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<blockquote data-quote="KirayaTiDrekan" data-source="post: 6311637" data-attributes="member: 6755061"><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong>Dungeons & Dragons Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong></strong></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><strong></strong><span style="font-size: 10px">Originally published April, 1976</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">Version being read and reviewed: <a href="http://smile.amazon.com/Premium-Original-Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying/dp/0786964650/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1427579093&sr=8-5&keywords=Dungeons+and+Dragons+Premium" target="_blank">Original Dungeons & Dragons RPG - Original Edition Premium Reprint</a> (November 2013)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">"Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames: Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures" by Gary Gygax & Brian Blume</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The forward, this time by Timothy J. Kask, TSR Publications Editor, offers this supplement to DMs as a means to combat the apparently already growing trend of "been there, done that" in the D&D community by throwing in some unpredictability via psionics. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">In the Men & Magic section, we are introduced to psionics. I must confess that reading through this made my brain hurt a bit and I'm still not sure how this system is supposed to work. I was able to figure out that each class has a different set of possible powers and that fighters lose followers when gaining psionic powers while magic-users and clerics lose spells. Thieves are hit the hardest, I think, because they lose points from their Dexterity score. We also get to meet the druid, a subclass of cleric, in this supplement. Druids have their own spells and gain a small selection of special abilities, most notably, the ability to shapechange into animals of various sorts. Like monks, druids of higher levels are rare and must face another druid in combat to gain another level, until they reach a glass ceiling at level 13 (The Great Druid). Monks and druids are not allowed access to psionics.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">An alternative initiative system is presented next, which is almost as confusing as the psionics system in this book.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The list of psionic powers by class presents a suite of powers that give each class a feel similar to much later versions of psionics. Specifically, the fighter's (and thief's) powers create a Psionic Warrior vibe, the magic-user powers are reminiscent of a Psion focused on the clairsentience or telepathy disciplines, and clerics are the most well-rounded, resembling a Wilder slightly. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">No surprises in the druid's selection of spells as most of them are ones we're familiar with from later editions. There's an interesting note about the effectiveness of mistletoe as a spell focus. Mistletoe harvested with a gold sickle on Midsummer's Eve is most effective, though how, precisely, that works is left to the DM. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The Monsters & Treasures section of the book first gives us a few updates to previously presented creatures, noting psionic potential and whether their normal abilities can reach the astral or ethereal planes. The new monsters are mostly psionic creatures, including the iconic Mind Flayer. We are also introduced to demons of various sorts, though they are classified as Type I, II, III, IV, V, and VI rather than given names. Interestingly, Succubi exist outside that system of classification. We also get to meet Orcus and Demogorgon, presented as examples of Demon Princes. Finally, we have a note about demons' amulets, odd little trinkets that allow a measure of control over a demon prince. Though this idea made it into AD&D, it was dropped starting in 2nd Edition. I thought it was a nifty enough idea that I adapted it to for my D&D Next "Everything D&D Ever" campaign, though I replaced the amulets with daggers (killing with a demon prince's dagger absorbs the soul of the victim and empowers the demon prince while turning the wielder evil...but, only a demon prince's dagger, fully charged with a number of souls depending on the power of the demon prince, can permanently kill a demon prince).</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">For treasures, we have artifacts, with a number of now iconic items making their debut. The Hand and Eye of Vecna, the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, the Rod of Seven Parts, and several others all make their debut here. In keeping with the theme of unpredictability noted in the forward, the powers of artifacts are not fully defined. The DM is expected to select powers for artifacts from the tables at the end of this section. Though the introduction to this section notes that artifacts are notoriously difficult to destroy, a couple of items (The Machine of Lum the Mad and Heward's Mystical Organ) are noted as being quite fragile and already damaged. Another interesting little side note is that the Orbs of Dragonkind are not color-coded to the various dragon types as they were in later editions, but by age, with only five presented. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures section is only a couple of pages of encounter tables for the new monsters. