Dragon #310 :: Just got it in the mail.

[Vocenoctum]

This is a Fighter's issue...
Article 1: Barbarian article on Multiclassing the Revised Barbarian.

Useless for me, since all the classes are presented with full tables, but they're all (I beleive) full barb-10, other class-10 progressions, that's just useless.

Article 2: Variant Fighters for the game

great, I'll be using most of them. The fencer can taunt (might make it a move equiv instead of standard) the Exoticist gets four exotic weapon prof at first level though. I may change that to a lower number to help with Class Dipping, but not sure yet.
Shield Bearer can take special abilities that reduce dex penalty of armor, or let him move more freely in armor, etc. as feats.
Kensai is simple weapons and light armor, but gains +1 attack & damage at 1, more at 5/10/15/20.
Powers are a flurry type, very cool (in replace of a feat)
Targeteer is a cooler archer type. Others are also decent from what I saw.

Article 2: Variant Monks

Finally, a martial arts system I liked. You have to pick it at 1st level monk, and choose the proper feats at 1/2/6, plus other prereq's. You get a skill bonus right away, and a power at 6th.
They got variant's (Holy Monk, Raging Monk) but none are as well detailed as the fighter variants.

Article 3: Paladins of other alignments (LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN)

Looks cool enough on a quick read through, well detailed.

Article 4: Multiclassing the Revised Ranger

Same as for the Barbarian, they do have a couple feats though. (Favored Power attack is neat. -1/+2 or -1/+3 for power attacking a favored. Arcane Strike & Imp Favored also)

Article 5: Options, combinations and prestige classes for the revised rouge

Ahem, Rogue.
They have a few PrC's, Mole (I was working on a mole Monk PrC but it never worked right.) Branch Dancer (neat class. If you're in a forest setting.) Jobber (halflings that go out to scout locations for wandering halfling communities) Magic Filcher, Stoneface (professional liar)

There's a Mike Stackpole short story

I don't like Stackpole's writing, so I won't bother reading it.

There's a article on using "guides in the game", one on Maps (its part 2) and sage advice, as well as the usual previews and ads and comics

The Sage advice is for 3.5 rules.

Didn't read the other two articles. The Sage Advice is mainly Savage Species. They discuss 3.5 Manyshot as well.

 

[Buttercup]

Larry Elmore is back on the cover...and a welldone one too...though I am sure someone will complain that we see the two ladies' belly buttons. (sigh)

Not me. I'm going to complain that they look like refugees from the 1980s with those hairstyles. Other than that, I thought they were tastefully done. Heck, I liked the armor. But I want both of them to visit a good hair dresser.

 

[Utrecht]

My question is why the fighter is even bothering to wear the fur cape - seems that it would simply get in the way considering the rest of the armor.

Also - and this a general complaint about Elmore - the lips just seem to full.......

 

[Mirth]

Re: Sneak Peak at the winning campaign se

I must be blind...I am not seeing the Sneak Peek...what page is it on...?

I think he's refering to the blurb that tells you what's coming up in the NEXT issue - meaning #311.

Back on topic, my favorite article from the old Dragon was the "Plethora of Paladins." Can't wait to get my hands on this issue and see how they've updated it! Any more info you can give about it?

 

[Aitch Eye]

Won't go into detail regarding what it's specifically about, but one of the articles on clerics next issue is written by yours truly.

[bragging mode OFF]

But the editors can be a little more specific: "Specialist clerics provide new options for all 20 levels. This new take on the cleric class brings distinctive powers and imaginative flavor to the religions in your campaign world."

That was (and still is) one of the articles I was looking forward to.

Ya know, for all the complaints folks have leveled at them Paizo have seemed to listen. The cover still has some way to splashy marks on it, but its reprinted on the inside of the back page.

They've been reprinting the full covers without any text all along, usually opposite the first page of one of the feature articles. I've never understood the complaints on this score.

However, I'll thank Paizo as well, though I haven't really had much trouble with the way they were handling the magazine.

Useless for me, since all the classes are presented with full tables, but they're all (I beleive) full barb-10, other class-10 progressions, that's just useless.

The cleric and wizard and tables only go up to 3 of each, the sorcerer up to 4.



