Welcome to Wonderful World of Darklords! In this, our FIFTIETH EPISODE(!), Robin LaGrave joins us to discuss the Disney/gaming crossover that predates ours by twenty years: Kingdom Hearts. Its world-hopping structure lends itself beautifully to a domain-hopping Ravenloft game, but can the notoriously complicated backstory of its villain do the same? Topics discussed include: --Why we're primarily sticking to the first Kingdom Hearts game, and the alternate Ansem backstory from former cohost Matt Graydon that maintains the essence of the character while beautifully streamlining the plot; --Why the Dark Powers might secretly be championing the power of friendship; --How to incorporate Keyblades into your game without signifying that a single member of your party is the protagonist of the entire campaign; --Canonical Ravenloft NPCs that can serve as Ansem, Mickey/Donald/Goofy. and the Princesses of Heart, as well as ideas for alternate domain-spanning master plans, if you want to use the structure of Kingdom Hearts for a straightforward Ravenloft game; --And more! The full write-up for Hollow Bastion is available for free on DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/583023/Kingdom-of-Misty-Hearts-A-Ravenloft-Domain-of-Dread?preview=1 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Introduction 8:04 The Lord 49:45 The Land 1:00:59 Dread Possibilities 1:54:03 Parting thoughts 2:28:23 D’s Parting Thoughts Content Advisory for D's Journal (details on content advisories can be found on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-128061331?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link, on Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/wonderfulworldofdarklords/782533621911322624/introducing-content-warnings-for-ds-journal?source=share, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid037sb7hNXRaRMpyamiLiB4EYFfnqmpeGBX3DdS2gzPtUq3EooecwHAgwQVk73cbFMl&id=100083262132645) Possession (major), abandonment (major), parentification (major), caregiver burnout (major) Episode Zero of Robin's podcast, D-Pad Darklords, is LIVE! https://open.spotify.com/show/2Lefh5WhCxtREXJDZaC94s All music recordings e are licensed through https://musopen.org: Chopin Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.1 (main theme), performed by Eduardo Vinuela (public domain mark 1.0) Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in C Minor: “Ocean” (darklord theme), performed by Edward Neeman (public domain mark 1.0) Chopin Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1 (land theme), performed by Luke Faulkner (public domain mark 1.0) Rachmaninoff Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3 - 2. Prélude in C sharp minor (Dread Possibilities), performed by Sergei Rachmaninoff (public domain mark 1.0) Chopin Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1 (parting thoughts), performed by Luke Faulkner (public domain mark 1.0) Draeseke Agnus Dei and Requiem Aeternam (Maul's theme), unknown performers (Creative Commons attribution 3.0) Dialog for Yensid was written by Azalin Rex himself: http://www.tumblr.com/darklordazalin The Wonderful World of Darklords logo was designed by Halite Jones, whom you can find on Tumblr and Instagram: https://www.tumblr.com/halite-jones and http://www.instagram.com/insta_halite Contact us on: Gmail: wonderfulworldofdarklords@gmail.com Facebook: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Tumblr: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Patreon: www.patreon.com/WonderfulWorldofDarklords YouTube: @wonderfulworldofdarklord
The dead speak! A Sith cult within the Unknown Regions has heard a mysterious whispering in their minds, a threat of REVENGE in the sinister voice of the late EMPEROR PALPATINE. Meanwhile, the brave RESISTANCE dispatches secret agents to gather intelligence, training for battle against the diabolical FIRST ORDER. Supreme Leader KYLO REN builds his army and rages against the Resistance, determined to destroy any threat to his power... Look, say what you will about the sequel trilogy (just do it somewhere other than here), but one thing is indisputable: Kylo Ren is grade-A darklord material. Topics discussed include: --How we managed to have Kylo Ren in this timeline, seeing as how we killed off Luke and Leia in utero; --Why the first hour or so of The Force Awakens is the most dramatically interesting time for this setting, offering plenty of story opportunities other than "hey look, it's the Empire but not as cool"; --Hidden Sith cults, secret treasures, magic knives, and other things that make Rise of Skywalker a D&D McGuffin hunt; --An AU that allows you to make Sidious the darklord of the entire Stellar Archipelago; --and more! The full write-up for the Unknown Regions is available for free on DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/579535/a-ravenloft-far-far-away-supreme-leader-reylo?preview=1 Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 16:26 The Lord 47:04 The Land 1:10:28 Dread Possibilities 1:43:06 Parting thoughts 2:03:43 D’s Parting Thoughts All music recordings are in the public domain (mark 1.0) and are licensed through https://musopen.org: Chopin Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.1 (main theme), performed by Eduardo Vinuela Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in