
These powers can vary far and wide, from exuding poison to immortality or even reality warping. Hence, a player character that becomes a darklord also becomes a NPC, with the player losing control over the character.ĭarklords are often gifted with unnatural powers that go beyond the capabilities of their race or class. However, darklords are villains that prevent them from being run by players. If a Player Character performs enough evil acts, that character may become a darklord.

As such, living outside the Demiplane is no protection for the greatly wicked, as the Demiplane may drawn in new darklords from perpetrators of great evil from the Prime Material Plane. On the other hand, acts of ultimate darkness, deeds so foul they outweigh all other sins, may draw greater attention from the Dark Powers.
#Ravenloft dark lords series
The transgressions that damn a darklord may be successive over time, as following a series of failed Powers Checks along a Path of Corruption if the potential darklord has entered or is native to the Demiplane of Dread. It takes great acts of evil to earn the attentions of the Dark Powers. They are not victims but rather ultimately villains, having at least hypothetically walked the path to damnation of their own choosing.

The great and often unnatural powers, including the connection to their domains, might be considered "rewards" in compensation, but ultimately these boons are miniscule in relation to the personal hells that darklords suffer.ĭarklords are always creatures of great evil, figures for the most part beyond redemption. To go along with their imprisonment, darklords are prevented from ever achieving their ultimate goals. Exceptions, such as Adam do exist.)Įach darklord suffer from his or her own personal curse, crafted to torment through poetic justice. (This is not to say darklords necessarily have temporal rule over their domain, but they are often in positions of political power or other leadership roles. Though imprisoned within, the conditions that bind a darklord to a realm also give the darklord great power over the domain.

A domain usually, but not always, comprises a body of land and/or water considerable enough that it might be considered a small, discrete nation or realm. Each darklord is ultimately imprisoned inside a domain, a prison ultimately reflective of the darklord's personality, nature and crimes. I know that a couple of these (Ebonbane and Von Kharkov) have had adventures written for them in old issues of Dungeon magazine (which I actually enjoyed) and each section includes enough information for a Dungeon Master to use to create an adventure centered on encountering and fighting these evils.In the fictional Ravenloft Campaign setting, a darklord (sometimes referred to as "domain lord") is an nonplayer character whose evil has drawn the attention of the Dark Powers. Many are classical horror story villains (such as vampires, mummies, the headless horseman) and most have some twist on weaknesses, abilities and such to make them a little different than what players might initially think. While they were made for the Ravenloft setting, they could easily be used in most D&D settings (and editions) with some modifications. I know that a couple of these (Ebonbane and Von Kharkov) have had adventures written fo This is a great collection of horror-themed villains. This is a great collection of horror-themed villains.

Their voices are carried by the Mists of Ravenloft, and you have little choice but to answer.ĩ6 pages - Recommended for Levels 5 and up. The shadows are lengthening the air is growing chill. You'll visit their dark domains and tour the horrid sites portrayed in 10 full-page maps. You'll read ghastly tales of their past, and grim accounts of their present. The Headless Horseman, the Phantom Lover, the Vampire Panther - these and other malignant forces await. Some are new to the setting, yet all may seem hauntingly familiar, for they have been lurking at the edge of your nightmares, waiting for the chance to emerge in your campaigns. You'll read gha Within this volume are 16 dark lords and ladies, each a prisoner of Ravenloft. Within this volume are 16 dark lords and ladies, each a prisoner of Ravenloft.
