Café de Nuit

Since I was poking through the Compendium version of Van Richten's Guide to Fiends to discuss what Gundarak's power ritual should grant, I wanted to piece together where the various fiends have performed power rituals.

Black Duke: Darkon. Despite being most connected to Nova Vaasa, this demon has only gained Darkon's forget power.

Elspeth: Darkon, Kartakass, Keening. Another one who didn't gain a power in her most famous appearance (Falkovnia). It also seems odd that a succubus who focuses on seducing men would travel to Keening.

Whistling Fiend: Barovia, Har'Akir, Dominia, Borca, Invidia. The writeup mentions that the fiend has been seen in Darkon and Falkovnia, but it didn't pick up powers there (unlike Barovia and Invidia, also called out in its description).

Melano: Darkon, unknown (hypnotism, probably Dementlieu). One of the Demons of Chateauxfaux, it picked up a power from Darkon at some point.

Malocchio: Barovia, Darkon, Borca, Invidia. This would upset a number of Darklords if it was known that he was entering their domains.

Gentleman Caller: Unknown (suggestion).

Malistroi: Har'Akir, Hazlan, unknown (fear aura), unknown (polymorph others). Despite allegedly being trapped in G'Henna since being summoned, Malistroi has picked up power rituals from four domains that aren't G'Henna (which is cause insatiable hunger and thirst).

Baltoi: Dominia, Barovia, Invidia, Lamordia, Kartakass. Trapped in Lamordia, this marilith has gotten around a bit.

The Dark wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2026 12:05 am Malistroi: Har'Akir, Hazlan, unknown (fear aura), unknown (polymorph others). Despite allegedly being trapped in G'Henna since being summoned, Malistroi has picked up power rituals from four domains that aren't G'Henna (which is cause insatiable hunger and thirst).

Huh. Never paid attention to this before. 'tis inexplicable how ol' Mal managed to perform three of those four power rituals.

Is it too radical to propose that maybe different fiends' power rituals might yield different benefits from the same domains? Maybe polymorph others was the result of an alternate power ritual in G'Henna.

IanFordam wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:24 pm

The Dark wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2026 12:05 am Malistroi: Har'Akir, Hazlan, unknown (fear aura), unknown (polymorph others). Despite allegedly being trapped in G'Henna since being summoned, Malistroi has picked up power rituals from four domains that aren't G'Henna (which is cause insatiable hunger and thirst).

Huh. Never paid attention to this before. 'tis inexplicable how ol' Mal managed to perform three of those four power rituals.

Is it too radical to propose that maybe different fiends' power rituals might yield different benefits from the same domains? Maybe polymorph others was the result of an alternate power ritual in G'Henna.

Malistroi was about half the reason I wrote up the post, because the others were "huh, that's interesting" and then his combination of background and powers was "wait, what?". The easiest solution to my mind is a minor backstory nudge where he was already in Ravenloft and the portal that summoned him to G'Henna was pulling him from another domain rather than the lower planes, but there are other ways it could be reconciled.

The original Van Richten's Guide to Fiends has it as a single power per domain (and in one of the sidebars that's out-of-character game information, not in RvR's narrative). I think variable powers could work for a homebrew, and maybe could be done in fanon with some sort of limiting organization to keep the number of powers from getting totally out of hand (e.g. LE planars get one set of powers, NE a second set, CE a third set). The difficulty is there are already a lot of canon domains, and coming up with powers for each of them is already a lot of powers. Having multiple powers for domains makes coming up with all the powers that much more difficult.

3e has polymorph others as Verbrek's power, but I have it as unknown because it doesn't have a 2e source and I'm not sure how that fits with Verbrek's themes. I think it works best for Vechor, but that power as an alternate for G'Henna could also work given the Mongrelmen of G'Henna.

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm Malistroi was about half the reason I wrote up the post, because the others were "huh, that's interesting" and then his combination of background and powers was "wait, what?". The easiest solution to my mind is a minor backstory nudge where he was already in Ravenloft and the portal that summoned him to G'Henna was pulling him from another domain rather than the lower planes, but there are other ways it could be reconciled.

