D&D 5E The Domains of Dread, listed by the power of their Dark Lord (using their CR)

[overgeeked]

This is one way, of many, to play the game. Outlining the Domains and the Dark Lords for folks to peruse is not inherently bad. I don't assume people need to play a certain way, so stop trying to put words in my mouth when I've explained my own thoughts in great detail.

I've repeated myself too many times to engage with you, when you clearly aren't interested a good faith discussion.

I quoted you literally saying the things you claimed not to say. But yeah, good faith discussion is clearly not going to happen. Cheers.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I quoted you literally saying the things you claimed not to say. But yeah, good faith discussion is clearly not going to happen. Cheers.

And then I clarified those positions in my replies to you, but kudos!

 

[Iry]

I have a homebrew Dread Domain where the Darklord is the Coward. They made a cowardly choice, and because they made that choice, 1000 years of destruction was rained down upon the world. They relive that day - every day - and although they try to change the outcome, they always give into their fear and let the world burn. This realm is the only way that PCs can discover how and why the world burned. It has been visited dozens of times since I introduced it in the early 90s. Each time the PCs go there, they think they're there to change the past, to save someone, etc... They never know it is primarily a lore dump. They get their chance to meet their objective - and have every indication that it will work - but in the end it always resets and their efforts are for naught ... but they get the chance to learn something essential (a silver lining that is really more important). I've used other Domains here and there over the years, mostly for a short adventure. This is the one that I think best implements the 'Ravenloft approach'.

How... Cataclysmic! That would make for a great dark Lord. Just don't go Soth on me and let him be redeemed in the final act.

 

[Savage Wombat]

Borca: Ivana Boritsi (Spy, CR 1)
Lamordia: Viktra Mordenheim (Spy, CR 1)
Richemulot: Jacqueline Renier (Wererat, CR 2)
Falkovnia: Vladeska Drakov (Knight, CR 3)
Mordent: Wilfred Godefroy (Ghost, CR 4)
Valachan: Chakuna (Weretiger, CR 4)
The Carnival: Isolde and Nepenthe (CR 5)
Dementlieu: Saidra D'Honaire (Wraith, CR 5)
Tepest: Mother Lorinda (Green Hag in Coven, CR 5)
I'Cath: Tsien Chiang (Mage, CR 6)
Hazlan: Hazlik (Archmage, CR 12)
Darkon: Alcio "Baron" Metus (Vampire, CR 13)
Kartakass: Harkon Lukas (Loup Garou, CR 13)
Bluetspur: The Great Brain (Elder Brain, CR 14)
Barovia: Strahd von Zarovich (CR 15)
Har'Akir: Ankhtepot (Mummy Lord, CR 15)
Kalakeri: Ramya Vasavadan (Death Knight, CR 17)

Kind of says something about the monsters available in 5e that there's that big gap in the CR numbers there - 10 monsters from CR 1-6, and then 7 more for CR 12+ with nothing in between.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Kind of says something about the monsters available in 5e that there's that big gap in the CR numbers there - 10 monsters from CR 1-6, and then 7 more for CR 12+ with nothing in between.

The bestiary of this book is pretty disappointing in my view... especially since only one Darklord, Harkon Lukas, uses a new statblock (the Loup Garou, which is a super-werewolf).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The book name checks stat blocks to use from the MM with additional powers they have. The CRs in the OP are based on those referenced stat blocks.

Point out the words used are "similar too", not "same as".

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The bestiary of this book is pretty disappointing in my view... especially since only one Darklord, Harkon Lukas, uses a new statblock (the Loup Garou, which is a super-werewolf).

Nope, Odaire and The Rider's Bridge also use new monsters as their dark lords.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

There isn't really a mechanism explained that I've noticed yet, but Chakuna replaced Ulrik von Kharkov in Valachan, so it's possible.

Chakuna swore to save her people. She entered the tournament freely, determined to turn the tables on von Kharkov or die. She vowed to sacrifice whatever it took to defeat the Darklord—but learned quickly that it takes monstrosity to beat a monster. Chakuna found von Kharkov's weakness, burned Castle Pantara to the ground, and kept the former Darklord's head.

So I suppose there is some implication that by "becoming a monster" you can replace a Dark Lord. This directly contradicts an earlier part which says Dark Lords are immortal and will eventually return, so it's not well explained.

"Nightmare Logic: By the standards of what other worlds’ inhabitants consider true and sane, the Domains of Dread don’t make sense."

In other words, the only hard and fast rule in Ravenloft is there are no hard and fast rules in Ravenloft.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is one way, of many, to play the game. Outlining the Domains and the Dark Lords for folks to peruse is not inherently bad.

If it has a stat block it implies it is there to be fought.

 

[Dausuul]

If it has a stat block it implies it is there to be fought.

This logic makes no sense. What if the statblock also contains social skills? Is it there to be fought, or talked to?

The statblock is there because you might fight it, not because you are supposed to fight it. If I had a dollar for every time my PCs picked a fight with an NPC I meant them to talk to (or struck up a conversation with something I meant them to fight), I could retire early.