Forgotten Realms - Lords of Darkness (oef, act, bm, hq) (WTC11989).pdf

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Lords of Darkness
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Contents
Sidebar: Creatures from
Monsters of Faerûn . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sidebar: Appearance
and Personality . . . . . . . . . . 82
Sidebar: Appearance
and Personality . . . . . . . . . . 97
Sidebar: Zhentarim: Tips
for the DM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Zhentarim Skymage
Prestige Class . . . . . . . . . . 102
Shield of the
Hidden Lord . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Sidebar: Appearance and
Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Sidebar: Church of Cyric:
Tips for the DM . . . . . . . . . . 9
Twin Towers of the
Eternal Eclipse . . . . . . . . . . 12
Sidebar: Cult of the Dragon:
Tips for the DM. . . . . . . . . 21
Sidebar: The Drow: Tips
for the DM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Sidebar: Appearance and
Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Sidebar: The Vampire
Infestation of Westgate . . 47
The Secret Haven of the
Court of Night Masters . . 50
Sidebar: Night Masks:
Tips for the DM. . . . . . . . . 52
Sidebar: The Most
Dangerous Game . . . . . . . . 53
Sidebar: Appearance and
Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Sidebar: Red Wizards: Tips
for the DM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Thayan Knight
Prestige Class. . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Sidebar: The Priador
Emporium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Sidebar: The Shades:
Tips for the DM. . . . . . . . . 78
Sidebar: The High Captains
of Luskan . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
NPC Gallery:
Artemis Entreri. . . . . . . . . . . 114
Temple of the Black
Gauntlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Sidebar: The Church and
the Shadow Weave. . . . . . 123
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his book presents the most important and in-
triguing agencies of evil in Faerûn, along with in-
formation about how to use them in your
campaign. Perplex your players with a murder perpetrated by
the famed group of assassins called the Night Masks. Draw
your player characters into courtly intrigue and involve them
in negotiations with the sharp-eyed, bald, and tattooed Red Wiz-
ards of Thay. Whatever path your campaign takes, you can use
these antagonists to challenge your players and their characters.
No roleplaying game would be complete without enemies,
and Faerûn has a plethora of them. Take the basics pre-
sented in this book and build your campaign around them.
Give your antagonists depth and breadth. Allow them some
personality. Let them care. Good villains are no less right
and justified in their actions than the heroes—from their
point of view. Treat each villain as the protagonist of his or
her own story, and not simply antagonists that confront the
heroes at dramatically appropriate points.
A LIGNMENT
Most of the organizations described in this book have evil in-
tentions, and the majority of their members share that evil
alignment. This may not always be the case, however, since
there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes good people do
bad things for good reasons. You, the DM, must determine the
alignments of your NPC antagonists and establish their mo-
tives for the things they do.
Something makes the members of these groups commit evil
deeds. They’ve undoubtedly done despicable things, though
they may have done them in the name of justice, love, or igno-
rance. Maybe they simply lashed out like injured animals and
then couldn’t escape the mess they made. Did they choose an
evil path, or end up there through accident or bad choices? Can
your heroes help them change their ways? Was one of your
heroes responsible for the antagonist’s downfall? By determin-
ing these facts in advance, you can create complex antagonists
that add roleplaying flavor to your game.
How to Use This Book
This book has three principal parts. The first chapter, Major
Organizations, discusses seven primary organizations in
Faerûn. Each entry details various aspects of these organiza-
tions, offers sample encounter groupings, and presents a loca-
tion important to that particular group. The actions of these
groups have effects that ripple through all of Faerûn.
The second chapter, Minor Organizations, describes a
number of less powerful or smaller organizations. The villains
in this chapter may prove more accessible to heroes than those
in the first chapter, or there may simply be fewer of them.
They range in power from extensive thieves’ guilds to shape-
changers of terrifying lethality.
An appendix at the end compiles all the new feats, magic
items, and spells noted in the book. Just as player characters
create new spells and weapons with which to combat their foes,
so too do evil organizations construct items and magic to
defend their interests.
A TTITUDE AND A BILITIES
What kind of antagonists do you want in your campaign?
There are as many models for villains as there are for heroes.
Some openly and obviously follow an evil agenda, shrieking
curses and causing bloody mayhem as they storm the
fortresses of good. Some sit back, gather their followers, and
wait with eternal patience for the perfect moment to strike.
Within the organizations described in this book, individuals
in the actual membership vary greatly. They have different
motivations, philosophies, and personalities. The leader may
not want the same thing as a new initiate. Their priorities un-
doubtedly differ. One may be smart while the other can barely
put on his armor without help. Cookie-cutter villains may
speed combat, but they won’t surprise and delight your players
as much as unique personalities will.
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Introduction
C AMEO OR M ASTERMIND ?
