Has anyone used Darklings in their games?

[shadowkat678]

So I found Darklings in Volo's guide, and they look pretty interesting. However, when I tried to search up some ideas on how to use them, it seems like there's nothing on the web. I was thinking of having a small group living in Neverwinter's sewers and working as skilled rogues, since it mentioned in their entry that they often live underneath cities of other races. Was also thinking of changing their stats up a bit as well to make them a bit more impressive.

Honestly, there seems to be some real potential here, but I'm not really sure to start, and again, I can't find anything to use as a jumping off point. Anyone ever used these guys as NPCs? How did you play them?

[CaptainSarathai]

I am using them in my Arthurian campaign alongside the Drow. It seems what they're really best for, just treat them like weird Drow. Their ability to cast Darkness is really useful. I kind of use them as cursed footsoldiers, advancing with the Drow to maintain a cover of Darkness, and when they die they'll explode.
When you describe these weird-looking Elves/Drow coming at the party the first time, they just sort of shrug and decide to figure it out when they get there. Then they shank one and suddenly there's an explosion. Changes the fight immediately. They're hard to kill at range, under cover of Darkness and it's hard to want to stab a bomb in melee.

[shadowkat678]

I am using them in my Arthurian campaign alongside the Drow. It seems what they're really best for, just treat them like weird Drow. Their ability to cast Darkness is really useful. I kind of use them as cursed footsoldiers, advancing with the Drow to maintain a cover of Darkness, and when they die they'll explode.
When you describe these weird-looking Elves/Drow coming at the party the first time, they just sort of shrug and decide to figure it out when they get there. Then they shank one and suddenly there's an explosion. Changes the fight immediately. They're hard to kill at range, under cover of Darkness and it's hard to want to stab a bomb in melee.


The only thing is the reason I found them interesting is because of how similar AND different they are from Drow. They're not evil. They appreciate beauty, even risking harm to sneak a peek at the sunrise as it says in Volo's guide. I'm actually dealing with Drow as villains in my game right now, and I thought they would be cool to sneak in and see how the party reacted with their assumptions. It's the RP elements that I'd like to flesh out more.

[Armored Walrus]

If you consider published modules for inspiration, there are darklings in the Barber of Silverymoon (http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/dragon/DRA12_barbersilverymoon_jbt.pdf).

Edit: Although looking at it, they are a pretty thin slice of the plot, really just an afterthought to get another Volo creature in the adventure.

[Emay Ecks]

I have a homebrew campaign setting where the fey are draining the life from the material world to protect the Feywilds from an outside threat. In my setting I use darklings as a sort of underground resistance movement who work with the party to try to save the material plane. They do this indirectly by stealing, smuggling, and information gathering (they've offered to assassinate people, but the party is mostly good-aligned) for the players (but only after being sufficiently paid, exclusively in the form of beautiful gems). They live in sewers or abandoned buildings in cities.

The party actually met them because they were tasked by a painter to recover his stolen art. After venturing into the local sewers they stumbled across hidden messages in Sylvan (which I had the darklings use like a thieves' cant) which led them to a hideout decked out in fine paintings, statues, pottery, and jewelry juxtaposed next to very modest beds, tables and food. Since the party wasn't hostile the darkling elder agreed to give them the paintings in exchange for twice their worth in gems. The party was infatuated with them because the encounter started by the darklings only attacking the party's torch. So they help the party out from time to time in less than legal ways.

I really like using them, and I think they need a little more love.

[bronzemountain]

I'm intending to use Darklings (and reskinning other things into Darklings) as minions of a dark Archfey - an entire race cursed and forced to serve her. I like the tragedy in the race, and they fit really well as dark fairy tale villains.

[shadowkat678]

I'm intending to use Darklings (and reskinning other things into Darklings) as minions of a dark Archfey - an entire race cursed and forced to serve her. I like the tragedy in the race, and they fit really well as dark fairy tale villains.

Sounds interesting. Kinda like the idea of another entity adopting the race after they were cursed and disowned by their previous patron.