Larloch

[Myth]

So i've been reading up on Larloch's entry in Lords of Darkness (3.0 but at least a full statblock with plenty of room for a DM to add stuff).

For one, he has managed to make himself immune to one spell per level, 1 to 9. Is there any official way of doing that bar the Chosen of Mystra template or "a Wish spell did it"?

He also seems to possess some seriously badass Ioun Stones, are they one of a kind things created for that entry alone, or are they obtainable elsewhere?

Finally, does anyone know what happened to him past the Spellplague? In my Epic campaign where the party is about to go back in time and assassinate Cyric before he can do the same to Mystra, they might need to talk to him. They also might need to talk to him before going back as well. Is there any official info?

[SurlySeraph]

Permanencied (Greater) Spell Immunity, with a semantics-based way of getting around the clause that a creature can have only one spell immunity or greater spell immunity spell in effect on it at a time (such as using Dweomerkeeper to make it a supernatural ability instead of a spell) could do the trick.

Pretty sure the ioun stones are unique, but I haven't read all FR books.

I don't know of any canon on what happened to him post-Spellplague. But since he survived the last two times Mystra died, I don't see why he wouldn't have made it through. Most likely more paranoid and insane than before, with plenty of openings to make edition-change-related jokes if your players are so inclined ("Encounter powers? Skill increases? Bah! In my day, spells were limited and took weeks to prepare! And all we had were non-weapon proficiencies! And we were grateful! Although later in my day, we also had epic spells. Hm, maybe kids these days aren't that entitled.")

[Alleran]

So i've been reading up on Larloch's entry in Lords of Darkness (3.0 but at least a full statblock with plenty of room for a DM to add stuff).
Amusingly, the Larloch in Lords of Darkness is far, far weaker than he should be. According to Ed Greenwood, Larloch is a 46th level lich (on the one time I bothered working out levels, I went with Wizard 20 / Archmage 5 / Arcane Lord 16 / Netherese Arcanist 5) with sixty servitor liches (many of whom are also epic level) and a hive mind thing going on (and Larloch as the “queen bee” - if one of them isn't flat-footed or the like, then none of them are, and so on). Dicefreaks had a pretty good homebrew version of Larloch, but he's less a NPC villain and more a DM beatstick to keep idiot players in line. He accumulated enough power to crack the world in half, has plans so far-reaching that the Chosen of Mystra don't know what they are, has the favour of Mystra because of his works in developing new magic, is allowed to cast 10th level spells (real ones), has all the knowledge of Netheril at his command, still knows how to create artifacts, and many other things that make him beyond even level 30+ epic campaigns.


For one, he has managed to make himself immune to one spell per level, 1 to 9. Is there any official way of doing that bar the Chosen of Mystra template or "a Wish spell did it"?
Permanencied Greater Spell Immunity with Supernatural Spell from Dweomerkeeper assigned to it. Probably with Wish spells included. It's either that or a use of the Ward epic spell speed (and you can Supernatural-Spell that one too).


He also seems to possess some seriously badass Ioun Stones, are they one of a kind things created for that entry alone, or are they obtainable elsewhere?
Created for that entry, as far as I'm aware.


Finally, does anyone know what happened to him past the Spellplague?
WotC has Ed Greenwood under a NDA clause on it, as far as I know – which means that whatever his fate might be, Ed isn't allowed to reveal it (or have it revealed in novels or sourcebooks either). Since I'm not using post-Spellplague stuff (my campaign is sitting in the early stages of 1370 DR, with Shade and the phaerimm and all hell about to break loose), I haven't put much thought into it. One amusing possibility, though, is that Larloch realised what was coming, decided “screw it, I'm out” and bailed to Sigil with some young, impressionable outsider/vampire/lich girls for some serious partying.

[arguskos]

One amusing possibility, though, is that Larloch realised what was coming, decided “screw it, I'm out” and bailed to Sigil with some young, impressionable outsider/vampire/lich girls for some serious partying.
Amusing, but not really his style. More like him to have predicted Cyric's action, and acted to grab Mystra's divine essence once she died, using it to fuel his own magical researches and permit him to breach the edition change (since it would weaken him severely). Much more in character, I'd think.

Larloch is vastly beyond all but the most absurdly epic campaigns though. He exists in a realm of power that few even in the Realms can approach, or want to.

[Myth]

Lol sicking a 46th level Larloch with custom made 10th level spells and Epic Spells, who is still using 3.5 on a bunch of 4E characters...

I know what i'll do on April Fool's day next year :smallbiggrin:

So in essence, Larloch can make Elminster and the Simbul look like kids playing pretend-Harry Potter when compared to him...

Can someone link that Dice Freaks version of him? Also, where can i find Arcane Lord and Netherese Arcanist?

The campaign has started 12 days after the assassination of Mystra, but everyone is still under 3.5, but AFAIK i have to strip the Chsoen templates from Elmo & Co. I also read something on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, how the Zulkirs had a little cage fight, and Ssaz Tam walked out with the champion's belt. Since the Thayans are helping out make those layered Mythals that will send the party back in time to kill Cyric (but in a "ture" way that will affect all of the realities, as opposed to Teleport Trough Time) do we know, 12 days after the start of the Spellplague (so Mirtul the 11th - 1385 DR, the Year of Blue Fire) which Zulkirs are alive and which ones are dead?

