Just For Fun: Non-Hostile Darklord Encounters

[Isabella]

Darklords tend to end up in the villainous role, which is fair, because they're villains. But how about encounters where the Darklords meet the PCs in a less antagonistic role - either as prelude for the Darklord becoming a villain later, or because the Darklords aren't the villains of this particular story?

-The PCs are eating at a tavern when Harkon Lucas ( ) slides in, quickly sits down at their table, and mimes for the PCs to play along as he pulls his hat down low. A few minutes later, another man bursts into the tavern, angrily searching around for someone - so long as the PCs keep the ruse, the man doesn't find who he's looking for and leaves. Harkon cheerfully thanks the PCs and pays their tab before leaving, skillfully avoiding an explanation for what that was all about.

-The PCs walk into the local potion shop only to find that a frustrated Malken has taken over the alchemical equipment, alternating between cursing at the shopkeep and explaining his process (the shopkeep is doing his best to keep up and take notes). If any spellcasters or alchemists have their equipment visible, Malken quizzes them on the finer points of alchemy - if they answer correctly, Malken berates the shopkeep that a random person off the street is more competent. Despite his foul demeanor, Malken seems keen to discuss alchemy with anyone who shows knowledge of it.

Add your own!

[Dark Angel]

By the way, I love this thread as I consider the 'player/villain conversation without fighting' conversations the epitome of great roleplaying.

-I had the players swing through Invidia after getting plunked there in the middle of nowhere. When they were trudging through the woods, they happened upon the Musarde and a man in a boat (Captain Nathan Timothy). The group was very powerful for him to take on as a group and too paranoid to let their guard down. So I played him as an older kindly boatman with a drinking problem who hit on anything female. He took them up river and treated them well. My hope is that when the campaign gets restarted (which it might soon, just kind of running its course) that they get to run through the Evil Eye and get to really deal with him ("But he seemed so nice and trusting before!").

[Ryan Naylor]

In one campaign, the PCs were agents of Dementlieu's Bureau de Chiffre, hunting down revolutionary threats, criminal masterminds and Falkovnian spies in the lead up to another invasion. The head of the Bureau was of course the Minister Without Portfolio, Dominic d'Honaire.

They also tried to buy dangerous new technology from Mordenheim, or at least prevent the Falkovnians from getting their hands on it.

[Kadarin]

I'm just writing a short story for the next QtR, including a pocket domain (or whatever they call it these days). The Darklord won't really attack the players (he's a kind of "tragical darklord", if that is possible).
The story is - for the moment - titled "The Eternal Smith". I think you can guess what it's about.

kadarin

[Dark Angel]

In one campaign, the PCs were agents of Dementlieu's Bureau de Chiffre, hunting down revolutionary threats, criminal masterminds and Falkovnian spies in the lead up to another invasion. The head of the Bureau was of course the Minister Without Portfolio, Dominic d'Honaire.

They also tried to buy dangerous new technology from Mordenheim, or at least prevent the Falkovnians from getting their hands on it.

My group also had an encounter with Mordenheim (and Adam, prior) where Adam had the group deliver something (the head of a bounty hunter) to the good doctor (who sent him in the first place to find Adam's lair and bring something back). The players did indeed deliver it, but the whole time spent in Schloss Mordenheim had them so on edge (really without reason, they just knew his rep) that they were not as immersed in the fact that they were in the place where Lamordia was essentially create from. Instead they kept thinking that they were next on the frequent donor list. Not that it didn't cross my mind...

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Dominic is always a good one to drop into any fancy dinner party in Port-a-Lucine. I did so once IMC (in the session that became the "Feasting with the Falcons" adventure in QtR).

I dropped in Garvyn once when my PCs were trying to book passage on a ship. Granted, he's not all that interesting, so it was more for my own amusement.

While I guess it's a different sort of "hostile", my PCs went into Elena Faithhold's dreams and tried to reform her.

I do love this kind of encounter, but I'm more likely to do it with non-darklord NPCs. I once had a PC do a solo adventure with Van Richten and Emil Bollenbach (before Emil snapped) and Emil did a brief cameo in my current campaign, minding Van Richten's shop while he was away (again, before he snapped). That same dinner party I mentioned had a ton of other nefarious NPCs, but everyone had to be civil, so hostilities didn't break out (OK, not until the end of the night at least.) And I've had two of my own Big Bads visit the PCs while they were imprisoned, which was fun. When there are steel bars between you, and you've been deprived of ranged weapons, there's not much you can do but talk.