You can keep your campaign straightforward by presenting
your players with one encounter after another, each unique
and isolated. Or, you can increase the complexity by introduc-
ing antagonists with history, personality, goals, and desires.
Cameo Appearance. Chance encounters happen as part of
the adventuring experience. The one-shot conflict occurs at
any time, in any environment. The heroes surprise one of the
Shadow Thieves in the middle of an assassination attempt, or
they meet a Red Wizard while negotiating the sale of a magic
item they salvaged from a dungeon. In these instances, the
heroes have no preexisting connection to the antagonist and
will likely never see the villain again.
Recurring Thread. You can give an antagonist long-term
utility. Over the scope of your campaign, build a saga of grand
proportions by having your villain grow as your player charac-
ters do. Your players will love having (and dread meeting) an
antagonist who appears again and again, especially if they
know they’re interfering with that antagonist’s evil plans.
Nemesis. You don’t get anywhere in Faerûn without
making enemies. All successful adventurers risk acquiring a
nemesis. You may wish to draw the recurring antagonist
from one of your heroes’ backgrounds. Villains have parents,
possibly siblings, friends, lovers and even children of their
own. Did one of your heroes know the antagonist many years
ago? If the two actually know one another, have developed a
history between them, or have something in common, then
you have the makings for a truly dramatic encounter.
Mastermind. Build the story up as the characters advance in
level. You can add an epic feel to your campaign by having your
heroes face the mastermind’s minions early in their careers. They
can then face increasingly dangerous followers as they become
stronger, until finally they meet the mastermind himself.
The rest of this introduction explains how the information
in each organization is arranged.
Secrecy: Classification of the level of secrecy of the group,
as described below.
Symbol: A description of the symbol or symbols used by the
organization.
Hierarchy: The way an organization is structured falls into
one of four general categories.
Loose: In this type of organization, the only constant is
change. Leaders come and go as easily as the weather changes.
Something other than a charismatic leader keeps this group
working as a unit. Perhaps the members all worship the same
deity, or all share a hatred of one race. Members know their
leaders, openly welcome recruits, and usually rely on brawn
rather than brain and on passion rather than premeditation.
Militaristic: This type of organization maintains a strict hier-
archy. Orders come down from the top. Members obey their supe-
riors. Lawful evil groups often use this model for their hierarchy.
The leader could be an individual or a committee, but the highest
level of authority remains isolated from the lesser members.
Segmented: This type of hierarchy has pods or branches
that function independently of one another. Sometimes these
branches serve redundant purposes, but don’t know about
each other. Other times, the branches may complement one
another and work together closely. Only the highest levels of
the hierarchy know the whole structure. They create hidden
subsidiaries to protect their assets in times of trouble, to di-
versify their contacts, and to maintain their secrecy.
Webbed: A webbed hierarchy has cells connected by a
single linking thread. A cell could be an individual or a small
group. Members know only other members with whom they
have direct contact. These organizations don’t have a clearly
traceable hierarchy. They’re layered in deep secrecy, and even
those in the highest level of the organization don’t know all
their agents.
Secrecy: Since most of these organizations cannot operate
in the public eye without fear of reprisal, they adopt one of
four levels of secrecy.
High: Members know only their immediate superiors, un-
derlings, and others they work with frequently. Information
is passed through intermediaries and is often in code. Only
those at the highest levels of authority know the true agenda
of the group, and if multiple people are at this level, they all
may have their own secret agenda. Members communicate
with outsiders via disguises, aliases, and anonymous messages.
Medium: Members know their superiors and inferiors, one
step up and down the chain of command. Mid-level agents are
usually informed of major plans, or at least how their role af-
fects the plan. Few members are open about their affiliation,
and the lowest-level agents may be unaware that they work for
the organization at all.
Low: Members of the organization know most of the other
members, particularly the leaders. Some effort is made to con-
ceal the identity of important individuals from the common
folk. Outsiders know the affiliation of many members, and
some flaunt their relationship and status with the group.
None: The group works entirely in the open and makes
no efforts to conceal its agenda, headquarters, or operatives.
Members are easily recognized, and most people are familiar
with the nature of the organization and its ultimate goals.
Motivation and Goals: This section describes the motives
Brief History
The organizations discussed have long histories, sweeping stories
of intrigue, backstabbing, and carefully planned political coups
that can (and have) filled novels in their detail. This text is an
overview of these histories, which can be embellished as required.
The Organization
This text gives statistical information on the organization at a
glance. In some cases the statistics reflect a specific subgroup
rather than the entire organization, as noted.
Headquarters: The location of the agency’s headquarters, if any.
Members: The group’s approximate population throughout
the whole of Faerûn.
Hierarchy: Classification of the general nature of the hier-
archy, which determines various factors as described below.
