Darklords question

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

zombiegleemax

Jun 20, 2004 4:39:12
Hi to all!
I've an old question about the darklords in ravenloft.
All the darklords in the core can be defeat only if the heroes know the real weakness or we have some darklords that can be defeat in melee combat (ex. tyet must eat her heart to die)?
#2

MidwayHaven

Jun 20, 2004 7:40:34
It really depends. Most darklords can indeed in some way be defeated in melee combat, but the Dark Powers always seem to revive them in some later time.
#3

zombiegleemax

Jun 22, 2004 17:43:45
Unless there is some "special deal" as mentioned with Tiyet, Harkon and Tristan ap Blanc I would assume that most Darklords could be killed in combat with PCs. Its generally up to the DM to make sure (1) this doesn't happen or (2) only happens as partt of the overarching plotline.

Certain other DLs are of such vital importance to the Core (like Strahd) that it seems likely to me that the mists would carry them away if the PCs somehow gained the upper hand and were about to deliver the killing blow. There was a pretty good module in an old dungeon magazine that included the possibility of killing the DL of Valachon. It dealt a little bit about the possible aftermath of such an event.

My two coppers.

-Eric Gorman
#4

zombiegleemax

Jun 23, 2004 7:24:52
Thanks for the reply Hvf.
You have talk about some weakness of the darklords Harkon and Tristen, but i don't rember anything about that.
Wich modules talk about a "trick" to kill them?
I have the expansion "darklords" but there's anything about Harkon Lukas and Tristen Apblanc (but mention how to kill the three hags, Urik von Kharkov and Stezen d'Polarno).
#5

malus_black

Jun 23, 2004 11:09:44
Originally posted by Meredoth
You have talk about some weakness of the darklords Harkon and Tristen, but i don't rember anything about that.

If Lukas dies, his soul is transferred to the nearest dire wolf in Kartakass, whose spirit is destroyed and replaced with Lukas'. So the only way to kill him is to first kill every dire wolf in Kartakass.

Tristen ApBlanc, if killed in vampyre form, rises as a ghost immediately, and can then take over another body by using his malevolence ability. If he is slain in his ghost form, he returns to his body in the morning. I suppose that you have to first kill him as a ghost and then destroy his body before the morning to truly kill him.

Originally posted by Meredoth
Which modules talk about a "trick" to kill them?

Not sure about modules (although I suppose ApBlanc's weakness is mentioned in Castles Forlorn), but Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume 1 is your best source for everything in the southern parts of the Core.
#6

zombiegleemax

Jun 23, 2004 12:19:40
Thanks for the infos Malus Black!
#7

zombiegleemax

Jun 23, 2004 12:56:45
Strahd can't be killed... its not that the land resurrects him... it just that it won't let him die... and as a powerful spellcaster Strahd has a LOT of contingency spells on him. When the conditions are meet he teleports himself to s secure location outside his castle.

Against Sunlight, When you are almost killing him, etc etc etc... the guy plans for everything... and first you have to confront him in battle... a difficult proposal with all his minions, magic, and plans.

Montalve
#8

zombiegleemax

Jun 23, 2004 12:58:22
And no... most darklards need an specific condition or are not easily accesible.

Remember please... Ravenloft its not about combat... no player can survive there in constant combat... its about investigation, roleplaying and horrible discoveries that would make him crazy if he doesn't takes care.

Montalve
#9

zombiegleemax

Jun 23, 2004 13:46:38
Yes, i konw what you mean Aernestus i hate powerplayer and i love investigation and mystery.
I'va made this question only for satisfy my curiosity.
#10

bluebomber4evr

Jun 23, 2004 22:22:30
Some other darklords have ways of coming back, too

-Hazlik If Hazlik dies, his lifeforce retreats into a yellow gemstone he wears. Only very powerful magic can destroy this stone. Anyone who subsequently touches this gem must make a will save or be compelled to wear it. Each night, the wearer of the pendant dreams of battling Hazlik. If Hazlik wins this dream battle, the wearer dies and Hazlik's lifeforce invades the body. Within a month, the body transforms into Hazlik's, and he is completely reborn. (Source: Domains of Dread, pgs 68-69)

-Sir Hiregaar/Malken If Hiregaard is ever killed, his curse will attach itself to his oldest son, Yorgi. A new "Malken" will be born and his first act will be to kill Yorgi's wife. If Yorgi dies, the curse will be transferred to Sasha, then Myar, and finally little Mikhail. Should all the brothers be slain, the curse will transer itself to Sasha's 25-year old son. (DoD, pg 71)

-Adam and Dr. Mordenheim Both Adam and his creator can regenerate from the smallest piece of flesh, and neither can die unless the other dies. If Mordenheim's body disintegrates completely, his spirit will seek out the fresh corpse of another human male. Within a week, the new body will change to look just like Dr. Mordenheim. (DoD, pg 31) Adam's spirit will transfer to one of his flesh golem creations. (Gaz 2, pg 157)

-Jacqueline Renier If wounded to the point of death, she automatically assumes gaseous form and flees (this is a special power granted to her as a darklord and is not normal for wererats). Jacqueline regains 1 hp per day while in this form. She remains gaseous until her total hit points rise above zero once more. (DoD, pg 48)

-Lord Soth, when he was still a darklord, would turn to mist and dissipate when slain, only to reform 2-6 days later on his throne in Nedragaard Keep. (DoD, pg 51)

-Pieter van Riese can only be destroyed if his ghost ship is destroyed as well (no easy task as it has already sunk once) (DoD, pg 74)

-Easan the Mad is immortal. His body regenerates all injuries (including disintegration) within two weeks of his death. (DoD, pg 82)