That explanation works.

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm The original Van Richten's Guide to Fiends has it as a single power per domain (and in one of the sidebars that's out-of-character game information, not in RvR's narrative).

If the restriction came from a sidebar, yeah, I have a harder time dismissing it.

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm I think variable powers could work for a homebrew, and maybe could be done in fanon with some sort of limiting organization to keep the number of powers from getting totally out of hand (e.g. LE planars get one set of powers, NE a second set, CE a third set). The difficulty is there are already a lot of canon domains, and coming up with powers for each of them is already a lot of powers. Having multiple powers for domains makes coming up with all the powers that much more difficult.

Oh, sorry. I missed that you were trying to catalogue all of the granted powers. I was just offering an explanation for the discrepancies you noted.

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm 3e has polymorph others as Verbrek's power, but I have it as unknown because it doesn't have a 2e source and I'm not sure how that fits with Verbrek's themes. I think it works best for Vechor, but that power as an alternate for G'Henna could also work given the Mongrelmen of G'Henna.

I wonder if polymorph other didn't get added to Malistroi's powers list to explain how it could create the Altered in Circle of Darkness.

The Dark wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2026 12:05 am Gentleman Caller: Unknown (suggestion).

This being a land-based power for the Caller in 2e is interesting to me, since my 3.5e context would have made me think that suggestion was inherent to succubi/incubi. I suppose it wasn't always so.

As an aside, I know Dragon #353 has statistics for incubi as separate creatures from succubi. They can't use suggestion (but they do have charm person), and they have disguise self instead of the more powerful ability to change shape (but the flavor texts suggests they can't hide their forms at all, and don't care to). I probably wouldn't use these as the basis for the Gentleman Caller in 3.5e.

Wolfglide of the Fraternity wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 7:22 pm

The Dark wrote: Wed Jun 10, 2026 12:05 am Gentleman Caller: Unknown (suggestion).

This being a land-based power for the Caller in 2e is interesting to me, since my 3.5e context would have made me think that suggestion was inherent to succubi/incubi. I suppose it wasn't always so.

As an aside, I know Dragon #353 has statistics for incubi as separate creatures from succubi. They can't use suggestion (but they do have charm person), and they have disguise self instead of the more powerful ability to change shape (but the flavor texts suggests they can't hide their forms at all, and don't care to). I probably wouldn't use these as the basis for the Gentleman Caller in 3.5e.

The Caller has suggestion as a spell-like power and suggestion as a land-based power. I think his stats end up matching a 2e succubus, but I could have missed a difference somewhere. The land-based power could have extra benefits since it's copying a low-level (3rd) spell. Barovia's confusion power (emulating a 4th-level spell) affects everyone in the fiend's reality wrinkle and imposes a -4 to saves with no bonuses for high Wisdom. Since it's not written up, the details would be up to each DM. Off the top of my head, I'd make it target anyone the Caller chooses within line of sight and make its duration similar to charm person, where the duration is "until they save," with the save interval varying based on intelligence. A land-based suggestion of "trust me" could be very effective.

I actually got interested in these because I first encountered them in the third Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium, which left out the details of what power went with which domain. That made them a lot more mysterious and meant the explanation caught my eye when I got a look at a copy of the Guide to Fiends. It also interested me that they described powers for a patchwork of domains - as examples, Nova Vaasa gets left out despite being in the Core, we get one for Har'Akir but not Sebua, and we get Bluetspur for the weird Islands but not Kalidnay - and also that not all of the powers granted to the fiends are given associations.

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm The original Van Richten's Guide to Fiends has it as a single power per domain (and in one of the sidebars that's out-of-character game information, not in RvR's narrative).

Does it being out-of-character game information make it more or less canon?
Cause on the one hand, Van Richten can be wrong. But on the other hand, mechanics change from edition to edition while lore tries to stay consistent (well, at least until we get to 5e, which is a whole different adaptation of the setting).

