PC Homebrew: 5E Ravenloft ... becoming a darklord?

[Necrosnoop110]

Ok, I am in a standard 5E Curse of Strahd campaign. The DM is interested in taking the campaign beyond 10th but wants my character, a Vengeance Paladin to become a dark lord by the end of the Curse of Strahd campaign. And wants my character to then become a NPC "big bad" for at least part of the levels beyond 10th. We are looking for a big way for my PC to become the villain. Looking for a really compelling reason that the party and my character would become strongly opposed - after the CoS module ends.

Any interesting suggestions or ideas?

PS - Are there rules anywhere on how one becomes a darklord?

[MutantDragon]

I highly recommend looking into Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. It includes a lot of material that could help you with what you're looking for. Now, to summarize how you become a darklord, you basically have to be a thoroughly evil being and attract the attention of some vague, godlike beings. They then snatch you up and stick you into a world you have some degree of power and control over but you can never leave. It's also designed to torture you for all eternity. A darklord can never die, and whatever it is they truly desire will always be held just out of reach, sometimes dangled right in front of them, only to be snatched away. So, that's the gist of being a darklord. Now, as for how your fall comes about, it would be practically impossible to offer useful advice without knowing more about your character.

[Damon_Tor]

Barovia is Strahd's prison, nobody else's. Anyone else becoming the Darklord of that particular plane would be temporary. I kind of like the idea of that scenario though, the paladin getting all paranoid that Strahd would return and becoming a tyrant as he's driven mad by the stress of it.

Somebody becoming a Darklord of their own plane would be a whole other thing. You've got to already be a super-villain.

[Necrosnoop110]

Somebody becoming a Darklord of their own plane would be a whole other thing. You've got to already be a super-villain.
That was the idea. Not to take Strahd's domain but to branch out.

[Necrosnoop110]

Now, as for how your fall comes about, it would be practically impossible to offer useful advice without knowing more about your character.

Hobgoblin warlord. Led a small band of hobgoblins to find an artifact to use against the opposition. Got double crossed. Another hobgoblin sent him on a wild goose chase, cut him loose, and took over the tribe. I drifted into Ravenloft seeking the artifact. Steadily becoming more and more evil. Working with PCs because he wants revenge on hobgoblin who betrayed him and needs to get out. Over time warming up to the idea of conquering these lands instead. Bonded with evil full plate artifact.

Thanks for the reply and any questions that would help with ideas, hit me up.

[MutantDragon]

Hobgoblin warlord. Led a small band of hobgoblins to find an artifact to use against the opposition. Got double crossed. Another hobgoblin sent him on a wild goose chase, cut him loose, and took over the tribe. I drifted into Ravenloft seeking the artifact. Steadily becoming more and more evil. Working with PCs because he wants revenge on hobgoblin who betrayed him and needs to get out. Over time warming up to the idea of conquering these lands instead. Bonded with evil full plate artifact.

Thanks for the reply and any questions that would help with ideas, hit me up.

Interesting. Maybe your DM could set things up so that the dark powers who control the various realms of Ravenloft and imprison the dark lords for their amusement could arrange for a certain tribe of hobgoblins to wander into the mists and appear before your character, who goes full Anakin Skywalker mode and kills everyone, thus completing his fall and being the "big event" that gets him trapped in Ravenloft as a dark lord. This hobgoblin tribe could also be related to his torment, with the artifact possibly factoring into either phase, as you and your DM see fit. Just spitballing here, but if I have any more ideas, I'll let you know.

[MutantDragon]

Another option is causing similar amounts of death and suffering retrieving the artifact at the end of the campaign, immediately becoming a dark lord, and having a massively powerful evil artifact for the party to contend with.