Class Acts: Sorcerer - "The Shivs of Sorcery"

[Neverfate]

Excellent work, Klaus. I look forward to hearing what happened to the Dragon magic feat and am really looking forward to Heroes of Shadow.

 

[Klaus]

Okay, I just spoke to Dragon's editor and he said it was okay for me to share what the feat did:

Dragon Blade Channelling
Prerequisites: Dragon Magic, Sorcerous Blade Channelling.
Benefit: When you are wielding a dagger and use a sorcerer close attack power, you deal an extra 1d6 untyped damage to every target adjacent to you that you hit.
Special: If you are a dragonborn, you can use this feat with your dragon breath racial power.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Congratulations, Klaus. I especially enjoy your articles because they can be applied directly into my 4E game. Our new player is playing a sorcerer wielding daggers and this article really expands his options.

The juxtaposition of knifefighting and dagger-casting just sprung to me from there, and I wrote the article in a day.

You make it seem so easy to get published, but tell people how many articles and pieces of art you have submitted that haven't been accepted. It's been more than a couple, right? You've really worked hard.

Hmmm... maybe you could start your own website of unofficial stuff. What do you think?

 

[Klaus]

Congratulations, Klaus. I especially enjoy your articles because they can be applied directly into my 4E game. Our new player is playing a sorcerer wielding daggers and this article really expands his options.

You make it seem so easy to get published, but tell people how many articles and pieces of art you have submitted that haven't been accepted. It's been more than a couple, right? You've really worked hard.

Hmmm... maybe you could start your own website of unofficial stuff. What do you think?

Heh.

Okay, quick rundown of my writing "career":

Back in 1997 I submitted several ideas to Dragon Magazine, still firmly entrenched in 2e. One article focused on new spells for the Plant sphere (does that ring a bell?), which got accepted and published in Dragon 175 (the last 2e one).

During 3e most of my writing was for Fiery Dragon and for Brazilian magazine Dragão Brasil, where I was a "Sage" of sorts.

Last year I started sending submissions for 4e, and sent about 15 ideas before the Channel Divinity: Sehanine was chosen. Chris Youngs, then editor of Dragon, was pleased with my writing, rules knowledge (the article ran almost as-is) and timeliness, so he e-mailed me a few months later asking if I'd be interested in writing a Class Acts for either Cleric or Sorcerer, but with some urgency. I said I could do both, but he prefered that I did just one, so I took Sorcerer.

I wrote the article in a day, and sent it to him. Before he could reply, I sent another article and sent it, just in case he didn't like the first one. Turns out he did like it, and I did another pass at it after some feedback, which is pretty much what saw "print" today (minus two feats and a reduction on a spell's damage).

Once again, the story and rules elements and the timeliness were appreciated, and I got offered a chance to do some design work for Heroes of Shadow, and I'm on my second book.

All this was in parallell with my art career, which hasn't been too good for the last year.

So, my advice for submitting work:

1 - Look at underserviced aspects of the game, and think of how to do them justice (this is what I did with Sehanine -- everyone wanted to write about the Raven Queen; plus, I wanted to make the shortbow matter).

2 - Look at interesting ways to add to the game (like making it possible for sorcerers to be melee strikers).

3 - Know the rules (this is much easier with the DDi), and write stuff in a wording consistent with what's in use.

4 - Add to the mythology of the game, or bring back some classic element (I always try to include a "D&D Legacy" element in stuff I write).

5 - Underpromise, overdeliver (promise stuff for next week and have it finished in two days).

6 - Make yourself available and open to suggestions.

 

[Solvarn]

Dragonfoe Ragespell

I was thinking about doing a Dragonfoe Ragespell, but didn't want to be stuck with just a staff, or daggers. Might need to check this out, thanks.

 

[Zaukrie]

Great fluff, and very good powers. Again, I like the increased ratio of fluff to crunch - this is about the right ratio. Thanks for the article, here is hoping you get more...

 

[TarionzCousin]

Once again, the story and rules elements and the timeliness were appreciated, and I got offered a chance to do some design work for Heroes of Shadow, and I'm on my second book.

I hope you get some of your artwork in the book, too.

In the meantime, your writing is great and very much appreciated. Keep it up.

 

[Klaus]

I hope you get some of your artwork in the book, too.

In the meantime, your writing is great and very much appreciated. Keep it up.

No art yet, but I'm not giving up!

 

[Marshall]

Mengu -> Force Daggers' strength is in its flexibility. Use it as a blast for 2[W] on several foes, or place it on a single enemy for 5[W]. And rolling 5d6 (brutal 1) plus Cha and Spell Source damage yields a result on par with other single-target spells of the same level.

Sure, except in order to get there you are using a level 9 daily power and TWO FEATS. All this for an effect thats MUCH weaker than a 1st level. I dont see where this article is remotely useful for anything but the most remotely niche-y builds. Even then, the character would be better off playing Rogue to start with.

Congrats on getting published. Its too bad this is going to postpone any chance for USEFUL sorcerer articles.

 

[JoeGKushner]

we have a turd in the fruit punch

Sure, except in order to get there you are using a level 9 daily power and TWO FEATS. All this for an effect thats MUCH weaker than a 1st level. I dont see where this article is remotely useful for anything but the most remotely niche-y builds. Even then, the character would be better off playing Rogue to start with.

Congrats on getting published. Its too bad this is going to postpone any chance for USEFUL sorcerer articles.