-Tsien Chiang will reform in three rounds after her death, with full hit points and spells rememorized, unless all four bells in her domain are destroyed (again, no easy task) (DoD, pg89)

-Maligno can be repaired by other carrionettes or his creator, Giuseppe. If reduced to 0 hp, he is unable to move but can still talk and use his magical abilities. If reduced to -10 hp or burned to a cinder, he is "dead" but not destroyed; Giuseppe can still build a new body for him, using the ashes to infuse Maligno's spirit into it. It is unknown if Maligno can be completely destroyed. (DoD, pg95)

-Anton Misroi is virtually impossible to kill. He can step into a tree or sink into the swamp and regenerate to full hit points immediately, and since he cannot leave the confines of the swamp it is impossible to draw him away from it. (DoD, pg98)

-Gregor Zolnik will vanish if he dies in human form, taking his wolf pelt with him. Within 1-6 hours later he will reappear in the cave where he once hid his pelt. If he dies in wolf form, he will reappear in the cave 24 hours later. He has survived death in both forms and has no fear of dying. (DoD, pg100)

-Diamabel His body will immolate itself on death, and the ashes will spread all across his domain, No matter how they may be scattered or contained, in one month he will reconstitute completely. (DoD, pg107)

-Tiyet will crumble into a pile of glittering sand if destroyed, only to reform a month later. (DoD, pg110)

-Kas the Destroyer if he still resides in the demiplane, will reform within 100 days of his destruction. (DoD, pg117)

-Davion the Mad can only be killed if all four of his personalities are destroyed. Otherwise, any killed personality will reappear within four days. (DoD, pg123)

-Lemot Sediam Juste will melt into the wood of his theatre when slain and arise again the following day. He can only be killed permanently if the theatre is burned during the rejuvenating period. (DoD, pg130)

-Ebonbane can only be destroyed by assembling four elemental keys withing Shadowborn Manor and using them against the living sword. (Darklords, pg33)

-The Three Hags appear dead if reduced to 0 hp. If one sister survives, she can recreate the others by placing any shred or particle of their bodies in their cauldron of regeneration. The lost sisters reform within a day. If a hag cannot be recreated this way, it is likely one of her children will take her place. (Darklords, pg43)

-The House of Lament will only be destroyed if it absorbs the reincarnation (or a reasonable facsimilie) of Mara's lost love. (Darklords, pg52)

-The Phantom Lover can never be truly destroyed, as long as there are sorrows and grief of immense proportion, he will return to the realm of the innocent, seeking out a new victim. (Darklords, pg73)

-Draga Salt-Biter His essence divides and projects itself into all the sharks in his domain when he is killed. The sharks then enter into a frenzy, attacking and killing each other. Each shark that dies gives its part of Draga's essence to the shark that killed it. The last shark left alive will have all of Draga's essence and it will become his new body. If he is killed again and there are no more sharks in his domain, he will be permanently dead. Draga will usually hide until more sharks enter the domain, which usually takes about a week. (Islands of Terror, pg 48)

-Torrence Bleysmith can only be permanently destroyed if 1) someone claims the western half of his domain in the name of the Bleysmiths, and 2) That same person (or persons) then finds Torrence's skeleton (which is well-hidden) and gives it a proper burial. (Islands of Terror, pg 81)

-Death will crumble and lose its material form upon reaching 0 hp. It will take 5 12th level necromancers 2-4 weeks to perform a painstaking ritual to restore Death's material form. (Gaz 2, pg 139)

-Azalin will transfer his essence into his phylactery upon destruction, and can intill his essence into any corpse to regain a material form. It is possible to destroy him permanently by destroying his phylactery, but it is incredibly durable and difficult to damage, not to mention well-protected. (Gaz 2, pg 137, as well as the adventure module From the Shadows)

-Arijani is rumored to be vulnerable to the crossbow bolt Ravana's Bane, which he himself used to slay his father's avatar. This theory has not been tested, however, as the bolt is lost to legend. Furthermore, he is immune to any attacks by natives of his domain or by other rakshasa. (Web of Illusion)

The Illithid God-Brain and Gwydion are apparently idestructible. Strahd von Zarovich and Harkon Lukas were already covered in previous posts. Any darklord not mentioned hear has no means of escaping death mentioned in any products they appear in.
#11

zombiegleemax

Jun 24, 2004 3:09:32
That's very interesting, but this methods cannot destroy permanently this darklords, but i think that i must wait an other expansion module for the third edition...

P.S.: Who is Gwydion?
#12

malus_black

Jun 24, 2004 3:19:10
Originally posted by Meredoth
P.S.: Who is Gwydion?

Gwydion is the darklord of the Shadow Rift. He's an ancient, godlike being who is responsible for the creation of the Arak (Shadow Fey). He's currently trapped in the Obsidian Gate, a portal to the plane of shadow. For more info, see The Shadow Rift and the upcoming Ravenloft Gazetteer Volume 5.

Originally posted by Bluebomber4evr
-Death will crumble and lose its material form upon reaching 0 hp. It will take 5 12th level necromancers 2-4 weeks to perform a painstaking ritual to restore Death's material form. (Gaz 2, pg 139)

You might also want to mention that Death cannot exist outside the Shroud, and can as such be destroyed by activating the Rift Spanner charged to 200% in the middle of Necropolis.
#13

zombiegleemax

Jun 24, 2004 4:04:58
WOW!!! Very, very, very cool, i like it!
I have to purchase the ravenloft gazetter 5!
#14

zombiegleemax

Jun 24, 2004 4:05:02
WOW!!! Very, very, very cool, i like it!
I have to purchase the ravenloft gazetteer 5!