Dragon #348

[demiurge1138]

so, anyone have the contents, and next issue's contents handy?

Nope, because it doesn't look like anyone has it yet.

Stay on target...

Demiurge out.

 

[Dark Psion]

I just got it!

Core Beliefs: Vecna: Nuff Said!

Bestowed Curses: New curse effects for Bestow Curse and a new spell Greater Bestow Curse

Bloodlines: Three Variant Vampires
The Savage Vampire: One that has been lost to the thirst of blood
The Shadow Vampire: One that draws greater power from darkness
The Terror Vampire: One that feeds on the Fear of its victim as well as their blood

Horros of the Daelkyr: Some of the abominations that serve the Daelkyr
Akleu: A Pack hunter with translucent skin and flesh
Dolgrue: A Bugbear with emphasis on the BUG
Kyra: A giant, flying brain
Opabinia: A horror from the deep
Xenostelid: A scorpion-like living seige engine
Xorbeast: Makes an Otyugh look cute

Ecology of the Wight

Savage Tidings: The adventure begins: An introduction to the Savage Tide adventure series in Dungeon.

Tome of Strahd: New spells
Bloodstones's Frightful Joining (Sor/Wiz 4) Possess an undead creature
Curse of the Gypsies (Bard 2, Cleric 2, Druid 2, Sor/Wiz 3) Causes bad luck
Rain of Terror (Cleric 3, Druid 3, Sor/Wiz 3) Unnatural rain enhances fear
Strahd's Baneful Atractor (Sor/Wiz 4) Diverts spells to a new target
Wraithform (Sor/Wiz 4) Disguised and move as a wraith

Sage advice: Classes and Prestige Classes
Class Acts:
Adventurer: Mountain Ghosts: Dwarven Ninja
Arcane: Unfamiliar Territory: Options to replace a Sorcerer's Call Familiar ability
Divine: Wild Shape Guide: Cliff notes for Wild shaping, a nice, one page listing
Warrior: Marshal of Battle: New auras for the Marshal class from the mini handbook

Nodwik: Dreaded Pirates of the Lake
Dork Tower: How to inspire fear in gamers
Zogonia: Oops and Ha! Ha!
Order of the Stick in the Order of Battle


Next month in Dragon #349
Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Dagon
Complete Guide the Bows
The Hordlands
Ecology of the Ogre Mage

 

[Zaukrie]

Ecology of the Ogre Mage - which version? The strange official one, or the Mearl's controversial one?

This is a pretty good issue, though I've only skimmed most of it so far. While I love the Core Faiths articles, they seem a little long to me sometimes, though the demonicon articles don't. I'm not sure why I feel that way.

 

[Nightfall]

Z,

Maybe you like demons better.

 

[Razz]

I just got it!

Core Beliefs: Vecna: Nuff Said!

Bestowed Curses: New curse effects for Bestow Curse and a new spell Greater Bestow Curse

What the deuce?! A repeat from Book of Vile Darkness? That spell isn't really all that new, it was printed twice by WotC, I believe. This article better have something unique than from what I see.

Bloodlines: Three Variant Vampires
The Savage Vampire: One that has been lost to the thirst of blood
The Shadow Vampire: One that draws greater power from darkness
The Terror Vampire: One that feeds on the Fear of its victim as well as their blood

This I like very much, very very much. The Shadow Vampire is one I want to use for my games.

Horros of the Daelkyr: Some of the abominations that serve the Daelkyr
Akleu: A Pack hunter with translucent skin and flesh
Dolgrue: A Bugbear with emphasis on the BUG
Kyra: A giant, flying brain
Opabinia: A horror from the deep
Xenostelid: A scorpion-like living seige engine
Xorbeast: Makes an Otyugh look cute

Sounds neat, personally can't wait to see the sidebars for introducing them in other campaigns other than Eberron.

Ecology of the Wight

Savage Tidings: The adventure begins: An introduction to the Savage Tide adventure series in Dungeon.