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px">The original cover art for this booklet was rather risqué and, while the recent reprints paid homage to the original covers for all the other booklets, this one was a completely original piece in the same style, as WotC wanted to avoid any potential controversy associated with a nude female sacrificial victim as cover art. Can't say I blame them. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-size: 10px"></span></span>Next up: Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="KirayaTiDrekan, post: 6311637, member: 6755061"] [SIZE=3][B]Dungeons & Dragons Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry [/B][SIZE=2]Originally published April, 1976 Version being read and reviewed: [URL="http://smile.amazon.com/Premium-Original-Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying/dp/0786964650/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1427579093&sr=8-5&keywords=Dungeons+and+Dragons+Premium"]Original Dungeons & Dragons RPG - Original Edition Premium Reprint[/URL] (November 2013) "Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames: Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures" by Gary Gygax & Brian Blume The forward, this time by Timothy J. Kask, TSR Publications Editor, offers this supplement to DMs as a means to combat the apparently already growing trend of "been there, done that" in the D&D community by throwing in some unpredictability via psionics. In the Men & Magic section, we are introduced to psionics. I must confess that reading through this made my brain hurt a bit and I'm still not sure how this system is supposed to work. I was able to figure out that each class has a different set of possible powers and that fighters lose followers when gaining psionic powers while magic-users and clerics lose spells. Thieves are hit the hardest, I think, because they lose points from their Dexterity score. We also get to meet the druid, a subclass of cleric, in this supplement. Druids have their own spells and gain a small selection of special abilities, most notably, the ability to shapechange into animals of various sorts. Like monks, druids of higher levels are rare and must face another druid in combat to gain another level, until they reach a glass ceiling at level 13 (The Great Druid). Monks and druids are not allowed access to psionics. An alternative initiative system is presented next, which is almost as confusing as the psionics system in this book. The list of psionic powers by class presents a suite of powers that give each class a feel similar to much later versions of psionics. Specifically, the fighter's (and thief's) powers create a Psionic Warrior vibe, the magic-user powers are reminiscent of a Psion focused on the clairsentience or telepathy disciplines, and clerics are the most well-rounded, resembling a Wilder slightly. No surprises in the druid's selection of spells as most of them are ones we're familiar with from later editions. There's an interesting note about the effectiveness of mistletoe as a spell focus. Mistletoe harvested with a gold sickle on Midsummer's Eve is most effective, though how, precisely, that works is left to the DM. The Monsters & Treasures section of the book first gives us a few updates to previously presented creatures, noting psionic potential and whether their normal abilities can reach the astral or ethereal planes. The new monsters are mostly psionic creatures, including the iconic Mind Flayer. We are also introduced to demons of various sorts, though they are classified as Type I, II, III, IV, V, and VI rather than given names. Interestingly, Succubi exist outside that system of classification. We also get to meet Orcus and Demogorgon, presented as examples of Demon Princes. Finally, we have a note about demons' amulets, odd little trinkets that allow a measure of control over a demon prince. Though this idea made it into AD&D, it was dropped starting in 2nd Edition. I thought it was a nifty enough idea that I adapted it to for my D&D Next "Everything D&D Ever" campaign, though I replaced the amulets with daggers (killing with a demon prince's dagger absorbs the soul of the victim and empowers the demon prince while turning the wielder evil...but, only a demon prince's dagger, fully charged with a number of souls depending on the power of the demon prince, can permanently kill a demon prince). For treasures, we have artifacts, with a number of now iconic items making their debut. The Hand and Eye of Vecna, the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, the Rod of Seven Parts, and several others all make their debut here. In keeping with the theme of unpredictability noted in the forward, the powers of artifacts are not fully defined. The DM is expected to select powers for artifacts from the tables at the end of this section. Though the introduction to this section notes that artifacts are notoriously difficult to destroy, a couple of items (The Machine of Lum the Mad and Heward's Mystical Organ) are noted as being quite fragile and already damaged. Another interesting little side note is that the Orbs of Dragonkind are not color-coded to the various dragon types as they were in later editions, but by age, with only five presented. The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures section is only a couple of pages of encounter tables for the new monsters. The original cover art for this booklet was rather risqué and, while the recent reprints paid homage to the original covers for all the other booklets, this one was a completely original piece in the same style, as WotC wanted to avoid any potential controversy associated with a nude female sacrificial victim as cover art. Can't say I blame them. [/SIZE][/SIZE]Next up: Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes [/QUOTE]
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