Dragon #297 arrived

[Crypt King]

Are all these epic feats, spells and classes going to be in The Epic Handbook or is it the stuff that didn`t make the cut?

You know, I wish I could tell you. There seems to be more and more stuff popping up that we never saw in playtest. Hopefully that's a good thing.

Here's part of the blurb for #298:

"...Discover the secret life of dark elves. Use the equipment drow create for their vile undertakings. Driders not enought for you? Witness Lolth's other terrible punishments. Give your drow character or NPC a boost with eight new drow prestige classes. Also, check out necromancer class combos, new magic items, alchemical items, and drow-hunter prestige classes for your game."

Oh boy, more Drow... eight prestige classes....

 

[Vecna]

The issue before this was focused on the Strongholders book and that one gave information easily used even if you didnt get the book. This one is much less useable in my opinion. If you rent going the ELH route then the feats and PRC's are pretty overpowered to use anywhere else.

If find the ELH issue is much more useful (for a greater number of people) than:
- Halfing issue
- Gnome issue
- Shannara issue
- Stronghold issue
and so on...

Probably you don't like the epic levels concept, but it covers any class, race and setting. The issues above instead are very specific.

 

[Nightfall]

So no new epic level monster huh? I was hoping that Force and rainbow dragons weren't the only ones...

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I have a rough idea of what all the new planetouched races are, but can anyone provide more details? I know there's been some fan versions of para-elemental genasi before, but Axani and Cansin are newer concepts (at least in name). Are they all roughly at the same power levels as other Planetouched?

 

[Xarlen]

Indeed, more drow!

Drow Rock. Considering my PCs may be facing a slew of them trying to overcome an Elven City... Yaaay!

 

[EOL]

It's amazing to me that the ELH bashing still continues. Personally I'm excited to get this Dragon just as I am excited for the ELH. And I have to agree with people who say it's mostly a matter of taste. There have been issues focused on things that really didn't interest me in the least (the fighter issue). It's all a matter of taste. WoTC is obviously going to want to hype their latest product and this is what their doing, I would get used to it.

 

[Nightfall]

Some people enjoy simple things in life. Me, I enjoy force dragons, beholders with epic level feats and spell casting abilities, AND virtual age catagories for dragons!

 

[7thlvlDM]

If find the ELH issue is much more useful (for a greater number of people) than:
- Halfing issue
- Gnome issue
- Shannara issue
- Stronghold issue
and so on...

Probably you don't like the epic levels concept, but it covers any class, race and setting. The issues above instead are very specific.

I SO hated the gnome issue, and the world building issue (with its condescending articles that give contradictory advice). With a knife, I liberated my beloved Living Greyhawk Journal from the hog wash that was the rest of those issues.

-7th *Grrr*

 

[JacktheRabbit]

Well the Halfling and Gnome issues at least built on standard PHB material. So there was no need to go buy a book just to get a decent use out of the magazine.

Never seen the Shannara issue, so I cannot comment.

The Stronghold issue was ok and useable without the Stronghold book but did come close to crossing the line.

The world building one someone else mentioned was a piece of crap sinxce it espoused the design method that created completely illogical contradictory worlds like Greyhawk and Realms where very different cultures just sat next door to each other for no reason what so ever.

If find the ELH issue is much more useful (for a greater number of people) than:
- Halfing issue
- Gnome issue
- Shannara issue
- Stronghold issue
and so on...

Probably you don't like the epic levels concept, but it covers any class, race and setting. The issues above instead are very specific.

 

[Erik Mona]

>>>
This one doesn't look like it will do me much good. Even the Greyhawk section looks a little weak, but the LGJ hasn't really blown me away much. Except for the two issues that dealt with the death knights.
>>>

You'll want to grab 298, then. It's the largest LGJ section to date (since the shift to Dragon), and covers the dark elf city of Erelhei-Cinlu in the legendary Vault of the Drow. In the 14 installments I've put together so far, I think this one is my favorite. My uneducated guess is that I think it'll be the favorite of lots of other people, too.

--Erik