What am I doing wrong?

[Knai]

Originally Posted by krpeters

No, I gave it a try. Without the etherealness, a bane lord gets hit too often by a horde of Dai Bakemonos, routs, and dies. With the etherealness he gets chewed up and spat out due to insufficient protection (even with boots of stone) Meanwhile, the ethereal gargoyle or an ethereal ironskinned troll king pound on them relentlessly. Admittedly the extra HP of the gargoyle and the regen of the troll king help a lot.

Take a look at some other defenses. Luck is easily gained, and there are other interesting options. Awe has been discussed, as well as the Vine Shield and its entangling effect. Then there are the really fun options. The Charcoal Shield, for instance, can be surprisingly effective as a form of protection against chaff. Then there is the matter of numbers. One Bane Lord will get cut down, true. What about three, each armed with a frost or fire brand? That will take a lot of chaff, or chaff buffed to the point they no longer deserve the name.