Tahazzar is a demon found in Watcher's Keep - Tahazzar (AR3012) area.
Gameplay[]
Tahazzar speaks[]
This Tanar'ri demon, configured as a sort of Balor demon will initiate dialogue as soon as the party transitions via a portal into his chamber.
If the demon detects that the player1 (usually the protagonist) is a Paladin, or a Cleric, or is of Lawful Good alignment, then hostilities will commence almost immediately when the demon finishes its line:
- What are thee, mortal? Another crusader sucked into this dire prison along with the tanar'ri? Bah! Die, mortal, and be grateful!
If not, then the demon will say:
- What are thee, mortal? Another fleshling drawn from the planes into this prison of the tanar'ri? Mmmm... I do not smell the Blood War on thee, mortal. Speak quickly or suffer our wrath!
The party may now select a dialogue reply. If the party wishes it can easily shut down any further exchange by choosing the hostile obvious reply. However, if the party asks about the demon's reference to the Blood War, then more info can be gained, and the demon will give some background about their situation.
If the player1 is of Chaotic Good, Neutral Good, or Lawful Neutral alignment - just as the demon appears to be asking for some kind of favor or to make a bargain, it'll say:
- But the baatezu be strong indeed... it has been a challenge to... hmmm. Perhaps thou, mortal, might... nay. Nay, thou hast the stench of order and good on thee. Best to kill thee now and be done with it.
And hostilities will begin.
On the other hand, if player1 isn't good aligned or lawful neutral, Tahazzar will say:
- But the baatezu be strong indeed... it has been a challenge to... hmmm. Perhaps thou, mortal, might play a part in this. Dispatch the hated baatezu, Ka'rashur, and I would reward thee handsomely.
If the party declines, then hostilities ensue. Or the party may inquire about any reward, and the demon will say:
- Thou striketh me as the sort who appreciates baubles with mystic dweomers. I could summon such an item for thee, and thou wouldst have the gratitude of the tanar'ri. No small thing, that.
If the party agrees to do the task, then the player's Journal will receive a new quest entry titled The Blood War. See that page for further information.
Tahazzar and demons are hostile[]
If hostilities break out, then expect this Balor to cast several spells, depending on how quickly it is engaged. As long as Tahazzar is still functioning it can cast spells from its scripted arsenal of magic. See the InfoBox for a summary.
Going into melee combat with the demon can be hazardous, as it has a modest chance of striking a Kill target vorpal blow that will destroy the target (if gore is enabled in the player's game options it will "chunk" the character's body - no resurrection is possible).
If the party's level is at least 16, or if 18, then Tahaaar can create several more tanar'ri allies including Maurezhi or another Glabrezu allies, but not if the player has their game difficulty selection below "Core".
When the demon is slain, the party can retrieve two items from its twitching body, one of which is needed to complete the Scepter of Radiance.
Notes[]
If somehow (it is possible) the party has first encountered Ka'rashur before Tahazzar, then a new dynamic will present in dialogue options. For instance, the party may already possess Ka'rashur's Heart. Or the party already made a deal with the Baatezu to obtain Tahazzar's heart, and therefor already has an entry in The Blood War quest. These divergent paths are anticipated and dialogue options to further the story are present in the game.
Gallery[]
Mod content[]
This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.
The Sword Coast Stratagems mod revises Tahazzar, especially with the "Improved Fiends and Celestials" component. The demon is now a level 24/24/24 Hit dice creature and casts all spells at those levels. A revised AI script is installed with completely changed smarter and adaptive tactical behavior in combat.
A revised repertoire of Innate, Wizard and Cleric spells is substituted for use, including: Fire Storm, Breach, Symbol, Death (wizard), Symbol, Stun (wizard), innate Teleport Without Error, Implosion, innate Remove Magic, innate Stoneskin, and Domination (Innate).
These spells are ForceCast and generally aren't interruptible and almost instantly deployed. Some of these spells are cast "at will" and are launched when certain targeting criteria are met. Implosion and Firestorm are only useable once per rest.
As a Balor, Tahazzar will be wreathed in continuous Aura of Flaming Death. Additionally, the demon has two weapons, the vorpal attack slashing flaming sword, and a +5 enchanted flail whip in the shield hand. The whip will strike once per round and can instill some negative status effects. SCS makes these demon attacks respond to weapon proficiency skills, and Tahazzar has five pips in both weapons he wields (similar to a long sword and a flail - think "Balrog" from the Lord of the Rings). The end result is more attacks per round, better THAC0 and damage.
With the SCS mod, it also changes the "automatic kill" dynamic of the demon's vorpal hit, and now allows a saving throw vs. Death at -4 penalty to negate.
And finally, Balors with SCS get a +2-movement modifier as well as additional immunities to several spells, and status effects.
Mod gallery[]
- Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
External Links[]
- Tahazzar on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.