Wowpedia

We have moved to Warcraft Wiki. Click here for information and the new URL.

READ MORE

Wowpedia
Register
Advertisement
For the pre-Mists of Pandaria encounter, see Darkmaster Gandling (Classic).
BossDarkmaster Gandling
Image of Darkmaster Gandling
Title <Cult of the Damned>
Headmaster of Scholomance
Gender Male
Race Human (Humanoid)
Level 17-32 Elite
Class Necromancer
Resource Mana
Reaction Alliance Horde
Affiliation(s) Cult of the Damned
Location Headmaster's Study, Scholomance
Status Active (lore)[1]
Killable Mists of Pandaria
Scholomance

Instructor Chillheart
Jandice Barov
Rattlegore
Doctor Theolen Krastinov (rare)
Lilian Voss
Darkmaster Gandling

(lore)
(lore)
(lore)
(lore)
(lore)
(lore)

Loot

Darkmaster Gandling is a human necromancer of the Cult of the Damned. He serves as the final boss of Scholomance.

History[]

Darkmaster Gandling served as the headmaster of necromancy at the Scholomance and, along with his teacher Ras Frostwhisper, oversaw the atrocities committed against many innocent souls.[2]

Cataclysm This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

One of the few classic bosses of the Scholomance to survive until after World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, Gandling took up sole rulership of the Scholomance and the remaining Scourge of the Western Plaguelands.[3][4]

Gandling appears briefly in Andorhal, where he is defeated by the combined might of Koltira Deathweaver and Thassarian before he flees back to Scholomance.[5] There, Lucien Sarkhoff asked the adventurers to kill Gandling.[6]

Mists of Pandaria This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

The defeat during the Battle for Andorhal, put the Darkmaster in the foulest of moods, and he immediately began preparations to reanimate Rattlegore so he could guard against intruders. The darkmaster sought to make Rattlegore more ferocious than ever, imbuing him with an insatiable desire to harvest raw materials from his enemies.[7]

Lilian Voss turned her wrath on the Scourge necromancers of Scholomance.[8] The darkmaster and Voss faced each other in the Chamber of Summoning, where he was aided by a group of Boneweavers. Soon, a group of adventurers also arrived and assisted Lilian in defeating the undead, after which Gandling teleported further in Scholomance. Lilian caught up with him, but he managed to briefly control her. He forced her to fight the adventurers, but they managed to defeat and free Lilian. She mustered her strength and attacked Gandling, breaking the improved bone shield that was protecting him. With his protection broken, he retreated into his study.

The adventurers allied with the Spirit of Lord Alexei Barov, who believed Gandling's defeat would allow his spirit to finally rest in peace, attacked him.[9]

Darkmaster Gandling Andorhal

Gandling in Andorhal.

WoW-novel-logo-16x62 This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Following the Fourth War, Mathias Shaw stated that according to Argent Crusade reports, Darkmaster Gandling is still active at the head of Scholomance, with Jandice Barov and Rattlegore, and has many puppets to play with.[1]

Whether this means he was resurrected as an undead or simply was not killed as previously believed is unknown. The continued presence of Jandice Barov appears to mean that the curse upon the Barovs continues.

Adventure Guide[]

Course: Advanced Studies

The recent defeat in Andorhal has put Darkmaster Gandling in the foulest of moods. More than ever, all students of Scholomance are advised to impress him at every turn. Pupils who dissatisfy the headmaster will be removed from class to perform lab work... or become lab work.

Spells and abilities[]

Western Plaguelands
  • Spell shadow shadowbolt Shadow Bolt — Hurls a bolt of dark magic at an enemy, inflicting Shadow damage.
  • Ability rogue envelopingshadows Shadow Eruption — Erupts with shadow in all directions, creating shadow pools randomly nearby. These pools deal Shadow damage on impact.
  • Spell shadow antishadow Shadow Prison — Imprisons the target.
Scholomance

The Darkmaster attacks players with Incinerate and Immolate and periodically assigns one a Harsh Lesson, sending the player to a side room to fight Expired Test Subjects. When a tank or healer is sent, Gandling channels Rise!

  • Spell fire burnout Incinerate — Gandling deals 323 to 376 Fire damage to his target.
  • Ability mage worldinflamesgreen Immolate — Gandling burns an enemy for 150 Fire damage, then inflicts 94 to 105 additional Fire damage every 3 sec. for 21 sec.
  • Spell deathknight armyofthedead Rise! Damage Dealer Alert — Gandling summons a legion of Failed Students to fight for him. The students swarm the area, fighting anything they can. While channelling[sic] this spell, the Darkmaster takes 50% less damage.
    • Failed Student — The Darkmaster raises the bodies of failed students to attack players.
  • Inv misc book 01 Harsh Lesson Important — Darkmaster Gandling teleports a random player to one of his study rooms for a harsh lesson!

Study Rooms[]

  • Expired Test Subject — The Darkmaster keeps these former test subjects in the nearby rooms. They attack anyone who enters their rooms.
  • Fresh Test Subject Healer Alert — The Darkmaster keeps these subjects alive in the nearby rooms for testing. Each is afflicted by Explosive Pain.
    • Spell shadow painandsuffering Explosive Pain Magic Effect — Inflicts excruciating pain and explodes when dispelled, inflicting 400 Shadow damage to Expired Test Subjects within 8 yards.

Strategy[]

Gandling does not need to be tanked normally, as he will only use Incinerate and Immolate from his spot in the middle of the room. He will occasionally teleport a random player in to one of the side rooms. Said player must fight his or her way out back to the study on their own.

There are several possible ways to deal with the Expired Test Subjects when trapped:

  • Damage dealers and tanks can just kill their way out.
  • Healers should dispel the friendly Fresh Test Subjects of their Explosive Pain to kill the Expired Test Subjects. If the healer is a Mistweaver monk, they can instead AoE everyone down with Ability monk cranekick new [Spinning Crane Kick].
  • Spell mage altertime [Alter Time], Spell shaman spectraltransformation [Transcendence: Transfer], and Spell warlock demonicportal green [Demonic Gateway] can teleport a stuck player back to the main room, with the necessary preparations.

If a tank or a healer gets teleported, a large number of weakly-hitting skeletons will swarm the room. Focus on them instead of Gandling, as he takes much less damage while Rise is being channeled.

Loot[]

Item Type
Normal Heroic
Inv jewelry talisman 12 [Headmaster's Will] Intellect/hit Staff
Inv gauntlets 113v2 [Gloves of Explosive Pain] Inv glove mail dungeonmail c 06 [Gloves of Explosive Pain] Intellect/spirit Mail hands
Inv belt robe common c 01v2 [Incineration Belt] Inv belt cloth dungeoncloth c 06 [Incineration Belt] Intellect/hit Cloth waist
Inv misc cat trinket12 [Lessons of the Darkmaster] Inv misc cat trinket12 [Lessons of the Darkmaster] Strength/expertise Trinket
Inv jewelry trinket 18 [Price of Progress] Inv jewelry trinket 18 [Price of Progress] Intellect/mana Trinket
Inv misc cat trinket08 [Searing Words] Inv misc cat trinket08 [Searing Words] Agility/crit Trinket
Inv shoulder 145v3 [Shoulderguards of Painful Lessons] Inv shoulder plate dungeonplate c 07 [Shoulderguards of Painful Lessons] Intellect/spirit Plate shoulder
Inv gauntlets 112 [Tombstone Gauntlets] Inv gauntlets leather dungeonleather c 06 [Tombstone Gauntlets] Agility/hit Leather hands
Inv shoulder 145 [Vigorsteel Spaulders] Inv shoulder plate dungeonplate c 07 [Vigorsteel Spaulders] Strength/hit Plate shoulder

Related achievements[]

Objective of[]

Quotes[]

Western Plaguelands[]

Main article: Scholomancer#Notes

Scholomance[]

Intro
Talking Skull says: Finally.
Darkmaster Gandling yells: If you haven't come to study, I'll use you to teach a lesson.
Talking Skull yells: PREPARE TO DIE, VILLAIN!
Aggro
School is in session!
Killing a player
Dunce.
Death
Darkmaster Gandling yells: Class...dismissed.
Spirit of Lord Alexei Barov says: It's over. The curse is lifted. Thank you, <name>. Thank you!

In the RPG[]

Icon-RPG This section contains information from the Warcraft RPG which is considered non-canon.

Darkmaster Gandling is a mummified wretch. He teaches students how to raise the dead in the Lich King’s name. Formerly a Dalaran wizard, he betrayed his masters for dark power and now revels in undeath. His graduates go on to Stratholme, the Scourge's capital in the Eastern Plaguelands.[10]

Darkmaster Gandling 5

Darkmaster Gandling in Scholomance.

In Hearthstone[]

Hearthstone This section contains information exclusive to Hearthstone and is considered non-canon.

Darkmaster Gandling appears as a legendary Priest/Warlock card in the Scholomance Academy expansion for Hearthstone. His flavor text reads: "He doesn’t grade on a curve, but on a sharp spike instead."

Notes and trivia[]

  • On Scholomance mentions that Gandling hid behind a bookcase, giggling, as he watched adventurers slay each of the school's administrators within the crypts.
  • Darkmaster Gandling is voiced by Jim Pirri.

Patch changes[]

  • Mists of Pandaria Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Redesigned from the original fight.

See also[]

References[]

External links[]

Advertisement