[NeoTiamat]

<> Many Darklords are also political leaders of one sort or another, and if the PCs have dealings with high officials, perhaps they arrive just as the Darklord in question is visiting some underling. Obviously, this works better with some Darklords than others, but it can be used with many of them. The PCs arrive to report to the Sentire of Vor Ziyden that the monster he wanted slain is destroyed... why are all the guards here... oh, hello Ivan! The Darklord might ignore them completely, might want to hear about their successes (or failures), or might simply loom ominously in the background.

<> Some Darklords have lower-profile public facades, or else have aliases. These can be used in a fashion completely normal for their nature. Say the PCs are in Barovia, and are investigating a burgomeister's murder, and in the process of asking questions are told that Vasili von Holtz may have been a witness! For best/most hilarious results, change the Darklord's name or the name of their alias, and let the PCs slowly piece together who the tall, ominous fellow with the widow's peak is.

<> In the pre-modern era, right about where Ravenloft is, people wrote a lot of letters. Correspondence was a big thing, even to people who one has never met! Any PC that acquires a reputation may find that a Darklord is sending them letters. Mordenheim might send letters to a PC who displays a modicum of mental enlightenment, Hazlik might send letters to any prominent mage, etc (particularly if they're natives of that Domain). Actually, given that Darklords are location-constrained, they may end up sending more letters, just to have some eyes and ears outside their Domain -- Hazlik can't very well look up the latest fashions in Darkonian spellcasting, but if a PC wizard is in the area, perhaps they can look into it and report if there's anything useful there?

[Dark Angel]

<> Some Darklords have lower-profile public facades, or else have aliases. These can be used in a fashion completely normal for their nature. Say the PCs are in Barovia, and are investigating a burgomeister's murder, and in the process of asking questions are told that Vasili von Holtz may have been a witness! For best/most hilarious results, change the Darklord's name or the name of their alias, and let the PCs slowly piece together who the tall, ominous fellow with the widow's peak is.

I don't my native Barovian PCs ever figured out who he really was. They nearly crapped themselves when they saw the big, black carriage with the von Zarovich coat of arms sitting outside the burgomeister's home. I think they were almost relieved when it turned out to only be his personal emissary....

[Hamiclar]

The group I'm running are going to encounter Anton Misroi for dinner at his house of the dead! In the Feast of Goblyns they are going to encounter Harkon Lukas as a possible allie or nemesis depending on the group.

[alhoon]

Usually my sister's arcane spellcasters end up asking Azalin for patronage or running quest for him for spells. I often do Darklord scenes with barely any hostile darklord interaction. I use them as plot movers often. I was thinking to use Dominic in my recent Dementlieu adventure but I didn't find an opportunity to sneak him in.

[Hamiclar]

Usually my sister's arcane spellcasters end up asking Azalin for patronage or running quest for him for spells. I often do Darklord scenes with barely any hostile darklord interaction. I use them as plot movers often. I was thinking to use Dominic in my recent Dementlieu adventure but I didn't find an opportunity to sneak him in.

Way cool, I have a necromancer starting soon that gives me an idea regarding vassallich's. In past campaigns I've always had them in the background unless its the GC campaign then they may encounter a great deal of them in the effects of Roots of Evil adventure.

[IrvyneWolfe]

Since Hostile Darklord Encounters should end poorly for Players, non-hostile tend to be much more common for me (except for that one party that killed Tiyet, but I digress).

In one game Azalin approached the PCs and more or less strong armed them into killing a newly formed Lich in Darkon. Azalin knew that by going in himself he may inadvertently cause all sorts of problems. The rival could figure out that he too was a Lich (and in the event that he survived that knowledge could be problematic). Then there was the consideration of two high level wizards throwing down in Martira Bay, Azalin kind of likes having subjects, no reason to level a city when he doesn't need to.

[alhoon]

Why didn't he just took control of the other lich using his darklord powers? Or wiped out his enemy's memories?

I think in Gaz2, Azalin mentioned that he leaves his pawns to deal with stuff so that they learn to deal with that kind of stuff, to "man up" so to speak.

[Dark Angel]

Why didn't he just took control of the other lich using his darklord powers? Or wiped out his enemy's memories?

I think in Gaz2, Azalin mentioned that he leaves his pawns to deal with stuff so that they learn to deal with that kind of stuff, to "man up" so to speak.

Or potentially cultivate the aura that even he is not 100% omniscient, or both of those things. He seems to get bored from what I gather.

[Atma]

Why didn't he just took control of the other lich using his darklord powers? Or wiped out his enemy's memories?

I think in Gaz2, Azalin mentioned that he leaves his pawns to deal with stuff so that they learn to deal with that kind of stuff, to "man up" so to speak.

As was mentioned, yes he could theoretically think this annoying upstart into punching itself back to death, but, rarely does so, lest his minions become children who never grow up due to being carried about all the time.

Of course, he could always spare the upstart so it may serve as a test for new minions, i.e., PCs for hire.