C Minor: “Ocean” (darklord theme), performed by Edward Neeman Chopin Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1 (land theme), performed by Luke Faulkner Rachmaninoff Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3 - 2. Prélude in C sharp minor (Dread Possibilities), performed by Sergei Rachmaninoff Chopin Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1 (parting thoughts), performed by Luke Faulkner Draeseke Agnus Dei and Requiem Aeternam (Maul's theme), unknown performers (Creative Commons attribution 3.0) Dialog for Yensid was written by Azalin Rex himself: http://www.tumblr.com/darklordazalin The Wonderful World of Darklords logo was designed by Halite Jones, whom you can find on Tumblr and Instagram: https://www.tumblr.com/halite-jones and http://www.instagram.com/insta_halite Contact us on: Gmail: wonderfulworldofdarklords@gmail.com Facebook: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Tumblr: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Patreon: www.patreon.com/WonderfulWorldofDarklords YouTube: @wonderfulworldofdarklord
Death and destruction! Maul, along with whatever poor saps he's drawn into his ruinous orbit, spreads chaos as he descends upon the Outer Rim. After clawing his way back from the grave, Maul murders and pillages at every turn. Fueled by rage and vengeance, he searches for meaning among warring crime syndicates as rumors of his brutal attacks spread across the archipelago... Look, guys, the Phantom Menace opening crawl was no help at all and Maul: Shadow Lord doesn't have any opening narration. Thank the Force for Clone Wars newsreels! Topics discussed include: --A quick summary of Maul's whole deal for those of you who have only seen the movies and don't want to watch twelve hours of cartoons (Rachel sees and validates you); --What makes Maul unique among our Star Wars darklords, from his political status (or lack thereof) to the way he closes the borders; --The glorious potential of a domain that combines the Wire with the wild west, and also lightsabers; --Why this is one of the domains where your PCs can have the biggest impact, for better or worse; and more! The full write-up for the Outer Rim is available for free on DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/572307/a-ravenloft-far-far-away-malice-the-shadow-lord?preview=1 Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 10:29 The Lord 46:04 The Land 1:09:35 Dread Possibilities 1:38:18 Parting thoughts 1:53:47 D’s Parting Thoughts Content Advisory for D's Journal (details on content advisories can be found on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-128061331?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link, on Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/wonderfulworldofdarklords/782533621911322624/introducing-content-warnings-for-ds-journal?source=share, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid037sb7hNXRaRMpyamiLiB4EYFfnqmpeGBX3DdS2gzPtUq3EooecwHAgwQVk73cbFMl&id=100083262132645) Abusive relationship (major), spiders (moderate) All music recordings are in the public domain (mark 1.0) and are licensed through https://musopen.org: Chopin Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.1 (main theme), performed by Eduardo Vinuela Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in C Minor: “Ocean” (darklord theme), performed by Edward Neeman Chopin Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1 (land theme), performed by Luke Faulkner Rachmaninoff Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3 - 2. Prélude in C sharp minor (Dread Possibilities), performed by Sergei Rachmaninoff Chopin Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1 (parting thoughts), performed by Luke Faulkner Granados Twelve Spanish Dances, Op. 37, II. - Oriental (postscript), performed by Monica Alianello Dialog for Yensid was written by Azalin Rex himself: http://www.tumblr.com/darklordazalin The Wonderful World of Darklords logo was designed by Halite Jones, whom you can find on Tumblr and Instagram: https://www.tumblr.com/halite-jones and http://www.instagram.com/insta_halite Contact us on: Gmail: wonderfulworldofdarklords@gmail.com Facebook: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Tumblr: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Patreon: www.patreon.com/WonderfulWorldofDarklords YouTube: @wonderfulworldofdarklord
The PCs have traveled to another region of the Stellar Archipelago in an attempt to rescue its people from the clutches of the vile archdevil Sidious.. Little do the PCs know that the IMPERIUM has secretly begun construction on a new floating fortress, the dreaded BLACK CITADEL. When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of heavily armed transients struggling to restore freedom to the domain... It's the man himself: DARTH VADER! Topics discussed include: --How to adapt the most iconic villain and the most iconic setting in all of Star Wars into D&D terms so that your players don't wonder why they aren't just playing Star Wars; --The perfect stat block for Vader, and how that led to one of our biggest scifi-to-fantasy changes to the source material; --Some of the iconic NPCs of this period, both villainous and heroic, and the role they can play in a Star Wars Ravenloft game; --The scariest fantasy horror version of the Death Star we could come up with, complete with a fate worse than death for the Jedi; --And more! The full write-up for the Imperium is available for free on DM's Guild: dmsguild.com/en/product/567128/A-Ravenloft-Far-Far-Away--Count-Drakul?preview=1 Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 12:03 The Lord 40:12 The Land 1:17:42 Dread Possibilities 1:45:34 Parting thoughts 2:05:09 D’s Parting Thoughts Content Advisory for D's Journal (details on content advisories can be found on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-128061331?