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<blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 5997561" data-attributes="member: 27780"><p><strong><u>Dragon Issue 290: December 2001</u></strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>part 6/7</p><p></p><p></p><p>The death knights of Oerth: Not to be confused with the fiend knights from issue 206. The most famous death knight may be from Krynn, but they're also quite a few on Oerth as well. In fact, this is part 1 of a series, so it's obvious that there's plenty to put in here. So they tell the story of the first death knight created by Demogorgon. There's less emphasis on the good guy falling part, and more on the demonic dealings, and horrible things he got up too after becoming a Death Knight; while the lesser death knights created after that don't even get that much attention. Angsty fanfic? Let's keep that for the Dragonlance fans. We're just setting up villains for you to kick the ass of, and don't want you thinking you can redeem them through the power of love and all that crap. So the story part of this doesn't engage me emotionally, and this article is mainly useful for the crunchy bit, which of course makes Death Knights a template for the new edition so you can easily convert existing characters into one. I have to wonder just how different you can make their pre-fall stories and personalities to keep a series like this going. Oh well, i guess we'll find out soon. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Window on the world: PC Portraits was one of the first things on the chopping block when the new editor took over. But it looks like we're still getting some system free artwork here, with conceptual sketches from Greyhawk's most recent incarnation. Since the last time they brought greyhawk back had caused lots of flamewars and fanbase divisiveness, they had to be very cautious about how much they modernised things. Since I was never really a Greyhawk person, I don't have much of an opinion on this, but I am interested in hearing other people's opinions. Is making Iuz more similar looking in his various forms a good or bad thing? Do the circle of 8 fit the way they were originally played in gary's old games? Does it matter anyway? Anyone? </p><p></p><p></p><p>Nodwick has a new member of the team. But not for long. Some guys are too annoying for even adventurers to put up with for long. Will he be back? We shall see. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Chainmail: Well, the teasers are over, the game is out, now it's time to get into the nitty gritty of tactical options. Once again, this centres around the ways the rules differ from regular D&D. You get a greater ability to choose the terrain (or maybe less if you're used to being the DM) and you have to take into account that you won't be able to move all your figures each turn or maintain perfect control of them at all times. On the plus side, the other teams can't either. So winning hinges on understanding your limitations and planning to compensate for them, rather than just individually min-maxing your troops into the most dangerous death machines they could be. There's no DM secretly rooting for you and setting the difficulty at achievable. Your odds of winning are 1/the number of teams. At least, presuming all the sides are perfectly balanced. Anyone who's played this want to say who's good or bad against who? </p><p></p><p></p><p>Role models: The Gnoll & Demon side seems to be getting an above average amount of attention in these articles, probably because it's one of the most interesting combinations. Here we find out what their colour scheme is like. The regular gnolls combine greens, yellows and browns in an unpleasant, mangy manner. The ones with demonic aspects add reds, blacks and purples to the mix. The metallic tones that the previous sides use are largely lacking though, to make up for this greater variety of primary colours. So once again, it looks like you can manage plenty of variety within a particular side while still keeping them distinct from all the others. Modern movie makers who have a bad habit of doing everything in orange and teal could definitely learn from that. The painting tips on layering, undercoats, and other such techniques to accomplish this are also increasingly sophisticated, showing that they trust us to have been reading regularly and learning along the way. That's the kind of attitude I approve of. Trust us to learn, and do our own research to fill in the gaps if we missed a bit. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Sage advice: How can I cast a spell without suffering attacks of opportunity (5 foot steps are your friend. Shame wizards don't get acrobatics as a class skill.)</p><p></p><p>As a fighter, how do I keep wizards from stepping back and blasting me. (Reach weapons. Skewer them on your Bec-du-corbin-de-glaive-da-fauchard-halberd. Or grapple, or prepare actions, or back them in a corner. Tactics!)</p><p></p><p>Can you use a buckler while firing a crossbow (No, just stick it on your hand for later.)</p><p></p><p>Can a cleric leave a spell slot open for later in the day (yes)</p><p></p><p>How does ECL interact with feats and ability increases (It doesn't. Just use your regular level. )</p><p></p><p>How do you determine a monk's speed and damage if it isn't one of the usual ratings (Ahh yes, with all these new races, that would come up. Fear not. Skip has tables that will answer all your questions.)</p><p></p><p>How about rogues of different sizes (Same weapons, different sizes. No big deal.)</p><p></p><p>How many feats should monsters with lots of HD and class levels have ( The usual. HD from monster advancement grants different extras)</p><p></p><p>Are prestige classes requirements for ranks or skill levels (Ranks. Talent won't help you here. Gotta put the training in.)