Dragon -- Ashen Covenant Article

[Boarstorm]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/drfe/20080611a

New magic items, new monsters, NPC stats... /drool

And the author's name is oddly familiar. It makes me think of vampiric cheese, for some reason. Hmmm...

Edit:
Here's a question --

Skull Helm Level 12+
The face of this iron helm resembles a screaming skull.
Lvl 12 13,000 gp Lvl 23 425,000 gp
Body Slot: Head
Property: You gain a +2 item bonus to Intimidate and Endurance checks.
Power (Daily): Immediate Interrupt. You can use this power when an enemy makes an attack against your Will defense. Gain a +2 item bonus to Will until the end of your next turn. If the attack targeting you has the fear keyword, gain a +4 item bonus instead.

So there's a level 12 version and a level 23 version. And they differ... how, exactly?

 

[Wormwood]

The Dragon Articles have all been exceptional.

Sold.

 

[matthewseidl]

2 questions on the Ashgaunt

1 - Do aura's stack? I.e. if I have 2 ashgaunts and a wraith, does teh wraith get +4 to attack rolls and defenses? It apears to be an untyped bonus.

2 - Flavor text seems to imply the ashgaunt can raise dead allies as zombie rotters, but the power text says it can only raise destroyed undead creatures. If tthas true, why does the example encounter have a bunch of human lackeys? It also amuses me that the power only works on dead undead.

 

[Mouseferatu]

So there's a level 12 version and a level 23 version. And they differ... how, exactly?

My guess is, that's an artifact of development. The final version of the helm doesn't function exactly as I wrote it. (What can I say, I was still learning the system. ) My guess is that either the forgot the higher-level power, or that the higher-level cost should have been removed, but wasn't.

 

[matthewseidl]

For the flameharrow:

1 - In the example encounters, its listed as a level 10 elite controller, but the stat block says level 12.

2 - Since both eye rays are minor, 1/round, I assume it can move, then take two minor actions to use each eye ray once?

3 - The added necrotic damage for allies. Is this on any damage the ally does? Any hit? On any attack (i.e. misses still give it)? Its unclear what the trigger here is.

 

[Mouseferatu]

2 questions on the Ashgaunt

1 - Do aura's stack? I.e. if I have 2 ashgaunts and a wraith, does teh wraith get +4 to attack rolls and defenses? It apears to be an untyped bonus.

I believe, unless stated otherwise, that bonuses from the same source do not stack, typed or not.

2 - Flavor text seems to imply the ashgaunt can raise dead allies as zombie rotters, but the power text says it can only raise destroyed undead creatures. If tthas true, why does the example encounter have a bunch of human lackeys? It also amuses me that the power only works on dead undead.

Not all the ashguant's allies have to be viable options for its wake the dead power.

Well, that and it's another development artifact. My original version of wake the dead was (I know now, having had more time with 4E) way more complex than it needed to be. I approve of their changes, even if it rendered my sample encounter slightly less optimized.

 

[Mouseferatu]

For the flameharrow:

1 - In the example encounters, its listed as a level 10 elite controller, but the stat block says level 12.

Entirely my fault. That's an error that goes all the way back to my original text.

2 - Since both eye rays are minor, 1/round, I assume it can move, then take two minor actions to use each eye ray once?

It could indeed.

3 - The added necrotic damage for allies. Is this on any damage the ally does? Any hit? On any attack (i.e. misses still give it)? Its unclear what the trigger here is.

That's in addition to any damage they deal with their own attacks.

 

[Boarstorm]

My guess is, that's an artifact of development.

I'd guessed that was the case, but thought I'd throw the line out there and see if any stat-fish bit.

Having actually read the article now, I have to concur with Wormwood there. Excellent, and with enough and varied crunch to be useful for just about anyone.

As an aside, I'm really digging the pouch of ghost-grounding dust.

 

[Kishin]

The Dragon Articles have all been exceptional.

Sold.

QFT.

The fluff is great (Which is pretty much what you can expect from Ari), but there's just so much crunch to this article as well. If this is what Dragon will be like consistently, count me resoundingly in.

 

[Mouseferatu]

QFT.

The fluff is great (Which is pretty much what you can expect from Ari)

Thank you.