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link, on Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/wonderfulworldofdarklords/782533621911322624/introducing-content-warnings-for-ds-journal?source=share, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid037sb7hNXRaRMpyamiLiB4EYFfnqmpeGBX3DdS2gzPtUq3EooecwHAgwQVk73cbFMl&id=100083262132645) Slavery (major), incarceration (major), vomit (moderate) All music recordings are in the public domain (mark 1.0) and are licensed through https://musopen.org: Chopin Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.1 (main theme), performed by Eduardo Vinuela Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in C Minor: “Ocean” (darklord theme), performed by Edward Neeman Chopin Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1 (land theme), performed by Luke Faulkner Rachmaninoff Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3 - 2. Prélude in C sharp minor (Dread Possibilities), performed by Sergei Rachmaninoff Chopin Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1 (parting thoughts), performed by Luke Faulkner Dialog for Yensid was written by Azalin Rex himself: http://www.tumblr.com/darklordazalin The Wonderful World of Darklords logo was designed by Halite Jones, whom you can find on Tumblr and Instagram: https://www.tumblr.com/halite-jones and http://www.instagram.com/insta_halite Contact us on: Gmail: wonderfulworldofdarklords@gmail.com Facebook: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Tumblr: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Patreon: www.patreon.com/WonderfulWorldofDarklords YouTube: @wonderfulworldofdarklord
War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless darklord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere. (You know, because it's Ravenloft.) In a stunning move, Count Dooku has delved into the secret archives of the heretical Sith and summoned Sidious, the archdevil at the heart of their cult. As Dooku and his fiendish patron play both sides of the war against one another, a group of heavily armed transients must decide how best to tip the scales... Yes, we are kicking off Star Wars Summer with COUNT DOOKU! Topics discussed include: --The animated shorts you need to watch if you have no idea why we thought Sneery McSneers-A-Lot would make for a compelling darklord, and a summary of them if you don't have time to check them out; --The D&D versions of the droid and clone armies (no, the clones don't involve the clone spell, although we did think about it); --An AU if you would rather make Dooku the center of a paranoid political conspiracy thriller than a war story; --Our greatest challenge yet for incorporating the older material; --and more! The full write-up for the Midrim is available for free on DM's Guild: dmsguild.com/en/product/567128/A-Ravenloft-Far-Far-Away--Count-Drakul?preview=1 Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 8:17 The Lord 37:44 The Land 56:13 Dread Possibilities 1:19:21 Parting thoughts 1:35:51 D’s Parting Thoughts Content Advisory for D's Journal (details on content advisories can be found on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/introducing-128061331?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link, on Tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/wonderfulworldofdarklords/782533621911322624/introducing-content-warnings-for-ds-journal?source=share, or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid037sb7hNXRaRMpyamiLiB4EYFfnqmpeGBX3DdS2gzPtUq3EooecwHAgwQVk73cbFMl&id=100083262132645) Death (minor), slavery (minor) All music recordings are in the public domain (mark 1.0) and are licensed through https://musopen.org: Chopin Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.1 (main theme), performed by Eduardo Vinuela Chopin Etude Op. 25, No. 12 in C Minor: “Ocean” (darklord theme), performed by Edward Neeman Chopin Nocturne in F Minor, Op. 55 No. 1 (land theme), performed by Luke Faulkner Rachmaninoff Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3 - 2. Prélude in C sharp minor (Dread Possibilities), performed by Sergei Rachmaninoff Chopin Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72 No. 1 (parting thoughts), performed by Luke Faulkner Dialog for Yensid was written by Azalin Rex himself: http://www.tumblr.com/darklordazalin The Wonderful World of Darklords logo was designed by Halite Jones, whom you can find on Tumblr and Instagram: https://www.tumblr.com/halite-jones and http://www.instagram.com/insta_halite Contact us on: Gmail: wonderfulworldofdarklords@gmail.com Facebook: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Tumblr: @wonderfulworldofdarklords Patreon: www.patreon.com/WonderfulWorldofDarklords YouTube: @wonderfulworldofdarklord