</p><p></p><p>What do armor penalties apply to (most dex and str based skills. Feel the burn. That stuff weighs a ton.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(un)reason, post: 5997561, member: 27780"] [B][U]Dragon Issue 290: December 2001[/U][/B] part 6/7 The death knights of Oerth: Not to be confused with the fiend knights from issue 206. The most famous death knight may be from Krynn, but they're also quite a few on Oerth as well. In fact, this is part 1 of a series, so it's obvious that there's plenty to put in here. So they tell the story of the first death knight created by Demogorgon. There's less emphasis on the good guy falling part, and more on the demonic dealings, and horrible things he got up too after becoming a Death Knight; while the lesser death knights created after that don't even get that much attention. Angsty fanfic? Let's keep that for the Dragonlance fans. We're just setting up villains for you to kick the ass of, and don't want you thinking you can redeem them through the power of love and all that crap. So the story part of this doesn't engage me emotionally, and this article is mainly useful for the crunchy bit, which of course makes Death Knights a template for the new edition so you can easily convert existing characters into one. I have to wonder just how different you can make their pre-fall stories and personalities to keep a series like this going. Oh well, i guess we'll find out soon. Window on the world: PC Portraits was one of the first things on the chopping block when the new editor took over. But it looks like we're still getting some system free artwork here, with conceptual sketches from Greyhawk's most recent incarnation. Since the last time they brought greyhawk back had caused lots of flamewars and fanbase divisiveness, they had to be very cautious about how much they modernised things. Since I was never really a Greyhawk person, I don't have much of an opinion on this, but I am interested in hearing other people's opinions. Is making Iuz more similar looking in his various forms a good or bad thing? Do the circle of 8 fit the way they were originally played in gary's old games? Does it matter anyway? Anyone? Nodwick has a new member of the team. But not for long. Some guys are too annoying for even adventurers to put up with for long. Will he be back? We shall see. Chainmail: Well, the teasers are over, the game is out, now it's time to get into the nitty gritty of tactical options. Once again, this centres around the ways the rules differ from regular D&D. You get a greater ability to choose the terrain (or maybe less if you're used to being the DM) and you have to take into account that you won't be able to move all your figures each turn or maintain perfect control of them at all times. On the plus side, the other teams can't either. So winning hinges on understanding your limitations and planning to compensate for them, rather than just individually min-maxing your troops into the most dangerous death machines they could be. There's no DM secretly rooting for you and setting the difficulty at achievable. Your odds of winning are 1/the number of teams. At least, presuming all the sides are perfectly balanced. Anyone who's played this want to say who's good or bad against who? Role models: The Gnoll & Demon side seems to be getting an above average amount of attention in these articles, probably because it's one of the most interesting combinations. Here we find out what their colour scheme is like. The regular gnolls combine greens, yellows and browns in an unpleasant, mangy manner. The ones with demonic aspects add reds, blacks and purples to the mix. The metallic tones that the previous sides use are largely lacking though, to make up for this greater variety of primary colours. So once again, it looks like you can manage plenty of variety within a particular side while still keeping them distinct from all the others. Modern movie makers who have a bad habit of doing everything in orange and teal could definitely learn from that. The painting tips on layering, undercoats, and other such techniques to accomplish this are also increasingly sophisticated, showing that they trust us to have been reading regularly and learning along the way. That's the kind of attitude I approve of. Trust us to learn, and do our own research to fill in the gaps if we missed a bit. Sage advice: How can I cast a spell without suffering attacks of opportunity (5 foot steps are your friend. Shame wizards don't get acrobatics as a class skill.) As a fighter, how do I keep wizards from stepping back and blasting me. (Reach weapons. Skewer them on your Bec-du-corbin-de-glaive-da-fauchard-halberd. Or grapple, or prepare actions, or back them in a corner. Tactics!) Can you use a buckler while firing a crossbow (No, just stick it on your hand for later.) Can a cleric leave a spell slot open for later in the day (yes) How does ECL interact with feats and ability increases (It doesn't. Just use your regular level. ) How do you determine a monk's speed and damage if it isn't one of the usual ratings (Ahh yes, with all these new races, that would come up. Fear not. Skip has tables that will answer all your questions.) How about rogues of different sizes (Same weapons, different sizes. No big deal.) How many feats should monsters with lots of HD and class levels have ( The usual. HD from monster advancement grants different extras) Are prestige classes requirements for ranks or skill levels (Ranks. Talent won't help you here. Gotta put the training in.) What do armor penalties apply to (most dex and str based skills. Feel the burn. That stuff weighs a ton.) [/QUOTE]
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