please note that AD prices are as of the time of this writing on PC. So things can differ later and depending on the platform you play on. Where I had to guesstimate I largely looked what comparable items in the Expedition Leader Pack were going for.

  • Decaying Stag: [sc name=”astralicon”]300,000 ([sc name=”zenicon”]600)
  • Fashion: [sc name=”astralicon”]100,000 ([sc name=”zenicon”]200)
  • 5x Coalescent Ward: [sc name=”zenicon”]5,000
  • Blood Rubys: [sc name=”astralicon”]200,000 ([sc name=”zenicon”]400)
  • 30 Days of VIP: [sc name=”zenicon”]1,000
  • 20 Enchanted Keys: [sc name=”zenicon”]2,250
  • Vistani Wanderer: [sc name=”zenicon”]2,500

These items already add up to [sc name=”zenicon”]11,950 , more than the price tag of the pack. Even considering that you usually buy most stuff on the ZEN Market with at least a 15% discount you get nice value out of the pack. So reselling everything should get you your investment back while still retaining some items from the “Hunter’s Survival Kit”, like the head start currency. This makes the set a decent purchase, especially for the early bird discount of [sc name=”zenicon”]7,500.

Value in Gameplay

Of course not everyone just wants to buy the pack to sell most of it again. So the other thing you can look at is gameplay benefits. As said the Decaying Stag’s and Highwayman’s Fashion value depends on whether you like the look and will use it. I personally think it is decent, so it’s definitely a plus for me. Also the equip bonus of the stag is indeed serviceable. The Enchanted Keys are obviously a nice addition compared to the M13 pack and most players should find value in them. The same applies to the Wards and Blood Rubies, although refining points are no longer as much of an issue in the progression. Unfortunately the Vistani Wanderer’s main selling point is its Active Bonus. Otherwise the companion doesn’t offer much and won’t likely find its way into main loadouts.

I also don’t know what to make out of the stuff in the Hunter’s Survival Kit. The Ghost Armor Set is item level 490 and should merely be salvage for most players unless you like it as transmute. Same applies to the vampire ammunition and Tarokka cards, which are nice, but merely a little gimmick to start you off in the new module. Overall in terms of gameplay the set is decent, but in my opinion doesn’t fully justify its price tag.

Value as Head Start and Novelties

Which brings us to our last bullet point, the currency and novelties. While the 500 Barovian Coins are not major, the 100 Omens are a full week of campaign progression and definitely a true “head start”. It’s not that you actually need it however. The campaign is easy to complete and getting into Castle Ravenloft a week earlier doesn’t come with as many benefits either. This also makes the Vistani Wanderer a less useful companion than previous campaign pets.

I personally am not too much into looks, but sporting your new fashion on an undead stag with an unique title definitely makes sure you start off the mod in style! What I do miss with these “Founder’s Packs” is that one intriguing thing that really makes you “ok, so THIS is cool”. I can’t even describe what it could be, but I think it would help if the devs introduced something completely new with each pack. Something in the lines of a Doohickey or Poking Stick or whatever. While writing the piece I also thought that not just the ammunition, but the whole “Vampire Hunter Kit” could have fit the pack nicely. Currently players get it for free and can use its powers for some buffing in Ravenloft, but it’s not as game-breaking to rule it out as a premium item.

Conclusion

Just like the Expedition Leader Pack, the M14 pack give you equal value in ADs especially when bought for the early bird discount. You’re getting a head start, unique items, and limited gameplay value. So you can pretty much safely buy it, and simply sell the stuff you don’t like or need. This makes the pack a decent “investment”, but if you’re mainly looking for swag or intriguing (even pay-2-win) items that you can’t get anywhere else, this one might not be for you. It’s more of a useful bundle than a true “Founder’s Pack”.


What are your impressions? Will you buy the Ravenloft Expedition Pack or are you staying away? Share your thoughts on our social channels, in the comments below, or visit the corresponding thread on our message board!

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j0Shi

j0Shi plays the Neverwinter MMORPG since the open BETA in 2013 and is a regular contributor to the blog and the whole UN:Project. Originally a Guardian Fighter, he has built up ALTs of all classes and plays on BIS/near-BIS level.

6 thoughts on “Ravenloft Expedition Pack: Is it Worth it?

  • June 15, 2018 at 7:17 am
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    You should add, that you can even get it for 5000 zen if you use one of the 50% vouchers.

    • June 15, 2018 at 7:58 am
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      True, but that’s temporary circumstances and doesn’t really fit a general guide on the pack. We’ll have that hint in our Weekender that is more suited to deal with currently ongoing stuff and events. Cheers!

  • June 15, 2018 at 7:45 am
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    You can buy this pack for 5k zen with 50% discount from Protectors bounty 😀

  • June 16, 2018 at 1:10 pm
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    Alot of your prices are high. Blood rubies have not sold for more than about 5 to 8k AD in a while, and probably will continue to trend down as a result of deflation caused by AD refine nerf and the evergrowing supply of rp on the market. The Stag is selling for less than 200k AD at the moment.

    • June 17, 2018 at 1:52 am
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      Thanks for the hints! Stag should sell for more later on. Blood Rubies as well, it’s x2 Enchants. These things are minor in my book and doesn’t affect the outlook a lot. Is there something else that’s inaccurate?

  • July 16, 2018 at 6:19 pm
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    I found it disappointing compared to the old packs like Knight of the Feywild where mount and companion were account wide. For the price this feels like a money grab.

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