This game uses a unique approach to Milestone Levelling.
While Adventurers can level up as normal becoming a Dreadlord means your power (and level) is directly tied to how powerful the fear and control you have over the domains of Ravenloft is at any moment.

That’s right – you’re playing RISK in Dungeons and Dragons!

Dreadlords level up by generating fear and defeating other Dreadlords to ‘steal’ their power adding their domain’s territory to your own.

Just like a game of risk it doesn’t matter who first held a domain – what only matters is who has it NOW.

This dynamic comes with a curse… in the event that you fail on your quest or lose territory you too can be Level Drained by succumbing to the fear and horrors you come across on your adventure.

It’s even told that some of the ‘Mist Wanders’ where once powerful Dreadlords who one way or another lost control of their domain and are doomed to wander the wastes as no more then Adventurers with no place to call home.

While at first you may look at yourself and think ‘Ha, I am a God, what do I have to fear?’ the question remains.. what would happen to a Dreadlord who ‘died’ outside of his Domain?

…to date we have yet to learn the Answer, but here’s hoping you don’t get to find out.