I liked this issue, and while I don't them by how much material can actually be incorporated into our particular games, it does have a lot of stuff that we could use right away. The paladin analogues are something that's really been needed and have already been approved for one campaign. The fighter variants make the class a bit more sensible and less useless than they are now (to us), so someone might actually be willing to play one. The "commander" variant in particular fits several NPCs I can think of better than the current rules.

I may be in the minority on this, but I also like that the rogue PRCs were all 5-level. Most of the 10-level ones just seem like they'd be tiresome to play and make the character less interesting. I'm usually more able to see how a 5-level class could fit in or add to a PC.

The monks that swapped class features with other classes were nice as well, and could potentially be a way of working them into a setting where standard monks don't really fit.



If anyone from Paizo is reading this, I hope you'll consider putting Mike May's maps from the feature articles up as a web enhancement. Those were very nice, particularly the Holy Warrior's Sanctum, and we could easily use them.

Also, if you could confirm or deny whether there was an omission in the "survivalist" variant fighter entry. Thanks.

 

[Aitch Eye]

Back on topic, my favorite article from the old Dragon was the "Plethora of Paladins." Can't wait to get my hands on this issue and see how they've updated it! Any more info you can give about it?

I skimmed over the earlier article, and these new classes aren't really modeled on the old ones. In particular, none of these are terribly closely tied to a church (though neither is the 3e paladin). I'll try not to be too specific, but will give some of the less obvious features/differences between the classes.

CN "Anarchs" have a fairly prdictable approach to things. They turn constructs, and get slippery mind.

CG "Avengers" defend victims and the downtrodden. They get an animal minion (treated like a paladin's mount in most ways, but too small to ride) and the break enchantment spell-like ability. (Both chaotics get "undetectable alignment" on their spell list.)

NG "Sentinels" focus on fiendish intrusion into the world. They turn outsiders, and get a celestial minion.

N "Incarnates" are fairly nature oriented (particularly the spell list), but their real focus is on balance. They rebuke outsiders, gets an elemental minion, and commune with nature. They also have the broadest smite.

LN "Enforcers" are fixated on upholding the law. They get Leadership and a couple of mind-affecting spells as spell-like abilities.


Anti-paladins will be in #312.

 

[Vocenoctum]

The cleric and wizard and tables only go up to 3 of each, the sorcerer up to 4.

So they are. Still, they're balanced (barb-3, cleric-3). I prefer the ones that show you how to best maximise the crossover of abilities. None of these really required much of a table, since they kept progression equal.

I may be in the minority on this, but I also like that the rogue PRCs were all 5-level. Most of the 10-level ones just seem like they'd be tiresome to play and make the character less interesting. I'm usually more able to see how a 5-level class could fit in or add to a PC.

I like 5 level classes for most organizations. I like 10 level classes for total character changes, where you're riding the theme to the bitter end. I also like 3 level classes when you're focusing on a power or ability of some kind. (Such was Wayfarer for teleporting.)

 

[Vocenoctum]

Art wise:
The cover had that Dragonlance look to it. Not bad, but that's what the pic reminds me off.

The interior full pager's are very nice!
Barbarians: Both look neat (half-orc male, humanfemale) and that axe looks huge!

Fighters: Both in heavy armor, human male with sword & shield, elven female with sword and what looks like spiked chains. Hmm, I wonder what the rules will be like for Small sized spiked chains...

Monks, male & female humans, scantily clad, but that's a monk thing.. Still well drawn I think.

Paladin: Human male, full plate with barded warhorse. Female halfling with plate and barded wardog. Human's got his sword on his right hip, sheild on his left hand... gonna be hard to draw that thing. But, points for the wardog halfling!

Ranger: half orc female. Looks good, very well detailed. Halfling or gnome male, looks eh. Heads as large as his torso. Has sort of a cheap Erol Flynn look maybe.

Rogue's: Male and female, both human. (Or maybe half-elf, can't really tell.) Both looks good, though of course the lady is wearing a bit more skin. Her hair doesn't look right, like the face is angled wrong, but still great artwork.

Maps: each of the class section comes with a map or two of an area or building that sync's with the class. Some neat stuff, probably will be fairly useful.

All in all, best issue (for me) since the swashbuckler one.

 

[Doc_Souark]

Art looks good but enough of the Class-Combo tables, we get the general idea or is it to make the article look "bigger". I did like the idea for Monks and Paladins in the Barbarian campaign section.

 

[JPL]

Best female half-orc I've ever seen.