I used to like Azalin but I've changed my mind, due to his incredible power.
After looking into the Gazs I have to say I like Death. The fact he's clearly not unstoppable and tormented by this fact is nice. He's confined and limited in resources though he has the power to set plans in motion that would be interesting to say the least.
The picture of a black incorporeal cloak hovering around is nice but even better when you picture an adventurer hitting him with a crossbow bolt or sword only to see in explode into hundreds of black glassy fragments.
He also has the ability to strengthen himself by large amounts and then create spies and loyal minions by giving some of his essense. Which then weakens him.
He is powerful, cunning and tormented by imperfection as he sees his world collapse piece by piece.
Who do you like?
He's just the ultimate Gothic villain to me. And the coolest vampire ever!
But after that (Strahd doesn't really count into these questions;) ) it's Inza. She's just so evil.
I love Dominic D'honaire. He's just a sneaky, underhanded bugger who doesn't need to be an 87th level Archmage to be powerful. Subtlety rocks.
Also, I tend to like Sodo more and more after reading the newly released Shadows of the Knife. Just as underhanded as D'honaire, but with a slight World of Darkness feel with his rivalry against the Hive Queen.
But favorite of all is still good ol' Lukas. So much fun! Such style, such charm, such wit. A beast playing at being a man.
Azalin for grand schemes and power, and despite all his might and the fact he is almsot omnipotent and all-powerful he is still a prisoner and all his power just makes him realizes how powerless he is. The old Socrates paradox, the more you know the more you realize you don't know. And in bonehead's case the more you'll never know.
But Lukas does have style...
Originally posted by Platinumwarlock
Also, I tend to like Sodo more and more after reading the newly released Shadows of the Knife. Just as underhanded as D'honaire, but with a slight World of Darkness feel with his rivalry against the Hive Queen.
After reading SotN, I must agree with you. The scene with Sodo "introducing" himself to the PC's just reeks of awesomeness, with many good DM opportunitites to creep out players abound. For example, turn off the lights and creep around the players while croaking/hissing/whispering Sodo's dialouge.
I see Sodo's popularity rising, and look forward to the upcoming doppleganger/mariketh war.
Originally posted by Cole Deschain
Harkon Lukas- So personable, yet still so capable of EATING YOU.
Harkon Lukas, the Hannibal Lector of Ravenloft.
Originally posted by Coan
Harkon Lukas, the Hannibal Lector of Ravenloft.
I could just see it now....
"Quid pro quo, Gennifer..."
Originally posted by Platinumwarlock
I could just see it now....
"Quid pro quo, Gennifer..."
You know, I was just re-reading the Kartakass Gazetteer last night...
And this is VERY close to the mark.
S comments on how a Harkon Lukas seems to have beeen around for neartly 200 years... Lukas' response? That his reputation "preceeds him a great deal."
I even have tha acotr I'd like to see in the role... Remember the guy who played Hannibal in Manhunter?
tryst
Besides that? My most successfull adventure was with House of Lament.
I started reading Dragonlance at a young age, so Soth will always have a special place in my heart.
In a surprisingly close second though: Arijani. The PCs are "outsiders' who can't really hope to fit in to his domian with all its strange "castes". The Kali "stranglers" and the weretiger rebellion percolate through the cities and the PCs have little means of finding out who's who and what's what. The PCs can be in a bursting city and still be "all alone" with no one to talk to...or explain what's going on and who the players are.
Ankenhotep (sp?), Dominic, Drakov, Gabby, Harkon, Jackie, Malken (possibly the most underused DL in RL) Misroi and the Nightmare Man round out the DLs I think have the most potential for good storries.
The losers? Meredoth and Gwydion. Can someone articulate what Meredoth's actual curse is (besides being a Necromancer with a thing for making lebentod?) Gwydion ranks as a loser on my list because he isn't sympathetic (or even human-like) in any understandable way. Loht would make a much better DL than him IMO.
-Eric Gorman
Originally posted by HvF
The losers? Meredoth and Gwydion. Can someone articulate what Meredoth's actual curse is (besides being a Necromancer with a thing for making lebentod?)
He doesn't have much of a curse as I remember-- but then again, neither did Alfred Timothy when he was first written... I look forward to seeing what the Gazetteers do with him.
Gwydion ranks as a loser on my list because he isn't sympathetic (or even human-like) in any understandable way.
I take it you don't like the God-Brain, either?
They work great for things like that, but as characters other like Soth, Strahd, and the like are so much better.
off topic:
Just bought Hour of the Knife and Sodo seems intresting, but now Paridon is over that hive domain, wich I think was a waste of a good renesance city. Plus I'd figure the Dopplegangner would fight the Markith (spl?).
That'll answer your questions about Marikith vs. Dopplegangers and the like.
