Dragon 353 came early!

[Ripzerai]

Again, I have no idea what the final article looks like, but when I sat down with the modrons from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd edition (MotP web enhancement), I realized that they were nearly word for word the exact same descriptions. So I decided not to do the exact same thing again only with 3.5 stats and MM4 formatting. Of course, I tried to stay true to them, but I also tried to breath some new life into them with some plot ideas and some loving for the lesser used modrons (there are more than monodrones and quadrones after all, and they could have used some stuff to make them a bit more interesting and more than just fillers in the mathematical progression).

That sounds like an admirable philosophy. I hope they printed it all.

 

[Razz]

FYI - The "rogue modron PC" MIGHT count as one of the 6. I don't know for sure.

But if they are ever interested in a follow-up article on the rest of the modron heirarchy, I know one interested writer. However, with the longer stat blocks, it would be a rather big article to handle the rest.

I hope the rogue one doesn't count, that'd be really misleading. But congratulations on your article!

But I am glad they got coverage. The only problem is it's incomplete and you really can't use one modron rank without somehow getting the ones higher up in the chain of command involved, too. I sincerely hope Dragon Magazine may have considered either a follow-up article for the other half of the modrons or possibly a web enhancement for their magazine to include the others.

I'll be fighting the issue until I hear something. I am very happy this modron article was published, but rather sad to not hear any news of the other half being a definite future article or WE.

 

[Ripzerai]

The only problem is it's incomplete and you really can't use one modron rank without somehow getting the ones higher up in the chain of command involved, too.

Sure, you can. Pentadrones are more than intelligent enough to react on their own without needing their superiors to direct them. There is only one decaton in each sector for them to report to, so they're not going to be receiving commands very often.

Certainly, all of a pentadrone's standing instructions come ultimately through its decaton superior, but there's no reason at all a decaton needs to be involved in an adventure involving pentadrones. There are only 100 decatons in the entire multiverse, and their duty is to overseer the welfare of the lesser modrons, not to interact with mortals - the chance of a PC interacting directly with anything of decaton or higher is vanishingly small.

The most likely hierarch for PCs to interact with is actually the tertian, since they're in charge of trial, judgment, and sentencing in Regulus. Rogue modrons are particularly likely to run afoul of them.

 

[Razz]

Sure, you can. Pentadrones are more than intelligent enough to react on their own without needing their superiors to direct them. There is only one decaton in each sector for them to report to, so they're not going to be receiving commands very often.

Certainly, all of a pentadrone's standing instructions come ultimately through its decaton superior, but there's no reason at all a decaton needs to be involved in an adventure involving pentadrones. There are only 100 decatons in the entire multiverse, and their duty is to overseer the welfare of the lesser modrons, not to interact with mortals - the chance of a PC interacting directly with anything of decaton or higher is vanishingly small.

The most likely hierarch for PCs to interact with is actually the tertian, since they're in charge of trial, judgment, and sentencing in Regulus. Rogue modrons are particularly likely to run afoul of them.

True, it's not impossible for one to make heavy use of the lower caste of modrons without the higher ones involved. It's just at some point, whether the PCs angered the higher ups or something else, or the characters reach high level, the others will get involved. It'd just be neat to have the "upper" half to have at hand should either a DM want to make use of them for a large campaign or for a particular quest or quest arc.

Worse comes to worse I'll have to study the 3.5E versions of the modrons in #354 and the tertian in Dungeon and revamp the rest of them to look similar to those in comparison. It'd be some work, and I hope to avoid all that with a hint or something from Dragon indicating they're definitely considering publishing the rest of the modrons.

Personally, I am that DM that would love to run a campaign involving the modrons. But it'd take the whole lot of them to do so. Slaadi are so overrated and overused.

 

[Nightfall]

*is just anxious to see some demiplanes* Btw just for future reference, in this article is Ravenloft considered a demi-plane or just a rogue plane?

 

[Cam Banks]

*is just anxious to see some demiplanes* Btw just for future reference, in this article is Ravenloft considered a demi-plane or just a rogue plane?

It's a demiplane, according to this article.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Nightfall]

Cam,

Thanks. Just checking to be sure.

 

[Razz]

Damn it, I didn't get mine in the mail today...better luck tomorrow.

 

[Shemeska]

*is just anxious to see some demiplanes* Btw just for future reference, in this article is Ravenloft considered a demi-plane or just a rogue plane?

It's a demiplane.

And btw Nightfall, you'll like Moil for the Orcus connection. And some additional stuff that had relevance to his renewed interest in that particular demiplane that was cut during the editing, I'll be posting on Planewalker if the guys over at Dragon are cool with it.

I just got my issue of the magazine today, so I'll field any questions about the Keeper Ecology and the Demiplanes feature.

 

[Nightfall]

Moil?! Tell me more! Or better yet, email me! That way it stays off people's radar and you don't worry about the arbiters of Dragon getting all up in your grill.