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

[Urriak Uruk]

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

This is true, I had been referring to the most descriptive Domains.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This is true, I had been referring to the most descriptive Domains.

Sure, I was just being pedantic, as per usual.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

What if the statblock also contains social skills? Is it there to be fought, or talked to?

You can list social skills without a statblock. And you would want to have very different levels if it is a 1st level or 20th level character the dark lord is talking to.

 

[Faolyn]

Yeah Azalin Rex, I'm gonna assume, somehow cheated the system ala Soth and now the Dark Powers are like "Oh BLOODY SMEG NOT AGAIN!!"

Soth didn't cheat the Dark Powers. He simply got so boring, because all he did was hang out in his magic holodeck all day, that they fired him.

 

[Faolyn]

And of course CR matters. It's not the only or most important thing,

Don't forget that most of the Darklords have a huge number of minions they can call upon. Viktra may be CR 1, but she undoubtedly has dozens of golems and other constructs. Likewise Ivana, who certainly has tons of carnivorous plants and venomous animals under her command.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Don't forget that most of the Darklords have a huge number of minions they can call upon. Viktra may be CR 1, but she undoubtedly has dozens of golems and other constructs. Likewise Ivana, who certainly has tons of carnivorous plants and venomous animals under her command.

Absolutely, and one can make any of the Darklords much more powerful with the use of minions... for example, I think Viktra is capable of using golems (maybe even Iron Golems) which would make her much more dangerous.

Of course, all of the Dark Lords on the list are capable of pulling in minions, including the heavy hitters like Ankhtepot and Ramya. So if Ivana is ever in a combat herself, having only 27 hp means she won't last long even against a low-level party.

 

[Tonguez]

. So if Ivana is ever in a combat herself, having only 27 hp means she won't last long even against a low-level party.

But why would you ever put her in to a combat? Borcas suppose to be about intrigue and poison not about confrontation. I'd suppose she wont even be present when her posionous schemes afflict the PCs

What are Borcas themes now anyway?

 

[Faolyn]

So if Ivana is ever in a combat herself, having only 27 hp means she won't last long even against a low-level party.

Why would Ivana fight? She'd sacrifice her minions to get away.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

But why would you ever put her in to a combat? Borcas suppose to be about intrigue and poison not about confrontation. I'd suppose she wont even be present when her posionous schemes afflict the PCs

What are Borcas themes now anyway?

Why would Ivana fight? She'd sacrifice her minions to get away.

Right right, I'm not saying the DM should ever put her in a fight (they shouldn't, she wouldn't last). I'm saying that if the PCs ever try to force her in a fight, or even just try to cast simple spells like sleep or charm person, they'll probably work.

So even in Borca, where the focus is politics and family machinations, a PC could walk up to Ivana, cast charm person and learn key information or manipulate her in other ways.

This isn't going to be as easy as say against Ramya, who has abilities like magic resistance.

Anyway, I'm pointing out that CR does have several important limitations on these NPCs, even when these characters are not strictly your enemies.

 

[Faolyn]

So even in Borca, where the focus is politics and family machinations, a PC could walk up to Ivana, cast charm person and learn key information or manipulate her in other ways.

This isn't going to be as easy as say against Ramya, who has abilities like magic resistance.

Anyway, I'm pointing out that CR does have several important limitations on these NPCs, even when these characters are not strictly your enemies.

True... if you run them directly as that statblock says. Remember, the book says they have statblocks like spies or like nobles, not that they use that statblock exactly--and even then, you can change them.

So it's perfectly reasonable to say that Darklords can't be charmed or put to sleep magically or stuff like that. Or attempts to charm a Darklord bounce back on the caster, or cause psychic damage as the PCs open their mind to the alien evils of the Dark Power.

But even if you decide that no, Ivana has the spy statblock, no changes... that's OK. The PCs put her to sleep and slit her throat or get information out of her... well, they've now marked themselves as a target for every single one of her minions (who might be instantly aware that she's been affected in such a manner). And she's immortal, so she could come back the very next day. (And in Ivana's case, this would be a good way to get the attention of Ivan, who might just welcome the PCs into his playhouse.)

OK, sure, it would have been very nice if there was a section that read "Darklords can't be charmed or put to sleep magically, and are immune to the frightened condition unless it's directly related to their Torments."

But the lack of high power for the Darklords not new to this edition. Ivana was a 0th-level Human with 8 hp in 2e with no particular immunities, not even to poison (although she could always detect poison anyway, so it basically impossible to poison her). In 3e, she finally was immune to poison, and she was fairly high level: Aristocrat 3, Expert 4, and book-specific prestige class Court Poisoner 5, but even though she had a lot more hit points (115 hp), she would still be killed almost instantly in battle since relies entirely on close-ranged attacks (one of which is, admittedly, quite powerful) and doesn't wear armor.

Honestly, the only weirdness I find in the statblocks is that (A) they didn't say "If you own VGM, you can use this statblock from that book instead" Because let's face it, Vladeska should've been a warlord. And (B) in 2e, Hazlik was a 12th-level wizard but uses the Archmage statblock, while Tsien Cheng was a 20th-level wizard but only uses the Mage statblock.