As to the Darklord question, I've gotta vote for Dominic, and probably Anton Misroi as well. I just love charming, genteel, unspeakably monstrous villains; the fact that D'Honaire's just a human also is nice. (I like Drakov a bit for that reason, too.)
Things like the Godbrain are excellent in their own way, but Godbrain and Gwydion don't really fall into quite the same category of villain as most of the DLs; if anyone can really claim to have gotten immense enjoyment out of roleplaying Gwydion in a conversation with PCs, I'd love to hear about it....
Originally posted by Scipio
My fave is, and will always be, Soth. I know he's not the canon darklord anymore but, as you all know, I don't care for Inza.
You might want to take a look at her darklord write-up in the upcoming Gaz. She's developed and detailed there in ways I didn't have opportunity to do at the end of Spectre of the Black Rose.
Cheers,
Jim Lowder
Originally posted by Scipio
I've actually been looking forward to seeing her write-up, although I don't think that it'll really change my mind on the whole thing. We'll see when the gaz comes out. (I really feel that Soth was just more sympathetic of a darklord. He's the only dl I ever really felt sorry for.)
Ah, OK. Inza certainly isn't meant to be sympathetic in the same way Soth was to some players and readers, apart from being very much like Soth in her defiant adherence to the path she's chosen.
Cheers,
Jim Lowder
Harkon was before him, though.
I just love the idea of a Thayan wizard in Ravenloft. I knew a lot about Forgotten Realms before I played Ravenloft so it really intrigued me to discover a Red Wizard being a darklord.
After that, Azalin. Reasons? All I need is the Kargat. ^_^
And third, Harkon Lukas. A great man who might let you live if you sit down and have a drink with him.
Originally posted by Brandi
He doesn't have much of a curse as I remember-- but then again, neither did Alfred Timothy when he was first written... I look forward to seeing what the Gazetteers do with him.
I take it you don't like the God-Brain, either?
Actually I do like the God Brain...though I'm much happier with Bluetspur a a floating Island away from the core. In my mind everything having to do with the GB is warped and inhuman. The Illithid society under the God Brain is like CoC "light".
Despite the Shadow Fey being non-human their world is essentially human-like. Gwydion & the shadow fey, though alien don't seem beyond comprehension...or (with Gwydion locked up) beyond some kind of political raproachment. (IE. don't kidnap our people) In contrast the Illithid *NEED* to eat brains to stay alive...pity the poor diplomat sent to make peace. =)
-Eric Gorman
Anyway, MY choces are Strahd (aggree with him not bieng CE. I'd peg him as kinda between LE and NE though) and Pharoh Anhktepot for the self inflicted tradgedy angle, and Harkon Lukas for style.
Never really was too hot on Azilin. Also he was always a bit too active. Come on, cant we have someone else nearly destroy the Demiplane for a change?
So after taking him out of the running I would say that Lord Soth is my favorite dark lord. I also have to mention that I only really have experience with the graphic novels , have read almost all of them.
As a side note I always wished that they would have allowed Morgoth from the tapestry of dark souls book to become a darklord , would have been cool to have him trapped in the cloth still and let the cloth move around the domains , with only letting the inhabitants exit the cloth at certain cycles of the moon. Thus making him master of the cloth and all the monsters that inhabit it. Morgoth could then be used in high level encounters to be a fun opposing force for any other domain lord.
These guys were great. They could strike whomever they wanted whereever they wanted. They were probably the coolest idea 2e RL had. I'd love to see these guys redone for 3e.
Definately the best ever!!!
Reasons: 1) He's got so much style.
2) He's in Vampire of the Mists (fave RL book).
3) He's in I6 (My favourite module)
Strikes a chord within my frozen, shrivelled heart...
Honorable mentions go to Harkon Lukas (cheerful evil is so fun!), Godefrey (I never thought I'd type that in 2e), and Soth (I'm a Dragonlance fangirl). I also like Dominiani and Juste for their glorious mindgames.
D'Polarno is a volatile individual of impeccable authority, yet his deviant nature, and unnatural mood swings make him an uncertainty in the company of any. Stezen can be one minute relaxed and good-humoured, the next expressionless, cold and sincere, grey and tasteless. He is a treacherous lord indeed, in many respects more dangerous than one at first might think.
Misroi is dark and mysterious, something of an enigma; brilliantly portrayed in Dance of the Dead. You sense he has power. Great power indeed. Not that that in any way makes him a good darklord, but I think things were done well with his creation: his location, his being a lord of the zombies, and his aura of mystery.
Lemot Juste, says i.
Originally posted by lordsathien
Having a flair for out of combat but still evil to the core characters, i gotta give cred to Juste.
I agree with this, of all the non-"combat capable" darklords Juste is the best.
