Mordenkainen (pronounced: /ˈmɔːrdɛnkeɪnɛn/ MOR-den-kay-nen[9] 
listen or: /mɔːrdɛnˈkeɪnɛn/ mor-den-KAY-nen[10] or: /mɔːrdɛnˈkaɪnɛn/ mor-den-KIGH-nen[10]) was a prolific archmage from the world of Oerth who was responsible for many powerful and useful spells.[3]
Description
Mordenkainen with his staff.
While imprisoned in Barovia, his hair and beard were both long, black and peppered with grey streaks. When mad, his eyes crackled with eldritch power.[5]
He later changed his hairstyle, favoring a bald head and a trimmed goatee. His stare was penetrating.[11]
Personality
Typically stubborn and one who did not suffer fools gladly, Mordenkainen could be difficult even with his friends.[5]
While suffering from his madness, he was convinced that enemies were everywhere and he was being constantly watched by evil agents.[5]
Relationships
Mordenkainen was an acquaintance of Elminster Aumar; the two met on numerous occasions at Ed Greenwood's house on Earth to exchange spells and lore.[12]
History
Although Mordenkainen resided primarily on Oerth, by at least the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR, his spells were not uncommon among spellbooks in Faerûn.[3]
Mordenkainen later traveled to Barovia in an attempt to free the local population from its vampire darklord Strahd. However, he underestimated Strahd's power and, after barely surviving a confrontation with him, he lost his spellbook and his staff, eventually losing his memory and being driven to the brink of madness. He became known by the locals as the Mad Mage of Mount Baratok.[5]
In the Year of the Scarlet Witch, 1491 DR, Mordenkainen, still suffering from bouts of madness, was in Waterdeep, where Storm Silverhand and Elminster were helping him to recover from them.[1]
By the Year of Twelve Warnings, 1494 DR,[note 1] Mordenkainen inhabited the Tower of Urm, a dwelling that he used as a vehicle to travel through the multiverse. He occasionally visited Avernus to study the effects of the Nine Hells over the schools of magic and to ensure the balance of the universe.[11]
Rumors and Legends
His toenails appeared to be a venerated item in some places.[13]
Spells
Mordenkainen's spells known in the Realms included:
- Mordenkainen's celerity[14][15]
- Mordenkainen's defense against lycanthropes[14]
- Mordenkainen's defense against nonmagical reptiles and amphibians[14]
- Mordenkainen's disjunction[14]
- Mordenkainen's electric arc[14]
- Mordenkainen's encompassing vision[14]
- Mordenkainen's faithful hound[16]
- Mordenkainen's faithful phantom defenders[14]
- Mordenkainen's faithful phantom guardian[14]
- Mordenkainen's faithful phantom shield-maidens[14]
- Mordenkainen's force missiles[14]
- Mordenkainen's involuntary wizardry[17][14]
- Mordenkainen's lucubration[15]
- Mordenkainen's magnificent mansion[16]
- Mordenkainen's penultimate cogitation[18]
- Mordenkainen's private sanctum[16]
- Mordenkainen's protection from avians[14]
- Mordenkainen's protection from insects and arachnids[14]
- Mordenkainen's protection from slime[14]
- Mordenkainen's sword[16]
Appendix
Notes
- ↑ Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus is set in 1492 DR per the "Baldur's Gate Gazetteer" section (p. 159) and a clarification from the adventure's lead writer. Baldur's Gate III, which is a direct sequel to Descent into Avernus set immediately after its events, is also set in 1492 DR. In an apparent error, pages 7 and 47 of Descent into Avernus describes certain events as occurring "fifty years" after 1444 DR (1494 DR).
Appearances
- Adventures
- Curse of Strahd • Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
- Card Games
- AD&D Trading Cards
- Novels
- Death Masks
External links
Mordenkainen article at the Greyhawk Wiki, a wiki for the Greyhawk campaign setting.
Mordenkainen article at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ed Greenwood (2016-06-07). Death Masks. (Wizards of the Coast). ISBN 0-7869-6593-2.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Andy Collins, Bruce R. Cordell (July 2002). Epic Level Handbook. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 308. ISBN 0-7869-2658-9.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd (1996). Volo's Guide to All Things Magical. (TSR, Inc), p. 109. ISBN 0-7869-0446-1.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (May 29, 2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 4. ISBN 978-0786966240.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Christopher Perkins, Tracy Hickman, Laura Hickman (March 2016). Curse of Strahd. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 39–40. ISBN 978-0-7869-6598-4.
- ↑ Robert J. Kuntz, Gary Gygax (1984). Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure. Edited by Frank Mentzer, Michael Dobson. (TSR, Inc.), p. 30. ISBN 0-88038-168-X.
- ↑ Jason Bulmahn, James Jacobs, Erik Mona (August 2007). Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk. Edited by Penny Williams, Beth Griese. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 92. ISBN 978-0-7869-4358-6.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 342. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ Frank Mentzer (January 1985). “Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #93 (TSR, Inc.), p. 28.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 4. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Adam Lee, et al. (September 2019). Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus. Edited by Michele Carter, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 97–98. ISBN 978-0-7869-6687-5.
- ↑ In the "Wizards Three" series in Dragon Magazine.
- ↑ Kate Novak, Jeff Grubb (July 1997). Finder's Bane. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-7869-0658-8.
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 Mark Middleton et al (March 1998). Wizard's Spell Compendium Volume Three. (TSR, Inc), pp. 592–599. ISBN 978-0786907915.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 64. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 261–263. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
- ↑ Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 125. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.
- ↑ Dale Donovan (January 1998). Cult of the Dragon. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 74. ISBN 0-7869-0709-6.