Leader: The name and title of the leader or leaders.
Religion: The deity or deities commonly worshiped by the
members of the organization, if any.
Alignment: The overall alignment of the organiza-
tionæwhich does not necessarily apply to all members within
the organization. If multiple alignments are given, the first is
the most common, with the rest listed in decreasing order.
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Introduction
and objectives of the organization, along with the typical ac-
tivities used to achieve these goals.
Recruiting: Every organization has its own views on gaining
new members and its own methods for doing so. Some groups
don’t actively recruit but acquire members who want to belong.
Others send their members out into the world to coerce, con-
vince, or capture their newest cohorts. Some organizations use
the term “recruit” loosely, when they really mean “enslave.” This
section describes how the organization approaches recruiting.
Allies: A description of famous individuals, groups, faiths,
or creatures that commonly associate with the organization.
Enemies: Famous individuals, organizations, or faiths that
frequently oppose the group.
does not include bonus equipment for a character having a pre-
ferred class for his or her home region.
Special Items and Supernatural Abilities: Any extraordi-
nary magic items or powers available to members of the group.
NPCs and prestige classes
Some of the organization descriptions include statistics for non-
player characters associated with that organization. In addition,
some of the entries include new prestige classes—the Spur Lord
(church of Cyric), the darkmask (drow), the Thayan knight
(Red Wizards of Thay), the Zhentarim skymage (the Zhen-
tarim), and the entropist (House Karanok).
The sample NPC tables cover character levels 1st–10th. NPCs
above 10th level tend to be unique individuals requiring custom
attention, and should be created by you with that in mind. You can
use the sample NPCs as a baseline or guide for creating higher-
level characters. Because the sample encounters at high En-
counter Levels use NPCs above 10th level, you will need to create
these higher-level characters before you can use those encounters.
Also, three prominent nonplayer characters are highlighted
in “NPC Gallery” sidebars. You’ll get more information about
Artemis Entreri and Sememmon (both originally described in
the F ORGOTTEN R EALMS Campaign Setting ) as well as full sta-
tistics and a detailed description of the fearsome lich Larloch.
Encounters
In this section, you’ll discover the tools needed to incorporate vil-
lainous agents from the organization in your campaign. These
tools may include a description of a typical group of travelers, a
breakdown of NPC classes and levels for a series of encounter
levels, a prestige class, common magical abilities held by mem-
bers, and the strengths and weaknesses of the group in question.
The major organizations have delineated sections as follows.
Sample Groups: A breakdown of encounters by EL.
Combat and Tactics: Notes on specific strategies and ten-
dencies of the organization’s members in combat.
Strengths and Weaknesses: The organization’s greatest
assets and shortcomings.
Weapons and Equipment: Some organizations equip their
followers with specific items or provide greater support for
their missions. This section lists items common to the group in
question and gives equipment and feats possessed by typical
members of the organization. Unless otherwise specified, it
Sample Location
For each of the major organizations and some of the minor
ones, a sample location such as a base or lair is presented with
information on its inhabitants and its role in the greater or-
ganization. Unique or important creatures and characters at
this location are presented with full statistics blocks.
Creatures from Monsters of Faerûn
Some of the organizations presented in this book use mon-
sters from Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn as
allies, slaves, or servants. If you do not have that book, you
might want to substitute those monsters with an alterna-
tive creature from the Monster Manual . The following is a
list of these creatures, each paired with a creature or crea-
tures from the Monster Manual that can be used as a sub-
stitute.
Deep dragon
Black dragon
Draegloth
Half-fiendish drow
Dread warrior
Ghast
Fey’ri
Standard tiefling
Ghaunadan
Doppelganger
Hairy spider
Tiny monstrous spider
Myrlochar
Fiendish Large monstrous spider
Night hunter bat
Darkmantle
Phaerimm
Ravid with sorcerer levels
Monsters of Faerûn
Monster Manual
Quaggoth
Ogre
Abishai
Osyluth, erinyes, or barbazu
Revenant
Vampire spawn
Alhoon
Mind flayer with lich template
Shadow dragon
Blue dragon
Banedead
Ghast
Sharn
Chaos beast with cleric and
sorcerer levels
Baneguard
Allip or ghast
Banelar
Dark naga
Sword spider
Large monstrous spider
Beast of Xvim (Bane)
Fiendish template
Werebat
Werebear
Beholder mage
Beholder with wizard levels
Wereshark
Huge shark
Beholderkin, eyeball
Standard familiar
Yochlol
Fiendish gray ooze or
fiendish doppelganger
Beholderkin, gouger
Beholder
Bonebat (deep bat)
Dire bat
Yuan-ti tainted one
Lizardfolk
Black unicorn
Fiendish unicorn
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