Alzrius
The EN World kitten
The third-to-last issue of Dungeon arrived today, and though it won't be here much longer, this issue was jam-packed with goodness (and I just want to say that I love the cover image of Charon)! Here's the skinny:
Editorial: All Good Things, by James Jacobs - James talks about the end of Dungeon, giving the basics and where to go for more info, before listing the many things he's given to the magazine, what others have given, and what's to come, including stats for Arendagrost, Charon, Celeste, Orcus, Iggwilv, and more!
Prison Mail - Letters this month include a note about how the Adventure Path is too hard to fit into an existing campaign, how the Adventure Paths are the best thing ever, and a wish for a compilation of Campaign Workbook articles (which James replies isn't possible).
The Automatic Hound, by James Lafond Sutter - In this adventure for 4th-level characters, a would-be adventurer was killed at an abandoned druid's grove, accidentally triggering the first part of an ancient ritual. Now, a runehound is stalking the town of Dramsburg, intent on bringing the corpse back to the grove to complete things! The PCs may have no choice but to finish the ritual, but what will they bring forth if they do? An appendix covers a new monster, the spirit of the wild (CR 6). Sidebars cover nudging the PCs along on this investigative adventure, the specifics of the corpse's use in the ritual, and scaling the adventure.
In the Shadows of Spinecastle, by Stephen S. Greer and Gary Holian - In this [smallcaps]greyhawk[/smallcaps] adventure for 9th-level characters, the PCs are contracted to find a spy gone missing in Spinecastle. But searching for him leads to a plot that could lead to the overthrow of the County of Knurl, the last free part of the Bone March, unless the PCs retrieve the information he found. The adventure has a fairly length appendix (several pages) describing Spinecastle in rich detail. Sidebars cover Diplomacy checks and random encounters in Spinecastle, the key of spinecastle, the mask of deception, and scaling the adventure.
Wells of Darkness, by Eric L. Boyd - The Savage Tide continues! In this adventure for 18th-level characters, the PCs follow up on the tip they got in the previous adventure, journeying to Broken Reach to learn what they can from its succubus ruler, Red Shroud. With the information she gives them, they then descend into the seventy-third layer of the Abyss, the Wells of Darkness, where they must free Shami-Amourae, once a contender for the title of Queen of the Succubi, to learn Demogorgon's secret weakness! But freeing someone from the Wells is a task even gods dare not attempt, and the PCs will be forced to make a deal with the very creator of the Wells himself. But even if they succeed, Demogorgon has contingency after contingency in place, and there's little hope for the PCs survival...especially when they end up face-to-face with Charon! Appendix one covers new magic items: the demonomicon of Iggwilv (minor artifact), the shroud of venom, the tooth of Shami-Amourae, and the tripartite amulet of the hive mind. Appendix two covers (in the Tome of Magic format) the new vestige Ahazu, creator of the Wells of Darkness. Appendix three covers new monsters: the chokesnake ( a symbiont, CR 5 or host +1) and Shami-Amourae (CR 19). Sidebars cover the Abyss, Knowledge checks for Pazunia, Knowledge checks for the Wells of Darkness, Knowledge checks for Ahazu the Seizer, what happens if you stray off the marble paths while on layer seventy-three, Knowledge checks for Shami-Amourae, and Knowledge checks for the Overlook (the center of the Wells of Darkness layer).
Dungeoncraft: Temptations and Dilemmas, by Wolfgang Baur - This article covers points where the choices your players make can affect the direction of the entire campaign.
The Journey: Listening Posts, by Stefan Happ - This article covers listening posts; not guard posts but seemingly normal places where certain people gather information to send back to their patrons. Two such NPC listeners are presented, along with a new type of trap: the branch smacker (a CR 1/2 mechanical trap).
Wandering Monster: The Webbird, by Matt Conklin III - The webbird, a new monster, makes its debut here. This N, CR 1/2 aberration's main threat is that it mplants its eggs in its opponent's body. The article covers not only its stats, but its strategy and tactics, its ecology, and its treasure, along with Knowledge checks about it.
Cartoons - The Portent, by Richard Bergting; and Downer, by Kyle Stanley Hunter.
