Talk:Gromph Baenre

Can it be said that Gromph is the most powerful magic user in all the realms?

Elminster, despite the fact that he is considerably older, seems not only unfocused but also occasionally impotent (See Elminster at the Magefair almost losing to a lich, Raerlin, of middling power). He also has fewer magical items than Gromph (although, of course, this is not an indicator of his power/knowledge).

Khelben Arunsun (obviously, recently deceased) seems assuredly lacking in power at several points during the novel Blackstaff (eg when surprised and defeated by a magical item of high but not exceeding power in the hands of the human Raegar).

The lichdrow, while almost indisputably Gromph's superior in terms of power and of arcane knowledge, is recently deceased by Gromph's hand. Thus, only Gromph seems to be a possibility as the most powerful magic user. Comments?
 * We should just avoid trying to name the most powerful mage altogether - that's what the wizards boards are for :P (oh the plenty of "If Drizzt and Elminster ever got in a fight who would win???" threads...). Characters are as powerful/weak as the authors make them. Zerak talk 22:22, 27 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Besides, Ioulaum or Larloch would whoop poor Gromph any day of the week :p (Sorry, couldn't resist :o) ) Zerak talk 22:45, 27 May 2007 (UTC)

Gromph is Chaotic Evil? Where's the source for that? Having read all the literature in which he makes an appearance (to my knowledge) I would call him Neutral Evil, like most of Drow society. Recall in Book 1 of the War of the Spider Queen when Quenthel was being influenced by a demon that Gromph summoned and it was filling her mind with macabre images and plans to murder everyone for the sheer thrill of it? That's Chaotic Evil. That's not drow society. -Wychlorne (Didn't log in)
 * I'm not sure about Gromph in particular but quite a few drow are chaotic evil, as official sourcebooks list them. Also, chaotic evil is more than mindless slaughter. If that were the case thanneither Cyric, who's one of the more devious gods around, or Obould, whose built an organized, structured empire out of the scattered orc tribes, wouldn't be chaotic evil. Look up the definition of chaotic evil again.
 * That said, a source for Gromph's alignment would be nice, so if anyone can list it since it appears to be in dispute, that would be great. Niirfa-sa 00:14, 10 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Drizzt Do'urden's Guide to the Underdark lists Gromph as Chaotic Evil. (Bloodtide 12:20, 10 December 2008 (UTC))


 * Drow, by their very nature, are Chaotic Evil. They exist in chaos, fighting amongst themselves as much, if not more, than with those around them.  That being said, Gromph is indeed a powerful archmage.  He is not, however, even remotely close to the caliber of dozens of other mages in the Realms.  This is going by 2nd edition references such as Lands of Intrigue, Villan's Lorebook, Dreams of the Red Wizards, The Land of Fate boxed set, and many others too numerous to list.  Mages such as Shoon, Elminster, Szass Tam, Rhanghuan, Shangalar the Black, Kartak Spellseer, Priamon "Frostrune" Rakesk, Shyressa, Jalynfein "The Spider Mage", The Simbul, Alustriel Silverhand, Larloch, Halaster Blackcloak, and a hundred others would be much closer to that title than Gromph Baenre.

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Is it really Gromph? I thought the guy on the cover of the first WotSQ novel should be Pharaun. Would also make more sense, because he is one of the main characters and on all of the other five novels is also one of the group searching for the Spider Queen.Historicus 14:43, 10 March 2009 (UTC)