TheArcaneWeirdo wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2026 2:09 pm

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm The original Van Richten's Guide to Fiends has it as a single power per domain (and in one of the sidebars that's out-of-character game information, not in RvR's narrative).

Does it being out-of-character game information make it more or less canon?
Cause on the one hand, Van Richten can be wrong. But on the other hand, mechanics change from edition to edition while lore tries to stay consistent (well, at least until we get to 5e, which is a whole different adaptation of the setting).

I would argue more, at least within edition and where not contradicted in other editions. Van Richten is fallible (and boy howdy, he's very fallible...). Ahem. While rules can be changed to fit the need of the DM, my opinion is that they should be considered an accurate representation of Ravenloft's reality for the purposes of discussing the baseline setting. They represent what is, while NPC narration (from any NPC) represents what that NPC believes is real.

The powers appear to shift somewhat over time/between editions (Dementlieu gets mass charm in 3e, which is Kartakass's power in 2e), but 2e and 3e agree that it's a case of "do a power ritual in domain X, get power X," rather than being different powers for different fiends. They just disagree slightly on which power goes with which domain.

TheArcaneWeirdo wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2026 2:09 pm

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm The original Van Richten's Guide to Fiends has it as a single power per domain (and in one of the sidebars that's out-of-character game information, not in RvR's narrative).

Does it being out-of-character game information make it more or less canon?
Cause on the one hand, Van Richten can be wrong. But on the other hand, mechanics change from edition to edition while lore tries to stay consistent (well, at least until we get to 5e, which is a whole different adaptation of the setting).

Anything stated in-character may be questioned, exactly because Van Richten can be (and sometimes is!) wrong. The out-of-character sidebars are meant to be taken as actual fact. which is to say, canon. Then again, I feel that the declaration that each domain offers only a single land-based power (which I haven't tracked down, but I trust that The Dark did) falls into the gray space between lore and mechanics. Just because I see it as being mechanics-backed lore doesn't mean somebody else doesn't see it as lore-backed mechanics.

In other words, canon is just our common starting point. We're all expected to homebrew from there.

IanFordam wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2026 3:52 pm

TheArcaneWeirdo wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2026 2:09 pm

The Dark wrote: Thu Jun 11, 2026 5:39 pm The original Van Richten's Guide to Fiends has it as a single power per domain (and in one of the sidebars that's out-of-character game information, not in RvR's narrative).

Does it being out-of-character game information make it more or less canon?
Cause on the one hand, Van Richten can be wrong. But on the other hand, mechanics change from edition to edition while lore tries to stay consistent (well, at least until we get to 5e, which is a whole different adaptation of the setting).

Anything stated in-character may be questioned, exactly because Van Richten can be (and sometimes is!) wrong. The out-of-character sidebars are meant to be taken as actual fact. which is to say, canon. Then again, I feel that the declaration that each domain offers only a single land-based power (which I haven't tracked down, but I trust that The Dark did) falls into the gray space between lore and mechanics. Just because I see it as being mechanics-backed lore doesn't mean somebody else doesn't see it as lore-backed mechanics.

In other words, canon is just our common starting point. We're all expected to homebrew from there.

It's pages 56-59 of Van Richten's Guide to Fiends and missing from Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium Three, which removed everything between Bound to the Land and Power Ritual Failure from the original. It's not phrased as "each domain grants only one power," but each domain is listed as giving the fiend a single power in the first sentence, then gives details for that power.

Examples:

"Barovia: This domain grants the fiend the power to generate a choking fog at will within its pocket domain."

"Dominia: This island of terror grants a fiend the ability to cause insanity."

"Hazlan: This domain grants the fiend the power to detect the use of magic in its vicinity."

"Kartakass: This domain grants the fiend a beautiful singing voice, and the siren song ability as well."

"Sithicus: This domain gives the fiend the power of shadow walk."