Map of Mystery: Traevantahl: Elven Forest Sanctuary, by Christopher West.
Editorial: All Good Things, by James Jacobs - James talks about the end of Dungeon, giving the basics and where to go for more info, before listing the many things he's given to the magazine, what others have given, and what's to come, including stats for Arendagrost, Charon, Celeste, Orcus, Iggwilv, and more!
Prison Mail - Letters this month include a note about how the Adventure Path is too hard to fit into an existing campaign, how the Adventure Paths are the best thing ever, and a wish for a compilation of Campaign Workbook articles (which James replies isn't possible).
The Automatic Hound, by James Lafond Sutter - In this adventure for 4th-level characters, a would-be adventurer was killed at an abandoned druid's grove, accidentally triggering the first part of an ancient ritual. Now, a runehound is stalking the town of Dramsburg, intent on bringing the corpse back to the grove to complete things! The PCs may have no choice but to finish the ritual, but what will they bring forth if they do? An appendix covers a new monster, the spirit of the wild (CR 6). Sidebars cover nudging the PCs along on this investigative adventure, the specifics of the corpse's use in the ritual, and scaling the adventure.
In the Shadows of Spinecastle, by Stephen S. Greer and Gary Holian - In this [smallcaps]greyhawk[/smallcaps] adventure for 9th-level characters, the PCs are contracted to find a spy gone missing in Spinecastle. But searching for him leads to a plot that could lead to the overthrow of the County of Knurl, the last free part of the Bone March, unless the PCs retrieve the information he found. The adventure has a fairly length appendix (several pages) describing Spinecastle in rich detail. Sidebars cover Diplomacy checks and random encounters in Spinecastle, the key of spinecastle, the mask of deception, and scaling the adventure.
Wells of Darkness, by Eric L. Boyd - The Savage Tide continues! In this adventure for 18th-level characters, the PCs follow up on the tip they got in the previous adventure, journeying to Broken Reach to learn what they can from its succubus ruler, Red Shroud. With the information she gives them, they then descend into the seventy-third layer of the Abyss, the Wells of Darkness, where they must free Shami-Amourae, once a contender for the title of Queen of the Succubi, to learn Demogorgon's secret weakness! But freeing someone from the Wells is a task even gods dare not attempt, and the PCs will be forced to make a deal with the very creator of the Wells himself. But even if they succeed, Demogorgon has contingency after contingency in place, and there's little hope for the PCs survival...especially when they end up face-to-face with Charon! Appendix one covers new magic items: the demonomicon of Iggwilv (minor artifact), the shroud of venom, the tooth of Shami-Amourae, and the tripartite amulet of the hive mind. Appendix two covers (in the Tome of Magic format) the new vestige Ahazu, creator of the Wells of Darkness. Appendix three covers new monsters: the chokesnake ( a symbiont, CR 5 or host +1) and Shami-Amourae (CR 19). Sidebars cover the Abyss, Knowledge checks for Pazunia, Knowledge checks for the Wells of Darkness, Knowledge checks for Ahazu the Seizer, what happens if you stray off the marble paths while on layer seventy-three, Knowledge checks for Shami-Amourae, and Knowledge checks for the Overlook (the center of the Wells of Darkness layer).
Dungeoncraft: Temptations and Dilemmas, by Wolfgang Baur - This article covers points where the choices your players make can affect the direction of the entire campaign.
The Journey: Listening Posts, by Stefan Happ - This article covers listening posts; not guard posts but seemingly normal places where certain people gather information to send back to their patrons. Two such NPC listeners are presented, along with a new type of trap: the branch smacker (a CR 1/2 mechanical trap).
Wandering Monster: The Webbird, by Matt Conklin III - The webbird, a new monster, makes its debut here. This N, CR 1/2 aberration's main threat is that it mplants its eggs in its opponent's body. The article covers not only its stats, but its strategy and tactics, its ecology, and its treasure, along with Knowledge checks about it.
Cartoons - The Portent, by Richard Bergting; and Downer, by Kyle Stanley Hunter.
Map of Mystery: Traevantahl: Elven Forest Sanctuary, by Christopher West.
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