Tome of Strahd: New spells
Bloodstones's Frightful Joining (Sor/Wiz 4) Possess an undead creature
Curse of the Gypsies (Bard 2, Cleric 2, Druid 2, Sor/Wiz 3) Causes bad luck
Rain of Terror (Cleric 3, Druid 3, Sor/Wiz 3) Unnatural rain enhances fear
Strahd's Baneful Atractor (Sor/Wiz 4) Diverts spells to a new target
Wraithform (Sor/Wiz 4) Disguised and move as a wraith

Ahhh, a shiver of nostalgia just flowed through my being just now...I remember those spells back in the days of 2E Ravenloft. Well, some of them. They're all cool, can't wait to let my spellcastering players know more spells!

Sage advice: Classes and Prestige Classes
Class Acts:
Adventurer: Mountain Ghosts: Dwarven Ninja
Arcane: Unfamiliar Territory: Options to replace a Sorcerer's Call Familiar ability
Divine: Wild Shape Guide: Cliff notes for Wild shaping, a nice, one page listing
Warrior: Marshal of Battle: New auras for the Marshal class from the mini handbook

Luckily, Mike let me in on this. I am particularly interested in the new Marshal auras.

Next month in Dragon #349
Demonomicon of Iggwilv: Dagon
Complete Guide the Bows
The Hordlands
Ecology of the Ogre Mage

GUIDE TO BOWS!!!
DEMONOMICON!!!!!!!!!!
THE HORDELANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*faints, enters a seizure, drools*

I have a player with an archer character that will love the sound of the Guide to Bows. Hope to see some cool archer feats in there for him or (high hopes) an archer prestige class.

Dagon will be something I will try and patiently wait for. Obviously the next Demon Lord will be Demogorgon, but I really do hope the one after him is Grazz't.

And the Hordelands...wow. Wonders never cease. I hope one day WotC licenses the D&D brand to Paizo cause they know how to please people. I hope it's a decent sized article. No offense to the recent Impiltur article, but I wanted more. It was a great article of course. Five stars! I hope this Hordelands article will be a fruitful one, one that I should keep by my side at my FR Games.

 

[Nightfall]

Dagon will be something I will try and patiently wait for. Obviously the next Demon Lord will be Demogorgon, but I really do hope the one after him is Grazz't.

No! It will be Orcus! Cause we all know Orcus gets the goods after Savage Tide.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Hmmm... just got my issue of Dragon but haven't received my issue of Dungeon yet. Should I be worried? :\

 

[Shemeska]

I just got my copy of Dragon today (got Dungeon a few days ago), and this is pretty spiffy from what I've looked at so far.

1) The 'Book of Keeping' gets mentioned in relation to Vecna's cult as a sort of adopted holy text, given all of the secrets it contains in the forms of yugoloth true names and binding rituals. They've also tried to annotate their own copies with a list of all of the (known) intentional errors in the text (designed to have mortals summoning 'loths far beyond their ability to control).

2) Xideous and his revision of the BoK gets mentioned. Very cool to see that 'leth back in print.

3) Ravenloft, Ely Cromlich, Citadel Cavitius*, The Serpent, etc are mentioned in relation to Vecna's past and his rise to divinity. What I like is that it speculates on it all and doesn't submit a single absolute truth to the topics, leaving it all a bunch of shrouded secrets -much to Vecna's approval I'm sure-. Some pretty good rumor and it doesn't delve into the cheese and setting rape that was Die Vecna Die.

I thought the planar stuff was very well done. I'll be reading the remainder of the article later, but on what I've seen so far, the authors have done a really good job.

*(though the article spells it wrong as Cavitus)

 

[Ripzerai]

, but on what I've seen so far, Sean has done a really good job.

Note that co-author Samuel Weiss is a Planescape fan.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Hrm. It's a pity that the only part of Dragon I have any regular use for these days is the comic section.

*Occasionally* one of the Class Acts is cool. But only occasionally.

I'm so glad my friends buy it.

Brad