[Alleran]

Amusing, but not really his style.
Given everything else that's been ruined, I wouldn't be surprised. And hey, even an immortal lich needs some lovin' every now and again. :smallwink:

It's highly unlikely that he would have taken Mystra's essence, though. He shares a very... interesting... relationship with her, and it has been hinted several times that he was in a much closer relationship with Mystryl than he is even to Mystra - he was (and is) "special" to her in some fashion (and is helping to contain something, on top of his shenanigans with portals throughout Faerun). If he knew about the Sellplague, he'd likely be doing his utmost to stop it rather than take advantage of it.


So in essence, Larloch can make Elminster and the Simbul look like kids playing pretend-Harry Potter when compared to him...
Yes. Very much so. They have a counter in the form of silver fire (which burns through all his magical defenses, wardings and so on if it's used on him - he regrets it in some ways, because as much as he wishes to be like a Chosen, he can't, and nor can he bear to touch silver fire), but it's only a temporary measure, since he'll just come right back. He stomps all over El and the Simbul.

And, as a reference, is in turn stomped by Ioulaum (more or less an undead lich Elder Brain with 61 spellcaster levels or something insane like that...). Of the Netherese survivors, those two reign supreme. Elminster is just a 29th level spellcaster (with Spell Power from his archmage levels) - he's got nothing on them. Not even Telamont Tanthul (35th level spellcaster) can hope to match Larloch or Ioulaum on his best day ever.


Can someone link that Dice Freaks version of him? Also, where can i find Arcane Lord and Netherese Arcanist?
Netherese Arcanist is in the Player's Guide to Faerun. Arcane Lord is in Dragon #297 or thereabouts.

I can't find the Larloch link right now, but off the top of my head he used their homebrew lich progression (with salient lich abilities and so on). Made him scary powerful.


The campaign has started 12 days after the assassination of Mystra, but everyone is still under 3.5, but AFAIK i have to strip the Chsoen templates from Elmo & Co.
Depends on how you want to play the death of Mystra. It's canon in FR that just because a god dies, fragments of their power invested in mortals don't die with them (e.g. Banelichs still kept their power after Bane died). There's also a reference to an optional campaign where Elminster has "absorbed" the remaining silver fire from the Simbul (going off memory here) and added to his own, with the players fighting him.

From that, I would say it is quite reasonable to conclude that the silver fire survives somehow, though it may be locked away and inaccessible to El and the other Chosen because of the screwed-up nature of magic in Realmspace now (just gotta wait for Ao to get back from his picnic with Krynn's High God and set things straight... just gotta wait...). I'm going to ensure that either the Sellplague doesn't happen or my players stop it before it happens (we collectively looked at the new lore and 4E rules, and all decided unanimously that we wanted nothing to do with it at any point ever).


I also read something on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, how the Zulkirs had a little cage fight, and Ssaz Tam walked out with the champion's belt.
Tamm summoned Bane and made a deal that in exchange for telling him everything that Bane knew about the changes to magic, in a thousand years Tamm's soul goes to the big tyrant god, with no ifs, ands or buts about it.


Since the Thayans are helping out make those layered Mythals that will send the party back in time to kill Cyric (but in a "ture" way that will affect all of the realities, as opposed to Teleport Trough Time)
Your players may hate you for it, but an easy way to change history is to pop on over to Krynn, fetch a Kender, then go back in time. :smalltongue:

(EDIT) Other methods include:

- Going to Krynn and studying time travel magic, then using those spells rather than time travel magic that is Faerunian in origin.
- Finding a time portal (there are a few scattered through Faerun). They rely on the Weave, though, so whether they still function post-Sellplague or not is unknown.
- Getting one of Mystra's allies (or former allies, if she's already been ganked) to send you back to fix things (see just below for why this can work now).
- Find a Time Dragon (Dragon #359) and get it to help you.

Also, remember that the restrictions on time travel in Realmspace were imposed by Mystryl, Mystra 1.0 and Mystra 2.0 - this means that there are no longer any rules restricting its use. At all. Her death will have lifted all barriers on travel into and out of Realmspace when you're displaced in time, and also removed restrictions on any Faerunian time travel magic that might exist.


do we know, 12 days after the start of the Spellplague (so Mirtul the 11th - 1385 DR, the Year of Blue Fire) which Zulkirs are alive and which ones are dead?
There's a book/short story dealing with what Szass did. I have boycotted anything to do with FR and the Sellplague, however, so I don't have it (and can't recall the name).

[Aharon]

@Dicefreak Stuff
Honest Curiosity, not criticism:
Does anyone actually play with these rules? Getting through combat rounds is tedious even at 12th-16th level (highest I've ever seriously played), I can't imagine what a slog resolving combats is by the time you hit 30th or higher levels.

(Nor do I understand how any decisive battle takes place at all, with people having access to personal demiplanes, Astral Projections, Gates, Time Stops and all the other stuff).

[Myth]

Hmm.. Do we have any printed info on what a level 10 spell might actually look like? Is it superior or inferior to Epic magic?

Also, what would you pick as the spells to be immune to per level? I'd go with

1. Magic Missile
2. Touch of Idiocy (or if immune to ability drain: Combustion from the SC)
3. Stinking Cloud (or if immune to Fort save effects: Sleet Storm)
4. Enervation (or if immune to level drain: Orb of Fire or Burning blood or Dimensional Anchor)
5. Cloudkill (or if immune to ability drain/fort saves/polymorph: Grimwald's Graymantle, for that time when you shapechange in something wtih great fast healing)
6. Antimagic Field
7. Reverse Gravity
8. Irresistable Dance (or if immune ti mind-affecting: Sunburst)
9. Time Stop