Originally posted by Sylvain
My favorite has always been Azalin, because he knows more about Ravenloft than anyone - a true scholar, real intelligent, and he has a personal vendetta against the Dark Powers. Many darklords (like Vlad Drakov) don't even know that they're trapped.
Azalin is also my favorite for the same reason, he sees the strings of the puppet masters. Even intelligent darklords like strahd have the habit of making the same mistake over and over (I mean how many times does strahd have to fail before he realizes that he will never have tatayana's love). Azalin understands whats going on like none of the other darklords did (with the exception of vecna, who proved the dark powers aren't omniscient). Especially now that he seems to have given up his standard try to escape from prison routine he does every couple of years or so.
On a side note it seems to me that the best way for a darklord to escape is to ignore the dark powers and the prison, I think nathan timothy and lord soth can attest to the advantages of that.
Originally posted by frandelgearslip
Azalin is also my favorite for the same reason, he sees the strings of the puppet masters. Even intelligent darklords like strahd have the habit of making the same mistake over and over (I mean how many times does strahd have to fail before he realizes that he will never have tatayana's love). Azalin understands whats going on like none of the other darklords did (with the exception of Vecna, who proved the dark powers aren't omniscient). .
I think that the DP knew what Vecna was upto, they merely allowed what he did to happen.
Seriously I would have to say Strahd and SoTH, they have so much stile, and they aren't THAT psycotic.
Strangely enough I also like Tristianna (the dark fey) the cleric.
She is a so tragic figure, just like the other two.
btw, is she still a canon darklord???
Originally posted by Drinnik Shoehorn
I think that the DP knew what Vecna was upto, they merely allowed what he did to happen.
This is a huge discussion, but I'll respond. In canon vecna got the best of the dark powers. As the adventure tells it he made it look like he was rehashing the plot from the previous vecna adventure (whatever it was called), but instead he used iuz to gain enough power to escape ravenloft and enter sigil, the adventure even implies that the only reason he did not destroy ravenloft then was that he had more important things to do like destroying the multiverse and remaking it in his image. Also he had help from asmodues who according to 2nd edition planescape canon was one of the original beings of the universe.
Not only did venca gain enough power to escape ravenloft he gained enough power to force entry into sigil which is even harder to do. The dark powers deal with mortals (and one demigod who they couldn't keep) while the lady of pain of sigil deals with greater gods, archdevils, archangels, and uber dieties.
I just don't think the dark powers are the most powerful beings in the multiverse
5) Soth; For the way in which the lands torment him, his undying days will always be in my Ravenloft setting. What a sad way for a great warrior to finish out his evil existence! What could possibly compel him to action? (Perhaps a war of the Core against Drakov's forces, eh? Anyway, to hell with canon and his creator's pettiness.
4) The House of Lament; What an innovative DM can do with this place is remarkable. Amityville Horror redux.
3) Harkon Lukas; Yes, all the above reasons, and he's just so damn fun to NPC! And let's not forget, he was the first Darklord most of us got to play in 2nd edition (with Feast of Goblyns) so the nostalgia factor is high.
2) Azalin; As a lich, he's pretty boring. But as a wizard-king and schemer, he's fantastic. Playing up the impotence of his situation makes him even more fascinating, and the Kargat are a nice supporting group to define.
1) The most memorable villain in the history of D &D, the Devil Strahd Von Zarovich. Twenty-two years later and still going strong thanks to a richly textured history, endless plot potential, well developed statistics and abilities, and the most legendary stronghold ever designed for the game both in challenge and in layout. The guy had a CAMPAIGN SETTING created for him. Find me another one of those.
'Nuff said... but not.... ENOUGH DEAD!!!
BWAH HAH HAH HAH HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Originally posted by Platinumwarlock
I could just see it now....
"Quid pro quo, Gennifer..."
:heehee
Oh good call...:D
#2 would be the Renier family. They are dirty rotten stinkin rats after all. Plus with Warrens of The Ratmen, Goodman Games Compleat Guide to The Wererat, and the stuff in the Ravenloft books, they are awesomely evil adversaries. Matter of fact one of the Dark Powers in my campaign has a strong "affiliation" with were-rats.
Just so much to do with them. Jacque is dead IMC, but her sister is doing fine. As well as most of the rest of her family, and the real power of the domain.
#2 would be the Renier family. They are dirty rotten stinkin rats after all. Plus with Warrens of The Ratmen, Goodman Games Compleat Guide to The Wererat, and the stuff in the Ravenloft books, they are awesomely evil adversaries. Matter of fact one of the Dark Powers in my campaign has a strong "affiliation" with were-rats.
Just so much to do with them. Jacque is dead IMC, but her sister is doing fine. As well as most of the rest of her family, and the real power of the domain.