The Dark wrote: Sat Jun 13, 2026 5:52 pm It's pages 56-59 of Van Richten's Guide to Fiends and missing from Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium Three, which removed everything between Bound to the Land and Power Ritual Failure from the original. It's not phrased as "each domain grants only one power," but each domain is listed as giving the fiend a single power in the first sentence, then gives details for that power.

Examples:

"Barovia: This domain grants the fiend the power to generate a choking fog at will within its pocket domain."

"Dominia: This island of terror grants a fiend the ability to cause insanity."

"Hazlan: This domain grants the fiend the power to detect the use of magic in its vicinity."

"Kartakass: This domain grants the fiend a beautiful singing voice, and the siren song ability as well."

"Sithicus: This domain gives the fiend the power of shadow walk."

See! My trust was entirely warranted!

There may not be an explicit statement of only-one-power-per-domain, but the implication is strong.

I agree that the text highly suggests fiends can only get a single power from a domain. I can see the benefits of that, with it encouraging them to move along.

But if I recall there is also the suggestion that a fiend performing a power ritual also harms/weakens the domain's Darklord. I think it could be an interesting campaign where a particularly vindictive fiend is starting a cult to aid in performing a variety of power rituals to completely drain the Darklord and leave them helpless. The first ritual giving the fiend the general domain power, each subsequent one giving them powers that the Darklord actually has.

It would be an interesting moment for the PC, especially if they had come into conflict with that Darklord before. Do they let the fiend complete the rites and become far more powerful than their current foe, or do they help their former enemy to keep a literal demon from taking over the land.

Under the rules as written, the only effect on the Darklord is that they're incapacitated for 1d4+1 rounds after a successful power ritual; "even the minor Darklords are powerful enough that the draining effect of the power ritual has no further measurable effect."

The other problem is that each time a fiend succeeds at a power ritual, they gain 1d4 corruption points. At every odd number (1, 3, 5, etc), they gain a 10% chance of a ritual failing even if they would otherwise succeed (except 21 - it rises to 100% at 22). One of the potential side effects of a failed ritual is taking 6d10 damage that cannot be magically healed, with 25% of that damage being a permanent loss of hit points. Other potential side effects include permanently losing a spell-like ability, permanently being ejected from that domain*, or having a limb that can never change shape or be concealed by magic.

I say let the fiend try to ruin a Darklord through multiple power rituals. The fiend has more to lose than the Darklord.

*If the fiend somehow manages to get ejected from every domain, they're trapped in the Mists forever, unable to leave the Demiplane of Dread and unable to enter any domain.

The Dark wrote: Sun Jun 14, 2026 9:12 pm Under the rules as written, the only effect on the Darklord is that they're incapacitated for 1d4+1 rounds after a successful power ritual; "even the minor Darklords are powerful enough that the draining effect of the power ritual has no further measurable effect."

The other problem is that each time a fiend succeeds at a power ritual, they gain 1d4 corruption points. At every odd number (1, 3, 5, etc), they gain a 10% chance of a ritual failing even if they would otherwise succeed (except 21 - it rises to 100% at 22). One of the potential side effects of a failed ritual is taking 6d10 damage that cannot be magically healed, with 25% of that damage being a permanent loss of hit points. Other potential side effects include permanently losing a spell-like ability, permanently being ejected from that domain*, or having a limb that can never change shape or be concealed by magic.

I say let the fiend try to ruin a Darklord through multiple power rituals. The fiend has more to lose than the Darklord.

*If the fiend somehow manages to get ejected from every domain, they're trapped in the Mists forever, unable to leave the Demiplane of Dread and unable to enter any domain.

True, which is why it would need to be an extremely petty fiend with a severe hatred of the Darklord. Also, it isn't necessary that any fiend would realize what the effect of the corruption points are and potential penalties.

So here's a question I don't have an answer for that might spark inspiration for someone: what if a fiend who was barred from Barovia was in Gundarak when Strahd extended his borders? And if the Mists would whisk them away from the domain they're barred from, what else would go with them?