TALES OF THE TAROKKA - The Darklord: Darkon

Enter the unraveling realm of Darkon, a land disintegrating into chaos in the absence of its former darklord. As the encroaching Shroud and the oppressive Kargat sow paranoia and fear, a power vacuum emerges, and the struggle to fill it begins.

In “The Darklord,” several sinister “Inheritors” vie for control, each with their own dark ambitions. A vampiric spymaster weaves webs of intrigue, an invisible aristocrat manipulates from the unseen corners, a sentient pool of blood thirsts for dominion, and a mysterious entity orchestrates events from behind the scenes. The battle for supremacy is a twisted game, and the stakes are nothing less than the soul of Darkon itself.

Journey through haunted landscapes and treacherous streets, where trust is a rare commodity, and terror is a constant companion. Unravel the secrets, confront the contenders, and decide who, if anyone, is worthy to become the new Darklord.

Are you prepared to face the unknown and challenge the forces vying for power? Darkon awaits, a land where nothing is as it seems, and the very fabric of reality is at risk. The time has come to face “The Darklord.”

Unlike most D&D adventures, in which characters of increasing power often face challenges and enemies head on, these stories are best experienced as gauntlets of survival and terror. Consider using the “Survivor” character options presented in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. These ready-to-play archetypes have intentionally limited progression, maxing out at 3rd level with their low power quotient fitting Ravenloft’s themes of gothic survival horror. (Rather than every Apprentice and Disciple having the same spells, you could allow players to choose other spells of the same level—subject to DM’s approval, of course.) Perhaps have each player roll on the “Horror Trinkets” table in Van Richten’s Guide, or on the standard Trinkets table from the Player’s Handbook to add flavor and novelty. Another approach could be to allow players to build standard 1st-level characters but then use Survivor rules for leveling up to 3, allowing them to select from the Survivor traits (but otherwise remain as technically 1st-level characters with respect to hit points, class features and such).

That said, groups interested in more heroic adventure should feel welcome to utilize standard 5th Edition characters in these modules. In such cases, Dungeon Masters will likely need to adjust challenges and threats accordingly, and each entry will offer guidance on that front.

Note that AI images and language models were used in the creation of this product.

These installments are intended to be released individually over time until the series is completed. Please visit our website for future planned offerings: www.talesofthetarokka.com