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Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Olive" data-source="post: 944165" data-attributes="member: 1297">Ohhhhh... sneak peak from In the Works over at the Wizards site.<a href="http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20030615a" target="_blank">http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20030615a</a>-----------Last month, I passed along a brief overview and the back cover copy from this 288-page hardcover that sets you up with everything you need to get started playing a full-blown campaign in the world of Dragonlance. This month, I offer a couple crunchy bits inspired by the wraparound art from the cover.If anything says "Dragonlance" to me, it's two dragon riders (and their more than formidable mounts) locked in a dramatic aerial duel. So, how do you go about making that happen?Split between pages 69 and 70 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, you'll find about a column's worth of rules (including a nice Maneuverability table) to govern aerial movement. Add falling damage (on pg. 112) and the information on taking damage from falling objects, and you're up to about one full page that covers aerial-specific game mechanics. You can squeeze in the rules for running, charging, bull rushing, grappling, etc. if you want. They're generic combat rules -- which certainly apply -- but they're not "aerial combat rules."That's when the Dragonlance Campaign Setting swoops in and fills that gap with eight full pages of rules specific to aerial combat, including a terrific table that details Collision Damage based on the speed and size of the objects in contention. The section covers Simple Maneuvers, like a 45-degree turn, climb, dive, or sideslip, as well as Advanced Maneuvers, such as Airbrake (DC 15), Swoop Attack (DC 20), and Wingover (DC varies). It also goes through becoming airborne, gaining altitude, changing speed, using weapons from the saddle, and a small pile of other things -- such as a nice-sized chunk that deals with combat between creatures at differing altitudes, including the pitiful, flightless fodder you find on the ground below (or what you, as the pitiful, flightless fodder can do against flying creatures).Chase Scale: Altitude is abstracted in the chase scale. A flying creature can be at one of seven altitude bands, as shown below:Band  Description  Against Ground Targets  0  On the ground  Normal  1  Very Low  Melee attacks, all spells, missile weapons, thrown weapons, and breath weapons  2  Low  Medium or long-range spells, missile weapons, and breath weapons only  3  Medium  Medium or long-range spells, missile weapons, and line-shaped breath weapons only  4  Medium-High  Long-range spells and missile weapons only  5  High  Long-range spells only  You may find it useful to place a d6 next to each flying creature to mark its current altitude band. Remove the die when the creature is on the ground.When a flying creature moves, it can choose to gain an altitude band (which reduces it to half speed unless it has perfect maneuverability) or drop an altitude band (which increases it to double speed). Some maneuvers require changing altitude. A creature can only gain or lose one altitude band per turn.The effect of altitude bands on slant range depends on how many bands are between the flying creature and its target:Difference in Altitude Bands  Effect  0 or 1  None  2  Add 100 feet to the horizontal range  3  Add 200 feet to the horizontal range  4  Add 400 feet to the horizontal range  5  Add 800 feet to the horizontal range  Like I said, that's just eight pages of the book -- there are 280 more. Next month, I should be able to get some more crunchy bits along with an illustration or two for you.</blockquote>

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