Lord Enver Gortash — Wyrm’s Rock Fortress
Location: Wyrm’s Rock Fortress throne room, after the coronation (or after you storm the fortress). Accessed via the Lower City → Wyrm’s Crossing.
Pre-Fight Checklist
- Long rest before entering the throne room.
- Heroes’ Feast + Aid — HP buffs.
- Elixir of Lightning Resistance — Gortash’s throne fires chain lightning traps.
- Elixir of Vigilance on everyone.
- Disable the Steel Watch Foundry FIRST (optional but highly recommended). If the Foundry is active, the Watchers in the throne room are at full power. Disabling it weakens them significantly. Ironhand Gnomes questline → Foundry → disable the core.
- Bring Counterspell — Gortash casts powerful Bane-themed spells.
- Bring mobility — Misty Step, Fly, Jump. The throne room has traps and hazards.
Boss Mechanics
| Mechanic | Detail |
|---|
| Steel Watchers (2-3) | ~150 HP each. Auto-crit immune (constructs). Resistant to non-magical B/P/S. High AC (~20). AoE laser, self-destruct protocol. |
| Cultists of Bane (4-6) | Low HP (~50). Cast Bane (-1d4 to attacks/saves) and buff Gortash. Kill them fast — they’re annoying but squishy. |
| Gortash (Phase 1) | ~250 HP. Crossbow + grenades. Bane’s Tyranny: reaction to apply Bane to attackers. |
| Gortash (Phase 2) | At ~50% HP, activates his throne: chain lightning traps + ammo detonations. Gortash gains damage resistance. |
| Ammo Traps | Explosive barrels and grenade clusters throughout the room. Gortash can detonate them remotely. |
| Lightning Throne | The throne itself fires chain lightning at random targets every 2 rounds. |
Phase 1 — Clear the Room
Kill Order
- Steel Watchers FIRST. They’re the real threat. Focus fire one at a time.
- Constructs are immune to Hold Person/Monster, bleed, poison, crits.
- Vulnerable to Lightning (double damage). Wet + Lightning Bolt/Chain Lightning melts them.
- Disarming Attack doesn’t work (no weapon to drop). Trip Attack doesn’t work (cannot be Prone).
- Strong vs: Bludgeoning, Force, Thunder, Radiant damage.
- Cultists second. AoE them (Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Spirit Guardians). They’re bunched up — one Fireball kills most.
- Gortash last. He’s squishy without his Watcher bodyguards.
Tactics
| Build | Action |
|---|
| Storm Sorc | Wet the Watchers → Lightning Bolt / Chain Lightning. Vulnerability doubles damage. Watchers melt fast. |
| Wild Magic Sorc | Fireball the cultist clusters. Magic Missile on Watchers (Force damage works). |
| Shadowheart | Spirit Guardians (Radiant) — walk through cultists. Command: Flee on Gortash. Bless on Lae’zel + Bardadin. |
| Bardadin | Slashing Flourish on Watchers. Divine Smite (highest slots) — Watchers aren’t resistant to Radiant. |
| Lae’zel | GWM nova on Watchers. Precision Attack to offset GWM penalty against high AC. Action Surge. |
| Astarion | Sharpshooter on cultists or Gortash. Arrow of Construct Slaying on Watchers. |
| Karlach | Enraged Throw on cultists → auto-prone. Returning Pike/Nyrulna. |
Phase 2 — Throne & Traps (≤50% HP)
Gortash activates his throne. The room becomes a hazard zone.
New Mechanics
| Mechanic | Detail |
|---|
| Chain Lightning Traps | The throne fires at random targets. Lightning resistance + wet ground = danger. Move away from puddles. |
| Ammo Detonations | Gortash can blow up explosives scattered around the room. Red-glowing barrels → shoot them from range BEFORE he detonates them, or stay away. |
| Bane’s Bulwark | Gortash gains resistance to all damage. Lasts 2 turns. Wait it out or power through. |
| Hand of Bane | Gortash’s melee attack — massive single-target damage + knockback. Keep melee characters topped up. |
Tactics
- Destroy explosive barrels from range in Phase 1. Pre-emptively remove them before Phase 2.
- Spread out — the throne’s chain lightning chains to nearby allies.
- Finish Gortash quickly. His damage resistance + traps make a prolonged Phase 2 dangerous. Dump remaining resources:
- Twin Chain Lightning (Storm Sorc)
- Disintegrate (Wild Magic Sorc)
- Action Surge + GWM (Lae’zel)
- Max-rank Divine Smites (Bardadin)
- Enraged Throw spam (Karlach)
Honour Mode Specifics
- Disable the Steel Watch Foundry BEFORE this fight. In Honour Mode, the Steel Watchers are significantly stronger if the Foundry is online. It’s a separate encounter but makes this fight much harder if skipped.
- Lightning vulnerability is double-edged. Your Storm Sorc melts Watchers with Wet + Chain Lightning, but Gortash’s throne also deals lightning. If you Wet the room for Watchers, the throne’s chain lightning will ALSO melt you. Strategy: Wet → kill Watchers fast → end concentration on water before Phase 2 starts.
- Gortash has Alert in Honour Mode (+10 initiative). He will act early. Prepare to take a hit.
- Explosive barrels are everywhere. In Honour Mode, their damage is higher. Shoot them all from range as you enter (free actions before combat trigger).
- Save Orpheus path. If you’re going Orpheus route, you must kill Gortash. If going Emperor route, you can ally with Gortash (skip this fight entirely). Decision: ally = no fight but dishonorable/“evil” narrative. Kill = fight. Up to your run’s RP.
Post-Fight
- Loot Gortash: Netherstone, Fabricated Arbalest (very rare heavy crossbow), assorted Bane-themed items.
- The throne room is now safe. You can explore the rest of Wyrm’s Rock.
- If Karlach is in your party: Gortash’s death triggers her personal quest conclusion. Emotional scene.