I've got a real soft spot for Bluebeard and the Headless Horseman because it's just a lot of fun having Darklords from "real life" legends.
Rather fond of Godefroy not so much for the ghost himself, but for the House on Griffin Hill. Besides the sheer headaches the Ravenloft 2 module has caused for continuity is great amusement. ;)
Strahd is such the epitome of Ravenloft, and the obvious "heart and soul" of the setting, that to even classify him with the others seems almost silly. Like was said above, without Strahd, there'd be no Ravenloft campaigns. Even if you don't like the character, you have to respect his influenc (and, yes, for the record I think Strahd is an incredible Darklord).
Anhektepot was one of my early favourites, but, alas he seems to be somewhat "underplayed". Same with some other potentially great Lords and Ladies like Tiyet (yeah, I like mummies), The Hive Queen, Markov, etc.
I'm babbling, I know, but one Darklord that definitely who's grown in my estimation is Gabrielle. When the Black Box first came out I could've cared less about her but as her story's developed I find her a very sympathetic and interesting Darklord. Maybe a little too much - she just doesn't seem overly "evil" these days.
Now a question for those more informed than I. Whatever happened to Merilee? She still wandering around? (Yes, I know she wasn't a Darklord...just appeared in the book of that name).
Another enjoyable Dark Lord is Tristen ApBlanc. Very tragic but also very dangerous.
Other than that, the Brain is just creepy
.Azalin Rex - Awesome name, awesome look, and knows how to make the best of his inability to exceed the 18th level. A self-made man who exemplifies the line "I am myself alone" (Shakespeare's Henry VI, Act V, Scene III).
Strahd von Zarovich - I was sold after reading the first chapter of I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin.
Jacqueline Renier - I love studying Florentine politics, and there's no one who exemplifies the features of that era in history better than Jacqueline Renier and family. She rules Richemulot with an iron fist...and does it well. Her country is both prosperous and relatively-egalitarian, although rife with plenty of delicious intrigue.
Vlad Drakov - Despicable and brutish though he may be, his military apparrattus is certainly admirable.
Favorite Darklords:
I have all the editions for Ravenloft and the one center piece is Strahd von Zarovich
. In terms of the game he can be the catalyst for an entire campaign. He has the stats to back him against even the most prepared group of hunters. He has a great history. He breathes life into the gothic world almost becoming a cliche for this type of setting.I'm also partial to a little known and under used Darklord: Draga Saltbitter.
His realm is excellent in concept and makes a group work with little resources to try to escape. The muscle-bound fighter in his armor treading over a sarragso grass that may, with a misstep, send him into a shark infested ocean. The Wizzard who counts every second of his fly spell hoping he makes over the open water to the safety of a derelic ship. All manner of Creatures, evil versus evil and good versus good, waring with each other in a despirate bid for survival from ship to ship. This realm alone drives fear into any group then add a wereshark under them to push them to the brink. He was mentioned in the Islands or Terror 2e book but he still gets life in my game.The Headless Horseman also carries a high cool factor. When the PC are being ridden down on a mist shrouded night on a road they though safe by a true legend it adds a story for any bard they meet, if they live to tell the tale.
Azalin is another juggernaught but I find him over used in a world ripe with character's begging for the chance to emerge from their prison.
I also am a big fan of Juste and his mobile pocket-domain of Scaena. Being a theater major myself, I've found some...interesting ways to expand the domain. Let's just say 'The Actor's Nightmare' has a whole new meaning in that realm... :D
And since three is a magic number, I have to choose Azalin as my third pick. Not only is he a darklord that can seriously give your players nightmares (what do you mean I don't remember that spell?), the old 'Ask Azalin' column on the Kargatane site was just so much fun! I've never had a problem 'getting into character' after the first time I found that.
--
Pauper
2°- The three hags (the most powerful trio in the core)
3°- The nightmare court (like Plunderer_of_the_planes i think it's the coolest group born from the minds of Ravenloft creators, perhaps in the whole ad&d).
also after hearing you talking about Lucas... i would have to read about him.
Montalve
Ahnktepot and Tiyet are in the future---one is a great Pharoah reduced to ruling a patch of empty sand and one miserable village, and the other is a beautiful woman who just happens to eat hearts. I love the egyptian setting, and mummies rock.
Finally, Strahd IS Ravenloft. Eventually, pcs will have to face off against his machinations.
Honorable mentions: Lukas, Draga Salt-Biter, Malken, Tristen ApBlanc, and Adam.
Ivana Boritsi and Ivan Dilisnya - They've got great character on their own, and the tension between them is fantastic. I especially like Ivan's temperment. ;)
Harklon Lucas - He's just got a fab personality, as others on this thread have pointed out.
abd-al-Mamat - Okay, he only appears in one short story, but what a short story!