Dragon 333 has arrived!

[the Jester]

Thanks for posting the write up. We are still tinkering with some of the elements of the article series so please feel free to post your feedback. We are listening.

Jason Bulmahn
Associate Editor of Dragon

This is one of my favorite things about the current regime at Dragon and Dungeon- you guys reallly pay attention to the fans/gamers out there!

Keep up the good work- I'll be picking this one up once it hits my FLGS.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey all!

Best. Feature. Ever.

Seconded.

I cannot express how much I dig the Demonomicon, and still retain my mortal soul.

The depth the articles go into is fantastic. I just love what Paizo has done with both Dragon and Dungeon in general. Kudos to all involved.

 

[Alzrius]

Thanks for posting the write up. We are still tinkering with some of the elements of the article series so please feel free to post your feedback. We are listening.

Jason Bulmahn
Associate Editor of Dragon

Thanks Jason, it was a pleasure.

In regards to the article, I had a few questions, both mentioned above and not:

1) Does Fraz-Urb'luu suffer the only 20% chance of success and possible backlash when destroying minor artifacts, or only major?

2) Fraz's Improved Grab says that if he "wins the grapple check, he establishes a hold and can either constrict or use his disjunctive touch." Now, does that mean that he can use those in the same round as when he makes the grab?

He'd have to make a tail attack as either a standard action, or part of a full round action, and then may grab as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. However, at that point, he has already made a standard (or full round) action, and shouldn't be able to take another (such as disjunctive touch, which as a supernatural ability, should be a standard action). But the text of Improved Grab makes it sound like he can use them immediately.

2b) Why does the above text state he can use one or the other? The Constrict ability says it is "automatic" whenever he wins a grapple check, so its not an action right?

3) How would Fraz be able to use his disjunctive touch on an antimagic field, as the power says?

The power description says that he can disjoin magic effects by touching the person (or object) they're on. However, disjunctive touch itself is a supernatural effect. Shouldn't that mean that when he gets near a person under an antimagic field to touch them, that his disjunctive touch is suppressed? Or does it have a 20% chance to function anyway when he touches them? What if he uses it on someone else while in an antimagic field?

Thanks!

 

[Upper_Krust]

Quick question (as its going to be a few weeks before the issue is available to me, I only got #332 on Tuesday)...what is Fraz-Urb'luu's Hit Dice.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Alzrius]

Quick question (as its going to be a few weeks before the issue is available to me, I only got #332 on Tuesday)...what is Fraz-Urb'luu's Hit Dice.

Thanks in advance.

Hey U_K, it's 34d8+476 (from his Con bonus). Total hp is 629.

 

[Jason Bulmahn]

Thanks Jason, it was a pleasure.

In regards to the article, I had a few questions, both mentioned above and not:

1) Does Fraz-Urb'luu suffer the only 20% chance of success and possible backlash when destroying minor artifacts, or only major?

2) Fraz's Improved Grab says tat if he "wins the grapple check, he establishes a hold and can either constrict or use his disjunctive touch." Now, does that mean that he can use those in the same round as when he makes the grab?

He'd have to make a tail attack as either a standard action, or part of a full round action, and then may grab as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. However, at that point, he has already made a standard (or full round) action, and shouldn't be able to take another (such as disjunctive touch, which as a supernatural ability, should be a standard action). But the text of Improved Grab makes it sound like he can use them immediately.

2b) Why does the above text state he can use one or the other? The Constrict ability says it is "automatic" whenever he wins a grapple check, so its not an action right?

3) How would Fraz be able to use his disjunctive touch on an antimagic field, as the power says?

The power description says that he can disjoin magic effects by touching the person (or object) they're on. However, disjunctive touch itself is a supernatural effect. Shouldn't that mean that when he gets near a person under an antimagic field to touch them, that his disjunctive touch is suppressed? Or does it have a 20% chance to function anyway when he touches them? What if he uses it on someone else while in an antimagic field?

Thanks!

1. Both major and minor artifacts carry the same chance.

2. Constrict is free if he successful grapples, while the disjunctive touch must be made on a subsequent action.

3. Disjunctive Touch gives Fraz a 20% chance of destroying an antimagic field. This is a special case though allowing him to use the ability for this purpose.He cannot use this Disjunctive Touch on other targets while in a antimagic field.

Hope that clears things up.

Jason Bulmahn
Associate Editor of Dragon

 

[Alzrius]

Thanks Jason! I hope a follow up is alright.

2. Constrict is free if he successful grapples, while the disjunctive touch must be made on a subsequent action.

Given that, the last sentence for the Improved Grab ability seems incorrect. He'd automatically constrict after making the grapple that round (and ever round thereafter), whereas he'd have to devote an action next round to using his disjunctive touch. It wouldn't be a case of "either" one or the other.

3. Disjunctive Touch gives Fraz a 20% chance of destroying an antimagic field. This is a special case though allowing him to use the ability for this purpose.He cannot use this Disjunctive Touch on other targets while in a antimagic field.

If he successfully disjoins an antimagic field on someone, does it also affect all other magical effects on a target, or just the antimagic field?

Also, the disjunctive touch says it affects "all active spell effects or the ongoing effects of supernatural abilities". Why just one or the other and not both? Does Fraz decide which is affected, or the target?

 

[Jason Bulmahn]

Thanks Jason! I hope a follow up is alright.



Given that, the last sentence for the Improved Grab ability seems incorrect. He'd automatically constrict after making the grapple that round (and ever round thereafter), whereas he'd have to devote an action next round to using his disjunctive touch. It wouldn't be a case of "either" one or the other.



If he successfully disjoins an antimagic field on someone, does it also affect all other magical effects on a target, or just the antimagic field?

Also, the disjunctive touch says it affects "all active spell effects or the ongoing effects of supernatural abilities". Why just one or the other and not both? Does Fraz decide which is affected, or the target?

With the Improved Grab bit, we decided to call it out there, because Fraz cannot use his touch on an item until after he grapples unless it is unattended. It was perhaps, a bit redundant.

When disjoining an antimagic field, that is all that is disjoined during that use of his ability. As for the spell effects and supernatural effects, that should have been an "AND" not an "or". That was a mistake on our end.

Grr... the elusive quest for the perfect issue continues.

Jason Bulmahn
Associate Editor of Dragon

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

For the love of all that is unholy, when you get 120+ pages of Demonicon printed, you MUST then reprint it as a hardback a year later. Then it'd be "Best. Supplement. Ever."

 

[Nightfall]

Okay before I was like *jaw dropping excited* Now reading Al's review/posting, I KNOW I must have this Dragon.

Wow, so Frazzy is still trying to regain control eh? Too bad for him. But I believe James did a good job exempilifying Frazzy's powers, especially since ToH Frazzy was a little weak... At least in comparison to what I will now call the TRUE Frazzy!

*Sorry Scott!*

Anyway now that we got that detail out of the way:

More info on these Realmsian artifacts.

More details on both Worm Food AND Noble Born.