Dragon #389 Ampersand

[Phaezen]

Some interesting bits and pieces this month's Ampersand

Firstly novels, they will be publishing a 5 part novella by James Wyatt in upcoming novels which serves as a prelude to a world spaning event "The Abyssal Plague" starting March 2011.

The Novels areart 1: Forgotten Realms, The Ghost King by R.A. Salvatore (July 2010)

• Part 2: Dungeons & Dragons, The Mark of Nerath by Bill Slavicsek (August)
• Part 3: Dark Sun, City Under the Sand by Jeff Marriotte (October)
• Part 4: Forgotten Realms, Whisper of Venom by Richard Lee Byers (November)
• Part 5: Eberron, Lady Ruin by Tim Waggoner (December)
• The Temple of Yellow Skulls by Don Bassingthwaite (March)

Then there is a small preview of the Ravenloft board game showing a monster - The Wraith, simplified stats and tactics printed on the card.

Next up a Dark Sun preview, showing the Gladiator Theme. Basic rundown, the theme gives you an encounter power and access to theme powers which I assum you can take instead of your class powers. Previewed are: Disrupting Advance (Gladiator Feature); Go With the Flow(Gladiator Utility 2); Savage Sweep (Encounter, Gladiator Attack 3 with upgrades at 13 and 23) and Infuriating Challenge (Daily, Gladiator Attack 5 with upgrades at 15 and 25)

This is followed by a breakdown of the Essentials line, nothing new that I have noticed in there other than a sample of the solo adventure in the red box, which seems to start with choosing a class via your actions.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

I hope there is some way to read the novella without buying all five novels as I have absolutely no interest in the FR or Eberrron ones.

Also, sounds like a meta plot is creeping into PoL?

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

Some interesting bits and pieces this month's Ampersand (DDI Required).

I could read it without being logged in this morning. Weird.

Let's hope they keep the meta-plot world-spanning event optional. And while it does sound interesting there's no way I'll be buying 5 novels just to read the prelude...

 

[FireLance]

I could read it without being logged in this morning. Weird.

This month, we're making my column available to everyone who wants to read it because we decided to give everyone an opportunity to hear about the exciting things coming out of Wizards over the next few months.

Let's hope they keep the meta-plot world-spanning event optional.

As I posted in another thread:

The way I see it, "official" adventures have a tendency to be absorbed into D&D continuity. One of the more recent examples I can think of are the references to both the 3e Dungeon adventure "The Lich Queen's Beloved" and the 4e Scales of War adventure path in the section discussing the githyanki in The Plane Above.

I'm fairly confident that any "metaplot" will be handled in the same way as the Scales of War adventure path: an event takes place which could happen on any world, or which happens on several worlds concurrently. D&D canon assumes the event took place and was resolved, hopefully without making significant changes to the world(s). In particular, that last clause will ensure that DMs who wish to ignore the event may do so quite easily.

 

[MrMyth]

Thus far, WotC have taken a pretty definite approach of not trying to enforce adventure results and plots on everyone's campaign. Either presenting them as one possible future, or so forth. I'm interested to see what this is going to be like, and hope they continue this trend of having it there as an option, but not too overwhelming impeding on the settings themselves.

 

[the Jester]

I find even the faintest whiff of metaplot sickening, disheartening and morale-breaking.

Bad form, WotC! I certainly hope this crap doesn't bleed over into other products, but I already fear it will.

 

[Markn]

I could read it without being logged in this morning. Weird.

Let's hope they keep the meta-plot world-spanning event optional. And while it does sound interesting there's no way I'll be buying 5 novels just to read the prelude...

They opened up this particular Ampersand article to everyone - you don't need a DDI subscription to read it.

 

[Derulbaskul]

I find even the faintest whiff of metaplot sickening, disheartening and morale-breaking.

Bad form, WotC! I certainly hope this crap doesn't bleed over into other products, but I already fear it will.

It will.

WotC is addicted to metaplot. Sure, WotC was clean for a while but the metaplot junkie is back. I just cannot believe that the plan is to have the same metaplot affect all of its worlds. Now that is one way to piss off practically EVERY fan.

 

[Dice4Hire]

They opened up this particular Ampersand article to everyone - you don't need a DDI subscription to read it.

Yes, and I appreciate it, WOTC.

 

[ggroy]

A bigger version of the "Time of Troubles", Greyhawk Wars, the Spellplague, etc .... ?

More generally, a D&D version of DC comics' 1985 "Crisis on Infinite Earths"?

Crisis on Infinite Earths - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia